The Art of Kindness: Pop Culture & Positivity with Robert Peterpaul

Broadway star Erika Henningsen (Mean Girls) joins The Art of Kindness podcast with Robert Peterpaul to discuss all kinds of kindness from her sparkly gold kindness to Jonathan Groff's blue. Speaking of, she also touches on kind leadership, like with her new show Just in Time (starring Jonathan Groff) and the Netflix series The Four Seasons (led by Tina Fey).

ERIKA HENNINGSEN stars in the Netflix series THE FOUR SEASONS opposite Tina Fey and Steve Carrell and can currently be seen on stage starring in the Broadway production of JUST IN TIME, opposite Jonathan Groff. Erika originated the leading role of 'Cady Heron' in MEAN GIRLS on Broadway and received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for her work. Other TV credits include GIRLS5EVA, HARLEM, BLUE BLOODS, and FBI: INTERNATIONAL. Erika also voices the lead role of Charlie Morningstar in the hugely popular A24/Amazon animated musical comedy series HAZBIN HOTEL.

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Emmy Award® winner Sarah Snook (Succession) wins the 2025 Best Actress Tony Award for her performance in THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY on Broadway. In an acting coup for the ages, Snook takes on all 26 roles in this gripping, witty and vibrantly contemporary production that breathes new life into Oscar Wilde’s classic tale.

In this episode, Sarah walks fresh off the Radio City Stage into the Tony Awards Winner's Room, where she speaks with Robert Peterpaul and other members of the press.

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Robert shares a learning lesson from the 2025 Tony Awards.

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Broadway Director & Choreographer JoAnn M. Hunter (Bad Cinderella, School of Rock) joins The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul to discuss creating kind communities in theatre, her magical new production of Disney's The Little Mermaid at Paper Mill Playhouse, why she only wants to work with compassionate people and more.

JOANN M. HUNTER (Director & Choreographer). Always an honor and treat to be back at Paper Mill Playhouse! Over 30 Broadway, West End, and Australian first-class credits. Directed and choreographed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Early and infant stages: director-choreographer of Jo: The Little Women Musical, Yasuke: The Legend of the Black Samurai, and Birds of New York by Sophie B. Hawkins. I have worked with some extraordinary creatives in my career. How very lucky was I. In honing my craft, I keep my mentors in my heart. I am proud to be a Japanese American woman, and am more than just that.

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From the AOK archive: Broadway star Megan Hilty joins The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul to discuss her incredible career through the lens of kindness. From Idina Menzel's career-changing act of kindness to what she learned from Dolly Parton herself, Megan shares countless inspiring stories and quips while reflecting on her journey.

Megan Hilty is probably most recognizable for her portrayal of Ivy Lynn in the NBC Musical Drama “Smash.” Before that, Hilty started her career on Broadway, playing Glinda in “Wicked,” Doralee Rhodes in “9 to 5 The Musical,” and Brooke Ashton in “Noises Off,” which earned her a Tony Award Nomination. Other stage credits include Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors” (Kennedy Center), Annie Oakley in “Annie Get Your Gun” (Encores/NY City Center) and Lorelei Lee in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (Encores/NY City Center).

Her numerous television credits include “Sean Saves The World” with Sean Hayes, “Difficult People,” “Braindead,” “The Good Fight,” playing the iconic Patsy Cline in “Patsy and Loretta” and Lily in NBC’s “Annie Live!” Megan’s voiceover work spans from audiobooks to kids animated favorites on Disney, Nickelodeon, Netfilx, Hulu & Cartoon Network. Hilty continues to tour her cabaret show with her band, led by Grammy Nominated Matt Cusson, which has been taped for “Live from Lincoln Center” on PBS, and regularly appears with world renowned orchestras including the NY Pops, Boston Pops and the National Symphony Orchestra.

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@meganhilty

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Music:

"Awake" by Ricky Alvarez & "Sunshine" by Lemon Music Studio.

We are supported by the Broadway Podcast Network.

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Tony-nominated actor Marjan Neshat (English) unpacks the kindness of her journey to Broadway on The Art of Kindness. The performer joins Robert Peterpaul to discuss $15 therapy that changed her life, what her history-making nomination means to her, the power of live theatre and more.

MARJAN NESHAT emigrated to America from Iran as a child, leaving her homeland for safety and new opportunities amid difficult circumstances. Nowadays, you may recognize her from hit TV shows like New Amsterdam, The Blacklist, and a recent stint on The Night Agent or iconic films like RoboCop. 

She’s also a stage veteran, most recently earning a Tony nomination for her stunning performance in English at the Atlantic Theater Company. Not a bad way to make a Broadway debut.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play English, by Sanaz Toossi, is a comedic and thought-provoking drama about Iranian adults preparing for the Test of English as a Foreign Language exam. The play explores themes of language acquisition, identity, and empathy…

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Music: "Awake" by Ricky Alvarez & "Sunshine" by Lemon Music Studio.

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Actor, writer, and director Max Talisman joins The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul to discuss the power of creating inclusive stories, redefining queer romance on screen, and leading with kindness on set of his new film Things Like This.

MAX TALISMAN is rapidly emerging as a leading voice in Hollywood, with standout performances in the indie thriller Super Dark Times, the Jennifer Lopez film Marry Me, and hit series including Orange is the New Black, The Blacklist, and Search Party. Now, he makes his highly anticipated directorial debut with Things Like This, a bold reimagining of queer romance that follows two men with the same name as they navigate love and self-discovery in New York City. Starring Joey Pollari (Love, Simon), Jackie Cruz (Orange is the New Black), and Cara Buono (Stranger Things), the film steers away from traditional coming-out or trauma-centered stories, instead embracing humor, complexity, and the universal joy of connection—positioning it as one of 2025’s most exciting indie releases.

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@themaxtshow

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Music: "Awake" by Ricky Alvarez & "Sunshine" by Lemon Music Studio.

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Tony Award winner and Grammy nominee Lena Hall brings her signature openness to The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul, discussing her ongoing journey with self-kindness in the arts, the surprising truth about winning a Tony Award, and the supportive kindness of Jon Hamm while filming Your Friends and Neighbors.

LENA HALL is a Tony award winner and Grammy nominee who stars alongside Jon Hamm on the new Apple series, Your Friends and Neighbors, which premiered to rave reviews on April 11th (one episode a week after initial first two episodes in premiere week). Lena plays “Ali Cooper” the younger sister of “Coop” played by Jon Hamm. We come to find out she is a singer / songwriter who has had some mental health issues regarding a past relationship and is trying to start over again both in life and in music. Lena’s character gets to perform throughout the episodes, performing original material that Lena wrote, as well as covers of Radiohead, The Thompson Twins and more. She will be releasing an EP and album of her music from the show. Add in the Tony Award winning / Grammy nominated rock and roll voice and fans new and old are very excited. Previously, Lena starred on AMC’s Snowpiercer for 4 seasons opposite Jennifer Connolly after winning the Tony Award for co-starring in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway opposite Neil Patrick Harris. She originated the role of Nicola in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots Her other Broadway credits include Cats, 42nd Street, Dracula, the Musical and Tarzan, the Musical. Hall has also starred in Off-Broadway productions such as Radiant Baby, Bedbugs!!!, Rooms: A Rock Romance, The Toxic Avenger, Prometheus Bound, Chix6, Little Shop of Horrors, and the 2017 original play How to Transcend a Happy Marriage.

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Music: "Awake" by Ricky Alvarez & "Sunshine" by Lemon Music Studio.

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Emmy, Tony, and SAG Award nominee Norm Lewis joins The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul to discuss leading a cast with kindness, the unique way advertising influenced his career, his new show Ceremonies in Dark Old Men and more.

