Thank You Half Hour! w/ Thom Christopher Warren

Singer, songwriter, filmmaker, Broadway actor...Pierre Marais takes being a multi hyphenate to a WHOLE new level!  Originally from Capetown, South Africa, and a great pal for fourteen years, Pierre currently stars in Jamie Lloyd's groundbreaking revival of Sunset Boulevard, and has previously appeared on Broadway and in the National touring production of Disney's Aladdin, as well as the tour of A Chorus Line...has starred regionally as Jack Kelly in Newsies and the Emcee in Cabaret, and all while balancing an equally demanding calling/vocation as an award-winning filmmaker. As Apple Pie, written and directed by Marais, has landed him a win for Best Indie Short Film at the New York International Film Awards and as a finalist for Best Young Filmmaker at the world renowned Cannes Film Festival. Pierre talks about the special challenges faced by International artists here in the States and how those challenges serve to inspire all facets of his work as an artist. A true gem of a human, Pierre continues to serve as a role model for any young artist working to find their authentic voice in the chaos of our industry, and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did!

Shereen Pimentel was starring on Broadway before hitting her teen years. Where to go from there? Finish high school, attend the acclaimed Juilliard School and triumphantly return to Broadway as Maria in Ivo Van Hove's magnificent revival of the classic West Side Story, Jellylorum in the recent reinvention of Cats; The Jellicle Ball and working alongside Heather Headley in Encores' Into the Woods as Rapunzel and as Eva Peron in Evita at ART. Listen as Shereen and I chat about her experiences navigating Juilliard, as well as finding her artistic voice while playing iconic roles (stunningly) at the highest level, learning on the job from pillars of the American stage. It was a complete joy to reconnect with this extraordinary young woman who, even as a child,  always walked through the world with grace, humor, and fierce intelligence. I hope you enjoy the conversation even half as much as I did!

Today I had the opportunity to chat with the one and only Ann Harada; brilliant, golden-voiced, and hilarious in all she does! A graduate of Brown University, Ann made her broadway debut in David Henry Hwang's "M. Butterfly," and boasts a resume overflowing with Broadway and regional credits, including original companies of "9-5," "Seussical," "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella," and revivals of "Into the Woods," and "Les Miserables." But it is arguably her iconic performance as Christmas Eve in "Avenue Q" for which Harada is most lauded - including an Outer Critics Circle Award. Television audiences know her from "Smash" and of course her hysterical turn as Mayor Menlove's wife in "Schmigadoon" and in Season 2, Madam Frau in "Schmicago."  Have a seat and listen as we reminisce and gab about her extraordinary career and inspirations.

My guest today is someone I've called a "lifer, " or lifelong friend since nearly the day we met - back in the early 2000's when she brilliantly played Jo March in a production of "Little Women" I had the excellent fortune to direct at her alma mater, Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Since then, I have watched her star rise from her Broadway debut in "Cry Baby" to taking the country by storm, leading the National Tour of "Beautiful - the Carole King Musical" as Carole, a role I had already seen her magnificently play on Broadway. Today we sat and not only caught up, but re-charged...reminding ourselves of the true beauty of what we do and why we do it. I hope you enjoy the conversation even half as much as we did. 

I couldn't keep my fangirling at bay when chatting with my new pal, Julie Boardman; co-founder and Executive Director of the Museum of Broadway; a spectacular new experience in Times Square for theatre lovers and practitioners alike. A multiple TONY Award winning Broadway Producer, Julie is currently keeping busy with smash hit revivals of Romeo and Juliet, Sunset Boulevard, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Klub and boasts tremendously successful Broadway productions of Stephen Sondheim's Company, An American in Paris, Funny Girl, Head over Heels and (this is where my fan-girling came into play) two of the most remarkable nights I have ever spent in a theatre; the Broadway productions of Indecent and The Inheritence. During our time together (not nearly enough...she is a pure joy), Julie talks about the idea of entrepreneurship and bringing a devised concept to life out of nothing but determination and grit. Now a mentor for young thinkers - particularly women who hope to follow a similar path - Julie is a veritable font of knowledge, humor and positive energy and I hope you enjoy the discussion even half as much as I did! 

