Breaking Broadway with Kerry Butler

You'll love this episode with Ali Stroker, someone who really hasn’t let anything stop her. Even though no one in a wheelchair had ever been nominated for a Tony award, or even been on Broadway, she still let herself dream! (And win the Tony award!!!) Hear this incredibly inspiring episode about how she doesn’t take no for an answer. She finds ways to turn no’s into yes’s! I left this episode feeling so moved and inspired!  

Follow Ali Stroker on Instagram @alistroker

You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.com, follow @kerrybutlercoach on Instagram, or email me at [email protected].

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Roger Bart, one of the funniest people on Broadway, joins us this week. I really wanted to know how he approaches comedic roles- like Doc in Back to the future. He tells us all about his technique to finding the funny.  

ROGER BART Originated the role of Doc Brown in Back to The Future in London and on Broadway. Broadway: The Producers (Tony, Drama Desk nominations); Young Frankenstein; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Tony, Drama Desk Awards); The Frogs; Disaster!; Triumph of Love; Big River. Film: Trumbo, American Gangster, The Stepford Wives, The Producers, Hostel Part II, singing voice of Disney's Hercules "Go the Distance." Television: "Desperate Housewives," "Revenge," "Good Trouble," "A Series of Unfortunate Events," "How I Met Your Mother." For my brother, Randy.

Follow Roger Bart on Instagram: @rogerbartofficial

You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.com, follow @kerrybutlercoach on Instagram, or email me at [email protected].

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My friends and castmates, Laura Bell Bundy & Marissa Jaret Winokur join me for a special announcement about our show Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now! We also talk about Marissa's career journey, audition songs, and memories from Hairspray.

Marissa Jaret Winokur is perhaps best known for creating the role of “Tracy Turnblad” in the Broadway musical Hairspray, winning a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a musical. Marissa was crowned winner of the inaugural season of “Celebrity Big Brother”, and danced her way into the hearts of America on the hit series “Dancing with the Stars”, making it all the way to the Final 4!

Marissa can currently be seen on many hit shows including newly Emmy nominated “What We Do In The Shadows”, “Bupkis”, “So Help Me Todd”, “Clone High”and streaming on Netflix movies “Feel the Beat“ and“Trouble". She recently returned to The Hollywood Bowl to star in Kinky Boots alongside Wayne Brady , and “Beauty and The Beast “ with Rebel Wilson and Taye Diggs. 

Marissa has recently Shifted into Directing , her last Show ICE CATS starring Alli Miller topped the awards at LA Fringe and is now in TV development . She is also gearing up to direct the feature film BALI HIGH, a romantic traumedy starring Ashley Argota and Mick Torres. 

Marissa and her husband, comedy writer Judah Miller Split their time between NY and LA with their son Zev (when he's not playing Tennis) and they’re 2 labradoodles. Marissa is a cancer survivor and is passionate about educating woman on cancer awareness and works closely with STAND UP TO CANCER

Instagram @marissajaretwinokur

Twitter @marissajwinokur

Laura Bell Bundy is a Tony nominated Broadway actress and Billboard top 5 recording artist. Bundy made her debut at age 9 in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, since then she has originated the stage roles: Tina in Ruthless (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations), Amber in Broadway’s Hairspray, most notably Elle Woods in Legally Blonde The Musical  where she received a Tony Nomination, and Sylvia in Broadway’s The Cottage. She also took a turn as Glinda in Wicked on Broadway. Bundy has recorded multiple albums as a Universal Music Group & Big Machine Label artist which garnered her a CMT nomination, and a Billboard Top Five Album. Her latest album Women of Tomorrow released by ONErpm thematically tackles the double standards so many women face today reaching over 3 million streams across streaming platforms. The companion podcast of the same name on Broadway Podcast Network dives deeper into the history of each of the issues, and the community and app gives women the tools to be empowered in all areas of their lives. Women Of Tomorrow foundation’s concerts and events have raised over $200K for female causes in the New York area.

Instagram @laurabellbundy & @womxnoftomorrow

Twitter @laurabellbundy

Tik Tok @laurabellbundy

You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.com, follow @kerrybutlercoach on Instagram, or email me at [email protected].

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Matt Lenz created In The Works- In The Woods. I always tell young actors to try to get in on the ground level of new shows- here is your chance! In The Works is a like a summer camp for creatives! There is an opportunity to create your own work, or audition to be in a new show, or go see a work in progress! Listen for all the info!  

Matt Lenz is a New York-based theatre director whose career has spanned the globe. He has directed plays and musicals in North America, the UK, Australia, South Africa, Germany, Singapore, and India. Currently, Matt is at the helm of Broadway tours in the US, Canada, and China. His impressive body of work includes collaborations with many of the brightest stars and most renowned theatre makers in the industry. Matt is a member of the SDC, a long-time teaching artist for the Broadway Dreams Foundation and the Founding Artistic Director of the annual In The Works ~ In The Woods Festival of new plays and musicals in upstate New York. 

