The Roundtable with Robert Bannon

Half Sephardic, half Ashkenazi, a third-generation Holocaust survivor, and raised Modern Orthodox on Manhattan’s West Side, Daniella Rabbani has built a career where Jewish tradition meets a thoroughly modern artistic life.

From studying at the Stella Adler Studio and being encouraged by Adler’s grandson Tom Oppenheim to carry forward the legacy of Yiddish theater, to appearances in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Ocean’s 8, to performing at Lincoln Center and The Town Hall—Daniella’s journey has always brought her back to her roots.

Now, she’s preparing a new klezmer album and asking a fascinating question: What exactly is Jewish music in 2026?

Daniella joins Robert on The Roundtable to talk Yiddish theater, motherhood, acting, Jewish identity, her new music, and why preserving tradition doesn’t mean keeping it stuck in the past.

🎙️ THE ROUNDTABLE WITH ROBERT BANNON

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

Watch and listen to The Roundtable on BroadwayWorld, Broadway Podcast Network, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and more.

#DaniellaRabbani #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #BroadwayWorld #Yiddish #YiddishTheater #Klezmer #JewishMusic #JewishCulture #JewishArtists #NewMusic #Broadway #TheMarvelousMrsMaisel

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Someone once told Jeff Ryan he was going to fail in life because he was a “mooch.”

So naturally... he made a movie about it.

Jeff Ryan joins Robert Bannon at The Roundtable to talk about Mooch, the new New Jersey-set crime comedy he wrote, directed and stars in — and yes, the title comes from a very real insult that somehow stuck with him long enough to inspire an entire film!

Jeff plays Shane, a struggling almost-30 caddie who gets caught stealing from a wealthy nightclub owner. Instead of calling the cops, the guy gives him a job: become his private investigator and dig up dirt on his wife. Obviously, things get messy from there.

We talk about turning pieces of your own life into comedy, making a truly independent film, writing a character who is kind of a disaster but you still want to root for, and wearing approximately ALL the hats behind the camera.

Plus, Mooch comes with one seriously nostalgic soundtrack featuring Aaron Gillespie, Kellin Quinn, Derek Sanders, Cassadee Pope, Spencer Chamberlain, JT Woodruff, John Vesely of Secondhand Serenade and more.

From being called a mooch to writing, directing and starring in a movie called Mooch...

Honestly? That's one hell of a comeback to an insult.

Jeff Ryan is at the table, Mooch is out now, and we've got a lot to talk about!

The Roundtable with Robert Bannon is available on BroadwayWorld, the Broadway Podcast Network, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & more!

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

#JeffRyan #Mooch #MoochMovie #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #IndieFilm #IndependentFilm #CrimeComedy #ComedyFilm #Filmmaking

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For more than 50 years, HIROSHIMA has created a sound unlike anyone else—blending jazz, R&B, pop, soul and traditional Japanese instrumentation into music that has reached audiences around the world.

On The Roundtable with Robert Bannon, we sit down with HIROSHIMA co-founder Dan Kuramoto for a conversation about the band’s incredible journey, creating a sound and identity all their own, the influence of Japanese culture on their music, and what has kept HIROSHIMA going for more than five decades.

We also talk about the songs, the stories, the legacy—and what it means to still be onstage doing what they love.

And Detroit, we get to see them LIVE! HIROSHIMA is headed to The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, bringing their unmistakable sound to one of the Motor City’s most iconic summer stages.

From “One Wish” to a musical legacy spanning generations, Dan Kuramoto has stories to tell—and we’re talking about it all at The Roundtable!

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

#DanKuramoto #Hiroshima #HiroshimaBand #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon

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Filmmaker Meriem Sakrouhi joins Robert Bannon on The Roundtable to talk about her deeply personal new short documentary, Mon Taxi, which made its world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival.

Inspired by Meriem’s relationship with her late father, Mon Taxi turns an everyday ritual — a phone call home — into a moving exploration of grief, memory, family, migration, and the ways we continue talking to the people we love even after they’re gone.

Meriem talks about transforming something so personal into art, her journey from architecture to filmmaking, and why this eight-minute film carries a story much bigger than its runtime.

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

#TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #MeriemSakrouhi #MonTaxi #Tribeca #Tribeca2026 #Documentary #IndependentFilm #MoroccanCinema #Filmmaker #Grief #Family

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Jonathan Judge-Russo is doing a little bit of everything — and doing it all with a whole lot of heart.

He joins Robert on The Roundtable to talk about starring as Drew in the acclaimed Off-Broadway musical Music City, now playing at St. Luke’s Theatre. Set inside the world of an East Nashville honky-tonk, the show mixes a gritty story of brothers chasing a music career with songs from multi-platinum, Billboard chart-topping songwriter J.T. Harding, whose hits have been recorded by Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker and more.

But Music City is only one part of Jonathan’s story. An award-winning actor and producer, his career has taken him from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, American Rust, Law & Order: SVU and FBI: Most Wanted to Lincoln Center, Irish Rep, Signature Theatre and stages across the country and in London. He’s also the founding artistic director of Animus Theatre Company, which has produced more than 50 plays, musicals, festivals and readings, and a founding producing partner of Noble Heart Films.

We’re talking about the wild ride of Music City, stepping into a musical as an actor who didn’t come from the traditional musical-theatre lane, creating your own opportunities, producing, film, television, theatre and what keeps an artist going through all the different chapters of a career.

It’s a great conversation about the work, the hustle and the many ways to build a life as an artist.

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

#JonathanJudgeRusso #MusicCity #OffBroadway #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #Theatre #Broadway #CountryMusic #Actor #Producer

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There are saxophone players — and then there is Kirk Whalum.