L. Steven and I first met over a decade and a half ago, while sharing the stage in the Broadway Company of The Lion King and traveling together with the National Tour, during which time he had the honor of performing at The White House. Always in demand, Steven's many credits include Ataria, Cutman, G Word, Miss Saigon, Songs For A New World, Godspell, and A Chorus Line. He's been seen on film and television in The Electric Company (Leo Watson), Last of The Ninth (HBO Pilot), Made For Each Other, Expiration Date, and Game Over. For the last decade, Steven's Mufasa has been the heart and soul of The Lion King on Broadway. It was wonderful to reminisce and hear about not only his extraordinary career but how it has been impacted by the burgeoning career of his remarkable son, Steven Jr., a recent college grad and certainly a star in the making. Sit back and enjoy!

Christy Altomare and I first met when I had the honor of directing her in her college production of Little Women. Immediately after graduating from Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, she led the 1st National company of Spring Awakening, starring as Wendla, and her star has only continued to rise ever since. She originated the role of Anya in the Broadway production of Anastasia for which she received the Theatre World Award and was nominated for an Outer Critics Award and a Drama Desk Award for lead actress in a musical. She made her Broadway debut as Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia! Off-Broadway, Christy portrayed the role of Sue Snell in MCC’s revival of Carrie the Musical. Christy can be heard on cast recordings of both Anastasia and Carrie. Regional credits include Jerusha Abbott in John Caird and Paul Gordon’s production of Daddy Long Legs, Guinevere in Camelot, and most recently in two musicals with their sights set for Broadway, as Sue in The Wanderer the Musical at Papermill Playhouse and Scarlett in Noir the Musical at the Alley Theater.  Along with her passion for musical theater, she is a songwriter/recording artist who recently released her new album of original music, Wandering Bird. Tune in as we chat about her life and career, as well as her most recent role, that of mom to son Preston! Christy is truly one of the most remarkable humans I've ever known and every bit of that empathy, intelligence and fierce artistry is on display in our catch up session - so sit back and enjoy! 

Daria and I first crossed paths when she was a soon-to-graduate Senior at Otterbein University and her star power was immediately clear; fiercely intelligent, ever-mindful in her storytelling, and filled to brimming with joy and grace, she has continued to lead with an open heart and mind whether touring the country on the National Tour of Spongebob Squarepants; The Broadway Musical as Sandy Bottom, or starring as a radiant Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, and Sarah in Ragtime at Utah Shakespeare Festival. Daria is currently lighting up the stage eight times a week at the Westside Theatre in the Off-Broadway smash, Little Shop of Horrors, in which she plays Crystal and covers the Audrey, one of musical theatres most iconic femme fatales. Listen in as Daria and I catch up, talking about her post-college career, her delightful fiance, and how the manifestation of joy continues to guide her as she lives her dream. Enjoy!

Sara and I met through my husband (then boyfriend) when they lived together post-college. A beloved classmate of Adam's, we followed Sara's career as she stunningly bounced from National Tour to Broadway to Paper Mill or Nyack or wherever the work brought her, and at every turn she was nothing short of brilliant. Currently starring in the magnificent Broadway production of "Water for Elephants," Sara sat with me between shows to chat about her journey; the ups and downs, heartbreaks and roses. No one can attest more to the nonlinear nature of this business, and I defy you to find someone who's navigated it with more grace, poise, humor or self-awareness than this extraordinary artist. Sara has created roles in the Broadway productions of "Water For Elephants," "Seussical," "Nine" (Broadway revival, replacing Jane Krakowski as Carla), "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," and tours of "The Addams Family," "Fosse," and "101 Dalmations." Sit back and enjoy one of the most stimulating conversations I've had about this business we call "Show."

Most of America knows this rock star as the runner-up to Season 3 of American Idol, but I know Diana DeGarmo as the hard-working, empathetic, ferociously generous actor, singer/songwriter, philanthropist with whom I had the honor to share the stage in a Columbus production of "Into the Woods." In this episode, Diana shares her stories of Idol, song-writing, being married to someone who is frustratingly good at everything (the NERVE), and of course, her time spent starring in the Broadway productions of "Hairspray," and "Hair," off-Broadway in "The Toxic Avenger," and most recently in an Atlanta-based production of "Little Shop of Horrors." I had the privilege of watching Diana stunningly lead our production of "Into the Woods," and in this sweet and lovely catch-up chat, she just reinforces why she is one of the kindest and most generous humans out there. Sit back and enjoy my conversation with a true Idol, in every sense of the word.