The Chicago Theater-Makers Podcast

John Michael Coppola
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Performing Arts
  • Updated Daily

Welcome to The Chicago Theater-Makers Podcast; The show where we go behind the curtain with the actors, playwrights, directors, choreographer, designers, creatives and producers shaping Chicago’s one-of-a-kind theater scene. Every episode we sit down with the folks who make this city’s stages come alive. Whether you’re a theater pro, a curious audience member, or just love a good backstage story...This podcast is for you!

  1. 3d ago

    Financial Wellness with guest Eddie Patel, CFP!

    As we continue our series on National Wellness Month, this week’s episode focuses on financial wellness. And with that, today’s guest is one of Chicago’s top certified financial planners.  He began his early career path as a professional poker player. You could say it was there where he learned patience, steady handedness, and when to make the right moves. Leveraging his success, and earnings, he launched Zen Wealth Management in 2009 with that unique perspective on risk, strategy, and decision-making under pressure. Today, following the acquisition of 8 accounting firms, his team oversees nearly $250 million dollars in client wealth and delivers tailored financial strategies to more than 1,400 clients of all income levels.  And as a thank you for listening to today’s episode, he is offering a free entity consultation. Should it be determined that it would benefit you to form an entity (such as an LLC) he is offering a 25% discount on his services to help you form that new entity.  You can contact him at egp@eddiepatel.com. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Eddie Patel.  Now let’s go to the top of the show!

  2. Aug 10

    Vocal Wellness with guest Dr. H. Steven Sims!

    As we continue our National Wellness Month series, today's episode we're talking all about vocal health with someone you might call "ENT to the stars of Chicago (and those performers passing through)”. He is the division head for laryngology at Rush University, Medical Center. Singing since a very young age, his fascination with the power of the human voice peaked his interest early on and he considers his passion for helping people use their voice in various ways as forever rewarding. He has been my and my family’s ENT for most of my time here in Chicago and I’m honored that he took the time from his busy schedule to join us. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. H. Steven Sims. Now let’s go to the top of the show!

  3. Aug 3

    National Wellness Month Kickoff with guest Rachel Coppola!

    August is National Wellness Month and today’s episode kicks off our month long series, where each week we will interview a wellness practitioner aligned with the theater-making community.  And with that, today’s guest is a former Broadway dancer turned yoga, instructor, who has become one of the most well respected teachers in the North Shore of Chicago. Originally from Maplewood, New Jersey, she received her BFA from University of the Arts in Philadelphia and had set her sights on modern dance before the opportunity to audition for summer stock presented itself. It was booking that job where she decided to change course and set her sights on Broadway, touring internationally with such shows as West Side story, Carousel, and the show on which we met, the European tour of 42nd Street before making her Broadway debut in Swing! From there, she followed up this success with the 1st National Tours of Kiss Me, Kate and Thoroughly Modern Millie. She obtained her yoga teacher certificate in 2009 and has trained students both in the studio setting and privately ever since. Her website, rachelcoppolayoga.com offers a few free meditation and short yoga practices along with a video subscription channel. And as a thank you for listening to today’s episode, you’re invited to visit her website to get one month of free, unlimited yoga videos. Simply click the link in our show notes to hop over there and use the code “podcast” in order to redeem this special offer exclusively for listeners of our podcast! I’m delighted to bring you today’s conversation with my wife Rachel Coppola.  Now let’s go, to the top of the show!

  4. Jul 27

    Rose Theatrics' "Jagged Little Pill"

    Today’s guest is the founder of Rose Theatrics, a theatre company dedicated to creating meaningful and diverse opportunities for performers across the Chicagoland area while providing high-caliber and accessible theatre to the surrounding communities. She is a theatre educator, director, producer, and speech coach based in the south suburbs of Chicago and serves as the Director of Speech & Theatre at Marian Catholic High School, where she has spent the past decade helping students discover their voices through performance, storytelling, and public speaking.  As a director, her work extends beyond traditional theatre into competitive performance, where her students have earned multiple top finishes at the Illinois High School Association State Finals, including state championships in Performance in the Round and Group Interpretation. Particularly drawn to theatre that explores human connection, resilience, and personal transformation, through Rose Theatrics, she continues to build spaces where artists can grow, connect, and tell stories that matter.  Whether directing a musical, coaching students for competition, or developing new work, she believes the arts have the power to help people better understand themselves and one another.  Rose Theatrics' production of “Jagged Little Pill” runs July 31st through August 9th. For more information and tickets, please visit this link! I hope you enjoy my conversation with Laura Rose Hilger. Now let’s go, to the top of the show!

  5. Jul 20

    Highland Park Players with guests Anna Marie Abbate and Bradley Rose!

