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Anthony Michael Lopez joins Behind the Awards to chat about his stage and screen career. Most known for his role of Bruce in Survival of the Thickest, Tony is also an accomplished stage Actor seen in last seasons Titus Andronicus with Patrick Page. Tony gives us the low down on working with Page as well as Othello, Our Town, Camelot and The Gilded Age.
Also in this episode - Three’s Company Come and Knock on Our Door tour is scheduled for November 2 at Joe's Pub. Hosted by original cast member Joyce DeWitt alongside John Ritter’s widow, actress Amy Yasbeck. Richard Kline, who originated the role of Larry Dallas, will be the evening's narrator. The cast is lead by Jason Biggs, who steps into Ritter’s iconic role of Jack Tripper, with Christine Taylor as Chrissy Snow, Bellamy Young as Janet Wood, Richard Kind as Stanley Roper, and Susie Essman as Helen Roper. Following the New York kickoff, the Three’s Company 50th anniversary tour will continue in 2027, with readings in Dallas (February 27), Cleveland (March 13), and Los Angeles (September 9). Also in the news; Sacha Baron Cohen will star in Quentin Tarantino's debut stage play, The Popinjay Cavalier, which opens in London's West End in 2027.
Anthony Michael Lopez is best known for his recurring role as Bruce on Michelle Buteau’s hit comedy series Survival of The Thickest on Netflix, and as Roderigo in Othello on Broadway starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Recently, Anthony originated the role of Sir Dinadan in Aaron Sorkin’s Tony-nominated adaptation of Camelot on Broadway. Other Broadway and NYC stage credits include Our Town starring Jim Parsons and Katie Holmes, and Othello starring Daniel Craig and David Oyelowo. Onscreen, Anthony has appeared on TV’s Broad City, The Gilded Age, Homeland, New Amsterdam, and many other movies, TV shows, and national commercials.
Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y.
Connect with Eila and Bruce:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Illusions and Visual Effects Designer Chris Fisher stops by Behind the Awards fresh off the opening of Paranormal Activity to breakdown the magic he’s creating for the show. Chris also does a deep dive into the illusions in Stranger Things that won him a 2025 Tony Award and his theater career in such shows as Wicked, Company, Harry Potter, and the upcoming Nanny McPhee the Musical. Chris also had is magic wand in the creation of Black Swan and 2:22 A Ghost Story coming in October to The Lortell Theater.
Also in this episode - Doug Henning turns Broadways Andrea McArdle into Allison Smith on his special Doug Henning: Magic on Broadway which aired on NBC in November 1982.
Chris Fisher received a Special Tony Award in 2025 for his work as Illusions and Visual Effects Designer on Stranger Things: The First Shadow, as well as Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Chris is also a member of The Magic Circle and works worldwide as International Illusions and Magic Associate for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Theatre credits as illusion designer and director include Black Swan (American Repertory Theater); The Psychic (York Theatre Royal); Paranormal Activity (Leeds Playhouse/West End/U.S. tour); The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (West End); The BFG (RSC/Singapore); The Hunger Games On Stage (Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre); Stranger Things: The First Shadow (Marquis Theatre/Phoenix Theatre); Dr. Strangelove (Noël Coward Theatre); The Illusionist (Tokyo); Ballet Shoes, The Witches, Peter Gynt, Here We Go, Treasure Island, and Julie (National Theatre); Back to the Future: The Musical (Winter Garden Theatre/Tokyo/U.S. tour/Germany/Adelphi Theatre); The Ghost and the Lady (Tokyo); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Leeds Playhouse/U.K. tour); The Time Traveller’s Wife (Apollo Theatre); The Prince of Egypt and Big the Musical (Dominion Theatre); The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Gillian Lynne Theatre/U.K. tour); 2:22 A Ghost Story (Noël Coward Theatre/Melbourne/Los Angeles); Angels in America (National Theatre/Neil Simon Theatre); Wicked Das Musical (Hamburg); Company (Gielgud Theatre/Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre/U.S. tour); and Merlin (Northern Ballet).
Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y.
