The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales

Broadway Podcast Network

Intimate, personal conversations with the biggest talents from professional theatre, tv, film, and more. Hear their secrets, what makes them laugh, stresses them out, and how they manage the anxiety of success. We feature both stars and creatives such as producers, stage managers, directors, press and marketing agents, or even the people who own the theaters or productions themselves.
This is a podcast for artists, made by artists. With over 2 decades of experience in film and theatre both as cast and creative, host Alan Seales speaks with Broadway, TV, film and beyond’s biggest talents to learn more about not only how the world of theatre and performing operate, but also what makes it so real and human. In-depth, personal, behind-the-scenes conversations will highlight special details of the industry that most people may not know exist, will always find out what makes the guests love their craft, what makes them tick, and what truly inspires them.
Part of the Broadway Podcast Network.

Episodes

Mentioned books

Mar 9, 2021 • 1h 17min

Ep130 - Drew Gasparini: Composer for The Karate Kid Musical, The Skittles Musical, Smash, and all-around good guy

"I only ever want to be Ben Harper famous." Drew Gasparini is an award winning musical theatre songwriter and performer. Currently he is writing the scores for a number of new stage musicals including the Broadway-bound adaptation of The Karate Kid, an adaptation of Night Shift for Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, and an adaptation of the Ned Vizzini novel/film It's Kind of a Funny Story for Universal Theatrical Group (book by Alex Brightman), among others. Some of Drew’s original musicals include Crazy Just Like Me (winner of “Best Of Fest” and runner up for “Best Book” in the New York Musical Theatre Festival 2011), and Make Me Bad (book by Alex Brightman, Bloomington Playwrights Project, winner of PACE New Musicals). Drew was a contributing composer for the fictional musical Hit List on the NBC series Smash, and in 2019 wrote the music for Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical, a highly publicized PR stunt starring Michael C. Hall for Super Bowl LIII. He has released several of his own albums, and on January 13th, Drew launched his new podcast "Now We're Talking with Drew Gasparini" on the Broadway Podcast Network. Born and raised in southern California, his father a drummer and his mother a music teacher, Drew recalls that “music was like water, food, and oxygen” in his household. But it was ultimately his music teacher in high school who, after listening to some of his original songs (which he began writing when he was 12), challenged him to work harder and inspired him to dedicate his life to songwriting. Drew chronicles the journey which took him from living out of his car in LA, to writing his first musical and moving to New York City; where a few years later, he put up a concert of his songs starring Titus Burgess, Jeremy Jordan, and others. He shares that some of the best education he’s had has come from failing in New York, and reiterates that there are going to be down moments for all artists, but if you love it, you have to stick with it. Drew has signed 5 contracts for projects which were Broadway bound but never made it, which he says only makes him hungrier - “I want to write something that’s left behind in a big way.” This dream could just be on the horizon, as Drew recollects landing his current big project - writing the score for the Broadway bound adaptation of Karate Kid. In this episode, we talk about: Wanting to be Ben Harper famous Getting “permission” from success The first song he ever wrote at age 12 Leaving school to travel the west coast with his band “Drew G and the B” Creating his “Now We’re Talking” podcast Connect with Drew: Subscribe to his podcast IG: @drewgasparini Twitter: @drewgasparini Listen to him on Spotify 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!Cheryl Hodges-Selden, Paul Seales, David SealesIf you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 9, 2021 • 1h

Ep129 - Stephanie Hsu: Be More Chill, Spongebob Squarepants, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Stephanie Hsu is a familiar face on both the stage and screen, maybe best known for originating the role of Christine in Be More Chill at Two River Theater, and then on Broadway. She previously made her Broadway debut as Karen the Computer in the original cast of Spongebob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical. Her TV and Film credits include The Path (seasons 1-3), Set It Up, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, Asking For It, and Mei in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.Born in Torrance, CA, Stephanie shares that it was mostly just her and her mom growing up. The two clashed at times - her mother was not sure America was built for her as an immigrant, while Stephanie was “adamant about being an American.” As a child, Stephanie was very into basketball, and fought against the urge to become a “drama geek”. But when a fellow classmate in high school arranged an audition for her with the drama teacher, it “launched everything”, including heading to NYU to study acting. Stephanie stresses the importance of visibility in the arts, and candidly talks with us about her role on The Marvelous Maisel - Mei, who as a bilingual, strong and independent Chinese American woman in the 1960’s, was “unlike any character” she’d ever seen in her life. During our conversation, Stephanie continues to bring us back to themes of “love”, sharing, “Love has always been my favorite thing in the whole world,” (her college thesis was about love). When she was recently commissioned by Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, to create a piece of self expression, she found herself in the silence of the pandemic trying to understand “if being in love is ok”. Stephanie walks us through the creation of her piece “Another Love Letter”, where she battled between feeling the desire and responsibility as an artist to be productive and to make something big, but also feeling drawn to explore the poetic parts of quiet simplicity. In this episode, we talk about: Creating her virtual commission “Another Love Letter” One of her favorite things to do at museums Working on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel The importance of making work you care about with people you care about Her journey to landing a role in the new film Everything Everywhere All At Once Connect with Stephanie: Watch Another Love Letter IG: @hsulace 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!Cheryl Hodges-Selden, Paul Seales, David SealesIf you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 2, 2021 • 1h 21min

Ep128 - Michael Urie: Ugly Betty, Torch Song, Grand Horizons

Maybe best known for his starring role as Mark St. James on Ugly Betty (opposite Vanessa Williams), Michael Urie is not only a star of the stage and screen, but also a director and executive producer. He originated the role of Arnold in the Broadway revival of Torch Song (after receiving Lucille Lortel Award and Drama League Award nominations in the off-Broadway production), as well as the role of Brian in Grand Horizons on Broadway. Other stage credits include How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, High Buttons Shoes, The Government Inspector, Angels in America, and his award winning performance in Buyer and Cellar. Michael’s other TV and film credits include Modern Family, Workaholics, Younger, The Good Fight, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and a guest judge on RuPauls Drag Race. Michael can currently be heard in As the Curtain Rises, Broadway's first podcast soap opera, and is part of a digital performance of a new play called Smithtown, which premieres online February 13th.Although born in Houston, Texas, Michael grew up outside of Dallas, and as a child loved and wanted to make movies. It was eventually his high school theater teacher who encouraged and challenged him to pursue his passions for directing and acting, and a poetry competition where he discovered his comedic chops, that led him on his journey to Juilliard. Looking back on the beginning of his career post college, Michael opens up about the first time he auditioned for a TV pilot, while also balancing being in play. Although that particular pilot didn’t get picked up, Michael chronicles how the experience guided him to his starring role on Ugly Betty a few years later. He also shares his thoughts on film acting vs. theater acting, and “the feat of watching a theater artist go on the journey in front of you right then and there”. Michael talks with us about how he was able to incorporate this feat in his newest project Smithtown, a play which was adapted for Zoom and shot virtually. In this episode, we talk about: Finding his footing in high school theater class Falling in love with Shakespeare and the classics His first TV pilot audition, a flop, and Ugly Betty a few years later Working with Vanessa Williams on Ugly Betty His new project, Smithtown His approach to and opinion on social media Connect with Michael: IG: @MichaelUrieLikesIt Twitter: @MichaelUrie 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!Cheryl Hodges-Selden, Paul Seales, David SealesIf you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 26, 2021 • 58min

