The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales Broadway Podcast Network

Originally aired as episode 276 on July 18, 2023.
Conrad Ricamora is a talented actor known for his roles on Broadway and his portrayal of Oliver Hampton in the hit TV series "How to Get Away with Murder." He shares his insights as they delve into his background, including his family's journey from moving to the U.S. to growing up in military bases, and how he got into acting and theater. Conrad discusses the significance of "Here Lies Love," a groundbreaking Broadway production featuring an all-Filipino cast, and shares his experiences with the show, including how it explores the intertwined history between the Philippines and America. He also looks back on how he auditioned and got involved with it 11 years ago. The discussion expands to the challenges of performing on Broadway, the staging of "Here Lies Love," and the unique experiences of interacting with the audience up close. Conrad reflects on the current state of democracy and political issues, drawing parallels between historical events and the fragility of democracy today. From sharing personal anecdotes to addressing important social issues, Conrad's passion for his craft shines through as he tells what motivates him as an actor: storytelling and connecting through stories.
Conrad Ricamora is an actor best known for his role as Oliver on the ABC network hit “How to Get Away with Murder”. His TV and film credits include “Fire Island”, “Over the Moon”, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”, and “The Light of the Moon”. His stage credits include “The King and I”, which was his Broadway debut,” Little Shop of Horrors”, “Soft Power”, and numerous plays penned by Will Shakespeare. He is a 2016 Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award recipient and 2017 Equality California Award recipient. He can now be seen in the Broadway hit, “Here Lies Love”, reprising his role of Ninoy Aquino, which he developed 11 years ago in the original Off-Broadway Workshop.

Connect with Conrad:

Instagram: @conradricamora

TikTok: @conradwaynericamora


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Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast


Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast


TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast


Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast

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Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales



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Growing up in a family deeply entrenched in the arts, Lori Alan naturally gravitated towards the stage and microphone. Her parents were theater majors who later ventured into advertising and directing, so it’s no surprise that growing up in a creative environment played a pivotal role in shaping her career path. She looks back on the early stages of her career, including a Shakey's Pizza commercial she starred in that marked her initial foray into professional acting at the age of 5. Despite getting bullied for her unique voice, she chose to embrace her talent instead. After studying and pursuing a career in acting in New York, she decided to move to LA to explore new opportunities. This marked the beginning of her extensive work in voice acting, including iconic roles in "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Family Guy". She shares how she honed her skills, her ability to adapt to different genres, and where she usually draws inspiration from in bringing characters to life. Lori also talks about her time in “Reefer Madness”, the show’s success, and a memorable moment when she met Warren Beatty, who had once shown interest in her mother. Beyond her acting and voice career, she is also a dedicated voice acting coach, emphasizing the importance of studying the craft, being in the moment, and giving your all in whatever you do.
Lori Alan is an award-winning actor, writer, producer, and coach who fell out of the womb sitting in front of a microphone. She is the voice of Pearl Krabs on the “SpongeBob SquarePants” animated series and among many other roles has brought to life Diane Simmons on “Family Guy”, Sue Richards aka The Invisible Woman on “The Fantastic Four”, and The Boss on the “Metal Gear Solid” video game series. She originated the role of Mae Coleman in the award-winning musical “Reefer Madness” in 1988, and is now reprising the same role in the current LA production.

Connect with Lori:

Website and VO Coaching: https://www.lorialan.com/

Instagram: @loritalk4

X: @LoriAlan1

Reefer Madness Tickets: https://reefermadness.com/

Reefer Madness Reunion Concert (one night only!): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reefer-madness-the-musical-reunion-concert-one-night-only-tickets-943062925597


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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Alexi Melvin is making significant strides in the Broadway community as a producer in shows like "Here Lies Love," "The Outsiders," and "The Notebook". She highlights the struggle of balancing commercial success with artistic bravery, advocating for more support for innovative and risk-taking productions. Growing up with a professional baseball playing dad, she looks back on her journey to finding her calling, how she developed a love for the arts thanks to her mom, and the unwavering support she got from both parents along the way. With almost 100k followers on TikTok, she reflects on her experience with social media, transitioning from queer relatable content to theater-focused posts, and how her audience has positively received this shift. She also delves into the role of social media in modern theater marketing, and how shows like "The Outsiders" leverage platforms like TikTok to reach more audiences. As more and more shows feature queer stories and diverse casting like "The Notebook" and "Illinois", she stresses the need for more queer representation on stage and the challenges of achieving this in an industry dominated by big-budget musicals. Alexi opens up about her journey with pronouns and gender identity, sharing her transition from they/them to she/they and the importance of creating a safe environment for self-exploration. Whether it’s producing or posting on social media, she encourages aspirants to channel their “fan girl energy” and not shy away from doing what you're a fan of.
Alexi Melvin is a multi-Tony Award-nominated Broadway producer for her work on “Illinois” and “The Outsiders”. She has also done work on the producing teams of “Here Lies Love” and “The Notebook”. A writer and actor who takes the term multi-hyphenate to an all-new level, she is a proud member of and advocate for the LGBTQ-plus community and is deeply involved with type one diabetes organizations such as JDRF and Beyond Type 1. She has notable voice work in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”, onscreen appearances in “Time Out of Mind”, and “Quarter”, and a significant presence as an LGBTQ-plus creator on TikTok with almost 100,000 followers.

Connect with Alexi:

TikTok: @theonlylex

Instagram: @thealexijames


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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From loving TikTok to enjoying cold readings playing “delightfully stupid” characters, Mary Testa is a talented actress who’s “not on a stardom path and never will be”. She starts off where her acting journey began: choosing between law school and performing. Ultimately, she pursued the latter and eventually moved to New York in 1976, explaining why she just likes working on interesting things with people she loves. She discusses self-taping auditions during the pandemic, and that while she believes it's better to be in the room for auditions, she understands the preliminary role of self-tapes. Known for playing strong-willed characters, Mary reflects on her career as a character actress. She recalls asking Michael John LaChiusa to write a role for her as “a very stupid character”, challenging the usual type casting she gets. She also admits to loving cold readings, the spontaneity, and the challenges that come with them. Reflecting on her journey, she gets real as she talks about perfectionism, how insecurities can lead to tyrannical behavior, and why self-awareness and being comfortable in your own skin is important to keep you grounded.
Mary Testa is an actress with a phenomenal career spanning almost 50 years, which includes 12 Broadway shows such as “Oklahoma!”, “42nd Street”, and “On the Town”, resulting in her three Tony Award nominations. Her TV and film credits beginning in 1979 include “Cagney & Lacey”, “Sex and the City”, “Whoopi”, “The Battery's Down”, “Eat, Pray, Love”, and “The Good Fight”, “The Blacklist”, and many, many more. She's been a part of the “Ratatouille”, the TikTok musical, and is an experienced voiceover artist. She can be heard in the podcast comedy TWITS: A Streampunk Distraction available everywhere you find your podcasts.

Connect with Mary:

Instagram: @marytesta.actress


Listen to TWITS: http://bpn.fm/twits


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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Jessica Fontana admits that her need to feel like she’s in control impacts her journey in balancing her professional and personal life. Her passion for performing arts began with ballet, which eventually set the stage for her career in musical theater. While Jessica’s mom highly supported her artistic endeavors, her father initially wasn’t. She talks about her college experience at the University of Michigan and its role in shaping her career and changing her dad’s mind. Married to fellow actor, Santino Fontana, she recalls how they met at Birdland Jazz Club, recounting how he left before they could get a drink together, only to friend her on Facebook later that night, slipping into her DMs. Jessica explained her shift from performing regularly to creating her album, "Every Day Special" – a transition that allowed her more control over her creative work and schedule, reflecting her desire for creative autonomy and finding joy and fun in whatever she does.
Jessica Fontana is an actress, and the writer, host, co-creator, and co-executive producer of “Everyday Special”, an improvised satirical podcast. She has starred on Broadway in the title role of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella”, “Baby It's You”, and “Pipe Dream” in New York City Center's Encores! Series. She's been seen in the hit web series “Submissions Only”, and has starred in the world premiere productions at regional theaters, including the Goodspeed Opera House, Paper Mill Playhouse, Signature Theater, and Carnegie Hall. Also a songwriter, she recently released her solo debut album, “Every Day Special”.

Connect with Jessica:

Website: www.jessica-fontana.com

Instagram: @iamjessfontana

Listen to “Every Day Special” Album


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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Listen in behind the scenes with this special episode featuring media room speeches from 2024 Tony Award winners Shaina Taub, Dede Ayite, Tom Scutt, George C. Wolfe, Justin Peck, Ryan Rumery, Nikiya Mathis, Will Brill, Kara Young, Daniel Radcliffe, Kecia Lewis, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Sarah Paulson, Jonathan Groff, and Maleah Joi Moon.
Guest hosted and edited by fellow Broadway Podcast Network host Sarah Goodman! Make sure to check out her podcast too.

Connect with GOOD SHOW:
Listen and follow the podcast at http://bpn.fm/goodshow


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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