Ilana Levine

Shows

Episodes

  1. Episde 493 - Jonathan Tolins

    FEB 1

    Episde 493 - Jonathan Tolins

    Jonathan Tolins is the showrunner and executive producer of the critically acclaimed CBS drama ELSBETH, which returns for its third season.   Tolins has been an executive producer on THE GOOD FIGHT on Paramount+, co-executive producer on “Schmigadoon!” and co-producer on “Queer as Folk,” along with producer credits on EAST NEW YORK, BRAINDEAD and PARTNERS on the Network. Other TV credits include the Tony Awards, the Academy Awards, “Grease Live!” and “A Christmas Story Live!” Additionally, Tolins was a producer and co-writer with Seth E. Bass for the films “Martian Child” starring John Cusack and “The Twilight of the Golds,” based on his Broadway play and starring Brendan Fraser and Faye Dunaway. Tolins is best known as the author of one of the 10 most produced plays in America in 2016, “Buyer & Cellar,” which won the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Solo Show and was named “Best Unique Theatrical Experience” by the Off-Broadway Alliance during its record-breaking run at the Barrow Street Theatre. The show also enjoyed a London engagement at the Menier Chocolate Factory, a run at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and was shown on the WNET series “Theater Close-Up.” Other plays by Tolins include “The Last Sunday in June,” “Secrets of the Trade,” “If Memory Serves” and “The Forgotten Woman.” He was also represented on Broadway by additional material written with his husband, Robert Cary, for the revival of “On the Town.” Together, Jon and Rob also wrote the book for the new musical “Take the Lead,” which premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in the spring of 2025 Tolins is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Writers Guild of America. He has written articles for Opera News, Opera Monthly, TheaterWeek, Time magazine and the Huffington Post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    44 min
  2. Episode 492 - Dawn Porter

    JAN 27

    Episode 492 - Dawn Porter

    Dawn Porter is an acclaimed American documentary filmmaker and founder of Trilogy Films, known for her storytelling on social justice, history, and cultural icons. Her celebrated documentaries, including Trapped, John Lewis: Good Trouble, and The Lady Bird Diaries, air on platforms like HBO, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, CNN, PBS and others. Another film from Porter’s recent work, Luther: Never Too Much, highlights the life and legacy of Luther Vandross. Produced with Sony Music Entertainment, Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole, and Colin Firth’s Raindog Films, this intimate portrayal of the Grammy-winning artist was recently released in theaters and premiered on CNN/MAX on January 1, 2025. Her recent work, The Sing Sing Chronicles won the Best Documentary Emmy at the 46th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. Porter’s achievements are widely recognized. A three-time Sundance film festival Alum, her film Gideon's Army was nominated for an Emmy and an Independent Spirit Award and won the prestigious Ridenhour Prize as well as the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award. Trapped also earned a Silver Gavel, as well as a Peabody Award and the Sundance Special Jury Prize for Social Impact Filmmaking, while John Lewis: Good Trouble won the 2021 NAACP Image Award. She received the Critics' Choice Impact Award in 2022 and Gracie Awards in both 2022 and 2023. Recently, Porter was awarded the National Humanities Medal by former President Joe Biden, elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and received the IDA Career Achievement Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    41 min
  3. Episode 381 - Julie Benko

