Oh My Pod U Guys

U Guys, this week's episode features the incredible playwright, Sarah Mantell! We talk about their amazing new play, Aggressively Soothing Whale Sounds, written for the new writing collective, Women+ On The Edge of Democracy, initiated by The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, in association with the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Sarah is the first non-binary playwright to be awarded the Blackburn Prize, and we touch on our shared experiences with gender dynamics in the arts. Sarah is a delight, U don't wanna miss this episode! Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sbmantell Follow the pod on Instagram: @ohmypoduguys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U Guys, in this episode, I chat with producer and composer Al Tapper all about his amazing career in the arts, highlighting his upcoming original musical After All These Years playing Off-Broadway at the AMT Theater! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U Guys, this week I am joined by Broadway performer and Nashville recording artist, Rachel Potter! We chat about her amazing career on Broadway and across the country on national tours, from covering the role of Glinda in Wicked, to playing The Mistress in the Broadway revival of Evita opposite Ricky Martin. Rachel shares all about her concert series, Off Broadway at The Hutton, which features incredible Broadway talent in a variety of genres and themes at The Hutton Hotel in Nashville, TN. Her next show, The Room Where It Happened: Protest and Patriotism, will take place on July 11th, and tickets are on sale now! We touch on her experience becoming a mother, and balancing career and life in Nashville with being a performer. Rachel is so lovely, U don't wanna miss this episode! Follow Rachel on Instagram: @therachelpotter Follow the Pod on Instagram: @ohmypoduguys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U Guys, we are so back! In this episode, I am joined by Broadway performer, writer, producer, and activist, Matt DeAngelis, to talk about his incredible charity event for breast cancer research, The Janice Jam: Broadway For Breast Cancer. With a Broadway career spanning from Hair to Swept Away, Matt is no stranger to the stage, but it is his advocacy and use of his artistry for change that are most inspiring. In honor of his mother, Janice, who passed away from breast cancer, Matt has created an annual fundraising event, The Janice Jam: Broadway For Breast Cancer, taking place this year at a sold-out Sony Hall on May 4th! If you don’t already have tickets, fear not, as the event will be live-streamed, and you can still donate directly to the Janice Jam, with all proceeds benefiting The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. From his upbringing as a young artist, to treading the Broadway boards opposite his wife, Christine Dwyer, we chat about it all. U don’t wanna miss this episode! Visit www.thejanicejam.com for more info on how you can donate!  Follow Matt on Instagram: @mattdeangelis22  Follow The Janice Jam on Instagram: @thejanicejam Follow the pod on Instagram: @ohmypoduguys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U Guys, original Music Director of RENT, Tim Weil is here! First, we dive into all the latest bway news in the BroadwayWorld Recap, brought to you by BroadwayWorld.com! Then, Tim Weil, a renowned composer and music director, discusses his journey in the world of Broadway, particularly focusing on his upcoming book 'Making Rent'. He shares insights into the role of an arranger, the impact of Jonathan Larson's legacy, and the artistic journey that led him to work on the iconic musical RENT. We touch on the longevity of the show and its significance in the theater community, and how Jonathan Larson's artistry will influence decades to come. Tim is so wonderful, U don't wanna miss this episode! Follow the pod on Instagram: @ohmypoduguys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U Guys, from Broadway's Aladdin and Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Keely Beirne is here! First, I give you all the latest Bway updates, and a few personal New Year insights in this week's BroadwayWorld Recap. Then, I am joined by performer Keely Beirne to talk all things Bway. From the stamina it takes to dance in the ensemble and cover principle roles on Broadway, to knowing when it's time to honor yourself and take a break, Keely shares her insights on maintaining her career on the stage. We talk about her upbringing being surrounded by the arts, and how her queer identity has shaped and informed her career. She talks about her time in the ensemble of Frozen on Broadway, and what it takes to work in a huge ensemble show. We also touch on her experience of having a partner who is also a Broadway performer, and how limiting yourself can hinder your experience as an artist. Keely is simply hilarious, U don't wanna miss this episode! Follow Keely on Instagram: @keel_b Follow the pod on Instagram: @ohmypoduguys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U Guys, from Broadway's Real Women Have Curves, Tatianna Cordoba is here! First I give you all the latest Bway updates in the BroadwayWorld Recap, brought to you by my pals at BroadwayWorld.com. Then I am joined by performer Tatianna Cordoba to talk about her upcoming Off-bway project, Picnic At Hanging Rock. Tatianna shares about her experience making her Broadway debut as Ana in the original cast of Real Women Have Curves, and the intricacies of navigating a career in theater as a Latin-American woman. We talk about her upbringing surrounded by art and culture, and how it led to her studying musical theater at Boston Conservatory before moving to NYC and working on almost exclusively new works. Tatianna is such a delight, U don't wanna miss this episode! Also, catch her starring in the upcoming Off-bway run of Picnic At Hanging Rock, running at the Greenwich House Theater, December 16th to January 17th. Follow Tatianna on Instagram: @tatiannasophia Follow the pod on Instagram: @ohmypoduguys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U Guys, this week’s BroadwayWorld Recap has all the latest Bway tea! Then I am joined by Billie Aken-Tyers, as she shares her journey from performer to director, discussing her recent appointment to the position of Resident Director for SIX The Musical. We chat about her experience as Associate Director to Tye Blue on the Off-Broadway hit, Titanique, as well as directing Laura Benanti in her own original biographical musical.  Billie reflects on her artistic background, having also performed in multiple Off-Broadway and out of town productions like Fairycakes and Hood, before making the switch to directing. She shares the challenges of navigating the theater industry, and the importance of personal growth, as well as insights from her time at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and her aspirations for the future. Billie is simply the loveliest, U don’t wanna miss this episode! Follow Billie on Instagram: @billieakentyers Follow the pod on Instagram: @ohmypoduguys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U Guys, from Broadway's Wicked and the Off-Broadway hit Titanique, Michael Di Liberto is here! First, I give you all the latest Bway tea in this week's BroadwayWorld Recap! Then I am joined by TV actor and Broadway performer Michael Di Liberto to talk all about his amazing life in the theater! From playing roles on shows like The Gilded Age and The Blacklist, to performing in the Broadway and National Touring companies of Wicked, Michael's talents are as broad as his smile. He shares about his experience in the egregiously short run of the original Broadway production of Tammy Faye, and finding the balance between artistry and commercial success on Broadway. We touch on his time playing Ruth in the Off-Broadway run of Titanique, and the origins of his incredible sense of humor, both onstage and off. Michael truly one of the best, U don't wanna miss this episode! Follow Michael on Instagram: @michaeldi_li Follow the pod on Instagram: @ohmypoduguys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U Guys, Olivia Valli is here! In this episode, I give you all the latest Bway news in the BroadwayWorld Recap! Then, Olivia shares her journey through the world of musical theater, discussing her experiences in various roles, from Vivian in the first National Tour of Pretty Woman, to Elphaba in the National Tour of Wicked. She reflects on the importance of self-advocacy, the challenges of performing, and the joy of gardening in New Jersey. Olivia also touches on her family legacy, having played her very own grandmother in Off-Broadway’s Jersey Boys! She talks about the lessons learned from leading multiple national tours, and the significance of teamwork in theater. Olivia is a true gem, U don’t wanna miss this episode!  Follow Olivia on Instagram: @oliviafvalli  Follow the Pod on Instagram: @ohmypoduguys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices