Why I‘ll Never Make It
Episodes
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Angela Lansbury and Her Bumpy Road to MAME on Broadway
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Back in October of this year we lost a beloved star of the stage and screen, Angela Lansbury. Her performing career spanned 80 years in which she received six Tony Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and one Laurence Olivier Award. And despite her years in television and movies (her last film role was Glass Onion in 2022), theater was always her first love, having appeared in 14 Broadway productions and four national tours.
But as you’ll hear in this special episode (with a big help from fellow podcaster Dan Delgado), it was a long and bumpy journey towards the role in Mame that would cement her Broadway career and earn her that first Tony Award. You'll hear from composer Jerry Herman and from Angela Lansbury herself in this unlikely audition story of how a character actress from the movies became a leading lady on Broadway.
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Episode research and sources:
"Look Back at Angela Lansbury in the Original Broadway Production of Mame" - Playbill
"How Angela Became Mame" - Medium
But Darling, I'm Your Auntie Mame! by Richard Tyler Jordan (2004)
Anyone Can Whistle - Wikipedia
MAME - Wikipedia
Sound bites came from these full interviews:
Angela Lansbury Discusses Mame - Television Academy
Broadway MAME - Sony MasterWorks
Broadway ANYONE CAN WHISTLE - Sony MasterWorks
Jerry Herman with Barbara Walters on 20/20 (1984)
Lansbury with Barbara Walters (1985)
Herman Interview for Musical Theater Guild
Herman on NPR
“Open a New Window” - 1971 Tonys Awards
"We Need a Little Christmas" Piano Version - Steven C
Opening Night of MAME in 1966 - Fred Robbins, radio reporter
At times certain reports or articles conflicted on particular details or order of events, so best efforts were made to rely on the most reliable sources and err on the side of those who knew more about the events surrounding Lansbury's journey.
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Back in September of this year, news came out that both shook and shocked the Broadway theater world: Phantom of the Opera will be closing and have its final performance in February 2023. After 35 years, the longest running Broadway show in history, this iconic show was going to be leaving the Majestic Theater for good. That closing date has since been updated to April 16th, no doubt due to the increase in ticket sales after that initial closing announcement, nonetheless the end of an era is near.
I’ve worked with many a performer who have never known a Broadway without Andrew Lloyd Webber and Phantom of the Opera. This show was the first musical I ever really fell in love with, I mean that cast recording album has sold millions of copies (with an all-new, eight-disc Global Edition recently released). I certainly listened to that original cast recording with Michael Crawford ad nauseam in high school, and it was a big inspiration for me wanting to not only pursue theater but actually set my sights on a Broadway career, which has yet to come to fruition. But my guest today has been on Broadway with this show for 15 years, and he’ll be sharing some fascinating and funny stories from his long tenure with Phantom of the Opera.
Jeremy Stolle is the final guest for season 6, and he and I first met doing Gaston at Disney World down in Florida. Now, if that sounds familiar to you, Will Swenson is another Broadway actor who’s been on the podcast, and he and I also shared Gaston duties during my time at Disney World. But Jeremy left Disney and came to New York a little bit before me, and during his years with Phantom has performed the featured part of Passarino in the ensemble, the supporting role of Piangi, and has also played the two leading roles of Raoul as well as the Phantom himself. We talk about what has kept him at the show for so long and the various opportunities, experiences, and mishaps it’s given him these past 15 years.
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Timeline of this episode's conversation:
01:49 - Jeremy and Patrick discuss their Gaston beginnings
07:07 - Jeremy struggled when he first came to NYC
09:43 - Personal histories with Phantom
20:31 - Story #1: Phantom and the infamous swoosh
28:18 - The pressures of playing the Phantom
33:14 - Story #2: Raoul and the cheeky bow
39:08 - The differences between Phantom and Raoul
43:14 - Story #3: Meeting his idol, Anthony Warlow
48:48 - Sharing a dressing room with Denzel Washington
Jeremy Stolle Has an Idea...
The stamina of doing 8 shows a week is certainly something that every performer has to train for and be able to maintain, but there is also a stamina for auditioning. Going in, time and time again, to sing 32 bars or perform a monologue, or go through a scene with a reader or another actor. This takes preparation and constant readiness for whatever may come at you in the audition room. This especially true when it’s a role that you have either done before or have auditioned for many times previously, you have bring a fresh energy to it each time.
Well, in this week’s audition story Jeremy talks about one of the many times he has auditioned for Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. Although this time he tried a different take on the character, with hilarious results. To get bonus episodes with Audition Stories and more, become a monthly or yearly subscriber and earn the title of WINMI Producer. You’ll be helping maintain and sustain this podcast while also getting extra conversations with guests like Jeremy. You could even give it as a gift...now there's an idea :)
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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 Nov 28, 2022
Monday Nov 28, 2022
Do you want to be famous or do you want to be an actor? Very few truly achieve both. For most of us it’s a choice, and the direction we choose impacts the roles and opportunities that we pursue going forward. Today’s guest has been presented with both during his career and came to discover which one mattered more to him.
Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers (Part 3)
In the early 2000s, Ben Curtis was training to be a serious actor at NYU, but one commercial audition for Dell computers completely changed the trajectory of his life and career. He became the face of the computer company, performing in about 26 national commercials over the span of four years. Ben shares with us the lessons he learned from reaching a level of fame that he never imagined, but he also talks about how it led him down some dark paths that took him years to resolve and come out of.
02:28 - Welcome and Ben talks about coming to NYC
06:02 - Story #1: Becoming the Dell Dude
11:01 - The business of commercial acting
16:34 - When Ben realized he was "famous"
21:31 - Story #2: The reality check of getting arrested
33:55 - Story #3: Surviving 9/11 through drugs and alcohol
41:14 - Lessons he has learned and now shares with other men
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OR
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Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance.
Background music in the episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Dude, You're Getting Well
Ben's mission with the podcast is to share the real challenges that leaders, innovators, and influencers face every day as humans -- to show that it's okay to be human and have hard days, that all people experience pain and challenges. He wants to shed light on how we overcome these odds, the tools that we can use for self-care and sur-thrival, all while growing our vision and sharing these lessons with others.
Audition Story
In this week’s bonus episode, Ben shares an experience back in Chattanooga when he had to choose between playing on the school’s soccer team or doing theater. He couldn’t do both. While you can probably guess which one he chose, as often happens it didn’t quite turn out quite the way he had hoped. Subscribe to WINMI and get access to this and other bonus episodes.
Final Five Questions
In this interview, Ben shared his journey from fame to failure and points in-between. And the conversation continues on the WINMI Blog as he answers five final questions about “making it” and useful advice he's received.
Discover even more about Ben here.
Monday Oct 17, 2022
Monday Oct 17, 2022
The life of an actor is often a cross between a seesaw and a rollercoaster. Sometimes it’s as simple as an up or down choice between opportunities and trying to find the balance in our life and work. While other times we’re just along for the ride (especially when it comes to auditions and callbacks), going in ways we can’t control and just doing our best to make the best choices in the moment. And today’s guest reminds us how unpredictable that rollercoaster be and that finding balance can oftentimes be difficult.
Ricky Schroeder has been dancing since he was 3 years old and has gone on to do a variety of projects from musicals like Kinky Boots and Hairspray Live to television shows including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Pose. Now, his name may sound similar to another actor from Silver Spoons and NYPD Blue, but on Twitter he’s quick to point out he’s not that Ricky Schroder. In fact, he’s been working to make his mark as more than just a dancer but rather an all around performer in the areas of acting, singing, and even improv. So this conversation with Ricky will be slightly different from other episodes as it highlights a journey common to all actors, one of hopeful expectation as well disappointing missed opportunities.
