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Call Answered: Caitlin Kinnunen Interview: The Prom Broadway, Younger, Rescue Rue, Dogs

Adam Rothenberg — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 19:59:02 GMT

I first got to interview Tony Nominee Caitlin Kinnunen in 2018 at The Prom’s press day, just before the show danced its way onto Broadway.

I am so excited to finally get to catch up with Caitlin as we talk about her love for animals, her starring role in the new Off-Broadway musical Rescue Rue, her guest-starring role on TV Land’s Younger + her time in The Prom on Broadway.

Rescue Rue is about a little dog named “Rue” who wishes for a "Happily Ever After" from her Fairy Dogmother. “Rue” then embarks on an emotional journey of self-discovery and belonging. Kicked out of her home, “Rue” meets new friends and enemies alike on the street and at the pound before finding her "Furever" home and realizing life is really about finding your happy beginnings, not endings!

Rescue Rue plays at the DR2 Theatre in NYC (103 East 15th Street (bet. Park and 4th Avenue) through January 16, 2022. Click here for tickets!

Connect with Caitlin: Instagram

Connect with Rescue Rue: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Caitlin Kinnunen

1. You are currently starring in the Off-Broadway musical fairytale Rescue Rue. What did you feel as you walked into the rehearsal room for the first time? Walking into the rehearsal room was definitely an odd experience. It felt so good and so familiar, but also so new and unknown at the same time. The mechanics of it all were the same. "This is my job." "This is how I work on a script." But the emotional side was so much more vast. So many new ways of caring for ourselves and others in the space come into play now. It's really amazing to see the compassion and love everyone is showing up with now.

2. What is it like to perform with puppets? As the only person in the show to NOT be using a puppet, it's quite strange! My scene partners are all fluffy animals controlled by my friends, but I can't LOOK at my friends, I have to look at the puppet. It can feel lonely sometimes. But watching these performers bring these puppets to life is absolutely amazing. The craft and talent they all have is truly unmatched.

3. How do you get along with them as compared to your human castmates? Ha! They're all just the best. Each one of them has such personality and spunk. Getting to see them come to life is magical.

Lisa Helmi Johanson & Caitlin Kinnunen in “Rescue Rue”, Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel

4. The show is about a little dog named "Rue" who makes a wish with her Fairy Dogmother. If you had a Fairy Dogmother, what wish would you ask her to grant you? Ooh this is a tough one. I think I would have to wish for the ability to speak with animals. Especially for this show!

5. "Rue" then embarks on an emotional journey of self-discovery and belonging. What did you discover about yourself during quarantine and the Broadway shutdown that you didn't know beforehand? I discovered the immense freedom of embracing that we all contain multitudes. We don't need to fit ourselves into boxes. We can explore and learn and grow in ways we didn't even know was possible.

6. "Rue" is kicked out of her home and meets new friends and enemies as she is on the street and at the pound. What have you learned from this? It has reintroduced the idea that friends are our chosen family. No matter where we come from, we have the power to surround ourselves with the love we deserve. Sometimes we just have to follow our own path to find it.

7. When "Rue" finds her "Furever Home," she realizes life is about finding your happy beginnings, not your happy endings. With every new show you star in, that is a new beginning. What excites you about starting a new show? The people! The stories we get to discover! The new worlds we get to create together every single day.

Caitlin Kinnunen backstage at the “The Prom” on Broadway

8. What is your favorite kind of dog? To quote the character “Squish” from the show, "ALL OF THEM!"

9. It's been two years since you starred on Broadway in The Prom. In that show, you sang "Just Breathe." When have you been in a situation where you had to "Just Breathe" to make it through? Literally every time I am on stage. I get incredibly nervous and have to remind myself to “Just Breathe” often. That song is always a lovely reminder for me to keep going.

10. I can't do an interview with you and not ask you about your guest starring appearance on Younger (Season 4). How did you prepare yourself to play "Heidi"? This was such a fun thing to be a part of! I really didn't need to prepare much at all. I was playing a crazy cat lady, and I AM a crazy cat lady (Shh don't tell the dogs in the show) so it was very easy to step into.

11. What is something we didn't get to talk about that you'd like my readers to know about you? Doing this show means the world to me. Not only do we get to introduce children to musical theatre, but we get to talk about one of my passions; taking care of animals! I highly encourage anyone who sees the show to look into volunteering at their local rescues. It is such a rewarding experience!

More on Caitlin:

Caitlin Kinnunen, Photo Credit: Julia Kinnunen Photography

Caitlin Kinnunen is a Tony nominated actress for her work in The Prom on Broadway. Other Broadway credits include The Bridges of Madison County (Carolyn), Spring Awakening (Thea). Film/TV credits include The Intern, Sweet Little Lies, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Younger, American Vandal, The Knick, and Law & Order: SVU.

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Call Answered: Chef Jose Garces: Iron Chef Winner, Celebrity Chef, Kimmel Cultural Campus, Surviving the Global Pandemic

Adam Rothenberg — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 21:50:03 GMT

Chef Jose Garces: Photo Credit: Martin Buday

20 months ago the world was shut down. Every industry struggled. Two of the hardest hit industries were live performance and the restaurant industry.

Iron Chef Winner Jose Garces was about to launch his Chefs in Residency Program, but that was put on hold. Now, almost two years later, Volvér is re-opening at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Cultural Campus just in time for their first live production in over 20 months.

Jose’s Chefs in Residency Program that will spotlight the region's top rising stars and emerging chefs, with a focus on minority chefs that were affected by the pandemic.

In this interview, Jose & I discuss surviving the pandemic, Iron Chef, Immigration and giving back.

Come visit Philadelphia’s Kimmel Cultural Campus for a great evening of food and theatre. Some of the Chef’s in Residency will be Chef Kiki Aranita (Chef and Owner of Poi Dog Philly), Chef Phila Lorn (Currently at Terrain Glen Mills), Chef Jezabel Careaga (Founder, Maker and CEO, Jezabel's and L'Atelier), Chef Jen Zavala (Chef and Owner of much-anticipated Juana Tamale), Chef Alexander Yoon (Chef and Owner of Little Fish BYO), Chef Dane DeMarco (Sonny's Cocktail Bar and Wine Dive),

During each Chef's residency, the featured Chef will celebrate the launch of their menu on Opening Night, and the Chef will be invited to showcase their talents and have a presence during service as their schedule and their own restaurant duties allow.

For each Chef’s line-up visit Volvér Restaurant’s website

Connect with Chef Jose: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

Volvér at Kimmel Cultural Campus

1. You are about to reopen the performance kitchen at Volvér at Philadelphia's Kimmel Cultural Campus, just as live performances are set to begin. After 18 months...

What excites you about this moment? It’ll be great to get back. There’s a glimmer of hope for a return to normalcy and a desire to serve our guests. Plus, it’s great to see the energy at the Center when the companies are back.
What makes you nervous? We’re still not out of the woods on the pandemic. I’m very hopeful that things trend in the right direction and that we are able to get back to normal.

2. How did you keep your hopes and spirits up during the shutdown? It was tough to shut down our restaurant operations, but it did give me an opportunity to pivot and think about hospitality and culinary outside of restaurant operations. I spent a lot of time doing meditation and personal reflection as well as reconnecting with family.

3. How do you feel the shutdown changed you both as a person and chef? It certainly made me more appreciative of some of the simpler things in life that I may have taken for granted in the past. Even something as simple as being able to safely go to the market has now taken on a new color.

4. Are there any dishes you are creating now that you feel represent a "new" you? Not so much new dishes, but new concepts. We launched ghost concepts Livy’s Plant Based Foods and Rustika Pollo a la Brasa. I also just opened Hook & Master, a pizza place that also specializes in seafood small plates and tiki cocktails. I’m also in the midst of a revamp of my menu at Distrito to broaden its appeal.

Chef Jose Garces Steak Dish at Volvér

5. You are the son of Immigrant parents. What advice would you give to other Immigrants or children of Immigrants about achieving your dreams? Growing up in Chicago, I strove to immerse myself in American Culture. As I grew, I learned the importance of being a good community member and maintaining strong ties with the culture. It’s important to be able to keep a foot in each world and form a bridge between the old and new.

6. You also give a lot back to your community through your foundation The Garces Foundation, which provides services, including community health days, English language skills classes that target the restaurant industry and an increased focus on procuring and providing food supplies to the food insecure. What is the most heartfelt story you have heard from someone the foundation helped? Please see Olivia’s story, in her own words:

Notable sections:
- She got the coronavirus in February and began receiving weekly groceries from our food pantry, then began volunteering with us for our program delivering food boxes to immigrant single moms.
- Olivia and her two children fell sick with the coronavirus just as the virus first exploded across the country. In a matter of days, she lost her job, any source of income, and, worst of all, her hope.
  - "I try to support my family, but I can't. I get depressed a lot. I cry all the time."
When we reached Olivia, we told her we would get her food every week through the Garces Foundation Food Pantry.
To know that the Garces Foundation was there for her, the place where she learned English and found her voice, was a profound relief.
Once Olivia recovered, she immediately sought and secured a part-time job. Now, every single week, she brings a crew of volunteers to our food pantry to help us distribute groceries. "Many people have coronavirus in South Philadelphia but no one talks about that." She helps us make sure that single moms, many of whom have also endured the trials of the virus, get the food they need to survive.

7. With Volvér re-opening, you are bringing a brand new Chefs in Residency Program that will spotlight the region's top rising stars and emerging chefs, with a focus on minority chefs that were affected by the pandemic.

How did you select the chefs for this program? KATE!!
These chefs are both emerging and rising stars. What wisdom, that you have learned over the years ,do you hope to impart on them? My hope is that I can be an open resource and provide any resources I have at my disposal. Whether it’s advising them on lease opportunities, equipment, hiring practice or food in general.
As you work with different chefs, how does your view of cooking change? Do you see things through a new lens? It’s always great to collaborate and learn from other cooks. Especially being able to work with a group so diverse in age and experiences. There are a lot of trends and techniques coming from a world of different cuisines and it’s fascinating to see the ways that Chefs continue to evolve.

Chef Jose Garces (Center) with Chefs In Residency at Volvér, Photo Credit: Eddy Marenco

8. You won The Next Iron Chef back in 2009.

What was life like before appearing on the show? Prior to the show, I was successful in Philadelphia and had been nominated for two James Beard Awards. This brought me to a wider audience outside of the culinary scene and market and also allowed me to step outside of the traditional Latin cuisine that I was known for.
What were some instant changes that happened for you after winning? Lots more travel, and of course, the changes that come with having been on television.
What change took time to come to fruition? I think the greatest change came after my first full season of Iron Chef. At that point, I wasn’t just a chef who’d won a competition show, I was an Iron Chef, with a capital I and capital C. I began to get more comfortable with the idea of “celebrity chef” and all that entailed.

9. What dish was a surprise hit? The Milk and Cereal at Volvér. It’s Asparagus milk with roasted mushrooms, wild asparagus and marshmallows. It was a savory take on a childhood memory of Lucky Charms and it really took off.

10. What has been your worst accident in the kitchen? When I was a young sauté cook and was flipping salmon in a pan and the hot oil splashed all up my forearm. I didn’t try to flip salmon again.

11. What is something we didn't get to cover in this interview that you'd like my readers to know about you? When I was younger, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I still love deep sea fishing.

More on Jose:

Chef Jose Garces: Photo Credit: Mike Persico

Iron Chef, father, husband, James Beard Award-winner, entrepreneur, and food innovator, Chef Jose Garces is known as a leading culinary authority of Spanish and Latin-American food. From the Spanish tapas at Amada, his first restaurant, to the playful Japanese street food at Okatshe in Atlantic City, Chef Garces continually pushes the boundaries of culinary excellence.

While he maintains his successful career owning and operating full-service restaurants, Chef Garces is also looking toward the future, with an increased focus on bringing restaurant-quality experiences to the homes and businesses of culinary enthusiasts in new and interesting ways. From enhanced home delivery options and virtual online cooking demos, to live online cooking classes, Chef Garces is excited to connect with both fans of his work on television, as well as the home cook who would like to experience “chef life” in their own kitchen. Chef Garces is the author of two cookbooks, Latin Evolution and The Latin Road Home, published by Lake Isle Press.

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Call Answered: Andy Gale: Director, Kathleen Turner's Finding My Voice

Adam Rothenberg — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 19:54:46 GMT

Andy Gale is a director, actor and vocal coach who has spent nearly 50 years in show business!

He has directed various stage productions of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and Audra McDonald with The Boston Pops for PBS.

For the past five years, Andy has been directing Kathleen Turner’s Finding My Voice, her one-woman show that documents the remarkable behind-the-scenes journey of Kathleen’s astonishing career.

I was very fortunate to talk with Andy about how he got involved with the show and what it has been like to work with the iconic stage and screen star.

Finding My Voice will play Town Hall in NYC on Thursday, December 16 at 8pm! Click here for tickets!

1. You have been directing Kathleen Turner's one-woman show Finding My Voice since its premiere in 2017. How did you initially get involved with the show? Well, Kathleen and I share a man named Joseph Piazza who is a hair stylist I've known since 1975. I met Kathleen around 2015.

Prior to meeting Kathleen, Joseph and I always talked about the fact that he thought Kathleen and I would be a good match. I thought we'd be a good match too. I would say something to the effect of she can sing, she's musical. I know she can sing. So we would have these conversations.

I met Kathleen around 2015, at Joseph’s salon. We actually sat next to each other. She was getting her hair colored and I was getting a cut. We hit it off like gangbusters. That was the initial spark in getting to know each other.

Then we talked about authors and I had just read a book called Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden. There was something in me that Kathleen trusted, when I said that was a terrific book. She was holding her nook and she immediately bought it. When we next saw each other, she had read it and absolutely loved it and that was the spark that led us, eventually, to Finding My Voice.

There were a lot of steps in between, but that's kind of how it happened. Joseph was the matchmaker. Then he and I actually drove down to D.C. to see Kathleen do her Molly Ivins show at Arena Stage. She and I met again and we had a meal together in the West Village at a wonderful restaurant that no longer exists. We sat down and almost simultaneously said, “Let's go dutch. This is the way to do this.”That is pretty much our relationship, always even keeled and balanced rather than, “Andy Gale with a star.” There was that kind of respect right from the start. It was and continues to be a great ride.

2. How has the show evolved over the past five years? Tremendously because it started out with Kathleen coming to my musical collaborator, Mark Janas, who is the show’s pianist and arranger. (Mark and I have known each other for years, since the 1980s, when we were both on tour with Les Miserables. He's an incredible musician).

Kathleen was getting ready to do Mother Courage and in that show there are five songs. Knowing what I do, vocal coaching, Kathleen called and said, “I'd like to get the songs ready. Could you do that?” And I said, “Yes, let's do it with Mark.” That worked sensationally. Kathleen went down to Arena Stage and the show was tremendously successful and afterward she called me up and said, “I want to keep singing.”

Kathleen would say she had no intention of anything happening, but I will contradict that from my own point of view, saying I knew something might happen. I knew the potential was there. It started with going over to Mark's West Village apartment and learning songs. And, oh my God, Kathleen has perfect pitch by the way. She would come a week later and start to sing one of the songs that we had worked on, and without Mark even beginning to play a note, she was on the money. Everything I believed that could be possible has turned out to be true.

What eventually happened was we thought we had a cabaret. We were trying to figure out Where to do it? How to do it? Eventually we knocked on Paige Price’s door who had just become the head of the Philadelphia Theatre Company. I think she was a friend of Kathleen’s, I’m not sure, but Kathleen had some kind of relationship with that theatre company. I know Paige’s husband Nevin Steinberg, the Tony Award winning Sound Designer. We've known each other since 1992 when we were on the road with The Secret Garden.

We proposed doing a fundraiser for the theatre. We enlisted my old comrade Ed McCarthy, a wonderful Lighting Designer. We wanted to create a cabaret space. So Ed, Kathleen and I figured out how to make a cabaret with the audience sitting on the stage of the theatre. We had white table-clothed tables and candles and the background of the set was a house. We had chandeliers hung from the grid. It was beautiful. The intention was for the audience to feel they were in Kathleen’s living room.

From there, I think the next step was Feinstein’s at The Nikko, in San Francisco. We did two performances there. Then two gentlemen from England, Alex Fane and James Albrecht, of Fane Productions, knocked on our door and said they were interested in mounting the show. They flew us to London and I think that very afternoon brought us to their club in Soho and we did the show for them. At that time they were running a theatre called The Other Palace, which is near Buckingham Palace. It's 312 seats. They showed it to us and said, “We want a full show. We need an intermission. We want it to be two acts. We want more stories, more songs and more politics. We want a full evening’s show. So, we expanded the show for London and then brought it back to the States and made the version we have now.

Left to Right: Joseph Piazza, Kathleen Turner, Mark Janas and Andy Gale

3. What was the most challenging part of the show to create? Well, you know what, it's been a labor of love. One of the things we also talked about right at the beginning was making something for ourselves. In this business, we're for hire. Hopefully you get hired to do something that you love to do or figure out how to love it. This show, Finding My Voice, is tailor-made bespoke.

I think the challenging part has been navigating the business end of how to get the show up. We made a show without a producer. We had wonderful financial help right away in Philadelphia from Jimmy Nederlander, Liz McCann and my friend, Corey Brunish, who gave money as a donation towards producing the show, but that was out of the kindness of their hearts. That led us to Feinstein’s at Nikko which led us to the Fane Productions, which led us to the Café Carlyle, and Jimmy Nederlander led us to Ken Davenport, which is who we are with now.

Until then we really didn’t have anybody overseeing all of the wheels that have to turn to get something like this to the next level. Kathleen and I were handling everything. It’s nice to have someone overseeing all that other work, like taking care of the contracts.

4. What is something you have discovered about Kathleen Turner from working with her that most people wouldn't know? Oh, that's such a good question. Well, I knew about her politics, but as I got to know her more, I realized how important and how much a part of her essence is her connection to the world and making it a better place. As she says in the show, she comes from a tradition of service. Her father was a Foreign Diplomat. That’s really solidly important to her. Maybe I would have known that, but I didn't know it at the core.

She’s strong, sensitive, and tremendously loyal. Once you're her friend, you're her friend and she will walk through fire for you. I don't know if anybody would particularly know that. She's just become one of my and my husband's best friends.

5. How has this show helped you "Find Your Voice" in a way you couldn't before working on it? Kathleen is such a truth teller and has such great criteria for what goes and what doesn't go and no hedging your bets, that it has given me a higher standard: to be that strong in truth, and uncompromising. Making the show with Kathleen and our team has certainly done that for me.

6. Outside of directing, you are an actor. What do you get from acting that you don't get from directing? As a director, I have to do my work and trust that everyone who's involved in the project has done and will do theirs. Luckily, with a labor of love like, Finding My Voice, the team is gorgeous. Directing has a different electricity from acting. It’s a different task. My task, as a director, is to enable the creative team to do their best.

My task as an actor is to inhabit the truth of the character I'm playing. To some degree, I have to be both present and disappear. There is a different charge, a different challenge. I love both, and luckily, I have had wonderful representation since 1995 who get me work or send me in for things when it's appropriate.

7. You are also a teacher. What is something your students have taught you about acting and/or voice that you didn't know before? I think they've enhanced something that I always believed in. Listening is the most important quality that needs to be practiced, and finding authenticity. I ask my clients and my students to find who they are, and to be their authentic selves. I then have to be who I am, when I'm engaged in that. I love to keep learning. I am finishing teaching a script analysis class to sophomores in the Music Theatre Program at The Manhattan School of Music, and I am working with two clients on Physical, the Rose Byrne show streaming on Apple TV+. And I have another client who is in the new Julian Fellowes series, The Gilded Age, and he also just shot the movie Till.

If you want to bring someone's talent to life and help it blossom, you have to take it on a case by case basis. There are standards, there are tools in the toolkit, or you create a new tool. It's always moment to moment. You can have a plan as a teacher, as a coach, as a director, but you’ve got to go into the room and be ready to change that plan or to move in the direction that’s organic. That's a constant lesson for me, from my students, and my clients. I am so happy when I'm teaching and coaching, it’s just delicious.

More on Andy:

Andy Gale most recently directed the show Kathleen Turner: Finding My Voice, which had triumphant runs at London’s Other Palace Theater and New York’s legendary Café Carlyle.

Andy has spent ten seasons with the Chautauqua Opera as Stage Director of the pops concert with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, as well as teaching master classes. He has also staged productions of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change across the United States and Australia and directed Audra McDonald with the Boston Pops for PBS.

A sought-after private acting coach in the Broadway community, Andy has also taught acting at Vassar College, Barnard College, and in the Discover Opera program at Manhattan School of Music, as well as having been a guest teacher at the Julliard School and a master teacher at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. For five years Andy was the co-director of the Buck Hill Music Festival Young Scholars program. He is also currently on the faculty of the Peridance Certificate Program.

As an actor, Andy Gale has appeared on Broadway in the original productions of Rags, Side Show, the musical Jane Eyre and The World of Sholem Aleichem, and in national tours of Les Misérables, The Secret Garden and Cats.

A graduate of Antioch College, Andy was also the art and film critic for The Sacramento Bee.

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Call Me Adam's 13th Anniversary

Adam Rothenberg — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 13:46:42 GMT

13 years ago I had a dream.

I wanted to interview artists & performers.

Step by step & day by day, my dream slowly started to come true.

So many wonderful things have happened over these past 13 years.

I could never list every single one here.

I have been blessed to interview a wide variety of people.

From artists who were about to take their first step on stage to singers who were about to release their debut album.

I have interviewed established Celebrities & Broadway Stars.

I have spoken to Grammy, Emmy, Tony & Oscar nominees/winners.

I have conducted freelance interviews for other publications.

I have my own podcast.

And most recently, I started a MasterClass to teach people how to conduct celebrity interviews.

Plus, I now host/moderate virtual & in-person events for Broadway Plus.

They even added me to their database so people can have their own unique Broadway experience with me.

There have been so many amazing things to happen!

None of them would have been possible without your support!

Because of you, I have a platform that people want to visit.

A place for people to read, watch & listen to my interviews.

I am forever grateful to everyone here!

Cheers to the next 13 years!!

To celebrate, I will be releasing a very special interview this coming Thursday, 12/9. I hope you'll tune in!

In the meantime, enjoy this collage, spotlighting just a few of the interviews I have conducted.

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Call Answered: Neil Whitely: Actor, A Sisterly Christmas, When Hope Calls

Adam Rothenberg — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 20:26:54 GMT

I was so inspired by Neil Whitely’s story, that I couldn’t wait to talk with him. Neil had wanted to be an actor at the age of seven, but didn’t pursue it until he was in his mid-40s.

Neil is a prime example that it is never too late to achieve your dreams.

You catch Neil a lot on your TV in the upcoming weeks.

First, Neil will be featured in the holiday movie A Sisterly Christmas, airing on OWN on December 7.

Next, Neil will be seen on GAC Family’s first original series, When Hope Calls, whose second season starts on December 18. Neil will play the recurring character of “Harley Lawrence,” a wealthy rancher who regularly supplies local merchants with produce for their stores.

Connect with Neil: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, IMDB

Neil Whitely, Photo Credit: Chavis Photography

1. Since we are doing this interview at the start of the holiday season, what are some holiday traditions you've kept from your childhood? For me it’s all about the food. My Mom was an amazing cook and a turkey dinner with all the trimmings is probably my favorite meal. But I’m also a big fan of leftovers after Christmas. Being Jamaican, I love curried turkey. It’s really wonderful. Another tradition we had when I was a kid was I was allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve. I still like doing that as well. Kind of a teaser for the big day.

2. What are some traditions you created as an adult with your family? The main one that comes to mind is my wife is a big fan of the movie Scrooge, the one from 1951 starring Alastair Sim. When she was a child she watched it every Christmas and when she and I got together she insisted that we continue that tradition. We have been married 36 years and we still watch Scrooge every Christmas.

3. Speaking of holidays, this season you are featured in the Christmas Movie A Sisterly Christmas that will premiere on OWN 12/7. What can you tell us about filming this movie and how it made you feel filming a holiday movie? Well, I had so many feelings about making this movie. For one thing, this is my first project for the OWN Network and like most people I am a BIG fan of Oprah Winfrey so to be on her network is a huge honor for me.

As for the movie itself, it was important for me on so many levels. There are still relatively few holiday movies with a largely African American cast so I was proud to be part of that. Also, it was my first time working with our director Jerry LaMothe. Jerry is a master storyteller and it was wonderful watching him build this story. He created such a fun and relaxed atmosphere on set it was easy for the actors to relax and do their best work. As we were filming the movie you could tell that this would be a very different Christmas movie from what people are used to seeing. It’s edgy and hilarious. I can’t wait for people to see it.

4. You also are going to have a recurring role in the hit GAC Family series When Hope Calls. Why is this role so special to you? This role is really exciting for me. I don’t get many chances to work on period pieces and When Hope Calls is set in 1919. It’s also so much fun being part of an ensemble. Getting to work with the same actors on a regular basis allows you to really build chemistry with them which should reveal itself on screen as well. When Hope Calls is the first original series for GAC Family so I’m sure the show will get plenty of support from the network. I’m hopeful for a long run for this show!

Neil Whitely, Photo Credit: Chavis Photography

5. You are playing Harley Lawrence, a wealthy rancher who regularly supplies local merchants with produce for their stores. In real life, you own a company that supplies organic agricultural products to help farmers in developing countries increase crop production naturally without expensive chemicals. What did you bring from your own experience to this role? Wow, well Harley is a successful African American businessman at a time when that was very rare. I imagine he had to overcome some difficult challenges in order to achieve his position and establish himself. In a similar vein, my product is quite unique and revolutionary in its application and approach. Even though it is an excellent product that produces amazing results, it has been very difficult to introduce and establish it in the marketplace and to overcome some of the socioeconomic challenges that often present themselves in this industry. However, now we are recognized as one of the best new products on the market. It took tremendous resolve, tenacity and faith to get there. I try to infuse Harley with those qualities.

6. What is the best advice you would give to others who want to help the agricultural industry thrive? The agricultural industry is vital to our survival, but it is very slow to embrace new technology or ideas. If you have something to bring to the industry be prepared to meet some resistance at first. But, believe in what you are bringing to the market. Keep pushing, be flexible and stay positive. Eventually you will find your way in. It’s a very rewarding field.

7. Another fascinating fact I learned about you is that you discovered you wanted to be an actor at age 7, but kept it a secret your whole life. Why did you keep this dream to yourself? Yeah, that’s true. As a child I knew I wanted to become an actor, but like most kids of hard working immigrant parents, I was always told how important it was to have a “profession” which to them meant doctor, lawyer, teacher etc. So, I never thought they would support a decision to pursue a career in the arts. Therefore, I just pushed my desire to act in the rear-view mirror and kept it there.

8. You didn't pursue acting full time until your mid-40s. What made you take the leap at this stage in your life? It was actually my daughter Nicki. Even though I had never discussed acting with her, she came to me one day when she was 9 years old and said, “Daddy, I want to be an actor.” I let her take classes and eventually join a local theatre group for kids where she excelled. Eventually, she got an agent and started working professionally at age 11. I was always with her when she was working on set and being in that environment made me realize that all these years later I still wanted to do it myself. At first I thought I would just dabble in acting, maybe do the occasional commercial and have some fun. I didn’t know how much passion I would develop for this job and how much I would love it. And now, here I am.

9. What would you tell other people who have a dream career they really want to do, but haven't acted on it yet? I love telling my story because it shows that it is never too late for anyone to pursue a dream, especially as an actor. The only obstacles in life are the ones we create ourselves with our own fear. This is a great time to start, especially if you are older. There is a greater need for content on screen now than ever before and there is so much more diversity in today’s stories. Not only in terms of race, but also gender, age, body types, you name it. It’s challenging, but it’s so rewarding. Do it!

10. What is something we didn't get to cover in this interview that you'd like my readers to know about you? Just that I really love what I do and because I started relatively late in life I don’t take it for granted and I feel very privileged that I get to do this for a living. Every day I am at work is literally a childhood dream come true. It is really important for me to pass the message on to younger people (not only my own daughter, but anyone I encounter) the fact that gratitude is so important. Even though there are some scary things going on right now, let’s remember to appreciate the people and things that we are truly fortunate to have in our lives. Focus on that and life gets better.

More on Neil:

Neil Whitely, Photo Credit: Chavis Photography

Neil Whitely is an actor currently based in Toronto, Canada. Neil discovered his love for performing at the young age of seven but kept it a secret his whole life until his daughter Nicki got into show business. Being with her on set made him realize he still had the desire to act and inspired him to pursue acting as a career in his mid-40s.

Neil’s first big break came when he was cast in the feature film RED (DC COMICS) where he appeared alongside major Hollywood hitters including Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, Hellen Mirren, John Malkovich, and Richard Dreyfuss. Since then, he has amassed a significant body of work including LOST GIRL (SHOWCASE/SYFY), BREAKOUT KINGS (A&E), THE FIRM (AMAZON PRIME), NIKITA (CW), BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (CW), SEX/LIFE (NETFLIX), NIGHTMARE ALLEY (SEARCHLIGHT), HEMLOCK GROVE (NETFLIX), THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE (STARZ), BAD BLOOD (CITY), UTOPIA FALLS (HULU), and HOME FOR HARVEST (AMAZON PRIME).

Coming up next, Neil will be appearing in the new feature film A SISTERLY CHRISTMAS coming to the OWN Network on December 7. He will also be recurring in the upcoming second season of the hit television drama series WHEN HOPE CALLS premiering on GAC FAMILY on December 18.

Outside of acting, Neil enjoys spending time with his family and is a huge hockey fan. He also owns a company that supplies organic agricultural products to help farmers in developing countries increase crop production naturally without expensive chemicals.

Neil supports causes close to his heart including the Toronto Human Society and Greenpeace.

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Facetime Interview: Instagram Live REPLAY: Sierra Boggess, Broadway, The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, The Little Mermaid, TheaterMakers Summit

Adam Rothenberg — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 22:33:37 GMT

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If you missed my Instagram Live with Broadway Ingenue Sierra Boggess (The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, The Little Mermaid), you can watch the REPLAY above ⬆️ or on my Instagram Page.

In this LIVE interview Sierra & I discussed:

5th Annual TheaterMakers Summit (virtually hosted November 6-7
(use Code ADAM100 for $100 off your ticket order)
Self Care
The Future of Theatre
Upcoming projects

Connect with Sierra: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify

More on Sierra:

Sierra Boggess is an Olivier nominated actress who is regarded as one of Broadway’s most beloved ingenues. Best known world-wide not only for re-inventing the coveted role of ‘Christine Daae’ in Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, but for Lord Webber himself going on record to say that “she’s the best, the best Christine certainly.” Boggess portrayed the role in the Broadway, West End, and the televised 25th Anniversary concert productions of Phantom.

Sierra made her Broadway debut as Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, receiving Drama Desk and Drama League Nominations, as well as the Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Female Breakthrough Performance. Her additional Broadway credits include Master Class, It Shoulda Been You, The Phantom of The Opera, and School of Rock. Boggess’ Off-Broadway credits include Love, Loss, and What I Wore and Music in the Air, alongside Kristin Chenoweth, for New York City Center’s Encores! Series. In the West End, Boggess has appeared as Fantine in Les Miserables and originated the role of Christine Daae in Love Never Dies, the critically acclaimed sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, receiving an Olivier Award Nomination for her performance.

Sierra starred as Cinderella in the highly anticipated Hollywood Bowl production of Into the Woods where the Los Angeles Times raved of her “crystalline singing and gameness for comedy… Boggess’ Cinderella was enchanting.” Prior to that she starred as Danielle DeBarbarac in the new musical, Ever After at the Alliance Theatre as well as starred in the world premiere of the new play The Age of Innocence at Hartford Stage for which she received a nomination for a Connecticut Critics Circle Award for her portrayal of Countess Ellen Olenska.

Sierra's concert appearances include multiple engagements with BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall, Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series The Lyrics of David Zippel, The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Broadway By The Year at Town Hall, Guys and Dolls at Carnegie Hall opposite Patrick Wilson, Megan Mullally and Nathan Lane, and The Secret Garden at Lincoln Center. She has toured with her cellist sister, Summer Boggess and musical director, Brian Hertz all over the United States as well as Japan and Australia with her concert show which has been preserved live and released on CD, Awakening: Live at 54 Below

Her recordings include School Of Rock, It Shoulda Been You, the 25th-anniversary concert of The Phantom of the Opera (also on DVD), the symphonic recording of Love Never Dies, The Little Mermaid, Andrew Lippa’s A Little Princess, Rodgers & Hammerstein: A Night at the Movies with the John Wilson Orchestra, Where The Sky Ends: The songs of Michael Mott, A New York City Christmas: A benefit album for ASTEP and more.

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Facetime Interview: Instagram Live REPLAY: Luba Mason: Broadway Actress, Recording Artist, Girl From The North Country Broadway, Bob Dylan

Adam Rothenberg — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 21:31:28 GMT

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If you missed my Instagram Live with Luba Mason (Actress, Recording Artist), you can watch the REPLAY above ⬆️ or on my Instagram Page.

In this intimate LIVE interview by candlelight, Luba & I discussed:

Girl From The North Country Broadway (currently playing at the Belasco Theatre in NYC)
Return of Live Theatre
Her new album Triangles (available for Download & Streaming)
Tonya Pinkins’ Political Thriller Red Pill (Wide Release 12/3/21)
The Art of Interviewing

Luba will be performing 2 concerts in celebration of Triangles

The Wang Theater (Boston) - November 28, 2021: Opening for Rubén Blades - Click here for tickets!
Hulu Theater at MSG (NYC) - December 2, 2021: Opening for Rubén Blades - Click here for tickets!

Connect with Luba: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify

More on Luba:

Luba is classically trained singer, pianist, dancer and actor who was nominated for the prestigious 2015 DRAMA DESK and 2015 & 2019 LUCILLE LORTEL Theater Awards as “Best Featured Actress in a Musical”, also has an impressive Broadway pedigree that really knocks you out with not only her stunning vocal range but also her extraordinary versatility as a performer. Luba is beyond category.

A native New Yorker born in Astoria, Queens and first generation American of Slovak descent, Luba studied classical piano for 12 yrs. starting at the age of 5 and then voice with teachers from The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music. Having sights on Broadway, Luba was later accepted to Circle in the Square Theatre School and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she earned her BFA in DRAMA. 9 Broadway shows ensued including Tommy Tune’s Tony Award-winning THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES, Trevor Nunn’s, SUNSET BLVD. Des McAnuff’s first Broadway revival of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS… as Hedy LaRue opposite Matthew Broderick, Paul Simon’s THE CAPEMAN, opposite the legendary comedian Sid Caesar in SID CAESAR & CO, a star turn as Lucy Harris in JEKYLL & HYDE and then, as Velma Kelly opposite Brooke Shields Roxie Hart in the smash musical CHICAGO.

Her seamless segue from the New York stage to the Hollywood scene, gave her a chance to tackle dramatic roles in guest-starring parts on PERSON OF INTEREST, FOREVER, RAINES, LAW & ORDER, NYPD BLUE and NEW YORK UNDERCOVER. 2020-21 brings the premiere of the political horror film RED PILL written & directed by Tonya Pinkins which Luba costars in as the immigrant Emelia fighting not only for the country’s election but also her life.

As a recording artist and winner of the 2019 Bistro Award as Outstanding Vocalist, Luba has released her 4th solo album in Oct. 2020 titled TRIANGLE (Blue Canoe Records) featuring a new intimate line-up never recorded before in the jazz world consisting of Luba’s rich vocal mastery, fueled by the legendary Joe Locke on Vibraphone and the brilliant James Genus on Bass recorded LIVE at the historic Power Station and produced by Renato Neto (Prince) and Ms. Mason. Previously, Luba has released 3 critically–acclaimed albums: COLLAGE (PS Classics), KRAZY LOVE, (Sunnyside Records), Luba debuts her impressive songwriting skills executing a cool, Brazilian mood and in 2016 MIXTURA (Kobalt Music) trademarking a new musical genre having recorded alongside such jazz greats as Al Jarreau, Hubert Laws, Randy Brecker, Jimmy Haslip and Dori Caymmi.

Tapped by 17 time Grammy Winner (and husband) Ruben Blades, Luba was a guest vocalist for his 2002 Grammy Award-winning CD MUNDO. Luba has toured the US and abroad and has been a featured performer at the PANAMA JAZZ FESTIVAL opening for Wayne Shorter, Danilo Perez and Chucho Valdez and has headlined the BRATISLAVA JAZZ FESTIVAL, HAVANA, CUBA’S 40TH INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL as well as COSTA RICA’S INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL. In the U.S., she has performed sold out shows at YOSHI’S, BLUE NOTE, REGATTA BAR, DIZZY’S COCA COLA, BIRDLAND amongst others and most recently with her husband at RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL and JALC with Wynton Marsalis and his band.

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Call Answered: Aidan Moreno Interview: Actor, Singer, Songwriter, My Kind of Trouble, First LGBTQIA+ Character on Canada's Heartland

Adam Rothenberg — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 19:09:16 GMT

Aidan Moreno is an actor, singer and songwriter. His story is quite inspirational when you read about how it happened and the chances he took to get to where he is today.

This is one the best times to chat with Aidan because a lot of firsts are happening for him. He just released his debut album My Kind of Trouble, which is influenced by Aidan’s love of UK Pop from the 1990s/2000s.

Aidan is also portraying the first LGBTQIA+ character on Canada’s hit TV show Heartland, which just premiered its 15th Season on CBC & CBC Gem.

Additionally, Aidan is back working on Jann Arden’s hit TV show Jann, which just started its 3rd Season on Canada’s CTV & Hulu (in the US).

Connect with Aidan: Music, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

Aidan Moreno, Photo Credit: Brett Ida

1. You first discovered your love for acting when you were cast as an extra for an episode of the hit television series Reign (CW). What did you do before acting? Before acting I really wasn’t sure what I was going to do in life. So thank goodness I found it that day doing background. I went to university and majored in English, while studying I worked part time as a receptionist in a gym and also worked as a tour guide in Spain during the summer months. My mother was a teacher, so I always assumed that my natural path after graduating would be to go into the teaching profession. I would’ve been terrible at that looking back. Thankfully, this career kind of found me, and I’m so grateful that it did.

2. When did you discover you also wanted to be a singer? I’ve always sang, whether people wanted to hear me or not (ha ha!)

From a young age I was always listening to music, from Whitney to the Spice Girls, it was a real form of escapism for me growing up. The late 90s early 2000s in the UK was a great era for Pop music. There isn’t a moment in my life that I can’t remember a song that meant something to me at that time, music really has been a Soundtrack to my entire life. So when I actually got the opportunity, time and resources to be able to make my childhood dreams and aspirations of being a singer come true, I jumped at it. I had zero expectations writing the songs, luckily I had a lot of support and encouragement from friends and family around me.

3. What do you get from music that you don't get from acting? I think music has a deeper connection for me purely because it is so personal. When you act, you are bringing a character off the page, a page of which a team of writers have written. Yes of course you are bringing your essence to that character, but it ultimately is somebody else’s work, just your interpretation.

Music is laying all of you out there for the world to see. It’s really intimate and Stripping back the walls and welcoming fans in to see your vulnerabilities. That’s why I love music and why I am so grateful that I get to do both.

4. You have so many things happening that it is a very exciting time to speak with you. Let's start with your debut album My Kind of Trouble.

How long did it take you to write, record and release the album? The album was written at a hard time in my life, and I truly got the opportunity to express how I was feeling in ways that I don’t think I could verbalize having a normal conversation with friends. There are songs on the album about struggling through a break up, being misunderstood, struggling with anxiety and mental health and then the journey of self encouragement and all the ups and downs of life and love. I wrote and recorded the majority of the album within a month and a half, those six weeks were really intense, but I was extremely focussed because I knew I wanted to do this more importantly for me. I had zero expectations of the outcome, I just knew I deserved to do something that I always had wished and wanted to do as a child, all in all, from pen to paper to all the tracks being mastered, it was a three month process. I only had three months between shooting season 14 and 15 (of Heartland), so I didn’t have much of a choice (ha ha!)
Which song was the hardest to write and why do you think it gave you so much trouble? All the songs have different meanings to me, get to me and until we fall apart, also lean on me, were written at moments when I was feeling really down about a relationship ending. To articulate how I was feeling and put that into the songs, at first was really challenging. To be vulnerable and open, and also to know that the world can hear it, I really had to push myself to not worry about what people would think. Now I listen to those songs and I can see how much progress I’ve made in my life from how I was feeling in the moment of writing those tracks. So to my ex, thanks for the bad times because I made some awesome songs out of it (ha ha!)
One song I love on the album is "Me, Myself & I." In that song, you sing, "I'm gonna turn off all the lights, gonna throw away my phone, it's just me, myself & I and nobody else I know..." What do you do when the lights are off, your phone is shut down and it's just you? When the phones are off, lights are down and just me? Cheeky! Same as you (haha!)
Meditate! Head out the gutter please haha :)
“Me, Myself and I” is a great track, it’s about Self-care which is so important, in the world we live in, we are consuming so much Instagram, social media, so many images that sometimes are just not reality, and that can hurt if we’re in a vulnerable place. I’m not going to pretend I’m good at switching off my phone, I’m addicted to scrolling through my feed as much as the next guy, but having some time away from that, whether it’s a book, a walk, being by ourselves, sometimes a time out is exactly what we need to reset and recharge.
Playing off of the album's title, What is your favorite kind of trouble to get into? My Kind of Trouble is the title of the album because I think if I asked many people throughout my life to sum me up, I definitely feel one word that would be at the top of the list is trouble with a T. Like a fine wine, I hope I’ve matured as I’ve gotten older, but nowadays trouble for me, would be having a good time with my friends back in the UK with a few cocktails as old dogs sadly never learn that many new tricks :)

5. Now let's talk about Season 15 of Heartland, which just premiered on CBC and CBC Gem in Canada.

What initially made you want to audition for this show? The audition for the role of “Rick,” came at the height of the first lockdown of 2020. I had gained a few pounds, and I was used to auditioning in person at casting offices. So this whole experience was completely new to me. I had to set up a makeshift studio in my basement and did the audition over zoom with the producers. I loved the essence of the show, being a huge animal lover, and the show being centered around “Amy” played by Amber Marshall and her horses, plus the chance of living and working in beautiful Alberta, I was all in from the moment the audition came in my inbox.
You came on the show in Season 14. As the new kid on the block, how did the cast/crew make you feel welcome? What challenges, if any, did you face being a new character/cast member? Starting in Season 14, I was really apprehensive due to the huge storyline and the loss of one of their main characters. I really didn’t know how I was going to be perceived by the fans, but also wasn’t sure what it was going to be like to work with such a close knit team that had been working together for at that point, 13 years.
As soon as I walked onto the set, all of those worries went straight out of the window. There isn’t one bad apple on the show and I think that’s a true testament of why the show has lasted so long, because everyone is truly humble, grounded and professional. I really have to pinch myself that I’m a part of the Heartland family. It’s one of the best jobs I could’ve ever hoped for.
Your character, "Rick Adderly," is the series FIRST LGBTQIA+. Do you feel any kind of responsibility or added pressure with being the first? I 100% percent feel a responsibility and definitely some pressure placed upon my shoulders. The show is centered around family values, and even though it’s 2021, some still face lack of inclusion and lack of acceptance in their own families around the world. So for me to be the first LGBTQIA+ character, to be in people's living rooms on a Sunday evening when families gather to watch this show, that responsibility is huge to make sure I represent the community in the best possible way. I was mainly worried about it not being just a token gay character, that “Rick” still gets depth and development, otherwise it could just play into a stereotype which Is where the pressure comes into it.
What have you heard from LGBTQIA+ fans of the show in regards to "Rick?" Lots of fans of the show have been supportive across the field, but especially fans who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I’ve had such touching and heartfelt messages explaining how they are so grateful to see somebody, anybody on the show that resembles in any shape or form who they are. It is so important for our younger generations especially to be able to watch a television show and be able to relate. I truly hope that my character continues into another season in order for the character to be developed further to show somebody’s sexuality does not define them by stereotypes, as I think this is the only way to be able to open some people's minds and hearts that haven’t been exposed to people of other walks of life thus far.
Has there been any backlash to your character? Yes, there have definitely been a sprinkled few. Some keyboard warriors and trolls who have taken it upon themselves to definitely let me know that they do not agree with an LGBTQI+ person to be in the Heartland universe. I just try to remember that all I can do is my job, and also try to represent who I am and that as much as I would love to, I’m not going to bring everybody around to acceptance. It’s a shame, but it’s also a reality. I really just try to ignore the negative comments and realize there are definitely more positives.

Aidan Moreno, Photo Credit: Brett Ida

6. You have also been featured on the hit Canadian TV series Jann, on CTV (available in the US on Hulu).

What do you like about being on this show? The comedy Jann is so so funny. The producers and writers Leah and Jenica are two amazing women who just get how to make people laugh, while still exploring important issues and getting conversations started. Jann is basically Canadian royalty, so to have the privilege of working with her for the second time was an amazing honor. When they asked me to return I jumped at the chance, I also got the chance to work with another Canadian great this season, but you’ll just have to tune in to find out who that is. OK here’s a clue, initials MB.
What have you learned from working with Jann Arden? Working with Jann has taught me that you can be mega successful in one field and still not limit yourself to staying in a so-called lane. That artists can cross the old boundaries, and to try and pursue opportunities and believe in themselves. She's a true role model.

7. What are some of your hobbies outside of acting and music? I love my animals. I have five dogs, one cat, two rabbits and a cheeky love bird called Beckham. Was never quite sure if it was David or Victoria so it just went with the surname.

So my spare time is predominantly spent with all the Moreno menagerie, or alternatively I love a spin class. I set up a gym in my basement during the pandemic, they’ve been, hand on heart, collecting dust in the recent weeks (ha ha!)

I have to admit I love any Real Housewives franchise. I can sadly admit that I watch every single one. I love escaping in the utter madness of those shows.

8. If someone wanted to get to the center of your heart & soul...what is the way to get inside? To get inside my heart and soul, please provide Pomeranians, bread and Mojito‘s. Also I wouldn’t mind a villa in Spain while you’re there (ha ha). And if you have a playlist with the Spice Girls on it’s a done deal :-)

9. What is something we didn't get to talk about in this interview that you'd like my readers to know about you? That I am a boy, from a working class single mother, who never knew who I was or where I would ever fit into this world. So if you’re ever feeling lost or down, unsure or too hard on yourself, just know there’s only one of you and that’s good enough. If I can succeed in this career, thousands of miles away from home, anyone can truly do anything they put their mind to. Not to be cliché, but never give up on your dreams.

More on Aidan:

Aidan Moreno, Photo Credit: Brett Ida

Aidan Moreno is an actor and singer/songwriter based in Toronto, Canada set to reprise his role as “Rick Adderly,” the first LGBTQ+ character on Canada’s longest running hit drama series Heartland. The series made its season 15 premiere on October 17, 2021 on CBC and CBC Gem.

Coinciding with the season premiere, Aidan released his new album My Kind of Trouble on October 8, 2021 available on Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music and all streaming platforms.

Aidan first discovered his love for acting when he was cast as an extra for an episode of the hit television series Reign (CW). From then on, Aidan was hooked and started to pave a way for his acting career. After attending local acting classes in the city, Aidan would go on to book his first major credit on Supernatural (CW).

Since then he has appeared on several film and television productions including The Strain (FX), Murdoch Mysteries (CBC/Netflix), Jann (CTV), Let Him Go (Focus Features) where he starred opposite Kevin Costner, Wynonna Earp (Syfy), Trailer Park Boys: Jail (Netflix), and A Christmas Exchange (Amazon Prime).

Coming up next, Aidan will once again return to the upcoming season three of the hit comedy series Jann airing this fall on CTV.

Outside of acting, Aidan’s other passion lies with music. My Kind Of Trouble is his debut album and features 18 pop country tracks and includes the songs “Heartland” and “Get To Me.” Aidan wrote every song on the album and also teamed up with friend and Swedish pop hit writer Max Bergä. The debut album is heavily influenced by Aidan’s UK pop influences from the late 90s early 2000s and says each song was one of self empowerment, believing in yourself and self reflecting on getting through the hard times of relationships.

Aidan’s love of country music was ignited from working in Alberta, Canada on the set of Heartland. The album is a fusion of everything that has influenced his life and his love for pop and country.

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Call Redialed: NEW Ryan Bauer-Walsh Interview: The Rainbow Lullaby, First LGBTQIA+ Lullaby album, Ali Forney Center, Banana Duck (gender neutral clothing line), Actor, Singer, Artist

Adam Rothenberg — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 18:47:03 GMT

I have been a fan of Ryan Bauer-Walsh ever since we met back in 2012. Prior to the global pandemic, I got to see Ryan in Seven Angel’s Theatre 2019 production of my all time favorite musical,The Who’s TOMMY.

Ryan is a talented actor, a wonderful singer and an accomplished artist (Blessed to own an original RBW).

In 2020, Ryan lost his biggest cheerleader, his Mom. As a result of her passing, Ryan found solace in his creativity.

On October 28, the first ever LGBTQIA+ Lullaby album will be released by Broadway Records. Conceived by Ryan, The Rainbow Lullaby features fifteen LGBTQIA+ writers and over thirty LGBTQIA+ artists.

In addition to Ryan, some of the writers and artists featured include Marc Shaiman (Tony, Grammy, Oscar winner, Hairspray), Fred Sauter (Bedbugs!), Bobby Cronin (Mary & Max), Jenn Collela (Tony nominee, Come From Away), Jay Armstrong Johnson (Our Town), Chilina Kennedy (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Caitlin Kinnunen (Tony nominee,The Prom), Michael Longoria (Jersey Boys), Kyle Dean Massey (Wicked), Shakina Nayfack (Musical Theatre Factory), Marissa Rosen (Kristin Chenoweth: For The Girls), Marty Thomas (Wicked), Katie Thompson (R.R.R.E.D.) and The First Presbyterian Church of New York City Choir.

Proceeds from the album will go to support The Ali Forney Center, whose mission is to protect LGBTQ+ youths from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently.

Ryan also just released his own gender neutral clothing line Banana Duck for kids and adults in collaboration with TinPin.

Connect with Ryan: Website, Facebook, Instagram (@Ryan.Bauer.Walsh & @rbwART)

1. On October 28, you are releasing the world's FIRST LGBTQIA+ lullaby album. How did this project come to be? In March of 2020 the world shut down due to the Coronavirus. Three months into my quarantine in NYC, my Mother, who was sick with Cancer, called me and asked me to come home to Minnesota. I was working as a painter to pay my bills while in quarantine. To fund my trip home and focus on taking care of my Mother - I put all my paintings up for sale at half price - and sold nearly everything I had ever painted in my life. A lot of friends purchased my work. I’ll forever be grateful to them. I flew home and spent the next four months taking care of my Mother. It was just me, her and my Dad quarantined in my childhood home. I made her meals and carried her up and down the stairs. She didn’t get better. On October 28th of that year, my Mother passed away.

My grief completely shut me down. My gravity had vanished. In my grief I tried many ways of coping. One was writing. Another was painting. I knew if I wasn’t constructive with my grieving I was going to become dissociative and unwell. Creating was very grounding for me. I revived some old songs that I had written and recreated them as lullabies. I asked my friend Fred Sauter if he would be interested in working on an album with me. I wanted to create lullabies for LGBTQIA+ parents and their children. We expanded the idea and made a demo. I would write every night in bed and make up little songs - just like I did as a kid on the swings in my backyard.

Now we are a team of over 50. The album is dedicated to my Mother - and all proceeds will go to the Ali Forney Center.

2. How do you feel this album will help kids, parents who have kids and kids whose parents identify as LGBTQIA+? I think the job of all artists is to create catharsis and to change perspectives. Lullabies have existed for thousands of years and LGBTQIA+ people have existed forever. Yet never had I heard a lullaby for two fathers. It is a basic human instinct to sing to our children. Yet when I searched online - I could find no LGBTQIA+ Lullaby albums.

I think expanding the tradition of singing to our children to include the Queer Community is a beautiful way of enriching our mindsets on what it means to be a family. Just having two men sing a lullaby as a duet could be a beautiful form of positively structured activism. I wanted all kinds of LGBTQIA+ families to feel represented on this album and for children to hear voices that reflected parents like theirs sing them to sleep.

When there is visible representation available to minority communities of positive possibilities - it creates accessible future realities. The only things I knew about gay people growing up were negative and alienating.

I think an album like this will give LGBTQIA+ children and LGBTQIA+ parents and their children a sense of belonging. I wanted the lullabies on the album to feel like they have been around for generations in order to create a feeling of permanence and history. The queer community has had so much of it’s history taken away. Hidden. It’s time to create a firm foundation of queer cultural traditions so that moving forward - the LGBTQIA+ community is seen, heard and feels wonderfully welcome.

Ryan Bauer-Walsh, Jenn Colella and her dog Stella

3. In addition to yourself, you have enlisted an amazing roster of talent for this album who identify as LGBTQIA+. 15 composers including Marc Shaiman (Tony, Grammy, Oscar winner, Hairspray), Fred Sauter (Bedbugs!) Bobby Cronin (Mary & Max), Adam Overett (My Life Is A Musical) and over 30 performers including Klea Blackhurst (Party Face), Jenn Collela (Tony nominee, Come From Away), Matt Doyle (Company), Taylor Frey (The View Upstairs), Natalie Joy Johnson (Kinky Boots), Jay Armstrong Johnson (Our Town), Chilina Kennedy (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Caitlin Kinnunen (Tony nominee,The Prom), Michael Longoria (Jersey Boys), Kyle Dean Massey (Wicked), Susie Mosher (Hairspray), Shakina Nayfack (Musical Theatre Factory), Marissa Rosen (Kristin Chenoweth: For The Girls), Marty Thomas (Wicked), Katie Thompson (R.R.R.E.D.) and The First Presbyterian Church of New York City Choir.

What criteria did you look for in each of these artists to see if they would participate in the album? I wanted to make sure this album would be inclusive. There are so many voices in the Queer community that need to be heard. There are so many communities WITHIN the Queer Community! We did a lot of outreach to find composers and performers with unique histories that could lend their specific perspective to the project. I am so lucky to have been able to get in touch with so many talented creatives from different performance and compositional backgrounds as well.
- First; it was really important to me that all the composers were LGBTQIA+. It felt important to me that this was written from a place of personal history.
- Second; it had to be a diverse group of people because I believe representation is crucial!
- Third; they needed to be the nicest people you ever met and - available for the project! When we started recording, NYC was opening back up and everyone got very busy. Getting everyone’s schedules together was quite a task!
How did you match up each singer with the composer? Some composers had specific talent in mind while they were writing. Some were open to suggestions. A couple of the singers I found through Facebook posts. For composers with a rock background I tried to find edgier voices. For those who wrote art songs - I hit up my friends who sang at the Met. For the title song and thesis statement - I needed a magical voice and I had stumbled across Madge Dietrich on Youtube and knew she could bring the right energy and hope to the lyrics I had written. Sometimes serendipity is the best casting director.

4. How do you think an album like this would have helped you growing up? It would have changed EVERYTHING. See, I had a friend growing up who kept it a secret that he had two moms for most of his adolescence. I wanted to be a parent when I was younger, but I had never met a family with gay parents. Not till I had this friend with two moms. All I had was a gay uncle who I never really connected with in a positive way. Self esteem was in short storage and the idea of having any future at all seemed so bleak back then.

If there had been something as innocent and loving as gay lullabies growing up I think it would have cemented ‘possibility' as the default setting for my future rather than the macabre mindset that I was trained into having about growing up gay as a child.

Ryan Bauer-Walsh honoring his mother by wearing her clothes

5. This project was conceived in memory of your mom, who passed away from cancer in 2020. How did your mom influence this album? My Mother was the picture of maternal energy. She was so positive and loving. I loved when she would sing lullabies to us. I loved when she would sing Janis Joplin and Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral. I like to think of her singing some of the songs I write. She also was a constant force for good. She worked with so many charities. She worked with a food shelf for years - right up until she couldn’t walk. It was her favorite place. She loved helping people.

So I knew it had to be an album that would share the love she gave to others, the warmth she made me feel - and be an act of kindness that would help generations to come. I spent a lot of time deciding which charity to work with. I wanted to make sure they had nationwide services or outreach available and that they worked with queer youth. Ali Forney is an ever expanding force of good, just like my Mother, and I am so excited to help provide opportunities and aid to young people through their good works. In some wonderful way - it feels like my Mother’s works will continue through this album.

6. What do you think would have been her favorite part of creating this album? If my Mother tagged along to the recording sessions I bet she would say “holding Yaz’s baby!” Nothing made her happier than holding a baby. She would also love all the music. But above all that she was my biggest supporter, so I bet she would say something embarrassing and lovely like, “Listening to my son sing.”

7. What do you think would be her favorite song? I think she would love “Two Mama Flamingos,” by David Dabbon and Michelle Chamuel or “You’ll Have a New Day Tomorrow,” which I wrote at the piano in my childhood home. They are both really pretty melodies - and they are elegantly simple.

Ryan Bauer-Walsh painting

8. How did your mom's passing change you and your career goals? Because my Mom was such a big part of my daily life, when she died, my world collapsed. Nothing would ever be as lovely as having a Mother. She was the person I most wanted to make proud. She knew me so well. Suddenly without that gravity nothing felt like it would ever matter or feel real again. My entire perspective on mortality was altered. I am going to die. Why would I waste my life doing anything I didn’t like ever again? Why would I let anything bother me ever again? Why would I continue any toxic relationship or beat myself up when I failed at something, ever again? It’s forced me to live my absolute best life free from fear and pessimism. I made a choice to radiate absolute joy for the rest of my time on this planet - because I think spending my time being angry and sad seems like a waste. I still get angry and sad - but I don’t live there. Difficult things will happen - but what adventures they will bring!

As far as my career goals; the sound equipment I bought to make the demo of the lullaby album was a gateway to voice over acting. I built a booth in my new apartment and really put some effort into creating a new career with voice over work. I just signed with a voice over agent and am a principal voice on a TV show. Also while I was in quarantine I started painting designs for textiles and created a clothing line with my friend’s company, TinPin, called Banana Duck. It's a gender optional clothing line that features my artwork on sensory friendly clothing. We are expanding with a full adult line for the holiday season. You can purchase it at TinPin.com.

I want to continue to perform, but I also want to be Shel Silverstein. I am hoping to publish a few children’s books soon.

I am also in Paris Through The Window by Hurley and Osbourne. It’s a beautiful new musical about World War I. Very excited to get back on stage - and - I’m really excited to create new things. Paintings. Stories. Songs. To have so much opportunity ahead is wonderful.

9. One way you keep your mom's memory alive is by wearing some of her clothes.

How did you decide which of her clothes you wanted to keep? After my Mom passed away, Dad and I were still quarantined. For six months I stayed in Minnesota. I spent my days cleaning the house. Organizing it so my Dad would be ok.
A big task was cleaning the bedrooms and closets. My Mom was the domestic element in our home, so it was up to me to see that things were in order. I think It was in March when I started the closet in their bedroom. I took all her clothes, organized them and hung them up. Then I took the ones that were in a good state for donation, along with a few pieces I wanted to bring with me to New York, downstairs to the pink piano room. There, Dad and I sat and sorted through the pile. I would hold up something and ask if he wanted to keep it or not. The pieces I kept I would bring back to New York with me. I was hoping to have them tailored for special events. I wanted to wear it like armor. Something to celebrate her strengths. I had a lot of respect for my Mother and I think wearing items she felt strong in is a wonderful way of keeping her principles present. I don’t believe that clothing is gendered - but I do believe it can be a wonderful playmate, a projection of character and a way to illuminate values.
When you put on one of her outfits, what are the first thoughts or memories that come up for you? It’s meditative to get dressed. I think about what she must have felt like when she picked out clothes. She has some amazing looks and it is so comforting to have something so tangible that’s touched by her history. I think lots of kids have fond memories of watching their Moms get ready for a special event. I think about that a lot. The smell of her curling iron. The sound of heels clicking around a bit frantically before she would head out. I recently affirmed my pronouns as “He/ They” and it's been nice to explore other clothing options. Masculinity in the west is so cartoonish and rigid. I just never fit the specifications for the label I was assigned. I am happy to perform that role of hyper masculinity but to be confined to it just didn’t work for me.
Out of all her clothes, which outfit did you just HAVE to have? Her houndstooth black and white, wool woven, pearl encrusted suit jacket. Period.

Ryan Bauer-Walsh wearing Banana Duck

10. Speaking of clothes, you are also getting ready to release your own line of gender-neutral clothes. How did you come up with this idea? My friend Scott Tracy had created a website that was doing customized clothing and accessories. I had always wanted to design textiles and create a clothing line. I used to love sketching clothing designs growing up. With quarantine still in the darkest months of winter I wanted to create something cheerful and have another coping mechanism for my grief. I pitched Scott my idea. I wanted to do genderless sensory friendly clothing that was reminiscent of children’s books and youth pop art from the 80’s and 90’s. I had created and painted these bruised little Banana Ducks when at the art studio on 72nd I used to work at - a Mom from the class I was teaching wanted to buy my Banana Duck painting. Suddenly I was painting lots of them for kids bedrooms, bathrooms, over peoples sofas, etc. People seemed to love them. They are just simple little silly creatures that are always getting into mischief and are happily going about their day - despite their bruises. I thought they would make for a wonderful silly print and I haven’t seen anything on the market like it. Especially for adults! Gosh…adult clothing is so unnecessarily serious. I think the world could be a lot more fun than it is - and much more aesthetically pleasing.

11. I can't do an interview with you and NOT talk about your art (meaning your painting). I am very lucky to own a RBW original. What do you get from painting that you don't get from performing? Freedom. I love performing when it is a collaboration. But it isn’t often up to me what roles I get to play or what stories I tell. When I paint I can be anything and anyone. I can tell any story in any style I want. But I will always love performing. So I will do both as long as I want - and as long as I am able.

