Dear Multi-hyphenate

#83 - Michael Minarik: Cheap Happiness or Lofty Suffering?

What if training to be on Broadway didn’t cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars? What if it didn’t come with some of the toxic environments students often experience when studying for their BFA? What if students can train intensively in a safer and more equitable space? That’s where Michael Minarik of IAMT comes in.What’s in this episode?Treating yourself after auditions or small winsRejection is not about your soulFinding joy from withinNot being debt after collegeWhy the current model for the BFA Showcase is archaicThe ability to choose in the industry Audition accessibilityBecoming someone’s favoriteMichael Minarik is the director, acting head and cofounder of the institute for American Musical theatre located in Washington Heights, NYC – where alum is performing on Broadway, National Tours, regional theaters, film tv, cruise ships and other various performance venues. Michael has been a performer on Broadway in Les Miserables (Grantaire u/s Javert and Thenardier) Rock of Ages (u/s Lonny, Stacee Jaxx, Dennis Dupree, Hertz Kleinman) and Matilda (Escape Artist u/s Trunchbull). He was also in the Broadway first national tours of Urinetown (Bobby Strong) and Little Women (John Booke) as well as numerous regional theatre productions including Jekyll and Hyde (Jekyll) The Happy Time (with John Kander as a consultant) Jacques, The Rink with Leslie Uggams, Phantom (Phantom), Beauty and the Beast (Gaston), Titanic (Barrett), Wedding Singer (Glen Gulia) and many more. He is also a 12x singer for the New York Yankees singing God Bless America as well as the National Anthem. Michael is also an accomplished theatrical producer, with a Tony nomination for producing Rock of Ages on Broadway, the national tour, and the Toronto production. Michael was also the lead producer on the award winning musical Fat Camp as well as producing the off Broadway show, The Scene starring Tony Shalhoub and Patricia Heaton at second stage. Michael is also a successful real estate agent in Manhattan for over 20 years. Michael was a business major at James Madison University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#82 - Ilana Levine: My Jewish Goddess

Ilana Levine has got a lot of stories. I mean, a lot of stories. From Mel Brooks to Edie Falco to Michael Mayer, Ilana’s career path is a testament to who she is: an incredible talent and a brilliant human being. This incredible informative episode tackles so much about networking, identity, and creativity. What’s in a Jewish name?How Ilana’s 9 year old crush helped establish her career.When it’s necessary to burn a bridge.How her first musical she ever did was on Broadway.How Ilana joined Naked Angels Theatre Company.Saying No is just as important as saying Yes.What kind of lifestyle do you want to have?Ilana Levine is an actress best known for her role as Lucy Van Pelt in the Broadway revival of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown". She also starred on Broadway in “Jake’s Women”, "Wrong Mountain" and "The Last Night of Ballyhoo" and performed at the Tony Awards. Ilana has appeared in many television shows and movies, including the infamous Seinfeld episode, "The Contest", "Law & Order", "Tanner '88", "Damages", "Tanner and Tanner", "Failure to Launch", "Friends with Kids", "The Nanny Diaries", and "Confessions of a Shopaholic" among others. In 2016, she started hosting the podcast, “Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine” -along with "LKF" she also hosts the podcasts “And the Award Goes To... Hosted by Ilana Levine” and “How To Be More Chill”.She is the host of the Bryant Park author series " Live From The Reading Room" and hosts a celebrity interview series at The Atlantic Theater Company in NYC guests include Ben Stiller, Ted Danson, Isabelle Huppert , Duncan Sheik, Mary Steenburgen and more.She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Dominic Fumusa, and their 2 children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#81 - LaQuet Sharnell Pringle: Geared Up: Awake and Aware

