Why I‘ll Never Make It

In the previous episode, you heard from actor and teacher Matthew LaBanca and his new show that just opened called Communion, a one-man show about his rather contentious experience with the catholic church and being fired from his teaching position once he married his husband. Well, now Matthew is back to talk about the solitary life of being an actor as well as his own struggle with vanity and several other topics by answering the Final Five Questions in this bonus episode of Why I’ll Never Make It.

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Podcast theme music created by host and producer Patrick Oliver Jones.

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A couple of months ago, I talked with a friend and fellow actor Dominic Thrasher about his experiences with a catholic church and the criticism and harsh accusations he faced for being gay and married. Well, another friend and fellow actor of mine also heard that episode and reached out to me with his own story to tell about being fired from his teaching job for the same thing.

Matthew LaBanca has starred on Broadway in the original companies of Young Frankenstein, White Christmas, and A Christmas Carol. We touch on auditioning or both onstage and on-camera roles as well as the importance hair brings not only to our type and castability as men but how it also influences the way we carry ourselves and the confidence we bring into the room. A confidence that Matthew once had as a teacher as well at a private catholic school, but he shares how and why he no longer has that job. 

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Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top Theater Podcast with actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media. Theme music created by Patrick Oliver Jones, and background music is by John Bartmann (used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License).

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Producing theater is often difficult and never a guarantee. In fact, anything produced for the stage can be hit or miss. Just a few hours before I sat down to record this intro, a concert of Lerner & Loewe music that I was producing had to be canceled. Artists were dropping out and audiences weren't buying tickets. It was tough to let it go, but there came a point where the venue had to cut its losses.

This was just a concert at a cabaret venue, so imagine the greater disappointment and loss when a Broadway show doesn’t open. In the previous episode with Chad Beguelin, he shared how one of his musicals was headed to Broadway, until it wasn’t. He turned that heartbreak into his debut novel Showmance that was released earlier this month. Well, he’s back to talk about what has kept him going and what making it really means to him as he answers the final five questions here on this bonus episode of Why I’ll Never Make It. 

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To listen to bonus content like Auditions Stories and get early access to these full conversations ad-free, become a subscriber today.

Podcast theme music created by host and producer Patrick Oliver Jones.

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Tickets are available for in-person attendance and via livestream on The Green Room 42 website.

Next month marks the 50th anniversary of The Little Prince, a musical film based on the classic children’s story and the final collaboration of Broadway writing duo Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. To celebrate this milestone The Green Room 42 presents “Lights, Camera, Lerner and Loewe” on November 5th at 9:30pm. And the special guest of the evening is Steven Warner, who was the child actor in the title role alongside Broadway luminaries like Richard Kiley, Bob Fosse, Donna McKechnie, and Gene Wilder.

Two other movie musicals also celebrating anniversaries this fall are Brigadoon, which has enchanted audiences for 70 years with its tale of love and a mystical village, as well as My Fair Lady, the timeless classic reaching its 60th anniversary. And each of these three musicals will be brought to life with some of the finest voices on and off Broadway.

This one-night-only concert features Grammy Award nominee Mykal Kilgore (Motown, Hair), Tony Award nominee Jane Summerhays (Me and My Girl, A Chorus Line), Tony Award Honoree Ben Davis (Once Upon a Mattress, La Boheme), E. Clayton Cornelious (Ain’t Too Proud), and Ellis Gage (White Rose, James & the Giant Peach).

Warner will reprise songs he sang in The Little Prince. Performers from recent Broadway revivals of Lerner & Loewe musicals are among the singers as well, including Rachel Fairbanks (Camelot), Michael Halling (My Fair Lady), and Valerie Torres-Rosario (Camelot). The associate conductor for both Camelot and My Fair Lady, Will Curry, will provide music direction and violin along with Megan Smythe (The Great Gatsby) on piano.

Relive the magic of Lerner and Loewe’s cinematic masterpieces through an evening of soaring melodies, romance, and nostalgia. The Green Room 42 is located at 570 Tenth Avenue inside YOTEL in New York City.

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In the world of Broadway, success can seem like a dazzling dream. But behind every show that makes it to the stage, there are countless moments of uncertainty and setbacks. For writers, especially, the journey from writing a script to getting it produced is anything but predictable. As an actor, I know firsthand that without writers, I wouldn’t have a character to play or lines to say. It’s their words that bring us to life on stage, and one of my greatest joys is collaborating with writers—especially on new works—helping to refine characters and the dialogue that shapes them. And our guest today knows a little something about that unpredictable journey.

Chad Beguelin is a six-time Tony nominee and five-time Drama Desk nominee for his lyrics and book writing. And while he may not have any wins yet for his work, his shows have sure have been big hits with audiences, musicals like Aladdin, The Prom, Elf, and The Wedding Singer. However, his career has taken some surprising turns as well. He’s been hung up on by a Broadway producer, he’s tried venturing into motion pictures, and earlier this month he just released his debut novel called Showmance. Through it all, Chad has learned that success in this industry is never guaranteed, and perseverance is everything. But as you’ll hear, even when a show seems poised for greatness, things can unravel in ways no one could predict.

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Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top Theater Podcast with actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media. Theme music created by Patrick Oliver Jones, and background music is by John Bartmann (used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License).

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We all love Broadway – the glitz, the glamour, the electric energy of those bright lights, and the jaw-dropping performances by some seriously talented people. But beyond all that sparkle, there's something more meaningful that connects us – the joy of witnessing authentic performances and seeing raw talent truly shine. 

Stephanie Torns is the perfect example of that. You might know her from her standout roles in the Broadway hits Wicked and Waitress, She's shown incredible dedication and stamina, bringing some of our favorite characters to life night after night. But Stephanie's impact goes way beyond just the stage.

Recently, she’s taken on a new role with EPIC Players, a theater company with a heart – they’re all about empowering neurodivergent performers. Stephanie's now on the board of directors, helping bridge the Broadway community with EPIC, and fostering some incredible collaborations. For her, it’s more than just a professional role – it’s a personal mission.

In today’s episode, we’ll dive into how Stephanie found her way to EPIC Players, why supporting the neurodivergent community is so close to her heart, and the joy she’s discovered in this inclusive space. Plus, we’ll chat about her time on Broadway, what it’s really like to play roles as intense as Elphaba, and how those experiences are shaping the work she's doing with EPIC.

Donate to support EPIC’s paid employment initiatives and free programming.

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Earlier this year, Actors’ Equity Association, the stage union representing actors, dancers, and stage managers, made a big showing of celebrating swings and understudies for the annual Swing Day that happens each January. They even brought together a roundtable of four performers to talk about their experiences.

Swings and understudies often have multiple roles to keep straight, each with their own nuance and character arc. And it’s important to recognize the hard work that swings, understudies, and standbys do to keep shows running, and even keep them open on Broadway and on the road, like the Beetlejuice tour I’m currently on, where I play Otho but also understudy two other roles.

You’ll be hearing snippets from others in that roundtable as well as my own thoughts and experiences, and how Actors Equity says one thing but does another when it comes to honoring and crediting swings and understudies. All that and more in this special episode of Why I’ll Never Make It. 

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In the previous episode you heard from actor Dwayne Washington as he shared what he learned from leaving the industry. Well, now Dwayne is back to talk about what “making it” means to him as well as one of my least favorite parts of the business, self-tapes, by answering the Final Five Questions in this bonus episode of Why I’ll Never Make It.

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To listen to bonus content like Auditions Stories and get early access to these full conversations ad-free, become a subscriber today.

Podcast theme music created by host and producer Patrick Oliver Jones.

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

"Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” This is how renowned acting teacher Sanford Meisner defined what it means to be an actor. This principle helps performers build empathy with our characters and forge meaningful connections onstage. But as our guest today reveals, this approach can also be a powerful guide for navigating life offstage.

Dwayne Washington, with the help of the prestigious Juilliard School, mastered the craft of acting and singing, but life itself has been one of his greatest teachers. From his time as a retail manager to his work as a high school teacher, Dwayne has grown in unexpected ways. We talk about his time in London as well as his current role in a new Off-Broadway production, That Parenting Musical. And while the personal growth he’s experienced over the years may not always be visible, he has certainly gained a depth and perspective that now enrich his performances as well.

Hear the full performance by Simon Estes and Grace Bumbry of "Amonasro" from Aida.

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Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top Theater Podcast with actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media. Theme music created by Patrick Oliver Jones, and background music is by John Bartmann (used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License).

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

At the beginning of this season, I spoke with writer and producer Steve Cuden about his early collaborations with composer Frank Wildhorn. He gives us the real story behind the creation of the Jekyll & Hyde musical, which differs from the way Wildhorn tells the tale. We also get into his other writings and how he transitioned into teaching and also podcasting.

A few months after his interview with me, he brought me onto his own podcast called StoryBeat, where I discussed my own ups and downs in this career as well as how I approach auditions and performances.

So today I’m sharing our conversation where the microphone and questions are turned around on me, and I share more my own story, giving you a behind the scenes look at my own and even this podcast.

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Support Why I’ll Never Make It and find previous episodes by going to whyillnevermakeit.com.

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