Why I‘ll Never Make It

Back in the summer of 2020, there was a new Netflix docuseries everyone was talking about, a little show called Tiger King. Well, in the midst of all that I sat down with composer and lyricist Andrew Lippa. He talked about a few of his bigger profile shows like The Addams Family, Big Fish, and of course The Wild Party, as well as a Tiger King parody he did with Kristin Chenoweth. We discuss the ye...

In the previous episode, I spoke with a musical writing team about their process of writing a full show for the stage with a cast and creative team bringing their story to life, but in today’s episode I’m speaking with a singular artist about her one-woman show and the long journey it took to go from thoughts and ideas in her head to an actual production and a dramatic podcast as well. Gina Harris...

In the last episode, I spoke with composer Matt Vinson and writer Matte O'Brien about their new musical Anne of Green Gables. It was the first time I’ve spoken with a musical writing team here on Why I’ll Never Make It, and so for the two of them I thought I would bring back a bonus episode I haven’t done in a while: The Final Five. After that main interview they answered five final questions abou...

Writing a musical is a long process, and once the writers are have finished that last page…that’s really only the beginning of their journey. By the time an actor comes along to audition for it, there’s usually been years of drafts, workshops, and revisions.  Listeners of this podcast know that this summer has been a welcome return to the stage for me in a new theatrical adaptation of Anne of Gree...

Just like actors show off their skills in the audition room, other artists and creatives have their own ways of showcasing talents to prospective theaters, directors, or employers, and these interviews can be just as anxious and nerve-racking as what we actors face, especially if you aren’t as prepared as you could be. Adam Stocker is a Broadway costumer and returns for this bonus episode to share...

This past week as Anne of Green Gables went into tech rehearsal and we finally had our first public performance, I was reminded that there is a very particular important step that happens as you leave the rehearsal studio and finally start working on stage and that is the introduction of costumes. For me as an actor the adding of costumes is a big step forward in the development of my character. I...

For the past four weeks I’ve been in rehearsals for a new musical adaptation of Anne of Green Gables. During that time I even got Covid for the second time and had to miss several days of rehearsal while I was recovering. In fact, I wasn’t the only one who got Covid during the rehearsal process, so it’s been quite a journey for the creators and the cast as a whole and putting the show together. Bu...

Among the many repercussions of the Covid pandemic, it caused actors, including myself, to question our purpose, our abilities, and our own belief in what it means to be an artist. Well, today’s guest had many of these same doubts and questions well before there was any pandemic affecting our industry. He felt an internal struggle between what he wanted to do and what he thought he should to be do...

This past week I started rehearsals up in Connecticut at the Goodspeed Opera House doing a new musical version of the beloved Anne of Green Gables. It’s a well-known story around the world but especially in its home country of Canada. So in honor of that I thought I would bring a Canadian onto the podcast.  Ashley Victoria Robinson is an actress, writer, producer and podcaster, and though she and...

June is always a busy time for New York City with two major events taking place: one is of course the month-long Gay Pride celebration and the other is the biggest day of the Broadway season -- the Tony Awards. And today’s guest ticks off both of those boxes. Jerry Mitchell is a prolific Broadway Director and choreographer as well as a gay advocate with shows like Broadway Bares and Kinky Boots, j...

Four years ago this spring, a new play opened off Broadway called Church & State. It dealt with the contentious intersection of God, guns, and politics and featured four actors on a single set. I consider myself very fortunate to have been a part of this production as the understudy for the two male actors. It was written and produced by two former guests of this podcast: Jason Odell Williams as t...

My on-camera agent Brian Keith Graziani and I have been working together since late 2020 for a range of projects--from commercials and industrials to TV dramas and docu-series. Brian himself started out as an actor and singer, and just sort of fell into casting, which then led to talent management and representation. While he still loves performing, this new career path has allowed him to have a g...

“There are few things that can cause joy, shame, contentment, anxiety and stress the way that money does,” says Korrena Bailie, Consumer Finance Editor at Forbes. “If your finances cause you stress and anxiety, it’s natural to want to keep this to yourself because you might feel embarrassed or ashamed about the decisions you made.” (NY Times) Well, one artist who is trying to break down that wall...

