Story Matters

In this special part 1 of 2 episodes, I take you back through my journey of traveling to New York City for my very first Broadway audition - my childhood dream role of Jack Kelly in the original Broadway cast of of Newsies. Travel with me to The Big Apple as I take you through the cab rides, the coffee shops and the catastrophic auditions that formed so much of what I know and love (and hate) about New York City. Enjoy!

In this week's episode, I sit down with Shashona Brooks & Tommy Statler to talk about their upcoming ALL FEMALE production of Shakepeare's The Tempest at the Hollywood Fringe Festival! We talk about the inspiration behind the concept, female empowerment in the theatre and arts, the audition process and the craziness of putting this show up during the Hollywood Fringe Festival with only 9 rehearsals!

In this episode, I go back in time to figure out how I became WHAT I am. On this journey, I revisit the theatre where I grew up (Creative Arts Theatre & School in Arlington Texas), the very first show I was ever cast in, and the moment when I discovered the impossible dream of attempting to pursue of life in the arts. 

Having doused my computer in water (accidentally, mind you) and needing to abruptly delay my planned episode last minute, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to talk about how to deal with and overcome the inevitable obstacles and hurdles that accompany any and every creative venture.

In this episode, I sit down with Corey Lubowich from Tin Can Brothers and Team Starkid, to talk about his journey as an artist from growing up performing and working in theatre in his hometown of Chicago, to becoming an artistic director for BasementArts the University of Michigan, back to Chicago as a member of Starkid and then to Los Angeles as a founding member of the comedy trio Tin Can Brothers!

In this newest storytelling episode, I go back to my childhood in search of the moment when I started to become who I now am. Was it my adventures in space as the most famous astronaut in the world? Was it the moment I recited Toy Story from top to bottom in a Mexican Restaurant for a hungry but eager audience? Or was it was it the moment when I was offered the role of a lifetime...? To be an understudy in The Sound of Music. 

In this episode, I sit down with the amazing actor, writer, producer and improviser Michael Hitchcock (Glee, Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Bridesmaids, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, The New Normal, United States of Tara, Men of a Certain Age, Party Down, The Suite Life On Deck, Madtv and MANY more) to talk about truth in comedy, character driven comedy, episodic storytelling in the process of writing for television. I learned SO much from him and I know you will too! Listen now and share! Enjoy!

In this episode, I sit down with the amazing Telly Leung (Broadway: Aladdin, In Transit, Allegiance, Godspell, Rent, Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures, TV: Warbler Wes on Glee) at his apartment in New York City to talk about his journey to Broadway and beyond.

In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend Eric Carroll (Alex Brody in Buffering, photographer extraordinaire and my co-writer/co-director of my feature film project POV) to talk about our process of writing a short film only to realize we had a bigger story on our hands and being willing to start over and reinvent everything we thought we know about the project. We also revisit our characters from Buffering as Ben and Alex in an improvised Buffering reunion! Enjoy!

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Lili Froehlich and Madison Mitchell from the Broadway revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS and talk about the reality of working on Broadway, and the grind of performing 8 shows a week in one of the most physically demanding shows of all time.

In this episode, I sit down with actress, singer, songwriter Kathryn Gallagher to talk about her work in the recent Broadway revival of Deaf West's Spring Awakening!

In this episode, I sit down with actor, writer, creator, comedian and producer Joey Richter (Starkid: A Very Potter Musical, Starship, Me and My Dick, Trail to Oregon and more, Tin Can Brothers, Spies are Forever, Poe Party, Henry Danger on Nickelodeon, Jessie on Disney Channel) to talk about making a living as an artist, discovering new creative skills through unexpected opportunity, his firsthand perspective of experiencing Starkid erupt into an internet phenomenon

In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend and Warbler brother Titus Makin to talk about his work as an actor, his newest album Love Addict. We discuss the journey of balancing career and passion. We also take a crack at writing some Glee Fanfiction while we're at it! ;)

In honor of International Women’s Day, I sat down with actress, singer and artist Kim Whalen (Being Mary Jane, Austin & Ally, Code Black, A Winter Rose, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Fantasticks on Broadway and more!) to discuss representation of females in film & television, empowering female writers & directors to rise up as leaders in their fields and how male writers can do better when it comes to creating female characters. Enjoy!     

In this third and final part of the Podcast story series Hashtag Blessed, chronicling my journey of moving to Los Angeles and being cast on the TV show Glee, I talk about the experience of recording a solo on the show as Nick the Warbler (Uptown Girl by Billy Joel), grappling with rejection, facing criticism on the internet, wondering what comes next when the idea or dream of what you think you are supposed to become doesn't translate into reality.