Why I‘ll Never Make It
Episodes
7 days ago
7 days ago
As a special episode for Women's History Month, music director Julianne Merrill and broadcast technology director Jessica Ryan join the podcast to talk about one of WINMI's favorite organizations, Maestra, and their annual Amplify concert.
Maestra was founded by composer Georgia Stitt (who has been on this podcast before), and Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin (also a former guest) hosts the third annual evening of music by Maestras like Cyndi Lauper, Debra Monk, Brenda Russell, and Lucy Simon. Their music performed by some of Broadway’s brightest stars, including: Abby Mueller, Andy Kelso, Alysha Umphress, Bre Jackson, and Blake Stadnik (yet another former WINMI guest).
Amplify is a hybrid event, with in-person performances at in New York City and a virtual simulcast with online-only features by our partners at All Together Now (Jessica's company) available worldwide on March 27, 2023.Learn more about Maestra and how you can help them Amplify women musicians. Jessica mentioned Broadway statistics on female composers, find them here on Maestra's website.Timeline of this episode...03:12 - Welcome and Maestra information09:50 - Story #1: What drew Jessica and Julianne to the arts14:07 - The pandemic's effect on the arts18:20 - Story #2: The intersection of technology and the arts32:46 - How Actors Equity is (not) helping theaters embrace the digital age38:57 - Jessica's big and wonderful idea!44:10 - Story #3: Maestra and the Amplify concert
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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 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.
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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.
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----------
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.
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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Subscriptions and donations help support the production of this podcast, not only improving audio and recording capabilities, but it also helps create transcripts like the one available for this episode.
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.
Support this podcast in one of two ways:
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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
19:55 - 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 07, 2022
Monday Nov 07, 2022
Back in 2008, I made the move to New York City to finally pursue my acting career here. And after a couple of years of doing regional work, though, I was looking for more opportunities that could keep me in the city. So I went to the Actors Fund (now called the more generic Entertainment Community Fund and featured on previous episodes), and at that time they offered assistance to actors looking to beef up their non-performing resume. I talked with someone about places I’d work at in the past, and she asked if I had considered approaching non-profit organizations. Of the ones I looked through, the one that stood out to me was a children’s charity called Only Make Believe. I sent them an email and setup a time to meet with a woman named Melissa who was in charge of their volunteers at the time. That was in March of 2010, and what began as a few hours here and there of volunteer office help led to part-time work as their Media Consultant and assisting with their gala and other marketing efforts.
Learn more about this amazing children's organization: https://www.onlymakebelieve.org
And all of it was the idea of one woman: Dena Hammerstein. She started out as a British actress who eventually came to the US, met and married into a famous Broadway family, and began producing shows here in New York. In 1999, Dena established Only Make Believe, and every November since 2001 they have held their annual gala to raise funds and awareness for the work they do. In the last episode you heard from Joe DiPietro about his beginnings with the organization, but today you’ll hear from the founder herself in this encore presentation of our conversation back in 2018 for a special segment of this podcast called The Spotlight Series. At the time Dena was still head of the whole organization. We talk about her early years as a TV and film actress in London and then what led her to establish Only Make Believe.
Find out a bit more about Dena's early years in TV and film: IMDB
Giving Dena a Better Episode
When this interview was originally recorded back in 2018, I only had one microphone and guests and myself would sit on either side of that mic for the interviews, so audio quality wasn’t that great. For this episode I’ve been able to go back and improve that audio quality as best I can, thanks in part to the financial support of listeners like you.
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Also in 2020, as the pandemic was upon us and Dena was spending more and more time in London, it seemed the appropriate time for her to step aside. So I’ve edited this conversation (using better software, thanks again to listener support) as a reminder of her legacy and the important work she has left to a new generation of capable leadership as they carry on Dena’s vision for years to come.
Monday Oct 31, 2022
Monday Oct 31, 2022
For the past 23 years, a non-profit theater company called Only Make Believe has been creating and performing live in-person and virtual interactive theater for children in hospitals, care facilities, and special education programs. It started here in New York City but has since opened an office Washington, DC with some outreach in other cities as well. In the next episode you’ll hear an encore presentation of my conversation with founder Dena Hammerstein. But for today, I’m sitting down with one of the board members and the director of their annual gala, who has known Dena and OMB since its inception.
Joe DiPietro is certainly no stranger to theater and has been writing for the stage since 1991. His musicals and plays have received multiple awards and nominations on and off-Broadway, including Memphis starring Montego Glover and All Shook Up with Cheyenne Jackson. He talks about these two talented performers and shares his affection for Only Make Believe.
We also get into two of his most recent Broadway shows: Diana, the Musical and Living on Love, his lone Broadway play so far (starring former WINMI guest Douglas Sills). Both shows had their own challenges coming to and surviving on Broadway. In fact, Diana filmed their stage production for Netflix during the Covid shutdown, and that movie notoriously went on to win Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Screenplay and Worst Picture, among others. But Joe takes it all in stride and shares with us not only his passion for theater but also what has kept him going through the ups and downs.
You can support Why I’ll Never Make It as well through Subscriptions or Donations.
03:02 - Joe's introduction to theater
05:30 - Only Make Believe and its mission
13:58 - Montego Glover and Cheyenne Jackson
19:32 - How you can help OMB and WINMI
21:37 - Diana, the Musical
34:31 - Living on Love
45:16 - His theater writing process
Staying cooped up anywhere can be difficult for anyone, but facing the four walls of a hospital room 24/7 can be especially tough -- draining even. For more than 20 years, Only Make Believe has brought happiness to thousands of children in hospitals and care facilities in New York City and the DC area through live interactive theater. To date, approximately 95,000 children have been impacted by OMB’s services, and that number continues to grow each year.
Because OMB knows that “freeing a child’s imagination is a valuable part of the healing process,” the organization works with a team of professional actors to provide interactive theater for sick children using nothing by a backdrop, along with a supply of props, costumes and imagination, of course.
What happens next is quite magical to say the least. By the end of an OMB show, the same children who were having the worst day imaginable and didn’t intend on participating are dancing, laughing and having fun. Professional actor Chris Wilson, who has since gone on to become OMB's Director of Programming & Communications, calls days like this a job well done. “Only Make Believe allows theater to become a truly immersive experience. The actors transform the space, interact with the audience, and adjust the show to the needs of each group of children,” Wilson said. “I am a firm believer that the performing arts have the ability to allow children to think and grasp concepts in a different way.”
Learn more about Only Make Believe and how you can help.
The 2022 Only Make Believe Gala
Join OMB as they celebrate those who inspire us with their dedication to philanthropy and raise funds to support our interactive theatre programming in hospitals, care facilities, and schools with special education programs. They have garnered so much the support for their virtual & hybrid galas over the past 2 years, and are certainly ecstatic to be BACK ON BROADWAY in person with former WINMI guests like Brad Oscar and Kathryn Allison. Only Make Believe's annual gala has earned a reputation as New York’s most entertaining and unique charity event of the season!