The shows we discuss in this episode:
Kinky Boots
Once Upon a One More Time (Britney Spears musical)
Muriel’s Wedding (musical)
The Last O.G. (starring Tracy Morgan)
POSE (starring Billy Porter)
Younger (starring Sutton Foster)
Broadway 4D
Bye Bye Birdie Live
The Last Five Years - available to monthly supporters...become one today :)
Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com
Please consider a monthly subscription to WINMI and get Bonus Episodes as well OR if you'd rather, you can make a one-time donation to help offset the production costs of this podcast. Whichever way you choose, your support is so very much appreciated!
Career Transition for Dancers
Ricky spoke about expanding his own artistic work and efforts beyond dancing because of his love of acting and singing and wanting to be seen as more than just a dancer. While this rings true of many dancers looking to open up more creative and career opportunities for themselves, some are looking beyond dance for other reasons. That’s where Career Transition for Dancers (and the Entertainment Community Fund) steps in.
Maybe you're a professional dancer dealing with a career-threatening injury or illness and aren't sure what to do next.
Perhaps you feel burnt out in your dance career, wondering if there’s anything else you could do for work.
You're possibly thinking of starting a family or are simply looking for more financial stability but don’t know where to start.
Whatever your situation, the Career Transition For Dancers program offers career counseling, educational scholarships and panel discussions to assist you in navigating these choices and expanding new opportunities for your next chapter.
Final Five with Ricky Schroeder
After this main conversation, Ricky sat down to answer the five final questions. Among several topics, he shares why "making it" is an elusive concept and how social media can put undue pressure on some performers. Read it all on the WINMI Blog.
Follow Ricky: Twitter | Instagram | Website
Monday Oct 10, 2022
Monday Oct 10, 2022
For only the second time in my career, I’m doing back to back shows at the same theater. First there was Anne of Green Gables this past summer and now there’s 42nd Street here at the Goodspeed Opera House. It’s a show I’ve done before a few years back and in the same role as well, only this time there’s a lead producer who’s working to bring this production (and hopefully its cast) to Broadway. It has Carina-Kay Louchiey as the young starlet Peggy Sawyer and Max von Essen as the hard-nosed director Julian Marsh. I’m in the role of Pat Denning, playing opposite one of my favorite leading ladies of Broadway...
Kate Baldwin, who plays the veteran actress Dorothy Brock, joins the podcast to talk about this current production of 42nd Street and why it means so much to the both us. Then we take a surprisingly candid and unvarnished look at her career and why she was told she’d probably never have one in theater. We also discuss the ways we performers often compare ourselves to others and how to handle those times when someone else books the show instead of us.
Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com
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MAESTRA, founded by Georgia Stitt
As Kate mentions in this episode, she and Georgia Stitt have worked together for years. And it was back in 2017 that MAESTRA MUSIC was formed by this composer/lyricist and music director to give support, visibility, and community to the women who make the music in the musical theater industry. Their membership is made up of female-identifying, non-binary, and gender non-conforming composers, music directors, orchestrators, arrangers, copyists, rehearsal pianists and other musicians who are an underrepresented minority in musical theater.
It was back in Season 4 that Stitt came on this podcast to talk about her career and this wonderful organization.
FINAL FIVE QUESTIONS WITH KATE BALDWIN
In addition to our main conversation, Kate answered the five final questions on topics that we only briefly touched on in this episode. She shares her definition of "making it" as well as what annoyed her most about some singers (riffing). She also discusses music directors, her early days in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and the importance of going where you are loved. Read it all on the WINMI Blog.
Follow Kate: Website | Instagram
Monday Sep 12, 2022
Monday Sep 12, 2022
As noted in the previous episode, auditions are the backbone of this industry. It is the fundamental job of every actor to do as many jobs as we can and do each one to the best of our ability. But there is an important gatekeeper when it comes to submitting our self tapes or actually getting in the audition room, and that is the casting Director. You’ve heard from Actors and their experiences in front of the audition table. Well, now it’s time to hear from the other side of that proverbial table and what goes in to casting, and the vital role they play in the production for the stage or screen.
Daryl Eisenberg, along with fellow casting director Ally Beans, works to create a comfortable space for actors, so they can take risks and really show their full potential as artists. You’ll hear Daryl’s thoughts on how actors can make their mark in the audition room or on a self-tape, and then you’ll get an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at how she uses her position and expertise to make the audition process enjoyable and inclusive for artists on both sides of the table.
Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com
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Read the Final Five with Daryl Eisenberg on the WINMI Blog
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Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, top 25 theater podcast and is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones. It is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance.
Background music in the episode is by John Bartmann (Public Domain) and Blue Dot Sessions (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License).
Audition Stories of Diversity and Inclusion
Covid certainly has changed the way we now audition, with self-tapes and Zoom auditions becoming the norm. But the summer of 2020 also changed the way we think about who is coming to the auditions and what that creative team looks like. In this week’s bonus episode, Daryl shares a few of her own experiences as she advocates for more diversity on both sides of the table. You’ll also hear how she works with fellow casting director Ally Beans, who is both partner and collaborator in the casting process.
Bonus episodes like these are only available to monthly supporters of Why I’ll Never Make It. So if you’d like to help this podcast as well, then please consider a monthly subscription and get access to bonus episodes like the Audition Stories.
CASTING OFFICES IN NYC
Some of the biggest casting offices for stage and screen (like Eisenberg/Beans) reside in New York City, and at the top of the list is...
The Telsey Office
Formerly known as Telsey + Company, The Telsey Office is perhaps the best known casting office for commercials, film, television, and course, theatre. The company has bases in both New York City and Los Angeles.
Recent Broadway: Waitress, MJ the Musical, Flying Over Sunset, Mrs. Doubtfire, Diana, West Side Story, Tina, The Sound Inside, Beetlejuice, Gary, Oklahoma!, Be More Chill, To Kill a Mockingbird, Network, The Cher Show, The Prom.
Website: www.thetelseyoffice.com
Contact: info@thetelseyoffice.com | 917-277-7520
Tara Rubin Casting
Rubin began her company in 2001 after working for 15 years as a Casting Director at Johnson-Liff Associates. She is a graduate of Boston University and serves on the board of the Casting Society of America.
Recent Broadway: Six, Ain't Too Proud, Summer, The Band's Visit, Prince of Broadway, Bandstand, Indecent, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, A Bronx Tale, Cats, Disaster!
Website: www.tararubincasting.com
Contact: tararubincasting.info@gmail.com | 212-302-3011
Binder Casting
Binder Casting was founded nearly 40 years ago by Jay Binder, who passed away in April 2022, and has been a part of RWS Entertainment Group since 2016. The office has cast 150+ Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Touring productions, in addition to countless national and international projects spanning both stage and screen.
Recent Broadway: The Lion King, In Transit, Dames at Sea, It Shoulda Been You, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Born Yesterday, White Christmas, Finian's Rainbow.
Website: bindercasting.com
Contact: info@bindercasting.com | 212-586-6777
Stewart/Whitley
An award-winning office in New York City that delivers excellence and innovation in casting. Respect for the creative process: the artistic teams, actors and all who collaborate in it is paramount. Connecting creativity is at the cornerstone of what they do.
Recent Broadway: Hadestown, The Lightning Thief, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Pippin, Chicago
Website: www.stewartwhitley.com
Contact: info@stewartwhitley.com | 212-635-2153
Wojcik Casting Team
Wojcik/Seay Casting opened its doors in January of 2009 with the national non-union tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and has also been featured in Season 2 of the podcast. But Gayle Seay has since gone to become Artistic Director of Stages St. Louis, while Scott Wojcik continues to cast shows in and out of New York.
Recent Broadway: Jesus Christ Superstar, Motown
Website: wscasting.com
Contact: info@wscasting.com
Jim Carnahan, CSA
Recent Broadway: Moulin Rouge!, Kiss Me, Kate, Tootsie, Burn This, The Ferryman, Head Over Heels, Travesties, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Angels in America, Farinelli and the King, Time and the Conways, 1984, Groundhog Day, The Price, The Cherry Orchard, Long Day's Journey Into Night, She Loves Me, Noises Off, Fun Home.
