Why I‘ll Never Make It

As we talked about in Part One, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is what put Gabrielle Ruiz on the map. However, it was her theater training and performance abilities that made it possible for her to be cast in the show. In this episode we talk more about her time on the stage and what drives her most as an artist. 

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Here are ways to connect with me and the guests as well as opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot

Music in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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My good friend and amazing performer Gabrielle Ruiz joins me for Women's History Month to chat about her journey from ensemble member on Broadway to a principal role on primetime television. It's a path many of us actors wish to have, but hers has not been without personal and professional setbacks. And in part one of our conversation we touch on some of the highlights as well as how she's handled the low points.

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Follow Gabrielle - Website / Instagram / Twitter / WAFF Podcast

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Here are ways to connect with me and the guests as well as opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Bortexx is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fifty years ago this month 10 people were inducted into the songwriters Hall of Fame. Included on that list are well-known names like duke Ellington, Ira Gershwin, and Alan J Lerner. The only woman in that group was Dorothy Fields. But despite her talents for lyrics and storytelling, her journey to becoming a songwriter wasn’t easy. In fact, there were some pretty big roadblocks in her way.

This episode Is presented in conjunction with Maestra Music.

Women's History Month continues wirth part two of my conversation with musical theater historian Kristin Stultz Pressley. We dig a little deeper into her Dorothy Fields biography: I can’t give you anything but love baby. We discuss what it was like for a woman writer in a man’s world, how Fields transitioned from one decade to the next, from one musical genre to another, and we get into this idea of fame and success and what that meant to Dorothy Fields. Listen to part one of our conversation. 

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Season 5 offers new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and a member of Broadway Makers Alliance.

Music in the episode by Chad Crouch, Bortexx, Kevin Macleod, and Latch Swing is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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This week for Women’s History Month, I’m sharing a special conversation with Dr. Broadway about prolific lyricist and librettist Dorothy Fields, who collaborated with some of the most iconic and legendary composers in Broadway history. For much of the Golden Age of the American musical, Fields was one of the only women writing for the Broadway theatre.

This episode is presented in conjunction with Maestra Music.

Even if the name Dorothy Fields isn't completely familiar to you, her songs and musicals are some of the most well-known words in the Great American Songbook:

Kristin Stultz Pressley first appeared in Season Two, talking about the Tony awards and musical theater history in general. Well, she is back and talking about her new book, I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby, chronicling the remarkable life and career of one of the most successful female songwriters of all time. Listen to part two of our conversation. 

Follow Kristin - Website / Instagram / Twitter / PhD Dissertation on Fields

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Season 5 offers new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music in the episode by Crowander and Latch Swing is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The church plays and school musicals of Carrie's childhood eventually gave way to on-camera acting and her desire to become a "black girl James Bond." So she was introduced to stunt work and martial arts classes, giving her a whole new set of skills that she also created careers of themselves. That's when she also discovered WeAudition and it online video community for actors.

Sign up for the WINMI newsletter and get 25% off a WeAudition membership. 

We also talk about her travels abroad and the interesting stereotypes and fetishes she had to confront in other countries as well as America. 

Learn more about CB Seed - https://www.cbseed.org/

Follow Carrie - Website / Instagram / Twitter / IMDB

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Season 5 offers plenty of ways to connect with me and the guests as well as opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carrie Bernans is the perfect person to kick off Women's History Month. She is a strong individual who knows who she is, what she wants, and usually how to get there. That’s not to say it’s been all smooth sailing for her, either personally or professionally, but she never lost her faith or belief in what’s possible.

She isn’t just an actress, she’s also trained in martial arts, stunt work, and body movement in addition to theater. Growing up she not only performed in plays and dance recitals but also competed in track and field. She’s been a world traveler and now speaks six different languages. There is simply no way to pigeonhole Carrie into this box or that genre. And it is this variety in her life and her work that has created so much opportunity for her, particularly landing roles in Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame.

Sign up for the WINMI newsletter and get 25% off a WeAudition membership. 

Learn more about CB Seed - https://www.cbseed.org/

Follow Carrie - Website / Instagram / Twitter / IMDB

—————

Season 5 offers plenty of ways to connect with me and the guests as well as opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and John Bartmann is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of my conversation with Brie Eley, she talked about her latest project that has been such a mountaintop experience for her and we get into her organization that promotes and supports black actresses, providing them with opportunity and community but also showcasing the vast diversity among these black actresses.

Topics discussed:

Any actresses interested in learning more about Here and Ready and how to build a profile, head to the Actor Portal: Here and Ready Talent Database for Black Actresses 

Get the WINMI Newsletter - join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow Brie - Website / Instagram / Twitter / IMDB

—————

Season 5 offers new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Borrtex is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to being an artist, Brie Eley is the very definition of a multi-hyphenate. She is a classically trained actress and improviser, spent more than 10 years in marketing and small business development, and she creates, produces, and directs independent productions.

As Black History Month comes to a close, Brie joins me to talk about the wide variety of projects in her career, the daily grind of being an actor, and the persistence that we all need to keep going. Because no matter how busy we get or how many projects we may take on, finding real success can still be tough and elusive.

Rules for Using Social Media - Jeremy Gordon, casting director

Get the WINMI Newsletter - join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow Brie - Website / Instagram / Twitter / IMDB / Here & Ready

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Season 5 offers new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions, and Chad Crouch is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the hardest lessons for any actor to learn is to not take constant rejection personally. Adrienne Walker and I continue in part two of our conversation with stories from our own struggles and failures in the audition room and on stage.

We also get into her YouTube Series called 32 Bar Cut as she seeks to help others navigate this tricky business. But first, I did a little deeper into something she said about bringing her blackness into the audition room and try to gain a better understanding of what that means to her. 

join.whyillnevermakeit.com 

Follow Adrienne: Website / Instagram / Twitter / IMDB 

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Season 5 offers new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist: 

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. John Bartmann music is public domain.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the goal of every actor is to perform, our day-to-day job is actually auditioning. As we continue Black History Month here on the podcast, Adrienne Walker from The Lion King on Broadway joins me for a very open and candid conversation about being in such an iconic show. We also touch on some very important issues: auditioning as a black actress and the need for authentic black voices in theater.

But we start off talking about The Lion King, when it and Broadway are coming back, the show’s history both culturally and theatrically, and the pressures she faced in taking on the role of Nala.

join.whyillnevermakeit.com

Follow Adrienne: Website / Instagram / Twitter / IMDB

—————

Season 5 brings new ways to connect with me and the guests as well as new opportunities to learn and grow as an artist:

Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 20 Theater Podcast on Feedspot 

Music used in the episode by John Bartmann and is Public Domain.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices