Game of Life with Dan and Harman

Dan is joined by performers and great mates, Des Flanagan and Cameron Taylor. I got the idea to pair Des and Cam up on the pod after Sheridan Adams mentioned they were friends, and I'm so glad she did because this was an absolute blast!

We chat about how they know each other, first professional gig, clowning, finding a love for performing, pulling your socks up, being each other's advocates, collective trauma, the stops and starts of Moulin Rouge, the love of rigid schedules, satisfying the soul with other things in between gigs, teaching, leading by example, pottery, a passionate loose grip, not thinking you're ready for a role, throwing food to the audience in A Christmas Carol, belonging, the negative chat, what they admire when they see each other perform, and a whole lot more!

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Dan is joined by two absolute legends of Australian theatre, Dean Vince & Troy Sussman! I could've talked to Dean and Troy for many more hours if they didn't have a show to do that evening. Kick back, and settle in as they share many tales of their experience from working in the theatre world for all these years.

We chat about the fun of working on Sunset Boulevard, scripted and unscripted mayhem, life of the character actor, lessons learned when starting out, unplanned mentoring of others, putting ego aside, Nathan Stafford, figuring out you're good at what you do, initial frustration of not receiving notes, covering Jafar & the Genie in Aladdin, the stage being a briar patch, the 'cross' on the floor, knowing what you're right for, playing villains, difficult roles and shows, the aftermath of performances and auditions that don't go well, the importance of being a storyteller, finding places to breathe, the technical artform of comedy, being careful not to be too indulgent, work ethic, emotional moments, the legacy cloak, Thirsty Thursday's, and SO much more!

This was an epic chat with Dean and Troy!

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Dan is joined by two QUEENS! Deirdre Khoo & Chiara Assetta are in the studio to chat all things SIX and so much more. This was another really fun chat.

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We discuss dance captain & resident choreographer responsibilities, keeping up with a high energy show, the concert like style of SIX, breaking the fourth wall, breaking boundaries of musical theatre, big year of musical theatre roles, not taking being in a show for granted, swinging all six queens, learning on the job, knowing who you want to be, being a proud sister, K-pop dance school, the moments when family watch you perform professionally for the first time, audience members dressing up in costumes to see SIX, gifts, peak of mount stupid, backing yourself as a performer, every job in the industry being important, work/life balance, writing a show with a sibling, and so much more!

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Dan is joined by the one and only, Sheridan Adams who is currently playing Elphaba in the Australian production of Wicked! This was another lovely chat. Such a big fan of Sheridan and loved how open she was at sharing her journey so far. We cover a lot of territory!

We chat about Wicked being the hardest and most rewarding working experience in her life, shifting the way you live to perform the role of Elphaba, seeing cast changes throughout the show, working as an usher, the special and unique experience of going to the theatre, not getting bored, Jemma Rix and other emergency standby Elphaba's, thinking about the prospect of the show ending, the joy of performing, being an all or nothing type of person, covering on Cruel Intentions, anxiety, positive reinforcement, expectations, working on Tick, Tick... Boom!, receiving gifts from fans, perfectionism, patience, finding a balance, Sheridan's makeup artist, Jake, the anticipation of the Wicked movie, and a whole lot more!

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Dan is joined by the incredibly talented musical theatre superstar, Todd Jacobsson! Todd has a massive list of shows under his belt including Book of Mormon, Frozen, West Side Story, and now Wicked. It's was such a pleasure having Todd on the show. He brought so much energy before we even started recording.

We chat about the excitement of stage door, working on a cruise ship, Todd's love of working on Book of Mormon, missing out on the theatrical experience as an audience member once you're in it, building confidence, understudying Elder Price, seeing the industry become more and more talented, seeing friends succeed, the moment Todd realised people worked in musical theatre for a living, being fully prepared, the luck involved working on Frozen, finding your tribe of people, auditioning for other shows whilst being in a musical, pushing yourself creatively, having well rounded experiences, the moment Jemma Rix came back to reprise the role of Elphaba in Wicked, and a whole lot more!

