Today Kikau talks to Kelly Todd from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. We have a fantastic conversation about her program, how her and her students survived two fires in the past few months, and hard work! Her recommendation is Brené Brown's podcast Dare to Lead.

Kelly Todd received her MEd in mathematics education from UCLA in 1999 and her BA in theater arts also from UCLA in 1997. She has taught as a professor in the theater department at Pepperdine University for four years and has choreographed their recent musicals Big Fish, Crazy for You, and South Pacific. She is the 2014 Ovation Award Winner for Best Choreography for her work on Lysistrata Jones at the Chance Theater, where she is a resident artist. Some of her favorite credits there have been West Side Story, for which she received the LA Drama Critics Circle 2012 Special Award for Fight Choreography, and Triassic Parq, in 2013 and Jerry Springer: The Opera, in 2011 which both won the Ovation Award for Best Musical in an Intimate Theater and garnered her Ovation Award Nominations for Best Choreography. She was named Southern California's Choreographer of the Year in 2011 and 2012 by Stage Scene LA. Other credits include Once (Regional Premiere after Broadway), Light in the Piazza, Ivy and Bean, The Musical, Peter Pan and Seussical at South Coast Repertory, and The Who's Tommy at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Matty and Kikau discuss hanging out in New York for the Chico State Showcase, seeing some Broadway shows, Disney cruises, and moving to California! Please like, comment, and subscribe. Your comments will help others find our podcast!

Kikau and Matty chat with Aaron Galligan-Stierle, who is an Assistant Professor and Head of Musical Theatre at Slippery Rock University. This episode has some great gems! Hear about this up and coming program and how Aaron goes above and beyond! Aaron has a request from YOU: He is looking for recommendations on two topics: How do I become a better fund raiser? and Can we find a better way to recruit? Aaron's recommendation is an app called Things 3.

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Aaron Galligan-Stierle, Assistant Professor and Head of Musical Theatre, is an accomplished actor, director and producer with critically acclaimed work that ranges from Broadway musicals to Shakespeare. He is also a highly sought after audition coach providing exclusive workshops and one-on-one training for professionals in the Broadway community and at top universities across the country.

Aaron performed on Broadway as Papa Who in Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Henry Ford in the Tony-nominated revival of Ragtime, and was selected by Harold Prince to replace the longest-running actor in a Broadway show, taking over the role of Monsieur Andre in The Phantom of the Opera. Aaron’s touring credits include Mike Nulty in the national tour of White Christmas and Hark the Herald in the international tour of Cinderella, starring Lea Salonga.

Kikau and Matty chat with the remarkable Valeria Accetta, who is the Head of Musical Theatre at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her recommendation is an app called the Healthy Minds App and a book called Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer.

Valerie is a member of Actor’s Equity Association, an Associate Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers, and an Estill Master Trainer in Estill Voice Training. As an Equity actress, Valerie played Margy Frake in the First National Tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s State Fair, starring John Davidson. She has performed in numerous other musicals including the title role in Cinderella, Maria in The Sound of Music, and Lady Larkin in Once Upon a Mattress, and she performs regularly in concerts and cabarets.

She first began her studies in musical theatre at the University of Miami and received a BA in Musical Theatre Pedagogy from Otterbein University and an MFA in Theatre Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Matty and Kikau discuss all things A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) related when it comes to teaching MT with Lisa Hermanson who is an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre in the New Mexico State Department of Theatre. At the end of the episode, Lisa recommends a podcast called Normal Gossip, which "delivers juicy, strange, funny, and utterly banal gossip about people you’ll never know and never meet. Host Kelsey McKinney discusses reader-submitted comedic gossip with guests, diving into the lives and decisions of complete strangers. "

Lisa is originally from Seattle, Washington. She holds her MFA in Theatre Pedagogy/Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was also adjunct faculty in Theatre and Speech, and her BA in Theatre and Music from Seattle Pacific University. Lisa is a music director, director, pianist, vocalist, and composer/playwright. She has worked in theatres in both the Seattle and Richmond areas, including Virginia Repertory Theatre (Richmond, VA) and the 5th Avenue Theatre (Seattle, WA), as well as multiple years in theatre education in Seattle.

Kikau and Matty speak with the amazing Adam Moxness on today's episode. Kikau was inspired to bring Adam on after his incredible presentation at the Musical Theater Educators' Alliance annual conference in New York City. They discuss Universal Design for Voice and Theatre Teaching (UDVTT). Adam's recommendations include CAST.org, which is the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) website, Think Protein Bars (specifically the peanut butter chocolate ones), John & Jen by Andrew Lippa, and the Sunset Boulevard revival by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Kikau shares that he is currently listening to Chita: A Memoir by Chita Rivera with Patrick Pacheco.

Adam Moxness is a dedicated educator, accomplished performer, and innovative researcher serving as an instructor of musical theatre voice at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. With an MFA in musical theatre vocal pedagogy from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Adam has emerged as a leader in the field of inclusive voice education. His groundbreaking work in Universal Design for Voice and Theatre Teaching (UDVTT) focuses on accessibility-based and neurodiversity-affirming pedagogical approaches, aiming to create inclusive learning environments where every student, regardless of ability or background, can thrive.

Adam’s expertise extends beyond the classroom. He has presented his research at national and international conferences, including the Musical Theatre Educators' Alliance, Pan American Vocology Association, and the International Congress of Voice Teachers, as well as through workshops and online courses designed to empower educators to adopt more inclusive teaching practices. His research and pedagogy have been recognized with grants from Berklee College of Music and collaborations with institutions such as the Voice Study Centre and Bowling Green State University.

Matty and Kikau discuss what they have been up to on this break. Spoiler Alert: We talk Hawaii and the Musical Theater Educator's Alliance Conference in New York. At the end of the episode, they discuss two very different documentary recommendations. Cheers to 2025!

Matty and Kikau talk about some of their favorite episodes of 2024. It has been quite a ride. Go back and take a listen to some of these great moments. Happy Holidays! We will see you soon with all new episodes and fun in 2025!

Kikau interviews RJ Magee who is a professional educator, actor, director, talent manager, and casting director. In addition to serving as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, RJ is currently an Associate Talent Manager for Baker Management in NYC where some of his recent client bookings include many of the nation's top regional theaters, national touring companies, and NYC episodics, as well as various Broadway shows.

We discuss what it means to be a Visiting Professor and how being a talent manager and casting director is helpful in the classroom. RJ recommends a new movie called Saturday Night.

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Richard (RJ) Magee is a professional educator, actor, director, talent manager, and casting director. In addition to serving as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, Richard is currently an Associate Talent Manager for Baker Management in NYC where some of his recent client bookings include many of the nation's top regional theaters, national touring companies, and NYC episodics, as well as various Broadway shows. Through his own casting office, RJ Magee Casting, Richard's casting credits include Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Iron Bridge Theatre, Arden Theatre Company, Top Hat Productions, Esther's Follies, The Girl Behind The Curtain Productions (Off-Broadway's Truffles), Flaviar (celebrity casting: Stephen Soderbergh, Carlos Mencia, Marc Summer, Aisha Tyler, and more), New City Stage Company, FunikiJam World Music, Childsplay Theatre, MainStreet Musicals: Philadelphia, and more. His most recent casting project, the hit reality series Theality TV, is currently streaming on Broadway On Demand, Revry, and YouTube. He has also been called upon to share expertise by serving as an entertainment industry adviser to prestigious market research and management consulting firms EY-Parthenon and Third Bridge. Richard is a proud member of the Music Theatre Educators Alliance. He is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and holds a bachelor's degree in musical theatre from Temple University. Additionally, Richard received an MFA in Theatre Arts from Minnesota State University, Mankato and recently concluded a 9-month contract as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Acting at Longwood University (home of the 2016 Vice Presidential debate).

Matty put together a fantastic episode that includes interviews with Vicky Bussert (Oberlin College), Josh Grisetti (California State University, Fullerton), Jacob Brent (Elon University), Michael E. Mckelvey (Carnegie Mellon University), and Aaron Brown (Texas State University). 

This is one of those episodes that you are going to want to listen to and then share with your colleagues as it is a conversation happening in many institutions across our MT educator community.

If you like what you hear, it is helpful to like and review our podcast on all of the platforms. If you would like to join us or have an idea for an episode, reach out to [email protected].