Welcome back to part two of my conversation with Justin Guarini! He’s already shared pivotal moments from his childhood and given us a cautionary tale of his college experience. So we pick up with his decision to stick with American Idol instead of making his Broadway debut with The Lion King. Get Justin's book Audition Secrets and learn his tips and secrets to auditioning. Topics discussed in this episode: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Julie Andrews and her vocal surgery Justin in W...
Jan 15, 2021•46 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Happy New Year to you! And welcome to the premiere episode of Season Five. Today’s guest is Justin Guarini, who you probably know from American Idol but has done so much more and has a lot to teach us about becoming an artist, finding our own path, and realizing that fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Get Justin's book Audition Secrets or possibly win a signed copy of this book by becoming a member of WINMI as a Maker, Producer, or Artist. Sign up for one of these memberships by January 31, 2...
Jan 13, 2021•40 min•Season 5Ep. 1
A look back at the year that was unlike anything we hoped for or would ever imagine. Still, this podcast had its good moments and a plethora of fantastic guests. Here's just some of what you'll get in this end-of-the-year episode: Broadway Makers Alliance & Helium Radio Networks Season Recap and Top 5 Guests My two favorite episodes Season 5 Preview with Justin Guarini Final Five questions with Sammi Cannold Members-Only episodes ————— Follow WINMI: Instagram / Twitter / Website Donate to WI...
Dec 28, 2020•40 min•Season 4Ep. 94
Merry Christmas! :) In honor of the recent release of THE PROM movie on Netflix, here is a special combo episode of my conversations with star of the Broadway production, Caitlin Kinnunen (starts at 1:58), and one of the co-producers, Abigail Rose Solomon (starts at 35:18). Also, this holiday season don't miss the 12 Days of Auditions, available at donate.winmipodcast.com . Become a WINMI Producer and listen to former guests share their most memorable audition stories. Listen to Caitlin's full s...
Dec 25, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 93
Today’s episode is part two of my conversation with the final guest of Season 4. Sammi Cannold is a remarkable artist and director. She was even named to the 2019 Forbes List of 30 under 30 in entertainment for her innovative and unique approach to directing for the stage. And today’s conversation is going to be focusing on a few of those productions: her remarkable staging of the musical Violet on an actual bus AND her 2019 New York City Center Gala production of Evita. I have my own personal c...
Dec 18, 2020•39 min•Season 4Ep. 92
Here we are at the final guest of Season Four... In part one of my conversation with New York director, Sammi Cannold shares the details of an article she wrote for The Stage , detailing how South Korean producers have made theater safe and possible for both creatives and audiences. While Sammi remains more diplomatic, I am not gentle in my rebuke of the Broadway League and Actors Equity, who have either kept silent for much of this pandemic or have actually been a hindrance to getting theater u...
Dec 16, 2020•42 min•Season 4Ep. 91
In part one of my conversation with Christophe Zajac-Denek, he talked about growing up with dwarfism, his love of music and drumming, and how he just kind of fell into the world of acting on camera. For part two, we continue that journey with the movie and experience that had a profound impact on his life. As we start this episode Christophe has moved back to Michigan to go to music school and return to his first love of drumming, but life had other ideas for what Christophe needed to be doing. ...
Dec 11, 2020•42 min•Season 4Ep. 90
If I’m being honest, I have never really met a little person. Maybe in passing, but never actually sat down and had a conversation with one. But once we got on Zoom, Christophe Zajac-Denek and I chatted for more than two hours and even then we still could’ve kept on talking. There were so many areas of his life and experience that were not only interesting but also inspiring. So this is actually just part one of that conversation. His fascinating story is such a departure from most conversations...
Dec 09, 2020•53 min•Season 4Ep. 89
It's been one heck of a year, yet one arts group wanted to come together and make something to celebrate this season. They asked me to be a part of the event by hosting their Virtual Red Carpet. These interviews with the actors and creative team behind BroadwayMania's Holiday Special were first shown Thanksgiving weekend and led up to the hour-long Christmas program. Amanda Varelakis, singer/director (1:51) Sean Milas, singer (5:15) Amber Dickson, singer (9:38) Toby Blackwell, singer/writer (12:...
Dec 04, 2020•41 min•Season 4Ep. 88
This past summer, as we were in the midst of massive theater shutdowns and summer season cancellations, I found BroadwayMania on Instagram. It was mostly videos of singers belting out show tunes, well-produced performances that were earnest and passionate. As I found out more about this organization and their mission to provide opportunities to performers around the world, I was truly captivated by their love of theater. While there are some professional artists in the group, many others come fr...
