Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine

Jonathan Marc Sherman was born and raised in New Jersey, graduated from Bennington College, and lives in New York City. His plays include: Things We Want; Clive; Knickerbocker; Evolution; Wonderful Time; Sons & Fathers; Sophistry; Veins & Thumbtacks; Serendipity & Serenity; Jesus on the Oil Tank; and Women & Wallace (also adapted for PBS-TV’s American Playhouse). They have been performed at Malaparte(co-founder), The New Group, The Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Williamstown Theatre Festival, WPA Theater, Los Angeles Theatre Center, and the Young Playwrights Festival, as well as in England, Australia, Israel, Istanbul, and Japan. Acting includes: Theater: Ivanov (CSC), Clive (The New Group); Sophistry (Playwrights Horizons); A Joke, Wild Dogs and The Great Unwashed (Malaparte); Up For Anything (Kraine), I Wanna Be Adored (NY Performance Works), Unexpected Tenderness (WPA), The Chopin Playoffs (American Jewish Theatre), and Oliver! (Pittsburgh Civic  Light Opera). TV/Film: Quiz Show; Blaze; The Hottest State; The Baxter; The Limbo Room; When The Nines Roll Over; and My First Swedish Bombshell. He is a member of LAByrinth. His hobby is writing about himself in the third person. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For more than thirty years, screenwriter Leslie Dixon has been writing some of the seminal comedies of our time—from Mrs. Doubtfire to Overboard—imagining into existence iconic characters who have been brought to cinematic life by the greatest comedians. And, as if that weren’t enough, Dixon has also kept audiences on the edge of their seats with smart and suspenseful screenplays like Limitless and The Thomas Crown Affair.  Some little known facts about Leslie Dixon: Dixon was raised in San Francisco by a single mother. She recalls, “My delightful mother just laughed when I was rude, or bratty. I grew up to be rude and bratty.” Dixon knew no one when she moved to Hollywood at 26. She worked as a secretary and wrote a script on the office computer in secret. Dixon is the fourth highest grossing female screenwriter of all time, more successful than Nora Ephron. (“But we don’t gloat at the dead.”) Photographer Dorothea Lange and painter Maynard Dixon were her grandparents. She notes, “Both my grandparents’ work goes at Sotheby’s for a million, but these artists made no real money in their lifetimes.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ilana and Marin once again join in a discussion on Marins career. Marin Ireland has been seen on Broadway in Big Knife, After Miss Julie, reasons to be pretty (Tony nom, Theatre World Award). Selected Off-Broadway: Blue Ridge (Atlantic), Summer and Smoke (Transport Group/CSC), Three Sisters (CSC), Marie Antoinette, Blasted (Soho Rep), Maple and Vine (Playwrights Horizons), In the Wake, The Ruby Sunrise (Public), Lie of the Mind (New Group); Cyclone (Obie Award; Studio Dante), Far Away (NYTW), The Harlequin Studies (Signature), On the Exhale(Drama Desk nom, Solo Performance, Roundabout), Ironbound (Drama Desk nom, Rattlestick, Geffen Playhouse), Kill Floor (LCT3). Other: 4.48 Psychosis (Royal Court US tour), Troilus & Cressida (Wooster Group/RSC). Film: The Family Fang, Glass Chin (Independent Spirit Award nomination), 28 Hotel Rooms, Flint, Sparrows Dance, The Irishman, others. TV: “Sneaky Pete,” “The Slap,“"Masters of Sex,” “Girls,” “The Divide,” “Homeland", “Mildred Pierce,”others.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marin Ireland has recently been seen in Happy Talk at the New Group also previsouly  Big Knife, After Miss Julie, reasons to be pretty (Tony nom, Theatre World Award). Selected Off-Broadway: Blue Ridge (Atlantic), Summer and Smoke (Transport Group/CSC), Three Sisters (CSC), Marie Antoinette, Blasted (Soho Rep), Maple and Vine (Playwrights Horizons), In the Wake, The Ruby Sunrise (Public), Lie of the Mind (New Group); Cyclone (Obie Award; Studio Dante), Far Away (NYTW), The Harlequin Studies (Signature), On the Exhale(Drama Desk nom, Solo Performance, Roundabout), Ironbound (Drama Desk nom, Rattlestick, Geffen Playhouse), Kill Floor (LCT3). Other: 4.48 Psychosis (Royal Court US tour), Troilus & Cressida (Wooster Group/RSC). Film: The Family Fang, Glass Chin (Independent Spirit Award nomination), 28 Hotel Rooms, Flint, Sparrows Dance, The Irishman, others. TV: “Sneaky Pete,” “The Slap,“"Masters of Sex,” “Girls,” “The Divide,” “Homeland", “Mildred Pierce,”others.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Casey Nicholaw is currently presented on Broadway as director/choreographer of The Prom, Mean Girls (2018 Tony® nominations for Best Direction and Choreography), Disney’s Aladdin (2014 Tony®, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for Best Choreography), and co-director and choreographer of The Book of Mormon (2011 Tony®, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Awards for co-director and nominations in the same categories for Choreography); Olivier award winner for Best Choreography. Represented on the West End as director and choreographer of The Book of Mormon and Aladdin. Other Broadway credits as director/choreographer: Tuck Everlasting, Something Rotten (2015 Tony®nominations for Best Direction and Choreography) Elf: The Musical; The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony®, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle nominations); Monty Python’s Spamalot directed by Mike Nichols (2005 Tony®, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle nominations Best Choreography). Additional New York credits: for City Center Encores! – the highly acclaimed productions of  Most Happy Fella, Anyone Can Whistle and Follies (direction/choreography). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ilana Levine - the host of Little Known Facts - recently sat down with Ben Stiller  (actor, director, writer, producer and activist) on stage in front of a live audience at The Atlantic Theater as part of her live podcast series. Together these two old friends shared  hilarious stories of their early days in New York City, Ben's growing up, the child of the famous comedy duo Stiller and Meara, his experience on stage vs. film, dealing with fame and his work on behalf of refugees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anna Chlumsky is an Emmy nominated actress who has continued to make a name for herself in film, on television and on stage.  Most recently, Chlumsky completed production on the seventh and final season of the Emmy-winning comedy, Veep, which will premiered on HBO on March 31st, 2019.   Chlumsky was seen on screen in Minhal Baig’s film “Hala” as Shannon, which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Festival. “Hala’s” worldwide rights has also been acquired by Apple.  In 2017, Chlumsky was nominated for her fifth consecutive Emmy© in the category of “Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series” for her portrayal as Brookheimer. She was also nominated for a Critics Choice Award, and won the SAG Ensemble for VEEP. She won the Gracie Allen Award in 2015 for Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a comedy or Musical for her work on Veep. Chlumsky made her Broadway debut in 2015 in Scott Ellis’ revival of You Can’t Take It With You. She played “Alice Sycamore,” the daughter of an eccentric family, opposite James Earl Jones and Annaleigh Ashford. She also reprised her role as “Iris Peabody” in Joe DiPietro’s Living on Love, which made its Williamstown Theatre Festival debut in 2014 and transferred to Broadway. Based on the famed Peccadillo, Chlumsky starred opposite Renee Fleming, Douglas Sills and Jerry O’Connell. Additionally, her New York stage credits include: Cardinal, 3C, Love, Loss, and What I Wore (Westside Theatre); So Help Me God (Mint Theatre Company); Unconditional(LA Byrinth Theater Company); The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero (DR2);Darwin in Malibu (Bay Street Theatre); The Butcherhouse Chronicles (Summer Play Festival); Balm in Gilead (Barefoot Theater Company - Member); Half Life (Flea Theater/Fringe Festival); Iphigeneia at Aulis (TimeSpace Productions); Measure for Measure (Astoria Performing Arts Center); No Alarms: Headfullofradio (Veritas Productions); and The Trojan Women (Veritas Productions). Additional TV credits include AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire, NBC’s Hannibal,: 30 Rock, and  Law & Order” SVU.  Chlumsky became a household name when she starred alongside Macaulay Culkin as Vada Sultenfuss in the 1991 film, My Girl. Other notable film credits include: The End of Tour, Bert and Arnie’s Guide to Friendship, In The Loop; The Good Guy; Blood Car; My Girl 2; Gold Diggers; the Glamour Reel Short, and Wait.  She currently resides in NY.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An actor, playwright, screenwriter, and director, the Tony Award-winning John Cameron Mitchell is most famous as co-creator of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which began life as an Obie-winning off-Broadway show (with music and lyrics by Stephen Trask), before becoming a 2001 movie (written, directed by and starring Mitchell), which won Mitchell the Best Director award at that year’s Sundance Film Festival, as well as a raft of other awards and a Golden Globe nomination. He also starred on Broadway in Six Degrees of Separation, The Secret Garden and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Mitchell also directed the 2006 movie Shortbus, which showed explicit sex; has collaborated on projects spanning music, theater, and film; has starred in TV shows including Shrill and Girls;  and directed the films, Rabbit Hole and How To Talk To Girls At Parties among others. He is currently on tour performing The Origin of Love: The Songs and Stories of Hedwig and wrote and stars in a podcast fictional series called  Anthem:  Homunculus which Mitchell describes as a continuation of the Hedwig story co- starring Glen Close, Patti LuPone and Cynthia Erivo  along with other Broadway stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, 2019 Tony winner Stephanie J. Block joins Ilana for a conversation. Block has established herself as one of the most relevant and versatile voices in contemporary musical theatre. She most recently won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical portraying Star in THE CHER SHOW and also garnered a Drama League, Drama Desk and TONY Award nomination(s) for her current role of Star. Ms. Block also received the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk & TONY nomination(s) for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2017 for her star turn as Trina in Lincoln Center Theatre’s highly acclaimed revival of FALSETTOS. In 2013 she was recognized with both the Drama Desk and TONY Award nomination(s) for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Alice Nutting/ Edwin DROOD in The Roundabout Theater’s production of THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD. That marks 3 TONY Award nominations in the last 6 years, a feat very few Broadway actors have attained. Other Broadway credits include Reno Sweeney in the 2011 TONY Award winning revival of ANYTHING GOES, 9 TO 5:THE MUSICAL playing the role of Judy Bernly for which she earned a Drama Desk nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She created the roles of Grace O'Malley in THE PIRATE QUEEN and Liza Minnelli In THE BOY FROM OZ (opposite Hugh Jackman). Ms. Block is best known for her portrayal as Elphaba in the Broadway company of WICKED as well as originating the role in the First National Tour for which she won numerous awards including the prestigious Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Ms. Block has sung with numerous symphony orchestras including the NY Pops at Carnegie Hall, Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra (under the baton of Marvin Hamlisch), Dallas Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Charlotte Symphony and the Cleveland Pops among many others. Her solo concert has been critically acclaimed and continues to sell out throughout the US and in London. Some of her Off-Broadway and regional theatrical credits include LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical), BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK(Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play), THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG(starring opposite Jason Alexander), CATS (St Louis' Kevin Kline Award Nominee- Best Actress),FUNNY GIRL, CRAZY FOR YOU (L.A. Ovation Award Nominee), OLIVER (Critics Award-Best Actress), James Joyce's THE DEAD, TRIUMPH OF LOVE, THE GRASS HARP, SOUTH PACIFIC, WILL ROGERS FOLLIES and the World Premiere of WICKED. Stephanie's solo album, THIS PLACE I KNOW has been received with great praise, lauded by critics as "One of the best debut recordings to come out of the Broadway community in quite some time... 6 out of 5 stars". An array of award-winning songwriters assembled to help interpret their music on Stephanie's album. Composers such as Stephen Schwartz, Marvin Hamlisch and the legendary Dolly Parton join forces with Ms. Block to create a thrilling musical experience. Stephanie's voice can be heard on multiple cast recordings, including THE BOY FROM OZ, THE PIRATE QUEEN, WICKED's 5th Anniversary Album and 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL (GrammyNomination).  Television credits include: RISE (upcoming: NBC), MADAME SECRETARY (CBS), ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix), HOMELAND (Showtime), IT COULD BE WORSE (HULU).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A New York native, Robert Horn studied Theater at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and New York’s Circle in the Square theater school.  Soon after, he left for  Los Angeles to pursue a writing career in film and television that has spanned has over 30 years.  His first break came as a writer/producer on the iconic television series ‘Designing Women’, followed by the groundbreaking Fox series ‘Living Single’, and the irreverent  CBS comedy ‘High Society’.  Mr. Horn was then signed to an overall production deal with Warner Brothers Studios,  where he developed, wrote, and Executive Produced dozens of network pilots and/or  series.  He then signed a multi-year script deal at Sony Studios, followed by an overall  pilot deal at ABC Studios. He, along with television veteran Bob Boyett, wrote and  created the FX series Partners, one of the few 10/90 deals made in the early 2000’s.  He  has written projects for many numerous broadcast, cable, and platform networks,  including as the musical pilot Car Wash with Will Packer, The Jenni Rivera show for  latin susperstar Jenni Rivera, the pilot Sunnyland for TBS starring Jennifer Hudson, Left  of Center developed with TV veteran Gail Berman, and Taxi 22 at HBO, starring James  Gandolfini.  Mr. Horn also wrote musical movie’s such as ‘Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure’, the next  of the High School Musical series, followed by the hugely popular ‘Teen Beach Movie’  franchise for Disney.  Along with his television credits, Mr. Horn has written such diverse projects as ‘Wildlife’ for Walt Disney Feature Animation, the Charlie Sheen feature film ‘Good Advice’, ‘The  RuPaul Christmas Special’ for the BBC, and ‘Revenge’, a digital musical series co- written with Jason Robert Brown for Sony’s digital Crackle network, and contributed  Bette Midler’s world tour Divine Intervention. Theatrically, Mr. Horn has written the books for ‘Dame Edna, Back With A Vengeance’  which opened at Broadway’s Music Box theater in 2004, ‘Lone Star Love’, the Red Clay  Rambler musical which premiered at the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle, the Jason Robert  Brown musical ‘13’, which previewed at the Goodspeed Opera House in Goodspeed,  Conn, and opened at the Jacobs Theater in New York. the musical ‘Moonshine, that Hee  Haw Musical’, wirth Brandy Clark and Shane Mcanally, which opened at the Dallas  Theater Center, and the Broadway musical Tootsie, collaborating with David Yazbek Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tracy Spiridakos was born in Canada and spent a portion of her childhood in her native Greece. Her family returned to Winnipeg but Tracy knew she wouldn't stay there long, eventually leaving solid employment at her parents Greek restaurant to move to Vancouver and pursue her dreams of acting.    