The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales Broadway Podcast Network

For Brody Grant, his bug for performing all started with his love for Star Wars. He shares insights into his journey from being a shy kid and relating to the original "The Outsiders" book to receiving a Tony nomination for his role as Ponyboy (it’s just destiny!). He reflects on the significance of the book and how it resonated with both him and his mom, one of the most important people in his life. Brody discusses his initial audition experience, feeling uncertain about pursuing acting amidst his focus on music and songwriting. His passion for acting and love for "The Outsiders" persisted, eventually leading to his casting as Soda Pop and later as Ponyboy. Brody highlights the supportive and collaborative environment fostered by their director, Danya Taymor, emphasizing the importance of chosen family and genuine connections among the cast members. He shares moments of vulnerability and bonding during rehearsals, where checking in with one another became a norm, fostering a sense of trust and camaraderie. Nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, he recalls how he found out about it through his mom, and the overwhelming support he got from his family and friends–proving that “if you continue to water the seed of the garden that you're in, you're going to end up with a forest and it's going to be beautiful.”
Brody Grant is a New York-based, multi-hyphenate independent recording artist who has appeared in productions like “Parade” at the New York City Center and “The Outsiders” at La Jolla Playhouse. He just made his Broadway debut in “The Outsiders” as Ponyboy Michael Curtis, which has already nabbed him a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

Connect with Brody:

Instagram: @brody_grant

TikTok: @brody_grant


Connect with The Theatre Podcast:

Support the podcast on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast


YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast


Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast


TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast


Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast

TheTheatrePodcast.com

My personal Instagram: @alanseales



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

Emma Pittman’s been “live, laugh, love-ing” dance ever since she was two years old–at least until she discovered in high school that it’s best partnered with acting. She looks back on her “The Search for Roxie” experience, winning and not being able to tell it to anyone right away, and the show getting postponed because of the pandemic. She shares her journey with the production of “The Outsiders”, including her early connection with the show, having read the book and performed in a play adaptation in high school. Emma describes the unique ensemble-based approach of the play and how it resonated with her. One standout moment she discusses is her audition process for the play, highlighting the personal connection established by director Danya Tamor, who prioritized genuine conversations with the actors during the audition process. Emma opens up about her personal experiences, including her life in high school and the challenge of breaking free from preconceived notions. She also talks about the impact of "The Outsiders" on younger audiences, and the profound effect of the show's raw and visceral scenes, particularly the rumble. In an industry where it’s easy to get boxed into a particular type, Emma imparts advice on embracing one's uniqueness and staying true to oneself wherever you go.

Emma Pittman is a Mississippi native who graduated from New York City's Wagner College. In late 2019, she won “The Search for Roxie”, an online contest to find the next Roxie for “Chicago” on Broadway. After she won, she made her Broadway debut in 2022, replacing Pamela Anderson. Her regional credits include Janet in the drowsy chaperone and Lola in damn Yankees. She's also a teaching artist, a director, and a choreographer. Her choreography credits include “On the 20th Century,” “In the Woods,” and “The Cradle Will Rock”. She was part of the original cast of Broadway’s “Back to the Future,” and is now making audiences cry eight times a week as Cherry Valance in “The Outsiders”, which just received 12 Tony nominations.

Connect with Emma:

Instagram: @emmapittmanofficial

TikTok: @emmapittmanofficial


Connect with The Theatre Podcast:

Support the podcast on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast


YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast


Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast


TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast


Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast

TheTheatrePodcast.com

My personal Instagram: @alanseales



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

Rick and Jeff Kuperman talk about their roles as choreographers for the Broadway production of "The Outsiders," diving deep into various aspects of the show's creation, from choreography and staging to its technical elements like sound and lighting. The two share how their collaboration with Danya Taymor began, their non-traditional theatre practices, and the story behind “The Outsiders” choreography, particularly the rumble scene. Apart from theatre and directing, Rick and Jeff share their other interests, such as Jeff's appreciation for Russian literature and Rick's fascination with philosophical introspection. With their success, the two reflect on the role of luck and how things aligned for them, the pride they take in their work, and the collaborative aspect of their job, highlighting the importance of teamwork, creativity, and dedication to storytelling.
Rick and Jeff Kuperman is a directing and choreographing team with many projects that you've seen on stage and screen. Their recent highlights include co-directing and choreographing the immersive show from the producers of “Sleep No More”, choreographing a new musical adaptation of “The Outsiders”, which just opened, and choreographing “Alice by Heart” which won the Lucille Lortel Award, the Chita Rivera Award, and the Callaway Award for Outstanding Choreography. They've also worked on “Cyrano” with Peter Dinklage, Phish at Madison Square Garden, and choreographed the feature film, “Dicks: The Musical”, which you can find streaming online. Other camera work includes “Living With Yourself” with Paul Rudd, and “Silent Retreat”.

Connect with Rick and Jeff:

Website: kupermanbrothers.com

Instagram: @kupermanbrothers


Connect with The Theatre Podcast:

Support the podcast on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast


YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast


Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast


TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast


Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast

TheTheatrePodcast.com

My personal Instagram: @alanseales



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

Welcome to the first of many episodes for 'The Outsiders' takeover here on the podcast!
Tony Award Nominee(!) Danya Taymor didn’t know that she was going to stick with theater until she was towards the end of her college career. She’s enjoyed being a director (or the captain of the ship, as they say) since then. She recalls doing plays in Duke and why it was a gift that allowed her to try and fail, and hone her directing style. Currently manning the ship for Broadway’s Tony Award Nominated “The Outsiders”, she discusses her experiences leading up to the opening night of the show, her creative process, and the challenges of bringing a beloved story to the stage. As a director, she emphasizes the importance of taking ownership of the collective health of a project and knowing when to stop working on it. She talks about how the show resonates with the younger audiences, her approach to make the show appealing and relatable to the youth, and the warmup they do every day to cultivate a safe space for the actors and crew. Dayna also looks back on her experience directing "Pass Over," the first Broadway show to reopen after the shutdown due to the pandemic. She describes it as an honor and a divine experience, and how it has been a blessing throughout her career. She shares the collaborative nature of directing, the importance of caring for actors' well-being and feeling their energies, and her belief in the healing power of theater.
Danya Taymor is a New York-based director who reopened Broadway with the play, “Pass Over”. Her other works include the out-of-town production of “The Outsiders”, Samuel Beckett's “Endgame”, Will Arbery's Pulitzer Prize finalist, “Heroes of the Fourth Turning”, “Evanston Salt Costs Climbing”, and Jeremy O'Harris’ “Daddy”. She's the recipient of the Joan Cullman Award for Extraordinary Creativity from Lincoln Center. Her latest credit is the Broadway production of “The Outsiders”, which just opened at the Jacobs Theater.

Connect with Danya:
Website: about.me/danyataymor


Connect with The Theatre Podcast:

Support the podcast on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast


YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast


Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast


TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast


Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast

TheTheatrePodcast.com

My personal Instagram: @alanseales



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

Full list of 2024 nominees here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/30/theater/tony-awards-nominations.html
Find more of The Theatre Podcast at http://bpn.fm/ttp

Best Musical
- Hell's Kitchen
- Illinoise
- The Outsiders
- Suffs
- Water for Elephants

Best Play
- Jaja's African Hair Braiding, Author: Jocelyn Bioh
- Mary Jane, Author: Amy Herzog
- Mother Play, Author: Paula Vogel
- Prayer for the French Republic, Author: Joshua Harmon
- Stereophonic, Author: David Adjmi

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
- William Jackson Harper, Uncle Vanya
- Leslie Odom, Jr., Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
- Liev Schreiber, Doubt: A Parable
- Jeremy Strong, An Enemy of the People
- Michael Stuhlbarg, Patriots

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
- Betsy Aidem, Prayer for the French Republic
- Jessica Lange, Mother Play
- Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane
- Sarah Paulson, Appropriate
- Amy Ryan, Doubt: A Parable

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
- Brody Grant, The Outsiders
- Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along
- Dorian Harewood, The Notebook
- Brian d'Arcy James, Days of Wine and Roses
- Eddie Redmayne, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
- Eden Espinosa, Lempicka
- Maleah Joi Moon, Hell's Kitchen
- Kelli O'Hara, Days of Wine and Roses
- Maryann Plunkett, The Notebook
- Gayle Rankin, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
- Will Brill, Stereophonic
- Eli Gelb, Stereophonic
- Jim Parsons, Mother Play
- Tom Pecinka, Stereophonic
- Corey Stoll, Appropriate

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
- Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Doubt: A Parable
- Juliana Canfield, Stereophonic
- Celia Keenan-Bolger, Mother Play
- Sarah Pidgeon, Stereophonic
- Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
- Roger Bart, Back To The Future: The Musical
- Joshua Boone, The Outsiders
- Brandon Victor Dixon, Hell's Kitchen
- Sky Lakota-Lynch, The Outsiders
- Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along
- Steven Skybell, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
- Shoshana Bean, Hell's Kitchen
- Amber Iman, Lempicka
- Nikki M. James, Suffs
- Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Monty Python's Spamalot
- Kecia Lewis, Hell's Kitchen
- Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along
- Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club


Connect with The Theatre Podcast:

Support the podcast on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast


YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast


Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast


TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast


Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast

TheTheatrePodcast.com

My personal Instagram: @alanseales



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

A lot has changed since Izzy McCalla first appeared in episode 38 back in 2019 and she’s more than happy to share the latest news in her journey – from her early roles to now playing Marlena in "Water for Elephants." She reflects on how each role built her confidence and prepared her for new challenges, her tendency to gravitate towards ensemble pieces, and her ability to go back and forth between the comedic and dramatic genres. Izzy opens up about the challenges of replacing actors in established shows, the pressure of delivering in front of audiences, and the process of finding inner peace and self-acceptance. She shares an important lesson on being funny on stage, and that nothing kills comedy faster than hesitation and anxiety. Currently playing as Marlena in “Water for Elephants,” she talks about the character’s complexities, and her evolving perspective on love, relationships, and self-worth. She also discusses her Haitian heritage and its personal connection to her role, sharing her family's history and how they immigrated to Haiti with the Danish circus. Izzy gets real as she opens up about vulnerability, self-discovery, her tendency to fix others, and the importance of setting boundaries while maintaining empathy as she navigates emotional growth.
Izzy McCalla first appeared in episode 38 back in 2019 and our special 150th Pride episode in June of 2021. Since then, she has added more credits, including the Paper Mill Playhouse production of “Clue” and “Hercules”, and “Footloose” at the Kennedy Center, and was part of the closing cast of "Shucked" earlier this year. She’s currently part of the recently opened production of “Water for Elephants” as Marlena.

Connect with Izzy:
Instagram: @izzymccalla

Connect with The Theatre Podcast:

Support the podcast on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast


YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast


Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast


TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast


Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast

TheTheatrePodcast.com

My personal Instagram: @alanseales



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