The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales

Nothing brings people together more than music and performing; Michael Mott got the best of both worlds as he prepares for his second annual holiday show, "Michael Mott & Friends,” happening in December, along with the release of a brand new single performed by the incomparable Jessica Vosk. Michael was also a professional actor for seven years and while he was grateful for all the work, he realiz...

Anika Larsen is having a great time as she takes the challenge of both playing the mom on Broadway's "Almost Famous" and being the mom of two boys offstage. Anika's passion for saving the planet is contagious, and as a member of the Broadway Green Alliance and ambassador for Global Goals for Sustainability, she's making sure she can show and tell her children that she really tried to do what she c...

Currently playing the role of Marcia Murphey in the Broadway show, "A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical", Robyn Hurder shares how she got involved with the show and how she never thought it would be her biggest role to date. In fact, she auditioned for a different role but didn't think much of it because she felt like she wasn't right for it. Robyn speaks candidly about her love of perform...

Currently starring as Cinderella in the Broadway revival of “Into The Woods”, Krysta Rodriguez is a talented actor, singer, and dancer with countless Broadway, TV and film credits. As the world starts to adjust to the new normal, she talks about her life and being thrust back on stage in a well-received show, which was completely unexpected for her. Playing the role of Cinderella made her realize...

With all the talent and awards Julie Benko has received at such a young age, it begs the question: What can't she do? Julie proves that it’s never too late… or too early to learn anything. Currently the Fanny Brice alternate in "Funny Girl" on Broadway, Julie shares her life as an actor and how she handles the hectic schedule that comes along with it. She also recalls doing a production of “Fiddle...

From creating a one-woman show, "Beth Malone: So Far" to originating the role of "Fun Home's" Alison Bechdel, Tony and Grammy award nominee Beth Malone has set a name for herself on the Broadway stage. Beth takes us through her journey to getting into performing and becoming an actress, sharing her younger years which included watching “Singing in the Rain on TV” and working at a dinner theatre gr...

Currently leading the North American tour of the hit show, “Oklahoma!” as Laurey Williams, Sasha Hutchings proves to be a performing powerhouse. Sasha's love for dancing has brought her to where she is today. Dancing as a career was a slow burn for her, but her parents and teachers' support helped her take it more seriously and pursue the craft. She attended Oklahoma City University, where she dis...

Talia Suskauer is currently playing Elphaba in "Wicked" on Broadway, following the success of the Munchkinland National Tour of the same show where she played the same role. From being a pasta lover to being a dog lover, Talia gets super personal as she shares how she got into theatre, which includes singing recordings in the car with her mom and sister. Talia looks back on the things that inspire...

Alyssa Fox is currently in "Wicked" on Broadway as Elphaba standby, having been a part of "Wicked" for around 12 years now. Her lifelong dream of becoming true Disney royalty and growing up watching Disney movies was her first introduction to acting and singing and theatrical expression. Alyssa shares her love for singing and performing live, discovering "Wicked" in senior high school and finding...

Longtime friends and creative partners, David Rossmer and Steve Rosen are currently working together as lyricists and songwriters for the "The Griswolds’ Broadway Vacation" musical, which just opened for its world premiere at The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. The two share their first meeting at a performing arts camp, and the rest, as they say, is history. Growing up in a musical household and a...

As a young kid, he originally wanted to be a novelist. A audition for a high school production of Bye Bye Birdie landed him the lead role of Conrad, which blasted open the doors for him in the acting world. He ended up going to University of Michigan when they were first beginning to make a name for themselves as one of the best places to learn the craft, and then found his way easily onto the Bro...

Mikayla Renfrow is currently making her Broadway debut as Nessarose in "Wicked", one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history. Mikayla shares her background, including growing up in Cincinnati and moving around a lot. She talks about inherited trauma, a point in her life where she always felt like a black sheep, and how that changed thanks to the Cincinnati art school she went into. Mikayl...

