In the 'House Seats'

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As we finish 2020 and look forward to a more hopeful 2021, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all my guests who gave their time up to be interviewed by me and sharing part of their life experiences within the performing arts world.

I also want to thank all my listeners who have given me such wonderful feedback and I hope you will continue to carry on listening to my podcast in the new year. Please do leave me a five star review on iTunes Podcasts, it would mean such a lot me.

I also want to thank Steven Randall of ocean-design.com who has given his technical and design support in getting this podcast up and running.

Merry Christmas and a safe and secure new year and see you in season 2 in 2021.

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LaMichael Leonard, Jr. is from Tallahassee, FL, but resides in Paris where he has
been the lead dancer and Master of Ceremonies at the world-famous Lido Cabaret since 2014.  

He began his professional dance career with Martha Graham Dance Company, where he was a soloist, and made his international debut in Athens, Greece soon after earning his BFA from New World School of the Arts in Miami, FL. 

LaMichael was a long-time company member creating many signature roles with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company from 2007 – 2014.  

Leonard has also choreographed for the NBA’s Miami Heat Dance Team and has performed with Buglisi Dance in NYC and West Coast Theatre Project.  LaMichael has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs since 2019.

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Sasha Regan is an English theatre director. In 1998, she founded the Union Theatre, a small fringe venue on the premises of a disused paper warehouse on Union Street in the London borough of Southwark. She has been in charge of the theatre ever since.

Her director credits include: Blondel (The Union Theatre); The Last Five Years (St. James Theatre, Assisted Jason Robert Brown); Out There (Union Theatre); Cinderella (Watersmeet, Rickmansworth); H.M.S. PINAFORE (Hackney Empire/UK tour); Pipe Dream (Union Theatre); Pirates Of Penzance (Hackney Empire/Australian tour); Patience (Union Theatre); Iolanthe (Wilton's Music Hall) and Sweeney Todd (Union Theatre).

She has won critical praise for a number of productions including Sweeney Todd, The Mikado, HMS Pinafore, The Pajama Game, Cabaret and Annie Get Your Gun.

In 2007, Regan was awarded the Stage One Bursary for New Producers by The Society of London Theatre. This was followed by more success when the Union won in the category of Up-and-Coming Theatre at the 2008 Empty Space Peter Brook Awards. She also was awarded ‘Best Director’ in BroadwayWorld Awards 2010; Nominated twice for ‘Best Artistic Director’ in The Off-West End Awards; Winner of ‘Best Off West End Production’ by What’s On Stage 2010; Winner of The Stage One Bursary; Winner ‘Best Fringe Programmer’ at The Fringe Report Awards 2012 and also won The Best Fringe Venue 2013 in The Stage 100 Awards.

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Mike Sterling is a much-in-demand performer with over 30 years’ experience encompassing West End theatre, television, radio, classical stage and recording. 

He has worked alongside many superstars in various television programmes and UK tours, including Dame Shirley Bassey, Barry Manilow, Michael Ball and Engelbert Humperdinck.
His West End credits include The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera which he performed over 1,000 times at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. His portrayal of both roles has earned him international acclaim.

He has also played the roles of Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera, Marius in Les Misérables and Perón in Evita and, in 2008, played the role of Fagin in the Chinese premiere of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! at the PLA Opera House, Beijing. 

He took part in both the 10th and 25th Les Misérables Anniversary Concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1995 and O2 Arena in 2010 respectively and has toured his own concert, Mike Sterling in Concert, repeatedly.

He has appeared on television extensively, including fronting his own series, Mike Sterling’s Music Forum, for Border Television and released several solo albums. 

He has performed across the world with many leading orchestras.

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Tim trained at Mountview before embarking on his successful career within the performing arts world.

His directing credits include: Into the Woods, (Cockpit Theatre), Metropolis,Wonderful Town, A Little Night Music, Into the Woods, Days of Hope, She Loves Me, Follies. (Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre); NewsRevue (Edinburgh 2013, Canal Café Theatre, London 2013 and 2016), Sunny Side of The Street, Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered, Classic Moments, Hidden Treasures, Coloured Lights and Jack The Ripper  (Jermyn Street Theatre); Sweeney Todd and Chess (University of Cumbria, Carlisle); Rubbed, Goosed, Fanny, Jack Sissy That Stalk, Charming Dick and Prince Bendover in Boots (RVT); Beans and Cream  (Canal Café Theatre); Hot Lips Cold War (London Theatre Workshop), Maurice, My Beautiful Laundrette, Dangerous, When Harry met Barry, Orton, Rise Like A Phoenix, Boyes Play, Cleveland Street, The Blink Series, three seasons of the hit Bathhouse (Above The Stag Theatre, where Tim was Associate Artistic Director from 2009 – 2015) and The Milkman’s on His Way, Slippered, a new musical with Tony Hatch.