12. What is something we didn't get to talk about that you'd like my readers to know about you? Oh, gosh. I’m colorblind. How’s that? Hah!

But also, I would love to connect with LGBTQIA+ parents and hear their thoughts on what it means to them to have an album like The Rainbow Lullaby. I think it would be great to post responses from people and expand our outreach via their responses in order to create even more representation.

Follow me Instagram @Ryan.Bauer.Walsh and @rbwART

More on Ryan:

Ryan Bauer-Walsh, Photo Credit: Krys Fox

Born in Minnesota and graduate of The Hartt School, this New York based artist has appeared in numerous stage shows including Billy Elliot (National Tour), Most Happy Fella (Encores), Les Miserables and Miss Saigon. Ryan has originated multiple roles off-Broadway including the internationally acclaimed production of Death For Five Voices with Prospect Theater Company.

In addition to performing Ryan is also a writer, composer, artist, and community activist. Ryan’s artwork can be found in private collections, publications including The New York Times and in children’s literature. Ryan’s most recent children’s books include Rusty The Rescue and Three Men in a Boat.

Working in their signature Retro Vintage Surrealist style, Ryan’s paintings have recently been made into a gender neutral clothing line for adults and children in collaboration with TinPin.

Call Answered: Kevin Mambo Interview: Actor, Netflix's Hit & Run, Lynn Nottage's Ruined, Guiding Light

Adam Rothenberg — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 01:24:40 GMT

I am so excited to interview actor and musician Kevin Mambo because back in 2009 I got to see Kevin LIVE on stage in Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize winning play Ruined.

Now, Kevin is starring in the new Netflix series Hit & Run in which he plays “Detective Newkirk,” an NYPD detective with a wry sense of humor who has seen it all and nothing can phase him.

The series tells the story of a man searching for the truth behind his wife's death who becomes caught up in a dangerous web of secrets and intrigue stretching from New York to Tel Aviv.

Hit & Run is streaming now on Netflix!

Connect with Kevin: Twitter and Instagram

Kevin Mambo, Photo Credit: Andre Blake

1. I'm so excited to interview you because I actually got to see you live on the New York stage in Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Ruined at Manhattan Theatre Club. I was so moved by that show.

What was it like as an actor to perform in that show 8-times a week? Thank you! Ruined was a transformative experience not only from the work put into it, but also from the reception. It was a show that seemed to reach around the planet every night. We broke attendance records in Chicago and New York. It became clear to me how powerful the medium of theatre can be. There is an audience that craves something more than constant entertainment.
How did you emotionally prepare yourself for such a heavy show? The preparation was tough. I had to provide the baseline darkness for the show. The kind of darkness will linger when Osembenga is not on stage and can only be whispered about. The men must create the waves that these women must negotiate every day. I worked out, pigged out and put on about 30 pounds. Working to be physically imposing was also one of my goals. I wasn’t working on becoming textbook 'muscular' but imposing. I usually finished my night watching comedies and cooking before bed.
What did you learn from Lynn herself? I’ve learned so much from Lynn! I’ve been one of the fortunate ones who get to work with her, particularly in the development stage. She taught me to be ready to edit. Let it go and sculpt until you are at the truth.

2. Now you are starring in the new Netflix series Hit & Run as "Detective Newkirk." How are you similar to each other, and what is one characteristic of "Detective Newkirk" you are glad you don't possess? I think Newkirk and I both like to dig. Peel the onion and figure out how all the pieces fit. I try to channel his patience these days, but his single-minded focus cannot be all that healthy.

3. With so many shows to stream, why do you feel Hit & Run should be the show we watch? It's the kind of show I like to watch; it’s an international thriller. It’s weighted without being weighed down. It’s cerebral and looks fantastic.

4. You won two Daytime Emmy Awards for playing "Marcus Williams" on Guiding Light. How do you feel starring in a soap opera prepared you even more as an actor? The medium requires agility and stamina. You have to think on your feet, say the same things and make them fresh for an audience each time, establish chemistry, improvise and be prepared for changing text. You have to be comfortable in a shifting live three-camera format and be prepared to finish a new episode every day. It was my grad school.

5. Do you have any fun, behind-the-scenes stories from being on the show you can share with us? We would need another two pages!

6. After Guiding Light, you were on an episode of one of my favorite shows, Any Day Now (that starred Lorraine Toussaint and Annie Potts). What did you learn from being on that episode? I learned a few things about comedy. Even if life is a whirlwind, you have to be grounded. You can’t let that energy permeate too much. Comedy needs a little room to breathe.

Kevin Mambo

7. What do you like about working in theatre that you don't get from working in Film/TV (besides the applause and the show being live)? I enjoy that live energy is its animal. That feeling can never be replaced. Also, the theatre is a linear experience, and the events stack up against one another—the time to craft performance and synergy between all of the elements within the production.

8. In addition to acting, you are also a musician. What do you get from music that you don't get from acting? It is a human experience, but also one that requires no words. They do come from the same place.

9. With the events of the past two years (COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, the Election, etc.), how do you feel these events changed the way you audition or decide which projects you want to be part of? I think we can all recognize our mortality more readily. I’m lucky that I am often called on to be a part of projects of substance. I think we are dimming some of the noise, and that’s a good thing.

10. What did you learn about yourself during the pandemic? I don't mind the silence. At all.

11. What is something you'd like my readers to know about you that we didn't get to cover in this interview? I miss DJing for large crowds. I think summer should be all year and I have developed an addiction to organic lime popsicles during COVID.

More on Kevin:

Kevin Mambo

Kevin Mambo was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Kevin can currently be seen on the new Netflix drama, Hit & Run. The series tells the story of a man searching for the truth behind his wife's death who becomes caught up in a dangerous web of secrets and intrigue stretching from New York to Tel Aviv. Mambo plays an NYPD detective with a wry sense of humor who has seen it all and nothing can phase him. The series is streaming now.

He is no stranger to the small screen. Kevin had large roles on hit series such as Luke Cage and High Maintenance. He is also a two-time Daytime Emmy winner from his leading role on the long-running soap opera Guiding Light. Other film and television credits include Cadillac Records, Nina, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Blacklist, and Elementary just to name a few.

Kevin has added to his repertoire with a very impressive list of on-stage roles. He played the title character in the Tony Award nominated Fela! and brought his talent to the role of Mafala in Book of Mormon. He was also seen in the revival of The Color Purple and The Public Theater's Fortress of Solitude.

Additionally, Kevin appeared in the Billie Holiday Theatre production of Jackie Alexander's Brothers from the Bottom opposite Wendell Pierce. He was seen Off-Broadway in Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Ruined at the Manhattan Theatre Club and at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He also played Chancellor in Danai Gurira's The Convert.

Kevin is an avid musician, who learned to play piano, saxophone, and guitar at a young age. He studied at the McGill Jazz Conservatory then transferred to the University of Southern California where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

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Facetime Interview: Instagram Live REPLAY: Director/Acting Coach Marishka S. Phillips & America's Next Top Model Cycle 4 Winner Naima Mora

Adam Rothenberg — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 19:44:30 GMT

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If you missed my Instagram Live with Director/Acting Coach Marishka S. Phillips & America's Next Top Model Cycle 4 Winner Naima Mora, you can watch the REPLAY above ⬆️ or on my Instagram Page.

In this LIVE interview, Marishka, Naima and I discussed:

Their collaboration on the Off-Broadway play The Amazing Adventures Of A Woman In Need
Modeling
Directing
Getting through loneliness

The Amazing Adventures Of A Woman In Need will play….

Triad NYC - October 16 - In Person + Live Stream

On Demand - Through November 11 - Click here for tickets

Connect with Marishka: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

Connect with Naima: Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

More on Marishka:

Marishka S. Phillips

Broadway actress, director, and thespian guru, Marishka S. Phillips is a native of Brooklyn, New York. At thirteen she was cast in the European tour of Raisin, a musical version of A Raisin In The Sun. She honed her skills at Alvin Ailey School of Dance, Broadway Dance Center, and Fordham University, where she studied theater arts. Marishka’s big break came with the Broadway musical, Uptown: It’s Hot (directed by Maurice Hines). Her stage credits include Bubblin’ Brown Sugar, FAME: The Musical, The Wiz, The Me Nobody Knows, Stage & Screen (directed by Hinton Battle) and Woody King’s production of Sweet Mama String Bean, for which she received an AUDELCO nomination. In 2002, Marishka released a musical recording on Hinterland Records entitled The Hike, and in 2007, she released At The Waterfront on Mole Listening Pearls. Marishka is bona fide triple threat, and has performed and toured with Sean P.Diddy Combs, Christian Castro, and CeCe Winans, to name a few. As an acting coach, she founded the Marishka Phillips Theatrical Preparatory and has coached some of Hollywood’s biggest names including Deborah Cox, Kerry Washington, Terri Vaughn, Nicole Beharie, Nafessa Williams, Tasha Smith and Elizabeth Rohm. As a theater director, Marishka studied at the Los Angeles Community College, and has directed two revered off-Broadway productions: Box and Precious. Recent theater directing credits include The Diary of An Afro Goddess & Down To Eartha: Both One Woman Shows (nominated for an AUDELCO Award), Each Scar Has A Story, Storage, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and the musical For All My Girls. Her film and TV directing credits include the short Love Always, Eartha (about Eartha Kitt), the feature film Melinda (starring LaChanze and Lillias White) and the TV pilot I Am Charlie.

More on Naima:

Naima Mora, Photo Credit: Harris Davey Photography

Naima Mora became famous after winning Cycle 4 of America’s Next Top Model. Since becoming a face for CoverGirl Cosmetics with her win, her career now includes being an award winning model, actor, published author and inspirational speaker. Naima is the author of “Model Behavior”, an inspirational book for young people based on her experiences in life and in the fashion industry, now available at Amazon.com. She also turned her literary skills into an online course called “Model Know How”, offering tools to help students succeed in the fashion and beauty industries. Naima has been the recipient of awards including The California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition and The Key of the City of Cincinnati for her work towards the betterment of life and world peace. Her public speaking engagements include a TEDx Talk and a spot in SGI Peace Buddhist Organization’s “Buddhist In America”. As a model, Naima has worked with some of the industry’s leading clients. As an influencer, she has garnished partnerships with clients including Nike Women, Vita Coco, The WBNA, Verishop and L’Oreal.

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Facetime Interview: Instagram Live REPLAY: Christina Bianco: Impressionist, Singer, Actress

Adam Rothenberg — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 21:17:18 GMT

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If you missed my Instagram Live with Christina Bianco (Impressionist, Singer, Actress), you can watch the REPLAY above ⬆️ or on my Instagram Page.

In this LIVE interview, Christina & I discussed:

Her incredible impressions
Her upcoming move to London
What she’ll miss about NYC
The Christina Bianco Walking Tour
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, UK 2022 Tour (based upon the 1998 Film)

Christina Bianco is embarking on a US Farewell Tour as she gets ready to move to London.

NYC - Catch Christina at Birdland Theater on October 15 & October 16!

All Other Tour Dates - Click here!

Christina will also be starring in the UK Tour of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice starting in March 2022. Click here for tickets!

Connect with Christina: Website, Facebook, Tw it ter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Cameo

More on Christina:

From stage to screen, Christina Bianco’s singular voice and comedic charm have brought audiences around the world to their feet. Christina captured international acclaim as a YouTube sensation with her ‘diva’ impression videos, gaining over 25 million views. Dubbed “the girl of a thousand voices,” Christina has performed on major television programs such as The Ellen Degeneres Show and The Today Show, in the US, and The Paul O’Grady Show and This Morning, in the UK.

A two-time Drama Desk Award nominee, Christina made her West End debut starring in The Menier Chocolate Factory’s hailed production of Forbidden Broadway at the Vaudeville Theatre in London. Most recently, Christina played the iconic role of Fanny Brice at the Theatre Marigny’s celebrated production of Funny Girl in Paris, earning unanimous rave reviews. Christina was awarded the Trophee De Le Comedie Musicale for her performance.

New York credits include Forbidden Broadway; Goes to Rehab (Drama Desk Award Nomination), the one-woman, multi-character comedy, Application Pending (Drama Desk Award Nomination), The Marvelous Wonderettes (Missy), and Newsical the Musical. Other theatre credits include: Hello Dolly (Minnie Fay/Indianapolis Symphony), Rent (Maureen/Weston Playhouse), Beehive (Riverside Theatre) and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator/Drury Lane Theatre).

Television credits include the iTV’s The Imitation Game, POP TV sitcom Impress Me, Hallmark’s, Signed, Sealed, Delivered and frequent voice work for RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Christina has performed her critically acclaimed concerts to sold out crowds in NYC and across the U.S. In the UK, she’s enjoyed extended runs headlining at London’s Hippodrome, Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room, Live at Zedel’s, The Charing Cross Theatre, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and completed her second UK tour, titled, First Impressions in 2019.

She recently made concert debuts in Switzerland, Spain and South Africa and in Australia, at The Sydney Opera House. Christina frequently performs with major US and Canadian symphonies and performs her solo symphony show under the direction of Maestro Jack Everly.

Her debut live album, Life Of The Party, is available on iTunes and other major music platforms.

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Call Answered: Robyn Griggs Wiley Interview: One Life To Live, Another World, Actress, Endocervical Adeno Cancer

Adam Rothenberg — Sun, 26 Sep 2021 02:09:10 GMT

Robyn Griggs Wiley is giving the fight of her life. In 2020, amongst the global pandemic, Robyn was diagnosed with Stage 4 Endocervical Adeno Cancer. She is staying positive as she continues to go through another round of chemo therapy.

Robyn is looking forward to acting again. Robyn is known for her triumphant roles on One Life to Live and Another World (where she was nominated for a Young Artist Award).

I feel so fortunate that Robyn took the time to speak with me about her cancer journey, her career and how to stay positive during such trying times.

Robyn hasn’t been able to work since being diagnosed with Endocervical Adeno Cancer and insurance only covers so much…If you are able to, please donate to her Go Fund Me page.

Connect with Robyn: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Robyn Griggs Wiley

1. You are widely known for your roles on Another World and One Life To Live. What did you love most about acting on Soap Operas? I think acting on the soaps taught me so much discipline. Working daily with such talented people helped guide me. I knew this is what I enjoyed and had a passion for. I had the privilege to work with amazing artists.

2. How do you feel this medium prepared you for other acting roles? I feel it helped me realize that I can give any role a go, as long as I took the time to understand that particular character. I try my best to portray the character the way the writer saw them.

3. You have been acting since you were three years old. You stepped away several times from acting, but always came back.

Why do you feel you had to take so many breaks? As a child actress, it's important to also experience things that a child does. Being real, helps you understand the characters you portray. Throughout my life I tried to take moments of time for me. You can get burned out easily...Take the time to enjoy life.
What do you think kept bringing you back? It's my passion and I truly enjoy it. I love the whole business. I'm meant to do this and I would love to again :)

Robyn Griggs Wiley

4. 2020 was a rough year for us all, with the Global Pandemic, but it was even harder for you because you were diagnosed with Stage 4 Endocervical Adeno Cancer.

How did you find the space and strength to face both adversities at one time? Horrible year for many. I chose to just go with it. I can't dwell on my disease or this pandemic, it will absorb you. You have the power to make this a positive experience. Don't give control elsewhere.
With the pandemic in full force at that point, can you speak to what went through your mind knowing you would have to go to the hospital for treatment? I was horrified. It's frightening to realize you have a horrible disease, but more frightening to go through it surrounded by masks. I love to laugh, that's my way of coping and so I made sure to find something funny to think about. Depression is a terrible thing and I definitely have moments of that, but I remember...I'm still here. No need to dwell, make each day, one that isn't lost, but is something that makes you smile…even for just an instance.

5. For other women out there:

Can you talk a little bit about how your diagnosis came about? I thought I was invincible and didn't need to get screened or any checkups. I had pain in my pelvis and very painful periods, but thought that was just a normal thing...turns out, that isn't normal. I was at the point where I knew it was too much for me to bear. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with Stage 4 Endocervical Adeno cancer.
What were some of your symptoms? Pain during periods, abdomen swelling. I was losing my ability to urinate normally. I cannot stress enough how important it is to get checked out and if possible get the vaccine available to fight against several cancers.

Robyn Griggs Wiley

6. How do you stay positive through this very difficult time?

I have times where I cry. Crying is healthy, let it out. Then move on.
You have been dealt these cards, make them Aces.
Only you can control your life...make it a good one.
Smile before you shut your eyes every night and take the time to be selfish.
Enjoy your life. Enjoy it for you. It will help your situation, but also help the people fighting with you.
Smile. :)

7. Where do you find your strength? God. I'm not overly religious, but I believe. My family, friends, fans...all have helped me realize I can fight this. They lift me up. My husband, Mark, has helped me be strong and move past the tears. My dog, my baby boy, Ralphie. He makes me smile and takes my mind off of my situation. Animals heal the heart. I'm thankful for all of these people around me :)

8. How do you find moments of peace and sanity amongst all the chaos? I just live. I move forward and take the time I need for me. Being strong doesn't mean you can't be soft. Right now, I need to take in every moment and enjoy it when I can.

9. With the knowledge you have gained through this journey, what advice would you give to other women? Please get screened. Go to your checkups. It's better to find out if something is wrong...our doctors and medicine are amazing. Treatment is there. Don't be afraid of what might be, it is, what it is and you can make the difference in your own future.

10. What didn't we get to cover in this interview that you'd like my readers to know about you? I think we covered a lot, but I just want to say thanks for following my journey and the support you all have given me. It is making me a true warrior. I love you all.

Words are just words, go enjoy your life: Moments, memories and adventures. Smile through them all.

More on Robyn:

Robyn Griggs Wiley

Robyn Griggs Wiley is best known for her role of Stephanie Hobart on ABC’s One Life to Live and Maggie Cory on NBC’s Another World for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award. Her credits include independent horror films such as Zombiegeddon and Ghost Tour and she has hosted the horror convention Twisted Nightmare Weekend. Robyn also has a CD entitled Love’s Young Nightmare.

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Call Redialed: NEW Ana Sophia Heger Interview: Child Actress, Things Heard & Seen, Horror Movie, Amanda Seyfried

Adam Rothenberg — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 22:21:09 GMT

A few weeks ago I was looking for a horror movie to watch on Netflix. My boyfriend saw that Amanda Seyfried was starring in the new horror film Things Heard & Seen. So we started watching it.

As the actors’ names came on the screen during the opening credits, one name stood out to me above all the others, Ana Sophia Heger.

I had interviewed Ana Sophia Heger two years ago (2019) when she was starring on CBS’ Life in Pieces at just 3 1/2-years-old.

Now I was even more excited to watch this movie with Ana being part of it. Ana plays “Franny,” the daughter of Amanda Seyfried and James Norton. Ana did a great job portraying “Franny.” Every time Ana had a scene, I knew something scary was happening. The moment the movie ended, I reached out to Ana’s team to see if she would like to do a new interview with me.

I was thrilled when they replied YES!

The world is a very different place than it was two years ago. Ana and I had a great discussion about growing up during the global pandemic, making movies and working with Amanda Seyfried and James Norton.

Things Heard & Seen is currently streaming on Netflix.

This is one horror film you don’t want to miss!

Follow Ana on Instagram @anasophiaheger

Ana Sophia Heger, Photo Credit: Karina French

1. It's been two years since our last interview together. In 2019 you were starring on CBS' Life in Pieces. How do you feel being on that show prepared you for your newest movie, a horror film Things Heard & Seen, currently streaming on Netflix? Patience was the biggest lesson I've learned. When I first started Life in Pieces, I was only 3 1/2, so I got frustrated when scenes would take so long and when I would have to do so many takes. But, I learned a lot about how much it takes to make a scene perfect and how many people are involved. Now I totally get it and I was ready for that with Things Heard and Seen; I didn't get frustrated at all.

2. A lot has happened in the past two years, especially with the Global Pandemic. How did your parents explain to you what was happening? They explained that it was a sad and hard time for everybody in the world, and that we have to come together and do our best. It won't last forever, and we have to just pray for everyone.

3. What was it like for you as a kid during this very difficult time? It's been very sad and still is sometimes. My mom told me a lot of people were losing their jobs and not able to find certain things in the store. That was scary. I got worried that everything would be gone, things that we would need, like food and water. I cried a few times.

4. Now that world is opening up more:

What are you most excited to do? Go to birthday parties! Mine is coming up in October. I want a Descendants theme. I really want Dove Cameron to come to my party. We have the same agent, but my mom said she's probably going to be busy.
What makes you nervous? I still get nervous when I do castings, because I always want it to be perfect, and I don't want to mess up. But, once I get on set, I don't get nervous. I'm not sure why.

5. Let's talk more about Things Heard & Seen, which is currently streaming on Netflix. Your co-stars in this film are Amanda Seyfried and James Norton.