Jordan Barrow is currently making his Broadway debut as the principal role of Boq in "Wicked", making him the first black actor to play the role in North America. He talks about how he got into performing—from joining a theatre camp to doing voiceover work and getting his first professional job when he was 13. He shares how didn't sing until he was 11 and even cried after getting the role of Danny...

A live panel discussion with Elizabeth Teeter, Dana Steingold, Zonya Love and Michelle Aravena from Beetlejuice. This was recorded LIVE at BroadwayCon 2022 on July 8th, 2022. Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal...

Patrick Page is a Grammy award-winning actor and playwright currently playing Hades in "Hadestown". He looks back on his early years growing up in Oregon and becoming a professional magician wherein he toured an illusion show and won awards. He shares how doing magic gave him the validation he needed and taught him about audiences and how to hold the stage. Patrick eventually got deeply interested...

A live panel discussion with lead Actor Eric Sirakian, tabla phenom Salar Nader and Associate Director Damian Sandys from Broadway's The Kite Runner. This was recorded LIVE at BroadwayCon 2022 on July 10th, 2022. Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast...

Best known for his recurring role as FBI Special Agent Aram Mojtabai on the NBC hit TV show, "The Blacklist” is stage and TV actor Amir Arison who's also currently making his Broadway debut as Amir in "The Kite Runner". He shares one of the hardest scenes in the show for him, and that while playing his role can get tiring at times, he finds it "bizarrely energizing" and cathartic. Amir recalls the...

Actor, writer, director and producer Faran Tahir may be best known for his roles in “Iron Man” (he tried to kill Tony Stark!) and “Star Trek” (he was killed by Nero!) but is now currently making his Broadway debut as Baba in “The Kite Runner”. Faran talks about playing villain roles, the challenge that comes with it, and how he brings a level of humanity to his roles. He talks about his childhood...

Damian Sandys is currently bringing his talent to the Broadway stage as The Kite Runner's associate director. The theatre director talks about the difference between the UK production and Broadway production of “The Kite Runner”, the importance of humor in the show, and how its US audiences are more vocal. He shares how he started getting into theatre directing, from watching and learning from his...

Azita Ghanizada is currently making her Broadway debut in "The Kite Runner" as Soraya, and is now the first woman of Afghan descent to originate a role on Broadway. As we learn, Azita's childhood life was far from ordinary and easy. Her family fled Afghanistan and ended up in the US as political asylum seekers. Similarly to what happens in “The Kite Runner”, she had trouble getting citizenship bec...

Eric Sirakian recently made his Broadway debut in "The Kite Runner" as both Hassan and Sohrab. With stage credits such as "The Jungle", "Twelfth Night", "The Comedy of Errors", and "Pericles", Eric is definitely putting the extracurriculars he did at Yale and his training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art into good practice. He recalls his first acting class and being introduced to London’s Wes...

With years of training with the best teachers, including Grammy award winner Ustad Zakir Hussain, it’s no surprise that Salar Nader is considered percussionist royalty. Apart from being the tabla artist and creating additional arrangements for The Kite Runner, Salar has also performed for the hit show and is playing the tabla for its current Broadway run. Salar passionately shares the history of t...

For Ian Eisendrath, being an artist is like coming home. So many kids, Ian shares, don’t feel like they fit or belong until they find their creative outlet. By embracing chance, trusting his gut and putting himself out there in big ways, Ian has done just that. The University of Michigan School of Music graduate could never have predicted the path he would forge that has included various roles on...

Sonoya Mizuno recently made her stage debut as Maggie in the first Off-Broadway production of the Tennessee Williams classic, "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof". The actress slash ballet dancer and now a stage performer speaks candidly about her childhood, and how her uncle who was a stage actor inspired her to pursue acting. She talks about her ballet dancing career, auditioning and getting the role of Kyok...

A LIVE panel discussion with Rob McClure, Brad Oscar, and Analise Scarpaci of “Mrs. Doubtfire” talking about the roller coaster of being part of a Broadway show during a pandemic and the bond formed as they all dealt with the effects of COVID, including their show getting postponed. Rob recalls what it was like playing a role originally played by Robin Williams, and why he thinks the greatest adap...