Cue To Cue: The Performers' Podcast

Today, in honour of the late Paul Soles, I re-release this conversation I had with him 3 years ago just on the heels of him winning best actor for his role in My 90-Year-Old Roommate. Paul is a Canadian Treasure and I feel so lucky to have sat a spoken with him for as long as I did collecting gems of wisdom.  A true class act. Sitting down with Actor/ T.V. Personality/ Voice- Over Artist, Paul Sol...

Today we are talking about the BIG G! Gratitude! Why it's so important. How as an artist a gratitude practice can help in your life and work!  I am sharing my experience of how I did what all the books told me to do and failed miserably at developing a gratitude practice of my own for an entire year.  How I turned that self-induced miserable experience into a breakthrough to having one of the most...

Are you planning on creating a show or learning something new? Are you afraid to bother people and ask for help? Don't! Be a bother and reach out! It's normal not to know everything. Actor/Writer/Comedian Clare Blackwood from the hit Late Night in Canada show is joining the conversation on Cue To Cue this week to remind us that it's ok not to know things and not always get things right. You can ta...

As the trend of virtual performances continue, do you fear that your knowledge of technology limits your creativity? Are you worried about how you can transition from live shows to online acts? Don't be afraid to rise to the challenge and use it to your advantage. Joining the conversation on Cue To Cue this week are Improvisors/Actors Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood who remind us that it's ok to g...

Have you ever had an audition experience that made you cringe? Recalling it makes yours shudder? We have all been there. How do we not allow these audition experiences to create a sabotaging narrative and start to define our success or failure as artists? Today, I am sharing one of my WORST audition experiences and how it affected my confidence as a performer and the transformational moment that a...

In honour of International Women's Day, we are celebrating some of the inspiring and powerful women that have chatted with us on Cue To Cue- the performer's podcast!  Get ready to be inspired! Send this episode to someone in your life! Share this episode: www.thisischelseajohnson.com/191 In this episode:   Denise Donlon: Media/Music Executive Lisa Brescia: Broadway Performer/Teacher Laura Adamo: A...

What does it mean to be confident? The word confident comes from the root word Con and fid. With fidelity. With Fidelity to oneself. Today, we are exploring what it means to be confident as an artist and a performer. How do you build confidence? How do you keep it? How do you grow it? Do you have a complicated relationship with confidence?! If you do struggle, rest assured you are not alone!  Have...

Is there a passion that you have always want to explore? Is it too late for you? Will you be successful? Should you just stick to what you know? What will people think? Sound familiar?  Take a leap of faith! It doesn't need to be all or nothing to explore your passions!  Writer/Comedian/Actor Yaw Attuah joins the conversation on Cue To Cue this week to encourage us to take a leap if we want to and...

Do you fear having to sing popular music? Do you have an upcoming audition, but you're still trying to figure out the right pop music material for you? Start with learning more about it.  Joining the conversation on Cue To Cue this week is Performer/Entrepreneur/Performance Coach Valerie Stanois who reminds us that we need to educate ourselves on the history of popular music in order for us to gai...

Are you sitting in your comfort zone? Or are you intentionally working at the edge of your growth? Try something new, be uncomfortable and drive your own artist! Hillary Tuck & Eric Hunicutt from The Performer's Mindset are joining our conversation on Cue To Cue this week to urge us to try something that seems crazy and create our unique interpretation instead of going with the obvious choices. Th...

The entertainment industry is one of the industries to be hit the hardest due to its collaborative nature; both in its creation and consumption. This has left us in an uncertain as performers and artists. I have loved watching people innovate and change as we need to. It has been very inspiring but what happens to all of our personal goals as artists? These last ten months has given me great pause...

What is your biggest failure in life? Did it stop or help your art? Actor/Writer/Director Laura Adamo is joining the conversation on Cue to Cue this week to share how the failures and pain she experienced in the past allowed her to hone her creative process. She reminds us that we can fail spectacularly because at some point in our lives, it will be a part of the key in unlocking the next step of...

