Stages Podcast

Stages Podcast has a contest this week!  Go to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave stars and a review, like our Instagram page, then send us a picture of your review on Insta and you will be eligible to win a Stages Podcast shout out from Marylee and Stephanie... AND... Stephanie J. Block will send you a personalized holiday greeting! Stephanie and Marylee are taking some time for family and frien...

Bonnie Milligan is starring in the current Broadway hit musical KIMBERLY AKIMBO as Aunt Debra.  She received accolades for her performances in HEAD OVER HEELS and  KINKY BOOTS and is known for her amazing range and belt. In this episode, Bonnie talks about the loss of her father just days before she was called to audition for KIMBERLY AKIMBO. She weaves this personal story and grief into her Award...

Larissa FastHorse is a 2020 MacArthur Fellow, award winning Native American playwright, choreographer & arts advocate. She is the co-founder of Indigenous Direction, the nation's leading consulting company for Indigenous arts and audiences.  Her satirical comedy, The Thanksgiving Play  was one of the top ten most produced plays in America last season  Other plays include What Would Crazy Horse Do?...

Kevin Ryan has been the President and CEO of the Covenant House for the past 13 years and has helped countless kids. The Covenant House Sleep Out takes place on November 13, 2022.  This year marks Stephanie's 10th sleep out. In this episode, Kevin shares some of what he has learned in his three decades of working with homeless youth, describes how feeling seen empowers independence, and welcomes i...

Brandon Uranowitz is a three time Tony Award nominee for his work in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, FALSETTOS, and BURN THIS.   In this episode, Brandon remembers what it was like growing up as a child actor, shares memories of his instant connection to Stephanie during the audition process for FASSETTOS, breaks down how he separates from. his character whil in Tom Stoppard's LEOPOLDSTADT, and channels his...

This week we are joined by Sebastian Arcelus and our own Stephanie J. Block. Sebastian Arcelus is known for his roles as Lucas Goodwin in the Netflix series HOUSE OF CARDS and Jay Whitman in the CBS series MADAM SECRETARY.  His Broadway credits include ELF, JERSEY BOYS, WICKED, & RENT.  He is now starring as The Baker in INTO THE WOODS. In this weeks episode, Broadway's The Baker and The Baker's W...

 Elizabeth A. Davis is a Tony Award nominee, starring as Thomas Jefferson in the current Broadway revival of 1776, at the Roundabout Theater Company.  The earned her Tony nod for her appearance as Reza in ONCE. In this episode, Elizabeth discusses the histoy lessons she has learned from performing in 1776, how violin lessons paid off when she auditioned for ONCE, ad how she flourished in the perfo...

James Burrows is an 11-time Emmy Award-winning director. He began his television career directing episodes of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Bob Newhart Show," and "Laverne & Shirley." He became the resident director on "Taxi," then co-created the beloved classic "Cheers," directing 243 of the 273 episodes, as well as all 246 episodes of "Will & Grace." He has directed the pilots and multiple e...

Celia Rose Gooding was nominated for a Tony for her Broadway debut performance as "Frankie Healy" in the rock musical JAGGED LITTLE PILL at just 20 years old. Her first memory of wanting to be a professional actor comes from watching her mother, LaChanze, win a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for her work in THE COLOR PURPLE in 2006.  After spending the last few y...

Marti Gould Cummings is a drag artist, activist, tv personality and former NY City Council Candidate.   You can see Marti on Fusion televisions SHADE QUEENS OF NYC, on THE MARTI REPORT on LOGO, DRAGGED on Yahoo! and on THE X CHANGE RATE on The Build Series.  They serve on the Board of Directors for The Ali Forney Center for Homelss LGBTQ Youth, the Advisory Board of Equality NY, and is National Co...

We're back! To kick off Act II, Stephanie and Marylee catch up on how they spent the Summer, break down the meaning of their birth dates according to Destiny Cards, and obsess over how life imitates INTO THE WOODS in too many ways.  INTO THE WOODS KIMBERLY AKIMBO DESTINY CARDS   Support the show: http://www.stagespodcast.net  

We wrap up the first half of our second seaon this week.  Join us as we take a look back at the last two seasons and check in on where some of our guests are now.   We will be back August 1, 2022 with a surprise. But, keep checking in for bonus episodes during the break! Love where you are now. Support the show: http://www.stagespodcast.net  

Kecia Lewis is a dynamic stage and screen performer with more than 40 years working in TV, film, and theatre. Her work has been seen throughout multiple seasons of hit TV shows like "The Blacklist" and "Mad About You." She has starred on Broadway in ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', LEAP OF FAITH, CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD, BIG RIVER, and CHICAGO. She holds the title as...

