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.

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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.

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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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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.

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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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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell, authors of acclaimed photography books Loving and Loving II, get muddy about what it means to build visibility when your history was never written. They have spent more than 25 years excavating and reconstructing a queer past the world tried to erase. Through 4000+ intimate photographs of men in love from 1850–1950, they’ve pieced together a lineage that proves queer love has always existed — even when it wasn’t documented. This episode is a conversation about erasure, resilience, and the power of finding yourself in the eyes of people who lived even a century ago. 

Bio: Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell are the couple behind the internationally celebrated Nini-Treadwell Collection, a 25-year archive of more than 4,000 photographs documenting romantic love between men from the 1850s to the 1950s. Texas natives who met in 1992, Hugh—formerly a longtime ballet academy owner and artistic director—and Neal—an art-trained creative with a career spanning apparel, cattle, and cosmetics—accidentally began collecting after discovering a single 1927 photo in a Dallas antique shop. Their groundbreaking books Loving and Loving 2 have reframed how queer history is seen and understood, revealing a lineage of tenderness, partnership, and resilience long erased from public record. Through exhibitions, talks, and their ongoing archival work, Hugh and Neal are committed to rescuing overlooked stories and proving what has always been true: queer love has existed everywhere, across every era, even when the world refused to acknowledge it. 

Hugh and Neal’s Social Media: @LovingByNealAndHugh, www.Loving1000.org

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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.

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Tony Award–winning writer Robert Horn (Tootsie, Shucked, Hercules) gets muddy about aging, later-in-life success, and staying funny through rejection. In this candid and hilarious conversation, Robert opens up about his wild journey from an orphanage to Broadway, turning trauma into comedy, navigating fame in the social-media era, and learning to embrace getting older with humor and grace. Equal parts heart and hysteria, this one’s a masterclass in creative resilience. 

Bio: Robert Horn is an American playwright, screenwriter, and producer whose career spans television, film, and Broadway. A New York native, he studied theatre at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts and at the Circle in the Square Theatre School, then relocated to Los Angeles where he launched his industry career with writing and producing roles on shows like Designing Women and Living Single. Over time he expanded into film and musicals, contributing to popular projects including Disney Channel’s Teen Beach Movie franchise.

On Broadway, Horn truly made his mark as the book writer for the hit musical Tootsie, which earned him the 2019 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. He also wrote for musicals such as Shucked and 13, collaborating with composers and artists to bring bold stories to the stage. His trajectory—from television comedy writer to celebrated Broadway storyteller—highlights his versatility, wit, and commitment to blending humor with real emotional stakes in every medium.

Robert’s Social Media: @RHorn1

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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

What does it actually mean to be addicted to escapism? Writer and Emmy-nominated storyteller Ren McAslan breaks down the nine types of escapism, from work and relationships to media, sex, and substance use, and how constant distraction is reshaping our ability to sit with ourselves. This episode explores trauma, shame, addiction, and the uncomfortable truth that the things we use to cope might be keeping us disconnected from our own lives.

Bio: Renwick McAslan is an Emmy-nominated, London-born, NYC-based writer. 

By day, the 36 year old works as a Creative Director in Ad-Land but works on numerous creative projects on the side, including film / TV and has recently-finished his first novel, Come Undone. 

This August he’s also taking his debut solo-written, one-woman show, Woman Seeking Cuddles to the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 

His hobbies include getting punched in the face (he’s a keen boxer). 

Ren's Social Media: @RenwMcas, www.RenMcAslan.com

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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

When the government pulls Jimmy Kimmel off the air, what does that mean for comedy — and for free speech? In this raw and fiery episode, comedian Jay Jurden (The Problem with Jon Stewart, The Tonight Show) joins Drew and Alex to get muddy about censorship, courage, and comedy’s role in calling out power. From Lenny Bruce to late-night, this conversation proves that laughter is still one of the loudest forms of resistance.

Bio: Jay Jurden is a New York–based comedian, writer, and actor originally from Jackson, Mississippi. A graduate of the University of Mississippi and the University of Alabama’s MFA Acting program, Jay has become one of the sharpest voices in stand-up today, known for his fearless wit and incisive takes on identity, politics, and power. He’s appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Late Show with James Corden, After Midnight, and HBO’s High Maintenance, and currently serves as a staff writer for The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV+.

Named one of Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch,” Jay’s writing has been featured in The New Yorker, Vulture, McSweeney’s, and Teen Vogue, and his debut comedy album Jay Jurden, Y’all hit #1 on iTunes. His highly anticipated first comedy special, Yes, Ma’am, premieres November 7 on Hulu, showcasing his signature blend of razor-sharp humor, vulnerability, and unapologetic truth-telling. Follow Jay @jayjurden across platforms for tour dates, new work, and daily doses of brilliance.

Jay’s Social Media: @JayJurden, www.JayJurden.com

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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.

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Comedian and Emmy-winning writer Josh Gondelman (Last Week Tonight, Desus & Mero, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) joins Into the Mud to get candid about the messy gap between impressive résumés and follower counts. We dig into how social media has reshaped comedy, the pressure of clout-chasing, and whether quality or quantity really wins in today’s entertainment industry. Plus, Josh shares hilarious “muddy moments” from high school drama competitions to life on the comedy stage.

Bio: Josh Gondelman is a comedian and writer based in New York City. He was head writer and executive producer for Desus & Mero on Showtime, contributed to the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and spent five years at Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, where he won four Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, and three WGA Awards. His standup specials People Pleaser (2022) and Positive Reinforcement (2025) are streaming now.

Gondelman’s comedy has been featured on Conan, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me. He is also the author of the essay collection Nice Try and co-creator of the viral “Modern Seinfeld” Twitter account.

Josh’s Social Media: @JoshGondelman, www.JoshGondelman.com, and www.ThatsMarvelousNewsletter.com .

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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

Porn star and former Broadway music director Jonah Wheeler (aka @ShowoffJonah) joins Into the Mud for an unfiltered deep dive into sex work, kink, and intimacy. From his career pivot out of theater to the realities of OnlyFans, public sex, radical queer spaces, and even the lessons learned from butthole surgery, Jonah gets real about the liberating power of body acceptance, confidence, shame, and the joy of sexual exploration.

