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

WE'RE BACK FOR A SPECIAL EPISODE--Actor Sean Hayden Talks "Stage Combat"--The True Crime / Theater Podcast Everyone Should Be Listening To

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

Laura Benanti is Baaaaaaaaack!

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

Being Out On Broadway Featuring Jenn Colella, Ariana DeBose, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Caesar Samayoa, And Tyler Hanes

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

Jennifer Ashley Tepper

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

Special Episode: "The Ensemblist" Presents Spring on Broadway

"My So-Called Podcast" is LIVE! Hear Our Hilarious Trailer Here!

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

BIG EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!

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

Adam Kantor Talks "The Band's Visit"

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

Lea Salonga Talks "Once On This Island," Bringing "Fun Home" to The Philippines and Reflects on her Legendary Career

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

Ryann Redmond Talks "Escape To Margaritaville," "Bring It On," "If/Then" and More!

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

Telly Leung On Being Broadway's New Aladdin + "In Transit," "Allegiance" And More!

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

Lesli Margherita Talks "Who's Holiday"

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

Gillian Pensavalle of "The Hamilcast" On that time Lin-Manuel Miranda Came To Her Apartment, Got Drunk, and Did a 4-hour Interview

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

Helene Yorke Talks "American Psycho" "Bullets Over Broadway" and Being a Magnet for Gay Men

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

Jeremy Jordan talks "Newsies," "Bonnie & Clyde" and more

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

Director Jeff Calhoun Talks "Newsies" and "Bonnie & Clyde"

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

Morgan James talks "Godspell," "Wonderland" and Making Her Own Way

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

Tyler Hanes talks "Cats" "A Chorus Line" & More

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

Alexandra Silber Talks "After Anatevka" and more + Reed Birney On His Terrifying Role in "1984"

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

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