Jesse Tyler Ferguson is an Emmy and Tony Award-nominated actor for his work as Mitchell Pritchett in ABC's "Modern Family" and currently as Mason Marzac in the Broadway revival of TAKE ME OUT. Jesse made his Broadway debut in ON THE TOWN, and was in the original Broadway cast of THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, for which he and his ensemble cast won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ca...

Cara Belvin is the founder of EmpowerHER, a non-profit, mentoring program for youth facing loss. Cara was nine years old when her mother, Kit, died of breast cancer, and she was desperate to meet others who could relate to her loss. Since 2013, her work has gone from local gatherings near her hometown of Boston to mentorship programs and events held across the country. In this Mother's Day episode...

Matt Doyle is a dynamic stage performer and successful Twitch streamer. He has graced the stage in hit shows like SPRING AWAKENING, THE BOOK OF MORMON, WAR HORSE, SWEENEY TODD, and the current Broadway revival of COMPANY. In this episode, Matt recalls the unforgettable experience of singing directly into Stephen Sondheim's face, shares life lessons from exploring Europe right after graduating high...

Jerad Bortz is an actor and performer, who has lit up the Broadway stage in hits like WICKED, MAMMA MIA!, and THE PIRATE QUEEN, where he met Stephanie. He lived through a life-changing car accident in 2018 that left him with a cervical spinal cord injury and paralyzed from the chest down. In this episode, Jerad shares his exploration of new ways to express his creativity, how he sings with limited...

Terry Notary is an actor, stunt double and coordinator, and movement coach. His time as a Cirque du Soleil performer led to his first job as a stunt movement coach on  Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  His work has also been seen, on and off screen, in  Avatar,  Planet of the Apes ,  Kong: Skull Island,   The Hobbit  film trilogy,  The Incredible Hulk,  Avengers: Infinity War  and  Aveng...

Shoshana Bean is an actress, singer and songwriter who brings her soul to the stage. She has performed alongside worldwide sensations like Ariana Grande and David Foster, and her solo albums have topped iTunes R&B and Blues charts in the U.S. and U.K. Her fourth album, "Spectrum," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz charts. A veteran of the Broadway stage, Shoshana made her debut in the origina...

Sarah Ruhl is an Award-winning playwright, author, essayist and professor. She is a Pulitzer Prize Finalist, MacArthur Fellowship Recipient, Helen Hayes Award winner, and Tony Award nominee. Among her most popular plays are  Eurydice, The Clean House, and In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play).     In this episode, Sarah shares the stories behind her new book Smile: The Story of a Face . Smile ch...

Michael James Scott is an actor, singer, and performer who radiates joy, on and off stage. He has starred in Broadway hits like THE BOOK OF MORMON, SOMETHING ROTTEN!, ELF THE MUSICAL, THE PIRATE QUEEN, and is currently granting wishes on Broadway as "Genie" in Disney's ALADDIN. He is also a member of Broadway Inspirational Voices, a choir of Broadway artists united to change lives through the powe...

Daniel Pink is a The New York Times best-selling author, television producer, and acclaimed political speech writer. He has written seven books, including When, A Whole New Mind, and Drive. In this episode, Daniel introduces us to his newest book, The Power of Regret: How Looking Back Moves Us Forward. He shares his insights on why regret is the most misunderstood human emotion, and when embraced,...

Rick Negron does a little bit of everything in the entertainment world. He is an actor, singer, and dancer, as well as a director, choreographer, producer, and sometimes yogi. He has starred in MAMMA MIA, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, IN THE HEIGHTS, and can currently be seen as King George III in the "And Peggy" company of the national tour of HAMILTON. In this episode, Rick shares stories from wor...

Donna Murphy is an Emmy and Tony Award-winning Actress who has built an illustrious career on stage and screen. She won a Tony Award for her performances in PASSION and THE KING AND I and has lit up the Broadway stage in WONDERFUL TOWN, LOVE/MUSIK, THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE, HELLO, DOLLY!, and many more.  Her voice is famously known as "Mother Gothel" in Disney's "Tangled," and she can currently b...

Kamilah Marshall is a singer, actress, and songwriter who has performed in some of the world's largest arenas with Bette Midler, Taylor Swift, and The Rolling Stones. She has starred in long-running Broadway hits, including RENT, THE LION KING, and HAIRSPRAY. In this episode, Kamilah generously opens up about the recent death of her mother, Stevi Meredith, how great loss changed the way she sees a...