Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Jacob Elyachar

It is a privilege to welcome Emmy, Grammy, and Tony-nominated recording artist and actress N’Kenge to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast. 

The New York Times praised her as “a classically trained diva that can stretch from Broadway to Pop, Soul and Opera.” N’Kenge trained at the Julliard School and the Manhattan School of Music, has five octave vocal range and can sing in 11 different languages. She made her Broadway debut in Sondheim on Sondheim. She slayed the game on Broadway, originating the role of Mary Wells in Motown: The Musical, which garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album. Motown founder Berry Gordy described N’Kenge as “the most versatile artist I know.” The New York Post called her performance of Mary Wells “Electrifying.” N’Kenge was also a cast member on Broadway in the revival of the Tony Award-nominated and Olivier Award-winning musical Caroline, Or Change. She portrayed “The Moon,” her first aerial role. The show ran from October 27, 2021, to January 9, 2022, at the legendary Studio 54.

As a vocal soloist, N’Kenge performed at world-renowned venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, and Madison Square Garden. She headlined pop and opera concerts with the Cincinnati Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Seattle Symphony. She also sang for many Presidents and foreign dignitaries, including former US Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Currently, N’Kenge is immersed in a variety of projects. She is spearheading the Broadway-bound DANDRIDGE, a production that pays tribute to the life and legacy of Dorothy Dandridge. Additionally, she has created and written Forever Summer – a Tribute to Donna Summer. On top of that, she is in the process of developing a new TV musical series called BLACK BUTTERFLY, a project she co-wrote with award-winning writer Mary McCallum and TV producer Gina Goff. 

 In this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, N’Kenge spoke about being mentored by Berry Gordy and receiving high praise from the late Aretha Franklin. She also talked about bringing DANDRIDGE to life.

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I am privileged to welcome one of my favorite media colleagues, Andrew Freund, to The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast. 

Andrew is a television host and media personality known for his work in the entertainment industry. He can be seen traveling around the world, interviewing actors and show business legends while exploring new destinations. Over his 17+ year career, Andrew has covered every major award show and entertainment news story related to movies, television, and pop culture. Andrew's versatility is evident in his current roles. He graces the nationally syndicated FOX entertainment news program Dish Nation, shares his insights on The Today Show on NBC, and contributes to various NBC News programs, catering to a wide range of industry enthusiasts. His presence is also felt on Scripps News, This Morning on iTV, and his own travel series, Next Stop, on BEONDTV.

In this edition of The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Andrew Freund revealed his most memorable interviews, including his first time meeting Oprah, chatting with Josh Gad on the Orient Express and Jennifer Coolidge at the Sydney Opera House. He also revealed his favorite travel locations and discussed working on Dish Nation and NBC News Now. 

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It is a pleasure to welcome singer-songwriter Max Rae to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.   

Max Rae has gone from an undiscovered singer-songwriter to explosively bursting on the scene! The Las Vegas-based Pop/R&B recording artist has been toiling away and releasing music to an undiscovered music world with just 15 songs that have accompanying visuals. She was introduced to Grammy Award-winning producer Keith Thomas, who helped her create her song: “Tattoo.” The track was leaked to US Rhythmic Radio programmers, spreading across the country like wildfire thanks to early airplay at KLZY, KRYC, WCKX, WCPY, WRVZ, and more stations.  

Max’s current single, “Metamorphosis,” was released on April 12, and a remix package surrounding her second single: “Keep You Waiting.” CAHILL & DTAG, Tony Moran, and Moto Blanco are the DJs and producers who contributed to the album. After making rounds at London and New York Fashion Weeks, Max Rae will support pop music group Blue on their Greatest Hits Tour. She will perform across the United Kingdom, stopping in Liverpool, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Portsmouth, and Manchester. Max Rae will also be supporting Aston Merrygold on his Houseparty Tour. Fans can expect Max to support the “Precious” performer when his tour stops in Glasgow, Birmingham, London, Manchester, and Belfast, Ireland.  

In this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Max Rae spoke about the stories behind her songs and previewed both tours.

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It is a privilege to welcome actor and filmmaker Matt Cohen to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.   

Matt grew up in South Florida, where he played high school football, ran track, competed in auto racing and motocross, and graduated with honors and perfect attendance throughout all his school years. He went to study business and architecture at Florida State University, where he enrolled in theater classes and discovered his passion for all things entertainment.  

