Laura Heywood Interviews artwork

Laura Heywood Interviews

83 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 61 ratings

Laura Heywood Interviews airs LIVE Mondays and Wednesday from Noon-1PM Eastern. Following one week of exclusive on-demand access for subscribers, each episode will be available as a free Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and everywhere else podcasts are found.

Laura Heywood Interviews embodies Laura’s signature intersection of contagious enthusiasm and deep research. The launch marks ten years since the first tweet Laura posted as her formerly anonymous online alter-ego, @BroadwayGirlNYC (50k followers across Twitter, Instagram, YouTube & Facebook).

The show features visits from celebrity newsmakers, tastemakers and changemakers from both inside and beyond the world of theatre; phone calls with listeners and contests available only to those listening live; and interviews from Laura’s extensive archive, consolidated and combined to celebrate current events and timely themes.

While best known for her long-form interviews with over 150 Broadway stars on AOL’s Build Series, CBS, Sirius XM, and her own social media channels, Laura is also an accomplished sports talk personality (San Francisco Giants); a radio DJ in formats as diverse as hip-hop, light rock, show tunes, and classic rock; a commercial actor (Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty), print model (Nintendo, TIME Magazine, Ameliora) and voice over actor (Grand Theft Auto series, Macy’s, Volvo); a world traveler; and a dedicated fitness & personal growth devotee. She is also an activist, focused particularly on arts education in elementary schools.

Segments include YES, AND… which explores a surprising feature of each guest’s background, training, or personal interest; TWEETS & SASS, a look into the social media posts that have Laura & her guests “all atwitter”; and JUST ‘CAUSE, a segment dedicated to a charity or non-profit organization chosen by that day’s guest.

Subscriptions to Laura Heywood Interviews include over 100 hours of additional content from DNR Studios, including Derek & Romaine, The Taylor Strecker Show, I Love My Wife, Naughty but Nice with Rob Shuter, and Happy Campers with Matthew Camp. For more information and to subscribe, visit www.DNRstudios.com/laura.

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Episodes

Laura Heywood Interviews Nick Cordero (From the Archives)

April 13, 2020 15:35 - 26 minutes - 49.4 MB

Nick Cordero is a Tony nominated actor (Bullets Over Broadway, Waitress, A Bronx Tale). I sat down with him a few years ago at Build Series in New York City. I chose this interview from the archives because I want you to know how great Nick is, and for you to keep him in your thoughts. Because my friend is Nick is very sick — he is fighting for his life, in critical condition, in the ICU as a result of Covid-19. He has a 10-month old baby; his wife is understandably distraught; and they ...

Laura Heywood Interviews Kyle Jarrow (Whisper House, Spongebob)

March 18, 2020 04:00 - 53 minutes - 98.4 MB

NOTE: WHISPER HOUSE WAS CANCELED THE DAY BEFORE ITS FIRST PREVIEW DUE TO COVID-19. WE ARE ALL HOLDING HOPE THAT IT WILL BE PRODUCED AT A LATER DATE.  Kyle Jarrow was nominated for a Tony Award for his brilliant, fully original book of a musical for Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical. His current project is Whisper House, with songs by Duncan Sheik,  off-Broadway at 59E59 in New York City. Kyle also leads the indie-pop-rock band Sky Pony with his wife, Tony nominee Lauren Worsham (A Gentlem...

Laura Heywood Interviews Steven Sater (Spring Awakening, Alice By Heart)

March 16, 2020 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Steven Sater is a Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award winning lyricist, librettist, writer, poet and much more. He is the man responsible for Spring Awakening, the show that inspired the passion that led to Laura Heywood's online alter ego, @BroadwayGirlNYC. His new novel, Alice By Heart, is a gorgeous and poetic expansion of the world behind the musical of the same name. Hardly a re-relling of Alice in Wonderland, the story instead is about a different Alice, down a different kind of hole – a l...

From the Archives: "The Girl From the North Country" off-Broadway cast

March 10, 2020 03:11 - 34 minutes - 64.7 MB

Featuring the music of Bob Dylan, with a book and direction by Connor Macpherson, The Girl From the North Country is now playing at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway. In Fall 2018, Laura Heywood sat down with three of the original principals from the Public Theater’s production of the show — the production that has transferred to Broadway this season. Kimber Elayne Sprawl plays Marianne, a nineteen year old black woman raised to adulthood by a white family that owns and runs a boardinghous...

Laura Heywood Interviews Ben Crawford (Phantom of the Opera)

March 02, 2020 05:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Ben Crawford is currently and creepily embodying Broadway’s favorite malformed and maladjusted romantic hero: The Phantom of the Opera.Is hero the right word? He’s certainly the leading man. But that Phantom, he’s a dark dude. And I can’t wait to dig into his complexities with the actor who brings him to life on Broadway eight shows a week.Ben Crawford has been playing The Phantom for nearly two years, and he brings the same freshness every performance that he did when he first took on this ...

Laura Heywood Interviews Tamar Greene and Fergie Philippe (Hamilton)

February 24, 2020 21:03 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Tamar Greene and Fergie Philippe are two of the newest cast members in HAMILTON on Broadway! Tamar, with a deep baritone and linebacker physique, is playing the larger-than-life George Washington — and Fergie is James Madison, our country’s fourth president, as well as a youthful, hilarious Hercules Mulligan! Rather than dwell on the current administration — yikes — we are celebrating Presidents Day in true BroadwayGirl style… with the Presidents of Hamilton on Broadway. 

Laura Heywood Interviews Morgan James (Memphis Magnetic)

February 19, 2020 05:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Morgan James has five Broadway credits, five solo albums — including her newest, “Memphis Magnetic” — and literally tens of millions of views on YouTube. Her most impressive trait, however, is that she never assumed that talent was enough. There is zero entitlement in this woman — instead of taking her natural gift for granted, she’s used it like a key to an endless library of learning, growing, enhancing, and redefining her own standards of success. 

Laura Heywood Interviews Ann Harada (Emojiland, Avenue Q)

February 17, 2020 05:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Ann Harada's resume is, without a doubt, impressive. On Broadway she has sung Rodgers and Hammerstein, Boublil & Schonberg, Dolly Parton, Ahrens & Flaherty, and Robert Lopez, plus appeared in David Henry Hwang’s celebrated play M. Butterfly in her Broadway acting debut. On screen she has appeared in Smash, Gotham, 30 Rock, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Sex and the Cityvthe digital series Indoor Boys. She is currently starring as the iconic "Pile of Poo" off-Broadway in Emojiland: The Musical.

Laura Heywood Interviews Eden Espinosa (Lempicka, The Green Room 42)

February 12, 2020 05:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Eden Espinosa is known for playing Elphaba in Wicked, Brooklyn in Brooklyn: The Musical, and Maureen in the closing company of Rent. She recently returned from playing Trina on the National Tour of Falsettos and is originating the title role of the polish painter Lempicka in a new musical by Matt Gould. She will be playing the Narrator, alongside Alex Newell and Jessica Vosk, in Lincoln Center’s all-star 50th Anniversary Celebration of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Her album ...

Laura Heywood Interviews Benjamin Salka (Story Pirates)

February 10, 2020 05:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Story Pirates “pairs the best actors, comedians and musicians in the world with some of the most creative educators, and puts them together to create real collaborations with kids.” Original stories, written entirely from kids’ imaginations, become huge-scale production numbers — sketch comedy shows, over-the-top musicals, masterfully produced albums — the kind of wild imaginative art that only a kid can think of, and only the best-of-the-best grownups can execute. Benjamin "Jamie" Salka is ...

Laura Heywood Interviews Lesli Margherita (Emojiland: The Musical)

February 05, 2020 05:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

If Broadway had a poster child for living out loud, it would be Lesli Margherita, currently starring as The Princess of Emojiland in Emojiland: The Musical. Never had there been a fiercer, more outspoken advocate for living your truth, owning your weirdness, and ruling your own kingdom. There’s a reason her social media accounts are all called Queen Lesli! Known for Zorro: The Musical (Olivier Award), Matilda, and Dames at Sea, Lesli Margherita is one of a kind.

Laura Heywood Interviews Jim Caruso (Broadway at Birdland)

February 03, 2020 19:27 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Jim Caruso made his Broadway debut alongside none other than Liza Minnelli in Liza’s At The Palace in 2008, which won a Tony Award for Best Special Event and also earned a Grammy nomination. He has performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and in Times Square for a crowd of 100,000 theater fans. He is the winner of multiple MAC awards, BroadwayWorld Awards, BackStage Magazine Bistro Awards, and a NightLife Awards. And on top of all of this, he is MOST beloved for his acclai...

Laura Heywood Interviews Jen Wheeler Kahn (Scenery Bags)

February 03, 2020 16:58 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Jennifer Wheeler Kahn is the founder of Scenery Bags, a sustainable fashion company that uses reclaimed curtains, backdrops and stages from Broadway and touring shows to create purses, clutches, totes and other accessories beloved by theatre fans and fashionistas alike. A portion of every sale goes to TDF's Introduction to Theatre and Accessibility for Students programs, making the enterprise responsible for making the world a better place on both the front and back ends of the process. www....

Laura Heywood Interviews Norbert Leo Butz ("The Long Haul")

January 27, 2020 05:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Two-time Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz has appeared on Broadway in My Fair Lady, Catch Me If You Can, Wicked, Rent, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Big Fish, Dead Accounts, Enron, Is He Dead, and Speed the Plow. The Last Five Years off-Broadway provided an equally pivotal role. In addition to his legendary career on the stage, Norbert Leo Butz is a wildly talented songwriter, and his album “The Long Haul” is the first full-length album he has written entirely by himself. “The Long Haul” is...

Laura Heywood Interviews Mykal Kilgore ("A Man Born Black")

January 20, 2020 14:21 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Mykal Kilgore has appeared on Broadway in Motown, The Book of Mormon, and Hair; on TV, in The Wiz and Jesus Christ Superstar; and in the gorgeous City Center production of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for A New World, which you can find on all music streaming services. After growing up in Florida and then moving to Nashville, he was discovered by Billy Porter, who shepherded him to New York City. Mykal’s new album, A Man Born Black, out now, is a little bit R&B, a dash of reggae and country, a...

Laura Heywood Interviews Jamison Stern ("After Forever")

January 20, 2020 14:14 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MB

Jamison Stern is a life-long actor who works constantly and puts everything he has into his characters. From one-man onstage triumphs like his recent “Fully Committed,” to full-body transformations such as his turn as Tracy in “The Legend of Georgia McBride,” Jamison commands an audience. His current role as “Paul #1” in the Emmy-winning Amazon series “After Forever” is particularly special, as it’s clear that the cast loves each other as much as the characters do, and audiences fall in love...

Laura Heywood Interviews Sam Maher (YesBroadway.com)

January 13, 2020 05:00 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MB

Sam Maher is one of the most passionate, dedicated, informed consumers of theatre in New York. His website, YesBroadway.com, is designed to help you sort through the noise that’s prevalent on other sites — it’s quality, not quantity, of articles & features that matter. Two of the website’s biggest sections — “saw it, loved it” and “hype alert” — focus on Sam’s personal favorites, and the upcoming shows with the most buzz. And he would know — in addition to being a professional audience mem...

Laura Heywood's Holiday Hamilton Supershow

January 06, 2020 18:58 - 7 hours - 425 MB

Lin-Manuel Miranda. Leslie Odom, Jr. Phillipa Soo. Daveed Diggs. Renee Elise Goldsberry. Christopher Jackson. Okierete Onaodowan. Anthony Ramos. Alex Lacamoire. David Korins. Javier Muñoz. Rory O'Malley. Mandy Gonzales. James Monroe Iglehart. Daniel Breaker. Morgan Marcell. Lexi Lawson. Welcome to an eight-hour marathon of HAMILTON interviews! The quintessential one-stop-shop for interviews with the stars of Broadway's most celebrated musical, with "Broadway's most influential fan," Laura He...

Laura Heywood Interviews Daryl Roth, live at NAMT 2019

December 23, 2019 17:00 - 55 minutes - 101 MB

Daryl Roth is one of the most prolific, influential producers in the history of New York theatre. Her mission is to champion thought-provoking, inspiring work onstage, and she is honored to hold the singular distinction of producing 7 Pulitzer Prize-winning plays: Anna in the Tropics; August: Osage County (2008 Tony Award); Clybourne Park (2012 Tony Award); How I Learned to Drive; Proof (2001 Tony Award); Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women; and Wit. Recorded live at the National Alliance for Mu...

Laura Heywood Interviews Tony Vincent (PCG Theatrical, American Idiot, RENT)

December 19, 2019 04:06 - 56 minutes - 104 MB

Tony Vincent is a Rock/Broadway hybrid creature, having charted six songs before making his Broadway debut in RENT. He went on to appear in the film and Broadway revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, We Will Rock You in London, American Idiot both pre- and on-Broadway, and Rocktopia. He was also a fan favorite on NBC's The Voice, and headlines "The Music of David Bowie" international symphony tour. He has just launched PCG Theatrical, a customized, full-service artist development program specif...

Laura Heywood Interviews Tony Vincent (PCG Theatrical, American Idiot)

December 19, 2019 04:06 - 56 minutes - 104 MB

Tony Vincent is a Rock/Broadway hybrid creature, having charted six songs before making his Broadway debut in RENT. He went on to appear in the film and Broadway revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, We Will Rock You in London, American Idiot both pre- and on-Broadway, and Rocktopia. He was also a fan favorite on NBC's The Voice, and headlines "The Music of David Bowie" international symphony tour. He has just launched PCG Theatrical, a customized, full-service artist development program specif...

Laura Heywood Interviews John Robert Allman ("A is for Audra"

December 16, 2019 05:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

John Robert Allman is the author of "A is for Audra: Broadway's Leading Ladies from A to Z." This book is a quintessential must-have gift for everyone on your holiday list. I’m talking everyone. It’s a picture book — so you can get it for the little ones — and many people may see “A is for Audra” only as a book for kids. But don’t be fooled by the large format and colorful illustrations. This is a celebration of the women in musical theatre that have inspired ALL fans of the genre, from Tony...

Laura Heywood Interviews Marty Thomas ("Slow Dancing with a Boy"

December 11, 2019 05:00 - 59 minutes - 111 MB

Marty Thomas has basically been a star since he was a child. His first Broadway credit was when he was only eleven years old, in The Secret Garden; since then he has appeared in Xanadu and Wicked, and has created and performed hundreds if not thousands of shows on New York stages as a stalwart of the NYC nightlife scene. His new album “Slow Dancing with a Boy” is out as of December 6 — for those of you listening live on DNR Studios, you’ve got to wait a couple of days (but you can preorder...

Laura Heywood Interviews Vivek Tiwary (producer, Jagged Little Pill)

December 09, 2019 05:00 - 56 minutes - 106 MB

Vivek Tiwary is a lead producer of Jagged Little Pill, the new musical inspired by and featuring songs from the iconic Alanis Morissette album. JLP is a powerhouse rock show that is also an intimate family portrait, with a brand new story by the Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody and directed by Tony-winner Diane Paulus, featuring a cast that is both fresh and seasoned, a true ensemble without a weak link among them. How did this team find each other, and how did this particular album — ...

Laura Heywood Interviews Josh Lamon (Josh Swallows Broadway)

December 02, 2019 20:24 - 56 minutes - 77.9 MB

Josh Lamon is one of Laura's longest-lasting friends in the Broadway industry. Seen most recently in the Tony-nominated musical The Prom, his Broadway credits include Groundhog Day, Finding Neverland, Elf and Hair -- plus notable off-Broadway productions including A New Brain at City Center, Little Miss Sunshine at Second Stage, and Into the Woods at the Delacorte in Central Park. His new podcast "Josh Swallows... Broadway" is available now from the Broadway Podcast Network, available everyw...

Laura Heywood Interviews Julie Taymor and Eve Ensler (from the archives)

December 02, 2019 18:45 - 59 minutes - 111 MB

Laura revisits conversations with two of her theatrical heroes, Julie Taymor and Eve Ensler. Taymor redefined both Disney and Broadway with her vision of The Lion King; she spoke to Laura in the summer of 2018 about the cinematic re-release of Across The Universe, the glorious film featuring the music of the Beatles. Ensler is best known as the creator of The Vagina Monologues (in which Laura performed in 1999!). They spoke about her 2018 off-Broadway memoir play, “In the Body of the World.” 

Laura Heywood Interviews Wes Taylor and Alex Wyse (Indoor Boys)

November 04, 2019 05:00 - 57 minutes - 78.4 MB

Broadway actors Wesley Taylor (Spongebob Squarepants, The Addams Family, Rock of Ages) and Alex Wyse (Waitress, Spring Awakening, Lysistrata Jones) have teamed up on the short-form fictional series "Indoor Boys," an award-winning web-based sitcom that follows two homebody roommates as they try to figure out the boundaries of their no-boundaries friendship. Three seasons are available (and highly bingeable!) at www.indoorboys.tv.

Laura Heywood Interviews Kyle Post (Kinky Boots, The Weirdo's Way)

October 28, 2019 04:00 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MB

Kyle Post performed over 2000 times in Kinky Boots on Broadway, achieving his life's greatest dream. He then realized his purpose was to coach others to live their own. Kyle Post Life Coaching is the answer, and his newest program, The Weirdo's Way, is designed for for self-identified oddballs. He calls it "the eccentric performer’s guide to crazy artistic success," and it is one of a kind. We discuss Kyle's Broadway and coaching superpowers, and bond over both being proud weirdos ourselves.

Laura Heywood Interviews Kooman and Dimond (The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes)

October 14, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Michael Kooman (music) and Christopher Dimond (book & lyrics) are a New York City-based writing team for the stage and screen. The world premiere recording of their musical "The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes" is out now. Their most recent musical, Romantics Anonymous, debuted to rave reviews at Shakespeare's Globe. They also currently serve as songwriters for “Vampirina,” an animated musical TV series for which they have written more than 150 songs. The show airs on Disney Channel and D...

Laura Heywood Interviews Christian Dante White (My Fair Lady; Hello, Dolly!)

October 11, 2019 22:57 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Fresh off of the Broadway productions of My Fair Lady — where he played Freddy Einsford Hill and Hello Dolly, where he understudied — and often went on for — the Tony Award winning role of Cornelius Hackel, Christian Dante White is here! The two of us originally met over social media — the first tweet we were both mentioned in goes back to 2010! — and only just FINALLY met in person LAST WEEK by total happen stance! So I HAD to invite to him instudio. He has a concert coming up at the Greenr...

Laura Heywood Interviews Rob Rokicki and the cast of The Lightning Thief (from the Archives)

October 09, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Rob Rokicki (composer), Sarah Beth Pfeifer and Kristin Stokes (actors) all made their Broadway debuts this season in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson musical. The show has had its own hero's journey: from one-hour school show, to sold-out off-Broadway run, to national tour, to the Longacre Theatre where it is making its home on Broadway through January 5. In honor of the show's Broadway bow, we revisit a conversation from April, the day after the tour played New York's legendary Beac...

Laura Heywood Interviews Ann Sanders & Ivan Hernandez (Dear Evan Hansen)

October 07, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Ann Sanders and Ivan Hernandez have stepped into the shoes of Cynthia and Larry Murphy in the 2017 Tony Award winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen. They play the grieving parents of Connor and Zoe Murphy, who welcome Evan Hansen into their home under the auspices of a friendship that never really existed. The relationships that form between Evan and the Murphys are very real, though, and the heartbreaking authenticity with which these actors convey these connections is enough to break your hear...

Laura Heywood Interviews Diana DeGarmo & Ace Young

October 02, 2019 16:00 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MB

Diana DeGarmo & Ace Young met in the Broadway production of "HAIR" in 2010, connecting over their shared experience as American Idol contestants. Diana has a new album out, "GEMINI," a country big band record available digitally and on vinyl. Ace is working on his new solo project, too! And next year they'll be touring together in the national tour of Broadway's "First Date." 

Laura Heywood Interviews Eva Noblezada (Hadestown)

September 30, 2019 16:00 - 56 minutes - 77.8 MB

Eva Noblezada stars as Eurydice in the 2019 Tony Award winning Best Musical, Hadestown, It’s rare that an actress bursts onto the Broadway scene with as much power and relevance as my guest today. Making her debut at age 21 in Miss Saigon, she received a Tony Award nomination as best leading actress in a musical — an honor that would be repeated just two seasons later for her current project, Hadestown. Eva's character, Eurydice, is open-hearted and self-reliant, vulnerable and tough, st...

Laura Heywood Interviews Joel B. New (Monkey Trouble: Unleashed!)

September 25, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Joel B. New is the winner of the American Theatre Wing’s Jonathan Larson Grant and MAC's John Wallowitch Award. His musicals include "To Hell and Back,” performed at the New York Musical Festival in 2015; "McKenzie and the Missing Boy," developed by the Musical Theatre Factory; and the EP “Cabot Cove,” which is inspired by Murder She Wrote. His shows have been workshopped or performed at many of the best incubators in the country, including Ars Nova, New York Theatre Barn, Prospect Theater C...

