The Roundtable with Robert Bannon

What happens when a fifth-grade history presentation goes completely off the rails? You get LBJ: The Play — a wildly campy, queer, and wonderfully unhinged theatrical adventure!

Broadway favorite Andrew Barth Feldman (Dear Evan Hansen, No Hard Feelings), comedian and producer Jo Firestone, and creator and star Sunny Zimmerman join Robert Bannon on The Roundtable for a hilarious conversation about bringing Lyndon Baines Johnson to the stage like you've never seen him before!

Presented by Jo Firestone, LBJ: The Play follows a performer hired to deliver a simple historical presentation about America's 36th president. There's just one problem: Sunny has gone completely method, and LBJ is determined to use this opportunity to salvage his legacy through an ambitious theatrical production.

The result? A gloriously absurd exploration of masculinity, identity, American history, and the increasingly blurry line between performer and president.

Andrew opens up about stepping behind the scenes as co-director alongside Caitlan Moore, while Sunny shares the journey of developing this wonderfully outrageous character through years of sold-out performances. And Jo brings her signature comedic sensibility to the conversation about why this particular piece of theatrical madness deserves its moment in New York.

From its acclaimed appearances at Netflix Is a Joke and The Elysian to its long-awaited first full-length production, LBJ: The Play is ready to take the East Village by storm!

LBJ: The Play

Tickets and information: https://www.lbjtheplay.com/

Join us for a conversation full of laughs, theatrical surprises, Broadway stories, and a little presidential chaos!

Watch The Roundtable with Robert Bannon on BroadwayWorld, YouTube, Broadway Podcast Network, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and wherever you enjoy your favorite conversations.

The best is yet to come!

#AndrewBarthFeldman #JoFirestone #SunnyZimmerman #LBJThePlay #DearEvanHansen #Broadway #OffBroadway #QueerTheatre #NYCTheatre #TheRoundtableWithRobertBannon #RobertBannon #BroadwayWorld

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Lauren Ambrose is back on the New York stage — and we’re talking all about it on The Roundtable!

Tony Award winner Lauren Ambrose leads the cast of THE UNBELIEVERS, a poignant, funny, and deeply human new play from Tony and Olivier Award-nominated playwright Nick Payne, directed by Tony nominee Knud Adams.

Ambrose stars as Miriam, a mother living with the unimaginable: the unexplained disappearance of her teenage son. As the years pass without answers, Miriam, David, and their blended family are left to navigate an altered world — figuring out how to keep loving, laughing, hoping, and simply living when closure may never come.

We’re talking with Lauren about stepping into this extraordinary new role, finding the humor inside heartbreak, working with Nick Payne and Knud Adams, and what it means to return to the New York stage with a brand-new play.

From her Emmy-nominated work as Claire Fisher on Six Feet Under to Yellowjackets, Servant, and her Tony-winning performance as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Lauren Ambrose has built a career filled with unforgettable, beautifully complicated women. Now, she takes on Miriam — a woman forced to discover what faith and hope mean when certainty is impossible.

THE UNBELIEVERS also features Jaspal Binning, Brittany Bradford, Jack DiFalco, Marjan Neshat, Tom Riley, Nina Ross, Hadi Tabbal, and Elizabeth Yeoman.

Performances begin October 13, 2026, Off-Broadway at New York City Center Stage I.

It’s Lauren Ambrose on The Roundtable — and you know we have plenty to talk about!

🎙️ The Roundtable with Robert Bannon

Available on BroadwayWorld, Broadway Podcast Network, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio & more.

The best is yet to come.

#LaurenAmbrose #TheUnbelievers #NickPayne #KnudAdams #OffBroadway #NYCTheater #NewYorkCityCenter #Broadway #Theater #SixFeetUnder #Yellowjackets #MyFairLady #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #BroadwayWorld

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What happens when the deeply personal journey to become a parent collides with bureaucracy, money, body image, race, ethics—and an adoption system that can feel almost impossible to navigate?

On this episode of The Roundtable with Robert Bannon, acclaimed comic storyteller, cartoonist, writer and performer Phoebe Potts joins us to talk about her award-winning one-woman show, Too Fat for China.

Written, drawn and performed by Potts, the show chronicles her attempts to adopt a child after a domestic adoption falls apart, ultimately leading her into the complicated world of international adoption. Potts brings the story to life using her own illustrations on a larger-than-life, hand-cranked scroll, finding humor in some of the most painful and complicated moments of her journey.

Phoebe and Robert talk about turning such a personal story into theater, finding comedy inside heartbreak, the complicated realities of adoption, and what the experience taught her about family, race, privilege and just how far we may be willing to go for love.

After performances across the country and at the Edinburgh Fringe, Too Fat for China won Best Storytelling at United Solo in 2023. Now the show is headed to Brooklyn for an eight-performance engagement at The RAT NYC, running Tuesday nights from October 6 through November 24, 2026.

It’s funny. It’s messy. It’s incredibly personal. And Phoebe Potts isn’t afraid to talk about any of it.

Watch our full conversation now on The Roundtable with Robert Bannon, available on BroadwayWorld, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Broadway Podcast Network and more.

The best is yet to come.

#PhoebePotts #TooFatForChina #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #Theater #OffOffBroadway #NYCTheater #Adoption #SoloShow #Storytelling #BroadwayWorld

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Things are getting SCARY at The Roundtable!

Actor, rocker and producer Kurt Deimer joins Robert Bannon to talk all things HELLBILLY HOLLOW, the new horror film hitting theaters September 25!

Deimer stars as Bull and also serves as a producer on the film, which follows a team of paranormal YouTubers who head deep into the Alabama backwoods to investigate a haunted attraction — only to discover that what’s waiting for them is much more terrifying than anything they expected.

And this one has a great origin story: Hellbilly Hollow was filmed at the real-life haunted attraction in Vincent, Alabama, with Deimer and director/co-star Kevin Wayne taking the madness from the haunt to the big screen.

Kurt talks about creating the film, stepping into the twisted world of Bull and Tickles, his love of horror, and how his experience appearing in 2018’s Halloween helped inspire him to build a horror franchise of his own.

Plus, we get into Kurt’s other life — MUSIC! From touring and recording to bringing his own music into the world of Hellbilly Hollow, Kurt is an artist who refuses to stay in just one lane.

It’s horror, rock & roll, movies, monsters and a whole lot of fun!

🎬 HELLBILLY HOLLOW hits theaters September 25.

Watch our full conversation with Kurt Deimer now on The Roundtable with Robert Bannon, available on BroadwayWorld, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Broadway Podcast Network and more.

The best is yet to come.

#KurtDeimer #HellbillyHollow #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #Horror #HorrorMovies #IndieHorror #NewMovie #Halloween #RockMusic #HorrorFans #MovieInterview #BroadwayWorld

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We’re heading to the Dominican Republic on this episode of The Roundtable with Robert Bannon as director Frank Pavich and Bachata musician, producer and mentor Mártires de León join us to talk about the powerful new documentary AGRIDULCE.

From Pavich, the director behind Jodorowsky’s Dune, AGRIDULCE follows a group of aspiring young Bachata artists searching for answers about love, life and their futures through the music that surrounds them.

At the center of their journey is Mártires de León — guitarist and musical producer for Latin superstar Romeo Santos and a teacher at Academia de Bachata, a school devoted to preserving, teaching and carrying Bachata forward to a new generation.

We talk about capturing these young artists at such an important moment in their lives, the history and evolution of Bachata, the responsibility of passing a culture from one generation to the next, and what happens when young people begin deciding which pieces of the past they want to carry into their own futures.

Plus, Frank and Mártires take us behind the making of the film, the incredible young people at its center, and why AGRIDULCE is ultimately about so much more than music.

Following its World Premiere at SXSW and screenings including the Guadalajara International Film Festival, AGRIDULCE heads to the New York Latino Film Festival, screening Saturday, September 19 at 4:30 PM at Regal Union Square.

Watch the full conversation now on The Roundtable with Robert Bannon, available on BroadwayWorld, Broadway Podcast Network, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and wherever you get your favorite shows!

Be sure to like, subscribe, follow and share — and as always, remember: the best is yet to come!

#TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #Agridulce #FrankPavich #MartiresDeLeon #Bachata #DominicanRepublic #RomeoSantos #NYLFF #NewYorkLatinoFilmFestival #SXSW #Documentary #LatinMusic

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It’s a family affair at The Roundtable! 🎭

Rebeca Robles joins us to talk all about the new Off-Broadway play HUMAN THINGS — and playwright (and husband!) Joshua Owen joins the conversation too!

We get into the journey of bringing this new work to the stage, where the story came from, what Rebeca saw in the piece as both an artist and producer, and what it’s really like creating something this personal alongside your spouse.

Plus, we talk about the incredible company bringing HUMAN THINGS to life, including two-time Tony Award winner Victoria Clark, Ben Rosenfield and Tony Award nominee Michael Mulheren, and why this story about relationships, connection, survival and the complicated ways we need one another feels so timely.

HUMAN THINGS is now playing at the West End Theatre in New York City.

Come hang with us for a great conversation about theatre, marriage, collaboration and taking a chance on a brand-new play!

Watch the full conversation now on The Roundtable with Robert Bannon, available on BroadwayWorld, Broadway Podcast Network, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and wherever you get your favorite shows!

Be sure to like, subscribe, follow and share — and as always, remember: the best is yet to come!

#TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #RebecaRobles #JoshuaOwen #HumanThings #VictoriaClark #OffBroadway #NYCTheatre #Theatre #Broadway #NewYork

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Emmy and Tony Award winner Neil Patrick Harris joins Robert Bannon for a special conversation about his new film Sunny Dancer — and we’re sitting down with the film’s writer/director George Jaques too!

Neil talks about stepping into the world of Sunny Dancer, what drew him to the film and his character Patrick, while George reveals what Neil brought to the role that wasn’t necessarily on the page. And yes… when you put NPH and Robert together, the conversation takes a few VERY funny turns. 😂

But Neil is only the beginning of a jam-packed Movie Night!

🎵 Este Haim of HAIM & Zachary Dawes take us behind the music of Sunny Dancer and the process of creating the film’s score.

🔥 Aladdin star Mena Massoud joins Elijah Alexander to talk Daniel & the Fiery Furnace and bringing the epic story to the screen.

🚂 James Paxton & director Adam Rifkin close out the night with Last Train to Fortune, the new Western adventure starring Paxton alongside screen legend Malcolm McDowell.

It’s one of our biggest movie nights yet — actors, directors, composers and some fantastic new films, all at The Roundtable.

📺 Watch on YouTube & BroadwayWorld
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio & the Broadway Podcast Network

The best is yet to come.

#NeilPatrickHarris #NPH #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #SunnyDancer #GeorgeJaques #EsteHaim #HAIM #ZacharyDawes #MenaMassoud #Aladdin #ElijahAlexander #JamesPaxton #AdamRifkin #LastTrainToFortune #MovieNight #Film #Movies #CelebrityInterviews #BroadwayWorld

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Claybourne Elder is having one busy theatrical season!

The Broadway favorite joins Robert Bannon on The Roundtable to talk about heading to The Cape Playhouse to direct the 25th anniversary production of the Tony Award-winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Claybourne opens up about taking on the beloved musical from the director’s chair, what makes Spelling Bee continue to connect with audiences 25 years later, and the fun—and responsibility—of putting his own stamp on a show that has become such a favorite with theater fans.

And somehow, he’s doing all of this while starring Off-Broadway in Little Shop of Horrors in New York!

We talk about balancing life as both an actor and director, what working on one side of the creative table teaches you about the other, his time at The Cape Playhouse, and why getting to make theater remains so special.

It’s a conversation about Broadway, directing, acting, and one seriously packed theatrical schedule with one of our favorite people in the business!

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 podcasts.

#ClaybourneElder #TheCapePlayhouse #SpellingBee #25thAnnualPutnamCountySpellingBee #LittleShopOfHorrors #Broadway #OffBroadway #MusicalTheatre #Theatre #CapeCod #BroadwayWorld #BroadwayPodcastNetwork #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon

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Daniel and Patrick Lazour — the award-winning brother songwriting team known as The Lazours — join Robert Bannon on The Roundtable to talk about their moving new musical, Night Side Songs.

Inspired by Susan Sontag’s idea of illness as “the night side of life,” the folk-infused theatrical work brings together the perspectives of patients, caregivers, doctors and researchers, exploring what happens when illness changes the way we understand time, family and one another. The piece was commissioned and developed by American Repertory Theater before making its way to Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3, where it played the Claire Tow Theater earlier this year.

The Lazours talk about the extensive research behind the musical, creating songs around subjects that can be difficult to put into words, and why communal singing became such an important part of the experience.

They also celebrate the original Off-Broadway cast album, released August 21, featuring Robin de Jesús, Brooke Ishibashi, Jonathan Raviv, Kris Saint-Louis and Mary Testa.

It’s a thoughtful conversation about theater, mortality, care — and the remarkable ability of music to create connection when words alone aren’t enough.

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

#TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #TheLazours #NightSideSongs #DanielLazour #PatrickLazour #Broadway #OffBroadway #MusicalTheatre #Theatre #LincolnCenterTheater #LCT3 #CastRecording #BroadwayWorld #BroadwayPodcastNetwork

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What happens when modern dating becomes completely unhinged?

Jon Rudnitsky, Delilah Napier and Lucy Powers join me at The Roundtable to talk about FLOATING CAROUSEL, the award-winning dark comedy taking on love, sex and the absolute insanity of dating in modern-day New York City.

Inspired by real-life dating disasters — including the incredible discovery that Delilah and Lucy had BOTH gone on a first Hinge date with the same man — Floating Carousel follows a Gender Studies grad student, a messy philanderer, an in-denial Sugar Baby, an aspiring cabaret artist and a professional cuddler as their lives collide in one increasingly wild web of relationships.

Written and directed by Napier and Powers, the film features an incredible ensemble including Dylan Baker, Jessica Hecht, Catherine Curtin, Michael Cyril Creighton, Gus Birney, Reg Rogers and Jon Rudnitsky, and took home the Ultra Indie Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Woodstock Film Festival.

We get into where these crazy stories came from, turning dating nightmares into comedy, making independent film, Jon stepping into this wonderfully messy world — and what Floating Carousel has to say about trying to find actual human connection in the swipe-right era.

BUT WAIT… THERE’S MORE. 👀

We also have a BIG SURPRISE COUPLE UNVEILING during the conversation! Two familiar faces are joining the Floating Carousel family — and they’re revealing it right here at The Roundtable! 🎠🎬

Come for the dating disasters. Stay for the surprise.

Catch The Roundtable with Robert Bannon on BroadwayWorld, Broadway Podcast Network, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio & more.

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

#TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #FloatingCarousel #JonRudnitsky #DelilahNapier #LucyPowers #IndependentFilm #IndieFilm #Comedy #DarkComedy #ModernDating #NYC #WoodstockFilmFestival #Film #Movies

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