    12/18/2023

    Episode 381 - Julie Benko

    JULIE BENKO is an actor, singer, and writer based in New York City. She recently marched her band out on Broadway as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, joining the annals of theatrical lore for her sensational understudy-to-star trajectory in the show. Between her tenure as the standby, alternate, and full-time Fanny, she played the role over 180 times and received numerous accolades for her interpretation, including Theatre World’s Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theatre She was also called the 2022 “Breakout Star for Theater” in The New York Times, named among “10 Broadway Stars to Watch for 2023” by Variety, honored as one of “40 Under 40” for Crain’s New York Business, hailed by CBS Mornings as “Broadway’s breakout star,” and profiled in numerous national media outlets such as The New York Times and Time. This fall, she is originating her first role on Broadway, playing Ruth in the long-gestating Barry Manilow/Bruce Sussman musical Harmony. Her recent album Hand in Hand (Club44 Records), a duo effort with her pianist-composer spouse Jason Yeager, won the BroadwayWorld Cabaret Award for “Best Commercial Album” and received a MAC Award nomination for “Best Major Album.” Her debut jazz album is Introducing Julie Benko. She has played leading roles in many Off-Broadway and regional productions and enjoys a vibrant concert career, having headlined sold-out shows at Birdland, 54 Below, and many other venues around the country. She won first prize and the Johnny Mercer Award in the national American Traditions Vocal Competition and holds a BFA in Drama and an MFA in Acting (yes, both) from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. As a writer, Julie has worked across mediums. In 2020, she wrote, directed, and starred in her first short, The Newlywed’s Guide to Physical Intimacy,which has won praise in numerous international festivals. Her first full-length play, The District, was named a semifinalist at the 2022 Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Her new holiday EP, Christmas with You, is available from Club44 Records. JulieBenko.com. Instagram/TikTok @JujujulieBee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    43 min
  4. Episode 47 - Orfeh

    05/09/2017

    Episode 47 - Orfeh

    Orfeh, the Tony nominated Broadway star, shares incredible stories of her life growing up in NYC, her godmother, Cher, and marriage to Broadway star Andy Karl. Hear how (and why)  she handles the non stop discussion about her unique name. Orfeh is known for her astonishing vocal gifts that Seth Rudetsky is “Obsessed” with! -- and describes how as a young kid she knew she wanted to be a pop star and found her way into a Bubble Yum commercial and never looked back. From jingles to worldwide tours as a pop star with her duo “Or n More” to Broadway -- be a fly on the wall for this thrill of a ride with this powerhouse actress. Broadway: Paulette in Legally Blonde: The Musical (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, Broadway.com Audience Award), Saturday Night Fever, Fascinating Rhythm, Footloose. Off Broadway: Love, Loss, and What I Wore, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Love, Janis. TV/Film: Sleeping with the Fishes (with Gina Rodgriguez), Across the Universe, Film U, L&O CI, Sex and the City, Chappelle's Show. She has performed at Lincoln Center with her husband, Olivier Award winner and Tony nominee Andy Karl, and in numerous Broadway benefits including Hair for the Actors Fund (Grammy nomination). Her extensive recording career includes music with the '90s pop group Or-N-More, she has performed with many music icons from legends the O'Jays to Cissy Houston. Her solo CD, "What Do You Want From Me" and latest single, "Forget My Name" are available on iTunes. Twitter: @official_orfeh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    39 min
  5. Episode 77 - Sarah Jessica Parker

    01/09/2018

    Episode 77 - Sarah Jessica Parker

    Sarah Jessica Parker, who played Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series "Sex and the City" (1998-2004) as well as serving as an executive producer, has won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards. Parker reprised her role and served as a producer for the screen adaptation of the hit series with the theatrical release of "Sex and the City" and "Sex and the City 2." Past film credits include: "I Don't Know How She Does It," "Smart People," "Failure to Launch," "The Family Stone," "State and Main," "Mars Attacks!," "Ed Wood," "The First Wives Club," "Miami Rhapsody" and "Honeymoon in Vegas." She has worked in the theatre, on and off Broadway, since 1976 when she debuted on Broadway in "The Innocents" directed by Harold Pinter. Other Broadway credits include: the title role in "Annie," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," and "Once Upon a Mattress." Off-Broadway credits include: the original production of "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday" and "The Commons of Pensacola."  Parker currently starts on HBO’s television series "Divorce," in which she stars and serves as an executive producer. In 2014, Parker launched her namesake label, SJP, which is carried by Amazon Fashion, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus online, Saks.com, and Zappos Luxury, as well as various other boutiques and international retailers. Parker designed this collection of shoes, handbags and accessories in association with George Malkemus III. In 2016, SJP launched its first stand-alone store, with a second that just opened this past summer. Parker released her perfume, Lovely, in 2005. Ten years later, it is currently a top selling global brand. She recently introduced a new fragrance to the SJP Beauty collection called Stash. Parker currently serves as a Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors for the New York City Ballet. In November 2009, the Obama administration elected her to be a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. She has partnered with schools in Oregon and, most recently, Minnesota for The Turnaround Arts Initiative.​​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 7m
  6. Episode 432 - Laura Donnelly

    12/02/2024

    Episode 432 - Laura Donnelly

    Laura grew up in Belfast, Ireland, and trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She won the ‘Best Actress’ Olivier Award and was further nominated for a Tony Award and Evening Standard Theatre Award for her portrayal’ of ‘Caitlin’ in the critically acclaimed production of Jez Butterworth’s THE FERRYMAN, directed by Sam Mendes. The "triumphant, bold piece of theatre” appeared at the Royal Court and Gielgud Theatre in London before transferring to the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway.  Laura now stars in THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA on Broadway, a new play by Butterworth and Mendes. Donnelly reprises her role from its debut on the West End which saw her earn a ‘Best Actress’ Olivier nomination. Other stage highlights include her role as ‘Other Woman’ in THE RIVER (West End and Broadway) written by Butterworth and directed by Ian Rickson, THE WASP (Trafalgar Studios), PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME! (Donmar Warehouse), JUDGEMENT DAY (Almeida Theatre) ROMEO AND JULIET and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (both at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and DANCING AT LUGHNASA (Lyric Theatre, Belfast).  For television, Laura starred alongside Gael Garcia Bernal in a Marvel Studios one-off Halloween special called WEREWOLF BY NIGHT (Disney+) and as ‘Amalia True’ in HBO’s fantasy series THE NEVERS also starring James Norton, Eleanor Tomlinson, Olivia Williams and Nick Frost. She is also known for playing 'Jenny Fraser’ in the Golden Globe nominated drama, OUTLANDER. Further credits include the International Emmy Award winning series, SUGAR RUSH (Channel 4), THE FALL (BBC) starring Jamie Dornan and Gillian Anderson, MERLIN (BBC), the ABC production of MISSING, the BAFTA award-winning drama OCCUPATION (BBC), BRITANNIA (Amazon Studios), HEX (Sky One) and BEST (BBC).  Laura’s film credits include Fox Searchlight’s TOLKIEN, THE PROGRAM (StudioCanal), HELLO CARTER (Bankside), DREAD (Seraphim Films), INSATIABLE (Kirby Films) and RIGHT HAND DRIVE (Pine Road Pictures). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    44 min
  7. Episode 448 - Caroline Aaron

    03/24/2025

    Episode 448 - Caroline Aaron

    Caroline Aaron is known to theatre, film and television audiences, as well as a published author and playwright.She made her Broadway debut in Robert Altman's "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean,Jimmy Dean" and later appeared in the film. The following Broadway season, she starred in the revival of "The Iceman Cometh". She next starred in Mike Nichols's Broadway smash comedy "Social Security". She returned to Broadway starring in "I Hate Hamlet." She headlined the west coast premiere of Wendy Wasserstein's "The Sisters Rosensweig" and was acknowledged with both a Helen Hayes and Dramalogue Award. Next on Broadway she starred in Woody Allen's comedy "Honeymoon Hotel". She headlined Lincoln Center's award winning play "A Kid Like Jake." She played the title role in "All The Days" at the McCarter Theatre and was named best actress by several newspapers in the New York/New Jersey area. She headlined "Call Waiting" at The. Odyssey theatre which became a hit and was later made into a film available on Amazon Prime.On film Caroline has been in over a hundred films and is frequently in demand from top directors including Woody Allen, the late Mike Nichols, Nora Ephron, Paul Mazursky, and Robert Altman.Favorite film roles include “21 & 22 Jump Street”, “Just Like Heaven", "Nancy Drew", "Surveillance", "Love Comes Lately", "Edward Scissorhands", "Anywhere But Here", The Big Night", and "Bounce" among others. Later this year she will be seen in "Theatre Camp", "Between Two Temples", and "The Fourth Dementia".Television audiences are also familiar with her work as a guest star on hundreds of shows. She has recurred on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ghosts, Episodes and Transparent. She is best known for her role as Shirley Maisel on the hit Amazon series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 3m
  8. Episode 149 - Stephanie J. Block