Bio: Jonah Wheeler is an adult performer, musician, and general goofball based in New York City. His videos center around authentic connection, self discovery, and roleplay, and his social media work is known for meticulous explications of queer kink. A former Broadway pianist, he performs live with his partner in life and in comedy John Coons.

Jonah’s Social Media: @ShowOffJonah, www.ShowOffJonah.com

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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.

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Opera singer and voice teacher Matthew Anchel joins Into the Mud to get real about body positivity, plus-size shaming, and queer representation in entertainment. From his time at the Met Opera to competing on Worst Cooks in America, Matthew opens up about navigating diet culture, Ozempic, fatphobia, and dating—all with humor, honesty, and heart.

Bio: Bass Matthew Anchel, hailed as “a voice to watch” by The Wall Street Journal, has appeared with many of the world’s leading opera companies and orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, and Carnegie Hall. A frequent presence at the Met, he has sung the Master of Ceremonies in Cinderella and the Jailer in Tosca, and covered roles in new productions of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Don Carlos, Fedora, Dialogues des Carmélites, The Exterminating Angel, and Cendrillon. Other recent highlights include Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera San José, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte with Arizona Opera, Banquo in Macbeth at Stadttheater Giessen, Lamberto in Pia de’ Tolomei at Spoleto Festival USA, Vanuzzi in Die Schweigsame Frau at Bard Summerscape, and solo appearances in Mahler’s Eighth Symphony at Carnegie Hall and Mozart’s Requiem with Stiftsmusik Stuttgart.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Anchel was a member of the ensembles at Oper Stuttgart and Oper Leipzig, performing roles in Il barbiere di Siviglia, La bohème, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Eugene Onegin, Der Rosenkavalier, and more. He has also been heard with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Opera San Antonio, Anchorage Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, and the Los Angeles Opera’s Young Artist Program, where he appeared under the baton of James Conlon. An accomplished competition singer, he was a Grand Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has received prizes from Palm Beach Opera, Opera Index, the George London Foundation, and the Loren L. Zachary Competition. A New York City native, Mr. Anchel holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School of Music.

Matthew’s Social Media: @MatthewAnchel, www.MatthewAnchel.com

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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

Actor and musician Lisa Helmi Johanson gets deeply vulnerable about her harrowing experience with postpartum PTSD following a traumatic 68-hour labor and emergency C-section. In this cathartic, tender, and surprisingly funny conversation, Lisa opens up about brainspotting therapy, intrusive thoughts, identity loss, and what it means to slowly piece yourself back together while parenting in a world that doesn’t prioritize maternal mental health. This is an essential listen for anyone who’s felt broken, gaslit, or utterly alone in early motherhood.

Bio: Lisa Helmi Johanson is a biracial, multi-hyphenate artist whose work spans acting, music, writing, and activism. A classically trained violinist and vocalist, she made her Off-Broadway debut soon after moving to NYC and went on to star as Christmas Eve in the national tour of Avenue Q, later appearing on Broadway, Off-Broadway, on tour, and in TV and film (Law & Order, Hallmark).

During the pandemic, Lisa became a community organizer and turned to writing to explore her identity as a Korean-Finnish American woman and mother. Her plays—including The Porch on Windy Hill and Kim Loo Gets a Redo—have been staged regionally and in NYC, with new projects in development including Zitkala-Sa’s Astonishing Wild West and Aigoo, Jinjja?.

At her core, Lisa is a storyteller committed to making the world more just and beautiful—for her audience, and for her child.

Lisa's Social Media: @Hurricane_Helmi, www.LisaHelmiJohanson.com

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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

This week, Into the Mud goes gloriously off the rails with stand-up comedian Zahid Dewji. What starts as a conversation about outgrowing people and places quickly spirals into an unexpectedly hilarious and heartfelt deep-dive into spiritual growth, vibrational energy, comedy burnout, porn bans in Texas, regrets, and the cosmic chaos of being human. Equal parts wild and wise, this episode is a chaotic gem about letting go, laughing through the spiral, and trusting the double helix of life to bring you exactly where you need to be.

Bio: Zahid Dewji is an NYC based comedian and former staff writer on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He was previously the head writer of OFTV’s Roast of Bert Kreischer & The Roast of Whitney Cummings.

Born in Queens, NY to East African Indian immigrants, the Z-man was raised in Houston, where he began his comedy career and quickly became a Texas favorite. Zahid has toured the country with comedy icon Whitney Cummings as well as viral sensation Noel Miller and has been featured on countless comedy festivals including Oddball Comedy Fest, Laughing Skull and Moontower Comedy Festival.

His debut special “Where is God?” was released in 2023 with Don’t Tell Comedy.  He also has a set filmed with OFTV available to stream exclusively on Only Fans (yes, really). 

Zahid’s Social Media: @ZahidDewji, www.ZahidDewji.com

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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

What does it really mean to “do the work”? In this wildly thoughtful and hilarious conversation, producer and social justice advocate Darren Biggart unpacks his viral essay on the quiet, lifelong practice of disrupting internalized systems of power. Together, we explore the murky territory between growth and guilt, comfort and courage, and being seen as “good” versus actually doing good.

Bio: Darren is the Director of Civic Programs at The Shed, where he develops artistic work, social impact initiatives and public programs. Producer: Four seasons of Encores! Off Center, the gala production of Evita, Diary of a Tap Dancer, v. 6, and 40 unique pop-up events for The Lobby Project at New York City Center, where he also co-founded an internship for early-career artists; Ayodele Casel’s While I Have the Floor (Spoleto Arts Festival); To Feel a Thing (Holland Festival, NY Live Arts, The Shed). Founding Program Director: A Broader Way Foundation, an arts-centered leadership program for middle school girls. Assistant Vocal Producer: West Side Story film, dir. Stephen Spielberg; Kimberly Akimbo cast album. Co-Director: Idina Menzel’s World Tour (2017). Director/facilitator: YoungArts, Pace University, Harvard University, & Plymouth State University. Co-founder: tall poPpy, inc, an artist-led social enterprise that develops performance work, educational & advocacy programs, alongside Jeanine Tesori and Torya Beard. M.Ed: Harvard University (Leadership in Education Award Recipient); BFA: University of Michigan.

Darren’s Social Media: @LBCNU, www.DarrenBiggart.com

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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

Comedian Elle Orlando joins Into the Mud for a refreshingly honest and beautiful conversation about the kind of loneliness that lingers—even when you're surrounded by people. From the isolating pursuit of stand-up to the heartbreak of lost friendships and the double-edged sword of social media, Elle unpacks what it means to feel alone in a hyperconnected world. Together, Alex, Drew and Elle explore introversion, gender dynamics in comedy, and the longing for deep connection in a culture of curated personas. It's vulnerable, funny, and all too relatable.

Bio: Elle Orlando is an NYC-based stand up comedian originally from Chicago, actor, and Host of (her podcast) The Elle Diablo Show. Elle is currently touring around the country as well as featuring for comedians like Kyle Dunnigan, Ian Lara, Michael Kosta, Rich Voss, & more. Elle has been featured on Sirius XM’s The Bonfire with Big Jay Oakerson and Dan Soder and is passed at clubs such as New York Comedy Club, The Stand, Rodney’s Comedy Club, The Comedy Mothership (ATX), Chicago Zanies & more. Elle wishes she had more credits to offer you but this is pretty much it. Elle’s material is silly, stupid, light and dark and people laugh the entire time during her shows (pretty cool) she has never bombed in her life (lie). 

Elle’s Social Media: @_ElleOrlando_ , www.ElleOrlandoComedy.com, El Diablo Show Podcast

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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

In Part 2 of this special two-part episode, Maui-based therapist and career coach Natalie Diaz returns—this time to coach the hosts. After diving into her own journey from corporate hustle to purposeful living in Part 1, Natalie guides Drew and Alex through some of their own muddy challenges. With Alex exploring time management and Drew confronting perfectionism, this real-time coaching session offers practical tools, emotional insight, and a gentle reminder that growth often begins in the mess.

Bio: Natalie Diaz is a Maui-based licensed therapist and career coach who helps driven professionals reclaim their time, energy, and clarity—so they can prioritize what matters most: their health, relationships, and creating a life they don’t need a vacation from. Her approach blends strategic planning with deep inner work, guiding clients to unlearn hustle culture, redefine success on their own terms, and design lives rooted in presence, purpose, and peace.

Before launching her coaching and mental health practice, Natalie spent over a decade in New York City climbing the corporate ladder as a Chief of Staff and real estate executive. Though outwardly “successful,” she felt burned out and unfulfilled, ultimately leaving behind a lucrative career to pursue work aligned with her values. A graduate of Williams College and NYU’s Master of Social Work program, Natalie’s advocacy and writing have been featured in Forbes, USA Today, and The New York Daily News. Today, she supports clients nationwide through her 1:1 coaching and psychotherapy practice, and when she’s not working, you’ll find her exploring Maui with her dog Franklin or planning her next adventure.

Natalie’s Social Media: @NatalieDiazWellness, www.NatalieDiazWellness.com

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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

Licensed therapist and career coach Natalie Diaz joins Into the Mud to share her bold leap from New York’s relentless corporate grind to building a slower, more intentional life and practice in Maui. In this first half of a two-part conversation, Natalie opens up about healing her nervous system, unlearning hustle culture, and creating a career that prioritizes people over profits. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, when Drew and Alex step into the hot seat for some real-time coaching with Natalie.

Bio: Natalie Diaz is a Maui-based licensed therapist and career coach who helps driven professionals reclaim their time, energy, and clarity—so they can prioritize what matters most: their health, relationships, and creating a life they don’t need a vacation from. Her approach blends strategic planning with deep inner work, guiding clients to unlearn hustle culture, redefine success on their own terms, and design lives rooted in presence, purpose, and peace.

Before launching her coaching and mental health practice, Natalie spent over a decade in New York City climbing the corporate ladder as a Chief of Staff and real estate executive. Though outwardly “successful,” she felt burned out and unfulfilled, ultimately leaving behind a lucrative career to pursue work aligned with her values. A graduate of Williams College and NYU’s Master of Social Work program, Natalie’s advocacy and writing have been featured in Forbes, USA Today, and The New York Daily News. Today, she supports clients nationwide through her 1:1 coaching and psychotherapy practice, and when she’s not working, you’ll find her exploring Maui with her dog Franklin or planning her next adventure.

Natalie’s Social Media: @NatalieDiazWellness, www.NatalieDiazWellness.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

What if certainty or uncertainty isn’t a strength… but a trap?

On this week's episode, comedian AJ Marroquin joins Drew and Alex to unpack growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, walking away from blind faith, and how that early conditioning shaped his identity, relationships, and career working inside dating apps. From door-to-door evangelizing to decoding modern dating behavior, this episode explores the tension between knowing exactly what you want and realizing you might not know yourself at all. 

Bio: AJ Marroquin is a New York-based comedian and writer. Originally from Chicago, he performs stand-up and has worked in the dating app industry for several years, focusing on trust and safety, user behavior, and online interactions.

AJ's Social Media: @AJDeluxe

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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

Alex Wong is a wildly successful performer and an unapologetic optimist—and this week, the hosts try to figure out how he does it. While Into the Mud usually dives headfirst into life’s messes, Alex W. brings a calm, clear-eyed approach that feels like an antidote to the mud. Alex K. and Drew tend to fall into the familiar trap of “compare = despair,” but this week, Alex W. gently flips the script, offering a perspective where comparison becomes a source of inspiration instead of shame. In a moment when the world feels like it’s constantly ending, this episode is a much-needed palate cleanser—grounded, joyful, and full of practical wisdom for staying light without floating away.

Bio: Born in Canada, Alex Wong began his tap and jazz training at age seven before starting ballet at ten with Vancouver’s Goh Ballet Academy. He quickly made a name for himself—winning two Junior World Titles in Tap and Showdance in 2000, earning the Royal Academy of Dance Solo Seal, and claiming the Bronze Medal and Audience Choice Award at the 2003 Genee Competition. In 2004, he became the first Canadian to win the prestigious Prix de Lausanne, subsequently joining the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company and soon after Miami City Ballet, rising to soloist by 2007. His extensive repertoire includes leading roles in Balanchine’s Symphony in Three Movements, Agon, Western Symphony, The Nutcracker, Twyla Tharp’s Push Comes to Shove and In the Upper Room, Mark Morris’s Silhouettes, Paul Taylor’s Funny Papers, and classic works by Bournonville, Dolin, Mills, and Villela.

In 2009, Alex auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance, reaching the Top 20 before contractual issues forced his exit—then returned in 2010 to reach the Top 10, only to be sidelined by a snapped Achilles tendon during a Bollywood routine. After intensive surgery, recovery, and another Achilles injury, he pivoted to commercial and theatrical work—joining NBC’s Smash, Glee, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol (Hollywood semi-finals), and signing with Bloc Talent Agency. He made his Broadway debut in Disney’s Newsies (as “Sniper”), contributed to Emmy-winning routines, released his first dance single “Crave,” and appeared in film/TV (The Greatest Showman, Fosse/Verdon, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), continued as a recurring SYTYCD All-Star, and remains a major figure in dance and social media.

Alex’s Social Media: @AlexDWong, www.TheAlexWong.com

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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

Pride means something different to everyone—and sometimes, figuring out what it means to you can feel a little messy. On this week’s episode, Aidan Wharton gets muddy about what Pride really means—outside of corporate floats, circuit parties, and Instagram carousels. As a Broadway actor, writer, and founder of the popular Substack "Gay Buffet," Aidan brings humor and heart to a thoughtful conversation about identity, community friction, and finding your own way to celebrate queerness. From the beauty of queer joy to the anxiety of not fitting into “the right kind” of Pride, this episode honors the messy, personal journey of discovering what Pride looks like for you. Whether you're partying in Fire Island or quietly walking Christopher Street alone, you're not doing it wrong as long as it brings you joy and hope. 

Bio: Aidan is an actor, writer, and the creator of Gay Buffet, a popular Substack newsletter serving up thoughtful Queer takes on sex, culture, and self-improvement. Though technically born in Seattle, his family relocated to a yurt in rural Hawaii when he was six months old, and he spent his childhood running through the jungle, reading, and cultivating a wildly active imagination.

After earning a degree in Musical Theatre from Penn State, Aidan performed on Broadway, in national tours, and on regional stages across the country in Girl From the North Country, Wicked, Footloose, and more. He also appeared in films such as Fire Island and Bros. During this time, he also worked with the NYC Pride March and then launched Gay Buffet as a way to raise awareness and funds for LGBTQ+ nonprofits while building Queer community. What began as a creative outlet has since grown into a robust community rooted in kindness, critical thinking, and unapologetic Queer joy. 

Aidan’s Social Media: gaybuffet.substack.com or follow along on IG: @aidanwharton

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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

When it comes to fertility, the fine print is often emotional, financial, and painfully unclear. This week on Into the Mud intersectional health educator, Justine Ang Fonte, gets muddy about the murky world of egg freezing—where empowerment meets confusion, hope meets debt, and no one tells you the full story. In this honest and detailed conversation, Justine breaks down her emotionally and financially taxing experience navigating the so-called "insurance policy" of fertility preservation. We hope this episode offers clarity and community for anyone considering—or currently in—the egg freezing process. If you’ve ever felt like reproduction is a race against time with no clear rules, this one's for you.

Bio: Justine Ang Fonte, M.Ed, MPH is the child of Philippine immigrants and award-winning sex educator, consultant, and professor. Justine has been featured in The NYTimes, The Atlantic, Glamour, and Hulu docuseries, Planet Sex. On Instagram, she's "Your Friendly Ghostwriter" composing the texts you avoid sending about setting your boundaries. She is the author and voice of the Audible Original, "How To Talk To Your Kids About Sex."

Justine’s Social Media: @ImJustineAF, www.JustineFonte.com

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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

In this special crossover episode between Into the Mud and Well… Adjusting, anxiety takes center stage—and everyone brings their own flavor. Robin's spiraling about parenting. Steph’s contemplating the apocalypse. Drew’s afraid of gay men (yes, really). And Alex feels like she's waiting on biopsy results. From identity crises to career meltdowns, parenting panic to the soul-crushing anxiety of an underwear party, this group therapy session dives deep—and comes up laughing. It's gay panic meets emotional survival, and nobody leaves un-muddied.

Well…Adjusting Podcast: Join author, actor, and unapologetically funny lady Robin Hopkins as she guides guests through setting boundaries, managing stress, scoring a new apartment, or just saving a buck for retirement (if that’s even still a thing). With her disarming wit and candid approach, Robin gets to the heart of what’s really behind all that self-sabotaging. Well…Adjusting isn’t NPR, and it’s not here to fix your life with credentials. It’s honest, relatable talk about the real issues Gen Z’ers and Millennials face today—and did we mention it’s funny?

Audio mixed by Maria Passingham: @m.passingham

Robin Hopkins (@RealRobHops): is a published writer, actress, podcast host, and former stand-up comic known for her mix of brutal honesty and big laughs. She’s the author of the award-winning book If These Ovaries Could Talk, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, HuffPost, and Mother Mag. Robin currently hosts Well... Adjusting and Dear Headspace.

Steph Colbourn (@StephColbourn): is the founder and CEO of Edit Audio, a global podcast production company led by women, trans, and non-binary creatives. A champion for equity in audio, Steph produces acclaimed shows, leads industry trainings, and volunteers with community-based justice initiatives—all while hanging out with their dog, Chef.

Edit Audio (@EditAud.io): is a women-, trans-, and non-binary-led podcast production company creating smart, inclusive audio across the US, Canada, and the UK. With clients like GitHub, Harper’s Bazaar, and the Google News Initiative, Edit Audio also produces original series, including the Ambie-nominated Date With Daddy.

