Stage Door, a theatre podcast hosted by two average guys. Hosted by: Kyle Omlor, Thom Ovacek, Ron Ma

We’re talking with director Samantha “Sami” Saltzman, and her path to directing is anything but boring.

Sami takes us back to figuring out that performing wasn’t quite the right fit, changing majors more times than she can remember, moving to New York, juggling day jobs, internships and assistant gigs, and doing whatever it took to get into the room and learn. That hustle eventually led to Rock of Ages and her first Broadway credit, followed by years of work on Broadway, the West End and national and international tours.

She also tells one of our favorite stories: being unemployed, sitting on the floor of her apartment eating cookie dough straight from the tube and insisting to her roommates that she was going to work on Broadway. Two days before rehearsals began, the call finally came.

Now all those years of experience have brought Sami to Toledo, Ohio, where she’s directing her first large-scale commercial production on her own: The Bodyguard. And Toledo isn’t just another stop on the schedule. The Bodyguard is building, rehearsing and teching the production here before officially launching its North American Tour from Toledo.

We talk with Sami about what a director actually does, why mentorship matters, what it takes to build a career in theatre, how a national tour comes together, and what happens during the five-week rehearsal and tech process happening right here in Toledo. And, of course, we get into The Bodyguard, its connection to the Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner film, that incredible music, and how Sami and her team are turning it into a live theatrical experience. Pasted text

THE BODYGUARD — THE STRANAHAN, TOLEDO, OHIO
Thursday, October 15 — 7:30 PM
Friday, October 16 — 7:30 PM
Saturday, October 17 — 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 18 — 1:00 PM & 6:30 PM 9-30-26_TOLEDO_THE BODYGUARD_Ta…

Tickets are available at BroadwayinToledo.com.

Playmakers Civic Theatre comes to Stage Door! We welcome Sam from Port Clinton, Ohio, to celebrate the theater's 80th season and its upcoming production of On Golden Pond.Sam shares her 20-year history with Playmakers, from discovering theater as a child to becoming an assistant director and lighting designer. We talk about the friendships that keep community theater alive, the opportunities Playmakers creates for performers of all ages, and the exciting lineup planned for its anniversary season.Then we dive into On Golden Pond, the beloved comedy-drama about family, aging, forgiveness, and the complicated relationship between a father and daughter. Sam introduces us to the cast, shares rehearsal stories, and explains why audiences selected this classic to open Playmakers' 80th season.We also look ahead to upcoming productions of Oliver!, Love, Sex and the I.R.S., Arsenic and Old Lace, The Lion King Jr., and Les Misérables.ON GOLDEN POND | PERFORMANCE DATESFriday, October 9 at 7:30 PMSaturday, October 10 at 7:30 PMSunday, October 11 at 2:00 PMFriday, October 16 at 7:30 PMSaturday, October 17 at 7:30 PMSunday, October 18 at 2:00 PMPlaymakers Civic Theatre | Port Clinton, OhioTickets: https://www.pcplaymakers.org/Box Office: 419-734-5044

We sit down with director Josh and Charlie Brown himself, Brayden, to talk about the upcoming production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and why this show means a little more to Braden than your typical role.

Back in 2020, Brayden was preparing to play Charlie Brown during his senior year of high school. The show made it all the way to tech week before everything shut down. Six years later, he finally gets the chance to step into Charlie Brown’s shoes and finish what he started.

We talk about that full-circle moment, the surprisingly long history of the musical, the show’s six iconic Peanuts characters, its unforgettable music, and why Charlie Brown’s struggles with confidence, friendship, and figuring out where he belongs still connect with audiences today.

We also get into Genoa Civic Theatre’s intimate historic space, why this show is such a great fit for it, and, as usual, manage to take the conversation completely off the rails a few times along the way.

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown runs October 16–18 and October 23–25 at Genoa Civic Theatre.

It’s Charlie Brown. It’s Snoopy. It’s the Peanuts gang. And it’s a show the entire family can enjoy.

We’re taking the conversation onto the stage at Bowling Green State University.

Join us for a quick tour of the BGSU theatre as we step onto the stage with Professor James Stover and get a look at the space where BGSU theatre and musical theatre students rehearse, perform, and bring productions to life.

It’s a closer look at one of the spaces BGSU students get to call their stage.

Make sure you go listen to our full conversation about BGSU Theatre & Film on Stage Door.

A new theater company is taking shape in Northwest Ohio, and they’re doing things a little differently.

In this episode, we sit down with Cindy, Lucas, and Dan from In Addition Productions to hear how a guitar lesson, a love of writing, and one original musical grew into a brand-new theater company focused on giving local stories a stage.

Cindy and Lucas share how their creative partnership led to the original musical Backwards In Heels and eventually their newest production, It’s Like You Live Here, a five-vignette musical about the people living inside one neighborhood and the connections between them that aren’t always obvious.

But In Addition Productions has plans beyond its own shows. The company wants to create opportunities for local playwrights, composers, performers, and young writers to develop original work and actually see it performed.

We also talk about the Toledo Young Playwrights Festival, where students from kindergarten through 12th grade can submit their own work for the opportunity to have it developed and performed, plus what In Addition Productions has planned for its upcoming season.

If you believe Toledo has stories worth telling, writers worth hearing, and performers ready to bring something completely new to the stage, you’ll want to meet In Addition Productions.

Learn more about In Addition Productions:
inadditionpro.org

What makes Bowling Green State University a great place to study theatre, musical theatre, and film?

We headed to BGSU to find out.

Professor James Stover and musical theatre student Gabrielle Dunn join us for a conversation about what makes BGSU’s Department of Theatre and Film different. We talk about the culture of the program, the audition experience, performance opportunities, film projects, technical theatre, and why students are encouraged to become well-rounded artists instead of focusing on just one part of the industry.

Gabrielle also shares her journey from Southview High School to BGSU, why Bowling Green ultimately became the school she wanted to attend, and the opportunities she’s already had to perform onstage, work on film projects, and even learn her way around the costume shop.

James explains BGSU’s approach to theatre education and why giving students room to explore acting, musical theatre, film, directing, technical theatre, and other areas can better prepare them for careers in the arts.

Plus, we talk about BGSU alumni working professionally in theatre and entertainment and some of the productions, Broadway guests, master classes, and special events coming to campus.

If you’re a high school performer considering theatre or musical theatre in college, or a parent trying to understand what makes one program different from another, this episode is worth a listen.

For years, members of the Northwest Ohio Theatre Educators Network talked about bringing students from area high schools together for one production. When the rights to Come From Away became available, they finally found the show that made sense.

Production Coordinator Kory Meinhart joins cast members Jayden Armitage and Emma Brazeau to talk about why Come From Away became The TEN's first collaborative production and what it's been like bringing students and educators from 12 area schools together.

They also talk about taking on a story connected to 9/11 when the student performers weren't even alive when it happened, the responsibility that comes with telling that story, and why the message of people opening their doors to strangers still matters.

It's a conversation about theater, history, community and what can happen when school programs that normally work separately decide to build something together. As Kory explains in the episode, the students aren't simply representing their individual programs. They're learning from one another and celebrating what their schools can accomplish together.

The Stranahan Theater has undergone a major transformation, and Stage Door is getting an early look inside.

Scott McGorty takes us through the newly updated theater, where 2,199 brand-new seats have replaced seating that was more than 50 years old. We check out the new pit seating, new carpet, cup holders and the completely refreshed look of the auditorium.
But some of the most important changes are about accessibility. We tour the new ADA seating areas designed to provide easier access for guests using wheelchairs and walkers, along with accommodations that can support interpreters and captioning devices.

Take a walk through the new Stranahan with us as the theater gets ready to welcome Toledo back inside for another season of live entertainment and Broadway.

Big changes are happening at the Stranahan Theater, and Toledo theater fans are about to experience them firsthand.

Kyle sits down with Scott McGardy to talk about the Stranahan’s first complete auditorium reseating in more than 50 years. All 2,199 seats have been replaced, cup holders are finally here, and major ADA improvements are making the theater more accessible and comfortable for everyone.
But that’s only part of the story.

They also talk about the upcoming Broadway in Toledo season and why this year is a big one for the city. The Bodyguard will launch its national Broadway tour right here in Toledo, with the cast and creative team spending weeks in town rehearsing before opening night.

Scott explains how Toledo landed the opportunity, what it could mean for future national tours, and why supporting Broadway in Toledo has an impact that reaches beyond the theater.

Plus, Kyle makes plans to put those brand-new Stranahan seats through the official Stage Door seat test.

New seats. A new Broadway season. A national tour launching in Toledo.

There’s a lot happening behind those Stage Doors.

BTS with a Scenic Designer VIDEO: The Croswell Opera House's Scenic Designer, Marty Flake, joins Kyle and Them on Stage Door, to talk about her path to the career, and the importance of Scenic Artists to the world of theatre.

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stage-door-a-theatre-podcast-hosted-by-two-regular-guys/id1573865415

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/214M4OKBbWcDivndnc2MTu

Scenic designers help create and build worlds for plays, movies and television shows. They use basic principles of art and design to create the spaces in which the characters interact. If you're interested in a career in architecture, design, theater or movie production, consider learning what a scenic designer does.