Breaking Broadway with Kerry Butler

Douglas J. Cohen recently wrote a a book, How to Survive a Killer Musical, Agony and Ecstasy on the Road to Broadway, giving great insight into creating a new musical. Great insight for anyone who wants to get in on the ground level of creating a new show! Part one of two. Douglas J Cohen's composing credits: Music & Lyrics for No Way to Treat A Lady, The Gig, The Big Time, and The Opposite of Sex...

Broadway star Matthew Scott - best known for Jersey Boys and Sondheim on Sondheim talks about creating his own show. Get some tips on how to create your own work and how to write your own show.   Matthew's Broadway credits: Grand Horizons, An American in Paris, Sondheim on Sondheim, A Catered Affair, and Jersey Boys Follow Matthew Scott on Instagram @m.a.t.t.h.e.w_s.c.o.t.t. He'll be performing hi...

Reunited with my co-star from Xanadu, Cheyenne Jackson. Cheyenne moved from a very small town, not knowing anything about theater to… Not Broadway... Seattle! From there he eventually made it to Broadway and then Hollywood. I asked him about that transition. He has great self-tape tips!  Cheyenne's Broadway credits include: Into The Woods, Finian's Rainbow, Xanadu, All Shook Up, & Thoroughly Moder...

Brilliant award winning song writing team Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman are my guests. Currently they are represented on Broadway in the smash hit Some Like it Hot. I had the privilege of working with them on Hairspray and Catch Me If You Can. You also may know their music from the tv show Smash. We talk about their incredible careers, and they give advice on how to audition. Can you take their m...

Continuing our discussion of side hustles, we have Mandy Gonzalez. She starred in Hamilton for five years, was Elphaba in Wicked, and originated Nina in In the Heights. Even with all those amazing credits, she still finds other work. We also have Aurore Joly, who moved to NYC from France to try to make it on Broadway. While going on auditions and working theater jobs, she created her own pilates b...

I have been doing a series on side hustles, because people don’t talk about how much an actor’s salary can fluctuate. There could be one great year, and then a few years where you barely make money acting. That’s normal. This week we have Katie Webber and David Josefsberg - actors who between the two of them have been in over 20 Broadway shows! They both found side hustles they love that work arou...

Laura Bell Bundy is about to star on Broadway in The Cottage!  She has been acting in this business since she was eleven, when she starred in Ruthless! Off-Broadway. (She had some very famous understudies.) We have the best time catching up and hearing all her wonderful advice for performers AND learning all about her business and activism that is so important to her - Womxn of Tomorrow. Learn mor...

Dream of getting a Tony on Broadway? Here are some words of advice from this year's Tony nominees, including Nikki Crawford, Wendell Pierce, Kevin Cahoon, Kevin Del Aguila, Jordan Cooper, Jen Weber, James Ijames, Eva Price and many more! You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.com, follow @kerrybutlercoa...

Robert Horn, the Tony nominated writer of Shucked and classic tv shows Designing Women, Teen Beach Movie and so many others, tells us what the creative team looks for during auditions. And, why you may have given the best audition, but still not have gotten the part!   Follow Robert @rhorn1 on Instagram and Twitter. You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coachin...

Bonnie Milligan tells us how she went from open calls to getting a Tony nomination for Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway.   Follow Bonnie in Instagram at @beltingbons and Twitter @BeltingBonnie. You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.com, follow @kerrybutlercoach on Instagram, or email me at kerrybutlercoach@...

The 2023 Tony Nominees share the tough times they made it through before becoming a nominee. We spoke live with Nikki Crawford, James Ijames, Kevin Cahoon, Julia Lester, Lorna Courtney, NaTasha Yvette Williams, and Miriam Silverman just days after the nominations were announced. Get ready to be inspired! You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teachi...

We have Tovah Feldshuh, star of Funny Girl, as our guest. Tovah celebrates a milestone this month - 50 years being on Broadway!  Listen as she shares her unconventional journey to getting on Broadway and decades of incredible stories along the way.    Learn more about Tovah at tovahfeldshuh.com/. Follow her on Instagram @tovahfeld, Facebook @TovahFeldshuh, Twitter @TovahwithaV & YouTube @SolidGold...

