Having only recently completed a star turn as Velma in the Broadway smash hit “Chicago,” I was
able to catch up with the magnificent Kimberly Marable just as she was catching her breath
from back to back runs in “Chicago,” and the National Tour of “Hadestown,” in which Columbus
audiences will recognize her as the Lady of the Underworld herself, Persephone. Kimberly and I
go back to sharing the stage in “The Lion King,” and in this episode I was able to talk not only
about her theatrical journey, but also her extraordinary philanthropic work with the Entertainment
Community Fund, on the Board of Trustees for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids and as a
founding member of Broadway Serves. A native New Yorker, Kimberly has had an illustrious
career in the theatre, with Broadway credits including “Lion King,” “Sister Act,” and “Chicago,” as
well as touring the country in “Hadestown,” “Hairspray,” “Dreamgirls,” and “Book of Mormon.”
This was an opportunity for me to catch up with one of the finest human beings I have ever met,
and I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did!

When one considers the consummate interpreters of the work of Stephen Sondheim, it’s impossible not to hear the voice of Pamela Meyers singing about the streets of New York - meeting one another “at parties through the friends of friends who they never know,” or “walk(ing) together past the postered walls with the crude remarks.” ANOTHER HUNDRED PEOPLE has become a part of Musical Theatre literature, and I had the most wonderful time sitting down with Pamela and chatting about all things theatre, Sondheim, and Broadway. Audiences will recognize Pamela not only from the original production of “Company,” but also revivals of “Into the Woods,” and “Sunday in the Park With George” and the original poor, sweet baby in “Snoopy!” I so enjoyed hearing Pamela’s stories and I hope you do too!

You can see from the look on my face during the entirety of my time with Vashty Mompoint that I am simply in awe of her abundant talent, her ferocious intelligence and her unwavering poise. A Broadway and film actor, singer/songwriter, voiceover artist and director/choreographer, Vasthy is a true Renaissance Artist and my conversation with her runs the gamut of topics from being the child of Haitian immigrants to working with young artists today in every landscape of our industry. Her remarkable resume boasts eight...yes, EIGHT broadway shows; including SpongeBob Squarepants, Mary Poppins, Hot Feet, Soul Doctor, Rocky (I gush about that fight scene in the episode and I’m STILL gobsmacked thinking about it now, years after seeing the show!!! PEOPLE, they had an ENTIRE BOXING RING flown into the audience mid-show!!!), and The Prom (in a role she repeated on film, along with serving as Associate Choreographer). Vasthy joins me in the studio, as we were fortunate enough to have her in Columbus directing an acclaimed production of The Color Purple. I so hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did!

I don’t often ‘fangirl,’ but it was just too difficult to not sit in absolute astonishment when hearing Phylicia Pearl Mpasi talk about her remarkable star turn as Young Celie in the new film adaptation of “The Color Purple.” I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Phylicia on the road and on Broadway in “The Lion King,” so I sat in the darkened movie theater knowing how talented she is....nevertheless, I sobbed through her performance, having had no idea how truly exceptional her performance would be...a mistake I won’t make again! Deeply moving and sweetly charming, Mpasi’s interpretation of Celie clearly displays the magic that she possesses - and it was a joy to hear about her journey from Elon University to the Broadway stage and now the big screen, and a true testament to the resolve it takes to do what we do. Sit back and enjoy!!

Actor/Illustrator Justin “Squigs” Robertson joins me for a conversation that runs the gamut
from Robin Williams to Sondheim and of course - renowned theatrical illustrator Al Hirschfeld;
discussing the inspiration that leads him from stage to page...those moments in a theatrical
narrative which translates seamlessly into an illustration alive with dynamic movement, humor
and often pathos. With his theatrical illustrative work appearing in The New York Times, The
LA Times, Variety, in advertising campaigns for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, Actors
Equity Association, the Theatre World Awards, and ten years of work for Broadway.com, Squigs
is arguably the leading theatrical caricaturist on the current landscape, and undeniably a pretty
fantastic guy. Enjoy!

Having exploded onto the Broadway scene in 1997 with his TONY and DRAMA DESK nominated star turn in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Sills has gone on to capture the hearts of Broadway (Little Shop of Horrors, On The Twentieth Century, Living on Love), touring (The Secret Garden, Into the Woods, The Addams Family) and regional audiences alike. More recently, Doug can be seen as the sometimes French chef, Monsieur Baudin in Max’s The Gilded Age. Joining me today, Doug and I speak on all things Gilded Age, including being one of the earliest shows to return to production during the early days of COVID. As always, Doug’s charm, sense of humor, and extraordinary kindness shine through in this laugh-filled chat!

“I was obsessed at 7 years old...I saw Cats at the Shubert Theatre in Chicago and .there were
adults dressed as cats, jumping and singing and dancing around life-sized trash and it looked
like fun and I thought ‘that’s a job!?’ I wanna do that!” - Kate Baldwin

Pals for over a decade and a half, it was nothing but a joy to catch up with Broadway’s Kate
Baldwin. Audiences will know her from starring roles on Broadway in Hello, Dolly!, Finian’s
Rainbow (TONY nominated for both), and Big Fish...Off-Broadway in John and Jen, Giant
(DRAMA DESK nominated for both), Superhero, Songbird and Babes in Arms. A darling of the
regional theater circuit for decades, Kate and I chat about our time with Barry Manilow and
Bruce Sussman’s Harmony, being mother to a Pokemon expert, her formative time working in
theatres across the country and the puzzle of creating and marketing art to a contemporary,
post-pandemic audience.

A longtime pal and castmate of Disney’s The Lion King, Kenny and I begin laughing the moment
we are in each other’s presence. With a career taking him from the renowned Hubbard Street
Dance Company to becoming a fixture in the Chicago theater scene, and eventually to Broadway
and beyond, Kenny is a singular creative voice in the current landscape; hilarious, unapologetic
and fiercely protective of those fortunate enough to work with and learn from him. In our chat,
Kenny speaks on working with the greats; Hal Prince, Susan Stroman, Mitzi Hamilton, Michael
Bennett...the list goes on. I promise you that twenty years from now, young folks will speak with
similar reverence for having been fortunate enough to work with Kenny Ingram.. Sit back and
listen as Kenny and talk all things Lion King, A Chorus Line, Showboat, potlucks, and work
ethic...you might even hear a Gwen Verdon imitation or two.

“It’s like an act of God to create - it’s spiritual to create something out of nothing” - Laura Bell
Bundy

Laura and I first worked together in a regional production of Gypsy, at NJ’s Papermill
Playhouse, and even at the age of 17, Laura possessed a self-awareness and poise (not to
mention an extraordinary talent) that would lead to starring roles on Broadway ( Legally
Blonde, Hairspray, Wicked, The Cottage and more), television and film (Guiding Light,
Dreamgirls, How I Met Your Mother, How I Met Your Father) and currently stars in Fairly
Oddparents; Fairly Odder. In our chat, Laura and I recount the fun we had back in the old days,
while speaking on the current landscape of theatre, art, education, queer culture, gender norms
and societal expectations, as well as discussing her podcast Women of Tomorrow. Sit back and
enjoy!

This past summer, after singing in a Sondheim concert at NY’s 54 Below, a stunning, spritely,
joy-filled woman approached with the kindest words and the request of a hug. I was immediately
infatuated and after introductions, I realized that Marty Lee and her husband George Lee
Andrews were as wonderful as I had always hoped they would be! Married for over 50 years,
George and Marty have navigated Broadway and Off-Broadway through its golden age and
beyond. With countless iconic productions behind them (The Fantasticks, Camelot, A Little
Night Music, Starting Here Starting Now...), George now holds the Guiness World’s record for
the most performances played of a single production (The Phantom of the Opera) - but you’ll
have to listen to learn the actual number...it’s astounding! George and Marty were an absolute
delight to speak with and I truly look forward to having them on the show again...too many
stories for one episode!