CGDC Podcast Channel

Natasha Powell is a powerful creator who takes the joy of being a dancer and teacher to heart. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge of social dance and the origins of jazz dance in its most authentic form. Joining Natasha in the episode is Monique Lund to chat with us about her incredible jewelry line, Minnie by Monique Lund. 

Natasha Powell is the founder, choreographer, and artistic director of Holla Jazz in Toronto. She is known for bringing her soulful approach to movement which transcends genre, and can be felt through her dancing, choreography and teaching. Through Holla Jazz she created the award-winning show Floor’d - a full-length production presenting historical jazz dances in a new light. Floor’d was nominated for 4 Dora Mavor Moore Awards and named one of the top 10 dance shows of the recent decade by NOW Magazine. Natasha is also a contributing member for the film Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance. The film is a cinematic exploration of this jazz dance paying homage to it’s lineage, celebrating its many re-interpretations, and inspiring the dancer of tomorrow to keep this art form alive. 

Monique Lund is a Canadian musical theatre icon who launched Minnie by Monique Lund in 2020. Monique creates statement earrings and other accessories with leather and metals in a mix of shapes and designs. She loves the juxtaposition of earthy, genuine leather with glossy or distressed metals. Monique has a signature sense of style and you know a pair of Minnie earrings when you see them, no doubt about it!

Come hang with us and get your weekly fix of musical theatre banter with Jen and Ky.

BOA the drag queen is pure camp, she’s drop dead gorgeous, and her undeniable charisma shines right through those headphones to make you howl. Joining BOA as the featured business in our ‘Whatcha Doin?!’ segment is Daniel Birnbaum from Vision Drag Artists and BOA’s incredible agent! 

BOA was a contestant on season 1 of Canada’s Drag Race and she made her presence known! BOA brought her own brand of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent, to every challenge and every look that hit the runway. We talk with BOA about her experience on Canada’s Drag Race, her recovery from addiction and her victories since, and everything in-between that makes BOA the freaking drag star she is! 

Daniel Birnbaum is a highly sought after talent agent with The Talent House, and in 2020 he expanded his roster and representation by founding Vision Drag Artists. With Vision Drag, Daniel created the first full service boutique agency in Canada that represents some of the country’s best Drag and LGBTQIA+ Entertainers. Vision Drag Artists is working to create a bridge between Queer Art, and Industry, by elevating and celebrating all things Drag!

Come hang with us and get your weekly fix of musical theatre banter (or in this case drag banter) with Jen and Ky. 

Today on the pod we are doing things a little differently by spotlighting three phenomenal artists  and their epic businesses! Welcome Jade Repeta and Leather by Jade, as well as Robin Calvert and Laura Mae Nason from Wheat and Sea Collective to Tits and Teeth Podcast! 

Jade Repeta's work in theatre spans across Canada and includes concerts for the Stratford Festival of Canada, and performances for Theatre Aquarius, Drayton Entertainment, The Globe Theatre, Manitoba Theatre Centre and YPT, just to name a few! Leather By Jade launched during 2020 as a way to turn her creativity into creation. She is committed to making sure her business is low waste and uses all recycled or upcycled materials to bring you awesome leather jewellery and accessories! 

Robin Calvert and Laura Mae Nason are powerful performers and creators in their own right. Robin hails from Saskatchewan, Laura Mae from Nova Scotia, and together they are Wheat and Sea Collective, an apparel brand whose purpose is to evoke a sense of community and belonging. Robin and Laura Mae are dedicated to collaborating with other artists and small businesses as well as giving back to local charities and supporting others across Canada. The most recent of these initiatives being the #onlyimtermission tee, where $5 from the proceeds of each sale will be donated to the Actors Fund of Canada, and artists can wear the resiliency of the industry on their backs.  

Come hang with us, grab a drink (if you’re not driving), and get your weekly fix of musical theatre banter with Jen and Ky.

Maud Arnold is an absolute force. A force on the dance floor, a force in the boardroom, and a force of positivity and light! Seriously, you can’t help but smile and get jazzed when Maud in your presence or even your ear buds. Joining Maud in this episode are two of our favs, Tara Jackson and Masini McDermott from the ‘Straight Up Sis’, as the featured business in our new segment, ‘What Cha Doin?’

