The Roundtable with Robert Bannon

Tadhg McMahon joins Robert Bannon to talk about stepping into the gritty world of Hell’s Kitchen, playing Cliffie, and being part of MGM+’s new crime drama The Westies.

We’re heading straight into 1980s Hell’s Kitchen for this one! Actor Tadhg McMahon joins Robert on The Roundtable to talk about his role as Cliffie in the new MGM+ crime drama The Westies.

Created by Narcos creator Chris Brancato and Michael Panes, The Westies dives into the world of the infamous Irish-American gang that ruled a piece of New York City’s underworld. The series features a powerhouse cast led by J.K. Simmons, alongside Tom Brittney, Titus Welliver, Sarah Bolger, Allen Leech and more.

Tadhg takes us behind the scenes of the series, talks about bringing Cliffie to life, working inside this huge ensemble, and what it’s like stepping into a story filled with loyalty, violence, family, power and some seriously complicated characters.

We also get to know the man behind the role. The Irish-born, Toronto-based actor trained at Dublin’s Gaiety School of Acting and has appeared in projects including the Oscar-nominated Brooklyn, The Girlfriend Experience, In the Shadow of the Moon and more.

It’s crime, New York, acting, Irish roots and a whole lot of fun with Tadhg McMahon on The Roundtable!

For more info, go to RobertBannon.com and follow Robert on IG @RobertMBannon.

#TadhgMcMahon #TheWesties #MGMPlus #TheRoundtable

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Broadway favorite Kennedy Caughell is stepping into the spotlight with her debut solo album, Just the Beginning — and she joins The Roundtable with Robert Bannon to talk all about it!
Currently starring as Jersey in the national tour of Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen, Caughell has built one incredible résumé. From Broadway appearances in Paradise Square, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 to taking on powerhouse roles including Elphaba in Wicked, Carole King in Beautiful, Elsa in Frozen, and Jenna in Waitress, Kennedy has become one of musical theatre’s most exciting and versatile voices.
Now, she’s bringing that voice to Just the Beginning, released by Center Stage Records. Produced by Caughell alongside Robbie Rozelle and Brian Spector, the album brings together classic and contemporary musical theatre, songs connected to Kennedy’s own theatrical journey, and three world premiere recordings.
And yes — we have to celebrate the team, because our friends Robbie Rozelle and Yasuhiko Fukuoka are part of Kennedy’s musical world. We LOVE when talented friends collide!
The album includes music from Wicked, Beautiful, 9 to 5, Waitress, Paradise Square, Company, The Notebook, Violet, and Annie Get Your Gun. Kennedy is also joined by an impressive group of guest artists including Jason Gotay, Ben Fankhauser, Shoba Narayan, and Isaiah Bailey.
The title track, “Just the Beginning,” comes from the new musical Far from Canterbury, with music and lyrics by Danny K. Bernstein, and received an exclusive first listen through BroadwayWorld ahead of the album’s release.
Kennedy joins Robert for a conversation about finally creating an album of her own, choosing songs that tell her story, the Broadway roles that have shaped her, collaborating with an incredible team of musicians and artists, life on the road with Hell’s Kitchen, and why — after everything she has already accomplished — this really is just the beginning.

For more info, go to RobertBannon.com and follow Robert on IG @RobertMBannon.

Watch The Roundtable with Robert Bannon on BroadwayWorld and YouTube, and listen on BPN, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.

#GoodGuyWithAGun #PhilipLabes #MicahOKonis #HalRosenfeld #MusicalTheatre #Broadway #ConceptAlbum #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon

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The acclaimed Washington, D.C.-based trio — violinist Kendall Isadore, violist Dawn Johnson, and cellist Élise Sharp — have built a sound that brings together classical music, R&B, soul, jazz, gospel, hip-hop and pop. From Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center to a special performance connected to the 2021 Presidential Inauguration and a global Wimbledon campaign, The String Queens have taken their signature sound to some pretty incredible stages.

Now they are stepping into an exciting new era with “Troubled Liberty,” featuring the legendary voice of Nikki Giovanni. Released in June, the song marks the trio's first original composition and explores freedom, resilience, sacrifice and the generations who came before us.

Robert sits down with The String Queens to talk about their journey, turning the music we know and love into something completely their own, representation in classical music, their work as educators, and what comes next as they continue bringing soul to the strings.

They play everything from Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin to Michael Jackson, The Beatles and Harry Styles — and trust us, you have NEVER heard these songs quite like this!

Authentic. Soulful. Orchestral. Meet The String Queens!

For more info, visit The String Queens.

For more info, go to RobertBannon.com and follow Robert on IG @RobertMBannon.

Watch and listen to The Roundtable with Robert Bannon on BroadwayWorld, Broadway Podcast Network, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and wherever you get your favorite shows!

#TheStringQueens #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #TroubledLiberty

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What happens when you take America’s political divide, gun culture, family drama, a magical weapon and some seriously funny musical theatre writers and throw them all together?

You get Good Guy With a Gun! — and this one is WILD.

Robert sits down with creators Philip Labes and Micah O’Konis, along with Musical Director and Executive Music Producer Hal Rosenfeld, to talk about the creation of this irreverent new musical comedy and its star-studded concept album.

The story follows NRA lobbyist Ron Barkley and his liberal daughter Jenna. After Ron is confronted at gunpoint, he prays to God for help — and receives a magical gun that turns people conservative. Jenna eventually fights back with a magical weapon of her own: a megaphone that turns people liberal.

Yes. You read all of that correctly.

But underneath the laughs is a very real conversation about politics, family, ideology and just how divided we’ve become.

The idea actually began after Labes himself was held at gunpoint. He started developing the concept with his then-roommate O’Konis, and the pair spent years writing the book, music and lyrics. After workshops at Second City Hollywood and Z Space in San Francisco, they teamed with Rosenfeld to bring the music to life on a full concept album.

And WHAT a cast they assembled.

Chris Sullivan, Kimiko Glenn, Anthony Rapp, Yvette Nicole Brown, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Jason Alexander, Richard Kind, Kristen Schaal and Paul Walter Hauser are among the voices bringing Good Guy With a Gun! to life.

Rosenfeld brings some major musical credentials of his own, with work across more than 300 film, television and gaming projects and credits connected to The Greatest Showman, In the Heights, Only Murders in the Building, Top Gun: Maverick and Broadway's Sweeney Todd.

We talk about finding comedy inside a subject this serious, writing satire when the country is so politically divided, assembling that ridiculous cast, taking the project from an idea between friends to a fully produced album — and where Good Guy With a Gun! goes from here.

It’s smart. It’s ridiculous. It’s political. It’s musical theatre.

Basically… we had plenty to talk about.

Good Guy With a Gun! is available now on digital streaming platforms.

For more info, go to RobertBannon.com and follow Robert on IG @RobertMBannon.

Watch The Roundtable with Robert Bannon on BroadwayWorld and YouTube, and listen on BPN, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.

#GoodGuyWithAGun #PhilipLabes #MicahOKonis #HalRosenfeld #MusicalTheatre #Broadway #ConceptAlbum #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon

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If you heard Sydnie Christmas sing once, chances are you remembered her.

The powerhouse vocalist captured hearts around the world when she won Britain’s Got Talent in 2024, delivering the kind of huge, emotional performances that made audiences stop and listen. But winning the show was only the beginning.

Now Sydnie is entering an exciting new chapter with new music, a new album, and live shows on both sides of the Atlantic — and she joins The Roundtable with Robert Bannon to talk all about it.

Following the success of her chart-topping debut album My Way, Sydnie has been introducing audiences to the artist she wants to be with new releases including “Run” and “Lean on You.” She is now teasing her latest single, “Spirit,” ahead of her forthcoming album The Artist.

It is an exciting evolution for a performer many first discovered singing some of the biggest songs ever written. This time, audiences are getting an even deeper look at Sydnie Christmas the recording artist — her sound, her choices, and the music she wants to make as her career continues to grow.

And that voice was made to be heard live!

Sydnie returns to the United States for a run of August performances, including City Winery Philadelphia, Sony Hall in New York City, and the Center for the Arts of Homer in New York. Her return to Sony Hall comes after two sold-out performances at the venue last year.

Before Britain’s Got Talent, Sydnie spent years working as a performer, including musical theatre and Starlight Express. That journey makes everything happening now even sweeter. This wasn't an overnight dream — it was years of work meeting one extraordinary moment.

Robert sits down with Sydnie to talk about the whirlwind since BGT, finding her own musical identity, her new songs, the upcoming album, performing for audiences around the world, returning to America, and where she hopes this incredible ride takes her next.

And listen — we LOVE Sydnie Christmas around here. The voice? Insane. The personality? A joy. We are so excited to catch up and celebrate everything she has going on!

For more info, go to RobertBannon.com and follow Robert on IG @RobertMBannon.

#SydnieChristmas #TheArtist #Spirit #LeanOnYou #BritainsGotTalent #BGT #NewMusic #SonyHall #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon

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Pop artist, songwriter, producer and creative director Izza is building a world all her own with her new EP, A Night at the Ballet: Act I.

The seven-song project takes the elegance and drama of classical ballet and flips it into a bold, modern pop experience filled with fashion, attitude and plenty of theatrical flair. Izza brings together her worlds of music, dance, fashion and visual design for a project that feels distinctly her own.

There is plenty happening underneath all that glamour, too. Izza tackles everything from ambition and competition to friendship fallouts, dating in your twenties, female empowerment and finding your identity.

Now Izza joins Robert Bannon on The Roundtable to talk about the new music, creating A Night at the Ballet, building the visual world surrounding the project, taking control of her career, and what comes next.

For more info, go to RobertBannon.com and follow Robert on IG @RobertMBannon.

#Izza #ANightAtTheBallet #NewMusic #PopMusic #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #MusicInterview #FemaleArtists #IndependentMusic #NewMusicAlert

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Okay, New Yorkers… you might want to look away. 😂

Filmmaker Pete Ferriero joins The Roundtable with Robert Bannon to talk about his deliciously controversial new documentary, The Best Pizza Is in LA — and yes, he is absolutely prepared to defend that title!