Ep127 - Colin Donnell: Chicago Med, Jersey Boys, The Nineteen Twenty

“It’s going to be bumpy, but it’s going to be worth it”. Colin Donnell is a singer, actor, and musician who has starred on both the stage and screen. His stage credits include the Broadway productions of Jersey Boys, Violet, and Anything Goes (for which he received a Drama Desk Award nomination), as well as many national tours including Mamma Mia! and Wicked. Colin made his TV debut in ABC’s Pan Am alongside names like Christina Ricci and Margot Robbie, and has since appeared on Person of Interest, The Affair, Chicago PD, and both Arrow and Chicago Med as a series regular. Off of the stage and screen, Colin is also an incredible musician. While in quarantine, he and bandmate Brian Usifer formed The Nineteen Twenty, and their debut album Chaos + Cocktails is now available on all music streaming platforms. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Colin shares he “basically lived the High School Musical in reality”. He was “a sports kid” for most of his life, until freshman year of high school when he broke his ankle playing football. On a whim, and because he could juggle, Colin auditioned for the school production of Barnum. The rest is history. Speaking about his career, Colin opens up about what keeps it fun and interesting - continually striving to improve, grow, and tell the next story in a new and exciting way. He touches on the inevitable self doubt that creeps in when you share your work, but how freeing his newest project with The Nineteen Twenty has been, allowing him and Brian to focus on making the kind of music they want to make - something they could be proud of amid the shadow of a pandemic. Colin also talks about looking forward to the inevitable “explosion of creativity” in the years ahead, born out of the COVID-19 era - “what’s to come is going to be really special”.In this episode, we talk about: The inspiration behind, and creation of his new band The Nineteen Twenty Giving himself permission to quit performing His experience doing his first straight play Something he admires about wife Patti Murin His love/hate relationship with social media Eleven O'Clock Number: The wine he and Patti collaborated on for Nocking Point Wines Connect with Colin: IG: TheNineteenTwenty IG: @ColinDonnell Twitter: @ColinDonnell Listen to TheNineteenTwenty Drink his wine! 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!Cheryl Hodges-Selden, Paul Seales, David SealesIf you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 19, 2021 • 1h 6min

Ep126 - George Salazar: Be More Chill, Percy Jackson, Works & Process at the Guggenheim

Catapulting into the limelight after originating the role of Michael Mell in Be More Chill on Broadway, George Salazar speaks candidly about struggling with his identity growing up, as a child of a Filipino immigrant and an Ecuadorian immigrant. Watch the full video of this episode here.He recently created a video exploring his self discovery, titled “My Identity”, as part of a virtual commission he received from Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim. George also opens up about his goals as an artist moving forward - creating work for people that look like him, so they too feel like anything is possible. Born and raised in Florida, George shares that theater and Broadway weren’t a part of his family’s life - “I didn’t know what a musical was,” he says. But he loved entertaining, and admits he was always the class clown in school. George “accidentally” discovered theater his junior year of high school, after singing his own Weird Al inspired parody in computer class and being asked to audition for the school's production of Little Shop of Horrors. George earned a BFA in Musical Theater from University of Florida, moved straight to NYC, and made his Broadway debut a few years later. In this episode, we talk about: The inspiration behind “My Identity” Why he decided to move to LA How he discovered theater Interning in NYC during FL summer stock seasons, because no one would cast him The exact moment he freed himself from the need for validation How and why his artistic process during The Lightning Thief was different from others Connect with George: Watch "My Identity" Instagram: @georgesalazar Twitter: @georgesalazar Web: www.thegeorgesalazar.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!Cheryl Hodges-Selden, Paul Seales, David SealesIf you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 12, 2021 • 1h 1min