Connect with Eila and Bruce:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Broadway’s Brandon Contreras joins Behind the Awards to dish on his career thus far after recently taking over the role of Charles in Operation Mincemeat. Brandon shares the thrill of staring in both Titanique Off Broadway and Titanic at New York City Center. Brandon also talks about being in Almost Famous and working with Cameron Crowe, Drew Gehling and Anika Larsen. Brandon shares some future dream roles.
Also in this episode - Annie is back on Broadway and Eila & Bruce have casting ideas for Hannigan, Rooster and Lily
Brandon Contreras is New York City born & raised creative. He was last seen causing absolute chaos as “Cal” in the Off-Broadway/International hit, Titanique. Before that, he made his Broadway debut rocking out and originating in Tom Kitt and Cameron Crowe’s, Almost Famous.
Some other theatrical favorites include Titanic and Road Show at the historical and honorable City Center Encores!, In the Heights (1st National Tour), Jerry Springer: The Opera (The New Group), Beauty & the Beast (Drury Lane), Bhangin’ It! (La Jolla Playhouse), You Deserve to be Here (Roundabout Theatre Workshop) and the regional premiere of The Play that Goes Wrong (Pioneer). FILM/TV include: The upcoming feature film, “There She Goes” with Rachel Leigh Cook and Utkarsh Ambudkar, “WeCrashed”, “Mr. Robot” and “Awkwafina is Nora from Queens.”
Outside of performing, Brandon is also a freelance director, writer, filmmaker & choreographer for multiple collaborative art pieces. With over 1.6 Million followers across all social media platforms, he is the co-creator of the award-winning Queer platform, The HomoSapien Experience. @OhHey_Brandon @TheHomoSapienExperience – BrandonContreras.com
Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y.
Connect with Eila and Bruce:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Drag Race Alum and Choreographer Jay Jackson aka Laganja Estranja joins Behind the Awards to chat about her latest project, Choreographer of the Jawbreaker the Musical workshop. The cult film has been turned into a musical by the films creator Darren Stein and lead by one of the original “Flawless Ones” Rebecca Gayheart. Laganja also tells us about her upcoming Fall 2027 project; Co-Choreographing Miss Step at Playwrights Horizons. Of course we got some Drag Race tea too!
Get tickets to Jawbreaker the Musical - https://www.hudsontheatre.com/index.html
Jay Jackson (Laganja Estranja) is a world renowned LGBTQIA+ icon most known for her choreography, music and cannabis advocacy. A U.S. Presidential Scholar in The Arts, Jackson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance and choreography from the California Institute of the Arts and launched to stardom after being selected to compete on RuPaul's Drag Race. Since then, Jackson has performed on numerous television shows and for artists such as Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter, Jennifer Lopez, LeAnn Rimes, and Christina Aguilera. Other choreography credits include Miley Cyrus, Brooke Candy, “Trixie & Katya Live,” “Miss Step,” and McDonalds.
Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y.
Connect with Eila and Bruce:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tony Nominee Elizabeth Stanley joins Behind the Awards to talk about her brand new thriller Disruption now playing at The Pershing Square Signature Center as well as the hit musical Jagged Little Pill. Elizabeth shares what it was like to work with Alanis Morissette on such iconic music. Disruption is playing through October 4th and you can catch Elizabeth alongside John David Washington, Conrad Ricamora, Joe Tippett and Irene Sofia Lucio.
Get tickets here: https://www.disruptionplay.com/
Also in this episode - Eila & Bruce see Paranormal Activity on Broadway
Elizabeth Stanley is an award-winning actor, singer, and musician, best known perhaps for her work on Broadway, recently starring in the Alanis Morissette musical Jagged Little Pill, earning nominations for the Tony Award, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle, as well as a Grammy Award for the original cast recording.
Elizabeth has captivated New York theater audiences ever since her Broadway debut as “April” in the revival of Sondheim’s Company directed by John Doyle, and has since played an eclectic array of comedic and dramatic, classic and contemporary leading ladies including roles in the Broadway revival of On the Town(Drama Desk nomination), Million Dollar Quartet, Cry-Baby, and James Lapine’s production of Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along (Encores). Last year, The New York Times nodded to her performance as Vera in the City Center’s gala production of Pal Joey as “Best Theater of 2023.”
Other credits include as The Nurse in Hello, Again (Transport Group, Drama League Award), F**king A(Signature Theatre), and starred opposite Vanessa Williams and Santino Fontana in Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle in Concert at Carnegie Hall with MasterVoices and recently as Luisa in Maury Yeston’s Nine opposite Steven Pasquale at The Kennedy Center. Elizabeth also starred as Francesca in the First National Tour of Jason Robert Brown’s The Bridges of Madison Country, and as Kira in the First National Tour of Xanadu.
Equally present on screen, Elizabeth appears in Season 3 of Katori Hall’s P-Valley and was a recurring guest star on the FX series Kindred and HBO Max’s Gossip Girl. Other guest appearances include The Equalizer, New Amsterdam, Younger, Blue Bloods, N0S482, FBI, The Get Down, The Affair, Black Box, Made in Jersey, Fringe, and Company (PBS Great Performances).
As a concert soloist, she appeared last season with the San Diego Symphony conducted by Rob Fisher, and in a new symphonic production of Ragtime with The Boston Pops conducted by Keith Lockhart. She has also performed with Colorado Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Ocean City Symphony, New York Pops Underground, and many solo engagements.
Elizabeth is a graduate of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.
Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y.
Connect with Eila and Bruce:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Behind the Awards is joined by Kristin Hopkins, Ashley Hufford and Alan Seales to select our Fantasy Broadway Lineup. From Rising Star to Legacy Performer, from Director to Costume Designer we cover it all! Listen along and make your selections! Did names like Idina Menzel, Bob Fosse, Caissie Levy or Debbie Allen make the lists? Listen to find out!
Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y.
Connect with Eila and Bruce:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Playwright and Actress Laura Lapidus alongside casemates Tedra Millan (Leopoldstadt) and Yuriy Sardarov (Chicago Fire) join Behind the Awards to deep dive their new Off Broadway hit To Have and To Hold. Inspired by Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew this play brings Kate & Bianca into modern day.
Get your ticket here: https://www.tohaveplay.com/
Also in this episode - Remembering Dolly Parton and Tim Curry and the legacy they leave behind.
Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y.
Connect with Eila and Bruce:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The new Broadway season is here, and the awards race is already taking shape! On this fall preview episode of Behind the Awards, host Matt Koplik of The Broadway Breakdown joins the conversation to break down the most anticipated new shows, major stars, returning favorites, and early contenders to watch as the road to Broadway’s awards season begins. What could be the season’s biggest hits—and which productions might emerge as awards-season favorites?
Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y.
Connect with Eila and Bruce:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt Copley is a musician, theatrical producer, and TikTok creator behind Broadway Does Punk, a viral music project that transforms iconic Broadway songs into high-energy pop-punk and rock anthems. What began as a series of online videos has grown into an audience of more than 370,000 TikTok followers and over 16 million Spotify streams, with fans consistently asking one question: When can we see this live?
October 2nd & 3rd, Broadway Does Punk will make its live debut with three performances at Abrons Arts Center, featuring an all-star lineup of Broadway talent.
Get Tickets Here - https://www.abronsartscenter.org/programs/broadway-punk
Also in this episode - Cats: The Jellicle Ball closes on Broadway!
Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y.
Connect with Eila and Bruce:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Writer/Show Runner Tom Fontana joins Behind the Awards to give us the breaking news on his latest venture: Tom Fontana Presents! Some guests include Edie Falco, Mariska Hargitay and Julianna Margulies. Tom also takes a trip down memory lane to discuss his hit shows St Elsewhere, OZ and Homicide: Life on the Street and working with the likes of Denzel Washington, Howie Mendel, Robin Williams and Rita Moreno.
Access his show here: https://tomfontana.substack.com/
Also in this episode - Whitney Houston Barbie release and others who have been iconically made into Barbies; Tina Turner, Wonder Woman, Susan Lucci, Deidre Hall.
Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y.
Connect with Eila and Bruce:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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