Maud Arnold is a Columbia University graduate and one of taps leading ladies! Along with her sister Chloe, they are a choreographing and producing duo known worldwide for their female tap band, the Syncopated Ladies. They have appeared on The Ellen Show, and So You Think You Can Dance, received praise from Beyonce, Janet Jackson, and Shonda Rhimes, and, no big deal, but one of their biggest mentors is none other than Debby Allen! Chloe and Maud strongly believe in giving back to their community and lifting others along the way. Through their charity, The Chloe and Maud Foundation, Chloe and Maud provide equal opportunity to educational programming that educates and inspires young people around the globe through dance and entrepreneurship. 

Masini McDermott and Tara Jackson have recently joined the podcasters fam with Straight Up Sis, a weekly podcast where opinions are given to you, straight up! They have covered topics such as bullying, lifting up and celebrating your friends, and therapy and mental health. Straight up Sis is available wherever you download your podcasts. 

Come hang with us, grab a drink (if you’re not driving), and get your weekly fix of musical theatre banter, with beverages

Jacob MacInnis has a silky voice that makes us swoon, a kindness that swells our hearts and a podunk edge essential for a good time! Joining Jacob in this episode is none other than Steve Cota from In The Wings, who is featured in our new segment, ‘Whatcha Doin?!’

Jacob is a Dora award winning actor and prolific artist, who expresses themselves through all mediums of art! We talk with Jacob about their visual art and their musical aspirations and inspirations. We chat about gender identity, pronouns, and discuss ways that allies can best support the gender queer community. Steve Cota is a seasoned performer and choreographer who created In The Wings during the pandemic lockdown as an online musical theatre training tool. Steve’s overall purpose of In The Wings is to educate youth and established artists and bring them together in class so that we may learn from each other and collectively grow as a community.  

Jacob has played some of the most iconic and recognizable characters with amazing accuracy, passion, and success. Some of their credits to date include; Cowardly Lion in Wizard of Oz (Capitol Theatre), Lefou in Beauty and The Beast, Horton in Seussical, Earthworm in James and The Giant Peach (YPT) Chef Louis in The Little Mermaid (Globe Theatre) Uncle Fester in The Addams Family (Neptune Theatre) two seasons with The Charlottetown Festival including Peter in Jesus Christ Superstar. Coming up Jacob will star as Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show (Neptune Theatre) and will be featured in Play On!, one of the cabarets being presented at the Stratford Festival this 2021 season. 

Come hang with us, grab a drink (if you’re not driving), and get your weekly fix of musical theatre banter, with beverages. 

It’s season 4 of Tits and Teeth fam! We missed you dearly, and we are thrilled to be back in your earbuds bringing you the real talk and good vibes you’ve come to expect from us. 

For our season opener we are gifting you with the stories and advice from the truest of gems, Nicole Power! We chat with Nicole about playing Shannon Ross on the hit CBC show Kim’s Convenience, how she stopped putting herself and her career in a box, and her future goals and aspirations. We are also introducing a new series into our episodes with a segment we’re calling ‘Whatcha Doin?!’, where we are highlighting some of the amazing business’s and side passions our colleagues have pursued throughout this pandemic. For the first week of ‘Whatcha Doin?!’ we are keeping it in house with Daniel Greenberg and our own Kyla Musselman from Do You Want This Thrift. 

Nicole does not limit her talents to only stage or only screen and her resume is proof of that. Nicole has played Shannon Ross on Kim’s Convenience for 5 seasons and earned herself a Canadian Screen Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a comedy. She was a part of the hilarious digital short ‘We Got Divorced’ featured on Funny Or Die, and up next you can catch Nicole as the lead in her own sitcom, Strays, coming to CBC. Nicole is a graduate from the Soulpepper Academy and was featured in their productions of Snowman, as well as their workshops of Spring Awakening and Rose. Other theatre credits include; Bonnie in Bonnie and Clyde (LSPU Hall) Anita in West Side Story (Rainbow Stage) Legally Blonde, Elf, La Cage Aux Folles (Neptune Theatre) and Anne of Green Gables and Evangeline (Charlottetown Festival).

Come hang with us, grab a drink (if you’re not driving), and get your weekly fix of musical theatre banter, with beverages.

Hold on to your hats folks, this is the season 3 finale of Tits and Teeth and we are leaving it all out on the floor. Welcome to A Sermonia Special!

Due to quarantine, and thanks to technology, we are coming at you with stories and wisdom from Julius, Jason and Genny Sermonia! 3 of our industry's most talented and driven humans - who are also siblings! We get to hear some old school family stories from this trio, how each of them has forged their own unique path in this industry, and the importance of representation. We also recap this season's twists and turns. 