A New Jersey native now living in Los Angeles, Ferriero set out to challenge one of the most sacred food beliefs around: that great pizza belongs to New York. His journey takes him across L.A. exploring the city’s exploding pizza scene, from classic slices to Detroit, New Haven and other styles that have found a home on the West Coast.

And he brought some pretty great people along for the ride! The film features Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, Ray Romano, Lindsay Price, and acclaimed chefs including Nancy Silverton, Brooke Williamson, Stephanie Izard, Joe Sasto and more.

We talk about what inspired Pete to make the film, the classic LA vs. NY pizza rivalry, the incredible chefs and personalities he met along the way, and whether he can actually convince this East Coast crowd that the best pizza really IS in L.A.!

The Best Pizza Is in LA was released July 28 and is available to rent or buy across major digital platforms.

Watch The Best Pizza Is in LA trailer

For more info, go to RobertBannon.com and follow Robert on IG @RobertMBannon.

#PeteFerriero #TheBestPizzaIsInLA #Pizza #LosAngeles #NewYorkPizza #LAPizza #FoodDocumentary #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon

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Writer, director and editor Christopher Piñero joins The Roundtable with Robert Bannon to talk about his psychological horror short The Prowler.

Starring Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders in the Building, The Inspection, Shaft), The Prowler takes what seems like a familiar home-invasion setup and turns it on its head. As fear, paranoia and shifting perception begin to take over, both the character and the audience are left questioning what is actually real.

Christopher talks about his love of psychological horror, the influence of Puerto Rican folklore, building suspense without giving too much away, and what inspired him to explore the idea of fear itself becoming the villain.

The film has made its way through the genre festival circuit with screenings at Panic Fest and the Chattanooga Film Festival, and was selected for the LA Shorts International Film Festival, an Academy Award®- and BAFTA-qualifying festival.

We also talk about Christopher wearing multiple hats as writer, director and editor, working with Aaron Dominguez, and where he hopes to take The Prowler next.

For more info, go to RobertBannon.com and follow Robert on IG @RobertMBannon.

Watch The Roundtable with Robert Bannon on BroadwayWorld and YouTube, and listen on BPN, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and wherever you get your podcasts.

#TheProwler #ChristopherPinero #Horror #PsychologicalHorror #HorrorFilm #IndieFilm #LATShorts #Filmmaker #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #BroadwayWorld

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Jackpot! 🎰 Lorraine Ziff joins The Roundtable with Robert Bannon, and this conversation was an absolute BLAST!

Known to her growing online audience as the “Goddess of Slots,” Lorraine has turned her love of casino gaming into a whole new adventure, bringing viewers along for the wins, the losses, the excitement, and those moments when you’re just ONE SPIN away from something big!

But there is much more to Lorraine than the casino floor. We talk about her journey as an actress and producer, how the Goddess of Slots came to be, building a community online, the wild world of slot content, and why people can’t get enough of watching someone else chase that jackpot.

Lorraine is funny, fearless, completely herself — and she had us laughing from beginning to end. Whether you’re a casino regular or wouldn’t know a bonus round if it hit you in the face, this is one fun conversation!

Come meet the woman behind the slots and find out why Lorraine Ziff is betting on herself! 🎰💰✨

For more info, go to RobertBannon.com and follow Robert on IG @RobertMBannon.

#LorraineZiff #GoddessOfSlots #Slots #SlotMachines #Casino #CasinoLife #Gaming #Jackpot #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #BroadwayWorld #Interview

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Pour a glass — because we’re heading to Napa!

Nick Corirossi and Armen Weitzman join The Roundtable with Robert Bannon to talk all about The Napa Boys, the hilariously absurd comedy that takes the idea of the big Hollywood movie franchise and turns it completely on its head.

Nick directs, while Nick and Armen co-wrote and star as Jack Jr. and Miles Jr., two members of the legendary — and completely made-up — Napa Boys franchise. This time, a mysterious figure known as “The Sommelier” sends the gang on another wine-soaked adventure, joined by Puck, a young podcaster who just happens to be their biggest fan.

And the cast is WILD! Sarah Ramos, Mike Mitchell, Chloe Cherry, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, DJ Qualls, Ray Wise, David Wain, Paul Rust, Riki Lindhome, Natasha Leggero, Beth Dover and many more pop up along the way.

We talk with Nick and Armen about creating this ridiculous universe, sending up movie sequels and franchise culture, assembling that incredible comedy cast, premiering the film at TIFF’s Midnight Madness, and just how strange things got while making The Napa Boys.

It’s Sideways meets a completely unhinged comedy franchise — and you may never look at a glass of wine the same way again.

For more info, go to RobertBannon.com and follow Robert on IG @RobertMBannon.

#TheNapaBoys #NickCorirossi #ArmenWeitzman #MagnoliaPictures #Comedy #IndieFilm #TIFF #WineCountry #SarahRamos #MikeMitchell #KevinSmith #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #BroadwayWorld

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