After graduating from college, Matt Cohen traveled to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams. Within ten months of being on the West Coast, he booked the lead role of sensitive jock Aiden Dennison in The N’s teen drama South of Nowhere. He also starred as young John Winchester, Michael, and Lucifer on Supernatural, Jeremy on 90210, Levi Sutter on How to Get Away with Murder, and Dr. Griffin Munroe on General Hospital. Matt also guest starred on several TV shows, including Criminal Minds, Guidance, Medium, Melissa & Joey, and The O.C.   

From 2019 to 2023, Matt was Entertainment Tonight's weekend anchor and correspondent. During his time on the entertainment news show, Matt interviewed Benedict Cumberbatch, Dwayne Johnson, Katy Perry, Ryan Reynolds, Ryan Seacrest, and music legend Sir Rod Stewart. He also helped the show win three Daytime Emmy Awards during his tenure. When Matt is not in front of the camera, he is behind it as a producer and DGA director. He executive produced and directed the intense short film Mama Bear and an episode of Supernatural in 2020.  

In this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Matt Cohen reflected on his time on the South of Nowhere, Supernatural, and General Hospital sets. He also spoke about his podcasts – MC on the Mic and CoBros. 

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It is a privilege to welcome singer-songwriter Dean Lewis as a guest on this special edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast. 

In March 2016, Dean signed a recording contract with Island Records and Universal Music Australia. He released his debut single, “Waves,” on September 30, 2016, which peaked at number 12 on the Australian ARIA Charts. “Waves” was featured on numerous TV shows such as All America, Grey’s Anatomy, Riverdale, Suits, and Valor. He followed it up with “Need You Know” in April 2017 and his debut extended play Same Kind of Difference, on May 12, 2017, which peaked at number 27 on the ARIA Album Charts and earned five nominations at the 2017 ARIA Music Awards. On June 29, 2018, Dean Lewis released “Be Alright,” the first single off his debut album, A Place We Knew. “Be Alright” reached number one in Australia for five consecutive weeks. It also reached number one in Belgium, the top five in Ireland, Sweden, and New Zealand, the Top 20 in Scotland and the United Kingdom, and the Top 30 in the United States.
 
In 2022, Dean’s sophomore studio album, The Hardest Love, featured singles such as “Looks Like Me,” “Hurtless,” and “How Do I Say Goodbye.” Last year, Dean’s His Future is Bright World Tour saw him play close to 100 headline shows and music festivals worldwide, including a headline show in China. His music accumulated over 2.3 billion streams, while he ended 2023 on some of the world’s top lists. He placed number five on TikTok’s The Hitmakers/Most Viewed Artists and number nine on Spotify’s Top Australia Artists.

In this exclusive edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Dean Lewis shared the stories behind some of his top streamed hits such as “Memories,” “Trust Me Mate,” and “Be Alright” and what fans can expect from the Maybe This Man Tour. 

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Author’s Note: This podcast was recorded after Universal Music Group (UMG) removed its entire catalog from TikTok. Also, the song, “One More Song (demo)” was featured in the film ROCKBOTTOM, which is now on Prime Video NOT Netflix.

It is a pleasure to welcome pop/R&B band ICYDAY to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

ICYDAY is made up of Sloane Morgan Siegel, David Bloom, and guitarist-pianist Isaac Cohen. Sloane portrayed the titular characters in Dwight in Shining Armor and Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street and appeared in Chartered, Game Shakers, The Goldbergs, and NCIS. Sloane voiced Robin (Tim Drake) in the Gotham Knights video game. David portrayed Kevin in Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, Stanley Zielinski in Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, Josh in American Born Chinese, and Teenage Al in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. He also appeared in CSI: NY, Modern Family, The Goldbergs, and Arrow. Sloane and David first met on the set of The Goldbergs years ago and have known each other since they were 13. Sloane and David teamed up with Isaac to pursue this musical passion project.   

On January 26, the trio released their debut single, “Open Up” was released. The catchy, laidback single demonstrates the group’s serious musical talent for crafting melody, blending elements of jazz, pop, indie, and funk into a commercial sound you can envision in the background of a film or your favorite coffee shop. “Open Shop” is an honest song about wanting to know somebody better, the ebbs and flows of a relationship, with tasteful R&B electric guitar and neo-soul sound. ICYDAY dropped their second single, a heartbreak love song called “Love Isn’t Fair,” on February 15, followed by their third song, “One More Song,” on March 8. 

  In this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, ICYDAY shared their origin story, the stories behind their songs, and their take on using TikTok to build their fanbase.  

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