The Grammy Award-winning artist joins Robert Bannon on The Roundtable for a conversation celebrating a career filled with soul, jazz, gospel, and unforgettable collaborations. From his acclaimed solo work to sharing the stage and studio with some of the biggest names in music, Whalum has spent decades creating a sound that is unmistakably his own.

Of course, millions know that saxophone too — Kirk delivered the unforgettable solo on Whitney Houston’s iconic recording of “I Will Always Love You.” But his story goes far beyond one legendary musical moment.

Kirk and Robert talk about the music that shaped him, the role faith continues to play in his life and artistry, the power of collaboration, and what keeps him inspired after decades of making music.

It’s warm, soulful, funny, and a perfect addition to our Summer BBQ Playlist on The Roundtable.

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

#KirkWhalum #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #Jazz #SmoothJazz #Gospel #WhitneyHouston #IWillAlwaysLoveYou #GrammyWinner #SummerBBQPlaylist #MusicInterview

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The Maltese actor joins Robert Bannon to talk playing Mikiel Mizzi, working alongside Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter, and bringing a piece of Malta’s history to the Enola Holmes universe.

Actor Joe Azzopardi pulls up a chair at The Roundtable to talk about stepping into the wildly popular world of Netflix’s Enola Holmes 3!

Azzopardi stars as Mikiel Mizzi, a member of the Partito Anti-Riformista fighting for a free Malta who becomes an important part of Enola’s latest adventure. The new film takes Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) to Malta, where Sherlock’s disappearance sends her into another dangerous mystery.

Joe talks with Robert about what it meant to have Malta take center stage in such a huge international production, bringing Mikiel to life, and the very real history and questions of Maltese independence woven into the film. We also get into life on set, the massive Enola Holmes fandom, and what it’s like sharing the screen with Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter, Louis Partridge and this incredible ensemble.

Plus, Joe takes us behind the scenes of his journey as an actor, how his theatre background still influences his work on camera, and what comes next after joining one of Netflix’s biggest film franchises.

It’s movies, Malta, mystery and a whole lot of fun at The Roundtable!

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

#JoeAzzopardi #EnolaHolmes3 #Netflix #TheRoundtable

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The Mean Girls star joins The Roundtable to talk bringing the hit musical to Cape Cod, life on stage, and making the iconic show her own!

It’s about to get SO FETCH in the Cape! 💕🎭

Lizzy Tucker joins Robert on The Roundtable to talk all things MEAN GIRLS and bringing the beloved musical to audiences on Cape Cod!

Lizzy takes us inside the world of the show — the comedy, the music, the characters we all know and love, and what it takes to keep that famous Mean Girls energy fresh every night. We also talk about her own journey as a performer, life on stage, the joy of connecting with audiences, and getting to be part of a story that has become a true pop-culture phenomenon.

And YES — we talk about the fans, the laughs, and why, after all these years, everybody still wants to sit at the Mean Girls table.

Lizzy is funny, talented, charming, and an absolute blast to chat with. Cape Cod, get ready — the Plastics are coming!

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

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

#MeanGirls #LizzyTucker #MeanGirlsMusical #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #Broadway #MusicalTheatre #CapeCod

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Sometimes an interview turns into a conversation, and sometimes that conversation goes completely off the rails in the BEST possible way! Singer-songwriter Ivory Layne joins Robert Bannon on The Roundtable for a chat that is equal parts music, storytelling and absolute hilarity.

Ivory is a true multi-hyphenate — an artist, songwriter and producer who has built a career between Nashville and London while developing a pop sound that is completely her own. She has collaborated with acclaimed writers and producers including Shane McAnally, Natalie Hemby, Lori McKenna and Jimmy Robbins, written for artists including Tom Grennan, Cory Asbury and Harper Grace, and shared stages with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, NEEDTOBREATHE, Andy Grammer, Ben Rector and The Script.

Now she has even more to talk about. Ivory's newest single, “Saint,” arrived July 24, following 2026 releases “Skim” and “Roam” and her 2025 EP Part-Time Jobs Near Me. “Saint” comes with the perfectly Ivory hook and attitude of you make my ex look like a saint — and yes, we absolutely get into it.

And Ivory is taking the music on the road! After summer dates, she heads out this fall as the special guest for Andrew McMahon's “An Evening with Andrew McMahon and His Piano,” with stops including Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., Richmond, Charlotte, Orlando, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Houston, Dallas and several California dates.

We talk songwriting, making music independently, the stories behind the songs, touring, the wonderfully weird life of being a working artist — and then we laugh. A lot. Ivory is quick, funny, completely herself and exactly the kind of guest who makes us forget we're supposed to be conducting an interview.

This one was an absolute BLAST.

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

#IvoryLayne #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #Saint

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Broadway icon Ellen Greene joins The Roundtable with Robert Bannon for a rare and unforgettable conversation celebrating 40 years of Little Shop of Horrors. As she travels across the country meeting fans and revisiting one of the most beloved musicals of all time, Ellen looks back on the role that made theatre history.
How did she discover Audrey? What inspired her unforgettable voice, mannerisms, and heart? What was it like collaborating with legendary creatives Howard Ashman, Alan Menken, Frank Oz, Jim Henson, and the incredible team that brought Little Shop from a tiny stage musical to an enduring cultural phenomenon?
Ellen shares stories from the rehearsal room, reflects on the lasting impact of Audrey, and opens up about why this character continues to resonate with audiences four decades later. It's an intimate look at the creation of one of musical theatre's most iconic performances from the woman who originated it.
I was also thrilled to tell Ellen that I'll be moderating one of the stops on her anniversary tour, and I truly can't wait to celebrate this remarkable legacy with audiences in person. It was a full-circle moment for this theatre fan and one I'll never forget.

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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