His acting credits include: In Gay Company (RADA); Bathhouse and Silence of The Lambs (Above The Stag Theatre); Assassins (Pleasance Theatre); Blair on Broadway (Arts Theatre); Forever Plaid (UK Tour); South Pacific (Aberystwyth Arts Centre) Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Chelmsford Civic Theatre and Middlesbrough Theatre); Godspell (Millfield Arts Centre); As You Like it, Aladdin and Dick Whittington (Mercury Theatre, Colchester); Another Country (Greenfields); Twelfth Night (Broadway Theatre, Catford); You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow (Greenwich Playhouse) and The Golden Key (Greenwich Theatre); Fred Astaire (London Palladium); Dame in Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Dick Whittington and Cinderella (Courtyard Theatre, Hereford); Snow White with Linda Robson (Beck Theatre, Hayes) Aladdin (Chelmsford Civic Theatre) Charming Dick (Cockpit Theatre) Sleeping Beauty with Honey G and Jack and The Beanstalk with Michelle Collins (White Rock Theatre, Hastings)

His cabaret credits include: Tim’s debut his show Mountains at Feinstein’s 54 Below in (New York) and a season at The Pride Arts Centre in Chicago  Tim Sings Stephen Sondheim’s Divas (Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, Frankenstein’s and Above The Arts, Pride arts Centre – Chicago, Tada Theatre - NYC); Mountains (St James Theatre, Kenneth Moore Theatre, Ilford, Jermyn Street Theatre and Above The Arts); Tim McArthur and Chums (London Hippodrome); A New Direction (Theatre Lounge, Kuala Lumpur); New York Ding Dong (Don’t Tell Mama, NYC); Over the Rainbow (Upstairs at The Gatehouse, New End Theatre and Jermyn Street Theatre). Tim has supported Helen Lederer (UK Tour); Graham Norton (Hilton); Julian Clary (Savoy Theatre) and Bobby Davro (Bridlington Spa); Elton John’s Christmas Party. For the past 2 years Tim has been the host for the monthly Sondheim Society Cabaret Night (Phoenix Artist Club) and most recently was one of the headline singers in Sondheim Unplugged at London’s Hippodrome. 

For further information about Tim, visit his website timmcarthur.com

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Nigel joined the Bristol Old Vic company at the Theatre Royal in 1983 where he stayed for three years working on 29 productions ranging from ‘RICHARD II’ to the musical ‘JUDY’ which he also worked on when it transferred to London’s Strand Theatre in 1986. 
 
After a season on the Theatre Of Comedy production of ‘ROOKERY NOOK’ at London's Shaftesbury Theatre he joined the Olivier award winning musical ‘ME AND MY GIRL’ at the Adelphi Theatre and became Associate Director in March 1988 establishing a 10 year association with director Mike Ockrent, going on to direct the first sell out British national tour. He has also acted as Artistic Consultant on several foreign productions, and has directed the show in Stockholm, (in Swedish) Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Receiving best director nominations for the Canadian and Australian productions. 

Nigel then became Associate director of the Tony and Olivier award winning 'CRAZY FOR YOU' at the Prince Edward Theatre, London and directed the UK tour and Australian Production of the show. He also acted as artistic supervisor for the South African production. 

He then directed 'CLOSER THAN EVER' for Bergen Film, Stage and Television, Holland and a sell out season of  'SHE LOVES ME' for the Drayton Festival Theatre in Canada, choreographed by Stephen Mear.

He was UK Associate Director of the Olivier award winning Disney's 'BEAUTY AND THE BEAST' at London's' Dominion Theatre and resident Director of the Tony and Olivier Award winning musical revival of Kander and Ebb's 'CHICAGO' at the Adelphi Theatre, which he also directed in Buenos Aires, Mexico City and Dusseldorf. 

