Built For The Stage Podcast

April Holloway / @april_r_holloway April Holloway is a dancer, singer, choreographer and all around performer. After graduating from Elon University with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Sport Science, April spent a summer at The Ailey School on a full scholarship. While studying dance in New York, she discovered her true love for Musical Theater. Her current role is in the ensemble of the Disney musical Aladdin on Broadway! April shares with us her love for dance, rowing, and her passion that keeps her moving forward and growing as a thriving artist. www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juwan Crawley / @juwancrawley Juwan made his New York debut in the original cast of Spamilton, an award-winning, off-Broadway musical revue that spoofed Hamilton and earned him a nomination for the Clive Barnes award. At the age of 22, Casey Nicholaw created a role on Broadway for Juwan in Aladdin where he is a standby for the Genie, and where he debuted as the youngest person to ever play the role. He was also cast by Tina Fey to play Hudson – a 14-year-old kid - on one of his favorite shows, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. He shares with us in our conversation how, each day, he sits down at the piano at the same time, to write and create music, whether he is in the mood or not. Juwan understands that dedication and commitment results in growth and success, and he shares that insight with us in this week's episode. www.juwancrawley.com www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Filipe / @filipe_navidad After going into quarantine and being unsure of what the future holds, Adam Filipe recognized one of his true loves was more than performing, which was self defense practice. He started as a kickboxer in martial arts at the age of four years old, and in the pandemic, it came back to the surface as something that he wanted to focus on. He is the fight captain for The Prince of Egypt on West End, but he said there was still something missing. He began by getting his license in self defense, and then began offering classes to others who might want to learn! Now, he has a personal side hustle business as well as being a part of the original cast of The Prince of Egypt, and he shares his insight of taking that dream and turning it into reality. www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sophie Salvesani / @sophie_salvesani This week, we are joined by a young but shining star, Sophie Salvesani. Sophie has been intently studying music and performance since she was a young girl growing up in Ipswich and Brisbane. She then went to perfrom multiple leading roles in community theatres around the Queensland area, such as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, Cosette in Les Misérables and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance. Sophie then debuted her first professional role when she played the role of Maria in Opera Australia, GWB Entertainment and BB Group’s touring production of West Side Story. Two years later, she is revisiting this iconic role in the touring company visitng both Perth nad Brisbane. sophiesalvesani.com www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Abbie-Lee Lewis / @abbieleelewis All the way from Australia, Abbie-Lee Lewis joins us to share her experience as she plays Hermia in Bell Shakespeare's production of Midsummer Night's Dream. Abbie-Lee is an actor and Arts Educator for Bell Shakespeare in Australia and we are thrilled to hear her story. www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicole-Lily Baisden / @nicolelily1 Nicole-Lily joins us as she prepares to take the West End stage in Anything Goes as Hope Harcourt at the Barbican, starring alongside the Broadway legend, Sutton Foster. Nicole-Lily has only recently graduated from Arts Education Schools in 2019, but is already becoming a seasoned theatre professional. She went directly to the UK and International tour of Book of Mormon after graduating in 2019, playing the role of Nabulungi.   She has experienced theatre in very different forms over the past two years, as she was a part of several projects through the pandemic such as BBC's Musicals: The Greatest Show and a production of A Christmas Carol. We are excited to continue following along on her journey as she takes the stage, again and again! www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Mott / @michael_mott Michael Mott grew up in New York, studied Musical Theatre in college and then went on to have a successful career as a performer Off-Broadway, in Regional theatre and National Tours. He then chose to redirect his focus on writing and has since found himself in some really incredible spots with some of Broadway's biggest talent. Michael was even named Playbill's "Contemporary Musical Theatre Songwriters You Should Know". Most recently, Michael has written a new musical "In The Light, A Faustian Tale", he has also scored his first short film and recently recorded an album with Jeremy Jordan, Ciara Renée and Solea. We are thrilled to have him on the podcast to share his story and the exciting projects he has and is a part of! "In The Light, A Faustian Tale: Highlights Recording" is available for pre-order now: BroadwayRecords.com www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic

Jack Sippel / @jackjsippel When talking to Jack Sippel, you are truly speaking with a theatre industry professional. From a very young age, Jack has been actively involved in professional theatre. He started at The Muny as a kid and was then asked to audition for their equity ensemble, which he booked and received his equity card at age 15! He then went on to land the Memphis National Tour as a senior in high school.   Most recently, Jack has been the Dance Captain and Swing for The Prom on Broadway. He then joined the creative team for the Netflix film adaptation of The Prom as Assistant Choreographer. During the pandemic, he has also started his own podcast focusing on dance in theatre, called ""Again, From The Top""!  www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tanisha L. Spring / @tanishalspring Following her most recent opening night in West End's Prince of Egypt, Tanisha Spring joins us to share what the journey has been for her finding her way to the West End stage. Some productions she has previously appeared in include Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Caroline or Change and Hairspray.   Tanisha took on a new experience throughout the pandemic in producing an online theatre production called A Killer Party and has found her love for the other side of the table throughout that experience. She feels as though some of her other skills such as having a business mind have come in to play in a new way and she tells us how she came into theatre much later in life than many people do. She was an accountant before she started pursuing theatre as a fulltime career choice and is now finding some of that part of her becoming involved as she produces theatre. www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about y

Mari McGinlay / @marimoomcg After studying acting at the Guildford School of Acting and training at the Dance School of Scotland, Mari McGinlay had laid a strong foundation to move forward in the theatre industry. She joins us on our podcast to share parts of that journey, as she then went on to work on the production of Oklahoma! at Royal Albert Hall, playing the role of Cinderella multiple times in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella and now joining the returning cast Hairspray the Musical on the West End as Penny Pingleton! www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Lagoulis / @stefann96 Stefan Lagoulis comes from Down Under and is currently in Hamilton AU, experiencing coming back to the stage after more than a year of the shutdown and shares with us what that journey has looked like as he is rediscovering his strength and ability in the rehearsal room. He encourages other actors to give themself grace and accept that your best today is your best and move forward. It is a process and we have to be willing to embrace that process. Stefan has had the understanding and experience of putting in the extra work for most of his life. He grew up in regular school but then also attended performing arts school in the evening. He was encouraged by his family to chase his dreams and put in the work to achieve whatever it was that his heart desired. Stefan transitioned from a sports background into the world of dance and performance, and has moved forward in that passion with a focused mindset and determination. This drive has opened many doors, including being in the cast of

Ryan Gonzalez / @rgonzy After starting at a young age pursuing to be a comerical dancer in Australia, Ryan then saw a live musical theatre production and was absolutely sold. He then did his first show at 18 and hasn't turned back. He is now opening Fun Home in Australia and will soon be joining Moulin Rouge Australia. Ryan shares in our conversation about experiences and interests that he has explored in the last year during the pandemic, such as a book to read that we have linked below and new cooking adventures. He also shares the joy of opening Fun Home and how the story really connects to so many different types of people and families, no matter what they family structure looks like. Moulin Rouge Broadway Vlog Book Reference: Breath by James Nestor www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Assetta / @dassetta From a very young age, Daniel Assetta was no stranger to the perfoming world. He started taking dance as a child, and it was all about the show. He had a deep desire to learn and grow and perform. From there, he saw the tour of Lion King in Australia, and he quickly fell in love with the world of musical theatre. Daniel made his debut at the age of 19 in the 10th Anniversary Australian Tour of Wicked! Other shows he has been seen in are Cats, The Book of Mormon, A Chorus Line and West Side Story. Most recently, Daniel is playing Samuel Seabury in the Australian premiere of Hamilton. He shares with us what the expereience has been like to be returning to the stage after the last year and the challenges and joys that have come with preparing and getting back into a performance ready mindset. Daniel says that though there are new protocols and processes in place to keep everyone safe, it is all worth it just to be back on stage and doing what he loves to do! www.builtforthestage.com -

