Dear Multi-hyphenate

“I’ve been blessed with a somewhat pragmatic view, and I had a good sense of who I was and what I had to offer.”

Charles Busch has been around a while… and in the meantime. He is one of the first self-producers and self-advocates in the industry. Since he was eleven, he was writing three act places and found out very early at Northwestern that he would not find success in mainstream showbusiness. “Too gay” for the industry in the 70’s he says… so maybe the things that made him uncastable and unemployable could actually be what brings him success. 

Even after going to an incredible acting program, Busch still didn’t feel he was able to find himself in the industry. He sold numerous pilots to networks, but still found himself back to putting on a show with people he loves. And sometimes even finding himself in places at the top of the food chain (like writing a book for a new musical) and saying to himself, “I really hate this!” And yes, we talk about Taboo, one of Broadway’s biggest flops. We also talk about his huge success on Broadway, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife. 

Charles also takes us down discovery lane as he found his love of drag, cabaret, a symbiotic relationship with his beloved manager, taking the road less traveled, and the upcoming 54 Below show, Backstage Babble, which he’ll be appearing in on September 6th at 7pm. 

Charles Busch has forged a unique place in the world of entertainment as playwright, actor, director, novelist, cabaret performer and drag icon. He is the author and star of over twenty-five plays including The Divine Sister, The Lady in Question, Red Scare on Sunset, The Tribute Artist, The Confession of Lily Dare and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom; one of the longest running plays in the history of Off-Broadway. His play The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife ran for 777 performances on Broadway, won the Outer Circle Critics’ John L. Gassner Award for playwrighting, received a Tony nomination for Best Play and is the longest running Broadway comedy of the past twenty-five years. 

He wrote and starred in the film versions of his plays, Psycho Beach Party and Die Mommie Die, the latter of which won him the Best Performance Award at the Sundance Film Festival. For two seasons, he appeared as Nat Ginzburg on the HBO series OZ and is the author of the auto-biographical novel Whores of Lost Atlantis. He has directed two films; the Showtime short subject, Personal Assistant, and a feature, A Very Serious Person, which won an honorable mention at the Tribeca Film Festival. Due to his love and knowledge of film and theatre history, he has appeared as a guest programmer and in numerous documentaries for Turner Classic Movies, and has lectured and conducted master classes at many colleges and universities including NYU, Harvard, UCLA and Amherst College. In 2003, Mr. Busch received a special Drama Desk Award for career achievement as both performer and playwright and was given a star on the Playwrights Walk outside the Lucille Lortel Theatre. He is also the subject of the acclaimed documentary film The Lady in Question is Charles Busch.

He is a two-time MAC award winner and has performed his cabaret act in many cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia, London, Paris, Barcelona and New York. In winter of 2016, his show The Lady at the Mic premiered at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series. His first CD, Charles Busch Live at Feinstein’s 54 Below, was released by Broadway Records.

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“You have to choose yourself and other people will choose you.” – Robbie Rozelle on what he learned from the late Jan Maxwell. 

There’s a lot of musical theatre references in this episode, folks. Proceed with caution! 

Robbie Rozelle is a beloved performer, director, writer, graphic designer, and record producer who is responsible for some of the funniest and touching moments in the cabaret space of recent. Rozelle does shows all over the city… even across the pond in London. So how does he dominate the cabaret and concert scene? 

“For me, I am very much a self starter. If I want to do something, I sort of will it into existence. A lot of that is a lot of cold emails. There are so many cold emails that I’ll send out, 'Hi, I am beloved, fully ignored, cabaret sensation, Robbie Rozelle.’ I’ll send the album and I’ll say, here’s the pitch. 9 times out of 10, I’ll never get an email back.”

But don’t worry, Robbie’s concerts sell out in 26 minutes. That isn’t an exaggeration. How does he do it? How does he sell his shows? If you’re interested in producing your own cabaret and concert, this episode is loaded with goodies to help you. We also chat about social media helping or hindering the industry, pushing through performances even during a crumbling political environment, understanding that what we bring to the table in the industry is allowed to be specific, and the difference between a Renaissance person and the multi-hyphenate. 