You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.com, follow @kerrybutlercoach on Instagram, or email me at [email protected].

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Danya Taymor just directed her first big Broadway musical, The Outsiders, and got nominated for a Tony! She tells us all about the casting process, what draws her to a certain actor, and gives great advice on how to start your career and break into Broadway!  

Danya Taymor is a Tony-award nominated and Obie-award winning New York based director, writer and translator. Recent direction includes the musical adaptation of THE OUTSIDERS (Tony Award nomination and Drama Desk Award nomination), and the Broadway production of Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu's PASS OVER. Other recent work: Rachel Bonds' JONAH (Roundabout), Will Arbery's HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING (Playwrights Horizons) and Jeremy O. Harris' "DADDY" (Almeida, London and New Group/Vineyard). Her production of PASS OVER was filmed in collaboration with Spike Lee and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Now streaming on Amazon Prime.

You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.com, follow @kerrybutlercoach on Instagram, or email me at [email protected].

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Musician, composer, and writer, Henry Koperski, joins Reeve Carney and Jeanine Tesori in our final installment of the live interviews from The Broadway Cruise.

Henry Koperski is a composer, writer, and music director based out of Los Angeles. He has composed for stage and screen, and has scores and songs featured on Netflix, Audible and Showtime. The New York Times has called him “the connective tissue” of the NYC music/comedy scene (where he performed regularly from 2012-2020). As a music director, he often works with Alan Cumming, Ari Shapiro, Matt Rogers and Matteo Lane. 

Follow Henry Koperski on Instagram: @henkiskidu

You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.com, follow @kerrybutlercoach on Instagram, or email me at [email protected].

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Jeanine Tesori talks casting, piano training, writing and more! She gives great advice on auditioning, and what she looks for in the room in part two of The Broadway Cruise!

Jeanine Tesori is an American composer and music arranger, best known for her work in the theater. Tesori began her Broadway career as a dance music arranger for the 1995 revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. She went on to compose the scores for the musicals Violet, Caroline, or Change, Shrek the Musical, Fun Home, Soft Power, and Kimberly Akimbo. Her work is known for its emotional depth, its lyrical brilliance, and its innovative musical style.

Tesori has also composed music for several films and television shows, including Nights in Rodanthe, Every Day, and You're Not You. She is a recipient of the Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Obie Award.

You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.com, follow @kerrybutlercoach on Instagram, or email me at [email protected].

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We are going live from the Broadway Cruise!  Our first of three guests is Reeve Carney. He tells us about the highs and lows in his career, and how he takes control and creates his own work.

Reeve Carney an American actor and singer/songwriter known for originating the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark on Broadway and playing Orpheus in the original Broadway cast of the Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown.

Follow Reeve on Instagram: @reevecarney

You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.com, follow @kerrybutlercoach on Instagram, or email me at [email protected].

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How can you create your own work?

Sandy Rustin started out as a performer and transitioned into writing. The Cottage, written by Rustin, recently played on Broadway and her play Clue is on tour. Today we will hear about her transition into writing and what she learned about auditioning from being behind the table.  

Sandy Rustin is a Broadway playwright and actress. One of the most produced playwrights in America, Sandy penned the adaptation of the cult-hit film, CLUE which has enjoyed over 3,500 productions worldwide. The NY TIMES called CLUE “a welcome throwback to an era of physical comedy!” CLUE will launch a national tour in February 2024 and is available for licensing via Broadway Licensing. Sandy’s original comedy, THE COTTAGE, (“Laugh Out Loud!” – The NY Times), directed by Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) ran at The Hayes Theatre for a limited-engagement on Broadway, starring Eric McCormick and Laura Bell Bundy, and is available for licensing via Broadway Licensing’s Dramatists Play Service.

Follow Sandy on Instagram: @sandyrustin_

You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.com, follow @kerrybutlercoach on Instagram, or email me at [email protected].

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Today's episode is a crossover with Jayke Workman's podcast, Oh My Pod U Guys.

Oh My Pod U Guys Episode Description:

From Hairspray to Beetlejuice, to a Tony Nominated performance as Kira in Xanadu, Kerry Butler has one of the most extensive careers on Broadway.

I am joined by Bway icon, Kerry Butler, to chat all about her incredible career on Broadway and beyond! Kerry talks about her background as an artist, and how she ended up in the world of art. She touches on her experience originating roles on Bway, as well as all the roles she had a hand in creating but never got to play. We dive into the extracurriculars, and how important it is for an artist to have interests and joys outside of the theater bubble. Kerry also shares about her incredible podcast, Breaking Broadway, and how much she enjoys instilling wisdom about the industry for the next generation. U guys, Kerry is amazing, U don't wanna miss this episode! 

Follow Oh My Pod U Guys:

Instagram: @ohmypodugys

bpn.fm/ohmypod

You can find me on Instagram @kerrybutler1 and TikTok @kerrybutlernyc. For coaching and teaching, visit my website at kerrybutlercoach.com, follow @kerrybutlercoach on Instagram, or email me at [email protected].

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