How do you juggle multiple skillsets? How do you keep your skills sharp? Joining the conversation on Cue To Cue this week is Performer/Fight Director/Intimacy Professional Siobhan Richardson who advises us to always reassess and rebalance on what makes us happy, not what other people think you should be.  Are you suffocating because you're selecting what you should show the world?  Are you being t...

Did you ever feel that you needed to prove yourself as an artist?  To your parents?  Teachers? Directors? Castmates? Critics? You are not alone! Joining the conversation on Cue To Cue this week is Producer/Writer/Performer Duff MacDonald who will take us on a journey on how his "umbilical cord" was severed when he lost his parents and how it lead to an epiphany that he was doing everything to prov...

Have you ever feel that your performance was compromised because you got too nervous?   Don't worry, you're not alone. Most of us seek to avoid nervousness.    Joining the conversation on Cue To Cue today is  Actor/Coach/Founder Of The Performers Mindset Joe Towne who reminds us that even though we think that we have to be nerve-free to be at our best, that is not true. We need to be stressed enou...

Are you struggling to find the balance in using social media? Do you ever get social media fatigue? Don't let it overrun your life! Joining the conversation on Cue To Cue today is Actor/Artistic Director of We Are Here Productions  Matt Lacas and Actor/Singer/Host Rosie Callaghan who encourages us to take the time to tune away. If you can't find the balance in using social media, it can turn to wo...

Are you stuck in a negative pattern loop? Are you having trouble finding joy? Take baby steps! Joining the conversation on Cue To Cue today is Actor/Singer/Director Thom Allison who reminds us to take the small victories to uplift ourselves, others and our craft. You have to willfully make a choice to find joy. If you can see it, you can change it. Don't feed your weakest self, feed your best self...

I am not certain of many things these days but there is one thing that has become very clear to me. That the pervasive cancel culture that has become prevalent in our culture is a threat to art. If we are not careful it will prevent us   ( society) as a whole from exploring meaningful ideas and impede the making of art. I believe canceling people is dangerous. In today's episode, I am exploring th...

Joining the conversation on Cue To Cue today is Artist and Educator Omari Newton! I came to know of Omari while attending a self-tape webinar hosted by Casting Workbook where by Omari was the guest speaker. I not only found his webinar to be informative but I was drawn to his kind and truthful nature and I knew he would have so much to add to the conversation we have on Cue To Cue about creativity...

I am elated that Mark and I were finally able to make this conversation happen! I have been after mark for over a year to get him on Cue To Cue! Today is the day! One sentiment that really stuck with me after my time with Mark is how necessary it is to be in pursuit of what you love in order to stay passionate. Evolution is not something that just comes with time or age, it is something we need to...

The performances I find most compelling t watch are truthful. Not only to me but I can see that this is how the artist feels too. They are born out of the uninhibited expression and allowing of one's bassist and unfiltered emotions in reactions to the current circumstances in the moment. Today's episode explores the different areas of shame and fear and how it shows up in our work and how the inab...

This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Musician/Composer Rob Preuss. Rob has had an incredibly diverse career and believes that part of the reason is due to his sense of curiosity and absolute love for all genres of music. Whether he was talking about his time spent as a keyboard player in the band 'Spoons' or Honeymoon Suite or teaching the vocal track to a new member of the cast of Ma...

Have you ever had an injury? How did you deal with the pain? Did you panic?   This week, Performing Artist and Mindful Movement Facilitator Julia Juhas will take us through her journey on how she found gentle self-care techniques and habits which helped her relax when she was injured. She will remind us to not to max out ourselves in pain and not always be in a "flight or fight mode". Have you eve...

What is keeping you from moving forward? Taking the Next step (other than being in the middle of a global pandemic... haha)?  I had a conversation with a mentor of mine this week. I often call him to bounce ideas off of him and talk coaching philosophies and techniques. He said something that really struck a chord with me. About what holds people back and keeps them at the same level and place in...

How are you dealing with the impact of COVID and everything going on around you? Do you think you're not doing enough?     It's ok! This week, Lisa Brescia will remind us to just do the next loving thing. Take it one day at a time and take care of yourself – physically and mentally. She reiterates that it's great to have a plan but also ok if you don't because life can be an experiment. It's a mar...