Robbie infiltrates the industry in such an interesting way, He has also directed and written or co-written sold-out cabaret shows for Tony Award nominee Melissa Errico (Amour), Tony nominee Kate Baldwin (Finian's Rainbow), Elena Shaddow (The Visit), Nikka Graff Lanzarone (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), Mauricio Martínez (On Your Feet), Nathan Salstone (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Mrs. Kasha Davis, and frequent collaborator Jessica Vosk (15th Anniversary Elphaba in Wicked). In 2017, he sold out Feinstein's/54 Below twice with his debut cabaret solo act, "Songs From Inside My Locker", which was nominated for a BroadwayWorld Cabaret Award (in addition to nominations for Best Director). He returned to Feinstein's/54 Below in 2018 to headline Pride weekend with his new show "Bustin' Out", selling out and earning rave reviews. He recorded his debut solo album of “Songs From Inside My Locker” live in front of two sold-out audiences in 2019; the album was released to rave reviews in June 2020. He also created and hosted “Tuesdays at 54… with Robbie Rozelle!,” which ran for seven months at Feinstein’s/54 Below in 2019-2020. Robbie is a Grammy voting member, and appears on the concert cast recording of Mia Moravis’ Session Girls. For three years, Robbie served as the graphic designer and creative director for Playbill, culminating in the design of the branding of #PlaybillPride, a 30-day initiative of the LGBT movement in the theatre that included a redesign of their historic logo for the month of June 2014, which continues each June to this day. He currently serves as the A&R Director and in-house designer for Grammy-winning record label Broadway Records, where he designed the iconic "What the World Needs Now is Love" in response to Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. He also runs Ghostlight Design. When not designing, he can usually be found tweeting jokes and random musings at @divarobbie.

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This amazing episode features an incredible live panel from BroadwayCon 2022, featuring some of the leading multi-hyphenates in the Broadway, television, and film communities. Topics include process and product, boundaries, and so much more. 

John Cariani – Broadway: Caroline, or Change; The Band’s Visit; Something Rotten! (Outer Critics Circle Award nom.); Fiddler on the Roof (Tony Award nom.; Outer Critics Circle Award). Off-Broadway: The Atlantic, The Public, Transport Group. Regional: Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Old Globe, Center Theatre Group, Barrington Stage Company, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Several films. Television includes The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Blacklist, The Good Wife, Homeland; recurring roles on Law & Order (CSU Tech Beck), Numb3rs, and The Onion News Network. Playwright: Almost, Maine; Last Gas; LOVE/SICK; cul-de-sac.

Jen Waldman has been working in the Broadway community for over two decades, first as an actor (Wicked and Titanic) and now as a coach to some of Broadway's brightest stars. She is the founder and artistic director of Jen Waldman Studio (JWS), and her clients have appeared in nearly every single Broadway musical for the last 15 years. In addition to her work at JWS, her hypens include: director, choreographer, artistic director, keynote speaker, leadership coach, speaking coach, podcaster, actor, teacher, and mentor. Jen co-hosts the podcast The Long and the Short of It, with listeners in over 100 countries. JenWaldman.com

Kaisha S. Huguley is a New York based actor, singer, entrepreneur, creative, & educator originally born and raised in Washington, D.C. Most recently, Kaisha performed in solo cabaret, @kaishacreates, A One Woman Showcial making her Green Room 42 Debut. When Kaisha is not on the stage, she’s creating content for her online fanbase on her TikTok, Podcast: A Kaisha Story, YouTube Channel, and Blog. Additionally, Kaisha is the Director of Diversity & Cultural Creative Initiatives as well as a Faculty Member at The American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York. She develops curriculum and teaches courses on the business of the arts & entertainment industry. Kaisha is committed to giving back to the next generation of artists & creatives. To follow Kaisha’s journey to her dreams, simply follow her on Instagram @KaishaCreates to join her Gram Fam :)

Jennifer Ashley Tepper is producer of the musicals Be More Chill, Broadway Bounty Hunter, and Love In Hate Nation. She is also the Creative and Programming Director at Feinstein's/54 Below, and the author of The Untold Stories of Broadway book series. She is the creator of The Jonathan Larson Project and historian consultant on the upcoming film version of tick, tick...BOOM! Tepper was recently named recipient of a 2020 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award.

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“Visibility equals donors. The more work you do, the more you’re out there, the more people come to see the shows, the more you continue to maintain your lists of who is coming to see the work – the more easy fundraising becomes.”

What is the future of theater making? How has creating theater in rehearsal rooms helped cultivate the multi-hyphenate, an economically friendly hiring option for producers? From the point of view from one of the most sought after directors and cultivators, Moisés Kaufman has incredible insight for anyone who wants to found their own company. What are the first steps? What should they be aware of? How do you raise money? Make your company official? Money can scare people – but it’s imperative to understand it when creating theatre. 

On this episode we discuss being pushed into boxes and how that affected his journey of bringing the Tony Nominated musical Paradise Square to Broadway. Plus, there is a ticket giveaway where you and a guest can see the show! All you have to do are these two is:

Moisés Kaufman is the founder and artistic director of Tectonic Theater Project, a Tony- and Emmy-nominated director and playwright, and a 2015 recipient of the National Medal of Arts. Mr. Kaufman’s Broadway directing credits include the revival of Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song, the revival of The Heiress with Jessica Chastain, 33 Variations (which he also wrote) starring Jane Fonda (Five Tony nominations); Rajiv Joseph’s Pulitzer Prize finalist Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo with Robin Williams; and Doug Wright’s Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play I Am My Own Wife with Jefferson Mays. His play The Laramie Project (which he wrote with the Tectonic Theater Project company) is among the most performed plays in America. Kaufman also co-wrote and directed the HBO film adaptation of “The Laramie Project,” which received two Emmy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Writer. He is an Obie Award winner and a Guggenheim Fellow in Playwriting.

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“Birth is art. Birth is theatrical. Birth is a nothing to a something. Birth is a ceremony. Birth is a transformation. So, my art – my writing, my blog writing, my performing, my acting – has gotten so much wider ever since I’ve witnessed birth. Because, isn’t that what we do as actors? We breathe life into people. Isn’t that what we do as writers? We breathe life into characters that never existed before.” - Melissa Rose Hirsch on adding Doula as one of her hyphens. 

Multi-hyphenating is an art form – and how you identify as one is up to you. By looking at it on paper, one might not think being a Doula would belong in a theatre multi-hyphenate persona – yet, Melissa Rose Hirsch does it. On top of being a performer, song writer, and blog writer, Hirsch beautifully interweaves the artistry of being a Doula into the rest of her multi-hyphenate artistry. 

In this episode, we talk about how heartbreak and the industry viewing us a certain way forced us to look inward and create artistry that feels more personal and reflective of who we are. 

“If I am going to be a vessel for art, I would like to be a vessel for my own art.” 

Melissa Rose Hirsch is a singer, actor, writer, and birth doula. As a theatre performer, she has acted Off Broadway and found most passion in the development of new musical theatre works. Her musical, Bradical and the Pink Socks, co written with Christopher Hlinka and music by Preston Max Allen, has an upcoming performance this fall! Melissa not only writes her own music, available on all streaming platforms, but she most notably sang back up for PHISH at Madison Square Garden. She runs the blog Charged Thoughts on instagram, where she explores the human experience as romantically as possible and reminds her readers through love, loss, healing, and feeling, that “we are all the same, after all.” As a new birth doula and a person who is deeply passionate about the bodies of birthing people, Melissa finds fascination in all things birth, whether that be breathing life into new characters, new songs, or even new tiny humans. Follow along Melissa’s ride as a multi hyphenate @melissarosehirsch and @chargedthoughts!

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“When I was younger I tended to think that I was an artist, and now I tend to think I’m more of an artistic collaborator… at least in my job. I’m certainly and artist at heart but when it’s for work, it’s not about me.”

Calling all artists who are collaborators! Roman Molino Dunn is one of the leading music producers and film scorers in our industry. Not only is a multi-hyphenate himself, he works with multi-hyphenates in our industry. His approach is different from many who collaborate – and gives himself over completely to the artist who is hiring him. In this episode, you can listen to how a collaboration with a leading music producer would go. Roman also has some great stories about working with some of our favorite RuPaul’s Drag Race queens like Peppermint and Pandora Boxx. 

This podcast episode is all about expectations in collaboration and keeping our Ego in check – and Dunn certainly has that down to a science. 

“It’s not yours,” says Dunn. “And you should be okay to essentially scrap something and not being offended. What I mean is, you need to write music that you love so much that you’re willing to submit it but not love it so much that you’re not willing to change it.” 

Roman Molino Dunn is an award-winning composer, Billboard-charting music producer (a.k.a Electro- point), and co-owner of Mirrortone Studios. His film and TV composing work includes Huracán on HBO Max, Snakehead (Samuel Goldwyn Films), Laser Candy (Netflix), Ru Paul’s Drag Race All Stars (Para- mount+), Red Rocket (A24), Kid Correspondent (Participant) a Youtube Original, and the cult classic LGBTQIA feature film Bear City 3. Known for producing and mixing his own scores, in addition to a com- poser, as a film music producer and recording engineer he has most recently worked on The Card Counter (Schrader / Scorsese) and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix). In 2021 he has worked on films that screened at three of the “Big Five” festivals: Cannes, Venice, and Toronto. TV networks that have used his work include HBO, E!TV, A&E, MTV, Oxygen, BET, Bravo, Netflix, Paramount+, VH1, Discovery, TLC, NBC, and NASCAR. Brands who have used his music include Burger King, PayPal, Marriott, Michael Kors, NBC, The Ad Council, Clinique, Snapple, Globe and Mail, Honeywell, Maserati, Tom Ford, Kopari, and many more. In addition to corporate and film music composition, as a music producer, he has worked with major and indie labels and Grammy-winning artists, including GLAAD-nominated al- bums, particularly with reality TV stars (Love & Hip Hop, Dr. Miami, Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Real House- wives of New Jersey, Howard Stern, Bad Girls Club), and his productions and soundtracks have climbed both the Billboard and iTunes top 20 charts. 

“Anytime I’m working on music, I should treat it as such… as art.”

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“When I was younger I tended to think that I was an artist, and now I tend to think I’m more of an artistic collaborator… at least in my job. I’m certainly and artist at heart but when it’s for work, it’s not about me.”

Calling all artists who are collaborators! Roman Molino Dunn is one of the leading music producers and film scorers in our industry. Not only is a multi-hyphenate himself, he works with multi-hyphenates in our industry. His approach is different from many who collaborate – and gives himself over completely to the artist who is hiring him. In this episode, you can listen to how a collaboration with a leading music producer would go. Roman also has some great stories about working with some of our favorite RuPaul’s Drag Race queens like Peppermint and Pandora Boxx. 

This podcast episode is all about expectations in collaboration and keeping our Ego in check – and Dunn certainly has that down to a science. 

“It’s not yours,” says Dunn. “And you should be okay to essentially scrap something and not being offended. What I mean is, you need to write music that you love so much that you’re willing to submit it but not love it so much that you’re not willing to change it.” 

Roman Molino Dunn is an award-winning composer, Billboard-charting music producer (a.k.a Electro- point), and co-owner of Mirrortone Studios. His film and TV composing work includes Huracán on HBO Max, Snakehead (Samuel Goldwyn Films), Laser Candy (Netflix), Ru Paul’s Drag Race All Stars (Para- mount+), Red Rocket (A24), Kid Correspondent (Participant) a Youtube Original, and the cult classic LGBTQIA feature film Bear City 3. Known for producing and mixing his own scores, in addition to a com- poser, as a film music producer and recording engineer he has most recently worked on The Card Counter (Schrader / Scorsese) and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix). In 2021 he has worked on films that screened at three of the “Big Five” festivals: Cannes, Venice, and Toronto. TV networks that have used his work include HBO, E!TV, A&E, MTV, Oxygen, BET, Bravo, Netflix, Paramount+, VH1, Discovery, TLC, NBC, and NASCAR. Brands who have used his music include Burger King, PayPal, Marriott, Michael Kors, NBC, The Ad Council, Clinique, Snapple, Globe and Mail, Honeywell, Maserati, Tom Ford, Kopari, and many more. In addition to corporate and film music composition, as a music producer, he has worked with major and indie labels and Grammy-winning artists, including GLAAD-nominated al- bums, particularly with reality TV stars (Love & Hip Hop, Dr. Miami, Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Real House- wives of New Jersey, Howard Stern, Bad Girls Club), and his productions and soundtracks have climbed both the Billboard and iTunes top 20 charts. 

“Anytime I’m working on music, I should treat it as such… as art.”

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“For myself, I think for a long time I was worried that if I got my mental health and spiritual health in check… then I would lose the things that made me a really good artist.”

Dani Stoller is unapologetic. An actor who takes risks, it bleeds into her other hyphens of being a writer and producer. She approaches her art by forming her own figurative rep companies – and while based in the “DMV” area (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) she has found that those communities create their own community, much like a rep company. 

Following Dani on social media also reflects her unapologetic-ness… especially when it comes to Jewish advocacy. We dive deep into Jewish representation in the media – including non-Jews playing Jews, what we think Jews are ‘supposed’ to look like, and where they’re ‘supposed’ to be from. 

“Throughout all conversations about Jewishness,” says Stoller, “Jews of color get written out of the conversation so quickly in terms of what does a Jew look like? Where is a Jew from? What is a Jew’s connection to anything – and so there’s this write out of that. What’s exciting is to see plays being written by Jews of color which shines a light on the incredible expanse of Jewish people. People think of Jews and they think of White, Ashkenazi Jew… they don’t think of Sefardi or Mizrahi or Swana or Beta Israel, or Igbo. We don’t think of it that way. Those stories are just as important.” 

And speaking of these stories, Stoller explores how her next play, The Joy That Carries You, co-written with Awa Sal Secka, came to fruition and will have it’s debut at The Olney Theatre Center for the Arts. And how is this experience a reflection on socially responsible artistry? 

“The thing I really admire about certain theatres in the ‘DMV’”, continues Stoller, “is their commitment to bringing in local talent. I think that we have a beautiful group of people there. Of course sometimes you have to bring in people from out of town. But I really do admire theatres who make a really diligent effort to utilize the people of that area to tell the stories of that area.”

While this podcast has lessons applicable to all artists in all locations, Dani shares her stories which have happened in the Washington D.C. theatre scene. Multi-hyphenating happens everywhere – and even if you’re in NYC, LA, or London – this episode is applicable to YOU! Other topics found in this episode are becoming a good apologizer, casting director relationships, and using the things that make us unique to tell our stories. 

Dani Stoller is an actor, playwright, podcaster & Jewish advocate in Maryland by way of Brooklyn, New York. She has performed all across the DMV from the Folger Shakespeare Theater to the Kennedy Center. Her play, Easy Women Smoking Loose Cigarettes, had its premiere at the Tony Award winning Signature Theater in Shirlington, VA, and was featured in the New York Times at the beginning of the pandemic. Her upcoming play, The Joy That Carries You, co-written with Awa Sal Secka is opening this May at the Olney Theatre Center. When she’s not writing she hosts the podcast Zen & Sugar, which is centered on intuitive eating, balance, and healing disordered food and body relationships. Follow her on instagram @danidangerstoller or her website www.Danistoller.com 

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“To see your heroes fail,” continues Loud, “is to learn something really important at the beginning of someone’s career. Anybody can have a bomb. Anybody can flop. And to start out your career with a monumental flop, the way I did, boy do I appreciate a show that goes well and hits now!”

We’re speaking with a multi-hyphenate legend, here. 

“That need to be in the theatre, that yearning to be in a musical or to work on a musical and have that be your life is so powerful,” says Loud. “And it bites us at different times in our lives. I knew for six years old what I wanted to do with my life and I never waivered.”

While Mr. Loud knew what he wanted, he still had to figure out how and where he belonged in the industry – which took him a few tried to make sure he was going down the right road. After his first Broadway musical, the legendary Merrily We Roll Along, flopped – he had to pivot. And now, in 2022, Mr. Loud continues to work with Parkinson's disease, still figuring out ways to pivot and continue to tell his stories. 

David Loud, famed Broadway music director, arranger, performer, and teacher continues the multi-hyphenate theatre artist legacy by adding author to his hyphens. His new book, Facing the Music, is now available for purchase. 

“I have always been a multi-hyphenate, I think,” says Loud. “I always found this niche for myself of the pianist who can say a few lines on stage. I’ve never quite fit into only one category. I love doing lots of different things in the theatre. I’ve always wanted to do everything in the theatre.”

And now, theatre lovers everywhere can read about Mr. Loud’s fantastic journey in show business. One can begin to understand what a multi-hyphenate’s life was life before the word multi-hyphenate grew in popularity. 

“When we moved to New York to go into showbusiness – we were not graduates of musical theatre academies,” continues Loud. “We learned by doing and we learned from our friends and we learned by imitating and we went to auditions and we figured out what worked and what didn’t work. We had to be self-starters in that way.”

In this episode, we speak about our love for musical theatre, what it was really like to work with Stephen Sondheim, how multi-hyphenating stems out of need to be a part of any aspect of the theatre, his experience working on Merrily We Roll Along, casting choices that have excited us throughout the years, and the importance of failure. 

David Loud occupies a unique place in Broadway history. In addition to his distinguished career as one of Broadway’s most respected music directors and arrangers, he originated three Broadway roles as an actor, including his appearance in the original cast of Stephen Sondheim’s legendary failure (and cult classic) Merrily We Roll Along, directed by Harold Prince. In a career spanning several decades, he served as music director for the original Broadway productions of Ragtime, Curtains, Sondheim on Sondheim, The Visit, The Scottsboro Boys, A Class Act, The Look of Love, and Steel Pier, as well as revivals of She Loves Me, Company, and Sweeney Todd. He also appeared alongside Zoe Caldwell and Audra McDonald in Terrence McNally’s Tony-winning play, Master Class.

About Facing the Music – Musical Director and arranger David Loud, a legendary Broadway talent, recounts his wildly entertaining and deeply poignant trek through the wilderness of his childhood and the edge-of-your-seat drama of a career on, in, under, and around Broadway for decades. He reveals his struggle against the ravages of Parkinson's and triumphs repeatedly. This memoir is also a remarkable love letter to music. Loud is the 'Ted Lasso' of the theater business, ever the optimist. An inspiration to all!

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