Stephen Kopel, CSA
Recent Broadway: Moulin Rouge!, Jagged Little Pill; Kiss Me, Kate; The Play That Goes Wrong; Beautiful; Sunday in the Park with George; Amélie; She Loves Me; Noises Off; Violet; The Glass Menagerie; Harvey; Once; Anything Goes
Caparelliotis Casting
Recent Broadway: The Minutes, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, In the Height of the Storm, Ink, Hillary and Clinton, King Lear, The Waverly Gallery, The Nap, The Boys in the Band, Saint Joan.
Daniel Swee, CSA
Recent Broadway: Pass Over, The Great Society, To Kill a Mockingbird, Six Degrees of Separation, Oslo, The Present, The Heidi Chronicles, The Audience
Cindy Tolan, CSA
Recent Broadway: Company, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Betrayal, Macbeth, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella.
Other standouts on the theatre scene:
Bass/Valle CastingBob Cline CastingFranck CastingHBD CastingJamibeth Margolis CastingKlapper CastingLaura Stanczyk CastingMichael Cassara Casting
Monday Sep 05, 2022
Monday Sep 05, 2022
As much as we actors wish it wasn’t so, auditioning really is our job. Performing it’s just an added perk, if we do that job really well. That being said though, there are times when we mail an audition and simply couldn’t have done any better, yet we still don’t book the part. Such is the life and labor of an actor.
Welcome to the annual episode of Audition Stories…the good, the bad, and the hysterical. And today you’ll be getting a sampling of the bonus episodes available to monthly supporters of this podcast. You’ll hear from the following actors, directors, and choreographers as they share their most memorable auditions:
Barton Cowperthwaite - actor and dancer from Tiny Pretty Things
Misty Rosas - actress, singer and performance artist from The Mandalorian
Carmen Cusack - actress and singer from Bright Star and Flying Over Sunset
Jerry Mitchell - director and choreographer of Kinky Boots and Pretty Woman
Al Blackstone - director and choreographer from So You Think You Can Dance
Michael Learned - famed actress from The Waltons
Kathryn Allison - actress and singer from Company and Aladdin
Briana Packen - actress and coach from Movement 4 Everybody
The Prom Tony Nominees - Caitlin Kinnunen, Beth Leavel, and
Brooks Ashmanskas
I love sharing these stories and episodes, but it does take time and resources to do it. Currently, about 90% of podcast production costs come out of my own pocket. So I would greatly appreciate if you would consider joining Why I’ll Never Make It and support the ongoing efforts of this podcast:
monthly subscriptions with access to bonus episodes and more
yearly subscriptions at a $20 discount off the monthly options
one-time donations to help the ongoing production of this podcast
Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com
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Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It's an award winning Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance.
Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Monday Jul 25, 2022
Adam Stocker and the Theater Interview That Went All Wrong
Monday Jul 25, 2022
Monday Jul 25, 2022
Just like actors show off their skills in the audition room, other artists and creatives have their own ways of showcasing talents to prospective theaters, directors, or employers. And these interviews can be just as anxious and nerve-racking as what we actors face, especially if you aren’t as prepared as you could be.
Adam Stocker is a Broadway costumer and returns for this bonus episode to share a story from his junior year at Western Michigan University. He recounts an interview he had for what would’ve been his first internship. However, from the moment the phone interview began, Adam was caught off-guard and just trying to keep up…
Follow Adam: Website | Instagram
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A transcript of this interview can be found on the WINMI Blog and is available thanks to financial supporters of this podcast. You'll also find Adam's Final Five questions on the blog as well.
Welcome back to Why I’ll Never Make It and this special episode which is very different from the usual Audition Stories that are normally reserved for monthly supporters of this podcast. But I wanted to offer this conversation with Adam to all listeners like you as an invitation to subscribe to bonus content on Supercast, the Patreon alternative for podcasters.
With your subscription, you’ll be helping this podcast continue to produce important and insightful interviews with a wide range of creative artists and actors. So become a supporter of WINMI today, and you’ll have my utmost appreciation and a lot of bonus episodes to listen to.