What did Amanda teach you about acting during filming? Amanda taught me how to take my time with scenes and not feel like I need to rush. Because there were so many scary and sad scenes for me, she helped me to feel the sadness and the scariness around me. She explained that even though the mom and dad love Franny (my character), they have lots of problems in their marriage, and Franny would feel that.
What was the scariest scene to film with them? I was so scared to meet "The Lady." I didn't know what she would look like or be like. On our way to New York I was thinking about it the whole time. My parents kept telling me she's an actress dressed up as a ghost, but I kept thinking she might be a real ghost! I didn't know what to think! Then I met her and she was the nicest lady, but I was still able to act scared of her in the movie.
What did you do between takes with them? We ran and played in the fields together. It was so pretty there, lots of big open fields and nature. They were so much fun and so nice. We had lots of yummy food together too, there was always something different. James bought me a few books, and one was The Cat in the Hat because we have a scene together where we read it. He wrote the nicest notes inside which I will always save. It was also Halloween while we were there, James dressed up like a lady and Amanda dressed up as James. It was too funny.

Amanda Seyfried (left), Ana Sophia Heger (center) and James Norton (right) on the set of Netflix’s “Things Heard and Seen”

6. What is it like to film a horror movie at such a young age? So exciting! I had never done anything like that before. I want to do it again now that I'm a little older too.

7. Did you have any nightmares during filming? I always have nightmares about Zombies. Not every night, but a lot. So I had some while we were filming.

8. How do you prepare for a role like Franny? I felt like Franny was really intense and smart. She understood a lot about what was happening, but wouldn't say too much about it to people. I just tried to think about what it was like for her to move from a big city to a small town, and how she had to start all over and meet new people. And then the ghost! I always try to think about my character while I'm learning the lines, and then I practice different ways I think the character would act, until I find the best way.

9. In our last interview together, you were learning how to paint mermaids.

How long did it take you to learn to paint them? I'm still learning, it's so hard! But I think I'm better at it now than I was then.
What is the most challenging part about painting mermaids? The tail, I like it to be really crazy and complicated.
What is the easiest part? The seashell boobs.
If you were a mermaid, where would you want to live? In a sea castle, I would want to be the queen of the ocean.

10. What is something we didn't get to talk about during this interview that you'd like my readers to know about you? I also speak German and Spanish. I really want to play a role one day where I get to speak one of those languages. It would be so different for me to act in another language. I love acting so much, I hope I get to play so many different types of characters.

More on Ana:

Ana Sophia Heger, Photo Credit: Deidhra Fahey

Ana got her start on Life in Pieces at only 3 1/2 years old. She was a series regular for the final seasons 3 and 4 between 2017 - 2019.

Shortly after the show completed, Ana landed the role of Franny in Things Heard & Seen, based on the Elizabeth Brundage novel All Things Cease to Appear. Ana traveled to New York for two months. Most of the movie was filmed upstate, several scenes were filmed in Manhattan.

The pandemic hit shortly after arriving back in California and the town was shut down, but right upon gradually opening up, Ana landed an episode of the new CBS show United States of Al. We're expecting some very exciting projects ahead, stay tuned.

Ana attends public school and just began 2nd grade. Her school is a Spanish dual immersion program, and she is already nearly fluent in Spanish. Ana is completely fluent in German through her father Rene.

Ana's other activities include elite competitive cheerleading, ballet, jazz dance and tennis. Ana is as devoted to her athletics as she is to acting and school. Her favorite hobby of all is playing with her 2.5 year old baby brother Luke, even though they fight sometimes.

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Facetime Interview: Instagram Live REPLAY: Jaime Loazano, Composer, Lyricist, Director, Producer

Adam Rothenberg — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 13:22:58 GMT

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If you missed my Instagram Live with Jaime Lozano (Composer, Lyricist, Director, Producer), you can watch the REPLAY above ⬆️ or on my Instagram Page.

Lin-Manuel Miranda says “Jaime Lozano is the next big thing on Broadway.”

In this LIVE interview, Jaime & I discussed:

His upcoming concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
Making Broadway more diverse
The importance of Jaime’s concert series Songs By An Immigrant
Immigration
Love and Marriage

Jaime will making his Feinstein’s/54 Below debut on Thursday, September 23 at 9:45pm with his concert Jaime Lozano & The Familia: Celebrando The Hispanic Heritage Month.

The concert will feature a variety of immigrant stories and songs written in collaboration with some of the most exciting Latinx musical theatre writers. Click here for tickets!

Connect with Jaime: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify

More on Jaime:

Jaime Lozano is a musical theatre composer who has been heralded as the "next big thing" on Broadway by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda. A native of Monterrey, Mexico, Jaime earned his BFA in Music and Composition from the School of Music at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León and was the recipient of a full scholarship to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he has the distinction of being the first Mexican to be accepted to and earn an MFA from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. Jaime is one of the five artists selected for the 2020-2021 Joe’s Pub Working Group residency and one of the artists selected as part as The Civilians R&D Group 2020-2021.

A prolific composer, Jaime’s works have been produced at venues such as the Minskoff Theatre (Broadway), Lucille Lortel Theatre (Off-Broadway), The Pearl Theatre (Off-Broadway), The Players Theatre (Off-Broadway), Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre (Off Broadway), Goodspeed Opera House, The Juilliard School of Music, The Triad Theatre, Theatre for the New City, Baruch Performing Arts Center, Merkin Concert Hall, St. George Theatre, Soho Playhouse, Metropolitan Room, Théâtre du Châtelet and Comédie Nation (Paris, France), Theater 11 (Zurich, Suiza), Deutsches Theater (Munich, Germany), Admiralspalast (Berlin, Germany), Sadler’s Wells (London, UK), Teatro Benito Juárez (Mexico City), and Aula Magna (Monterrey, Mexico).

Jaime’s works include The Yellow Brick Road (music and lyrics with Tommy Newman, book by Mando Alvarado), which premiered Off-Broadway premiere in 2011 to critical acclaim highlighting "its accessible melodies and robust harmonies" (New York Times). That production was followed by a successful national tour. Jaime’s musical Children of Salt; A New Latin Musical (book and lyrics by Lauren Epsenhart) made its New York City debut as part of the New York Musical Festival 2016 (NYMF), where it won the "Best of Fest" Production Award. Jaime also co-wrote the one-act musical Lightning Strikes Twice (book and lyrics by Noemi de la Puente), which premiered Off-Broadway at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre in 2010. Lightning Strikes Twice was translated into Spanish in 2015 and continued on to have a very successful run in Venezuela, which led to its return to New York City as part of the inaugural season of Teatro SEA MicroTheater. The Yehuatl (book and lyrics by Sara Cooper) received readings at NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program and at the Dramatists Guild before receiving a production at the Lee Strasberg Institute in 2009. The Yehuatl later became the first act of the musical tryptich מיתוסים . Mitos . Kamanalis / Myths (book and lyrics by Sara Cooper, additional lyrics in Spanish by Jorge Castilla), which had its World Premiere in 2012 in Monterrey, Mexico. Jaime is the composer and librettist of the musical Tlatelolco, which premiered in 2001 in Monterrey, Mexico, and was revived in 2002, 2004, and 2013. He was also the composer, music director, and arranger of the play Pedro Páramo based on Juan Rulfo’s novel of the same name, which was featured in the 2004 Nuevo León Theatre Festival. Recently, Jaime’s song cycle A Never-Ending Line, a collaboration with 9 female lyricists, had its World Premiere in Paris, France as part of the concert series of Broadway au Carré at the Comédie Nation Theatre and its Spanish language World Premiere in Mexico followed by an Off-Broadway run at The Players Theatre. Con Amor…Isa Colibrí, written in collaboration with Reynolds Robledo and Florencia Cuenca, premiered in Mexico in 2018 in the prestigious Festival Alfonsino; Jaime’s musical Estocolmo premiered as part of that same festival in 2019. Also in 2019, Savage, written in collaboration with Tommy Newman, premiered in Birmingham, Alabama as a commission by the University of Alabama. Jaime’s musical Present Perfect - A musical in broken English (book and lyrics by Nancy Cheser) has been developed by Salgado Productions and Live and in Color. Jaime has also dabbled in film scoring, most notably having written the score for the short film Os by Jesús Alarcón. In 2015, Jaime and his wife, Mexican actress and singer Florencia Cuenca, created a jazz project called The New Standards. The New Standards recorded an album of contemporary musical theatre songs accompanied by jazz arrangements written by Lozano and Jesús Altamira and has been performed at prominent venues in New York City, Mexico, and across Latin America.

In addition to being a composer, Jaime is also an accomplished director. Jaime has staged Into The Woods (2015), Jesus Christ Superstar (1999, 2001, 2005), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2003, 2012) and The Fantasticks (2000) in Mexico. In August 2003, Jaime directed the Mexican premiere of Jekyll & Hyde. Jaime adapted, produced, and directed the Spanish world premiere of Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years (2006, 2013) and Songs for a New World (2005). In March of 2004, he developed, produced, and directed the concert for the Broadway Elite Gala.

Jaime is also known as an arranger, music director, and orchestrator. As an arranger, Jaime has worked with the cast of Broadway’s In the Heights and with Tony and Grammy award-winner Alex Lacamoire on the 2010 Christmas recording "Carols for a Cure." Jaime is also the arranger, orchestrator, and music director for R.Evolución Latina’s album Dare to Go Beyond, which features Broadway performers Janet Dacal, Andréa Burns, Joshua Henry, Doreen Montalvo, Josefina Scaglione, and High School Musical star Corbin Bleu. Jaime co-orchestrated the Cuban musical Carmen La Cubana with Alex Lacamoire. Carmen La Cubana had its world premiere in Paris, France at the Théâtre du Châtelet in 2016, which was followed by a very successful European tour. Jaime was Alex Lacamoire’s Assistant Musical Director for the Stephen Schwartz Gala Making Music, which was directed and choreographed by Chet Walker and produced by The Harbor Lights Theatre Company at The St. George Theatre. He worked as a composer, arranger, and music director for the 2010 HOLA Awards honoring Rita Moreno. He was also an arranger for the one-night-only benefit concert To Mexico from New York with Love, which was organized by Broadway actress Bianca Marroquín. Jaime Lozano was the arranger, orchestrator, music director and producer of the all Latinx Broadway stars concert ¡Viva Broadway! Hear Our Voices, directed by Tony award winner Sergio Trujillo.

Jaime is the music producer, arranger, and orchestrator of Broadway star Doreen Montalvo’s album American Soul/Latin Heart. The album of his song cycle A Never-Ending Line, featuring 30 Broadway performers such as Betsy Wolfe, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jenna Ushkowitz, Julia Murney, Emily Skeggs, Natalie Weiss, Arielle Jacobs, is available at Broadway Records. He also serves as music director for well-known artists as Mauricio Martínez and Migguel Anggelo. As a singing teacher and vocal coach, Jaime has worked with some of the most important musical theatre performers in Latin America and the United States. He teaches workshops and master classes all around the world.

Most recently, Jaime has performed sold-out shows at Two River Theater, Joe’s Pub, and The Green Room 42 with his concert Jaime Lozano and the Familia: Songs by an Immigrant, which features an all-Latino line up of Broadway stars. The show spotlights the immigrant experience in the United States—finding a new home, learning a new language, dealing with discrimination, pursuing the American Dream, and building bridges instead of walls. The album featuring collaborations with Raul Midón, Alex Lacamoire, Mandy Gonzalez, Gaby Moreno, Antonio Sánchez, among others; and with liner notes by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote: "Jaime Lozano has made you a hell of a mosaic. The album establishes Jaime as a force to be reckoned with in musical theater, in Latin music, or wherever else he wants to go." The album is also available at Broadway Records. Currently Jaime is woking on a Songs by an Immigrant Vol. 2 album, as well his wife Florencia Cuenca's new album called Broadway en Spanglish, reimagining Broadway songs with a "mezcla" of Latin American music styles.

Other professional associations include his affiliation with the New York City-based non-profit organization R.Evolución Latina, where he serves as activist, teacher, music arranger, and head composer. Jaime is the artistic director and music producer of La Casita Recording Studio in Monterrey, Mexico and director of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León Musical Theatre Professional Company in Monterrey, Mexico, where he develops new musicals. Jaime was part of the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU and the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. He is currently a voting member of the Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY Awards and is a proud member of BMI, The Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. and American Federation of Musicians Local 802.

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Facetime Interview: Instagram Live Replay: Ethan Slater: Broadway's original SpongeBob in SpongeBob SquarePants TheMusical

Adam Rothenberg — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 02:33:16 GMT

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If you missed my Instagram Live with Broadway’s “SpongeBob” Ethan Slater, you can watch the REPLAY above ⬆️ or on my Instagram Page.

Ethan is best known for playing “SpongeBob” in SpongeBob SquarePants The Musical on Broadway.

Ethan and I discussed:

Broadway
Sponge Bob The Musical
Edge of the World
Mental Health
Physical Health
Life before and during the Global Pandemic

Ethan's new concept album, Edge Of The World, co-written with Nick Blaemire is available on Broadway Records & everywhere you stream music.

Connect with Ethan: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

More on Ethan:

Ethan Slater

Ethan is an actor and a writer. He recently starred as “SpongeBob” in SpongeBob SquarePants on Broadway, directed Tina Landau, for which he won Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, TheaterWorld Awards (and others) and earned a Tony Nomination. And soon, he will be seen in Assassins at CSC as The Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald. You can also see him on TV in things like Fosse/Verdon and Law and Order: SVU and more. It's all on imdb.com.

As a writer, he has a number of things in development including the musical Edge of the World written with Nick Blaemire (the concept album starring Norbert Leo Butz, Lilli Cooper and Ethan is available wherever you listen to music), the upcoming films the Interveners (with Nadja Leonhard-Hooper), Silent Mode (with Marshall Pailet), and more.

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Adam's Call: Debbie Gibson's The Body Remembers: Everything I had hoped for in a NEW Debbie Gibson Album

Adam Rothenberg — Sat, 21 Aug 2021 20:21:47 GMT

It has been 20 years since Debbie Gibson has released an album of original material. Sure, she has released singles throughout the years, but not a full CD.

Well, her NEW album, The Body Remembers, has just been released. There are 15 original songs including a new version of her mega hit song, “Lost In Your Eyes,” which she re-recorded with New Kids on the Block heartthrob Joey McIntyre.

With catchy beats, memorable lyrics and relatable songs, The Body Remembers is everything I had hoped for in a NEW Debbie Gibson album.

Debbie still holds the world record for being the youngest female artist to write, produce and perform a #1 hit song, which she achieved at age 16 with “Foolish Beat” back in 1987. The Body Remembers proves that Debbie continues to write danceable pop hits weaved in between her signature ballads.

Debbie’s vocals are as crisp and powerful as ever. She brings her life experience and maturity to The Body Remembers, which has the classic Debbie Gibson sound we all love AND brings a freshness that demonstrates Debbie’s growth into today.

The Body Remembers is a musical evolution that celebrates an artist who has sustained a 30+ year career in this multifaceted business.

Purchase and Stream The Body Remembers everywhere you listen to music!

Connect with Debbie: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon

More on Debbie:

Debbie Gibson

For more than 30 years, Debbie Gibson has proven she’s an entertainer of immeasurable talent. From singer, songwriter and musician to actress and dancer, she embodies what it truly means to be an entertainer.

A music prodigy, Debbie burst on the Billboard Pop Charts at the tender age of 16 with the self-penned “Only In My Dreams.” The “Original Pop Princess” quickly became the youngest artist ever to write, produce and perform a No. 1 hit song, “Foolish Beat,” on the Billboard Hot 100 and entered the Guinness Book of World Records. To date, she is still the youngest female to hold that record. Debbie has sold more than 16 million albums worldwide and released 10 studio albums and five compilations.

After conquering the pop world with three consecutive albums and world tours, she set her sights on the theatre and starred in 17 musicals in 17 years. Debbie made her mark in the Broadway production of Les Miserables as “Eponine.” She broke box office records in the London West End production of Grease as “Sandy.” She then took the stage in the U.S. Broadway tours of Grease as “Rizzo” and Funny Girl as “Fanny Brice.” Debbie also wowed critics as “Belle” in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, “Gypsy Rose Lee” in Gypsy, “The Narrator” in the national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, “Cinderella” in the national production of Cinderella with Eartha Kitt, “Velma Kelly” in Chicago, and “Sally Bowles” in the Broadway revival of Cabaret with Neil Patrick Harris.

In 2016, Debbie created, executive produced and starred in Hallmark Channel’s Summer of Dreams, which featured her new, original song “Wonderland” and a new acoustic version of her self-penned, debut, hit single “Only In My Dreams.” The original movie was the highest-rated and most-watched movie premiere in the network’s “Summer Nights” franchise with 2.5 Million total viewers, becoming the No. 1 rated program and telecast on August 27. Summer of Dreams was also the week’s most social original movie premiere across broadcast and cable, attracting the most Unique and Interactions on Facebook and Twitter combined than any other original movie premiere. She reunited with Robert Gant to walk down the aisle in the sequel, Wedding of Dreams, that premiered September 8, 2018 on Hallmark Channel.

She celebrated the 30-year anniversary of her pop career, including her mega-hit album Electric Youth and biggest single “Lost In Your Eyes,” with her commemorative, retrospective 10 CD/3 DVD box set We Could Be Together. In 2019, Debbie launched her bi-weekly radio show, Debbie Gibson’s Mixtape, on SiriusXM The Blend Channel 16 and performed 55 shows on the mega successful 53-city North American Mixtape Tour that sold 600,000 tickets with New Kids On The Block, Tiffany, Naughty by Nature and Salt-N-Pepa. She also served as a celebrity judge on Nickelodeon’s first ever competition show America’s Most Musical Family.

Debbie shows no signs of slowing down. On January 10, 2020, “Girls Night Out” (Tracy Young Remixes) were digitally released. The #VegasVibe remix was the most added record and No. 1 breakout hit making its debut on the Billboard Dance Club Songs Chart at No. 44. The song soared to No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard and U.K. MusicWeek charts. The official music video for the song was released February 13 and subsequent remixes were released from Dirty Werk, John Hohman, Dave Matthias, Kevsi, and Until Dawn. In fall of 2020, Debbie’s debut album Out of the Blue was reissued on blue vinyl as an exclusive to Barnes & Noble and skyrocketed to #1 in SALES during its pre-order run.

She has two original Broadway musicals in the works, one with Jimmy Van Patten entitled Flunkytown and the other entitled Skirts as composer and lyricist with Hilary Carlip and Katie Ford. Her guest starring role in the musical episode of Lucifer debuted May 28 on Netflix. This summer, Debbie filmed The Class with Anthony Michael Hall and Charlie Gillespie. She brings Debbie Gibson & Joey McIntyre Live from Las Vegas to The Sands Showroom inside The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas for a limited engagement August, 26, 27, 28 and 29, and September 16, 17, 18, and 19. Debbie’s new duet of “Lost in Your Eyes” featuring Joey McIntyre was released June 4, her new single “One Step Closer” was released July 16, and her first pop album in 20 years, The Body Remembers, was released August 20.

From No. 1 hits and platinum albums to starring roles on stage and screen, Debbie Gibson is a true entertainer with timeless talent and charisma.

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Call Answered: Eli D. Goss Interview: Child Actor, Model, Rediscovering Christmas, Lifetime Movies

Adam Rothenberg — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 19:12:44 GMT

Eli D. Goss has been modeling since he was three years old and starting acting at age five. He is already getting such accolades as “Star of the Year” From the American Youth Film Festival 2020, “Best Commercial Performance” from the Young Artist Academy 2020 and a nomination for “Best Commercial Actor” for the Skyline Performer Awards 2020. He also won “Best Actor” from the American Youth Film Festival in 2019.

Eli was most recently seen in the Lifetime Movie Rediscovering Christmas, which starred Jessica Lowndes (90210 reboot). Eli played the kid talking to Santa.

Connect with Eli: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Eli D. Goss

1. When did you realize you wanted to become an actor? When I was 3, I started in modeling. When I was 5, I told my mommy I wanted to be on TV and in the movies.

2. How do you balance acting and school? School has been good so far. They give mommy my work ahead of time to get done and some of my school work (math and reading) is tracked by apps. I have a certain number of minutes a day and a certain number of days a week to get it done.

For example, for math it’s at least 3 days a week and I have to get enough correct within the time to get a “green circle”. With reading it’s usually twice a week and I have to complete a full circle each day.

3. What do you like best about being an actor? I love playing make believe and meeting new people. I’m also learning how to read scripts which is helpful because last year (second grade) we had to write stories with a plot and characters and know what the setting is, just like in acting. I also like learning about how the camera works and am interested in learning the role of a director.

4. You were recently seen in the Lifetime Film Rediscovering Christmas. What did you enjoy most about filming this movie? I loved being able to sit on Santa’s lap and chat with him (I know he’s an actor playing Santa helper, but sometimes a kid needs all the help he needs).

I also liked meeting all of the people. I’m still friends with the little girl in the move. But it was SO HOT!!! That day it was 90 degrees and we had to be dressed in winter clothes. Justine Cotsonas and Jessica Lowndes were SO NICE. So was everyone on set.

Jessica Lowndes and Eli D. Goss on the set of “Rediscovering Christmas”

5. What is your favorite part about the Christmas season? I like the gifts (who doesn’t), but my favorite part is giving back.

So every year, I will get a list of toys a kid (or multiple kids) wants as well as some things they need and I will give them those gifts. I love to get them stuff.

Not everyone is as lucky as I am and I want to help make their Christmas or holiday the best it can be. I also help with Kids to Kids Runway of Hope out of Canada for donations and gifts.

6. I read that you are from New England. I lived in Boston for a few years too. What are your favorite things to do in New England? I love to go to the beach. I like to take the train into Boston or New York. I know how to ask for the train from either place. I also like walking around and anything fun outdoors. New York is my favorite. I got to see the lights turn on on the Brooklyn Bridge one day, it was so cool!!! And the lights at Christmas and the parks are so fun.

7. You also play a lot of sports: ice hockey, lacrosse, skateboarding, snowboarding, rollerblading, swimming, track, parkour, & riding your bike. What is the worst accident you've gotten into from playing one of these sports? Shhhhhhh. I haven’t had a bad accident yet!!!!! I start surfing lessons this summer so you never know. Safety is first in all sports. You need the right equipment for the right sport. That is a HUGE help.

Eli D. Goss

8. What are some upcoming projects you have? I am on avail for two big films. I am also shooting with some big actors and a big name director this Friday.

9. You won Best Actor from the American Youth Film Festival 2019, Star of the Year From the American Youth Film Festival 2020, was nominated for Best Commercial Actor for the Skyline Performer Awards 2020 and won Best Commercial Performance from the Young Artist Academy 2020. At this young age, what do these awards and nominations mean to you? I’m grateful and honored to even be nominated. When I won the awards I was speechless for the first time in my life!! (And if you know me I ALWAYS talk and can talk forever). I was super happy to be nominated. When I won American Youth Film Festival I noticed the people that won before me gave a speech, so I made one up on the spot. I was asleep when I found out I won Best Performance in a Commercial Role so mommy woke me up and played the video again so I could see. I ran around the house yelling and screaming and I just couldn’t go to bed after that for a long time.

10. What is something we didn't get to cover in this interview you'd like my readers to know about you? I’m kind, sensitive and love getting to know people. If someone needs help I will do whatever I can to help them.

I also love to chat with and congratulate my fellow actors. I audition and forget it. No sense in asking. There’s no such thing as someone else getting your part. It’s not my part until I am booked. If I don’t book it and a friend of mine does, I am so happy for them!!!! This business is hard enough. You have to celebrate everyone.

More on Eli:

Eli D. Goss

Eli D. Goss was born July 11, 2013. He is from New England but is able to do both a Boston accent and an Atlanta accent due to his parents coming from both areas. He enjoys meeting new people on set and is interested in all aspects of movies and TV, but mostly acting. He is quick to memorize lines, takes direction well, and is working towards being able to do stunts.

He has won Best Actor from the American Youth Film Festival 2019, Star of the Year From the American Youth Film Festival 2020, was nominated for Best Commercial Actor for the Skyline Performer Awards 2020 and won Best Commercial Performance from the Young Artist Academy 2020.

When he's not acting or modeling he enjoys all sports including ice hockey, lacrosse, skateboarding, snowboarding, rollerblading, swimming, track, parkour, riding his bike, and many others. He is working with the prestigious LeBlanc School of acting to perfect his craft with classes as well as private coaching.

Facetime Interview: Instagram Live REPLAY: Jay Armstrong Johnson, Broadway Actor, Singer, Phantom of the Opera, On the Town, Hair

Adam Rothenberg — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 18:02:57 GMT

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If you missed my Instagram Live with Broadway actor Jay Armstrong Johnson, you can watch the REPLAY above ⬆️ or on my Instagram Page.

Jay has lit up the Broadway stage inThe Phantom of the Opera, Hair, On the Town, Hands on a Hard Body and Catch Me If You Can.

We talked about EVERYTHING!

Life - Post Pandemic
Jay's upcoming birthday concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below
Broadway - Backstage stories
Skydiving
Love

Jay will be at Feinstein’s/54 Below on Thursday, September 1 (Jay’s Birthday) at 9:45pm with his NEW concert There’s No Place Like Home, which pays tribute to the country music that inspired him as a young Texan.

Attend IN PERSON

Watch LIVE STREAM

Connect with Jay: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify

Jay Armstrong Johnson, Photo Credit: Curtis Brown Photography

More on Jay:

Jay Armstrong Johnson most recently starred on Broadway as “Raoul” in The Phantom of the Opera, joining the record-breaking phenomenon for its 30th anniversary year. Immediately following his turn as the dashing “Raoul,” Jay originated the role of lovable loner (and stoner) “Banko” in Roundabout Theatre Company’s world premiere of Scotland, PA. For his turn as “Banko,” Jay received critical acclaim and, most recently, nominations from both the Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. Jay was the recipient of a 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award Honor for his performance.

A fixture of stage and screen, Jay is known to audiences worldwide as genius hacker “Will Olsen” on ABC’s Quantico. As the eccentric, endearing “Will Olsen,” Jay appeared opposite Priyanka Chopra in all three seasons of the show’s run and quickly became a fan favorite.

Known as one of Broadway’s most versatile triple-threats, Jay has appeared in five Broadway shows, making his debut in the original company of the Tony Award-winning revival of Hair, in which he understudied the leading role of “Claude.” His other Broadway credits include the original casts of Catch Me if You Can, Hands on a Hardbody, and the celebrated revival of On the Town at the Lyric Theatre. For his star turn as “Chip” in On the Town, Jay won critical accolades and nominations for the Astaire & Clive Barnes Award. Jay is the recipient of a Drama Desk Award.

Jay’s debut album, Jay Armstrong Johnson — LIVE at Feinstein’s / 54 Below, is available on Spotify, iTunes, and broadwayrecords.com. Praising Jay’s live, recorded concert in the New York Times, Stephen Holden said, “He has the gift.”

To date, Jay has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Radio City Music Hall, New York City Center, the Kennedy Center, and the Hollywood Bowl. At Lincoln Center, he starred opposite Emma Thompson, Bryn Terfel, and Audra McDonald in Sweeney Todd, directed by Lonny Price. The New York Philharmonic production was recorded for Live from Lincoln Center on PBS. Also at Lincoln Center, Jay starred as the title role in New York City Opera’s Candide, under the direction of the legendary Hal Prince.

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Call Redialed: Gregg Daniel: The Duat, Actor, Artistic Director, Lower Depth Theatre, True Blood

Adam Rothenberg — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 01:54:50 GMT

It was so great to catch up with legendary Actor and Artistic Director Gregg Daniel. I haven’t spoken with Gregg since around the time HBO’s True Blood was ending.

Now, Gregg can be seen starring in the Center Theatre Group’s virtual production of Roger Q Mason’s play The Duat, which connects real mythology with true events that took place during the infiltration and destruction of the Black Panther Party movement. Gregg plays “Cornelius Johnson” (based on real informant William O’Neal) who navigates the crimes he committed against his community and must face eternal punishment for said crimes.

The Duat streams until August 12! Click here to purchase tickets!

Connect with Gregg: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Connect with Lower Depth Theatre: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Connect with Center Theatre Group: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

Gregg Daniel in “The Duat,” Photo Credit: Center Theatre Group

1. It has been seven years since our last interview together. In that interview you mentioned that one day you hoped to work with Viola Davis, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, or Christophe Waltz. Has working with any one of these dream actors come to fruition? My goodness has it been seven years since we last spoke? The Pandemic has thoroughly thrown off my perception of time. And while I haven’t worked with these names you cited, I certainly have worked with some remarkable actors younger and older whose work I admire and respect.

In January of 2020 (yes, right before the Pandemic hit) I was in New York shooting multiple episodes of what was an ABC episodic series which 50 Cent was the Executive Producer on. The series was, FOR LIFE which starred a young British actor named Nicholas Pinnock. Nicholas was absolutely delightful to work with. The way he and I were able to enter into a scene and explore the dynamics of two very different men (one older, one younger) who needed each other was exhilarating. This was an actor who wasn’t afraid of taking risks and who welcomed my input into any scene we did. The series has since been canceled, however, I greatly look forward to working with Nicholas again and actors who are as multi-faceted and talented.

2. Now, you are starring in the virtual production of Roger Q. Mason's The Duat, at Center Theatre Group’s digital stage. How did this play find its way to you? I’ve known Tyrone Davis who is an Associate Artistic Director at Center Theatre Group for a number of years. And I’ve seen the work of playwright, Roger Q. Mason among L.A. Theaters for some time.

The two gentlemen approached me about working on, The Duat and naturally sent me a script.” I was stunned by its honesty, intelligence and the use of rhythm in the language. However, I was very hesitant about doing a solo performance piece (with choreography no less). Both Roger and Tyrone were extremely patient and supportive. They allayed my doubts regarding my ability to access the character. Calling it a solo piece is a bit of a misnomer since I’m working onstage with a very versatile and talented percussionist, David Leach. The project turned out to be one of the most gratifying artistic experiences I’ve had all year. I continue to thank Roger and Tyrone for trusting me.

3. What did you relate to most about your character "Cornelius Johnson?” I’m a child of the sixties. I recall the excitement of the Black Power Movement as well the danger inherent in raising our collective voices in protest. Like so many Black Youth, I wanted to “be somebody” while the society at large wanted to deny me my humanity. Cornelius Johnson made decisions based on an overwhelming need to belong. I, too, wanted to belong when I was coming of age, however in a racist society which sees Black men as a constant threat, how does one achieve a place of safety and self worth? Ironically, I don’t believe my struggle in the 1960’s was any different from the struggles men and women of color face today. The times have changed, however, the struggle for equality continues.

4. How did you incorporate your own family's history in the civil rights movement into this role? My Father was an immigrant from the West Indies. When he first came to America, he was thrilled at the opportunities this country offered. He was even more thrilled that his two sons had the opportunity to enjoy a free education.

On the Caribbean island where he grew up, education was not free, as a result, he was forced to stop his formal education when the family funds could not longer afford it. And while he believed America offered greater opportunities than where he grew up, he also discovered there weren’t equal opportunities for people of color.

The Civil Rights movement was about empowering people of color by affording them the same rights as all citizens. Cornelius Johnson’s struggle in the play mirrors many generations of Black Men & Women who feel disenfranchised by the bigotry around them yet want to fully participate in their society. I brought all that history with me when I got into the role.

Gregg Daniel in “The Duat,” Photo Credit: Center Theatre Group

5. X amount of years from now when someone mentions Gregg Daniel, what do you hope people say about you? It’s interesting you should ask , the other day on Facebook, an actor who has seen, The Duat and was greatly moved by the work was making a pitch for others to stream it.

He wrote, “Gregg Daniel is not just an actor, he is a “THESPIAN” which is sort of the scholarly word for an actor. Thespis was the guy in Ancient Greek who first took the stage. I felt it was one of the highest compliments you could offer an actor.

It may sound corny, but use of the word “Thespian,” ties me to a tradition of performing which dates back hundreds of years. Drama and Theatre continues to speak to our humanity and informs our most treasured stories. I’d like to think that I’ve been part of this noble tradition and that an audience, as well as my peers, found my work worthy.

6. What is one mistake you made early in your career you take with you as a life lesson today? I can’t say there were mistakes made in my career, if anything, it was and continues to be a learning process. Rather than highlighting a mistake, I’ll share with you the smartest choice I made.

When I decided to formally attend a conservatory program and learn the craft and technique of acting, that was invaluable to my career. I encourage anyone who’d like to have a career in the industry to continue finding ways to learn about your craft. You may not have time to attend a formal program, however there are private studios where you can take ongoing classes, books you can read and theatre you can work for as a means to learn the craft.

7. What is something you learned from a co-star? I’m always interested in how other actors I’m working with get to where they need to be emotionally in a scene or a film or a play. In other words, I like to observe the process of another actor when they’re working. They’re all legitimate paths to the truth of a character, they’re just different. I have my own path of working that has been developed over many years of performing, however, I’m never opposed to trying something new.

One of the most valuable things I’ve learned is to help your scene partner in giving the best performance they’re capable of. They’re responding to what you’re giving them, your tone of voice, your eyes, your intelligence and your generosity in wanting them to excel, so be there entirely for them.

Gregg Daniel, Photo Credit: Diana Ragland

8. We have all gone through an extremely hard time with the global pandemic and continue to go through challenges as the world reopens. What are 3 things you do for yourself to get through the troubling times?

Helping those even more impacted than your situation is a great way to start. While I’ve lost work due to the Pandemic, I’ve still been able to maintain a roof over my head, feed my family, etc. I find volunteering (if it’s safe for you) always uplifting.
Reaching out and checking on friends and family who you may not have kept in touch with is fulfilling. I’ve rekindled several friendships over the Pandemic by sending a simple hello to people I haven’t heard from in some time. In our busy, over programmed & overstimulated lives, it’s easy to fall out of touch with people, especially those you care about.
Begin to acquire a new skill or revisit one you’ve neglected over time. I play Jazz Guitar and have always loved it, however the time I’ve given to continue developing real skills has been less and less. The Pandemic afforded me the time to pick the instrument up again and devote more time to it. It doesn’t have to be an instrument, you may have an interest in learning a new language or bird watching, just make sure you enjoy it and want to devote time to it.

9. How do you feel the pandemic changed you as a person and how you either look at your career or choose what roles you want to take? I’m the Artistic Director of an L.A. based theatre company known as Lower Depth Theatre. Throughout the Pandemic, LDT worked hard to find ways to curate new programming, engage a multitude of creative artists (playwrights, directors, actors) and reach an audience who might not have attended one of our productions physically, but could attend our work virtually.

In other words, I kept busy. Once we accepted what the obstacles were to live theatre as a result of shutting our doors, the only solution was to find alternative ways to create new platforms in which to share our art. Yes, I regret losing work as many creative artists did, however, the down time did afford me a chance to reflect on what I do, why I do it and the urgency to keep doing it.

10. What is something we didn't get to cover in this interview that you would like my readers to know about you? I’d like to make an appeal to individuals to help those people who’ve lost their livelihoods or are struggling during this Pandemic. May I suggest you start by going to FEED AMERICA or any organization with boots on the ground actively helping families and individuals in need.

Additionally, August is support Black Owned Businesses month. You can help create more opportunities for meaningful savings, property ownership , credit building and generational wealth for black communities by supporting a Black owned business.

More on Gregg:

Gregg Daniel, Photo Credit: Diana Ragland

Raised in Brooklyn, New York, where a blend of Caribbean and southern cultures influenced everything from family food and religion to clothing and language, Gregg is a legendary actor who is known for roles in the hit HBO shows True Blood and more recently, Insecure. His other television credits include appearances and recurring roles on Beverly Hills 90210, Blossom, Knots Landing, Mad About You, Chicago Hope, NYPD Blue, Any Day Now, General Hospital, Desperate Housewives and many others.

Gregg also has an extensive background in theatre, including winning the NAACP Theatre Award as “Best Director” for his production of Fences at the International City Theater.

A lover of language and an insatiable student of the world, Gregg brings his political, social, and historical awareness to bear on every play he directs, immersing himself in the context of the material so the work is true to life and viscerally compelling.

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Call Answered: Marilu Henner: The Marilu Henner Show at Bucks County Playhouse, Taxi, Evening Shade, Actress

Adam Rothenberg — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 15:04:28 GMT

It was a real honor to interview the one and only Marilu Henner, who has starred in over 50 films, seven Broadway shows and two hit classic sitcoms,Taxi and Evening Shade. She is a New York Times best selling author of 10 books, a five-time Golden Globe nominee and one of the nicest celebrities I have interviewed.

Marilu is also known for her super hero memory (Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory) in which she remembers every single day of her life.

Marilu is currently starring in The Marilu Henner Show at Bucks County Playhouse, which I had the pleasure of seeing this weekend. The Marilu Henner Show is fabulously entertaining and uplifting! The show spotlights Marilu’s life and career through stories, music and many, many wonderful memories!

With just a week left to its run, snag a ticket while you can! The Marilu Henner Show plays through August 15, 2021! Click here for tickets!

Connect with Marilu: Twitter & Instagram

Connect with Bucks County Playhouse: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

1. You are currently at Bucks County Playhouse performing your show The Marilu Henner Show, a retrospective of your life and career through stories and songs. In putting this show together, what did you learn about yourself that you didn't already know? It's so funny because over the years people have asked me, What is your favorite medium?” I always say, “It's the one that I'm doing,” but I think after this show at Bucks County Playhouse, I'm totally convinced it's just being on stage. Theatre is really my first love. I never thought I'd really do anything else because I always thought my movements and personality were too big for film. I really had to learn how to adjust to film.

I might feel differently when I’m in front of a camera, but I am more convinced than ever that theatre is my favorite medium. I do a lot of speaking engagements, so I go all over the country because of the books that I've written. I'm just so comfortable being in front of a group of people and being in the moment. It's such a unique experience. You are there in the moment with the people that are in the room.

2. Which part of the show or which song was the most challenging for you to learn? The most challenging song to learn was a specialty number I do about being a body parts model.

3. For the Bucks County run, you expanded the show to include a whole act about Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. When did you first realize you could recall everyday of your life? When I was six years old, I used to put myself to sleep by saying, “What did I do a week ago? What did I do when I was my brother's age?” I would relive days in my head to fall asleep at night because I was never much of a sleeper. It just became a kind of meditation for me.

Everybody would say to my mother, “What is with that kid and her memory? She remembers what I was wearing last time I was here.” I was a middle child of six and when you're one of six kids, you're part of a litter and you look for anything that differentiates you from your brothers and sisters. So, I became known as “Memory Girl. Memory Kid. UNIVAC” Those were my nicknames because I was just retaining everything and could recall everything. I think it was a definite nurture/nature thing. I mean, there's definitely something structurally different about my brain. They've proven that, but I also think it was something I loved that was kind of uniquely mine that I could develop.

I was 18 before somebody said, “When are you going to realize nobody else has this memory?”

When the 60 Minutes thing came about, people who knew me knew I had an unusual memory.

Lesley Stahl [from 60 Minutes] was a friend of mine. She was offered a story about Jill Price, the first person to come forward with HSAM. (Then called Hyperthymesia. Now called HSAM, Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory). So, Lesley was offered the story and she said, “I hate to burst your bubble, but my friend Marilu Henner has the exact same memory.”

Lesley took me to lunch with her producer Shari Finkelstein in 2006, September 20, 2006. We were talking about getting married and Shari said she got married on June 15, 1998. I said, “Oh, really? Why did you get married on a Monday?” And she said [very enthusiastically], “Oh, my God, she has that memory.” So Lesley passed on the story and they put it on Primetime Live with Diane Sawyer. Three years later, Lesley called me and said “It turns out it’s very unusual. They’ve only found a few more people with HSAM. So we want to do a whole two-part story on it and we want you to go through the testing on camera.” So, that's what happened.

Marilu Henner in “The Marilu Henner Show” at Bucks County Playhouse, Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

4. With your superhero memory, have you ever forgotten your lines or lyrics to a song? No. Sometimes I fumble over a line because I'm thinking of changing it or whatever, but, the question people always ask my kids is, “Does your mom ever forget her keys?” And they say, “Oh, God, all the time.” She’ll be like, “Where are my keys? Where are my keys?” And then all of a sudden, she'll freeze and you could see, she goes back in the movie of her mind. She’ll say something like, “Oh, right. I came in yesterday. I had to go to the bathroom right away, so they’re in the bathroom, because I left them there, because I just threw them on the floor.” It's like I rewind the tape in my mind.

5. Since you remember every single day of your life, is there a memory you actually wish you could forget? No, not at all. Not even the deaths of my parents, which were so tragic. I feel even if I revisit something with them in some painful way, I'd rather have that memory than to lose them even for a day.

I love having this memory. I've always had it. It's something I've completely embraced and the thing is, memory is tied to adrenaline, so everyone remembers the highs and the lows anyway. I'm lucky that I get to bring back all those little middle of the road, Our Town kind of moments.

Everybody's going to remember the highs and lows. The crazy thing to me is that in studying memory, as much as I have, they say that most people remember 8 to 11 events within any given year. 8 to 11! [said shockingly] I remember 365 or 366, everyday of the year. My first thought was we’ve got to work on people's memories, if that’s true.

6. Let's have some fun with this. I'm going to list some dates that are important to me and I want you to tell me what you were doing on these dates.