Ep125 - Keith Powell: 30 Rock, This is Us, Connecting

“The key to success is figuring out how to survive in an industry that needs you, but doesn’t want you.”Keith Powell is best known as series regular James “Toofer” Spurlock on NBC’s Emmy-winning sitcom 30 Rock, where he received the 2008 Screen Actors Guild Award for Comedy Ensemble. Recently, Keith has mostly focused on writing and directing. He is currently writing a feature for Film 44 and HBO Films, and is set to direct his first film, Buffalo. Keith also directs for TV, having helmed an episode of NBC’s Superstore. After 30 Rock, Keith wrote, directed and starred in every episode of his web series, Keith Broke His Leg (which also starred his wife), for which he won two Indie Series Awards - Best Comedy and Best Actor. Keith boasts a strong theatre background as well having previously run his own theater company, and performed at The Old Globe in San Diego. You can currently catch Keith playing Garret on NBC’s Connecting, and Dr. Vance on This Is Us.Although born in Philadelphia, Keith spent much of his childhood in Monterey, CA before moving back east around the age of twelve, and making Delaware home. After many years participating in community theater (along with other Delaware natives like John Gallagher Jr. and Aubrey Plaza), Keith attended NYU and made New York City his home. During our conversation, Keith talks in detail about what the filming process was like for Connecting on NBC, a show set entirely on Zoom and mostly shot on iPhones. He also takes us back to his days with 30 Rock, the show where “he learned how to work in TV”, and shares his journey to landing the role of Toofer. Keith opens up about struggling to find “his own artistic comedic voice” after 30 Rock ended, and how a minor surgery led to the first inspirations for his own web series, Keith Broke His Leg. He now lives in Los Angeles, and along with directing, writing, and acting, each year Keith also mentors a new group of students fresh out of NYU as they begin navigating their careers in LA. In this episode, we talk about: What a typical shoot day for Connecting involved His Grandmother’s saying - “What's yours will know your face.” How he views himself as an artist and storyteller His experience working on 30 Rock Starting his own theater company after college, and Lynn Redgrave performing The inspiration behind Kevin Broke His Leg Being resilient in an industry full of rejection Connect with Keith: Instagram: @bykeithpowell Twitter: @keithpowell 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!Cheryl Hodges-Selden, Paul Seales, David SealesIf you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 5, 2021 • 50min

Ep124 - Frank DiLella: Emmy Award-winning host of “On Stage” on Spectrum News NY1

As the host of NY1’s “On Stage” and a microphone for the theatre community, this Emmy Award winner's stories have shifted from Broadway openings and red carpet events, to how people are surviving and pivoting while Broadway is on hold.Frank DiLella is the Emmy Award winning host of “On Stage” on Spectrum News NY1, the news channel’s weekly half-hour theater program. His celebrity interviews, along with his in-depth reporting of the theatrical scene, have helped make him a household name in the theater and entertainment communities in New York City, as well as around the globe. Since joining NY1 in 2004, he has interviewed many legendary artists including Tom Hanks, Vanessa Redgrave, Nathan Lane, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters, Hugh Jackman, Lin-Manuel Miranda, James Earl Jones, Chita Rivera, Jane Fonda, Ben Vereen, Angela Lansbury, Tony Kushner, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more. Frank is the recipient of 3 New York Press Club Awards including 1 in 2019 for his special on the Broadway revival of Angels in America – and the other in 2020 for his special on Network. He’s made multiple big and small screen appearances as “himself” including The Prom – opposite Meryl Streep, Smash, The Little Voice, and The Forty Year Old Version. Frank is also an adjunct professor teaching theater journalism at his alma mater Fordham University at Lincoln Center. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Frank always loved theater as a kid (but he also loved watching Dateline NBC and America’s Most Wanted). He grew up performing, and participated in the school musicals throughout his childhood. Frank fell in love with New York City, and after moving to attend Fordham University to pursue Broadway aspirations, an Intro to Media Studies class and an internship at Spectrum News NY1 altered his course. During our conversation, Frank talks about how he created an outlet for himself in the industry, and became a voice in the community. “Being on air, and being a reporter, and being in journalism...” is similar to acting and to theater because you are still telling stories, he shares. He also reveals that “that little fix or high” you get when you’re on stage happens all the same while he is on air reporting, or hosting events. Frank opens up about his work during COVID - and how he sees himself as a microphone/platform for the community, helping them get the word out there in both good times and bad. In this episode, we talk about: Being a theater kid Moving to NYC to pursue performing The callback and internship opportunities which helped determine his career path How he worked his way up the ladder at NY1 Covering the 2007 Broadway stagehand strike The one thing he always says to his students Filming “The Prom” with Meryl Streep Connect with Frank: Instagram: @fdilella Twitter: @fdilella Watch "On Stage" 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!Cheryl Hodges-Selden, Paul Seales, David SealesIf you would like to see your name in this show notes or get a shout out on the pod itself, visit ttp.fm/patreon to become a member and show your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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