Everything Theater Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Michael Pizzi is Producing and Artistic Director of the Sandhills Repertory Theatre, bringing all NYC and Broadway talent to the Sandhills, with a percentage of ALL show net profits funding performing arts in Moore County schools. He is also the creator and producer of the Special Broadway Camp for children with special needs in the Sandhills.Besides being an artist, Michael is an occupational therapist, a health and wellness lifestyle coach and co-owner of the NC organization Sandhills Adaptive Living (SAL). We talk to him about the cabaret-style shows he had developed in the Berkshires, as well as how theater touches other elements of people's lives.
https://sandhillsrep.org/

This episode is sponsored by Harbinger Theatre's production of "Between Riverside and Crazy", performing at Albany Civic Theater from July 18th - 27th.

Martha Banta, the Founding Artistic Director at the Adirondack Theater Festival, an Artistic Associate at New York Theater Workshop, the Associate Director of MAMMA MIA! on Broadway and the National Tours, and the Original Resident Director of RENT for NYTW, Broadway, two National Tours, and London, joins us to talk about her current production of "Gutenberg! The Musical!" at the Adirondack Theater Festival and thoughts about how to program shows for these current times.
https://www.atfestival.org/
https://www.marthabanta.com/about

This episode is sponsored by Harbinger Theatre's production of "Between Riverside and Crazy", performing at Albany Civic Theater from July 18th - 27th.

Annabelle Duffy is no stranger to the Capital Region. She has been wowing audiences in the area for many years before heading off to train at Carnegie Mellon. And now she's back (albeit briefly) as the understudy for Fanny Brice in the national tour of "Funny Girl." We chat about life on the road, and how to tackle such a classic and mammoth role. 

"Funny Girl" runs at Proctors Theatre until April 6th 2025.https://www.atproctors.org/

Hudson Valley Shakespeare has been performing outdoor theater since 1987, and now they are building a beautiful new state-of-the-art open air theater venue that will open in the summer of 2026. We talk to Artistic Director Davis McCallum about the structure of their summer repertory season, Shakespeare's connection to an audience, and what to look forward to in the future!

We're back to the backstage episodes! We've been crazy busy with our own shows, but Ellen and Benita are back to chat about upcoming shows in the area, auditions, and the future of theater in today's climate.

For the 5th year, Jackson Murphy joins us to discuss the upcoming Academy Awards. Similar to past years, theater has made a big impact on the movies this year, with big contenders like "Wicked." We chat about our sister industry and Jackson's predictions on who will take home the golden statues Sunday night!

One of the newer and most important jobs on a stage production team is the intimacy coordinator - the person who ensures that intimate scenes are performed safely and respectfully. We speak with intimacy coordinator, Yvonne Perry, about her work and how it is applied to the stage.

"Tango Illusion" is an interactive dance play, portraying the onstage and offstage lives of a troupe of Tango/ Salsa dancers who nightly perform their show Fuego in New York City. Creator/ Writer/Choreographer/Producer Diane Lachtrupp Martinez and Script Editor/Choreographer/Fight Choreographer Johnny Martinez join us to talk about this new play making it's way to a stage near you! https://tangoillusion.com/

Sand Lake Center for the Arts has been producing such exciting work for years, and now Tanya Gorlow has taken over as Executive Director. We chat with Tanya about her position at SLCA, her plans for the future, and the ability to create a true community surrounding your theater.

We're going backstage at Proctors Theatre to meet the cast and crew of "Parade" - the Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry musical that is teching and starting it's national tour right here in Schenectady! We chat with Max Chernin and Talia Suskauer (who are playing Leo and Lucille Frank) and get a peek of what the tech process looks like at Proctors!

"Parade" plays at Proctors from Jan 11 - 17, 2025. Get tickets at https://www.atproctors.org/event/parade/