In the world of Broadway, success can seem like a dazzling dream. But behind every show that makes it to the stage, there are countless moments of uncertainty and setbacks. For writers, especially, the journey from writing a script to getting it produced is anything but predictable. As an actor, I know firsthand that without writers, I wouldn’t have a character to play or lines to say. It’s their words that bring us to life on stage, and one of my greatest joys is collaborating with writers—especially on new works—helping to refine characters and the dialogue that shapes them. And our guest today knows a little something about that unpredictable journey.

Chad Beguelin is a six-time Tony nominee and five-time Drama Desk nominee for his lyrics and book writing. And while he may not have any wins yet for his work, his shows have sure have been big hits with audiences, musicals like Aladdin, The Prom, Elf, and The Wedding Singer. However, his career has taken some surprising turns as well. He’s been hung up on by a Broadway producer, he’s tried venturing into motion pictures, and earlier this month he just released his debut novel called Showmance. Through it all, Chad has learned that success in this industry is never guaranteed, and perseverance is everything. But as you’ll hear, even when a show seems poised for greatness, things can unravel in ways no one could predict.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top Theater Podcast with actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media. Theme music created by Patrick Oliver Jones, and background music is by John Bartmann (used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License).

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