The main focus and message of this series has been on storytelling. From Kate who talked about how to use our voices and acting skills to connect with casting directors as well audiences, to Max who broke down the elements of a good story and how to craft that for print, stage, or screen. On this episode, I’m talking with composer and audio producer Matt Sav about musical storytelling and how the path from initial idea to an actual finished product can be a long and sometimes stumbling journey. ...
Nov 22, 2021•49 min•Season 5Ep. 62
Though the theater is my main focus as both an actor and a podcaster, it is often interesting and educating to talk with those outside the theater world. Today’s guest has performed on many stages, but he is the last person who would consider himself to be an actor of any sorts. Nonetheless, Max Stossel has a lot to teach us actors about how we present and perform stories, and maybe even write our own. Max is an award-winning poet, filmmaker, speaker and a former media strategist, named one of t...
Nov 15, 2021•53 min•Season 5Ep. 61
This is a continuation of part one’s look at voiceover work and acting behind the mic. You will hear from a group of actors, directors, and producers applying voiceover and acting techniques into their radio play podcast called Standby for Places. As the pandemic was shutting down most opportunities for actors, this group of artists found a way to keep acting and producing throughout the pandemic. Standby for Places was co-created by Freda Mattea, Margie Zarcone, and Graydon Gund. They then brou...
Nov 08, 2021•38 min•Season 5Ep. 60
Today begins the second annual presentation of this month-long series with actress and voiceover coach Kate McClanaghan . We will be touching on the various aspects of voice work and technique but also addressing some fundamental struggles every actor faces. About 30 years ago Kate founded Actors’ SOUND ADVICE with fellow producer and coach Jeff Finney. Together they sought to provide an honest and personalized approach to career consulting, voiceover coaching, and demo production. As both an ac...
Nov 01, 2021•46 min•Season 5Ep. 59
One of the themes of this podcast is how we as actors are constantly changing, adjusting, tweaking our careers as we transition between to stage, screen, commercials, and voiceovers. That same kind of transition happens for those behind the table as well. Patrick Millsaps has had a unique journey of started off as an attorney, turned political adviser and pundit, and then pivoting to becoming a talent manager AND THEN, ultimately a movie producer and studio head at Kane Studios . Today we talked...
Oct 25, 2021•54 min•Season 5Ep. 58
As an actor, one of the more difficult attitudes for me to manage is that of jealousy and an elevated sense of competition for roles and status in this industry. I’ve particularly noticed this since theater has opened up again after the long pandemic shutdown and other actors, not me, are back onstage again. My guest today, Peter Allen Vogt, is a talented actor in his own right but has struggled with this as well from time to time, especially considering he has a well-known identical twin who is...
Oct 18, 2021•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 57
Every year more and more artists come to this country and face the challenges of the language and the culture while facing the nuances of auditioning and performing in America. Born in Italy with a Vietnamese background, Alessandra Mai Vinh began dancing at the age of 13. In Italy, she became known for working on national TV shows, commercials, and tours, as well as choreographing and dancing for several popular artists. In 2012, on a mission to pursue her dreams, she decided to move to New York...
Oct 11, 2021•35 min•Season 5Ep. 56
Balancing work and life is a tough juggling act for most any actor or artist. Adding a relationship to the equation can be even more difficult to maintain and actors as a whole aren’t known for the longevity of their relationships . Brad Oscar and Diego Prieto are actors and husbands who have learned their own lessons in both living and working as a couple. Brad has appeared in nine Broadway shows and is a Tony-nominee for his performances in The Producers and Something Rotten . Diego has perfor...
Oct 04, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 55
In part one of our conversation, Misty Rosas talked having the opportunity to pursue one of her first passions as an artist -- singing -- and the thrill of opening for her favorite band Air Supply. In the second half of our conversation, we talk a bit more about that journey to becoming a singer, but first, Misty shares the joy and fulfillment that can come from finally saying yes to yourself and how to handle our own inner critic. I’ve even included the final five questions in this episode, whe...
Sep 29, 2021•47 min•Season 5Ep. 54
I’ve been a fan of The Mandalorian since it debuted in 2019, and when I found out that one actor had played two wonderful characters on the show (Kuiil and Frog Lady) I was really impressed with her work. That’s when I looked up Misty Rosas and discovered her long résumé of other character work besides the Disney+ Star Wars series. She is also a dancer, singer, gymnast, stunt woman, and voiceover artist. While her résumé is impressive, it was when I read her personal story that I truly became a ...