J. Harrison Ghee / @jharrisonghee It is so exciting to hear how Broadway is coming back to life, and our conversation with J. Harrison Ghee is no exception! He is soon to be seen in Mrs. Doubtfire on Broadway, and he shares with us what the journey has been like returning to the stage. From a year full of cast zoom meetings to overthinking himself when trying to get back into the role, it has been quite an experience. J also shares with us the joy of working with brilliant colleagues on stage and how wonderful it is to create and originate a show from its beginning. J has been seen in Kinky Boots on Broadway as Lola and also on camera in Raising Dion, along with other films. He believes that no matter wether you're on stage or on camera "it is all based in truth. You've gotta find whatever the truth is for you and live that authentically." www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amos Wolff / @amoswolff When Amos Wolff made his Broadway debut at the young age of 25 in Follies, he assumed that he would be completely fulfilled. Instead, he found that he still wasn't happy. In this moment, he began to realize there was much more to being a balanced and healthy human being rather than just the career success of landing a Broadway role. This challenged him to start a journey of yoga and therapy, leaning on incredible professionals around him to help him find a true contentment in each season of his life. Amos then went on to become a family and couples therapist himself and has joined the incredible team at Equity Therapy, a therapy program focused towards the performing arts community based in NYC, where he now works to help others find the balance and fulfillment that he, himself has found through such practice. He shares this journey and so much insight with us on the challenges and joys of taking time to focus on one's betterment and self. https://www.equitytherapy.com/ - Equity Therap

Jason Sparks / @jasonasparks Hello, Dolly!. Combining his training as a classical dancer, as well as a theatre performer, and his curiosity for how the world moves around him, Jason strives for the human body to be a lead voice in how his stories are told. Jason has also founded a unique nonprofit program called Fosters Theatrical Artist Residency. Fosters is a safe space created for actors, directors and playwrights to discover their approach, explore new ways of working and dive deeper into new works without judgement, allowing the process to be as much a part of the art as the product. Jason holds a B.F.A from Pennsylvania State University where he frequently returns to work with and learn from the young artist of today. www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz Flemming / @littlelizzybiz In 2016, Liz Flemming had the idea to do the production of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown on a playground. She wanted to create a piece that used all disabled and BIPOC actors, and she set out with a dream that then became the company Out Of The Box Theatrics. Liz and OOTB focuses on creating theatre site specific locations that are in marginalized communities, creating space for inclusivity and equality at a professional level. This spring, Out Of The Box Theatrics produced a virtual production of The Last FIve Years, which they filmed in an actual NYC apartment. Liz shares with us the journey of bringing a production like this to life and how different it was to film a piece in a site specific location and the joy of still creating theatre even in such a challenging time our industy has seen in the last year. www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nasia Thomas/ @nasiathomas "I believe everyone has learned something about themself during this quarantine"...Nasia says as she reflects back on what the last year has looked like and what it felt like to be prepping for a Broadway show, Caroline, or Change, and then to be told it is all put on hold for a global pandemic. Nasia Thomas has been seen on Broadway in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, National tour of Beautiful and Broadway production of Ain't Too Proud. Her most recent accolades come from her portrayal of the role of Cathy in Out of The Box Theatrics' virtual production of The Last Five Years. A reimagined production of the musical is filmed in an actual New York City apartment and can be found streaming online! www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicholas Edwards / @nickedwardsnyc You don't have to wait for anyone to tell you to do something"...and that is exactly what has happened in Nick's life over the past few months! When the quarantine shut down his upcoming opportunity to take on his first principal role on Broadway as Kristoff in Frozen, Nicholas knew he had to continue to find ways to make art. But there were no auditions and seemingly no theatre! And then comes along the theatre company Out Of The Box Theatrics, whose goal it has been to tell stories in a very different way than the traditional approach to new and classis works. The concept began to brew of creating a livestream version of The Last Five Years the musical, staged in an actual NYC apartment. Fast forward a few months, and it has become one of the most well-produced pieces of theatre that has come to audiences during this interesting time where theatre has been hard to find. Nicholas is no stranger to the stage, as he was an understudy for Kristoff in Disney's Frozen on Broadwa

Simon Gordon / @simongordon Joining us from the West End on today's episode is Simon Gordon! We are so excited to be talking to him about his upcoming role in the UK tour of Heathers the Musical. Simon always wanted to be an actor, but he didn't start his theatre career as many people do by going to college and studying the craft. Instead, he went to school to study law! He was in his third year of law school when he auditioned for Andrew Lloyd Webber, and that is when he knew he wanted to be doing theatre as a career. www.builtforthestage.com - Schedule your one week trial today! www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices