The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales Broadway Podcast Network

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


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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


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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


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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

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Andrew Samonsky believes that Jerry Garcia’s death (yes that Jerry Garcia) may have instigated his performance career in some way. From being a “deadhead” to becoming a Broadway actor, Andrew opens up about his years of following the Grateful Dead and dealing with drug problems that led him to go to rehab. Lost and feeling helpless, he decided to pray to help find his path. He soon received a letter from his old voice teacher encouraging him to pursue a career in singing, and the rest is history. He looks back on his childhood, his love for singing despite being a shy kid, and how, ultimately, theatre and its community are what saved him during his troubled years. Currently playing as Tadeusz Lempicki in “Lempicka”, Andrew shares the story behind his cosmic connection to the show, which goes all the way back to 22 years ago and a random interaction with the Peace Corps. He discusses the challenges and joys of originating a role, the importance of trust and collaboration between actors and creative teams, and the feeling of gratitude for the opportunity to bring characters to life and how it can impact audiences.
Andrew Samonsky made his Broadway debut in the 2008 production of “South Pacific” and has additional Broadway credits, including “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”, and “Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson”. His TV credits include “Madam Secretary”, “It Could Be Worse”, and “Elementary”. He can now be seen as Tadeusz Lempicki in the Broadway production of “Lempicka”. 

Connect with Andrew:
Instagram: @asamonsky

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Ryan Vasquez looks back on his career journey, including living with French acrobats in a seven-bedroom house while doing a show, and eventually booking Hamilton. Playing as many characters as he has in Hamilton was to him just “paid therapy”. Having passed up competing offers to star in Water for Elephants and The Outsiders, he is now starring as Middle Noah in "The Notebook", Ryan opens up about why he chose to be part of the show–believing in its impact and just how it personally hits him hard. He reflects on the various aspects of the show, from having diverse couples portray the different stages of Noah and Allie's relationship to witnessing the audience cry and experience deep emotions during performances. He also discusses the misconception that the show is purely about sadness, noting that it touches on a range of emotions like joy and self-actualization. Ryan also talks about her chemistry with his co-star Joy Woods and how much real life fun they have performing together. Aware that he's stepping into an iconic role, he reveals that he doesn't feel pressured but instead focuses more on the importance of bringing his own authenticity to the character. After all, it’s what motivates him: bringing his “authentic-isms” and self to the world.
Ryan Vasquez can probably reenact all of Hamilton on his own having played multiple roles in the ensemble, including Philip Schuyler, Reynolds, Hercules Mulligan, James Madison, George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, and ultimately, the title role of Hamilton himself. He has been in “Wicked” as Fiyero and other roles, and in Broadway's production of “Waitress”. He can be seen on both the big and little screens in “The Good Fight”, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “Tick, Tick... Boom!”, and “In the Heights”. He can now be seen as Middle Noah in the Broadway cast of “The Notebook”.

Connect with Ryan:

Website: www.ryanvasqueznyc.com

Instagram: @itsryanvasquez


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



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