Sep 27, 2021•43 min•Season 5Ep. 53
We're less than a week away from the 2020 Tony Awards ceremony (finally!) so I wanted to bring back this special episode all about those surprising Tony Award Nominations and the fallout that came from the announcement. My conversation is with music director, conductor, and fellow podcaster Nate Patton . Nate and I first met when he was associate conducting Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway. And his podcast called Booked It . The title to one of his episodes on his podcast, Booked It...
Sep 20, 2021•50 min•Season 5Ep. 52
When it comes to work as an actor, there’s that old adage of "feast or famine." For myself that has meant going 11 months without any work…all while still auditioning of course, but there have been other times when three shows come up at once, and I had to decide which ONE of them I’m going to do. In Part Two of my conversation with Rodney Hicks , we’re going to be talking about the feasts and famines of his career -- various shows and original casts he’s been a part of as well as the shows he d...
Sep 15, 2021•29 min•Season 5Ep. 51
Here in America, we just marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and on the eve of that anniversary a live recording of the Broadway production of Come From Away was released. It featured many past and present members of the cast, but one of the original cast members, Rodney Hick s, was absent from the filming. In part one of our conversation, Rodney takes us through his long journey with the show and how it came to a sudden end. He reminds us that even in the darkest of times, there is still some ...
Sep 13, 2021•42 min•Season 5Ep. 50
As we came to the end of Part One of our conversation, Will Swenson and I were talking about the deeper questions of who we are as artists and the absolute importance of bringing our full selves to the stage. In this episode, Will’s performance in the Broadway revival of HAIR back in 2009 and how the show and the character of Berger allowed him a freedom and an energy that he had never gotten the chance to express on stage before. We also continue to explore the more personal side of who we are ...
Sep 08, 2021•31 min•Season 5Ep. 49
For the next three weeks I’ll be talking with two Broadway actors and a music director about their careers in New York and their own thoughts on the the theatre world and the Tony Awards. I start today with actor and singer Will Swenson , a Tony nominee for his outstanding work in the revival of the musical HAIR back in 2009. He's someone I’ve known since the late 90s when we were working at Disney World in Orlando, both sharing the role of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. We are both baritone le...
Sep 06, 2021•39 min•Season 5Ep. 48
Whether from personal experience or hearing stories from the past two episodes on this podcast, you know that almost anything can happen in an audition room. Sometimes it’s defined by magical moments, while other times it is filled with frustration. Yet even still, the most “perfect“ audition doesn’t always lead to a call back or a contract. It is this uncertainty that can bring both excitement and dismay. Not to mention the fact that auditioning for the stage is slightly different from audition...
Aug 30, 2021•56 min•Season 5Ep. 47
For most theater actors, Broadway is the ultimate status to attain in this industry. It’s the highest level any of us can reach and is the utmost definition of making it, but just because an actor has been on a Broadway stage, it doesn’t mean they don’t go through the same frustrations and doubts that we go through. That really gets to the heart of Why I’ll Never Make It and especially today’s episode, which is brought to you by We Audition ( get 25% off membership with promo code: WINMI25 ). Th...
Aug 23, 2021•52 min•Season 5Ep. 46
Actors have been returning to the stage this summer as some regional theaters have returned to normal with live audiences. That, of course, has brought in a fresh wind of auditions. So, it is with great pleasure and excitement that I welcome you to the third annual Audition Stories here on the podcast. The last time these audition episodes were on the podcast was a month before the Covid shutdown and there have been a lot of guests with worthwhile stories since then. Today’s episode, brought to ...
Aug 16, 2021•51 min•Season 5Ep. 45
For the past week I have been doing a deep dive into podcasting at a yearly conference called Podcast Movement. It's a place where podcasters like me can learn how to make better episodes, conduct riveting interviews, sincerely engage with listeners, and figure out ways to make my podcast both sustainable and profitable. The goal is to give you and future listeners even more reasons to come back week after week for another episode. At last year‘s conference I actually met a guest you’ve already ...
Aug 09, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 44
Last year I started releasing bonus episodes to those who supported this podcast on a monthly basis. Well, this is one of those special episodes with Kristen Hetzel. I brought along the co-hosts of Olympic podcast Keep the Flame Alive . Jill and Allison ask questions which bring a different perspective to my conversation with this silver and bronze medal duathlete. They ask about Team USA, correlations between acting training and athleticism, and even wonder about guys who challenge Kristen to d...