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

Happy Pride! To kick off their Pride Month celebration, Into the Mud sits down with Hitesh Tolani and Matt Atkins from the viral social movement @GaysOfNationalParks — a community where queer folks are finding friendship, healing, and love in nature. From loneliness and late bloomers to sweaty mountaintop revelations, this convo is everything listeners didn’t know they needed. Grab your boots, ditch the apps, and take a hike — literally.

Gays of National Parks (GONP) is a grassroots storytelling collective and outdoor community dedicated to creating safe, joyful, and inclusive spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals in nature. Originally launched as an Instagram page for queer hikers to share their personal stories, the platform has grown into a vibrant, real-world movement—hosting group trips to national parks, collaborating with queer artists, and building lasting connections across identities and geographies. With a focus on vulnerability, visibility, and belonging, GONP helps reclaim the outdoors as a third space for queer joy, healing, and community.

Social Media: @GaysOfNationalParks, www.GaysOfNationalParks.com

Personal Social Media: @HiteshTolani and @MattB.Atkins

Trips: In addition to sharing powerful community stories online, Gays of National Parks also organizes real-life group trips to national parks across the U.S. — including Yosemite, Big Bend, and Joshua Tree. These trips are open to LGBTQ+ participants from all walks of life and are designed to foster deep connection, self-exploration, and queer joy in the wild. Some spots are paid, while others are stipend-funded for those in need. Upcoming trips and applications are available at gaysnationalparks.com (or their IG bio!).

Merch: The stunning GONP T-shirts (featured in this episode!) are designed by a queer California-based artist named Ross, who brings LGBTQ+ history to life through wearable art. Each design reflects the spirit and story of historic queer spaces — like Marshall’s Beach, a famously gay site in San Francisco that helped inspire the rainbow flag. Proceeds from merch support both the artist and grants for trip participants. Shop the collection at gaysnationalparks.com/merch.

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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

Don’t worry—we didn’t ghost you. We're just stuck in a chaotic love triangle with corrupted audio files and a cursed laptop. So this week, instead of our usual muddy deep dive, you’re getting a quick little check-in from the swamp. Updates, teasers, a dash of chaos, and a gentle plea to show us some love on socials while we get our mud together. Stay strong, #MuddyBuddies!

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

Broadway star, Olivier Award winner and Drama Desk nominee Lesli Margherita joins Into the Mud for a hilarious and heartfelt conversation about rejection—and how she’s turned it into a superpower. With her signature wit and unfiltered honesty, Lesli shares how comedy has helped her survive (and thrive) in one of the most brutal industries out there. It’s a masterclass in resilience, delivered with a wink, a stunning Italian smile, and a perfectly timed punchline.

Bio: Lesli Margherita is an Olivier Award winner for her West End debut as Inez in Zorro the Musical. She made her Broadway debut originating the role of Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda the Musical, performing over 1,000 shows before returning to close out its Broadway run. She also starred as diva Mona Kent in Dames at Sea at the Helen Hayes.

Off-Broadway, Lesli earned critical acclaim for her performances in Emojiland and the one-woman holiday comedy Who’s Holiday, which earned her Drama Desk, Lortel, and Off-Broadway Alliance nominations.

On screen, she has appeared in “Homeland” (Showtime), “Transparent” (Amazon), “Seven Seconds” (Netflix), “Instinct” (CBS), and “The Crew” (Netflix), as well as the film The Many Saints of Newark and Opening Night. Her voice work includes Cinderella III (Disney) and “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon).

Her regional theater credits span Guys & Dolls, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Kiss Me Kate, Spamalot, Little Shop of Horrors, and Show Boat, among others.

Lesli is the creator of Broadway.com’s “Looks Not Books” and “Ship Happens,” and the digital short series Sparklepuff. Her solo shows Rule, Broad, and This Broad’s Way continue to tour nationally, and her debut live album Rule Your Kingdom is available on all digital platforms.

Lesli’s Social Media: @QueenLesli and www.LesliMargherita.com

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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

Broadway actor, composer and playwright Douglas Lyons joins Drew and Alex for a conversation about breaking out of boxes—both the ones that life puts us in and the ones we create for ourselves. From actor to writer to full creative force, Douglas shares how career expansion starts with reclaiming autonomy, building your own voice, and refusing to wait for permission. If you've ever felt stuck, overlooked, or underestimated—this one’s for you.

Bio: Douglas is a multi-hyphenated Emmy and GLAAD nominated artist. His Broadway and Touring acting credits include:  The revival of Parade, Beautiful, The Book of Mormon, Dreamgirls and Rent. He made his Broadway playwriting debut in 2021 with Chicken and Biscuits and his most recent work, Table 17, will head to Los Angeles’ Geffen Playhouse this Fall - after winning two Audelco awards and earning multiple Lucille Lortel, Drama League and Outer Critics nominations for it's Off-Broadway premiere at MCC. His TV/film work includes two seasons as a writer on Apple TV’s Fraggle Rock. And he’s currently penning the film adaptation of the Broadway classic Big River. 

Douglas’ Social Media: Douglaslyons.net @Chocolatehipster.

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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

Why do we glorify alcohol but demonize mushrooms? This week, Drew and Alex get muddy about psychedelics—sharing the highs, the lows, and the life-changing lessons learned from their groovy trips. From laughing fits to ego deaths, they explore how psilocybin has helped them heal, and why it’s time we rethink the stigma around this powerful, natural medicine. What if Nixon hadn’t shut it all down with the war on drugs? Where would the invaluable research on psychedelic mental health have taken us to today?

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

What happens when your hairline fades but your confidence levels rise? This week, Drew and Alex sit down with viral sensation and bald baddy Ben Russell Lynch to get muddy about vanity, aging, and self-image in a world obsessed with youth. Ben opens up about his journey with alopecia, the creation of his online persona, and how embracing his baldness turned into a movement. From pop songs to punchlines, Ben proves that being BALD—Baddie Addie Little Diva—isn’t a flaw, it’s a flex.

Bio: Ben Russell-Lynch, originally from Midland, MI moved to NYC with a B.A. in Musical Theatre, from Oakland University, to pursue his dream of being a performer.  While there he worked on National Tours, Cruise Ships, and Regional Theater stages.  Much like many performers, the pandemic shifted Ben's attention to TikTok as a new creative outlet. He soon realized that embracing his hair loss with humor—through silly, sassy, and playful content—could bring smiles to millions!  As @b.e.n_rl on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat, he’s amassed over 5 million followers and garners 90 million views each month. These days, the show must go on in front of a ring light instead of a spotlight with hair transformations, role-play livestreams, and never ending hair flips!

Ben’s Social Media: @b.e.n_rl, www.BaldBRL.com

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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 intimacy isn’t one-size-fits-all, and never was? What if it doesn’t have to come from love or even from a relationship? And what is the price, literally and figuratively?

Award-winning writer, performer, and Intimacy Idiot author Isaac Oliver joins Into the Mud to get honest about “transactional intimacy”… the kind we’re taught to judge, but rarely investigate. From his work on GLOW, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to his own deeply personal experiences, Isaac explores how paying for connection can feel safer, more controlled, and sometimes even more honest than traditional dating.

If intimacy can be paid for, performed, withheld, or earned… who actually gets to decide what counts? And when those lines start to blur, what are we really protecting ourselves from and who gets left out entirely?

Bio: Isaac Oliver is an award-winning playwright, author, and performer known for his sharp wit and deeply human explorations of intimacy, identity, and connection. He is the author of the acclaimed essay collection Intimacy Idiot, which chronicles his experiences navigating love, sex, and loneliness in New York City. Isaac has written for television, including HBO’s High Maintenance, Netflix’s GLOW, and Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and his work extends to the stage, including Just in Time, currently playing on Broadway starring Jonathan Groff. His work has been celebrated across theater and literary spaces for its humor, vulnerability, and emotional precision, and as both a storyteller and performer, he continues to challenge how we think about relationships, desire, and what it means to truly connect.

Isaac’s Social Media: @MrIsaacOliver

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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

It’s getting steamy and political this week when Drew and Alex sit down with Rebecca Fasman, curator at the Kinsey Institute, to talk about sex, sexuality, and the decrepit state of sexual education in America. From the ongoing attacks on Planned Parenthood to the dismantling of the Department of Education, it’s a bleak time for reproductive rights and comprehensive sex ed—and the hosts aren't afraid to say so. But through shared stories, laughter, and a conversation with one of the most respected sex-positive institutions in the country, this episode offers both catharsis and clarity. Let’s talk about sex, baby!

Bio: Rebecca Fasman is the Curator for the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington. She holds an MA in Museum Studies from New York University and a BA in Visual and Critical Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Rebecca has spent the last 20 years working in museums and art institutions, including but not limited to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York City), the National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC),

Deutsche Bank (New York City), and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Her curatorial practice views art, creativity, sex, and sexuality as lenses through which we can understand more about the nature of humanity, with the ultimate goal of wanting everyone to live the happiest, healthiest, most connected, and opportunity-filled lives they can.

Rebecca’s Social Media: @RFasman, www.KinseyInstitute.org

Crash Course: @CrashCourse (YouTube), www.TheCrashCourse.com

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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

This week, Drew and Alex get messy with a topic stirring up muddy waters all across the art world: AI-generated art. Their guest, Turkish-American artist Sarp Kerem Yavuz, helps unpack the fear, fascination, and controversy surrounding this new medium. The hosts come in skeptical—concerned about creativity, ethics, and artistic integrity—but Sarp brings some wildly compelling analogies that start to shift their perspective. Is AI art a threat, or just another tool in the artist’s ever-evolving toolkit?

Bio: The works of Sarp Kerem Yavuz reclaim Orientalist imagery and bring the visual legacy of the Middle East into the present. Through photography, sculpture, and digital art, he creates visually provocative works of art in pursuit of peaceful coexistence.

Born in Paris in 1991 and raised in Istanbul, his works explore gender, politics, religion, and violence. In 2013, he became the youngest artist to exhibit and be included in the permanent collection of the Istanbul Modern Museum. His artworks are published in Turkey: Istanbul CODEX, and the Boys! book benefitting the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

His works are also included in The Luciano Benetton Collection as part of Imago Mundi, the permanent collections of the CICA Museum in South Korea, the Norton Museum in Florida, the Allen Memorial Art Museum and the Transformer Station in Ohio, the Polaroid (Impossible Project) Collection in Berlin, the Leslie Lohman Museum of Art in New York, and the Soho House Collection. He lives and works in New York.

Sarp’s Social Media: @SarpKeremYavuz and www.Sarp.info

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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

There’s a moment in every go-getter’s life when the spark dims, the path forward feels foggy, and everything feels stale. As Steven Pressfield says, “Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will perjure, fabricate… it will assume any form.” But, try not to give in!

This week on Into the Mud, Alex sits in the thick of her career plateau—frustrated, questioning, but still searching. What does it look like to stay open when everything feels stagnant? And how do you keep going when you’re not sure what “going” even means?

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.

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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

The heels are high and the stakes are higher. On this week of Into the Mud, we're joined by drag queen and activist Cacophony Daniels (also known as Broadway performer, Courter Simmons) to talk about drag bans, rising anti-LGBTQ legislation, and the fight to stay visible and vocal in a shifting political climate. From challenging toxic masculinity to pushing back against the new wave of Trump-era censorship, Cacophony gets loud, proud, and unapologetically muddy.

Bio: Cacophony Daniels (aka Courter Simmons) performs internationally as an actor, singer, and drag queen. Broadway credits include Jersey Boys (Bob Crewe, Frankie Valli Standby Final Company)). Off-Broadway credits include Jersey Boys (Frankie Valli). Television credits include Last Week Tonight and Mysteries of Laura, and film credits include The Producers. His live-singing drag alter-ego, Cacophony Daniels, has been seen in Provincetown, Fire Island, New York, and all over the world with Atlantis Cruises. Drag is not a crime! 

Cacophony’s Social Media: @cacophonydaniels

Courter’s Social Media: @courtersimmons, www.CourterSimmons.com.

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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

What happens when you reach the top of the corporate ladder, only to realize it’s leaning against the wrong wall? Mike Lemire — Drew’s childhood friend who crushed it in the corporate tech world — realized that success at the top wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Mike walked away from the corporate hustle at the height of his career and now runs his own consulting firm, Harmonic Leadership, hoping to redefine success on his own terms. It’s a deep dive into the messy, scary, and ultimately liberating process of letting go when the big fancy gigs stop serving your soul.

Bio: Mike Lemire is the founder of Harmonic Leadership, with over 15 years of experience in leadership roles within tech and SaaS companies. He specializes in helping leaders improve their executive presence, decision-making, and team dynamics.

Mike started his career in the music industry. After studying music at Berklee College of Music, he began working with the marketing team at Blue Note Records. From there, he worked with an impressive slate of entertainment industry clients, ranging from EMI Classics to Focus Features and the Florida Panthers. He then went on to run Account Management programs for Yahoo!, overseeing the launch of Yahoo India in Bangalore and developing policy around political advertising during the 2008 election.

HubSpot is truly where Mike grew up professionally. While there, he launched the Professional Services team, working with executives from small businesses to Fortune 100 enterprises. After HubSpot's IPO, Mike went on to launch the Customer Success, Support, and Onboarding teams at Notarize.

In 2018, Mike joined the leadership team at Toast, tasked with creating a more scalable customer success team. He focused on data, operational excellence, and culture to help Toast scale from 10,000 customers to over 100,000. After Toast's IPO, he explored the world of AI in the healthcare space by joining Overjet as their VP of Customer Success. While there, he found his passion and skill for coaching and launched Harmonic Leadership in 2024.

Mike’s Social Media: www.HarmonicLeadership.co, @BiggestMike.

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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

How do you learn to trust yourself — especially when your brain won’t sit still? This week on Into the Mud, comedian Emma Willmann gets muddy about learning to trust yourself — and maybe starting an underground peptide ring? Emma’s hysterical tangents take Drew and Alex on a wild ride, but between the black-market schemes and nonstop laughs, there’s some real wisdom about listening to your gut and trusting your intuition. 

Bio: Emma Willmann is one of New York City’s top comedians, and perhaps one of the only dyslexic-gender-wiggly-comics-with-ADHD from Blue Hill, Maine. Emma gets to tell jokes nightly at The Comedy Cellar, on Netflix’s: The Comedy Line Up, Comedy Central, and is one of the few comics ever to have multiple appearances onThe Late Show with Stephan Colbert. All of which has earned Emma a spot on Caroline’s 10 Funniest Comics, Just For Laughs: New Faces, and TimeOut’s 10 Funniest Women in NYC. Emma’s mom is “really proud of all of this but doesn’t like comedy.”

Emma’s Social Media: @EmmaWillmann, www.IAmEmmaWillmann.com

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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

Time to get muddy with another “Drew and Alex” episode—no guests, no distractions, just two people avoiding conflict by… talking about conflict avoidance.

Do you ghost instead of confront? Apologize when you’re not sorry? Pretend everything’s fine while your eye twitches? Same, same. This week, Drew and Alex are diving into why we do this, how it messes us up, and maybe—just maybe—how to do better. Or at least how to fake it more convincingly.

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, 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

What happens when you call off a long-term engagement, abandon your comforts and have to start all over again? That's right; this week we're getting muddy about breakups with stand-up comedian, Caitlin Peluffo. Join us as we talk about the messy, uncomfortable, and oddly invigorating experience of embracing singlehood post-partnership. 

Bio: Originally hailing from San Francisco, Caitlin Peluffo is a stand up comedian living in New York City. This lovable loose cannon made her network television debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, was featured on the Late Late Show with James Corden, and has been seen on CBS's After Midnight, as well as Comedy Central's 'Featuring' series.' She was named a 2022 Just for Laughs New Face and appeared on the JFL Network. She opens regularly for Matteo Lane and Fortune Feimster and is a regular in the NYC comedy scene performing in clubs like The Comedy Cellar, New York Comedy Club, and Gotham Comedy Clubs. Her debut album, Dirty Bird, hit number one on the Comedy charts 3 days in a row and can be heard on Spotify, and Sirius XM.

Caitlin’s Social Media: @CaitlinPeluffo, www.CaitlinPeluffo.com

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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

Dating in your 30s and 40s: a battleground where red flags wave like carnival banners, self-love battles with self-sabotage, and the phrase ‘I know what I want’ gets tested daily. Now, imagine navigating all of that while grieving the loss of your mother. This week, we’re diving into the wild, heartfelt, and sometimes deeply chaotic world of love, loss, and gooning (yes, we go there) with comedian Gus Constantellis. He’s a first-gen Greek-American figuring out what he wants while holding space for both laughter and grief. So buckle up, grab your emotional support tzatziki, and get ready to wade Into the Mud.

Bio: Gus Constantellis (he/they) is a gay, first generation Greek-American stand up comedian and writer. His material deals heavily with his large immigrant family, his Greek heritage, raunchy yet relatable dating stories, and his unique perspective on growing up in Brooklyn. He regularly tours across the country and internationally and recently released a Comedy Central featuring set. He's written for several children's shows on Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Netflix, including THE LION GUARD, RAINBOW RANGERS, ABBY HATCHER and GABBY'S DOLLHOUSE.

Gus’ Social Media: @ConstantlyGus

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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

This week, comedian Casey Balsham wades into the existential muck of morality, asking the age-old question: Am I a good person? Spoiler alert: the answer is as messy, hilarious, and debatable as you'd expect.

Bio: Casey Balsham is a stand-up comedian living and breathing in New York City.

You’ve seen her at various clubs all over the country and as a regular at New York Comedy Club and Gotham. You've heard her as the host of the Shady Shit Podcast on Dear Media. Casey has also been featured on Gotham Comedy Live, Lifetime, Tidal's No Small Talk Series and in a Monistat commercial you can only find online. Her debut album "Son of a Barb" hit number one on the iTunes charts and can be streamed on Spotify and Pandora.

Casey’s Social Media: @CaseFaceB, www.CaseyBalsham.com

Casey’s Podcasts: Never Not Tired, It's Broadway, Bitch

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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

What if gratitude isn’t a feeling… but a discipline you have to practice every single day? Broadway performer turned licensed therapist Jenifer Foote joins Drew and Alex to unpack what gratitude actually looks like in real life. Not the Instagram version, but the messy, intentional practice of staying present when the mind is spiraling and life feels out of control.

Together, they explore interrupting negative self-talk, building self-worth beyond career validation, and using gratitude as a tool for resilience through rejection, insecurity, and uncertainty. This conversation is not about pretending everything is fine. It is about meeting life as it is and finding a way to move through it with clarity, humor, and just enough grace to keep going. 

Bio: Jenifer Foote is a licensed marriage and family therapist and former Broadway performer with an extraordinary career spanning over a dozen Broadway productions, including Tootsie and On the Twentieth Century. A former Radio City Rockette, she has built a reputation as both a dynamic performer and a deeply grounded mental health professional.

Now the founder of Spotlight on Therapy, Jenifer integrates her background in performance with evidence-based therapeutic practices to help clients build resilience, self-awareness, and emotional clarity. Her work includes a strong commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ clients, creating an affirming space for identity exploration, healing, and growth. Known for her warmth, insight, and unwavering optimism, she brings a uniquely holistic perspective to conversations around mental health and personal development.

Jenifer’s Website: www.SpotlightOnTherapy.com

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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

This week on Into the Mud, we dive into the messy intersection of creativity and commercial art with accomplished Broadway performer, Khori Michelle Petinaud. While questioning the industry’s grip on her artistry and creativity, Khori finds a way to beautifully navigate the tension between financial stability and genuine creative fulfillment. We are thrilled to have this conversation with Khori as she actively redefines what “success” in a brutal industry means on her own terms. Join us for an honest, thought-provoking conversation about art, ambition, and staying true to what moves you.

Bio: Khori Petinaud is a NYC based performer, educator, wife, mama and lover of all things dance! Credits include Aladdin the Musical (OBC), Moulin Rouge the Musical (OBC), Chicago the Musical, Lempicka (OBC) and her principal debut in the company of Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ where she landed a Chita Rivera Award nomination (Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway show) as well as a win (Outstanding Ensemble in a Bway show)! 

Some other credits include Black Swan, In the Heights (Kennedy Center), The Color Purple (Nat. Tour), King Kong, American Dance Machine, and Freddie Falls in Love ( Signature Theater: Al Blackstone). Tv credits include: Up Here (Hulu), Rent: Live (FOX) , The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) ,Vinyl (HBO), The Knick (Cinemax), and Z:The Beginning of Everything (Amazon). 

Khori’s Social Media: @Kmr8787 (Insta) and @Khori_Petinaud (TikTok)

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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

This week, we’re getting muddy about the next four years—because, let’s be real, the political forecast is looking pretty swampy. As “hippy dippy socially conscious NYC” Democrats, we’re grappling with what a second Trump term could mean and how to stay engaged without losing our minds. Grab your boots—it’s about to get messy.

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, 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

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 39.9 million people worldwide are currently living with HIV and a rough estimate of 1.5 million new cases are reported each year. With such high numbers , how is there still so much stigma and misinformation surrounding the topic of HIV and AIDS? On this week’s episode, queer nightlife and portrait photographer, John Lagucki, shares their journey of breaking down fear and misinformation, leaning into empathy, and the truth about what it means to live with or support someone affected by HIV.

Bio: John Lagucki is a New York City based fundraiser and portrait photographer. Working at nonprofit organizations around NYC, John is driven by sustaining the arts and helping organizations reach their fullest potential supporting diverse communities. As a photographer, John recently received a Glam Award nomination for Best Nightlife Photographer. Inspired by photographers from the 80s and 90s, John's photography has been described as "timeless gay photography". You can find his work on Instagram: @johnlagucki.

John’s Social Media: @JohnLagucki and www.JohnLagucki.com

Resource: for free and/ or affordable STI testing and PREP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), text TESTNYC to 55676.

Resource: Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS (BCEFA), www.BroadwayCares.org

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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

Imagine waking up one morning, looking at yourself in the mirror, and suddenly noticing that one side of your face is paralyzed. Is it a stroke? Is this permanent? Why do I not look like myself? How terrifying and shocking. 

This is the exact circumstance that has fallen on Broadway actress, Mamie Parris, and unfortunately, this is not her first rodeo with the medical phenomenon known as Bell’s palsy. Most cases of this temporary facial paralysis can resolve itself within a few short weeks, but for Mamie, she is approaching a year. Tune in this week to hear her remarkable story of resilience, patience and strength while confronting this challenging chapter of her life.

Bio: Mamie Parris has developed a diverse and unique body of work throughout her extensive career. Best known on Broadway for her one-of-a-kind rendition of the iconic “Memory” she is no stranger to the work of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, having starred as Grizabella in the Broadway revival of Cats, as Rosalie (closing cast) and Patty (opening cast) in Broadway’s School of Rock, and- most recently- in the US Premier of the Lloyd Webber retrospective Unmasked. Other Broadway appearances include the Tony-nominated revivals of Ragtime, 110 In The Shade, and On The 20th Century, as well as the Tony winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone. Her film and television credits include The Blacklist, State of Affairs, A Standup Guy and PBS Great Performances "50 Years of Broadway's Best". 

Across the country, she appeared as Elphaba in the First National Tour of fan-favorite Wicked, as well as performing with the touring companies of Legally Blonde and Dolly Parton’s 9 To 5. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Mamie attended the Paseo Academy of the Arts in Kansas City, Missouri, before graduating from the American Musical and Dramatic academy in New York City. She resides in New York City with her husband, Johnathan, and shih tsu mix, Cookie.

Mamie’s Social Media: @MamieParrisOfficial, www.MamieParris.com

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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