Why I‘ll Never Make It
Episodes
Monday May 08, 2023
Monday May 08, 2023
Actors are no strangers to making choices. Every time we step onto the stage or into an audition room, we are faced with decisions to make. What character traits to emphasize? How to relate to others in the scene? Why is this story being told? These choices can make or break a performance or audition.
But the choices that actors make don't end when we leave the stage or audition room. They extend far beyond our professional lives and into our personal responsibilities as well. Actors are constantly juggling the demands of a career with personal priorities, always having to strike a balance between our craft and our private lives. Sometimes, these choices can be incredibly difficult. Actors may be faced with the choice between pursuing our dreams or just making rent, between accepting a big role or spending more time with family, or between living in New York or elsewhere.
Previous guest Michael Kushner loves to use the term multi-hyphenate to illustrate the many ways we can express our creative selves. Well, Corrie Legge describes herself as a multi-passionate actor, having performed in television, film, theater, commercials, video games, audiobooks, and more. She's also a filmmaker and a coach, helping others to build thriving creative careers without having to sacrifice a fulfilling personal life in the process.
Corrie and I spoke earlier this year about a particular struggle she faced that actually led her into work as a voiceover artist, which she now balances with her other role of being a mother. But we start off talking about back-to-back experiences that made her question even pursuing a career in theater altogether.
Timeline of this episode's conversation:
03:26 - Corrie has accomplished a lot with her 10 years in the business
05:41 - Story #1: Back-to-back negative experiences in theater
14:53 - Not taking bad experiences personally
19:14 - Story #2: How an adopted dog led her into voiceover work
29:03 - Letting go of fear in performance and auditions
35:09 - A sample of Corrie's Audition Story available to subscribers
36:26 - Story #3: Balancing motherhood and a career as an artist
41:00 - How parenthood has made her a better actor
Subscribe to WINMI
If you wanna listen to the full conversation (with Audition Stories and the Final Five questions) as well as get early access to every episode, then become a monthly or yearly subscriber to Why I’ll Never Make It. Though producing this podcast is rewarding in its own way, I’m essentially a one-man operation, and it is both costly and time-intensive to put together each episode. So for just $5-10/month you’ll not only support these podcasting efforts, but you’ll also get to access to these extended conversations and other bonus content. Your financial support of this podcast is greatly appreciated:
Subscribe to get early access to episodes and bonus content
Make a one-time Donation to support transcripts and podcast production
If you'd like to support WINMI but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for reduced-price or even free access to the bonus content.
Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
----------
Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Monday Apr 24, 2023
Monday Apr 24, 2023
Writing is by its very nature, a solitary practice. Whether with pen and paper or in front of a computer screen, it is generally time spent alone, creating a world of characters and stories. Acting, on the other hand is generally a collaborative and shared effort in bringing those characters and stories to life. Psychologist Marti Olsen Laney says that writing and speaking use different pathways in the brain. Extroverts tend to speak more easily in front of others, while the writing pathways simply seem to flow more fluently and easily for introverts. So it is always a unique combination when a playwright becomes an actor or vice versa.
Jack began his theater career as an actor, but now primarily writes plays like Jericho and Poetic License, both critically-praised works for their dialogue. In our conversation, we talk about these two plays as well as some of the hard lessons he’s learned in producing plays in general. We also discuss the parallels between acting and writing, and how each one has helped improve the other. But like any creative endeavor, it’s a back-and-forth process of elimination, that includes being able to take feedback and comments. So with this episode I’m going to start sharing comments I get from listeners like you. Because whether its podcasting or playwriting, it’s important to highlight and expand upon what works and either improve or outright eliminate what doesn’t.
Timeline of this episode's conversation:
03:00 - Jack's start in playwriting
07:47 - Story #1: Learning from a harsh but accurate NY Times review
17:56 - Story #2: A high-profile play reading that didn't go as Jack had hoped
22:57 - The collaborative nature of playwriting
27:46 - Story #3: Jack's major stumble as an actor...in his own play
33:17 - Working with directors as a playwright (and actor)
Subscribe to WINMI
If you wanna listen to our full conversations with guests as well as get early access to episodes from now on, then become a monthly or yearly subscriber to Why I’ll Never Make It. Though producing this podcast is rewarding in its own way, I’m essentially a one-man operation, and it is both costly and time-intensive to put together each episode. So for just $5-10/month you’ll not only support these podcasting efforts, but you’ll also get to access to these extended conversations and other bonus content. Your financial support of this podcast is greatly appreciated:
Subscribe as a WINMI Producer to get early access and bonus content
Make a one-time Donation to support transcripts and podcast production
If you'd like to support, but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for access to the bonus content.
Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
----------
Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
It took 35 years, but Phantom of the Opera has finally left Broadway. It was a show that I first discovered in high school and I went on to perform “Music of the Night” several times in high school and college. And when I moved to New York in 2008, Phantom was certainly at the top of my list of musicals that I wanted to audition for. I did actually get to audition for Raoul as well as Monsieurs Fermin and Andre, with multiple packets of music and sides, but it just wasn’t meant to be I suppose. #whyillnevermakeit
However, I’ve known and worked with several people who have gone on to perform in this amazing show. One of those is Jeremy Stolle, who was with the show for 15 years. He joined me at the end of last season, to share his experiences with the show. And with the closing of Phantom, I wanted to revisit that conversation and share some highlights as he talked about playing the role of Raoul and the Phantom himself.
Help me make the music of the night...
Well, I may have never made it into Phantom, but you can help this podcast make it every week by become a monthly or yearly subscriber. You'll get the full conversations of previous and future episodes (which include Audition Stories and the Final Five questions) as well as get early access to these episodes without any pesky promotions to listen to. Though producing this podcast is rewarding in its own way, I’m essentially a one-man operation, and it is both costly and time-intensive to put together each episode. So for just $5-10/month you’ll not only support these podcasting efforts, but you’ll also get to access to extended conversations and other bonus content. Your financial support of this podcast is greatly appreciated!
Subscribe as a WINMI Producer to get early access and bonus content
Make a one-time Donation to support transcripts and podcast production
If you'd like to support, but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for easier access to the bonus content.
Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
----------
Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Monday Apr 10, 2023
Monday Apr 10, 2023
There was a study that came out the year before the pandemic called “Quantifying and Predicting Success in Show Business.” It starts off by saying that the unemployment rate for actors hovers around 90% —now, this was before Covid, when unemployment shot up to 100% for all actors. More recent statistics, however, show us bouncing back with about 85% of actors unemployed at any given time, while only 12.08% earn more than $1000 a year. Now, any actor who’s been around for a while has probably heard these doomsday numbers before. But if there’s one thing I hope that you’ve gathered from listening to this podcast, is that “making it” can mean many different things, and it can happen in any number of ways. This is why being a multi-hyphenate can be extremely beneficial, not only for us professionally but personally as well.
Michael Kushner is an expert at multi-hyphenating—he's producer, director, podcaster, actor, photographer, and educator. Earlier this year he added author to that list, when he released his first book titled How to Be a Multi-Hyphenate in the Theatre Business. It’s full of conversations, advice, and tips from his wonderful podcast called Dear Multi-Hyphenate. More importantly, though, he’s the partner, and soon to be husband of another former guest of this podcast, Remy Germinario, and so it’s great to bring Michael here to talk about his own career—the challenges he’s faced in figuring out its many paths and what it’s taught him about his own value and worth as an artist.
Timeline of this episode's conversation, including the bonus segments:
03:17 - Michael and Patrick discuss his upcoming marriage
4:26 - Story #1: Almost making his New York City debut
14:07 - Story #2: The long-term effect of Covid on his life and work
20:16 - How Michael juggles all the various jobs he has
29:25 - Story #3: Why people think he's given up acting (even though he hasn't)
36:53 - Creating and producing his own one-man show
43:32 - What led him to write a book about being a multi-hyphenate
49:36 - Bonus Segment: Michael's audition story for 13 the Musical on Broadway
53:49 - Bonus Segment: Michael answering the Final Five questions
Subscribe to WINMI
If you wanna get the full conversations of previous and future episodes (which include Audition Stories and the Final Five questions) as well as get early access to these episodes without pesky promotions, then become a monthly or yearly subscriber to Why I’ll Never Make It. Though producing this podcast is rewarding in its own way, I’m essentially a one-man operation, and it is both costly and time-intensive to put together each episode. So for just $5-10/month you’ll not only support these podcasting efforts, but you’ll also get to access to these extended conversations and other bonus content. Your financial support of this podcast is greatly appreciated:
Subscribe as a WINMI Producer to get early access and bonus content
Make a one-time Donation to support transcripts and podcast production
If you'd like to support, but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for easier access to the bonus content.
Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
----------
Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Monday Mar 27, 2023
Monday Mar 27, 2023
Recently, I went googling for articles about downsizing and simplifying my life, and I found this one called Simple Living Manifesto, which sounded great. But then the title of the blog post was “72 Ideas to Simplify Your Life“ — who has time for 72 ideas?? That doesn’t sound simple to me. But in all fairness, the writer did give a short list before going into that very long list of ideas. And on the shortlist, they were only two steps: 1) identify what’s most important to you and 2) eliminate everything else.
But figuring out what’s important to us, can sometimes be a little difficult, and today’s guest is an actress and acting teacher, who has spent her career figuring out ways to simplify the way we actors move and interact on stage, and how we use our energy in performance.
Jocelyn Jones has been an in-demand acting teacher for over thirty years. From A-list movie stars to hand-picked beginners, and she is here with us today offering insights that can enhance our confidence, guide us in own unique perspective, and leave us with some inspirational nuggets of wisdom. She’ll also be sharing insights from her most recent bestselling book Artist: Awakening the Spirit Within, which provides a blueprint for awakening and connecting to the spirit within each of us. And this is useful for all individuals, whether you’re in the arts or not. Because, as Jocelyn believes, each of us has artistry and creativity within us that should be respected and cared for.
Timeline of this episode's conversation:
03:50 - Jocelyn's transition from acting into teaching
08:11 - Story #1: Overcoming loneliness and connecting with nature as a child
17:32 - Can anyone be a good actor?
25:46 - Story #2: Discovering her own way of learning as the result of dyslexia
39:25 - How to become a subscriber and stop listening to these promos :)
40:54 - Story #3: Overcoming age stereotypes by producing work in her 70's
Subscribe to WINMI
If you wanna listen to the full conversation (with Audition Stories and the Final Five questions) as well as get early access to every episode, then become a monthly or yearly subscriber to Why I’ll Never Make It. Though producing this podcast is rewarding in its own way, I’m essentially a one-man operation, and it is both costly and time-intensive to put together each episode. So for just $5-10/month you’ll not only support these podcasting efforts, but you’ll also get to access to these extended conversations and other bonus content. Your financial support of this podcast is greatly appreciated:
Subscribe to get early access to episodes and bonus content
Make a one-time Donation to support transcripts and podcast production
If subscribing isn't possible for you, then please contact me directly for reduced-price or even free access to the bonus content.
Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
----------
Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Monday Mar 13, 2023
Monday Mar 13, 2023
As collaborative as theater can be, there are sometimes when the creative process can be more like herding cats—with no clear direction as everyone tries to get on the same page…hopefully. And that’s Broadway or community theater, a web series or major motion picture. I’ve certainly been in shows that started off a bit chaotic but got better as the cast and creative team could unify around a singular vision for the show. But today’s guest has a few stories about the various ways shows come together, some more successful than others.
Lisa Howard began her Broadway career almost 20 years ago with a little show with a big name: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Since then she’s gone on to originate roles in three other Broadway shows and will be talking about two of them in this episode. The first is 9 to 5, which she calls one of the roughest rehearsal periods she’s ever gone through, followed up by Escape to Margaritaville, a fun show for the cast that didn’t find as much fun here in New York City. And we end with a discussion of a topic that she says comes up in every interview--but for this podcast, she wanted to talk about it on her own terms rather than it being something someone else found brave or unusual.
Timeline of this episode's conversation:
02:50 - Lisa and me performing in 42ND STREET at Goodspeed
04:58 - Lisa shares what made SPELLING BEE so much fun
09:55 - Story #1: 9 TO 5's rough rehearsal process
22:12 - How to become a subscriber and stop listening to these promos :)
23:34 - Story #2: Why Escape to Margaritaville was fun for the cast but not audiences
35:14 - Story #3: How being plus-sized is portrayed onstage and in interviews
Audio clips were used from Ghostlight Records and 2005 Tony Awards.
Subscribe to WINMI
If you wanna listen to the full conversation (with Audition Stories and the Final Five questions) as well as get early access to every episode, then become a monthly or yearly subscriber to Why I’ll Never Make It. Though producing this podcast is rewarding in its own way, I’m essentially a one-man operation, and it is both costly and time-intensive to put together each episode. So for just $5-10/month you’ll not only support these podcasting efforts, but you’ll also get to access to these extended conversations and other bonus content. Your financial support of this podcast is greatly appreciated:
Subscribe to get early access to episodes and bonus content
Make a one-time Donation to support transcripts and podcast production
If you'd like to support WINMI but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for reduced-price or even free access to the bonus content.
Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
----------
Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Monday Feb 27, 2023
Monday Feb 27, 2023
One of the important aspects of Black History Month is that it’s not just about what happened 50, 100, 200 years ago. It’s also about the present, the world around us and what’s happening now to bring greater representation and celebration of African-American accomplishments and contributions. Of course, we should recognize and respect what has come before us. Black history is an integral part of American history and culture. But it’s also important to recognize the lives and experiences of those we meet and work with everyday.
Sharon Catherine Brown, or ShayCat as I came to know her during our recent production of Anne of Green Gables, is someone with such a rich history of experiences and a wealth of knowledge and insight from her 45 years as an actress and singer on both stage and screen, notably in TV shows with all-black casts like Good Times, The Jeffersons, and A Different World. It is a surety of herself and confidence in her actions that makes her someone to admire and applaud. Not because she’s better than you or me, not because she’s got it all together (which she'd be the first person to admit that's not the case), but rather because she is one of us, she’s gone through her own challenges and felt the ups and downs of this career and has come through them a better performer and a better person.
So it is with great pleasure that I bring you the second half of our conversation. She talks about a nightmare experience on stage in Flora, The Red Menace and recalls the milestone TV shows she was a part of with all-black casts, and she also emphasizes the importance of knowing our worth as actors.
Subscribe to WINMI
If you wanna listen to the full conversation (with Audition Stories and the Final Five questions) as well as get early access to every episode, then become a monthly or yearly subscriber to Why I’ll Never Make It. Though producing this podcast is rewarding in its own way, I’m essentially a one-man operation, and it is both costly and time-intensive to put together each episode. So for just $5-10/month you’ll not only support these podcasting efforts, but you’ll also get to access to these extended conversations and other bonus content. Your financial support of this podcast is greatly appreciated:
Subscribe as a WINMI Producer to get early access and bonus content
Make a one-time Donation to support transcripts and podcast production
If you'd like to support, but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for reduced-price or even free access to the bonus content.
Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
----------
Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Monday Feb 13, 2023
Monday Feb 13, 2023
One essential ingredient to any actors career is experience. It allows us to develop our craft and hone our skills over time. With each performance, we refine techniques, learn from mistakes, and develop greater emotional and psychological depth in our performances. But this growth in credibility and authenticity in acting comes as much from our offstage lives as it does from our onstage experiences. And today’s guest shares both personal and professional challenges that have shaped her not only into a great actress, but an amazing person as well.
Sharon Catherine Brown has appeared in films like A Chorus Line and Sister Act 2, in soap operas like Generations, and sitcoms like The Jeffersons, Good Times, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But theater is where she got her start and remains her first love. From Broadway productions of Dreamgirls and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to the national tours of The Wiz, Rent, and Jekyll & Hyde, ShayCat (as she’s known to friends) has the kind of experiences and resume that any actor would love to have. She and I met this past year doing a new musical version of the classic novel, Anne of Green Gables. And in part one of our conversation, she shares with us the long line of performers in her family (namely Johnny Brown, her father), a harrowing experience in her first Broadway show (Maggie Flynn), and the moment she knew she was born to be a drama queen.
Timeline of this episode's conversation:
03:27 - How she got the name ShayCat
05:39 - Story #1: Coming from a long line of Broadway performers
19:55 - Story #2: The moment she knew she was a drama queen
36:50 - Performing difficult scenes with children as well as adults
43:15 - Productions needing to cast big names to get an audience
Subscribe to WINMI
If you wanna listen to the full conversation (with Audition Stories and the Final Five questions) as well as get early access to every episode, then become a monthly or yearly subscriber to Why I’ll Never Make It. Though producing this podcast is rewarding in its own way, I’m essentially a one-man operation, and it is both costly and time-intensive to put together each episode. So for just $5-10/month you’ll not only support these podcasting efforts, but you’ll also get to access to these extended conversations and other bonus content. Your financial support of this podcast is greatly appreciated:
Subscribe as a WINMI Producer to get early access and bonus content
Make a one-time Donation to support transcripts and podcast production
If you'd like to support, but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for reduced-price or even free access to the bonus content.
Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
----------
Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones, and it is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. Background music in this episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.