Everything Theater Podcast

"Oklahoma!" is commonly considered the first modern American musical, shaping the theatrical forum for decades. Playhouse Stage Company is presenting a bold new interpretation of the classic musical in Washington Park in Albany this summer. Director Chuck Kraus and assistant director/choreographer Ashley Simon Kirchner join us to talk about the production and how it applies to our modern world.  T...

Be our guest! And join our conversation with Danny Gardner, who is traveling the country playing Lumiere in the national tour of "Beauty and the Beast." We chat about this iconic Disney show and Danny's life on the road as he tours with his wife, Emily Larger (who is also in the show), their dog, and their infant son.

J. Jared Janas is an acclaimed hair, wig, and make-up designer who has worked on over 700 shows, including the recent Broadway productions of "John Proctor is the Villain", "Dead Outlaw", and "Glengarry Glen Ross" to name a few. In addition to his thriving work on Broadway, Jared remains steadfast in his mission of supporting the craft, and platforming up and coming designers to work alongside him...

It's Tony time! Adam Prado-Deremer joins us again to discuss all things Broadway, from our favorite shows of the season, to changing audiences, and award predictions! The Tonys will air on Sunday, June 8th (6:40pm - Act One on Pluto, and 8:00pm - Act Two on CBS/Paramount Plus). This episode is sponsored by Harbinger's Production of "At the Wedding" playing at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts from...

The first Capital Region Festival of Theatre is here! From June 12th - 15th, audiences can enjoy over 100 theatrical events, including one-acts, workshops, panel discussions, senior performances, improv, and more all for FREE! Patrick White and Kelly Blitz join us to run through all the events and discuss how to develop a new region-wide festival. https://www.crftinc.org/

Antonio from "Twelfth Night" is perhaps one of the most studied and talked about minor Shakespearean characters. After playing Antonio in a production, Shayne Cameris developed a one-man show all about the pirate through the lens of queer representation in Shakespeare's work. We talk about his upcoming performance as Antonio with Troy Foundry Theatre at UPH. https://www.troyfoundrytheatre.com/prog...

Benita and Ellen share their stories about auditions; how to prepare for auditions, tips to keep in mind, and horror stories from the audition room.

There is so much going on at the Albany Barn ! New Executive Director, McCauley Cannizzo, chats with us about the Barn's 3 locations, how artists can work collaboratively to create projects, and what exciting events are coming up! https://albanybarn.org/ This episode is sponsored by Schenectady Light Opera Company 's production of "Pippin".

Annabelle Duffy is no stranger to the Capital Region. She has been wowing audiences in the area for many years before heading off to train at Carnegie Mellon. And now she's back (albeit briefly) as the understudy for Fanny Brice in the national tour of "Funny Girl." We chat about life on the road, and how to tackle such a classic and mammoth role.  "Funny Girl" runs at Proctors Theatre until April...

Hudson Valley Shakespeare has been performing outdoor theater since 1987, and now they are building a beautiful new state-of-the-art open air theater venue that will open in the summer of 2026. We talk to Artistic Director Davis McCallum about the structure of their summer repertory season, Shakespeare's connection to an audience, and what to look forward to in the future!

We're back to the backstage episodes! We've been crazy busy with our own shows, but Ellen and Benita are back to chat about upcoming shows in the area, auditions, and the future of theater in today's climate.

For the 5th year, Jackson Murphy joins us to discuss the upcoming Academy Awards. Similar to past years, theater has made a big impact on the movies this year, with big contenders like "Wicked." We chat about our sister industry and Jackson' s predictions on who will take home the golden statues Sunday night!

One of the newer and most important jobs on a stage production team is the intimacy coordinator - the person who ensures that intimate scenes are performed safely and respectfully. We speak with intimacy coordinator, Yvonne Perry, about her work and how it is applied to the stage.

"Tango Illusion" is an interactive dance play, portraying the onstage and offstage lives of a troupe of Tango/ Salsa dancers who nightly perform their show Fuego in New York City. Creator/ Writer/Choreographer/Producer Diane Lachtrupp Martinez and Script Editor/Choreographer/Fight Choreographer Johnny Martinez join us to talk about this new play making it's way to a stage near you! https://tangoil...

Sand Lake Center for the Arts  has been producing such exciting work for years, and now Tanya Gorlow has taken over as Executive Director. We chat with Tanya about her position at SLCA, her plans for the future, and the ability to create a true community surrounding your theater.

We're going backstage at Proctors Theatre to meet the cast and crew of "Parade" - the Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry musical that is teching and starting it's national tour right here in Schenectady! We chat with Max Chernin and Talia Suskauer (who are playing Leo and Lucille Frank) and get a peek of what the tech process looks like at Proctors! "Parade" plays at Proctors from Jan 11 - 17, 202...

Here we are again at the end of another great year of theater! Our annual guests, Chris Foster and Patrick White, join us to talk about changing trends in theatre and some of the biggest highlights of 2024.

Here we are again at the end of another great year of theater! Our annual guests, Chris Foster and Patrick White, join us to talk about changing trends in theatre and some of the biggest highlights of 2024.

Let's face it. Audiences are different than they used to be. And because of that, theater is different too. Rob Bailis, Artistic & Executive Director for BroadStage in Santa Monica, California, joins us to discuss cultivating an artistic space for modern audiences while developing a true community between theaters and their patrons.

Multidisciplinary artist, D. Colin, joins us with actress Angelique Powell, to discuss her new play, Psalm 91:Releasing Religion, performing with Creative Action Unlimited. We talk about the piece, the vulnerability of presenting an autobiographical story, and the impact art has on an audience. https://creativeactionunlimited.com/   This episode is sponsored by Harbinger Theatre's production of "I...

Diaka Kaba Hill is the best "people person" you'll ever come across, which is why it makes sense that she is a cherished House Manager in the Capital Region. Diaka joins us to talk about the job of a house manager and how an audience's experience with a show starts from the moment they enter the theater lobby. This episode is sponsored by Harbinger Theatre's production of "Into the Breeches."

Performing on stage is one thing, but not many people think about the immense amount of work actors have to do off-stage in order to get their moment in the spotlight. Actor Marc Christopher chats with us about the business of acting, including Equity status, finding representation, auditions, and making a living as a professional actor.

The Capital Region in New York is a thriving theatre scene. It's why we host a podcast from here! And for the first time, the community is being celebrated with a weekend-long theatre festival in June 2025. The festival is kicking off with a "cast party" fundraising evening at Cohoes Music Hall with entertainment, food, wine, and thousands of dollars in raffle prizes. Patrick White chats with us a...

The Charles R. Wood Theater is working with Artist Anthony Richichi to turn his award winning children's book, "Colorworld", into a LIVE Stage Play! We chat with the author, Anthony Richichi, as well as Executive Director, Emily Murphy, and Facilities Director, Eric Potter, about the origins of the project and how they are adapting this new children's piece for the stage!

David Bunce, local actor/fight choreography/playwright joins us to talk about stage combat, the SAFD (Society of American Fight Directors), and his work on "Red Maple", his play that was produced at Capital Repertory Theatre and Curtain Call Theatre.