She found success early on television series such as Supernatural and Being Human, but her breakout role was playing the lead role of Charlie Matheson on JJ Abrams' Revolution on NBC.    Since then she has shown her comedic side in Showtime's Episodes with Matt LeBlanc, as a femme fatale on A&E’s Bates Motel and has the mysterious ex-girlfriend of Lucas Till’s “MacGyver.”   Tracy currently stars as “Det. Hailey Upton” on the NBC hit show “Chicago PD”.  She lives in Chicago with her beloved Rottweiler, Nala. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shoshana Bean can be seen on Broadway this summer in the role of Jenna in the hit musical Waitress. Bean'slatest album Spectrum landed her at #1 on the Billboard Jazz Charts. She made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Hairspray and starred as the first replacement for Elphaba in Wicked. Most recently, she appeared as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and as Cee-Cee Bloom in the new musical adaptation of Beaches, for which she earned a Jeff Award Nomination for best lead actress in a musical.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On an early Sunday morning Tommy Kail and Ilana met in the quiet of the podcast booth to catch up about all the things!! From Hamilton to hair products Ilana and Tommy cover a lot of territory. Other topics discussed include Tommy's childhood  in the D.C. area, the pain of no longer being able to play sports, and of course his deep friendship and creative partnership with Lin Manuel Miranda. Thomas Kail won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for Hamilton. Kail's Broadway credits include In the Heights (Tony nom.), Lombardi, Magic/Bird. Off-Broadway: Hamilton (the Public; Drama Desk, Lortel and Obie Awards), In the Heights (Callaway Award, Drama Desk/OCC noms), Randy Newman's Faust and The Wiz (City Center), Broke-ology and When I Come to Die (LCT), Family Furniture (The Flea, Drama Desk nom), The Tutors (2ST Uptown).  Other credits: Broke-ology (Williamstown), Once on This Island (Paper Mill) and In the Heights (national tour). Co-creator/director of hip-hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme. Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center. He won the Emmy award for his direction of Grease Live and is the Director and an Executive Producer of the mini series Fosse/Verdon for FX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maddie Corman joins Ilana this week on the podcast. Maddie’s career began when she appeared in the seminal 80's movies Seven Minutes in Heaven and Some Kind of Wonderful. Maddie was a series regular on “Mr. President”, “All American Girl” and “Almost There.” Guest /recurring roles include all 3 “Law & Orders”, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “Damages”, “The Good Wife”, “Person of Interest”, “Nurse Jackie”, “Girls”, “Divorce”, “Odd Mom Out”, “When We Rise”, “High Maintenance”, “Younger” and “Madame Secretary”. Films include: Wonderwheel, 5 Flights Up, Peace Love & Misunderstanding, Morning Glory, Ira & Abby, What Happens in Vegas, I Think I Do, Ford Fairlane and Swingers.  Upcoming: Maddie will play Lady Aberlin to Tom Hanks’ Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood. Broadway: Next Fall, Picnic. Off-Broadway: The Babylon Line, Appropriate, Love Loss, etc. She wrote, co-directed and stars in How Was Your Day (Tribeca Film Fest “Watch this short” series). Maddie was a Playwright in Residence at NY Stage and Film where she developed Accidentally Brave. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ilana interviews the three child actresses who star in The Ferryman on Broadway. MATILDA LAWLER -Broadway debut! Last fall, she starred opposite Richard Masur in The Net Will Appear at MST. Matilda plays Michaela McManus’ daughter in the upcoming The Block Island Sound by the McManus Brothers. Matilda also enjoys writing, design and cupcakes. Special thanks to David Doan, CESD, Mom, Lily, Richard and Dad. WILLOW MCCARTHY- made her professional and Broadway debut in the title role of Matilda. Last season she appeared on Broadway in 1984. She is in 6th grade. Much love and gratitude to her friends and family for their love and support, with a special shout out to her cousins, Amy and Lydia. Brian, Rachel, Ellen, and Jillian, thank you. BROOKLYN SHUCK - is originally from Lexington, KY. Broadway: Annie, Matilda, Tuck Everlasting, Les Misérables, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Regional: Randy Newman’s Faust, Beaches (Signature/Drury Lane). TV: “Rise,” “Instinct.” Thanks and love to my family, Nancy Carson and John Mara. IG @brooklynshuck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices