The Ensemblist

“The Transfer” premiered on May 11, 2013. It was written by Justin Brenneman and Julia Brownell; Brenneman is a Smash rookie, while Brownell last penned last month’s episode, “The Dress Rehearsal.” The episode was directed by Holly Dale, also a newcomer to our Smash world. The viewership fell for its last time in the series, dipping by 270,000 to a total of 2.01 million viewers.  We had four origi...

Performing on Broadway comes with certain rites of passage: first costume fitting, first performance, first backstage birthday cake. But 2020 has brought a new rite of passage: visiting your darkened theatre to clean off your dressing room station with the prospect of your being closed for at least a year. Here to share the story of his experience visiting the Richard Rodgers Theatre is Hamilton’s...

“The Phenomenon” premiered on May 4th, 2013. It was written by Jordon Nardino, who last wrote episode 9 of this season “The Parents,” and season two showrunner Joshua Safran, who last wrote the premiere of this season “On Broadway.” Star Trek fans rejoice, the episode was directed by B'Elanna Torres herself, Roxann Dawson, who last directed episode 13 of season 1, “Tech.” “The Phenomenon” experien...

This week, we’re sharing our conversation with Kevin Carolan. Perhaps best known for his performance in Newsies, Kevin’s many credits include Dirty Blonde, The Ritz, and the national tour of Chicago. At the time of the Coronavirus shutdown, Kevin was playing Claude & Others in the national tour of Come From Away. In this episode, Kevin chats all about his career - from summer stock to regional the...

“The Producers” premiered on April 27, 2013. It was written by Becky Mode, whose last episode of Smash was season 2 episode 7, Musical Chairs, and was directed by Tricia Brock, whose last episode was season 2 episode 9, The Parents. The viewership dropped again by 20,000 viewers, to a total of 1.89 million. We had a lot of music this episode, mainly from Hit List! Our one song from Bombshell was a...

In October 2017, The Ensemblist launched its fourth full season: Broadway at Every Stage. In this series, co-creators Mo Brady and Nikka Graff Lanzarone sat down with six seasoned Broadway actors to dive into their decades-long careers. They discussed getting started in the theatre, the ups and downs of show business, and the longevity of their careers. Over the next six weeks, we’ll be sharing so...

“Opening Night” premiered on April 20, 2013. It was written by Bathsheba Doran & Noelle Valdivia, and directed by Michael Morris, all three being prolific Smash veterans; Doran’s and Morris’s last episode was season 2’s The Song, and Valdivia’s was season 2’s The Bells & Whistles. The viewership rose from last week’s downer, growing by .11 million viewers to a total of 1.91 million!! Hooray! We on...

This month, we are resharing our favorite episodes from our 2017 season on Ensemblist Essentials. Think of them as the essential essentials. That spring, our co-creator Nikka Graff Lanzarone and I spoke to some of Broadway’s most venerable performers about the most monumental moments in the creation of a Broadway musical.  In this episode, we spoke to an incredible six performers about what makes...

Scanning the pages of Broadway ensemblists on social media, its hard not to take stock of the number of performers who are moving out of New York City. While some of these moves are temporary and others seem more permanent, what I'm struck by is the fact out performing artists have a reason or means to stay in one of the most expensive cities in the country. One of those artists is Lindsay Northen...

“The Dress Rehearsal” premiered on April 13th, 2013. It was written by Julia Brownell, who last penned episode 6 of this season, and was directed by Mimi Leder, who last directed episode 7 from LAST season. The viewership of Smash hit its all-time run-of-show low this week, bottoming out at 1.80 million, which was down from the previous week by 80,000 viewers. Silver lining: it only goes up from h...

No matter if watching the filmed performance of Hamilton on Disney+ is your first time viewing or your tenth, one thing is clear when watching: this is a very good show. Numbers like “Schuyler Sisters” and “The Election of 1800” not only tell story and develop character, they are also thrilling to watch. On stage and on screen, Hamilton is chockablock with good musical theatre moments. And as will...

This month, we are resharing our favorite episodes from our 2017 season on Ensemblist Essentials. Think of them as the essential essentials. That spring, our co-creator Nikka Graff Lanzarone and I spoke to some of Broadway’s most venerable performers about the most monumental moments in the creation of a Broadway musical.  In this episode, we spoke to three Broadway performers about “pre-productio...