    06/10/2019

    Episode 149 - Stephanie J. Block

    This week, 2019 Tony winner Stephanie J. Block joins Ilana for a conversation. Block has established herself as one of the most relevant and versatile voices in contemporary musical theatre. She most recently won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical portraying Star in THE CHER SHOW and also garnered a Drama League, Drama Desk and TONY Award nomination(s) for her current role of Star. Ms. Block also received the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk & TONY nomination(s) for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2017 for her star turn as Trina in Lincoln Center Theatre’s highly acclaimed revival of FALSETTOS. In 2013 she was recognized with both the Drama Desk and TONY Award nomination(s) for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Alice Nutting/ Edwin DROOD in The Roundabout Theater’s production of THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD. That marks 3 TONY Award nominations in the last 6 years, a feat very few Broadway actors have attained. Other Broadway credits include Reno Sweeney in the 2011 TONY Award winning revival of ANYTHING GOES, 9 TO 5:THE MUSICAL playing the role of Judy Bernly for which she earned a Drama Desk nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She created the roles of Grace O'Malley in THE PIRATE QUEEN and Liza Minnelli In THE BOY FROM OZ (opposite Hugh Jackman). Ms. Block is best known for her portrayal as Elphaba in the Broadway company of WICKED as well as originating the role in the First National Tour for which she won numerous awards including the prestigious Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Ms. Block has sung with numerous symphony orchestras including the NY Pops at Carnegie Hall, Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra (under the baton of Marvin Hamlisch), Dallas Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Charlotte Symphony and the Cleveland Pops among many others. Her solo concert has been critically acclaimed and continues to sell out throughout the US and in London. Some of her Off-Broadway and regional theatrical credits include LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical), BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK(Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play), THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG(starring opposite Jason Alexander), CATS (St Louis' Kevin Kline Award Nominee- Best Actress),FUNNY GIRL, CRAZY FOR YOU (L.A. Ovation Award Nominee), OLIVER (Critics Award-Best Actress), James Joyce's THE DEAD, TRIUMPH OF LOVE, THE GRASS HARP, SOUTH PACIFIC, WILL ROGERS FOLLIES and the World Premiere of WICKED. Stephanie's solo album, THIS PLACE I KNOW has been received with great praise, lauded by critics as "One of the best debut recordings to come out of the Broadway community in quite some time... 6 out of 5 stars". An array of award-winning songwriters assembled to help interpret their music on Stephanie's album. Composers such as Stephen Schwartz, Marvin Hamlisch and the legendary Dolly Parton join forces with Ms. Block to create a thrilling musical experience. Stephanie's voice can be heard on multiple cast recordings, including THE BOY FROM OZ, THE PIRATE QUEEN, WICKED's 5th Anniversary Album and 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL (GrammyNomination).  Television credits include: RISE (upcoming: NBC), MADAME SECRETARY (CBS), ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix), HOMELAND (Showtime), IT COULD BE WORSE (HULU).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 14m
  9. Episode 491 - Maggie Doyne and Jeremy Power Regimbal

    JAN 19

    Episode 491 - Maggie Doyne and Jeremy Power Regimbal

    Maggie Doyne is co-founder of the BlinkNow Foundation and Kopila Valley Children’s Home and School in Surkhet, Nepal. At age nineteen, she used her babysitting money and worked with the local community to build a home for orphaned children in war-torn Nepal. In 2010, she and her team opened a school for five hundred of the region’s most impoverished children. Throughout the past decade, BlinkNow and Kopila have worked to deepen and grow the organization through grassroots community development efforts. Her work has been championed by Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist Nicholas Kristof and the Dalai Lama, among others. The story of BlinkNow’s beginnings has been featured on the Huffington Post, VH1, MTV, and DoSomething.org. Maggie was named Glamour magazine’s Woman of the Year and was used as an example for her groundbreaking work at the Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy. In 2015, she was named CNN Hero of the Year. Maggie’s story carries a message of hope, love, and the possibility of how the smallest individual acts can spark huge world change. She believes that poverty, hunger, and violence will be alleviated when children are provided with their most basic needs and human rights—a loving, happy childhood, nutrition, and a quality education. She believes that this can be achieved during her lifetime. Jeremy Power Regimbal is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer whose work spans feature films, documentaries, and advertising, with a focus on intimate storytelling and social impact. In his early 20s, Jeremy founded The Lab Magazine, a globally distributed publication featuring long-form conversations with cultural icons including Willem Dafoe, Sam Rockwell, Wes Anderson, Marina Abramović, and Noam Chomsky. At 27, he made his directorial debut with the psychological thriller In Their Skin, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released theatrically by IFC. His documentary-driven commercial work for brands such as MasterCard, Nike, and Chevrolet has been recognized by AdWeek, Creativity, and Ad Age, and earned a Young Director Award nomination at the Cannes Lions Festival. Over the past decade, Jeremy has lived and worked extensively in Nepal, directing Between the Mountain and the Sky, an intimate feature documentary produced by the Emmy-winning Duplass Brothers. The film has screened at more than 40 festivals worldwide, winning over 30 awards including the Audience Award at Mountainfilm Telluride, and has received a North American theatrical release. Alongside the film, Jeremy led a global impact campaign that reached more than 15 million people and helped raise over $2 million in support of BlinkNow, the nonprofit at the heart of the story. Through his production company, MPWR Content, Jeremy blends cinematic storytelling with a deep commitment to social good, creating films and photography that amplify underrepresented voices and help catalyze real-world change in communities around the globe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    35 min
  10. Episode 423 - Gavin Creel

    10/07/2024

    Episode 423 - Gavin Creel

    1976 - 2024 Gavin Creel received a Tony Award® for his performance as Cornelius Hackl in HELLO, DOLLY! starring Bette Midler. After making his Broadway debut originating the role of Jimmy Smith in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, for which he received his first Tony Award® nomination, Creel went on to star in the Broadway productions of HAIR (Tony Award® nomination), LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, SHE LOVES ME, THE BOOK OF MORMON, and WAITRESS. Creel was among the star-studded cast of New York City Center Encores! critically acclaimed production of INTO THE WOODS starring as Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince. The celebrated production transferred to Broadway where Creel reprised his role as Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince opposite Sara Bareilles, Brian d’Arcy James, Joshua Henry, Julia Lester and Patina Miller.  Gavin received an Olivier Award for his portrayal of Elder Price in the London Production of THE BOOK OF MORMON and also appeared on the West End in MARY POPPINS, HAIR, and WAITRESS. This fall, Gavin brings WALK ON THROUGH: Confessions of a Museum Novice to Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater for a limited run. In his theatrical songwriting debut, Gavin takes us on an intimate, relatable journey of discovery and transformation through the lens of the art at The Met Museum that captured his imagination. On television, Creel recently performed a solo PBS concert special with “Stars on Stage",” starred as Troy in Ryan Murphy’s anthology series “American Horror Stories” and played Bill alongside Julie Andrews in “Eloise at the Plaza” and “Eloise at Christmasttime.” As a songwriter, Creel is currently writing an original musical piece entitled WALK ON THROUGH, based on the collections at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The musical has been selected for the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center’s 2022 National Musical Theatre Conference and the concert meets musical was highlighted in The Day. He has released three original albums: GoodTimeNation, Quiet (which landed on Billboard’s “Top Heat Seekers”), Get Out, and his single “Noise” raised money and awareness for marriage equality. Creel was a co-founder of Broadway Impact, the first and only grassroots organization to mobilize the nationwide theater community in support of marriage equality. A native of Findlay, Ohio, Gavin is a proud graduate of University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance and a 2022 Fellow at the Hermitage Artist Retreat.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    46 min