His own productions include a national tour of Stephen King's 'MISERY', 'JUST FOR JOE' a one woman show starring Brenda Cochrane at the Edinburgh festival and subsequent Scottish Tour and  Dennis Potters 'BLUE REMEMBERED HILLS' for the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. He has also directed various pantomimes at Glasgow Kings Theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome and Coventry.

‘THE PRODUCERS’ for Susan Stroman – A US tour (3 years) including a season at Harrah’s Casino, Atlantic City, ‘THE WIZARD OF OZ’ for the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton which subsequently toured the United States (four years) including a season at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, New York City, the first German speaking production of ‘THE PRODUCERS’ re opening the newly renovated Ronacher Theatre in Vienna Austria which subsequently played Berlin!! 

Revisiting ‘CHICAGO‘ over recent years directing productions in Australia, Singapore, Korea, Madrid, Barcelona, Spanish tour and Cambridge and Garrick Theatre, London. 

He directed a new production of Disney’s and Cameron Mackintosh’s ‘MARY POPPINS' in Ontario, Canada which  received a 'best production' nomination, the highly acclaimed production of Susan Stoman’s ‘SCOTTSBORO BOYS’ Young Vic Theatre and Garrick Theatre, London and most recently, ‘THE PRODUCERS’ US Tour, associate director to Susan Stroman / Mel Brooks “YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN” Garrick Theatre London,  “ALADDIN” Starring Elaine C Smith. Kings Theatre, Glasgow and he produced, wrote and hosted ‘A Wee Blether’ with Gregor Fisher which was a two hour chat show.

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Summer has been involved in the West End productions of Cats, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Guys and Dolls and The Boy Friend (for which she was nominated for the 2007 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Role in a Musical). During the Christmas season of 2006 she played the title role in the pantomime Dick Whittington and His Cat. She starred in The Drowsy Chaperone (for which she was nominated for the 2008 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical), alongside Elaine Paige.

In 2008, Strallen took over the role of 'Maria' from Connie Fisher in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End revival of The Sound of Music and as part of a publicity campaign, she was cast in the soap opera Hollyoaks as character Summer Shaw. The character's storyline eventually involved her auditioning for, and being awarded, the role of Maria in The Sound of Music. Her character left Hollyoaks as she debuted in the actual stage production at the London Palladium on 26 February 2008. For this role she was nominated for the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Takeover in a Role. She remained with the production until its closure on 21 February 2009.

In December 2008, Strallen competed on a special West End edition of The Weakest Link and finished in second place.

Strallen starred as Meg Giry in the sequel to Phantom of the Opera called Love Never Dies, from February 2010 to March 2011 in the West End at the Adelphi Theatre. For this role Strallen won the Broadwayworld.com UK Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and was also nominated for the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. She also received another nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for this role.

She created the Ginger Rogers role of Dale Tremont in the musical, Top Hat, which began a UK tour in August 2011. The production began at the West End's Aldwych Theatre on 19 April 2012 and opened on 9 May 2012. Interview with Summer Strallen (Dale Tremont in Top Hat). For this role she earned her fourth Olivier Award nomination. She also went on tour with Strictly Come Dancingprofessional Anton Du Beke, performing both songs and dances to audiences around Britain.

On 30 May 2015, she began playing the role of Maud Marshmoreton, in a musical adaption of the novel A Damsel in Distress at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Strallen portrayed Inga in the London production of Young Frankenstein, which premiered at Theatre Royal, Newcastle in August 2017 and then transferred the following month to the Garrick Theatre.

Summer has just launched thestrallencollective.com which creates online classes from world leading professionals in performance and wellness.

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Keith Jack is best known for his appearance in the BBC1 Show ‘Any Dream will Do’, coming in second.

Shortly after the program Keith joined the UK Tour of Bill Kenwright’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in which he played The Narrator. He then created the lead role of Charlie in the new musical Only the Brave, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, following this he was asked back to take over the lead part of Joseph, which he played for three years.  He has also played the role of Alistair in the Edinburgh festival and UK premier of Sincerely Mr Toad and the part of Ralph Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore.

