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Interviews

Interview with Marc Sinoway

March 2, 2019

Another — and perhaps unexpected — benefit of having Nathan around was that Sinoway had a built-in support system on set. Once, when Sinoway was feeling overwhelmed during a tech rehearsal of Manifesto — a previous collaboration of theirs — Nathan put his hand on Sinoway’s shoulder and just let him cry. [more]

Matt de Rogatis is Richard III

July 20, 2018

Street Theatre. “I’ll be delivering the longest soliloquy from any Shakespeare play,” Mr. de Rogatis explained about the substitution of Richard III’s celebrated opening line for a speech from Henry VI, Part 3 that comes 25 minutes in. “It makes total sense. It’s ten times better. It will show a more vulnerable and innocent Richard who perhaps only really loved his father. After his tragic death that sets him into a very unstable place. That soliloquy gives birth to the Richard III we all know. To compare it to Star Wars, that’s the moment Anakin becomes Darth Vader.” “I’m not like other actors. I don’t have headshots and I don’t audition. I control my own destiny,” said the burly, soft-spoken but animated New Jersey native about his unique New York City stage career. He took some years off from acting following becoming burnt out by a lack of career progress. The Kean University graduate who majored in psychology had little formal acting training by choice, developing his talent while onstage. Between his theater turns he sustains himself as a bartender. [more]

Marc Bamuthi Joseph on His Artistic and Cultural Influences in “/peh-LO-tah/”

October 16, 2017

I’ve been playing soccer and have been exposed to soccer longer than I have been exposed to dance. Both of these things are part of my kinesthetic and the biography of my body. I can’t really recall a time where I didn’t play soccer and I’ve been dancing since I was at least ten years old. It’s actually not super far-fetched when I watch a soccer game, it looks like choreography to me. I trained for dance in some ways as an athlete would train for sport, I really connect to the similarities more than the dissimilarities. In terms of the literal transfer, our choreographer Stacey Printz did a great job of identifying some tropes that are consistent in both soccer and the kind of cultural universe that we traverse. There are elements of hip-hop, samba, South African gumboot dancing, Haitian folkloric movement – all of these inform the choreography. Moving forward, without being hyper-literal, I think that’s proven to be a really transformative experience for us and also makes it very clear and legible for audiences watching the piece. If our written and spoken language is literal, dance gives us allegory and metaphor and the synthesis of the two - - spoken language and body language -- helps to communicate the ideas in a very powerful way. [more]

Catherine Russell, On Her 30 Year Milestone with “Perfect Crime”

April 28, 2017

New York City based actress Catherine Russell, has much to celebrate this spring, as she reaches an important milestone in her career – being the first actress in theater history to perform 30 years in the same role. Ms. Russell has played leading lady Margaret Throne Brent in NY’s longest running play, "Perfect Crime," a thrilling murder mystery that leaves audiences on the edge of their seats as they work to piece the clues together. Additionally, this extraordinary actress has expanded her love and knowledge of the industry by taking on many other roles throughout her career -- including general manager, producer, teacher, builder, etc. -- and receives pleasure in a job well done. In fact, it’s key to her success as Ms. Russell credits happiness and fulfillment in your work being the main contributors to good health and well-being. [more]

Making Dreams a Reality: First Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Shares Her Journey to Off Broadway Musical

February 1, 2017

I’ve been watching Miss America since I was very little, and my sister and I would get dressed up every year in crowns and gowns and banners and I saw Miss Pennsylvania, Marla Wynne, in '92 or '93 and her talent was ventriloquism and I fell in love with it, and decided that I wanted to learn to make my Barbie’s talk. I went to my bedroom and sat in front of the mirror and figured out how to talk without moving my lips. I then got my first puppet at around age seven and started performing, but it all started watching Miss America. [more]

Max Chernin on His Solo Debut at Feinstein’s/54 Below and the Impact of “Bright Star”

August 10, 2016

In college, during my senior year, I had an assignment to put together a half hour cabaret. I did that also about being a redhead, so I started there and dug up that old sheet music and changed/added to some of that. I’m covering some iconic gingers in musical theatre as well as some of the social aspects of being a ginger -- some of the things that "South Park" brought up. There’s this episode where they claim that gingers have no souls and make fun of them, so will be referencing and challenging those views. It’ll also be some stories and some of my favorite songs. [more]

Michael C. Bernardi: An Actor and His Legacy

June 29, 2016

I’ve always felt my father (Herschel) very present in my life, and I think because in a lot of ways he left behind a pretty wonderful legacy--and there were a lot of people who adored him--I grew up with a lot of different people telling me stories of how great he was. And so I think I always had such a positive vision of him that I always felt like he was looking out for me. [more]

Legendary Actress and Singer Rita McKenzie on a Career That Has Taken a Jersey Girl All Over the World

June 28, 2016

Growing up in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, Rita McKenzie never imagined the places that her career would take her. Traveling all over the world with "Ethel Merman’s Broadway," McKenzie has shared the life and career of an international superstar with audiences from different cultures and backgrounds who continue to honor her legacy. Along the way, McKenzie has also made discoveries about herself and her desire to always keep growing and learning in an ever-changing world. [more]

Broadway Producer John Breglio Shares Secrets of Life in the ‘Biz’ and What It Takes to Succeed

June 6, 2016

The primary reason I wrote this book was for people to appreciate exactly what it is to be a producer. He or she has to be the captain of the ship in every respect – they start with the idea and then get the rights to a book. Then you have to find the writers, the composers, and the lyricists, and put them together and guide them, and then you have to raise the money, figure out where the show is going to be presented, do the marketing and advertising - - you have to really do it all. You need to have a producer who has the objectivity and the passion to see the show through from beginning to end. Someone has to make sure it all comes together and that’s the role of a producer. It becomes even more essential once a show opens – you have to continue with the marketing and advertising and work hard to keep it fresh. It’s a very complicated and difficult job and you need the knowledge and experience to have a chance at success -- especially if you want to do it on Broadway. [more]

Sam Harris Launches Kickstarter Campaign to Film His “Ham: A Musical Memoir”

June 1, 2016

Sam Harris--the American actor and Broadway Alumni--recently launched a kickstarter.com campaign to fund the professional filming of his acclaimed one-man show, "Ham: A Musical Memoir." Best known for his Drama League Award winning performance in the Original Broadway Cast of Cy Coleman’s "The Life" (he was also nominated for the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award in the same role), Harris’s previous Broadway credits include Mel Brook’s "The Producers" and the Tommy Tune-directed revival of "Grease," for which he made his Broadway debut. Aside from his theatrical achievements, Harris has sold millions of records over the course of a recording career which has seen the release of nine studio albums filled with both fan favorites and original compositions. [more]

Seth Sikes Sings “Mostly Judy Garland”

September 11, 2015

Fulfilling a dormant desire to give it a try and armed with a well-placed, strong voice, Seth Sikes took the plunge and got booked into 54 Below for one show only singing Garland's showstoppers laced with some personal anecdotes thrown in. To cut to the chase, the show quickly sold out and was a huge success. He's returned several times to the landmark club since and continues to sell out. The word was out that this charismatic guy is the big noise around town and his future looks bright. Tickets have been selling very fast for his next show there on September 18. And, he's got bookings through next March. So, how did it all begin? Where is it all going?​ [more]

Interview with James Godwin, Puppeteer

May 19, 2015

A 2014 Jim Henson Award recipient, Godwin utilizes remarkable puppets, masks & mystical neo-noir visuals to tell a story set in a parallel, near-future NYC filled with ghosts, elemental spirits & evil demigods. THE FLATIRON HEX will play six performances only – May 15th, 16th, 22th, 23th, 29th, and 30th at 7:30PM, at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie Street). Tickets are $16 in advance, $20 at the door, and $12 for seniors and students. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.dixonplace.org or by calling 866-811-4111. [more]

An Interview with young YouTuber – Born to Be Ellie

October 30, 2014

I got the Video Star app on my iTouch and I really liked it. I saw other kids my age that had YouTube channels where they posted their Video Star videos. I really wanted a YouTube channel to post my videos so I asked my mom and she thought it was a fun idea. [more]

Interview with Caleb Ryan

June 25, 2014

I would like to just encourage people to have faith in themselves and their abilities. To surround themselves with people who speak truth and encouragement into their lives. [more]

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