Broadway’s LaQuet Sharnell Pringle (they/them/she/her) is an absolute powerhouse. Here’s some of the incredible topics we cover:Making friends in our 30sPreparing for relationships to close after the closing of a show.Craving ensemble and family.What is the purpose of a multi-hyphenate?Why LaQuet started her new clothing brand Geared Up.Who wants to listen and not listen.Existing is trailblazing.How swinging made LaQuet a better business owner.LaQuet Sharnell Pringle (They/Them/She/Her) began their dance training at 14 in Dallas, Texas. To make up for lost time, they attended the acclaimed Booker T. Washington HSPVA. They also received additional training at The Dallas Powerhouse of Dance under the direction of Kim McSwain. While in HS, they won numerous awards from NYCDA (National Outstanding Dancer Finalist), Co.Dance (National Teaching Assistant), Jacob’s Pillow (Scholarship Recipient), Broadway Theatre Project (Scholarship Recipient and Showcase Soloist), NYU Summer Intensive (Scholarship recipient) and the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts (Honorable Mention Modern Dance, Merit Award Jazz Dance). Upon graduating from Booker T, they trained at the University of NC School of the Arts as Contemporary Dance major. There they studied José Limón, Merce Cunningham, and Alwin Nikolais dance techniques and Improvisation. They are a proud graduate of the William Esper Studios. At William Esper Studios, they trained with Master Meisner Acting teacher William Esper. Professionally, they've been seen on Broadway/National Tour: Mrs. Doubtfire The Musical (U/S Wanda Sellner), Beautiful The Carole King Musical, Lysistrata Jones (Myhrinne), Memphis The Musical (Ethel), The Lion King, Sweet Charity (Helene U/S perf), Off-Broadway: Make Mine Manhattan, Ave Q (Gary Coleman U/S), Regional: Candide (NYC Opera), The Wiz (Dorothy), Aint Misbehavin’ (Charlaine), Princess-A New Musical, Chicago (Cell Block Tango Girl), Footloose (Wendy Jo, U/S Rusty), AIDA, Nights on Broadway III (Vocal Swing), Shrek- The Musical (NY Workshop), Jawbreaker The Musical (Featured), Caty Bridgewater A Musical (Caty Bridgewater), Television/ Film: The Daily Show (Christmas Town News Anchor), Girls on the Bus (Rashida Moore) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Lion King Dancer), As the World Turns (Hair Stylist), Step Up 3D (Tango Dancer), Devoted (Short Film), Sylvia Plath Project (Short Film). LaQuet created Geared Up By Fearless Young Artists with a fiery passion for inspiring artists to take a step, through clothes and accessories, into taking ownership of their bodies and artistic process while maintaining one's personal boundaries in a creative/professional environment.IG: @gearedup_by_fyaTikTok: @gearedupbyfyaWebsite: gearedupbyfearlessyoungartists.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#80 - Stephen Adly Guirgis: Sometimes You Don’t Find a Way Through

“I’m aspiring, even at 57 now, to try to be more free.”What’s in this episode?What is a multi-hyphenate to Mr. Guirgis?How writing made him respect other writer’s writing.Why do people think multi-hyphenates aren’t a thing?Scene work with Daphne Rubin-Vega“I can’t believe in myself 100%, but if I believe in myself 51% – it’s enough to keep going.”Work that isn’t as dangerous as it used to be. Being okay with being hurt.Loving acting, but not loving writing.LAByrinth Theatre Company Stephen Adly Guirgis is a Pulitzer Prize Winning American playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor. He is a member and a former co-artistic director of New York City's LAByrinth Theater Company. His plays have been produced both Off-Broadway and on Broadway as well as in the UK. His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and is currently on Broadway, playing at the Helen Hayes Theatre through February 12th. Guirgis was most recently in the film Funny Pages and you can now purchase Guirgis’ newest play Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven, published by TCG Books. Stephen Adly Guirgis brings his prodigious gifts for exploring the lives of social outcasts to new heights in this play about the inner workings of a women’s halfway house in New York City, where the unmoored residents struggle with addiction, abuse, and mental illness. Between daily therapy sessions, they clash with the staff and each other, form alliances, and fall in love. Harrowing, humorous, and heartbreaking, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven roaringly brings to life the experiences of women who society has tried to shuffle out of sight and out of mind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#79 - Douglas Lyons: Making Money in the Theatre

“Broadway is like going to the NBA. But do you really want to play basketball everyday? That’s different – waking up and wanting to play ball is different than waking up and wanting to go Broadway. I’ve met regional actors in Seattle and Minneapolis who have full lives and they work year round and they are great actors – and they are not on Broadway. So are you chasing a dream for a status or are you chasing the craft?”What’s in this episode?Stories from Parade at EncoresHow an Instagram message sent Chicken and Biscuits to BroadwayLongevity in the theatreMaking money in the theatreMulti-hyphenatingChanging the infrastructure Making an impactDouglas Lyons is a multi-hyphenate artist originally from New Haven, CT. He wrote the 2021 Broadway comedy Chicken and Biscuits, which earned him a GLAAD nomination. As an actor, Broadway/NYC: Beautiful (Original Cast), Book of Mormon and Parade (NY City Center). Tours: Dreamgirls, Rent and Mormon 1st Nat’l. Regionally: Yale Rep, Hartford Stage Company, Huntington Theatre Company, 5th Ave Theatre, The Muny and more. As a writer: Apple TV's Fraggle Rock, Five Points (Theater Latte Da world premiere) now in development with Papermill Playhouse, Beau (ATF) and the 2018 Off-Broadway Alliance Award-winning musical, Polkadots. Douglas is currently developing television with Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and Sky Dance. Douglaslyons.net. @Chocolatehipster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#78 - Carson Kressley: ’Saying Yes’