Aug 06, 2021•15 min•Season 5Ep. 43
As the Olympics head into their second week, it’s been a great reminder of the lessons we as artists can learn from these Olympians. Remember the episode with Sally Wilfert? She reminded us singers how we are small muscle athletes. And anyone who’s been through a tech rehearsal process knows what a marathon can feel like and striving to reach the finish line. Mindset and mental health are also so important. Athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka are recent examples of how competition and esp...
Aug 02, 2021•45 min•Season 5Ep. 42
When it comes to theater we all know Broadway and the big lights of New York City. There’s also organizations like the public or playwrights horizons that present notable off Broadway productions as well. But for the most part stage work is done by small to midsize theaters across the country some bring in equity Actors but a lot of them don’t. They are simply gathering together actors, directors, and designers to put on a show to entertain and engage local audiences. Well, the music industry is...
Jul 26, 2021•40 min•Season 5Ep. 41
During this past year as Covid wrecked the theater scene, ending so many shows and seasons, Andrew Lloyd Webber was doing his best to bring musicals back to the West End. And in much the same way, although for very different reasons, it was Lloyd Webber in the 1980s who was bringing the modern musical theater to Germany and the rest of Europe with grand spectacles like Cats . At that time Sabine Kvenberg was a stage actress at the very start of her performing career. So of course when Cats came ...
Jul 19, 2021•51 min•Season 5Ep. 40
Communication and interacting with each other through words is really at the heart of what it means to connect and relate to other people. This is even more clear as actors and writers in the way that we tell stories and share experiences. Clear and understandable communication is a vital part of the performing arts. We do this through dance, visual media, physical gestures, and other ways, but most importantly though language. For Damian Thompson, this of course has been an essential part of hi...
Jul 12, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 5Ep. 39
in many ways today’s episode is almost a masterclass from beginning to end in how to bridge the gap between being artist and an entrepreneur. Ashley Danyew is a musician and educator who shares how she has had to branch out in many different directions to build both an enjoyable and sustainable career. Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter . Even before the pandemic, the life of any artist was one of constant change. Times when you have more work than you know what to do with and other long s...
Jul 05, 2021•57 min•Season 5Ep. 38
Well, here we are at the third and final installment of my young artist series. And it could be argued that I’ve saved the most prolific artist for last. As both a performer and writer, Joshua Turchin has crammed a lot of experience into his very young career. Whether it’s on stage at the Hollywood bowl or a national tour OR composing his own award-winning musical OR Music directing his weekly cabaret series, Joshua certainly stays busy. Oh yeah, he also has school and homework to deal with as w...
Jun 28, 2021•42 min•Season 5Ep. 37
When it comes to actors, we really are part of a family and community with one another, and no matter how long or how short a time we’ve been in this business, there’s always something we can learn from each other. I mean that's really the basis of this podcast, and today’s guest is a perfect example of this. Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter . For the most part Chloe Noelle is just your average teenager, who loves games, movies, and time with her friends. But Chloe‘s first big acting job...
Jun 21, 2021•48 min•Season 5Ep. 36
Being a coach and leading master classes has been something I truly enjoyed doing. Imparting my experience and insights to students and watching them have those a-ha moments and discovering something new about themselves or their own skills and talents. But sometimes it’s good to flip that around and ask those just starting out their career what THEY have learned so far and where THEY see not only themselves going in this career but where the industry is going as a whole. So for the next three e...
Jun 14, 2021•52 min•Season 5Ep. 35
In this past year, as most actors and artists were forced to stay at home, we found new ways to keep creating. The most obvious is the explosion of zoom readings and productions of both new and existing works. Others discovered this medium of podcasting, and in just one year the number of podcasts doubled. But in today’s episode, in honor of Pride Month, I’m talking with two women who set out to explore a relatively new art form, the podcast musical. Ellie Brigida and Leigh Holmes Foster are the...
Jun 07, 2021•42 min•Season 5Ep. 34
This week I'm sharing a conversation I had on another podcast called Blatantly Honest . At the end of this episode I also talk about the recent survey and the need for a reassessment of WINMI Podcast. Makaila Nichols is the founder of the Blatantly Honest Foundation. She is also a national speaker, podcaster, and best-selling author of Blatantly Honest: Normal Teen, Abnormal Life . In her book, she shares her personal struggles with issues teens may encounter such as: bullying, body image, sexua...
Jun 02, 2021•38 min•Season 5Ep. 33