“The Surprise Party” premiered on April 6, 2013. It was written by Julie Rottenberg & Elisa Zuritsky, whose work was last week in the second episode of the second season, “The Fallout,” and it was directed by S. J. Clarkson. The viewership dipped again this week, this time by 1.1 million, bringing the total viewers to 1.88 million. We had three featured songs this week: two originals and one cover...

Way back in 2014, co-creator Nikka Graff Lanzarone and I sat down with Lin-Manuel Miranda. This was before Hamilton, before Moana, before Mary Poppins Returns, before DuckTales when he was merely a Tony Award winning composer with three Broadway shows under his belt. When we talked with him he shared why he chooses to deploy an ensemble, the process of writing In The Heights (now in production as...

The Pulitzer’s lineage shows a healthy appreciation for turning a mirror on society. And just like Of Thee I Sing and How To Succeed, Hamilton uses humor to portray many of the serious issues facing our nation’s creation and governance - both in the 1700s and today. Rarely has an ensemble been so visible as they are in Hamilton. The term “Ensemble of Principals” has been used to describe the cast...

Stephanie Klemons is the Associate Choreographer and Global Dance Supervisor of Hamilton. She was part of the process as it grew from a small idea to an international phenomenon with six companies world wide. In addition to being a member of the original cast, she now works to cast the multiple productions of Hamilton. She’s also a choreographer in her own right, working right now on Rock of Ages...

“The Parents” premiered on April 2nd, 2013, so Happy belated April Fools? It was written by Jordon Nardino, and directed by Tricia Brock, both new to the Smash family. The viewership fell again this week, this time by 70,000 viewers, for a total of 2.98 million. We had only three featured songs this week, but they were all originals! From Hit List, we had Katharine McPhee’s rendition of “Broadway...

next to normal was the second rock musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama after RENT, but it is also a close cousin of kitchen sink-style plays that have won the award as well, such as 2007’s winner Rabbit Hole and 2008’s winner: August: Osage County.    With music by Tom Kitt, and both book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, next to normal is many things: a family drama, a rock opera, an exploratio...

Like many communities in our country, much of the recent discussions among theatre professionals has been around the subjects of race and equality. Much of the change needed to achieve a greater sense of equality in the theatre industry needs to come “from the top down.” However, how can actors and others who are not the decision-makers in our industry make active decisions that advocate? Today, O...

The role of Marilyn’s mother, Gladys, has finally been cast and rather than going with Patti LuPone, Eileen and Tom have gone with someone a little closer to home: Ivy’s mother: The Broadway star Leigh Conroy is stepping out of retirement to play the role only she could play! Ivy can only feign excitement about the casting, as her relationship with Leigh is filled with competition.  Karen’s Dad is...

Welcome back to the re-release of The History of the Ensemble, our second full season of The Ensemblist. Back in 2016, co-creator Nikka Graff Lanzarone and I took a deep dive through the history of the ensemble, exploring how the ensemblist experience has changed and been changed by some of theatre’s most influential musicals. This week, we’re heading back to 1984 to take a look at one of Stephen...

Hosted by the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, Broadway for Black Lives Matter Again is a three-part forum for the Broadway community to heal, listen, and hold itself accountable to its history of white supremacy. Day 3, Day of Accountability, was a space to begin examining accountability with the Broadway industry - rooted in its history of individual and systemic racism. This was a time to collectiv...

Hosted by the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, Broadway for Black Lives Matter Again is a three-part forum for the Broadway community to heal, listen, and hold itself accountable to its history of white supremacy. Day 2, Day of Listening, was a space to center the experiences of black industry professionals, while challenging white allies to bear witness and reflect on what it means to dismantle impli...

“Musical Chairs” premiered on March 19th, 2013. It was written by Becky Mode, and was directed by Broadway’s very own, Casey Nicholaw! The viewership was down again from the previous week, by about a quarter-million viewers, amounting to a total of 2.66 million. We saw two full original songs and two excerpts this week, which means, no pop covers! Our in-home team of Shaiman and Whitman wrote Liai...

It’s difficult to even fathom what the next three months will feel like. As Broadway waits for the green light to start performances, the performers in those shows are waiting as well. However, that waiting comes with knowledge that even when Broadway opens they may not have a show to come back to. On March 12, there were 457 ensemblists working in Broadway musicals. But as Beetlejuice and then Fr...