“I think that multi-hyphenates, and I’m flattered to be included in that bracket, they’re just creatives. It’s like you have a drivers license but some days you drive a truck, and some days you drive a car, and some days you drive a forklift, or whatever – the vehicle changes but I think they artist’s heart is always the same. We love to create things, we love to express who we are, we love to maybe entertain, we love to connect with people in that way. So I don’t really think it’s a matter of what your skill set is, it’s just if you have that artist perspective and way of thinking and moving through the world, it translates to different things.” What’s in this episode? Queer eye and the original intent behind the showCarson’s love for dragHis philosophy on saying ‘yes’How Carson joined RuPaul’s Drag RaceHow opportunities are based on relationshipsThe fulfilling yet terrifying experience of being in a musicalSupernatural experiences involving Princess Grace!Michael’s Titanic past life story.Carson’s Joan Rivers’ connection.Emmy Award winning TV personality, style expert, fashion designer, interior designer and New York Times best-selling author are some of the credits of the multi-talented and unforgettable Carson Kressley. Carson started his career as an independent stylist and became invaluable to major designers such as Ralph Lauren. He took a leap into television & became a breakout star on Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which won a primetime Emmy and gained a worldwide following for Carson. In collaborations with Oprah Winfrey, Carson revolutionized America’s personal fashion sense of style. He’s hosted multiple TV shows including Lifetime’s How to Look Good Naked, & ABC’s True Beauty, appeared as a fashion critic & commentator on shows including The Oprah Winfrey Show & Good Morning America. Carson has competed on several reality shows including NBC’s hit show Celebrity Apprentice, Food Network’s Celebrity Cupcake Wars, ABC’s Celebrity Family Feud, and the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars where he was a fan favorite, raising awareness & donations for several charities. Carson is a key judge on TV series RuPaul’s Drag Race, which continues to win multiple Emmy's. New fan favorites included his interior design show, Get A Room with Carson & Thom, Freeform’s Wrap Battle, and his home entertainment talk show, Couched, where he interviewed A-list celebrities & elite interior designers. Amongst being a strong supporter of many philanthropic causes, when Kressley is not starring on stage or screen, he can be found astride one of his American Saddle-bred show horses, with which he has achieved World Champion status. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#77 - Ken Davenport: Producing 101

“I believe the world is a better place if there is more theatre in it. There is only more theatre in it if there are more people making it. So, I do everything I can to help inspire, educate people to make more theatre. Does that mean I can produce every show? Unfortunately not.” What’s in this episode?Get a sneek peak into the brand new musical The Griswold’s Family Vacation!What exactly is producing?How do you pick a city to do an out of town tryout? How does the industry treat multi-hyphenates?How are multi-hyphenates like small businesses?How does Ken commit to being an accessible producer?How Hal Prince inspired Ken by saying one simple thing. What is successful producing? Joy the Musical!“In the business world, if you invent a product – you are the creator of that thing. You are an artist. You just designed the thing – you made it out of nothing. And then you have to raise the money for it. So, you’re producing it yourself. All those people that go on Shark Tank, they are raising the money, they are doing the things. No one says, “Ugh, how dare you!” No, that’s what they do. That’s what Sara Blakely had to do for Spanx, that’s what Mark Zuckerberg had to do for Facebook – all of it. They create something and then they raise it – but in our industry people roll their eyes.”Ken Davenport (Producer) is a two-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer whose credits include A Beautiful Noise, Once On This Island (Tony Award), The Play that Goes Wrong, Groundhog Day (Tony nomination), Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening (Tony nomination), It’s Only a Play starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, Godspell, Kinky Boots (Tony Award), The Visit (Tony nomination) as well the Off-Broadway productions of Altar Boyz, The Awesome 80s Prom and many more. Davenport’s productions have been produced internationally in over 25 countries around the world. He was the Executive Producer for North America for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group and is the Theatrical Consultant for Primary Wave Music Publishing. His blog has been featured in every major publication around the world, from the New York Times to Vanity Fair. He conceived the best-selling boardgame Be A Broadway Star (available on Amazon) and he is an avid golfer. Ken is a Massachusetts native, raised in Sturbridge, MA, who grew up going to shows at the Colonial Theatre. He dedicates his career to his late father, Dr. Kenny Dipchand Hasija, an Indian immigrant who always dreamed about going into the theater but encouraged his son to do so instead. Other productions in development include Harmony by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, The Griswolds’ Broadway Vacation, Joy and The Ten. www.kendavenport.com Instagram: @kendavenportbway Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#76 - Sarah Jones: Sell/Buy/Date