NORM LEWIS was recently seen onstage starring in the national tour of the Tony Award-winning production of A Soldier's Play and in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End Concert of Love Never Dies. He starred in Spike Lee's critically acclaimed, "Da 5 Bloods," and in the groundbreaking FX series, Pose. Additionally, Mr. Lewis can be seen starring opposite Hilary Swank in the feature "The Good Mother," Amazon Prime's newest series, Swarm, and Hulu's, Up Here. He was also seen as 'Caiaphas' in the award-winning NBC television special, “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert!,” alongside John Legend, Sara Bareilles, and Alice Cooper. Mr. Lewis returned to Broadway in the Fall of 2021, starring in Chicken and Biscuits at the Circle In The Square Theatre. He previously appeared in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island and as Sweeney Todd in the Off-Broadway production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Barrow Street Theatre, receiving the AUDELCO Award for his performance. In May of 2014, he made history as The Phantom of the Opera’s first African American Phantom on Broadway. He has been seen on PBS in the Live From Lincoln Center productions of Showboat with Vanessa Williams, Norm Lewis: Who Am I?, New Year’s Eve: A Gershwin Celebration with Diane Reeves, as well as American Voices with Renée Fleming and the PBS Specials First You Dream – The Music of Kander & Ebb and Ella Wishes You A Swingin' Christmas. He can be seen recurring in the VH1 series, Daytime Divas, also alongside Vanessa Williams. His additional television credits include Women of The Movement, Law & Order, Dr. Death, Mrs. America, Better Things, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Bull, Chicago Med, Gotham, The Blacklist, and Blue Bloods, as well as in his recurring role as Senator Edison Davis on the hit drama Scandal. Mr. Lewis is a proud, founding member of Black Theatre United, an organization which stands together to help protect Black people, Black talent and Black lives of all shapes and orientations in theatre and communities across the country. He received Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle award nominations for his performance as Porgy in the Broadway production of The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess. Other Broadway credits include Sondheim on Sondheim, The Little Mermaid, Les Misérables, Chicago, Amour, The Wild Party, Side Show, Miss Saigon, and The Who’s Tommy. In London’s West End he has appeared as Javert in Les Misérables and Les Misérables: The 25th Anniversary Concert, which aired on PBS. Off-Broadway Mr. Lewis has performed in Dessa Rose (Drama Desk nomination, AUDELCO Award), Shakespeare in the Park’s The Tempest, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Drama League nomination), Captains Courageous, and A New Brain. His regional credits include Porgy in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (A.R.T.), Ragtime, Dreamgirls (with Jennifer Holliday), First You Dream, Sweeney Todd, and The Fantasticks. His additional film credits include Christmas In Tune (starring opposite Reba McEntire), Magnum Opus, Winter’s Tale, Sex and the City 2, Confidences, and Preaching to the Choir. Norm's albums "The Norm Lewis Christmas Album" & "This is The Life" can be found on Amazon.com as well as cdbaby.com.

Ceremonies in Dark Old Men Tickets: https://www.thepeccadillo.com/

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@thenormlewis

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Support the show!

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Got kindness tips or stories? Want to just say hi? Please email us:

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Music:

"Awake" by Ricky Alvarez & "Sunshine" by Lemon Music Studio.

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Becca Tilley (The Bachelor) joins Robert Peterpaul on The Art of Kindness to explore how caring for our furry friends deepens empathy, why her viral Wicked‑inspired video struck a chord, and how her love story with Hayley Kiyoko was an act of kindness.

Meet Becca Tilley. A Louisiana native, the 30-something resides in Los Angeles, California with her girlfriend, Hayley Kiyoko and pup, Phoebe. She is the personality behind People’s Choice awarded podcast, Scrubbing In with Becca Tilley & Tanya Rad and a lifestyle influencer and content creator. Becca was quickly put in the public eye on season 19 of The Bachelor and an additional run on season 20. Find her eating McDonald’s or sipping a Dr. Pepper in her free time. 

Visit: mrsmeyers.com for more.

Follow Becca:

@beccatilley

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Support the show!

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Got kindness tips or stories? Want to just say hi? Please email us:

[email protected]

Music:

"Awake" by Ricky Alvarez & "Sunshine" by Lemon Music Studio.

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