Pantomimes include; Aladdin in Aladdin and Prince in Sleeping Beauty (King’s Theatre Glasgow), the title role in Peter Pan (His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen) and Prince Charming in Cinderella (Whitley Bay) Dick Whittington (Maidstone)

Concerts include; Performing in front of her Majesty the Queen and the Spanish Royal Family at the ‘Parliament Picnic’, The Great Scot Awards, Scottish Hotel of the Year Awards, Choices for Life 2008 & 2009 playing to over 100,000 people, Lauder Live at Thirlestane Castle, BBC Two’s 'Friday Night is Music Night',  'Music Music Music' John Barrowman’s album tour at the Hammersmith Apollo, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Birthday concert at Hyde Park, BBC’s 'Songs of Praise' and headlining Aberdeen’s Hogmany street party 2009 with Sandi Thom and Amy Macdonald. Most recently 'An Evening of Movies and Musicals' in Cardiff and Edinburgh with John Owen jones and Ruthie Henshall. He has just recently finished an album tour with Ruthie Henshall and was part of 42nd street gala concert

Since appearing on ‘Any Dream will Do’, Keith has been asked back by the BBC on several occasions including the When Joseph met Maria and I’d Do Anything.

Keith has released three albums. His debut was called This Time and went straight into the Top 40 . His most recent album An Evening at the Musicals was released in 2010 and is available from his website and all download sites.  He completed two sell out UK Tours of these albums. Keith can also be heard on John Barrowman’s album, Music, Music Music.

In 2011 Keith was in New York recording the soundtrack for the award winning film, The Dreams of Kings.

For more information or to buy his latest album, 'Movie Nights', go to hie website at http://officialkeithjack.co.uk

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Graham is best known for his role playing Nigel Pargetter in the BBC radio series The Archers from 1983 until January 2011. After his character's death in 2011, Seed played himself as the villain in a Radio 4 pantomime who plans to bring down Radio 4 by releasing the Pips, but ultimately falls to his death whilst retrieving a banner, paralleling his Archers character. In addition to The Archers, Seed has appeared in the well-known "Is it on the Trolley?" sketch, alongside Victoria Wood (its author) and Duncan Preston in Wood's As Seen on TV series, the TV soap operas Brookside (1995–97, as Dick Thornton), Coronation Street (1981, as a solicitor) and Crossroads (1985–88, as Charlie Mycroft).

His other roles include the adult Britannicus, son of the emperor Claudius in the BBC adaptation of Robert Graves' I, Claudius (1976), Harrop in William Boyd's Channel 4 Film Good and Bad at Games (1983) and Jorkins in the first episode 'Et in Arcadia ego' of the  Granada Television television adaptation of Brideshead Revisited (1981). He also appeared in the Richard Attenborough's 1982 period biographical film Gandhi (1982), ATV's Edward the Seventh (1975), Bergerac (1981), C.A.B. (1986) Midsomer Murders (2009) and Wild Target (2010).

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Ben Costello is a freelance conductor, musical director, adjudicator, singing coach and accompanist, working internationally. He is also Artistic Director of Thames Concerts Ltd, Founding Director of Kingston Chamber Singers, Chorus Master for the Leith Hill Musical Festivalcombined choirs concerts, Guest Conductor of the Voices of Hangzhou Youth Choir, a lecturer in musical theatre at the University of Portsmouth, and a musical director and singing coach at Laine Theatre Arts.

A specialist in musical theatre, he has been musical director for numerous productions, and a reflective product of this has been his continuing work in most of the major London performing-arts colleges includingArts Educational (London), Mountview Academy, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Guildford School of Acting, the Royal Academy of Music, the London College of Music, Starquest Performers College and the universities of London, Surrey and Kingston.  Countless of his former students enjoy successful careers in the West End and beyond.

Ben trained initially as a flautist, and subsequently majored in piano, singing and conducting.  He remains much sought-after as an outstanding accompanist in musical theatre repertoire but collaborates in a variety of genres with countless singers and instrumentalists in concerts and other performing environments. 

Ben is also a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, organising and chairing the Company’s annual musical direction scholarship.

Ben has been musical director with many musical theatre productions across the U.K., is a guest conductor with various choirs, and as an accompanist and coach collaborates with countless singers and instrumentalists. He judges at competitive festivals throughout the U.K. and overseas as an adjudicator member of the British and International Federation of Festivals and the Schools Music Association.

Outside of music, he is a keen motorcyclist, and rides a rather heavy Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200.

https://www.bencostello.com