Tony-winning writer and performer, Sarah Jones, is making her directorial debut when her new film Sell/Buy/Date which Cinedigm will be releasing in theaters in LA on October 14th, NYC on October 21st, and streaming in November on Amazon Prime. The wide release announcement exclusive is out with Variety here.The deeply personal film is a witty documentary / narrative hybrid following Jones and her multicultural characters (she plays 5 characters in the film!) on a journey exploring our relationship to the sex industry via Sarah’s hilarious comedy and social justice lens. Sell/Buy/Date is written, and directed by Sarah Jones, and is executive produced by Meryl Streep with appearances by Ilana Glazer and Bryan Cranston. “I want the whole world to know about Sarah Jones. I think she's an extraordinary artist--a once in a lifetime artist,” said Meryl Streep. Sell/Buy/Date has seen various iterations over the past six years, first starting as Sarah's off-Broadway one-woman show in 2016, which she then remounted in Los Angeles in 2018. At the start of the pandemic lockdown in 2020, she brought some of her stage characters to life on social media for her #yesimsarahjones IG Live Show to ignite conversation around the black lives matter movement. And now, Jones is ready to debut her Sell/Buy/Date feature film. In the past Sarah and the live version of the show received feature coverage in Vogue and Vogue.com, The Economist, The New York Times, Town & Country, WMag.com and much more.  About Sarah Jones: Called “a master of the genre” by The New York Times, Sarah Jones is a Tony® Award-winning solo performer, writer, comedian and activist. She recently made her debut as a film director with the hybrid documentary Sell/Buy/Date, in which she also stars. The film, which is executive produced by Oscar-winner Meryl Streep, world premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and will be distributed (theatrical and streaming) by Cinedigm this fall. Jones is mainly known for her multi-character one-person shows, including Broadway hit Bridge & Tunnel, also originally produced by Streep, and the critically-acclaimed play Sell/Buy/Date, which inspired the film. She has also appeared in various film and TV projects, including co-starring (along with Elisabeth Shue, Giovanni Ribisi, and Julie Delpy) in the Netflix series, On the Verge; Noah Baumbach’s Oscar® nominated film Marriage Story opposite Scarlett Johansson, and on the final season of Broad City. Jones also appeared in Chris Rock’s Good Hair documentary, and, at the request of Vogue and Anna Wintour, co-created and starred in a short film with designers Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karan, Zac Posen, Diane Von Furstenberg and Vera Wang, directed by Fisher Stevens for the CFDA Awards. Additionally, Jones’ writing credits include the Golden-Globe nominated Showtime series SMILF. Renowned as “a one-woman global village,” she has also given multiple main-stage TED Talks garnering millions of views, performed for President and First Lady Obama at the White House, and given a performance at The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland as the first artist on its stage normally reserved for heads of state. She has also been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, raising awareness of gender, ethnic, racial, and economic injustice and disparities, including in the United States. Jones recently launched Foment Productions, a social justice-focused entertainment company aligned with her progressive activism, with Sell/Buy/Date as its first production. The film tackles the intersection of race, gender justice, the economy, and various other issues through the unexpected lens of the sex industry. Using humor, investigative interviews, celebrity cameos (including Rosario Dawson, Ilana Glazer, and Bryan Cranston) and her own personal story, the film highlights how this topic is closer and more relevant to all of our lives than we may realize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#75 - é boylan: The Catalyst for Gathering

“There is something that I think gets in my way, or has gotten in my way in the past when thinking about the multi-hyphenate,” says é boylan. “And I think it’s the hyphen. It’s the idea why I like I’m a non binary human that doesn’t like to hyphenate the non and the binary because that’s another binary! It’s like the barrier in the middle. It feels sometimes like it’s divisive within myself.”Topics of conversation:individual approaches to the multi-hyphenatethe pros and cons of brandingcapitalism in multi-hyphenatingbragging about callbacks on social mediamisinformation on social mediaé’s new project The Doctor is Dead. é is the creator of The Doctor is Dead, a new audio musical released by Musical Theatre Factory. This podcast series is a contemporary fantasy for queer imaginations following a secret society of trans outcasts living underground. Using their unique abilities to investigate a mysterious empty coffin, the outcasts sing a song of leaving, of grief that becomes giving, of what begins in the end. The production can be heard on all podcast platforms beginning September 2nd, with new episodes released weekly. You can listen to the trailer now, HERE. é boylan (they/them) is a NYC based director, creator, and composer developing new work towards trans liberation. Selected Honors Include: New Writer in Residence at Lincoln Center Theater, 2019 Trans Lab Fellow, 2019-20 Manhattan Theatre Club Directing Fellow, 2021 Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriter, 2021 Prospect Theater Co. MT Lab, 2022 MTFxR Garage Artist, 2020-22 Roundabout Theatre Co. Directors Group, and currently Musical Theatre Factory's Makers Cohort. www.eboylan.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#74 - Ari Axelrod: Jewish Identities in Show Business

This episode is special. I mean… really special. Ari Axelrod is an artist and I’ve seen him in action, growing throughout the years. The episode is sort of broken down into three parts. What crafts a great cabaret? Our views on the multi-hyphenate. And Jewish identities in showbusiness, which is a huge topic of conversation right now. 
When it comes to cabaret, according to Axelrod, cabaret should be perfectly imperfect. It is the art of being yourself on purpose. So what are the pitfalls an artist creating a concert or cabaret can run into? What is the purpose for which you’re doing one? How can you best prepare? And what does it really mean when you choose not to memorize your lyrics…  
“I want to hear the lyrics as you. I don’t want to hear it as the song because I’ll tune out. It’s the difference between being a tour guide and a travel agent. A tour guide says, “Let me show you all of the things. Let me facilitate your journey. The travel agent says, ‘Where do you want to go? I will help you go to wherever you need to go.’”
When it comes to the multi-hyphenate, it’s simple to Ari. “It reminds me of what you said before. Straight, cis, white men – they have the keys to the door,” says Axelrod. “People who come from marginalized communities, and whatever marginalization that is, they have to find other ways into the building. And sometimes it means having multiple ways in because the front door is locked for them. So we have to climb through the window, or go through the chimney, or building another building. It’s exactly what you’re saying, that’s what being a multi-hyphenate is. It’s telling our stories in all of the ways, flexing all of our artistic muscles and integrity, to be able to reflect the full capacity of our world.”
And the most important topic of this episode – what it means and feels like to be Jewish today. And how does that relate to our work in the industry? Anti-semitism, unfortunately, is rearing its ugly head once again. So, how do respond to it? And more importantly – how do we stop it?
“Anti-semitism looks different on the left than on the right. It looks different here. Everywhere. I think the thing that people don’t understand – the main problem, specifically, within our industry is that there is a lack of education in terms of what a Jew looks like. What a Jew is.”
Ari is an actor, director, singer, and Jewish activist. He recently received the 2022 Bistro Award for Theatrical Performance in Song for his show, "Ari's Arias." His award-winning show, "A Place For Us: A Celebration of Jewish Broadway," began with a sold-out run at the historic Birdland Jazz Club, featuring six-time Emmy & Tony nominee Tovah Feldshuh, and has since grown to international acclaim performing to sold-out audiences around the world. In 2020, he received a MAC Award nomination for Best Male Vocalist and won the BroadwayWorld Award for Best Live Zoom Performance. Ari Axelrod's first solo show, "Taking the Wheel," directed by Tony Award winner Faith Prince, and music directed by multiple MAC Award winner Alex Rybeck, has been performed in numerous cities around the country. Ari's work as a director has been seen at the Tony Award-winning Paper Mill Playhouse, Birdland Jazz Club, 54 Below, and The Green Room 42.
Ari is a recipient of The Jewish Week's prestigious 36 Under 36 Award, which "honors 36 noteworthy Jewish leaders, all 36 years old or younger, who make New York — and its many Jewish communities — better. These entrepreneurs, young leaders, and changemakers bring remarkable energy and new ideas to religion, philanthropy, the arts, Jewish learning, campus life, social action, inclusion, and justice.
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