Dec 02, 2020•25 min•Season 4Ep. 87
When it comes to the arts, I aim to give as wide a field of experience and opinion as possible here on the podcast. Yet for the most part I steer clear of politics. This is for a few reasons, but the main two are that I don’t want to add to the already divisive nature of some political activism and I want the content of this podcast to be as relevant today as it will be a year or more from now. Causes come and go, elected officials also change regularly (as does their rhetoric and positions on k...
Nov 30, 2020•5 min•Season 4Ep. 86
Thanks for coming back to join me and Kristen Hetzel again! This is a bonus episode to the previous conversation, where we cover topics and five specific questions that we didn’t address on the last episode. Today, Kristen talks about her athletic and acting bucket lists and shares wisdom from her Aunt Zee. The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. Subscribe to get access to bonus episodes and extra content...
Nov 27, 2020•12 min•Season 4Ep. 85
In this podcast’s continuing series, Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers we’re finding ways to improve how we work and create, how to push through challenges we face. So far we’ve looked at ways to better our public relations, our mindset and deliberate practice as well as branding strategies and how best to use social media. Join the WINMI newsletter: whyillnevermakeit.com Today, as we head into a long Thanksgiving weekend, we’ll be tying it altogether by talking about persistence and gr...
Nov 25, 2020•41 min•Season 4Ep. 84
Become a WINMI Producer today: donate.winmipodcast.com This interview was conducted back in August 2020, hence the reference to my air conditioner. Tony also mentions his episode with Lea Salonga, which has since been released . He goes on to rant a bit about podcasting and getting interviews, and we discuss online classes from Domestika and General Assembly . And once again, the title of this podcast comes under the microscope. Take Tony's Digital Wellness Survey , a quick self-assessment of yo...
Nov 20, 2020•22 min•Season 4Ep. 83
When it comes to our lives and our careers, perhaps no shift has been more dramatic or significant as our increase in time online and on our phones. The biggest driver of this is social media. Digital strategist Tony Howell pays another visit to the podcast as we talk about branding, online presence, and our use of social apps. Sign up for the WINMI newsletter... Tony first appeared on the podcast back in season two . Since performing together on a national tour, he has left the physical stage b...
Nov 18, 2020•59 min•Season 4Ep. 82
In part three of the month-long series bettering ourselves bettering our careers, this episode is a continuation from the previous conversation about deliberate practice and the 10,000 hours rule. Another psychologist, Alisa Hurwitz, PsyD, joins me today to dive into mindset and how we actors can deal with rejection and the challenges we face in this business. Her moniker Dr. Drama comes from her many analytical interviews, discussions, and articles on theater, specifically her lifelong passion ...
Nov 13, 2020•46 min•Season 4Ep. 81
When it comes to bettering ourselves as artists, it involves a lot of training, coaching, and practice. One popular strategy is called the 10,000 Hours Rule, popularized by Malcolm Gladwell . But today’s guest, psychologist Brooke Macnamara, has done research showing the importance of quality over quantity. Get the WINMI Newsletter: whyillnevermakeit.com In his 2008 book Outliers: The Story of Success , Gladwell proposes this rule based on a study of violinists conducted by psychologist Anders E...
Nov 11, 2020•59 min•Season 4Ep. 80
This is the first episode in a new series on the podcast: Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers. And today’s guest provides a great example of both - Lisa Goldberg, Owner of LSG Public Relations. Support WINMI and get your supporter-only episodes: donate.winmipodcast.com Lisa represents actors, writers, directors, and choreographers both nationally and internationally, who have won Emmys, Golden Globes, Grammys, and Tony awards. She’s also represented companies and charities as well. But sh...
Nov 04, 2020•50 min•Season 4Ep. 79
On this special bonus episode all about the recent Tony Award Nominations , I’m so happy to introduce 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 was “Broadway is broken and I alone can fix it.” And it's this kind of witty, tongue in cheek and knowledgeable opinions that I wanted to bring on the show as we talk a...
Nov 02, 2020•47 min•Season 4Ep. 78
Meredith and I continue our conversation from the previous episode as she answers the Final Five questions. She shares her national tour ambitions and her love of interior design as well as what she learned from Ali Stroker. Make your one-time or monthly donation at donate.winmipodcast.com ---------- The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes challenging but always rewarding. For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: twitte...
Oct 30, 2020•9 min•Season 4Ep. 77
In honor of Dysautonomia Awareness Month , Meredith Aleigha Wells joins the podcast to share her struggles and challenges onstage and in life all from the vantage point of a wheelchair. After becoming disabled at the age of 19, Meredith performed in a college workshop production of the new musical Donny Johns , making UMass Amherst history as the first actor who uses a wheelchair to perform in a Mainstage production. Meredith graduated with a Bachelor's Degree with Individualized Concentration i...
Oct 28, 2020•51 min•Season 4Ep. 76
This month’s Recommendation comes from co-hosts Jill Jaracz and Allison Brown and their podcast: Keep the Flame Alive, the podcast for fans of the greatest sporting event in the world. Each week, hosts Jill Jaracz and Alison Brown explore the stories of the Olympics, which is basically the Broadway of sports. They talk to athletes and sports writers as well as coaches and organizers. They explore host cities and sporting histories, showcasing different aspects and perspectives of the Olympic Gam...
Oct 26, 2020•6 min•Season 4Ep. 75
British historian and philosopher R.G. Collingwood said, "History is for human self knowledge, the only clue to what men can do is what man has done . So with an ongoing pandemic and theaters shut down for the foreseeable future, what can history teach us about dealing with such hardships and what to expect going forward? That’s what we’ll be exploring in this episode with Professor Charlotte Canning , Ph.D, a theatre and performance historian at the University of Texas at Austin. Topics discuss...
Oct 21, 2020•56 min•Season 4Ep. 74
Bienvenidos y gracias por acompañarnos en esta edición especial de Why I’ll Never Make It! En esta segunda parte de mi serie sobre historias hispanas, escucharán a mis invitados anteriores compartir sus propias historias y experiencias en español. Roberto Araujo - 1:06 Bianca Marroquín - 5:57 Luis Salgado - 11:50 Jaime Lozano - 16:59 Alina Alcántara - 24:43 Tadeo Martinez - 28:39 Cecy Trevino - 30:52 Sin embargo, hay una mujer en este episodio que no ha aparecido anteriormente, Cecy Treviño. De ...
Oct 15, 2020•40 min•Season 4Ep. 73
This is part one in a series of former Hispanic guests coming back to share their stories in their own words. The second part - la segunda parte - comes out tomorrow and will be en espanol. My original idea was to bring back all Hispanic guests for a single Spanish episode. And I ignorantly assumed they would all want to share stories in that language. But Matt Zambrano and Dan Domingues expressed their hesitation at speaking fluently off the cuff about their experiences. While they speak the la...
Oct 14, 2020•41 min•Season 4Ep. 72
Welcome back to more conversation with Tadeo Martinez as he answers the Final Five. Tadeo shares two of his favorites pieces of advice and his dream to be on YouTube. He also talks about his award-winning performance in Noises Off in Dallas, Texas. Would you like to be a part of creating an episode? Find out how you can and support this podcast at the same time: https://ko-fi.com/winmi/commissions ---------- For further insights on the topics covered in this episode: twitter.com/winmipodcast/ Qu...
Oct 09, 2020•16 min•Season 4Ep. 71
When it comes to the guests on this podcast most of them are fairly well established. This allows me to the Google them, find pictures and stories about them, and get to know their body of work. But for Tadeo Martinez, there wasn’t much to go on. I found a couple of show reviews and his website. Now, this is no slight on Tadeo. I didn’t have much either coming out of college. But what I did find certainly gave me enough cause to bring him on the podcast, especially when I read of his desire to b...
Oct 07, 2020•59 min•Season 4Ep. 70
Well, I hope you listened to our previous conversation because Bianca is back to answer the Final Five questions. She shares her disappointment in not getting to play Evita but also her joy to portray Chita Rivera in the hit TV show Fosse . She also goes deeper into her love of family and being a stepmom. Would you like to answer the Final Five questions? Let me know at winmipodcast.com . ---------- The time and expense needed to bring these guests and conversations to you each week is sometimes...
Oct 02, 2020•16 min•Season 4Ep. 69
In today's wide-ranging conversation with Bianca Marroquin, one of the issues she addresses is that of language and accent. Growing up near the Texas border, she had the opportunity to learn both languages. So in addition to being the first Mexican woman ever to land a leading role on Broadway, she is also the only one ever to do Chicago in two different languages. Yet in the 18 years since the Broadway debut as Roxie Hart, she has still faced confusing and ignorant statements from casting direc...
Sep 30, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 68
Well, it's the last Monday of the month, so that means it's time for this month's podcast recommendation: THE INDUSTRY, hosted by Dan Delgado. Every week Why I’ll Never Make It likes to highlight and dive into the areas that hold us back as artists, the realities of this business with all of its ups and downs. Sometimes we find success and other times, like now, we face hardship and/or failure. So when I happened upon a television and movie podcast that did the same thing, focusing on lesser kno...
Sep 28, 2020•6 min•Season 4Ep. 67