Julius, Jason, and Genny have all performed at our industry's most prestigious houses. Julius made his Broadway debut as Mr. Mistoffelees in Cats, and has since performed on Broadway in Jesus Christ Superstar, Dr. Zhivago, The King And I, and Miss Saigon. Julius has just come off the Miss Saigon National Tour, and has spent many years at the Stratford Festival (Tommy, West Side Story, My One And Only, A Funny Thing…Forum). Jason too performed on Broadway in Miss Saigon, and Jesus Christ Superstar, and has spent 8 seasons with the Stratford Festival (Crazy For You, A Chorus Line, Little Shop Of Horrors, Billy Elliot). Jason was also in the movies Chicago (starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger) and Honey (starring Jessica Alba). Genny has spent multiple seasons with both The Shaw Festival (Brigadoon, Sweet Charity, Peter And The Starcatcher) and The Stratford Festival (The Music Man, A Chorus Line, West Side Story) was on the National Tour of Mary Poppins, and in multiple Ross Petty Pantos (Lil’ Red Robin Hood, A Christmas Carol). Genny can also be seen on screen in Full Out (Carmel Creek Prods), Degrassi: The Next Generation (Epitome Pictures), and Hellcats(CBS/Warner Bros). 

Come hang with us, grab a drink, and thank you for joining us in an epic season of Tits and Teeth.   

Today we are amplifying the voices and experiences of LaToya and Ron Bedeau. This gorgeous couple and parents to a glowing daughter were completely generous and open while we discussed parenting in this climate, the importance of accountability and consequence, and they urge everyone to live and learn and fight for a better tomorrow because it’s a movement, not a moment. 

LaToya and Ron are co-directors of In Tha Groove Productions and incredible dancers in their own right. LaToya has done it all, from touring the world to performing in movies (Honey, Bojangles, Save the Last Dance 2) music videos (Rihanna, Mario, Keshia Chante), and award shows (Fergie, Akon, The Black Eyed Peas). LaToya is now the choreographer and head dancer for Massari, has choreographed routines for the Toronto Argonauts Cheerleaders, Toronto Rock Lacrosse Cheerleaders, and a short show for superstar Mya. Ron Bedeau began his hip hop career under the mentorship of Luther Brown, and was a featured performer for legendary group DoDat. He can be seen in films like Shall We Dance, Save The Last Dance 2 (Stepping Up), and Honey. 

Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s continue to move forward, together.

That title says it all folks! Our guest today is tap and dance icon, Germaine Goodson.  Her journey in this industry is filled with first hand stories about some of the most legendary tap dancers and teachers of all time, and she is bringing those stories to your ears. 

Germaine radiates joy, and has a wealth of knowledge and experience that is unparalleled. She speaks with us about some of the icons she’s had the pleasure of working with - people like Harold and Fayard Nicholas, aka The Nicholas Brothers, Maurice Hines, Savion Glover, and Henry LeTang. We also hear all about her experience performing in Black and Blue which she travelled with from Paris to Broadway, and get her hopeful response to the overdue changes that this civil rights movement is having on our industry.

Germaine’s Broadway credits include Play On and Black and Blue, which ran from 1989-1991 and won the Tony Award for Best Choreography, as well as Off Broadway in Back In the Big Time. Germaine was also a member of the world renowned tap duo and trio brought together by Cab Callaway called The Rhythm Queens. The Rhythm Queens performed on tours across Europe, with Ballet Tap USA, and even for the Queen of England. Germaine is an incredible teacher and educator and you can take her masterful class at Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center in New York, where she resides today. 

Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s continue to move forward, together. 

Today on the pod we are going on mute and passing over our mics and platform to the powerful duo, Tara Jackson and Masini McDermott, the co-creators of Musical Tokens. The pair are also established actors and met while performing in The Colour Purple. Tara’s portrayal of Celie in this production earned her a Merritt Award, and a Sterling Award nomination. She was also a Season 1 guest on Tits and Teeth! Masini is a graduate of Sheridan College, and has had an exciting career, with credits spanning from stage to screen. Together they have created a virtual platform that highlights Canadian women of colour in Musical Theatre, recognizing and celebrating female talent! 

Masini and Tara dissect some of the hot topics and phrases that are filling our Instagram feeds, share with us what has been on their minds in respect to the recent social change happening around the world as part of the Black Lives Matter movement, and chat to us about systemic racism within our society and industry. We are beyond grateful to these amazing women as they host this episode of Tits and Teeth! 

Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s continue to move forward, together