Today's guests are the dynamic duo leadership team at Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Arlington Heights.

Artistic Director, Johanna McKenzie Miller joined metropolis in 2025 to lead the artistic programming, as well as to define and propel the Metropolis School of the Performing Arts. She stepped into this role with a clear, artistic mission, focusing on expanding storytelling, championing new voices and reimagining classics through a fresh lens.

She brings years of experience as a well-known Chicago director, actress and singer appearing on the Stages of such theaters as the Marriott Theater, Drury Theater, Court Theatre, The Goodman, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and with directing credits including Cinderella at Metropolis, Kiss Me, Kate at Marriott, Shrek at Music Theater Works and co-directing Beautiful alongside Jim Corti at Paramount theater.

Executive Director, Tiffany Gates, has had a 20 year history at Metropolis in several leadership positions, include being head of the voice department, the music theater faculty, and education director for the school of performing arts and served as interim ED prior to her full-time appointment in the role.

She is a seasoned performer, director, choreographer, producer, entrepreneur and voice instructor with decades of experience in both performance and education.

Her performance highlights include appearances at Lincoln Center, the Triad, Great Lakes Theatre, Carousel Dinner Theater, Music Theater Works and Folks Operetta among others. She holds a bachelor of music and vocal performance from Ohio Northern University, and studied at Circle in the Square Theater School in New York City.

Metropolis PAC's production of Ride the Cyclone opens September 16th and runs through October 25th. For tickets, visit https://www.metropolisarts.com.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Tiffany Gates and Johanna McKenzie Miller.

Now let’s go to top of the show!

Today’s guest is a writer and performer known for his intelligent, darkly funny style.

His diverse career includes over a decade of national stand-up touring and writing for A-list talent such as Jason Sudeikus, Mindy Kaling, and Ellen Degeneres. He has also written for BBC Radio’s The Treatment, and worked as a story consultant for Pixar Animation.

His one man show Therapist Zero chronicles his journey as a parent navigating the challenges of advocating for his daughter within the mental health care system.

He most recently performed the piece as part of the San Francisco Fringe, Indy Fringe, Minnesota Fringe, Brighton Fringe and Hollywood Fringe.

His next stop is Chicago’s Athenaum Theater, where Therapist Zero runs this September 11th through September 13th. For tickets, you can visit this link.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Brian Leonard.

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Thanks for tuning in to part 2 of our National Wellness Month finale as we continue our conversation on mental wellness.

Our guest in part 2 is former musical theater performer and director in New York City, who is now a Licensed Professional Counselor based in Kansas City, KS.

She utilizes her past skills of exploring emotions, making creative connections and listening with openness and curiosity to help people get out of their heads and tap into their emotions, encouraging them to examine their own life stories to make meaningful, lasting change.

She offers counseling for adults 18 and over on such issues as anxiety, depression, trauma, disordered eating and grief using such approaches as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (aka as ACT), Eye Movement, Desensitization and Reprocessing (aka EMDR), Internal Family Systems (aka IFS) and Intuitive Eating Interventions.

Just like our guest from part one, she also offers a free 15 minute intro call to see if she would be a good fit for you. Although do keep in mind that her practice is limited to this Kansas City area.

If you would like to reach out to her you can find her at her website.

For the 12 Stages of Burnout reference mentioned in this episode, please go here:

Finally, we want to thank for tuning into our entire wellness series and especially both parts of our important conversations about mental wellness. If you or someone you know is struggling with any of the issues discussed in this week’s episode, we hope that you’ll seek the necessary help and wish you continued success on your wellness journey.

I hope you enjoy part 2 of our wellness month finale and my conversation with Lili Torre.

Now let’s go to the top of the show!

Today’s episode is the finale of our series on National Wellness Month. And for that we are releasing a two part episode discussing mental health.  

Our guest in part 1 is a Chicago born actor, singer dancer, director and choreographer who is also a licensed social worker.

Shortly after graduating from Illinois Wesleyan University, he was cast in the Chicago company of Hal Prince’s Showboat. Upon that show’s closing, he piggy backed on that success, and moved to NY when soon thereafter, he made his Broadway debut in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Eventually making his way back here to Chicago, he spent many years on stages here including in such shows as White Christmas, My One and Only, Swing and A Chorus Line. In 2011 he made his directing and choreography debut helming Guys and Dolls at the Marriott, with additional credits following at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Rocky Mountain Rep and the Old Globe in San Diego.  

After losing his partner, Bernie Yvon in 2014, he used the experience of his grief to embark on a new career as a licensed social worker; His knowledge for which is the main focus of our topic today. 

For more information on today’s guest, you can go to his website. He offers a free 15 minute consultation to see if he would be a good fit for you.

And after listening to part 1 of today’s special episode, don’t forget to follow it up by listening to part 2 (which we also dropped today) where we have another amazing guest and discuss a completely different set of topics around mental wellness!

For now, I hope you enjoy part 1 and my conversation with Matt Raftery. 

Now let’s go to top of the show!

Today’s episode continues our series on National Wellness Month where each week we’re interviewing a wellness practitioner aligned with the theater-making community. 

And with that, today’s guest came to the performing arts early and never really left. She toured nationally and internationally as a musical theatre performer in such shows as 42nd Street, The Wizard of Oz, Sweeney Todd, Evita, and A Chorus Line.

After years of performing, she transitioned into teaching and choreography, spending six years at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City developing curriculum that wove together acting, movement, voice, and dance. She also taught at The Ailey School, the 92nd Street Y, and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy

Adding to her successful theatrical and teaching pursuits:

• She co-founded TWP/Skydancer Productions in New York City, producing three seasons of original works by, for, and about women,

• Served as Staff Choreographer at Capital Playhouse in Olympia, WA, where she choreographed, taught dance classes, and sold advertisements for the program, and finally,

• Worked as a House Manager at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and Avery Fisher Hall giving her a deep understanding of how theatre organizations work from the inside out.

What changed everything for her was finding the Alexander Technique. AT taught her to do less, work with how she is designed, and free her movement, her breath, her voice, and her joy in the work. She completed her 1600-hour teacher training in 2006 and has been teaching ever since.

And like other private practitioners in this month’s series, she is offering a discount on her services. Just for listening to today’s episode, you will receive a 10% discount off of a 5 pack of private Alexander Technique sessions!

For more information, you can visit her website.

I hope you enjoy today’s conversation with Amanda Blair MacDonald. 

Now let’s go, to the top of the show!

As we continue our series on National Wellness Month, this week’s episode focuses on financial wellness. And with that, today’s guest is one of Chicago’s top certified financial planners. 

He began his early career path as a professional poker player. You could say it was there where he learned patience, steady handedness, and when to make the right moves.

Leveraging his success, and earnings, he launched Zen Wealth Management in 2009 with that unique perspective on risk, strategy, and decision-making under pressure.

Today, following the acquisition of 8 accounting firms, his team oversees nearly $250 million dollars in client wealth and delivers tailored financial strategies to more than 1,400 clients of all income levels. 

And as a thank you for listening to today’s episode, he is offering a free entity consultation. Should it be determined that it would benefit you to form an entity (such as an LLC) he is offering a 25% discount on his services to help you form that new entity. 

You can contact him at [email protected].

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Eddie Patel. 

Now let’s go to the top of the show!

As we continue our National Wellness Month series, today's episode we're talking all about vocal health with someone you might call "ENT to the stars of Chicago (and those performers passing through)”. He is the division head for laryngology at Rush University, Medical Center.

Singing since a very young age, his fascination with the power of the human voice peaked his interest early on and he considers his passion for helping people use their voice in various ways as forever rewarding.

He has been my and my family’s ENT for most of my time here in Chicago and I’m honored that he took the time from his busy schedule to join us.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. H. Steven Sims.

Now let’s go to the top of the show! 

August is National Wellness Month and today’s episode kicks off our month long series, where each week we will interview a wellness practitioner aligned with the theater-making community. 

And with that, today’s guest is a former Broadway dancer turned yoga, instructor, who has become one of the most well respected teachers in the North Shore of Chicago.

Originally from Maplewood, New Jersey, she received her BFA from University of the Arts in Philadelphia and had set her sights on modern dance before the opportunity to audition for summer stock presented itself. It was booking that job where she decided to change course and set her sights on Broadway, touring internationally with such shows as West Side story, Carousel, and the show on which we met, the European tour of 42nd Street before making her Broadway debut in Swing!

From there, she followed up this success with the 1st National Tours of Kiss Me, Kate and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

She obtained her yoga teacher certificate in 2009 and has trained students both in the studio setting and privately ever since.

Her website, rachelcoppolayoga.com offers a few free meditation and short yoga practices along with a video subscription channel.

And as a thank you for listening to today’s episode, you’re invited to visit her website to get one month of free, unlimited yoga videos.

Simply click the link in our show notes to hop over there and use the code “podcast” in order to redeem this special offer exclusively for listeners of our podcast!

I’m delighted to bring you today’s conversation with my wife Rachel Coppola. 

Now let’s go, to the top of the show!

Today’s guest is the founder of Rose Theatrics, a theatre company dedicated to creating meaningful and diverse opportunities for performers across the Chicagoland area while providing high-caliber and accessible theatre to the surrounding communities.

She is a theatre educator, director, producer, and speech coach based in the south suburbs of Chicago and serves as the Director of Speech & Theatre at Marian Catholic High School, where she has spent the past decade helping students discover their voices through performance, storytelling, and public speaking. 

As a director, her work extends beyond traditional theatre into competitive performance, where her students have earned multiple top finishes at the Illinois High School Association State Finals, including state championships in Performance in the Round and Group Interpretation.

Particularly drawn to theatre that explores human connection, resilience, and personal transformation, through Rose Theatrics, she continues to build spaces where artists can grow, connect, and tell stories that matter. 

Whether directing a musical, coaching students for competition, or developing new work, she believes the arts have the power to help people better understand themselves and one another. 

Rose Theatrics' production of “Jagged Little Pill” runs July 31st through August 9th.

For more information and tickets, please visit this link!

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Laura Rose Hilger.

Now let’s go, to the top of the show!

Today’s guests is are part of Highland Park Players’ current production of Beautiful running through July 26th at the McGrath Performing Arts Center in Wilmette.

Anna Marie Abbate plays Carole King in the production.

An actress and teacher who grew up in Park Ridge, IL she received her Bachelors in theater and dance from Milliken University. Like many other artists, during the downturn of the Covid 19 pandemic she returned to school to receive a Masters Degree in Special Education and second Bachelors in physical education. This fall she will begin new role as Director of the Theater and Dance Programs at Resurrection High School.

On Chicagoland stages, she has been seen in such shows as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, White Christmas, Peter Pan, Brigadoon, Anything Goes and many more shows with Musical Theatre Works. Other companies at which she’s been seen include Porchlight Music Theater, Big Noise Theatre, Arizona Broadway Theater and Theo Cabaret Theater.

Bradley Rose has been part of the Highland Park Players family 30 years, and Beautiful marks the 32nd production he’s produced for the company.

His HPP story started back in 1996 when he was cast as a pirate in Peter Pan and he’s been hooked on theater ever since.

By day, Bradley serves as Senior Vice President of Game Development at IGT, where he leads talented teams across Chicago, Reno, Las Vegas, Austin, and Sydney in creating award-winning casino games enjoyed around the world

He has been board president of Highland Park Players since 2000, during which time, he has produced such shows as Gypsy, The Full Monty, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Prom and Rent.

For more information and tickets to Beautiful please visit the link in our show notes.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Anna Marie Abbate and Bradley Rose.

Now let’s go, to the top of the show!