Laura Heywood Interviews Julia Murney (#FiftyFabulousThings)

September 23, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Julia Murney -- of Wild Party, Lennon, and Wicked fame -- is celebrating her 50th year of life by doing #FiftyFabulousThings. She is here to celebrate the 50th episode of Laura Heywood Interviews! Julia & Laura's conversation runs the gamut from growth mindset to Disneyland to philanthropy to a scandal involving Julia, Rosie O'Donnell and the National Enquirer. Plus, unexpected guests Nick Scandalios (The Nederlander Organization) and DNR Studios' "I Love My Wife" podcast hosts Kelli Carpent...

Laura Heywood Interviews Telly Leung (Aladdin, Glee)

September 18, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Telly Leung has been killing it on the Broadway stage for over a decade, with roles in Rent, Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures, Godspell, Allegiance, In Transit — and most recently starring for almost two years in the title role in Disney’s Aladdin. He was also a favorite on Glee, as "Wes the Warbler"! He has been named one of the “Out 100” by Out Magazine, and a “Face To Watch” by The Los Angeles Times — so the world has certainly noticed this incredible man. Telly is here today to ta...

Laura Heywood Interviews Shoba Narayan (Hamilton, Great Comet)

September 09, 2019 18:46 - 58 minutes - 110 MB

Just off of a triumphant run as Eliza Hamilton in the National Tour of Hamilton: An American Musical, followed by celebrating her wedding in a fete worthy of the movies, Shoba Narayan has returned to New York, and New York is celebrating. Specifically celebrating at the Greenroom 42 inside the Yotel on 10th Avenue & 40th Street, where Shoba will be performing for one night only in her solo show, PLACES, which will use the songs of Ingrid Michaelson, Coldplay, Beyonce, and more — yes, includi...

Laura Heywood Interviews Shoba Narayan (Hamilton, Great Comet)

September 09, 2019 18:46

Just off of a triumphant run as Eliza Hamilton in the National Tour of Hamilton: An American Musical, followed by celebrating her wedding in a fete worthy of the movies, Shoba Narayan has returned to New York, and New York is celebrating. Specifically celebrating at the Greenroom 42 inside the Yotel on 10th Avenue & 40th Street, where Shoba will be performing for one night only in her solo show, PLACES, which will use the songs of Ingrid Michaelson, Coldplay, Beyonce, and more — yes, includi...

Laura Heywood Interviews Brenda Meaney (Little Gem at Irish Rep)

September 04, 2019 17:41 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Brenda Meaney is currently starring in "Little Gem" at Irish Repertory Theater as Lorraine, who is juggling roles as the single mother of a pregnant teenager and the only child of aging parents, while trying to stave off her own mental breakdown. But far from a tale of despair, this production is a comedic and poignant three-hander, running 100 minutes with no intermission. “Little Gem” is playing at Irish Rep through September 8. For tickets and information visit www.IrishRep.org. Under...

Laura Heywood Interviews Louie Pearlman & Joel Esher ("Joey & Ron: A New Sixties Bubblegum Rock Musical")

September 04, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Louie Pearlman & Joel Esher are the creators of "Joey & Ron: A New Sixties Bubblegum Rock Musical," which will premiere off-Broadway this November at the Players Theatre. Both Louie & Joel have been Story Pirates for over ten years (as has Laura!). In addition, Louie Pearlman has been an innovator and maverick of the NYC comedy and arts scene since 2002. Louie's officially-licensed Archie Comics/Riverdale stories "Nice Girls Finish Last," and “Riverdale’s Worst Nightmare” are currently a...

Laura Heywood Interviews Todrick Hall

September 02, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Todrick Hall is known for a ubiquitous YouTube presence, the epic “Straight Outta Oz” visual album, judging and choreographing for RuPaul’s Drag Race, and countless pop hits including the newly remixed “Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels” with Ciara -- and he's back on Broadway, stealing the show at WAITRESS as the quirky, elfish, history-nerd Ogie. Hardly his first Broadway rodeo, Waitress is Todrick’s fifth Broadway role, most recently seen as Lola in Kinky Boots — which is when we first became frie...

Laura Heywood Interviews Rachel Sussman (theatre and event producer)

August 28, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Rachel Sussman is a Tony Award-nominated producer committed to cultivating dynamic, inclusive theatrical work through collaboration. With credits including What The Constitution Means To Me, The Woodsman, NYMF (Artistic Director), and Audible, she is also the lead producer and co-creator of In a new musical by Shaina Taub about the American women's suffrage movement. In addition to theatre, Rachel and Laura discuss intersectionality, trans visibility, putting the B back in LGBTQ+, homelessne...

Laura Heywood Interviews Jawan M. Jackson (Ain't Too Proud)

August 26, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 55.6 MB

Jawan M. Jackson is currently on Broadway playing Melvin Franklin, one of the original and longest lasting members of the Temptations. From the group’s founding in the early 1960s to Melvin’s death in 1995, he never left the group — and his impact has never left the world of music. As one of the most recognizable voices in the Motown family — or truly in any music of the time — Melvin had a voice so deep it made the walls vibrate. Finding a voice that could recreate this legend for the s...

Laura Heywood Interviews Lena Hall (Bat out of Hell, Hedwig, Becks, Obsessed)

August 21, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Lena Hall is most recognizable for her Tony Award winning run as Yitzak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (a production that also won the Tony for best Revival of a Musical). She made her Broadway debut at age 18 in Cats and has worked onstage virtually consistently since then — with roles in 42nd Street, Dracula, Tarzan, Annie Get Your Gun, The Toxic Avenger, Kinky Boots, Hedwig, and more. She’s taken a few breaks from theatre to work on-camera — running the gamut from competing on MTV’s reali...

Laura Heywood Interviews Alice Ripley (The Pink Unicorn, Next to Normal, Side Show)

August 19, 2019 04:00 - 56 minutes - 78.2 MB

Alice Ripley is one of the heavyweights of American Musical Theatre. A Tony winner for her star-turn as Diana in the Pulitzer Prize winning musical “Next to Normal,” Alice Ripley is known world-wide for showstopping roles, including those in Side Show (for which she was also Tony nominated, alongside Emily Skinner), The Rocky Horror Show, The Who’s Tommy, Les Miserables, James Joyce’s The Dead, Sunset Boulevard, and American Psycho. She is here today promoting a one-woman monologue show, "Th...

Laura Heywood Interviews Joe Iconis (Be More Chill, Love in Hate Nation)

August 14, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Joe Iconis is the composer and lyricist of Be More Chill, Broadway Bounty Hunter, Love in Hate Nation, The Black Suits, and more. Mr. Iconis has done a lot of interviews. This one is different. Rather than go over the questions he’s answered a hundred times before, on LHI Joe has the chance to sit back and reflect on his work — past, current, and future — to relax with a friend in a space where speak extemporaneously on how he’s feeling, and what he’s excited about looking forward, as both B...

Laura Heywood Interviews Christina Bennington (Bat Out of Hell: The Musical)

August 12, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Christina Bennington slays the role of Raven, the young ingenue of "Bat Out of Hell: The Musical," whose father is a tyrant ruling over a post-apocalyptic city called Obsidian — formerly known as New York City. She is deeply in love with the forbidden heartthrob Strat, made forever young by an event called “the chemical wars” that froze him and his gang as eternal 18-year-olds. Raven, not frozen, has just turned 18 and longs for the freedom represented by Strat and his gang “The Lost” — she ...

LHI Behind the Scenes Series: Dominic Grijalva, Graphic Artist (TeeRico)

August 07, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Dominic Grijalva, independent graphic artist and Design Director for the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, kicks off the new Behind the Scenes Series on Laura Heywood Interviews, where we explore fascinating people outside the spotlight. Broadway fans will recognize Dom's work for TeeRico — Lin-Manuel Miranda’s personalized, family-based, philanthropic merchandise line. Other design work extends to logos and advertising for reputable regional theaters, for shows including Carrie,...

Laura Heywood Interviews Thomas Schumacher (From the Archives)

August 05, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Thomas Schumacher, President of Disney Theatricals, joined Laura in November 2017 to talk about the 20th Anniversary of The Lion King on Broadway. They became fast friends, digging into his long history with the Walt Disney company, including his ushering in a new era in theatre with this groundbreaking production. This was the first interview in which he discussed the casting and plans for the new film, which now (nearly two years later) is in movie theaters everywhere! And of course you ca...

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