    Today’s guests is are part of Highland Park Players’ current production of Beautiful running through July 26th at the McGrath Performing Arts Center in Wilmette. Anna Marie Abbate plays Carole King in the production. An actress and teacher who grew up in Park Ridge, IL she received her Bachelors in theater and dance from Milliken University. Like many other artists, during the downturn of the Covid 19 pandemic she returned to school to receive a Masters Degree in Special Education and second Bachelors in physical education. This fall she will begin new role as Director of the Theater and Dance Programs at Resurrection High School. On Chicagoland stages, she has been seen in such shows as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, White Christmas, Peter Pan, Brigadoon, Anything Goes and many more shows with Musical Theatre Works. Other companies at which she’s been seen include Porchlight Music Theater, Big Noise Theatre, Arizona Broadway Theater and Theo Cabaret Theater. Bradley Rose has been part of the Highland Park Players family 30 years, and Beautiful marks the 32nd production he’s produced for the company. His HPP story started back in 1996 when he was cast as a pirate in Peter Pan and he’s been hooked on theater ever since. By day, Bradley serves as Senior Vice President of Game Development at IGT, where he leads talented teams across Chicago, Reno, Las Vegas, Austin, and Sydney in creating award-winning casino games enjoyed around the world He has been board president of Highland Park Players since 2000, during which time, he has produced such shows as Gypsy, The Full Monty, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Prom and Rent. For more information and tickets to Beautiful please visit the link in our show notes. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Anna Marie Abbate and Bradley Rose. Now let’s go, to the top of the show!

  6. Jul 13

    Nervous Breakdown in G Minor with guest Lewis Rawlinson!

    Today’s guest is a Chicago-based cellist and theatre artist, who graduated with Honors from Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Musical Arts Degree in Cello Performance and Arts & Public Policy. As an actor, he has appeared in such varied shows as High Fidelity, bare: a pop opera, Fun Home, Triassic Parq, Godspell, The Addams Family, Les Misérables, and Urinetown. As a cellist, he has played with orchestral ensembles and indie/folk artists world-wide, and here in Chicago, has played cello for many productions with companies such as Music Theatre Works, Porchlight Music Theatre, Marriott Theatre and The Goodman Theatre. His solo show, Nervous Breakdown in G Minor, has been seen at The Den Theatre, Theo Cabaret Theatre, and the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. But, this weekend July 17th - 19th, you can catch it as part of at Steppenwolf's LookOut Series. For more information and tickets to Nervous Breakdown in G Minor, please visit the link in our show notes. I hope you enjoy today’s conversation with Lewis Rawlinson. Now let’s go, to the top of the show!

  7. Jul 6

    Catch As Catch Can with guest Audrey Francis!

    I am so excited to bring you this episode with today’s guest, who is currently the Co-Artistic director for Chicago’s famed Steppenwolf Theatre. Part of the company’s ensemble since 2017, she has directed their productions of You Will Get Sick during the 2024/25 season and POTUS in their 2023/24 season. On stage there she has been seen in Noises Off, The Thanksgiving Play, The Herd, Between Riverside and Crazy, The Fundamentals, The Doppelgänger, and Dance Nation. TV and film credits include Justified: City Primeval, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Empire, Perpetrator, Knives and Skin and Later Days. She is an acting coach for NBC, Fox, Showtime and Amazon and finally, she is also the co-founder of Black Box Acting and the co-creator of Steppenwolf's corporate training program, Steppenwolf IMPACT. She currently plays the dual roles of Lon & Daniela Lavecchia in Steppenwolf’s current run of Catch As Catch Can, also starring fellow ensemble members Gary Cole and Tim Hopper and directed by ensemble member, Amy Morton. Catch As Catch Can Runs through July 12th at Steppenwolf’s downstairs theatre. For more info and tickets for the show, you can visit Steppenwolf.org or simply click the link in our show notes. I’m so honored to chat with none other than Audrey Francis. Now let’s go, to the top of the show!

  8. Jun 29

    Our Pride Month Finale!

    Our pride month concludes with clips of guests within the LGBTQ community, whom we were honored to have on the podcast during our first season.  We’re including these clips of previous guests because when we launched the podcast last July, we had just missed Pride Month and therefore they weren’t included in such an acknowledgement. And with that, let’s go, to the top of the show and our first look back to our conversation with fellow podcaster Broadway Bob Bullen! In this next clip with Paramount Artistic Director, Jim Corti, we get a glimpse into his training and his time with A Chorus Line, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ and  Ragtime. Next up, we chat with scenic designer, Spencer Donovan on his process when starting a new project. Before our final clip, we want to thank you for your support of our Pride Month series. As always, it was an extreme honor to amplify these voices and that they chose to share their stories with us here on the Chicago Theater-Makers podcast. And now, here’s our final conversation with Femme Trans Artist, Sawyer Smith!

See All (63)

Trailers

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Chicago Theater-Makers Podcast; The show where we go behind the curtain with the actors, playwrights, directors, choreographer, designers, creatives and producers shaping Chicago’s one-of-a-kind theater scene. Every episode we sit down with the folks who make this city’s stages come alive. Whether you’re a theater pro, a curious audience member, or just love a good backstage story...This podcast is for you!

Information

You Might Also Like