Ethan Steimel talks with Jonathan Cerullo about seeing ourselves and our careers as more than an artistic craft in this special collaboration and presentation with Artistic Finance. There are two fundamental sides to every actor: the artistic part of us that loves rehearsing and performing, and then there’s the business aspect which handles money, contracts, and other details. It is so important t...

No matter how many conversations I have with artists, no matter how many episodes this podcast releases, I’m amazed at the variety of insights and lessons that each person brings to these discussions. In this episode, I think we hit upon one of the biggest obstacles, if not THE biggest, that holds us back as actors and creatives-- fear. The fear of the vulnerability it takes to give an honest perf...

One of the main themes and messages of this podcast has always been that success can mean different things to different people and the path of how someone gets there, if they get there, is always unique to the person. Today’s episode is with someone that I had the privilege of working with in the musical adaptation of First Wives Club back in 2015 in Chicago (with Faith Prince and Christine Sherri...

Years after the failed Lerner & Loewe movie musical of The Little Prince, producer Joseph Tandet tried again with composer John Barry and a full Broadway production, which brought with it a whole new set of problems. The Little Prince and the Aviator began rehearsals in late 1981 and starred TV and film actor Michael York as the pilot with a 10-year-old newcomer in the title role, Anthony Rapp. We...

As an actor it is rare to have long stretches of employment, especially in theater. Television actors can certainly be a part of a successful show for years on end and same goes for movie franchises where roles can come back film after film. Unfortunately, for most of us, it is simply job to job; we work hard to land a gig, the show ends, and then we work hard to book the next one. For Steven Warn...

Today’s episode is going to be slightly different from most episodes of Why I’ll Never Make It, because it was born out of a collaboration between myself and another podcast called The Industry hosted by Dan Delgado. In some ways it’s the movie version of this podcast, focusing on the challenges and failures that go into film production and taking a closer look at some of the lesser known and some...

Back in January 2022, this podcast held its first ever live event: a night of conversation with Emmy-winner Kevin Spirtas. He not only shared stories and struggles from his time on Broadway and television, but he also sang five songs that evening that highlighted the work he has done and moments that have meant the most to him throughout his career. On today’s episode you’re going to hear a portio...

In 1987, HBO had a comedy special called Women of the Night. It featured four women who were known regionally and at certain comedy clubs, but had yet to really reach a national audience. They were Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Poundstone, Rita Rudner, and today’s guest Judy Tenuta. In fact, for the next four years each one of these women would be named Best Female Stand-up Comic at the American Comedy A...

In the final episode of Season Five, I spoke with a talented and passionate actress and producer Debra Ann Byrd. In our conversation, she mentioned Elizabeth Swain as one of the professors who had a significant impact on her own training and understanding theater. She spoke so highly of this mentor that I looked her up and decided to ask her to come on his podcast as well. What I came to learn is...

The art of performing is certainly filled with joy and passion and can offer a creative fulfillment not found another professions, but as this podcast highlights with each episode, there are also underlying bouts of stress, anxiety, and frustration that come with being an artist and the choice to offer our creativity to the world. Last year I sat down with Mostafa Ashraf and his co-host Yara to ta...

Back in 2014, I met Terron Brooks as we were both working on a workshop of a new musical based on the hit movie FIRST WIVES CLUB. We both continued on with the show as it traveled to Chicago for its out of town pre-Broadway tryout. The musical never made it to New York, but as you’ll hear in my conversation today with today's guest, the journey of most performers is never a straight line and certa...

In honor of Black History Month, this episode is an encore presentation of two pioneering Black artists and the legacy they left in the performing arts. Vinnette Justine Carroll, PhD - Actress, Playwright, Director, Teacher Alvin Ailey - Dancer, Choreographer, Artistic Director Vinnette Justine Carroll’s professionalism in theatrical arts paved way for black professionals in the industry. She was...