Into The Mud Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

James Ortiz, the actor and puppeteer behind Rocky in Project Hail Mary alongside Ryan Gosling, joins Into the Mud for a conversation about identity, creativity, and what it means to feel “alien” in your own life. From queer identity and imposter syndrome to artistry, puppetry, belonging, and the pressure to fit into society’s expectations, James opens up about embracing the parts of himself that once made him feel different.

The conversation explores creative insecurity, authenticity, feeling out of place in your career or community, and why “weird” people often become the most fully realized versions of themselves. Plus: behind-the-scenes stories from Project Hail Mary, working with Ryan Gosling, building Rocky through puppetry and improv, and why worrying about being “cringe” might be holding you back from your real life. 

Bio: Based in New York City, James Ortiz is a designer, performer, playwright, and director best known for his award-winning puppetry work. He won the 2022 Drama Desk Award for the massive dinosaur puppets in The Skin of Our Teeth at Lincoln Center, and stars as Rocky in the blockbuster film Project Hail Mary from Amazon MGM Studios. His interpretation of Milky White in the 2022 Broadway revival of Into the Woods became a viral fan favorite.

James is also widely recognized for creating The Woodsman, which earned him a 2016 OBIE Award for puppet design and was later filmed for PBS and released on BroadwayHD. His work has appeared at major institutions including The Public Theater, Hartford Stage, Paper Mill Playhouse, Yale Repertory Theatre, The Kennedy Center, and Ars Nova.

A recipient of the 2017 Eugene O’Neill residency and multiple Jim Henson Foundation grants, James is also the co-founder and co-artistic director of Strangemen & Co.. His work continues to blend movement, theatricality, and innovative puppetry across stage and screen.

James' Social Media: @JortFace, www.JamesOrtiz.co

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Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 

Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.

Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

Emmy-nominated artist Mykal Kilgore joins Into the Mud for a raw, unfiltered conversation about the emotional toll of always taking the high road. From growing up in a strict religious environment to navigating Broadway, the music industry, and public scrutiny, Mykal unpacks the pressure to be exceptional, likable, and silent in the face of disrespect.

This episode dives into identity, power dynamics, systemic inequality, and the breaking point of “being the bigger person” in a world that doesn’t always reward integrity. If you’ve ever felt exhausted from doing the right thing while others get away with everything, this one hits deep. 

Bio: Mykal Kilgore is an Emmy-nominated and Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and Broadway performer known for his powerhouse vocals and dynamic stage presence. He made history as the first openly gay artist nominated in the Traditional R&B Performance category at the Grammys and has appeared in major productions including Motown: The Musical, Hair, and The Book of Mormon, as well as NBC’s The Wiz Live!. A sought-after live performer, he has taken the stage at events like the Met Gala and continues to build a multifaceted career across music, theater, and television. Mykal is celebrated not only for his talent, but for his fearless voice, advocacy, and commitment to truth both on and off stage. 

Mykal's Social Media: @MykalKilgore.

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Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 

Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.

Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

Accomplished Broadway actor Max Chernin gets muddy about what happens after you achieve "the dream". From starring in the critically acclaimed national tour of Broadway's Parade to landing back in New York on the unemployment line, Max unpacks the ache of outgrowing old versions of yourself, redefining what home can look like, and granting yourself the grace to change direction without naming it "giving up". This episode is for anyone standing in that uncomfortable liminal space, where the next chapter hasn’t quite revealed itself but you know the old one no longer fits.

Bio: Max Chernin was most recently seen starring in the National Tour of the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Parade. Hailing from Shaker Heights, Ohio, Max made his Broadway debut in Steve Martin & Edie Brickell’s Bright Star and went on to join the Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with George starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford. In New York, Max has appeared in Brooklynite (Vineyard Theatre), Bernstein’s Mass (Lincoln Center), and The Golden Apple (New York City Center). Other recent stage credits include Andrew in the world premiere of Passing Through (Goodspeed Opera House), Motel in Fiddler on the Roof (St. Louis MUNY), Buddy in Elf (Pioneer Theatre Company/North Carolina Theater), and Jervis in Daddy Long Legs (Theatre Raleigh). On camera, Max recurred on the second and third seasons of Dickinson, and also appeared on The Blacklist, The Family, Mozart in the Jungle, and in Adam Sandler’s The Week Of. BFA: University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Awards: 2024 American Traditions Competition’s Silver Medal, 2021 Lotte Lenya Foundation’s Carolyn Weber Award. 

Max's Social Media: @maxcherns

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For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!

Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 

Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.

Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

What if joy is the most radical form of resistance we have? In this deeply moving episode of Into the Mud, Drew and Alex welcome Mila Jam, recording artist, activist, author, and self-described “pretty pop artivist,” for a conversation about choosing joy in a world that often tries to erase it. Mila opens up about growing up Southern Baptist, finding refuge in theatre, and becoming a proud trans woman who leads with joy as both a personal practice and a political act. Together, they explore trans visibility, pronouns, burnout, rest as resistance, and the daily rituals that help Mila protect her light during an increasingly hostile cultural moment. With honesty, humor, and heart, this episode is a reminder that standing in your truth and doing so joyfully is itself an act of defiance.

Bio: Mila Jam is an American trans singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and LGBTQ+ activist. Best known for her powerful blend of pop music and advocacy, Mila first gained attention through her viral YouTube performances and later toured internationally with Broadway’s Rent. Her discography includes singles like Faces, Twilight Zone, and Eye on You, and her work centers on themes of self-acceptance, identity, and queer empowerment. A celebrated performer on stages from BBC to MTV, Mila uses her art to elevate trans visibility and celebrate radical joy in the face of societal barriers.

Mila’s Social Media: @TheMilaJam

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For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!

Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 

Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.

Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

Marc Shaiman, the legendary composer and lyricist behind Hairspray, Mary Poppins Returns, When Harry Met Sally…, Sister Act, and countless other cultural touchstones, gets deeply muddy about the whiplash of success, the grief that shaped his artistry, and why even a dream career does not protect you from disappointment. From Marie’s Crisis to the AIDS crisis, from Bette Midler to Broadway, this conversation is raw, hilarious, and profoundly moving. The episode features unforgettable snippets and wild stories pulled straight from Marc’s new memoir, Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner, available everywhere January 27, but to hear the full stories, you'll just have to read the book.

Bio: Marc Shaiman is a Tony, Grammy, and Emmy-winning American composer, lyricist, arranger, and music producer known for his vast body of work in film, television, and theater. He began his career as a musical director and arranger for Bette Midler before rising to prominence with scores for iconic films such as When Harry Met Sally…, The Addams Family, Sister Act, City Slickers, Sleepless in Seattle, The American President, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, and Mary Poppins Returns. On Broadway, he co-wrote the music and lyrics for Hairspray and collaborated with Scott Wittman on Catch Me If You Can, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Some Like It Hot, and the stage adaptation of Smash. Shaiman has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and has won a Tony, two Emmys, and two Grammys for his prolific and emotionally resonant work. 

His career also spans celebrated television work and creative partnerships with some of entertainment’s biggest names. In television he has contributed to Saturday Night Live, multiple Academy Awards broadcasts, and shows like Only Murders in the Building, and he has produced and arranged for artists including Harry Connick Jr., Mariah Carey, and more. Born in New Jersey, Shaiman continues to shape the sound of American entertainment with a blend of musical theater sensibility and cinematic storytelling.

Marc's Social Media: @Marc_Shaiman

Follow along at @IntoTheMudPodcast on all platforms!
For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!

Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 

Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.

Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

Tony Award winner Julie Halston joins Into the Mud for a deeply moving and hilarious conversation about grief, caregiving, and turning loss into lasting advocacy. From surviving the AIDS crisis and losing her husband to pulmonary fibrosis to founding Broadway Belts and raising millions for research, Julie reflects on how comedy, community, and purpose carried her through life’s darkest chapters. This episode is a powerful reminder that even in grief, connection can save your life.

Bio: Julie Halston is a celebrated actress and comedian whose career spans Broadway, television, and film. Her Broadway credits include Tootsie, Hairspray, Gypsy, Anything Goes, On the Town, Twentieth Century, and more, and she is widely known to TV audiences for her iconic role as Bitsy von Muffling on Sex and the City and And Just Like That…

Beyond the stage and screen, Julie is a dedicated advocate and humanitarian. She is the co-founder of Broadway Belts for PFF!, an annual event that has raised millions of dollars for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation following the loss of her husband, Ralph Howard, to the disease. For her extraordinary advocacy and service to the theatre community, she was honored with the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award, joining the ranks with such acclaimed artists as Bernadette Peters, Stephen Schwartz, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Rosie O’Donnell, Eve Ensler, and David Hyde Pierce.

Julie’s Social Media: @ActressJulieHalston

Follow along at @IntoTheMudPodcast on all platforms!
For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!

Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 

Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.

Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

Rev. Micah Bucey, senior minister of Judson Memorial Church, joins Into the Mud for a deeply expansive conversation as Drew and Alex, who do not identify as religious, bring genuine curiosity to the roots of Christianity and spirituality and how they’ve been distorted by MAGA Christianity and white Christian nationalism. Together, they explore how faith has been weaponized in America, how it can also be reclaimed as a force for justice and repair, and why humility and wonder matter more than rigid belief. This episode is ultimately about protecting the most endangered among us without letting our hearts rot.

Bio: Be the glitter you wish to see in the world. 

Rev. Micah Bucey is a passionately progressive faith leader, writer, and minister at Judson Memorial Church in Greenwich Village. A regular contributor to Spirituality & Practice, Micah is the author of The Book of Tiny Prayer(Fordham University Press) and is widely known for exploring the intersections of expansive spirituality, radical social justice, and unfettered creativity. Ordained in the Christian tradition but grounded in an interspiritual approach, Micah’s work centers artists as modern-day prophets, embraces curiosity over certainty, and boldly reclaims the revolutionary, inherently queer roots of Christianity.

Micah’s Social Media: @RevMicahB, www.MicahBucey.com, www.Judson.org

Follow along at @IntoTheMudPodcast on all platforms!
For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!

Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 

Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.

Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

Dating is hard enough, but for drag queens, finding love comes with an entirely different set of challenges. In this episode of Into the Mud, Pixie Aventura (aka Cesar Villavicencio) gets honest about what it’s actually like to date as a drag queen. He walks through the six biggest obstacles he’s encountered in relationships, including fetishization, intimidation, internalized homophobia, and the challenge of being seen as a persona instead of a person. This conversation is funny, vulnerable, and deeply real, touching on the struggles of queer dating, intimacy, and how to stay open to love in a dating culture that feels impossible.

Bio: Pixie Aventura (aka Cesar Villavicencio) is a Miami-raised and New York City–based drag performer, host, and nightlife fixture with more than a decade of experience in the NYC drag scene. Pixie is a longtime staple at iconic venues including Barracuda, Industry, Therapy (RIP), and on Fire Island, and currently hosts weekly and recurring shows at Industry and G Lounge. During the pandemic, Pixie created and produced the digital series Drag Me Out, which reached a wide online audience and spotlighted drag artists during COVID. Known for high-energy performances that blend comedy, music, and audience interaction, Pixie continues to be a leading presence in New York nightlife.

Pixie’s Social Media: @PixieAventura

Follow along at @IntoTheMudPodcast on all platforms!
For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!

Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 

Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.

Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

In this raw and unfiltered episode of Into the Mud, Alex opens up about her fresh two-day-old breakup and the emotional whiplash of grieving a future she thought she had. Drew and Alex break down heartbreak in real time — confusion, somatics, rejection spirals, coping strategies, and the messy, human work of choosing yourself when everything hurts. 

Bio: Alex is a New York based comedian by way of Chicago and Boston whose bold and whip smart standup delights crowds across the US. Credits: The Comedy Cellar, New York Comedy Club, NBC’s "That Clip Show: Holiday Edition”, 2021 season of Comedy Central Standup Featuring.

Bio: Originally from Massachusetts, Drew is a Broadway dancer, actor and writer living in New York City. Credits: Broadway’s “Tootsie” and “On the 20th Century”, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, Ryan Murphy’s “Feud: Capote VS The Swans”, The Tony Awards, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Saturday Night Live, and the 2021 Met Gala.

Follow along at @IntoTheMudPodcast on all platforms!
For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!

Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 

Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.

Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com

In this deeply honest conversation, singer-songwriter Ben Abraham opens up about the highs and lows of his career — from major-label deals, Grammy-stage moments, and writing with artists like Kesha, to getting dropped, starting over at 40, and redefining what artistic success means. Together, Ben, Drew, and Alex get muddy about the tender work of finding joy again when the industry breaks your heart — and how returning to the purity of making art can reshape everything.

Bio: Ben Abraham is an award-winning Australian singer-songwriter celebrated for his emotive vocals, cinematic songwriting, and cross-genre collaborations. Originally from Melbourne, he first emerged on the international scene with his debut album released through Secretly Canadian—the influential indie label behind artists such as Bon Iver and Phoebe Bridgers. His songwriting quickly attracted industry attention, leading to a major-label deal with Atlantic Records and the release of Friendly Fire, a critically acclaimed and deeply personal sophomore album. Abraham’s work includes high-profile collaborations with global artists, most notably co-writing Kesha’s Grammy-nominated hit “Praying” and performing with her at the Grammy Awards. Now based in Los Angeles, he continues to compose, record, and perform worldwide.

Ben’s Social Media: @BenBenAbraham, www.BenAbrahamMusic.com

Follow along at @IntoTheMudPodcast on all platforms!
For the visual version, follow along on YouTube!

Your Hosts: Alex Kumin (@Alex.Kumin) and Drew King (@DrewKingNYC). 

Contributing Editors: Manthan Baldha, Sarah Webb (@SWAudioPost) and Drew King.

Filmed and recorded at @TheMalin in New York City.

www.IntoTheMudPodcast.com