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Dan is joined by musical theatre performer, yoga teacher, and host of The Dive podcast, Taylor Scanlan! This is Taylor's first time on the other side of the mic as a guest and it was so much fun

We open up the conversation by chatting about Taylor's work on The Dive, helping performers navigate their way through the industry, giving back, the responsibilities of being an interviewer, taking imperfect action, being a curious person, trying it all, getting into a rehearsal room for the first time, gaining inspiration from others, bringing the fun to work, working internationally on a production of Cats, showing up, being a dance captain, having good people skills, knowing when you need to look after yourself, favourite part working on Sunset Boulevard, covering 18 different roles in Mary Poppins, just getting to interval as a swing, seeing the theatre industry grow, and a whole lot more!

Taylor's work on The Dive helping fellow artists see their way through industry, and igniting these important conversations is truly wonderful and inspirational.

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Dan is joined by another two musical theatre superstars, Tom Sharah & Jarrod Draper. Absolutely adored this pairing!

We chat about Tom's family attachment to Sunset Boulevard, the massive scale production of the show, working with alternate leading ladies, the outer body experience of watching Sarah Brightman stepping into the role of Norma Desmond, the masterful performance of Silvie Paladino, creating the show from the ground up, performing at the Sydney Opera House, absorbing the moment, unbreakable bonds, bringing back the drama in musicals, not dropping the ball, the muscularity of singing, not being on the back foot at work, nerves, taking a breath to reassess. not limiting yourself, riding the wave, the importance of the stage crew, and a whole lot more!

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Dan is joined by two musical theatre superstars, Billy Bourchier & Peter Ho. This episode marks the reintroduction of having duo's on the podcast again since the Groundhog Day series. I had no idea Billy and Peter actually shared a dressing on Sunset Boulevard when I initially invited them onto the podcast. It made for a real fun dynamic!

We chat about the rare opportunity to work on a show like Sunset Boulevard, racking up hundreds of performances in shows, having role models, stepping into established shows, putting your best foot forward, the thought of performing in front of a couple of thousand of people, each audience being unique, the importance of the backstage crew, working at the Sydney Opera House, fulfilling childhood dreams, fan art, making an impact, Moulin Rogue, Miss Saigon, Book of Mormon, breaks, not taking a single show for granted, fears, knowing where you fit in the musical theatre world, performing for friends & family, and a whole lot more! Very fun chat.

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Dan is joined by the indelible Nigel Huckle while he was back in Australia briefly in between shows of Miss Saigon.

We chat about the whopping 15 month tour of Miss Saigon, vocal challenges, the overwhelming experience in Taiwan, the epic force of Miss Saigon, the distinct love of the show in the Philippines, the attention of fans, the show's pending end point, the anticipation of pride & relief, making friends for life, going back to the world of auditioning, embracing uncertainty, putting on a concert, finding creatively fulfilling work in between jobs, singing Whitney Houston around the house as a kid, working on the Obama campaign, embracing your unique qualities, championing other people's success, managing self doubt, reminding yourself that perfect is boring, finding a sense of stillness, being robotically consistent in every performance of a show, stage mishaps, and a whole lot more!

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Dan welcomes to the podcast one of the first performers currently in Miss Saigon, David Duketis! David is an extraordinary actor, not to mention singer and this was such a fun chat.

We chat about touring internationally with Miss Saigon, adapting to life on tour, missing home, settling into new cities & countries, being in his longest running contract, the audience reactions to the show in Asia, not knowing much about Miss Saigon before getting the show, taking a step back to prepare for what's next, quoting movies, having fallbacks if he wasn't performing, striving for your dream, hustling & keeping the creative flow going, shifting your thinking, first job working on Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour, contending with the elements on Sydney Harbour, covering at a moment's notice in Joseph and Technicolor Dreamcoat, importance of preparation, maintaining the discipline to stay fit & healthy during a show's run, getting sick in Taiwan, a collision with Nigel Huckle on stage, and so much more!

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