Once you have made it on Broadway are you set? NO! We are always hustling! Dana talks about how she kept her “day” job while performing on Broadway. The dry spells can be long, so we all have to have other ways to make a living.   Follow Dana Steingold @dsteinface on Instagram and Twitter. You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my we...

This week we have Aurore Joly, a dancer who lived and trained in Paris alone at a very young age, talking about her journey to New York. She is my Pilates instructor, and she helped me be able to do 8 shows a week with an injury.  We ALSO have Dana Steingold on to talk about getting through 8 shows a week in Beetlejuice, and we may bring up the competition we had going to win the coveted "Most Sho...

This week we have my dear friend - the fearless Mandy Gonzalez. Mandy has starred in so many amazing Broadway shows - Wicked, Hamilton, and In the Heights to name a few. Mandy talks about getting her start in theater, and how she was able to do 8 shows a week in Hamilton while being a mom AND going through cancer treatments. She is a survivor. Join us for this truly inspirational episode.   Learn...

This week we have triple threat Katie Webber on. Not only has Katie been in 9 broadway shows, but she is also a trained holistic nutritionist. Performers are athletes.  She talks about how best to fuel our bodies to be able to do eight shows a week. Learn more about Katie, her favorite recipes, and her cookbooks at katiewebbernyc.com. Follow her on Instagram @katiewebbernyc. You can find me on Ins...

David Josefsberg has been in 9 broadway shows, and most recently he had the great pleasure of playing my husband in Beetlejuice 😂. Staying on the topic of doing 8 shows a week, I interviewed David to find out his tricks. When you are put in for a show, it can be very stressful. You barely have any time to rehearse with the cast. I remember when David came into Beetlejuice and on his first night h...

Welcome to Part 2 of my interview with casting director Andrew Fem! I found Andrew through Instagram and LOVED their content. Andrew breaks down the do’s and don’ts of self tape auditions from the casting director’s perspective. Whether it is for TV, film or theater, Andrew discusses the differences and shares how to nail the self tape. Learn more about Andrew Fem on Instagram @castingbythem and a...

All auditions have changed in a big way since Covid! I found casting director Andrew Fem‘s Instagram and LOVED their content! Andrew breaks down the do’s and don’ts of self tape auditions from the casting director’s perspective. Whether it is for TV, film or theater, Andrew discusses the differences and shares how to nail the self tape. Learn more about Andrew Fem on Instagram @castingbythem and a...

Ever wonder how dancers can do the things they do eight shows a week?!! Me too! I have my dear friend and Broadway darling Angie Schworer (Currently in Some Like it Hot) on to let us know how she has the stamina and energy to keep going from show to show. Angie gives us all the tips on how to get it, and how to flaunt it, eight times a week! Learn more about Angie Schworer on Instagram @angieschwo...

As someone who gets rejected pretty much every day, I have always felt comfort in hearing other people’s rejection stories. My advice is know that rejection is just part of being an actor and try not to take it personally. This episode will feature stories from Laura Bell Bundy and Telly Leung.  As always, you can follow me on Instagram @kerrybutler1. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at...

As someone who gets rejected pretty much every day, I have always felt comfort in hearing other people’s rejection stories. My advice is know that rejection is just part of being an actor and try not to take it personally. This episode will feature stories from Constantine Maroulis and Ann Harada.  As always, you can follow me on Instagram @kerrybutler1. For coaching and teaching, visit my website...

What’s the story morning glory?... Insta-story that is!  Find out how to work social media to market yourself. This episode is the second part of our conversation with the incredibly knowledgeable Bret Shuford - Broadway Actor, Create Life Coach and one half of the Broadway Husbands. You do not want to miss it!   As always, you can follow me on Instagram @kerrybutler1. For coaching and teaching, v...

What’s the story morning glory?... Insta-story that is!  Find out how to work social media to market yourself. Our guest is the incredibly knowledgeable Bret Shuford - Broadway Actor, Create Life Coach and one half of the Broadway Husbands. You do not want to miss this one!   As always, you can follow me on Instagram @kerrybutler1. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.co...

The ghost-with-the-most is returning to Broadway! Barbara Maitland herself goes behind the scenes with Alex Brightman, Elizabeth Teeter, David Josefsberg, Adam Dannheisser, and Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer! She gets the inside scoop on all things Beetlejuice with answers to never-before-asked questions, funny back-stage anecdotes and rituals... all while having a few chuckles along the way. Learn more...