When Lightning Strikes!

Pamela Moller Kareman is the executive director of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre. Just a few of their alumni includes Tony Randall, Mary Steenburgen, Robert Duvall, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Gregory Peck, Christopher Lloyd, Chris Noth, Dylan McDermott, Allison Janney and Joanne Woodward. For more than two decades Pamela has taught the Meisner Technique in New York and she continues to nurture new generations of actors. The school just reopened their famed red doors for in-person classes in September.

This episode was recorded September 15, 2021.

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When Lightning Strikes goes to the premiere of the new documentary, The Show Must Go On. For the first time since the March 2020 shut down, an audience filled the Majestic Theatre that is home to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of The Opera. Co-directed and produced by Dori Berinstein and Sammi Cannold, The Show Must Go On is an inspiring film about how two productions in South Korea kept theater alive in the midst of the pandemic.

The premiere was held on August 9, 2021 and benefitted The Actors Fund.

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Russell Granet is the president and CEO of New 42, New 42 is a nonprofit organization behind the New Victory Theater, the New 42nd Street Studios and the Duke on 42nd Street. Their mission is to make performing arts a vital part of everyone’s life from the earliest years onward. Celebrated for providing accessibility and inclusion in the performing arts, New 42 is recognized as one of the largest providers of youth employment of cultural organizations in New York City. Their New Victory Theater presents international productions and serves more than 40,000 children in New York City with free arts education. New 42 Studios, an architectural icon, is one of Broadway’s great rehearsal incubators.

This episode was recorded July 22, 2021.

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Dan O’Brien is a playwright and poet whose work has been produced off-Broadway at Primary Stages, throughout the United States and in the United Kingdom. Some of his plays include The House in Scarsdale: A Memoir for the Stage and The Body of an American. O'Brien has been awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship in Drama, the Horton Foote Prize, the Edward M. Kennedy Prize and two PEN America Awards. Most recently, he published a collection of essays in his book, A Story that Happens...On Playwriting, Childhood, & Other Traumas. O'Brien reflects on theater, family, what it takes to be an artist in a fractured world and keeping hope alive. 

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Mandy Gonzalez is an Obie and Drama Desk-winning singer, actress and author. She is so ferociously talented and has such a fierce belt that she was nicknamed “The Beast.” Mandy stars on Broadway in Hamilton as Angelica Schuyler and also originated the role of Nina Rosario in the Tony–winning Broadway musical In The Heights. Mandy played Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked and is also a Warner Music artist and released her chart-topping debut album, “Fearless.” She can also be seen as Lucy Knox in Madam Secretary. Mandy is the proud founder of #FearlessSquad, a social media movement for inclusiveness and positivity which connects millions of people around the world. She just released her first children's book, Fearless about twelve-year-old Monica Garcia who travels to New York City with her grandmother to pursue her Broadway dream. For more visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Fearless/Mandy-Gonzalez/Fearless-Series/9781534468955

This episode was recorded on April 29, 2021

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James Calleri, Erica Jensen and Paul Davis make up the casting team Calleri Jensen Davis. The winners of 15 Artios Awards, they have a vast repertoire casting for Broadway, Off-Broadway, major motion pictures and television series. Among the agency’s upcoming theatrical projects are the Broadway productions of “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf,” “Thoughts of a Colored Man,” and “Blue.” They also cast the television hit “Dickinson” on AppleTV+. The trio recently won another Artios Award for Excellence in Casting for the “Pride Plays” which played Off-Broadway last season.

This past February the agency went from being Calleri Casting to Calleri Jensen Davis to better reflect the equal partnership that has been central to the company’s success over these past 15 years. They have reaffirmed their commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion to ensure equal access to opportunity for all performers.

This episode was recorded March 18th, before the team won their 15th Artios Award for "Pride Plays."

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Mark Armstrong is the Artistic Director of The 24 Hour Plays which brings together creative communities to produce plays and musicals that are written, rehearsed, and performed in 24 hours. Highlights from his tenure include annual productions of The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway, the Broadway and Los Angeles debuts of The 24 Hour Musicals, the growth of The 24 Hour Plays Nationals, (a free professional intensive for young theatermakers), and The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues. A socially-distanced sensation, The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues has brought more than 400 free new theater pieces to millions of viewers since onset of the pandemic in March 2020. As a director, Mark has worked with countless playwrights including Dan O’Brien, Emily Mann, Christopher Shinn and many more.

Learn more at www.24hourplays.com.

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Christina Papagjika is a Tony and Olivier Award-winning producer who creates film, television and theater. Just a few of her productions includes the six-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical "Kinky Boots" and the film, "Lee Daniels' The Butler" starring Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, and Jane Fonda. Her movie, "Six Minutes to Midnight,” with Judi Dench and Eddie Izzard, will debut worldwide on March 26. She is also producing the film “Worth” with Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, and Laura Benanti. "Worth" had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix and Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions. Worth will be released this September.

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Meet two forces from the Bay Area Children’s Theatre: Nina Meehan, the theater’s founder and CEO. And artistic director, Khalia Davis. Bay Area Children’s Theatre is one of the leading theaters for young audiences in California. Since its inception in 2004, this theater has served more than 750,000 children and adults in the Bay Area and beyond with their musicals and Academy program. They have produced over 37 new musicals for young audiences including an adaptation of Chelsea Clinton's book "She Persisted."

This month as part of their new Sunday Spotlight series they are sharing the performance of Khalia’s adaptation of A Kids Book About Racism by Jelani Memory. The show, A Kids Play About Racism, uses the power of theatrical storytelling to give children the tools to participate in the conversation with grown-ups.Part of the theater’s mission is to help create conversation and inspire positive social change. 

To quote from A Kids Book About Racism, “Racism is one of the worst kinds of mean someone can be. Because racism thinks someone being different is bad. BUT being different is actually good. Like REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GOOD. 1000 percent good.”

The play will be available all day on February 20th and 21st, and February 26th and 27th. To RSVP to see the show visit https://www.bactheatre.org/#/outreach-program. (CAN YOU HYPERLINK THE WEBSITE? THANKS!)

The premiere of their Sunday Spotlight series with Khalia Davis will run as an interactive companion piece to the play. On Sunday, February 28th, 10:30 am PST/1:30pm EST, Davis will reunite with the cast as they tackle some difficult topics, share their experiences working on the show, answer questions from young people, and lead everyone in some critical thinking and interactive storytelling activities related to the show. To RSVP for this Sunday Spotlight series go here. CAN YOU PLEASE HYPERLINK THIS? https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSef0rVuUHpR0YyYmDLu3YFDH6WgU39XwXB2VWqqbV8V7ILbtg/viewform)

Future Sunday Spotlights will include a focus on Women’s History Month in March, Autism Awareness Month in April and Mental Health Awareness Month in May. 

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A Tony and Grammy Award-winning force, John Lloyd Young played Frankie Valli in the Original Broadway Cast of Jersey Boys. He also starred as Valli in Clint Eastwood's Warner Bros. movie adaptation of the show.

Young is the only American actor to have received four major awards for a Broadway musical: the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Award.He has performed concerts at The White House, Carnegie Hall and all around the world.

On February 12 John Lloyd Young will performing at The Space Las Vegas in John Lloyd Young’s Vegas Valentine. His intimate show will be streamed live as he sings beloved Jersey Boys favorites along with luscious and romantic classic tunes. Visit, https://www.johnlloydyoung.com/live for more information.

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