August 19, 1975 (My Birthday): That was a Tuesday. I just started dating a new boyfriend the week before. I was doing Grease on Broadway at the time and it was the first time we went public with our relationship. We went to Charlie's after the show that night.
February 3, 1983 (My boyfriend’s birthday): That was a Thursday.I was just finishing up Taxi. It was one of our last episodes.
October 14, 1993 (My first Madonna Concert): This was a Thursday. I had just gotten pregnant. I was doing Evening Shade at the time. My second husband and I went to dinner with Paula Abdul and Emilio Estevez.
December 6, 2008 (launching of Call Me Adam): That was a Saturday. My son Nick was in a play and I was helping with hair and makeup. I did all the hair and makeup for my kids’ schools. My son Nick, is a director now, (he directs most of Ben Platt’s videos).

Julius Williams and Marilu Henner in “The Marilu Henner Show” at Bucks County Playhouse, Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

7. What’s the best advice you would give someone who wanted to be an actress? I auditioned for 40 commercials before I got one. Once I figured out what to do, I landed 72 commercials in 2 1/2 years. Hopefully that is encouraging to people.

My 39th audition was for a friend who called me in and I wasn't even right for the part and I knew it. So, I just went in and had a great time. I just had fun at the audition. He called me that night and said, “Are you this way at every audition?” I said, “Oh my God, no. I'm always trying to figure out what they want?” He said, “Don't do that. Stop doing that. We almost changed the concept because you were so outrageous and you were so you. We didn’t change it, but I’m telling you, if you go in there and just let the best parts of you shine through you’re going to get the commercial, but if you go in there in some kind of cookie cutter, unimaginative way, you're never going to get a commercial. You have to go in there and do something special.”

That's the best advice I can give young people, “Stop looking at other people's careers. I mean, you can look at their careers, but don't think you have to imitate them. What is it that makes you unique? What are you bringing to the party? Always look at a script and ask yourself, “What little thing could I add to this that maybe no one else will think of?” Then you'll start working.

8. X amount of years from now when someone mentions Marilu Henner, what do you hope people will say or remember about you? Well, it's funny. One of the editors at 60 Minutes, who didn't know anything about my memory, called me and said, “I've got to tell you. I'm editing this piece…Forget being remembered for anything but this memory.”

It's so funny because people used to stop me or recognize me at the airport and they'd ask me questions like, “Was Burt Reynolds a good kisser? or What’s Danny DeVito like?” or “Is that really Donald Trump's hair?” (Because I was on Celebrity Apprentice). Now, all I get is, somebody gives me a date and they'll have me give them the day of the week and what I was doing. I'm sure that people will talk about my memory.

I've already signed papers to donate my brain to science afterwards, hoping it can be helpful for dementia or Alzheimer's research.

I want to be remembered mostly as a good mom because there's nothing more Important to me than that. There really isn't. I just love my boys. It's very obvious, especially after you see the show.

9. What is a mistake you made early in your career that has become a life lesson you take with you to this day? It's like the Michael Jordan line, you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take. Sometimes I would hold myself back because I felt like I wasn’t thin enough, I wasn't pretty enough. I wasn't young enough. I wasn't old enough. I wasn't this or that. So sometimes early in my career, I was self-conscious about something. Now I don't feel that way at all. If I see somebody or have to present myself in some way, I've become fearless in approaching people or talking to people. I was never shy. It's just that sometimes I would take my attention units and put them on myself and think, “Oh, I'm not good enough to go up to that person,” but now I don't feel that way. I’ll approach anyone.

Adam Vanek, Marilu Henner and Julius Williams in “The Marilu Henner Show” at Bucks County Playhouse, Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

10. You have been in the entertainment business for over five decades. What do you feel has been your secret to a long and successful career? I'm a student of life. I love being a student. I'm always trying to learn and grow and change. I ask people for feedback all the time. If somebody doesn't like something, I'm always analyzing a criticism or whatever. My ego doesn't get bruised. My brother says, “I can't believe that you ask people their opinion and then you really listen and everything.” I told him, “That’s how I learn. That's how I grow.” I love being a student. So I always like doing research or trying to figure out what the next trend is. I'm always trying to collect pieces of information or cross connect pieces of information, because then I'll process it somehow. I don't get injured easily. I think that's been helpful because I've heard everything. I’m not afraid to hear you’re too this or too that. I've heard those things. I've been through it all. So it doesn't matter. I just want to keep growing and getting better.

My ex-husband used to say, “She wants everybody's opinion, but she always makes her own.” And I say, “I'll take everyone’s feedback and then figure out what works for me.”

I would say, of every human being I know, there's none more brilliant than Jim Brooks. You know James L. Brooks? He did The Simpsons and Taxi. Some shows have a closed set. You have to get written permission to bring a relative to the set, but not at Taxi. The rehearsals at Taxi were open. We had all kinds of people there. Jim would ask the crowd, “What do you think of this?” He was so open to hearing their opinions and then of course, it would go through the Jim Brooks’ filter and be so much better. He would take their opinions and process them. I learned so much from him about that.

If you don't take in other people's opinions, you never change, you never grow. You can put it through your own filter afterwards, but hear what they have to say.

11. You worked with John Travolta in the late 70s and then again in the mid-80s. You also worked with Mr. Burt Reynolds in the early 80s and then again in the 90s on Evening Shade. I never lost contact with them even though we didn't work together in between projects. I was with Johnny not only in the first national company of Grease and then Over Here and then later did Chains of Gold, but we dated on and off during that time. I never lost contact with him.

With Burt, I didn’t lose touch with him during those years because I worked with him in ‘83 and ‘85 and ‘90. We called each other on Birthdays and things like that. I was always in his life.

Adam Vanek, Marilu Henner and Julius Williams in “The Marilu Henner Show” at Bucks County Playhouse, Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

12. When you worked with them, did you have instant chemistry with them or did it build up over time? Johnny is an incredible student of whatever part he has to play and the world that it lives in. He was so curious about the Chicago production of Grease. He was always asking me so many questions. We also bonded because we both had big families of six kids. We each had three sisters and two brothers. His mother taught drama. My mother taught dance. His father sold tires. My father sold cars. We had a lot of similarities and became friends through that and hung out a lot together before we started dating.

With Burt. Oh my God. That first day on the set [The Man Who Loved Women], we just had such chemistry. In fact, our scene meeting each other in The Man Who Loved Women was considered by Siskel and Ebert, one of the best meeting scenes. I just adore him. Burt was something else.

13. We have all gone through an extremely hard time with the global pandemic and continue to go through challenges as the world reopens. What are 3 things you do for yourself to get through the troubling times? I was very lucky because I went to Vancouver four times to shoot six movies. I shot four with Candace Cameron Bure and then I shot two others. During that time, I spent more time with Candace Cameron Bure than I did with my husband [laughs]. They were very strict in Canada. Any food I ordered from a grocery store or restaurant had to put it in front of my door, then the delivery person would knock on the door and I had to give them 30 seconds to get down the hallway, to the elevator, before I could open it.

But, anyway. I love to walk. So for one of the quarantines I did by myself at the hotel, I made a walking path in my room because I thought, I'm going to go crazy if I'm not going to see another human face for two weeks. So I made a path in my hotel room of 70 steps round trip, and I did between 11,000 and 13,000 steps a day.

I'm big on movement, my motto is motion is the lotion. That definitely helps. I think a certain meditation helps. I take care of myself and eat a certain way that works for me (learn to love the food that loves you). I gave up dairy products on August 15, 1979 (it was a Wednesday) and I consider that my first health birthday.

And I stay in contact with people, friend maintenance. Somebody said to me, “You are the queen of friend maintenance” and that’s a real compliment. I have a lot of people that I love and that love me. I'm very lucky to have a big, wonderful family and kids and good friends. So I think that helps.

In summary: Movement, food and people.

14. What is something we didn't get to discuss in this interview that you'd like my readers to know about you? How fabulous YOU are. This has been very collaborative. which I really like. I like interviews like this, so thank you for that.

I think my number one theory of life is “The key to your life is how well you deal with Plan B.” Plan A is what you hope for and dream about and try to structure your life around. Then plan B happens and you can either be dragged kicking and screaming to it, or maybe plan B is better than what you mocked up to begin with.

And because you, Adam, were so gracious about making adjustments to our schedule, I feel like we were really able to work well together. Our collaboration is a living embodiment of how everyone should collaborate with one another, because everything is a team effort.

More on Marilu:

Marilu Henner in “The Marilu Henner Show” at Bucks County Playhouse, Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

With the energy of a teenager, the wisdom of a sage, and the memory of a superhero, Marilu Henner has done it all! Along with starring in over fifty films, seven Broadway shows, and two hit classic sitcoms, Taxi and Evening Shade, this five-time Golden Globe Nominee is also a New York Times Best Selling author of ten books on health, parenting, memory, and lifestyle improvement.

Marilu has hosted and executive produced her own nationally syndicated talk shows (Marilu and Shape Up Your Life) and her own radio show, The Marilu Henner Show. As a two-time competitor on Celebrity Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice All-Stars, Marilu made it to the Final Five and played for The Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and the Alzheimer’s Association. She also competed on the 23rd season of Dancing with the Stars on ABC reaching the quarterfinals. Marilu currently co-stars with Candace Cameron Bure in the ongoing Hallmark Murders and Mysteries series Aurora Teagarden written by Charlaine Harris.

As one of only twelve people documented with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, Marilu was the subject of a three-part special on 60 Minutes and on 60 Minutes Australia, as well as news programs and newspaper articles around the globe. She also served as the consultant on the CBS series Unforgettable for all four seasons. Marilu has spoken before Congress on eight occasions on everything from dietary supplements, to women’s cardiovascular disease, to The Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, to deadbeat parents, to funding for Alzheimer’s. Marilu is a keynote speaker throughout the country on topics including memory, diet and fitness, women’s health issues, cardiovascular disease, cancer survival, and child rearing, as well as lifestyle, entertainment, and business organization strategies.

Marilu is thrilled to be back at Bucks County Playhouse where she first co-starred with Marsha Mason in The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife and with Christopher Durang in his Tony Award winning play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. She serves on the board of Playhouse Artists.

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Charlotte Morris EXCLUSIVE VIDEO RELEASE: Not Mine Anymore

Adam Rothenberg — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 23:18:54 GMT

Watch the EXCLUSIVE VIDEO RELEASE of Charlotte Morris’ video for “Not Mine Anymore” & then stream the full-length album Songs for My Next Ex below.

Find out more about Charlotte & Songs for My Next Ex in this EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW I conducted with her.

**Stream Charlotte’s full first length album Songs For My Next Ex:**

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Adam's Call: The Upshaws on Netflix - BEST Streaming Sitcom

Adam Rothenberg — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 13:26:26 GMT

“The Upshaws” on Netflix, Top (Mike Epps, Kim Fields), Bottom (Journey Christine, Wanda Skyes)

Treat yourself to one of the BEST streaming sitcoms!! I watch this show before I go to bed & always fall asleep with a smile on my face.

The Upshaws on Netflix starring Wanda Sykes and Kim Fields is one of the funniest, most heartfelt sitcoms I have ever watched!

Not only is it co-written/co-produced by & starring one of the most famous out comedians (Wanda Sykes), the “Coming Out” storyline of one of the show's other characters is so well written and very authentic!

The casting is divine and all the story lines are extremely relatable. From family dynamics to marriage to infidelity to coming out to raising kids to bullying to chasing your dreams, this show has something for everyone!

Stream Season 1 on Netflix!

WHEN CAN WE EXPECT SEASON 2??? I can’t be left hanging!!!

That’s Adam’s Call and I Stand For Entertainment!

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Adam's Call: John Lloyd Young's Around The World Concert at Feinstein's at Vitello's: Worth The Trip

Adam Rothenberg — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 16:30:39 GMT

I finally had the pleasure of watching John Lloyd Young’s latest LIVE STREAM concert, Around The World, which was performed at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s. This concert is worth the trip!

John Lloyd literally takes the audience on a musical excursion, performing songs from around the world. From Broadway tunes to songs in Spanish, Chinese, & Hebrew, this magnificent concert truly spotlights John Lloyd’s diverse talents even more.

I truly feel this live stream unites people together because John Lloyd authentically brings every part of himself to this show! Some of the international songs he performs are “Hatikva” (Israel’s National Anthem), “Wo Yao Ni de Ai” (“I Want Your Love”), “Ming Ri Tian Ya” (“Tomorrow on the Other Side”), & “Ya Que No Estas Tu” (“Since I Don’t Have You”).

John Lloyd’s enthusiasm for performing really shines through as does his excitement for diversity.

Around The World streams On Demand through April 3. Click here to watch!

John Lloyd’s next LIVE STREAM (sponsored by BroadwayWorld) will be an ALL REQUEST SHOW on Saturday, May 1 Live from The Space in Las Vegas. Click here for tickets to the LIVE event!

That’s Adam’s Call and I Stand For Entertainment!

Missed my podcast interviews with John Lloyd Young? Listen below ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

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Broadway Backwards 2021: Tuesday, March 30, 8pm - LIVE STREAM

Adam Rothenberg — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 21:13:26 GMT

With Broadway still shut down, this year’s edition of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ Broadway Backwards is going virtual! The event will stream LIVE on Tuesday, March 30 at 8pm and then be on-demand until Saturday, April 3.

While the event is free to watch, please consider making a donation to help those in need.

According to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ website, “This virtual edition of Broadway Backwards will explore how the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic has specifically affected the LGBTQ community.”

The show will feature Jay Armstrong Johnson as an isolated New Yorker who dreams a fantastical journey guided by a late night television host, portrayed by Jenn Colella. New performances will be merged with full numbers from previous editions of Broadway Backwards to create a Broadway Backwards that feels distinctly of the moment.

This year’s streaming event includes a special opening number featuring Stephanie J. Block, Deborah Cox and Lea Salonga, plus performances and appearances by Matt Bomer, Darren Criss, Ariana DeBose, Robin De Jesús, Cynthia Erivo, Joshua Henry, Cherry Jones, Kelli O’Hara and Jim Parsons.

Highlights from the 2019 Edition of Broadway Backwards

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Adam's Call: Tonya Pinkins' Red Pill Movie: THE HORROR FILM TO SEE

Adam Rothenberg — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 21:40:14 GMT

UPDATE: Red Pill will be getting worldwide distribution on December 3, 2021! Stay tuned for details on where to watch!

After jumping out of my seat four times & having nightmares that night, Tonya Pinkins feature film Red Pill is THE HORROR FILM TO SEE!

Tonya Pinkins is a Tony Award Winning actress whose career encompasses nine Broadway shows, twenty years on daytime television, podcasting, writing, motherhood and now you can add filmmaker to this impressive career.

Red Pill is a film everyone NEEDS to see. It’s a terrifying look at the world we live in. It shows the way hate infiltrates not only our society, but those closet to us, our friends and family. It goes even deeper to warn us of how your own inner circle can try to take you down when you least expect, hence the title of the film Red Pill.

Tonya’s favorite movie genre is horror. She has successfully incorporated all the elements of a great horror film into Red Pill. Tonya has also assembled a terrific cast for this film. In addition to Tonya herself, Red Pill stars Kathryne Erbe, Ruben Blades, Luba Mason, Jake O’Flaherty, Catherine Curtin, Adesola Osakalumi, and Colby Minifie.

Tonya’s voice and perspective is one to be listened to because Tonya tells it like it is and Red Pill is a perfect example of that.

Red Pill has already won several awards at Mykonos International Film Festival: Best First Time Filmmaker & Best Black Lives Matter Film. It has been nominated for multiple awards at the Five Continents International Film Festival: Best Female Director, Best Screenplay, Best Team Performance, Best Sound Design, Best Editing, Best Art Direction,

Red Pill will play the Pan African Film + Arts Festival through Sunday, March 14, 2021. Purchase Tickets if you dare!

Connect with Red Pill: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Keep your eyes out for my interview with Tonya Pinkins coming to my podcast Baring It All with Call Me Adam on the Broadway Podcast Network.

That’s Adam’s Call and I Stand For Entertainment!

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Adam's Call: John Lloyd Young's Vegas Valentine Concert: Perfect Concert to Lift Your Spirits

Adam Rothenberg — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 23:39:09 GMT

If you missed the LIVE presentation of John Lloyd Young’s Vegas Valentine Concert, you can catch it ON DEMAND through February 21, 2021. Click here for tickets!

Performed at The Space Las Vegas, John Lloyd’s show was the perfect concert to lift your spirits. His stage presence and charisma came through the lens effortlessly. Even though I was in the comfort of my own home, the way this concert was filmed, made me feel as if I was right there, live, in the front row.

John Lloyd’s voice filled The Space with such gorgeous renditions of “Unchained Melody” (by The Righteous Brothers), “One Last Kiss” (from Bye Bye Birdie), “Working My Way Back To You,” (Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons), and many more standards.

This was my first time getting to see John Lloyd Young up close & personal and I can’t wait to see him again!

John Lloyd Young’s Vegas Valentine Concert is ON DEMAND through February 21 only! Click here for tickets!

Connect with John Lloyd: Website, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, SoundCloud

That’s Adam’s Call and I Stand For Entertainment!

Missed my podcast interviews with John Lloyd? Listen below ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

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HELP SAVE Birdland, The Jazz Corner of the World

Adam Rothenberg — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 15:41:24 GMT

Birdland, NYC’s jazz corner of the world, and another one of Broadway’s most beloved performance spaces in danger of closing down due to the global pandemic.

Birdland is another venue that has been a huge part of my entertainment career! Thanks to Jim Caruso, who was always so gracious in helping connect me to the artists performing there, I have been able to conduct a multitude of interviews.

I have watched Grammy Award winning songwriter Victoria Shaw perform, laughed beyond control during Julie Halston’s comedy routines, and been mesmerized by Marilyn Maye, Max von Essen, Billy Stritch, Robert Cuccioli, Diana DeGarmo & Ace Young, amongst many other talented artists!

I know times are tough for many of us, but any donation will help!

Please HELP SAVE Birdland by donating here to their GoFundMe Page. Thank you for supporting the arts industry!!

Ace Young, Adam Rothenberg (Call Me Adam), Angelo Noto, Diana DeGarmo

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HELP SAVE The West Bank Cafe/Laurie Beechman Theatre #SaveWestBank

Adam Rothenberg — Sat, 19 Dec 2020 16:28:40 GMT

Call Me Adam (Adam Rothenberg) with the legendary Joan Rivers at The Laurie Beechman Theatre

The West Bank Cafe/Laurie Beechman Theatre, one of NYC’s most beloved restaurants & performance spaces is in danger of closing down due to the global pandemic.

The Laurie Beechman Theatre has been a huge part of my entertainment career! It has provided a plethora of content for Call Me Adam. From seeing the legendary Joan Rivers to interviewing your favorite drag superstars (Dina Martina, Jackie Beat, Miss Coco Peru, Latrice Royale, Jinkx Monsoon, Ben De La Creme) to hosting an evening of Billy Mitchell’s Villain: DeBlanks, I have spent so many wonderful nights at The Laurie Beechman Theatre and enjoying the delicious food of The West Bank Cafe.

I know times are tough for many of us, but any donation will help!

The West Bank Cafe/Laurie Beechman Theatre will be hosting a virtual telethon on Christmas Day, starting at noon (December 25, 2020) to help raise additional funds! Tune in to see the amazing talent they have lined up.

Please HELP SAVE The West Bank Cafe/Laurie Beechman Theatre by donating here to their GoFundMe Page. Thank you for supporting the arts industry!!

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WIN a copy of If The Fates Allow: A Hadestown Holiday Album, featuring the Broadway cast of Hadestown

Adam Rothenberg — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 13:22:31 GMT

It’s #WinItWednesday

WIN a copy of the new holiday album, If The Fates Allow: A Hadestown Holiday Album, featuring the the cast of the Tony & Grammy Award-winning musical Hadestown, distributed by Broadway Records.

The first person to answer this trivia question correctly, will win a copy of If The Fates Allow: A Hadestown Holiday Album. No purchase necessary.

Trivia Question:

André De Shields won the 2019 Tony Award for “Best Featured Actor in a Musical” for Hadestown.

What other two Broadway musicals was André De Shields nominated for a “Best Featured Actor in a Musical” Tony Award?

You must supply both musicals correctly in order to win

Contest ends Wednesday, 12/9 at 11:59pm

This contest has now ended!

Let's give a big congratulations (👏) to Nathan Clift for being the winner (🌟) of "If The Fates Allow...A Hadestown Holiday Album!"

Thank You to everyone who took the time to enter the contest! More contests will be coming soon!

Stay tuned 😀

If The Fates Allow: A Hadestown Holiday Album offers both solace and celebration as we head into a winter season like no other. Starring Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, Kay Trinidad, and Jewelle Blackman as "The Fates" and featuring the entire Hadestown cast, this album includes beloved holiday classics, songs composed by Hadestown's own Anaïs Mitchell, Yvette Gonzales-Nacer, and Liam Robinson, as well as gems waiting to be rediscovered, all in a sound steeped in blues, folk, ragtime, and jazz that has made Anaïs Mitchell's groundbreaking musical a phenomenon. This 14-track album is sure to lift your spirits and keep you livin' it up this holiday season.

Didn’t win? Order the album here!

Connect with Hadestown: https://www.hadestown.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Connect with Broadway Records: https://www.broadwayrecords.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

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Call Me Adam's 12 Year Anniversary Celebration

Adam Rothenberg — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 16:25:58 GMT

Today is my 12 Year Anniversary of conducting entertainment interviews! Thank You for being on this amazing journey with me! Whether you have been there from the beginning or are just starting to follow me, your support means a lot!

I hope you like this mini-compilation video I created. This is ONLY 16 out of the hundreds of interviews I have conducted. I wish I were able to feature everyone in this montage, but I AM grateful for EVERY single person who has given me their time to be featured on this platform!

Featured in this video:

Mel B: https://youtu.be/vfA0Pvmmf7Y

Olivia Newton-John: https://bit.ly/3hpkajC

Diana DeGarmo & Ace Young: https://bit.ly/2AV2ecQ

Annie Golden, Lin Tucci, Lauren Elder, & Bobby Cronin: https://youtu.be/feqSfqVr8xw

Tamara Tunie: https://bit.ly/2IepyIA

Gloria Reuben: https://youtu.be/YdlwyJYZ0pY

Karen Mason: https://bit.ly/37GNpL6

Tonya Pinkins: https://bit.ly/37Jpg6s

Marilyn Maye: https://youtu.be/OeiXJFo4s8Q

Tori Scott: https://youtu.be/r4TPu2sINS4

Debbie Gibson: https://bit.ly/36JQDhA

Charles Busch: https://youtu.be/Bhf9o1_2vI8

Julie Halston: https://bit.ly/3lLQcr9

Laura Benanti: https://bit.ly/3oocCQY

Sebastian Maniscalco: https://bit.ly/2Gd7pe3

Daniel's Husband Talkback: https://youtu.be/ma5IPSAPDx8

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Adam's Call: Live From Adelphi Concert Series: Broadway Stars Live Streaming Concerts

Adam Rothenberg — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 15:55:39 GMT

Adelphi University, RJ Productions and Spot-On Entertainment join forces to bring you a new live streaming concert series entitled Live From Adelphi. Stars from the world of Broadway & Cabaret will be performing live concerts at Adelphi’s Performing Arts Center (PAC) on Sunday afternoons at 5pm EST.

With no audience in attendance, these artists will give you a night to remember as you watch from the comfort of your own home.

The line-up includes: Award winning Cabaret/Jazz artist Carole J. Bufford, Broadway power couple Jarrod Spector and Kelli Barrett, Tony Award Nominee Eva Noblezada, and a special Holiday Spectacular in December.

Click here for tickets! Cost is $20 per concert.

Carole J. Bufford

Carole J. Bufford— Sunday, November 8, at 5 pm EST

Award-winning cabaret and jazz artist Carole J. Bufford celebrates the songstresses of the 60s & 70s with music made famous by Janis Joplin, Dusty Springfield, Tina Turner, Carole King, Lesley Gore, Dionne Warwick, Cher and others. Putting her own inimitable spin on these classics, she will delve into and celebrate a time of great change and transition in America and across the pond.

Jarrod Spector and Kelli Barrett

Jarrod Spector and Kelli Barrett— Sunday, November 22, at 5pm EST

Jarrod Spector is best known for his Tony Nominated performance in Beautiful: the Carole King Musical in the role of ‘Barry Mann’. He played 'Frankie Valli' for a record 1500 performances in Broadway’s Jersey Boys and was last seen as the iconic ‘Sonny Bono’ in Broadway’s The Cher Show. Kelli Barrett originated the role of ‘Lara Guishar’ in Broadway’s Doctor Zhivago and has also played leading roles in Broadway’s Wicked, Baby It’s You! and The Royal Family. She was recently lauded for her portrayal as ‘Liza Minnelli’ in the award-winning FX show Fosse/Verdon.

Hitched in 2014, Barrett & Spector present Funny How It Happens, an intimate look at the uncanny parallels and fortuitous make-it-or-break-it moments throughout their careers and friendship that eventually brought them together. The show features pop favorites and iconic songs from their Broadway musicals while offering an inside (and often hilarious) scoop on what life is really like as a married Broadway power couple.

Eva Noblezada

Eva Noblezada— Sunday, December 6, at 5pm EST

The Tony Award nominated star of Miss Saigon and Hadestown, Eva Noblezada brings her powerhouse vocals to the stage in a celebration of her iconic roles and the journey she has taken to get there. Her intimate concerts bring together an eclectic songbook to celebrate music and life through all of their ups and downs. Beyond her stage roles, audiences return week after week for her thoughtfully crafted cabaret performances.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year— Sunday, December 20, at 5pm EST

There’s no place like home for the holidays – especially this year! Experience all the music and the magic of the season we call “the most wonderful time of the year.” Featuring a talented cast of Broadway and cabaret performers, this family-friendly concert celebrates the music we all know and love.

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Adam's Call: The Skivvies Rocky Horror Show The Album: Fresh Take on a Classic Album

Adam Rothenberg — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 02:19:30 GMT

This Halloween, I'm taking a jump to the left, then a step to the right by listening to The Skivvies new album, The RockyHorror Skivvies Show. Nick Cearley and Lauren Molina give a fresh take on a classic album! This is one record every Halloween collection needs to have.

The Skivvies are joined by some very special, talented guests including Will Swenson, Nathan Lee Graham, Marissa Rosen, Alison Fraser, Krysta Rodriguez, Nick Adams, Christina Bianco, Michael Cerveris, Alice Ripley, Travis Kent, Diana Huey, Brittany Alexandra Campbell, Tamika Sonja Lawrence, and Rob Morrison.

Featuring the songs you know and love, The Skivvies have added in mash-ups of popular songs including “Light My Candle,” “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), “All That Jazz,” “Born This Way,” “If I Could Turn Back Time,” “Time After Time,” “Hit Me Baby One More Time,” and many more!

Listening to this album makes me want to do “The Time Warp” again and again and again! Now strip down & listen like you never have before...

Purchase/Download the album here: https://bit.ly/2JhK8sV

Connect with The Skivvies: https://www.theskivviesnyc.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Bandcamp

That’s Adam’s Call and I Stand For Entertainment!

Nick Cearley and Lauren Molina as “Brad” and “Janet” from “The Rocky Horror Show”

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National Coming Out Day 2020: The Queer Choir of K-Town perform Harry Belafonte’s version of "Michael Row The Boat Ashore"

Adam Rothenberg — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 12:51:39 GMT

In celebration of National Coming Out Day 2020, The Queer Choir of K-Town performs an updated version of Harry Belafonte’s “Michael Row The Boat Ashore,” featuring Ellary Allis.

An anthem for the Civil Rights Movement, the Queer Choir of K-Town recorded the timeless track as an updated Freedom Song for Los Angeles in 2020 using the container of the original song with lyrical changes that reflect the political landscape of today's social justice Movements.

“Michael Row The Boat Ashore” is available on Amazon, Apple Music, & Spotify

Connect with The Queer Choir of K-Town: https://www.queerchoirofktown.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

More on The Queer Choir of K-Town:

The Queer Choir of K-Town is made up of Los Angeles based LGBTQIA+ activists, members of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, members of the Los Angeles Eco-Village, and a veteran Freedom Rider of Freedom Summer, 1964.

The Queer Choir of K-Town sings to honor the legacy of protest music as a form of resistance and a tool for movement building. In the tradition of the Freedom Songs of the Civil Rights Movement and the Union songs of the American Labor Movement, The Queer Choir of K-Town sings historical protest music with lyrical changes that reflect the political landscape of today's movements for human rights.

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Adam's Call: Luann de Lesseps: #CountessandFriends at Feinstein's/54 Below

Adam Rothenberg — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 03:09:58 GMT

“Money can’t buy you class,” but it can get you a ticket to Luann de Lesseps cabaret show #CountessandFriends at Feinstein’s/54 Below, a very fun evening of songs, stories, and fashion. This was my second time seeing Luann’s sold-out show and it continues to be an evening of entertainment!

Directed by Ben Rimalower, Luann takes the audience through various adventures in her life including some great tales about The Real Housewives of New York City. Billy Stritch has done a wonderful job musically directing Luann’s cabaret show. He has crafted each song to perfectly fit her vocal range. In addition to Luann’s three dance singles, “Chic C’est La Vie,” “Girl Code,” and “Money Can’t Buy You Class,” Luann performs a variety of popular songs throughout the evening.

Tonight, Luann treated us to a very sultry version of “Fever,” which reminded me a bit of Madonna’s 1993 performance on The Arsenio Hall Show. I also enjoyed Luann’s take on “Diamond’s Are A Girl’s Best Friend” & Bonnie Raitt’s “Something To Talk About.”

Angelo Noto, Luann de Lesseps, “Call Me Adam’s” Adam Rothenberg

Luann knows how to command a room and keep a show flowing. Interspersed throughout the night are some very special guests. Tonight we saw downtown favorite Murray Hill, who’s impeccable comedic timing cracked up the audience! Broadway’s Brent Heuser enchanted us to “Sunrise” and a group sing-a-long to Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

If you love Luann on The Real Housewives of New York City you will love her even more in concert! She really knows how to put on a show!

The Countess has one show left at Feinstein’s/54 Below (Thursday, 3/21 at 7pm) + several tour dates coming up!

For more on Luann visit https://www.countessluann.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

That’s Adam’s Call and I Stand For Entertainment!

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Adam's Call: Charles Busch: "Native New Yorker" at Feinstein's/54 Below

Adam Rothenberg — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 16:45:08 GMT

On Wednesday night, February 27, I attended a master class in performance and story telling when I saw the final night of Charles Busch’s newest cabaret show Native New Yorker at Feinstein’s/54 Below. In this show, Charles took the audience on a journey through his rise in the theatre world until he found his mark.

From his childhood imagination to starting a theatre company in Chicago to stripping in Pittsburgh & Washington DC to making his way back to New York City where he found his home at the Limbo Lounge, Charles revealed it all. My favorite parallel stories that Charles told was how his kind of theatre was not favorable in Chicago, but in NYC, it was welcomed, in fact, it was revered.

Charles Busch performing “Native New Yorker”, Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff

In between stories, Charles delighted us with music from a wide variety of genres, while the hunky Tom Judson tickled the ivory. My favorite songs were his mash-up of “Rainbow High (Evita)/I’m the Greatest Star (Funny Girl),” “Widescreen” by Rupert Holmes, “Native New Yorker” by Sandy Linzer & Denny Randell and “I Got a Name” by Charles Fox & Norman Gimbel. I felt these songs really highlighted the stories Charles was telling just before he sang them.

But the best part of the evening was the education Charles gave us in how to tell a compelling story. Most cabaret shows have a little banter in between songs. In tonight’s show, there were a few songs in between A LOT of stories. But when Charles speaks, everyone listens because Charles has a very distinct way of engaging people in his stories. His tales are always honest and raw filled with humor and heart. Charles knows how to engage an audience.

Charles Busch performing “Native New Yorker”, Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff

At this show, I kept thinking I was in Charles Busch’s living room listening to him tell these stories. I had to keep reminding myself I was at Feinstein’s/54 Below. From Native New Yorker, I truly felt like I got to know the man behind the dress.

While this was Charles’ final night at Feinstein’s/54 Below, Charles & Tom are taking this show on the road to the West Coast! So, if you are in town while they are there, I highly recommend you go see this show.

Their California dates are as follows:

April 4 - Upstairs at Vitellos, Los Angeles, CA, click here for tickets
April 5 & 6 - The Purple Room, Palm Springs, CA, click here for tickets
April 8 - Oasis, San Francisco, CA, click here for tickets

That’s Adam’s Call and I Stand for Entertainment!

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Adam's Call: The New York Pops: "Unforgettable: Celebrating Nat King Cole and Friends"

Adam Rothenberg — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 04:09:19 GMT

Last week I attended The New York Pops’ Unforgettable: Celebrating Nat King Cole and Friends, lead by Pops’ conductor Steven Reineke and featured guests artists Broadway’s Nikki Renee Daniels & three-time Grammy nominee Ryan Shaw.

What a winning combination this show was. The orchestra brought Nat King Cole’s music to life with the help of Nikki & Ryan. These two artists are magnificent!

Nikki’s voice was perfectly matched with her selections including “What’ll I Do” and "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter.” Both sent chills down my back. Ryan triumphed on his songs, especially “Route 66” and “Orange Colored Sky.”

Nikki Renee Daniels performing at The New York Pops’ "Unforgettable: Celebrating Nat King Cole and Friends"Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter Keddy

There was definitely a hush over the audience when Ryan & Nikki came together for several duets. Their voices seamlessly blended together on such Nat King Cole hits as “When I Fall In Love,” “Almost Like Being In Love” and “Unforgettable.”

The New York Pops orchestra sounded terrific throughout the evening! The number I enjoyed most when the orchestra performed without the guest artists was their Nat King Cole medley which featured ""Mona Lisa," "Sweet Lorraine," "Ramblin' Rose," "The Christmas Song," and "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer." There is nothing like hearing a full orchestra playing these songs!

Ryan Shaw & Steven Reineke performing at The New York Pops’ "Unforgettable: Celebrating Nat King Cole and Friends"Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter Keddy

Bringing everyone together is the incomparable New York Pops’ maestro Steven Reineke. There is a reason Steven has been with The New York Pops for 10 years and that is because of his expert conducting & music direction. Steven knows what makes good music and a wonderful evening for audiences. Steven gives his all in every concert. It’s evident how much Steven loves what he does.

What made this night even more special was learning that Nat King Cole’s daughter Timolin Cole was there in the audience. I can only imagine what she felt throughout the evening as these artists helped keep Nat’s music alive for a new generations of listeners.

For more on The New York Pops’ upcoming season visit http://newyorkpops.org and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

That’s Adam’s Call and I Stand For Entertainment!

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Adam's Call: Linda Eder at Feinstein's/54 Below: Smile

Adam Rothenberg — Fri, 11 May 2018 02:57:25 GMT

On Wednesday, May 9 2018 I was taken back into the world of Linda Eder when she performed to the sold-out crowd at Feinstein's/54 Below! It has been five years since I saw Linda perform on stage in Provincetown and four years since our last interview! That is way too long to go between Linda interactions! But let me say, the wait was well worth it! From the moment Linda took the stage to the time I walked through my apartment door, I had a smile across my face.

There is NO ONE like Linda Eder! She truly has the voice of an angel! I am over the moon that I got to sit and listen to Linda sing for over an hour as well as tell some great stories about her life and career. When Linda sings there is a unified hush that comes over the room because she is so engaging. She hits EVERY note with purpose. She belts the roof off of buildings. She sings to the heavens. Whether it's a stadium or a more intimate venue like Feinstein's/54 Below, Linda holds your attention!

Linda Eder performing at Feinstein's/54 Below, Photo Credit: Adam Rothenberg

Wednesday night was no exception. Linda set was a terrific line-up of fan favorites and new music. Linda's getting ready to release her new album If You See Me, an album of Broadway standards. She performed a few selections from this upcoming album including some of my favorite musical theatre numbers such as "Before The Parade Passes By" from Hello, Dolly!, "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables, "Losing My Mind" from Follies plus the American Standard "Smile" (written by Charlie Chaplin, John Turner & Geoffrey Parsons). When Linda sang "Bring Him Home," I literally had chills down my back. It was such a powerful rendition. I can't wait to get this CD.

While these songs have been performed by many different singers, Linda really makes them her own. If I didn't know, I would think they were written just for her.

The first part of the concert was magnificent! The second half was practically every fan favorite from "Someone Like You" to "Vienna" to "Bring On The Men" to "The Man of La Mancha." If you thought the cheers and applause were a lot before these songs, well, the audience went out of their minds over these iconic hits.

Linda Eder at Feinstein's/54 Below, Photo Credit: Adam Rothenberg

Linda has continued to maintain her powerful vocals. She is a master class in singing. It's evident how much time and energy goes into these shows and songs. The decisions Linda makes with every note and lyric are crystal clear. Her intention is seen in every moment.

Linda Eder at Feinstein's/54 Below is such a special evening! It's one I will remember for the rest of my life. Her remaining dates are: May 11, 12, 14. July 26, 27, 28. September 12, 13, 14. Click here for tickets!

Feinstein's/54 Below is located at 254 West 54th Street, between Broadway & 8th Avenue.

That's Adam's Call and I Stand For Entertainment!

Linda Eder and Call Me Adam at Feinstein's/54 Below, Photo Credit: Andrew Werner

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Adam's Call: Chita Rivera at Feinstein's/54 Below: Incredible

Adam Rothenberg — Sat, 17 Mar 2018 00:42:16 GMT

Chita Rivera at Feinstein's/54 Below, Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff

Chita Rivera is a legend! She continues to Razzle Dazzle audiences in everything she does, but seeing her live on stage, in concert, at Feinstein's/54 Below was unreal! From the moment she hit the stage, Chita had everyone's attention. Her energy is infectious! Her presence is captivating! Her talent is incredible!

I have seen Chita in several Broadway shows including Nine, Chita Rivera: A Dancer's Life, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and The Visit. I had never seen Chita perform one of her solo concerts, until last week. I was mesmerized the whole time! Chita gave 1000% throughout the hour plus show. She didn't stop for a minute. She is a dancer through and through and she proved that with every step she took. Her voice was in great shape. The stories Chita told were personal and entertaining to listen to. She has had a wonderful life. What makes Chita even more amazing is that she recognizes what a blessed life she has had.

Chita Rivera performing "All That Jazz" at Feinstein's/54 Below, Photo Credit Stephen Sorokoff

Chita sang many songs from her impeccable career. The whole evening was fantastic, but my favorite moments were hearing Chita sing "Not Exactly Paris," "A Lot of Livin' To Do" (from Bye, Bye Birdie), "Where Am I Going" (from Sweet Charity), "Carousel" (from Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living In Paris), "I Don't Remember You" (from The Happy Time), "Winter/Love and Love Alone" (from The Visit), "All That Jazz" (from Chicago), and a beautiful song about friendship called "My Circle of Friends." While I didn't know every one of these songs, Chita found a way of making them sound familiar.

Chita Rivera is the definition of a true performer! She gives it her all and then a million times more! It was obvious just how much Chita enjoys performing and what a grand time she, herself, was having.

Chita Rivera at Feinstein's/54 Below, Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff

With just four shows left, this one ticket you NEED to get! Chita Rivera will be at Feinstein's/54 Below through March 22. All performances are at 7pm! Click here for tickets!

That's Adam's Call and I Stand For Entertainment!

Adam's Call: The New York Pops: "Heart & Soul:" Rock With You

Adam Rothenberg — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 05:34:25 GMT

James Monroe Iglehart and Capathia Jenkins at The New York Pops' "Heart and Soul"

After a year away, I was so excited to return to Carnegie Hall for The New York Pops latest concert entitled Heart and Soul, featuring Broadway's Capathia Jenkins & Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart along with Crystal Monee Hall, Michael McElroy & Anastasia Talley! What a concert to attend!

The evening was a tribute to the most influential musical genre of all time, R&B. This show was quite a departure from the usual Pops' concert, but what a terrific step they took! In addition to featuring two of the greatest voices out there (Capathia Jenkins & James Monroe Iglehart), The Pops orchestra, triumphed with this music. A true testament to the talent that is their maestro Steven Reineke.

Capathia Jenkins, Steven Reineke, and The New York Pops

It was an evening full power ballads and rockin' tunes! Capathia & James' vocals blended so sweetly together. They really know how to make beautiful music! After every song the audience cheered & applauded so much, I thought the roof was going to cave in...hahaha.

James Monroe Iglehart, Steven Reineke, and The New York Pops

The night was filled with music from Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, and so many other renowned artists. Every song was delightful! Every note was sung with such enthusiasm! From "Let's Stay Together" to "Sir Duke" to "Rock With You" to Whitney's version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," James & Capathia made these songs their own.

This was such a beautiful evening that I hope The New York Pops do another evening of R&B music! After this concert, The New York Pops definitely earned my "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" even more!

Their next concert will be on March 9 with The Best of Hollywood: Blockbuster Film Scores and then on April 30, The New York Pops will have their 35th Birthday Gala, celebrating the songs of Alan Menken. Click here for tickets!

That's Adam's Call and I Stand For Entertainment!

Photo Credit for the pictures of Call Me Adam with Capathia Jenkins, James Monroe Iglehart, & Derrick Baskins: Andrew Werner Photography