Episode 486 - Death Becomes Her

Julia Mattison is a writer, songwriter, actor, and musical comedian who co-wrote the lyrics and music for the Broadway musical, Death Becomes Her. Her projects with Noel include Is Anyone Alive Out There? (Audible Theater), Noel and Julia’s Wayward Brainchildren (Joe’s Pub), “Brooklyn Sound” (Streamy Award winner, Webby Award nominee), Ruby Manger Live! (54 Below), and multiple musical commercials for Olay. She and Joel Waggoner are the unhinged minds behind the viral holiday sensation “Advent Carolndar” (@adventcarolndar on Instagram), featured on NPR, in The New Yorker, on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, and more. Noel Carey co-wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical, Death Becomes her. His Off-Broadway credits include: Is Anyone Alive Out There? (co-book/music/lyrics; Audible Original), Olay: The Road to Glow (co-book/music/lyrics). NYC: Noel and Julia’s Wayward Brainchildren (co-music/lyrics), Ruby Manger Live! (co-music/lyrics). TV/Film: “Brooklyn Sound” (co-creator/songwriter; 2016 Streamy for Best Indie), “Life Sucks” (original music), 4th Dementia (original music). Streaming: The Good Grief Sessions (arrangements/piano). BMI Musical Theatre Workshop (Harrington Award, Outstanding Creative Achievement in Musical Theatre). Emerson College (Howard Waldman Award). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

F. Murray Abraham has appeared in more than 80 films including Amadeus (Academy Award, Golden Globe, and L.A. Film Critics Awards), The Phoenician Scheme, The Name of the Rose, Finding Forrester, Scarface, The Ritz, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Inside Llewyn Davis. A veteran of the stage, he has appeared in more than 90 plays, among them Uncle Vanya (Obie Award), Krapp’s Last Tape, Trumbo, A Christmas Carol, the musical Triumph of Love, Cyrano de Bergerac, King Lear, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, Angels in America (Broadway), Waiting for Godot, and It’s Only a Play. Mr. Abraham’s work in experimental theater includes collaborations with Joe Chaiken, Pina Bausch, Time and Space Ltd, and Richard Foreman. He made his NY debut as a Macy’s Santa Claus. He starred in the second season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” for which he received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Previously, he was a series regular on “Homeland” (2 Emmy nominations). He’s appeared with Luciano Pavarotti, Maestros Levine, Tilson Thomas, Mazur, and Bell, and he made his solo singing debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. Mr. Abraham’s book, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Actors on Shakespeare, is published by Faber & Faber. He is proud to be the spokesman for the MultiFaith Alliance for refugees worldwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Laura Bell Bundy Broadway: “Elle Woods” Legally Blonde (Tony, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Noms), “Sylvia” The Cottage, “Amber” Hairspray (OBC), “Glinda” Wicked. Notable Off Bway: Romy & Michelle The Musical, Mama I’m a Big Girl Now (Drama Desk Nom) “Tina” Ruthless (Outer Critics/Drama Desk Noms). TV: Anger Management, Fairly Odd Parents, Call Me Kat, How I Met Your Mother/Father, Hart Of Dixie, Perfect Harmony, The Guest Book, American Gods and more. Film: Jumanji, Dreamgirls, Huck Finn, Snow Day, etc. Billboard top 5 recording artist: “Achin & Shakin,” (UMG) “Another Piece of Me” (Big Machine). Sony publishing songwriter (2008-2013). Women Of Tomorrow album & podcast. Best decision: Marrying Thom, having Huck and moving to Hardscrabble Farm in NJ. All socials: @laurabellbundy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

KARA LINDSAY is best known for originating Katherine Plumber in Disney’s Newsies on Broadway and reprising the role in the 2017 film. She is also one of Wicked’s longest-running Glinda’s on Broadway and starred as Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Add’l credits include: Once Upon a Mattress (Broadway), Romy and Michelle The Musical, Little House on the Prairie, and regional productions nationwide. TV: Murphy Brown, ABC’s Disney Family Singalong, Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary among others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ARI’EL STACHEL is a Tony Award® and GRAMMY® Award–winning actor, singer, and writer. His new solo play OTHER was presented Off-Broadway after acclaimed runs at Berkeley Rep and Berkshire Theatre Group. Stachel received the 2018 Tony Award® for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for originating the role of Haled in The Band’s Visit on Broadway, a performance that also earned Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk nominations. On screen, he stars in the upcoming feature Death Do Us Part and has appeared in Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling (Warner Bros.) and A24’s Zola. His television credits include Law & Order: SVU, Billions, Jessica Jones, Blue Bloods, and The Night Agent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AMY LANDECKER is a dynamic actress and filmmaker known for her captivating performances across both comedy and drama in film and television. Amy made her debut as a writer, producer, director and star with For Worse, a feature film that premiered to great acclaim at the 2025 SXSW film festival. The hilarious and poignant romantic comedy focuses on a newly divorced sober mom who goes to a wedding with a much younger date and behaves like a drunk 25-year-old bridesmaid trying to keep up. Amy’s previous film work includes Tommy Dorfman’s directorial debut I Wish You All the Best (SXSW2024), Shell, Missing—the sequel to the hit Searching—and I Love My Dad (SXSW 2023), in which she stars alongside Patton Oswalt. Her impressive filmography also includes standout roles in S#!%House, the 2020 SXSW Grand Jury Prize winner, Power on Netflix, opposite Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, A Kid Like Jake, Beatriz at Dinner, and the Coen Brothers’ Best Picture Nominee, A Serious Man. Recently, she starred alongside Bryan Cranston in Showtime's "Your Honor" and appeared in BJ Novak's "The Premise." Previous television credits include "Gaslit," alongside Julia Roberts, the HBO Max series Minx and the Emmy Award winning “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” She is also widely recognized for her role in the critically acclaimed "Transparent," which spanned five seasons and garnered a SAG nomination, and for her powerful performance in "The Handmaid's Tale," for which she appeared in multiple seasons, as well as numerous animated series including “The Croods: Family Tree,” “Q- Force,” “Troll Hunters,” “In The Know” and “Batman: The Long Halloween.” She can next be seen in “The Testaments,” Hulu’s follow up series to “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Amy began her career acting and directing in Chicago theater at companies like The Goodman, Steppenwolf Theatre and A Red Orchid. Amy was brought to NYC with a Goodman Theater production of Rebecca Gilman’s Blue Surge at The Public Theater. She remained in NYC and began a thriving on-camera career with her first job as a guest star on “Law and Order SVU,” where she recently returned for an unforgettable guest appearance in 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

JOHN-ANDREW MORRISON -Tony Award Nomination, Lucille Lortel Award, and OBIE for A Strange Loop. Currently stars on Broadway in Oh, Mary. Off Broadway: Blues for an Alabama Sky (KEEN Company, Outer Critics Circle Honoree), The Blacks - A Clown Show, Caligula and Malvolio (Classical Theater of Harlem), Medea of the Laundromat (La MaMa and Lucille Lortel Theater with The Experimentals — for George Ferencz). Regional: 3 Summers of Lincoln (La Jolla Playhouse). BA from Brandeis University and MFA from UC San Diego. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bess Wohl is a playwright and filmmaker whose plays have been produced on and off Broadway, regionally, and internationally. Bess's plays include LIBERATION, GRAND HORIZONS (Broadway, Tony Nomination), CAMP SIEGFRIED, MAKE BELIEVE, CONTINUITY, SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS, AMERICAN HERO, TOUCHED, IN, CATS TALK BACK and the musical PRETTY FILTHY. Her plays have been recognized with a variety of awards and nominations, including the Drama Desk, Drama League, Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics' Circle. She made her feature film debut with her film BABY RUBY, starring Noémie Merlant and Kit Harington, which she wrote and directed. The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2023. She also is developing multiple television projects and wrote for the Apple TV+ series, “Extrapolations." Wohl is an associate artist with The Civilians, an alumna of Ars Nova’s PlayGroup, and the recipient of new play commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center and Williamstown Theatre Festival. Recently, she made her West End debut with a sold out run of BARCELONA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jenn Harris is an award-winning writer, director, actor, and producer. She is currently starring in Oh, Mary! on Broadway.  Jenn originated the role of Clarice Starling in Silence! The Musical, won a Lortel and Theatre World award for her performance in Modern Orthodox, and was in the revival of All In The Timing. Film & TV credits: American Fiction (Oscar '24), "High Maintenance," “Elsbeth,” “Search Party," "30 Rock," "Gayby," "Difficult People," "Younger," "Bored to Death." She wrote, directed and starred in the short film She's Clean, her co-created series “NEW YORK IS DEAD” premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won Best Comedy at the New York Television Festival, and she co-directed the short "Island Queen" starring Rachel Dratch and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. She wrote My Name is Karen! and Snitch for Theaterworks Hartford. Jenn is also a member of the Ryan Murphy Half Initiative Directing Shadow Program. @realjennharris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Award-winning, best-selling author Adam Gopnik has been a writer for The New Yorker since 1986 – covering fiction, humor, criticism, art, book reviews, personal essays, profiles, and reported pieces from abroad. He has written nine books, ranging from essay collections about Paris and food, to children’s novels, as well as several musicals and theater pieces. Gopnik has won three National Magazine Awards, for essays and for criticism, and the George Polk Award for Magazine Reporting. In 2021 he was made a Chevalier of the Legion d’honneur, and this year was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Letters.  He lectures widely, and, in 2011, delivered the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s fiftieth-anniversary Massey Lecture. For the theater, Gopnik wrote the book and lyrics for the musical comedy Our Table, with composer David Shire; the libretto for the oratorio Sentences, with Nico Muhly; and is currently working on several new projects for the stage. Projects in development include: a new musical, Fairy Tale, with Andrew Lippa, developed alongside Nicholas Hytner; a new musical with Marcy Heisler for the Central Park Conservancy; and a new collaboration with Shire that tells the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine, called Troubadour. Adam Gopnik’s New York, his autobiographical solo show, returns to NYC this month (October, 2025) at Lincoln Center’s Clark Studio Theater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices