Thank You Half Hour! w/ Thom Christopher Warren

Ep #35 On the road w/ Pierre Marais

Singer, songwriter, filmmaker, Broadway actor...Pierre Marais takes being a multi hyphenate to a WHOLE new level!  Originally from Capetown, South Africa, and a great pal for fourteen years, Pierre currently stars in Jamie Lloyd's groundbreaking revival of Sunset Boulevard, and has previously appeared on Broadway and in the National touring production of Disney's Aladdin, as well as the tour of A Chorus Line...has starred regionally as Jack Kelly in Newsies and the Emcee in Cabaret, and all while balancing an equally demanding calling/vocation as an award-winning filmmaker.  As Apple Pie, written and directed by Marais, has landed him a win for Best Indie Short Film at the New York International Film Awards and as a finalist for Best Young Filmmaker at the world renowned Cannes Film Festival. Pierre talks about the special challenges faced by International artists here in the States and how those challenges serve to inspire all facets of his work as an artist. A true gem of a human, Pierre continues to serve as a role model for any young artist working to find their authentic voice in the chaos of our industry, and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did!

Episode #34 - On the road w/ Shereen Pimentel

Shereen Pimentel was starring on Broadway before hitting her teen years. Where to go from there? Finish high school, attend the acclaimed Juilliard School and triumphantly return to Broadway as Maria in Ivo Van Hove's magnificent revival of the classic West Side Story, Jellylorum in the recent reinvention of Cats; The Jellicle Ball and working alongside Heather Headley in Encores' Into the Woods as Rapunzel and as Eva Peron in Evita at ART. Listen as Shereen and I chat about her experiences navigating Juilliard, as well as finding her artistic voice while playing iconic roles (stunningly) at the highest level, learning on the job from pillars of the American stage. It was a complete joy to reconnect with this extraordinary young woman who, even as a child,  always walked through the world with grace, humor, and fierce intelligence. I hope you enjoy the conversation even half as much as I did!

Ep #33 - On the Road With Ann Harada

Today I had the opportunity to chat with the one and only Ann Harada; brilliant, golden-voiced, and hilarious in all she does! A graduate of Brown University, Ann made her broadway debut in David Henry Hwang's "M. Butterfly," and boasts a resume overflowing with Broadway and regional credits, including original companies of "9-5," "Seussical," "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella," and revivals of "Into the Woods," and "Les Miserables." But it is arguably her iconic performance as Christmas Eve in "Avenue Q" for which Harada is most lauded - including an Outer Critics Circle Award. Television audiences know her from "Smash" and of course her hysterical turn as Mayor Menlove's wife in "Schmigadoon" and in Season 2, Madam Frau in "Schmicago."  Have a seat and listen as we reminisce and gab about her extraordinary career and inspirations.

Ep #32 - On the Road With Sara Shepherd

My guest today is someone I've called a "lifer, " or lifelong friend since nearly the day we met - back in the early 2000's when she brilliantly played Jo March in a production of "Little Women" I had the excellent fortune to direct at her alma mater, Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Since then, I have watched her star rise from her Broadway debut in "Cry Baby" to taking the country by storm, leading the National Tour of "Beautiful - the Carole King Musical" as Carole, a role I had already seen her magnificently play on Broadway. Today we sat and not only caught up, but re-charged...reminding ourselves of the true beauty of what we do and why we do it. I hope you enjoy the conversation even half as much as we did.

Episode #31 - Julie Boardman

I couldn't keep my fangirling at bay when chatting with my new pal, Julie Boardman; co-founder and Executive Director of the Museum of Broadway; a spectacular new experience in Times Square for theatre lovers and practitioners alike. A multiple TONY Award winning Broadway Producer, Julie is currently keeping busy with smash hit revivals of Romeo and Juliet, Sunset Boulevard, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Klub and boasts tremendously successful Broadway productions of Stephen Sondheim's Company, An American in Paris, Funny Girl, Head over Heels and (this is where my fan-girling came into play) two of the most remarkable nights I have ever spent in a theatre; the Broadway productions of Indecent and The Inheritence. During our time together (not nearly enough...she is a pure joy), Julie talks about the idea of entrepreneurship and bringing a devised concept to life out of nothing but determination and grit. Now a mentor for young thinkers - particularly women who hope to follow a similar path - Julie is a veritable font of knowledge, humor and positive energy and I hope you enjoy the discussion even half as much as I did!