Folgen

  • A Look Back at Lisa Howard and Defining Success on Her Own Terms in Broadway Musicals

    A Look Back at Lisa Howard and Defining Success on Her Own Terms in Broadway Musicals
    Feb 20 2026
    After working with Lisa Howard in 2022 on a production of 42nd Street at Goodspeed in Connecticut, she sat down with me the following year to chat about her career and of course reminisce about our time together doing that show. She is so spirited and cheerful, and that’s reason enough to love this conversation. But what made it so memorable is how she pulls the curtain way back and reveals the trials and tribulations of putting a new show together, some more successfully than others. Because for nearly twenty years, Lisa Howard has made a career out of originating roles on Broadway from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee to 9 to 5 and Escape to Margaritaville. She shares what it’s like to survive a rehearsal process that feels impossible, to be part of a show the cast loves even when the critics don’t, and to help shape a piece of theatre while it’s still trying to figure out what it is. And then we discuss a topic everyone asks her about, but this time in a way that lets her define the story for herself. Follow Lisa: Website / IBDB / Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    1 Std. und 12 Min.
  • A Look Back at Geoffrey Owens and the Dignity of Work Beyond Broadway and Television

    A Look Back at Geoffrey Owens and the Dignity of Work Beyond Broadway and Television
    Feb 13 2026
    I think most of us actors hope to be in a hit Broadway show or a popular film or highly rated TV show. But for those actors lucky enough to be in one, it can sometimes be all you’re known for and all your other work either goes unnoticed or forgotten. For example, you’ll hear from Anthony Rapp in a few weeks, that even with all he’s done onscreen and onstage, for most of us he will forever be Mark in the Broadway musical Rent. Now I imagine, that must be immensely rewarding to be in a show like that that made such an impact, but some days I’m sure it can be a little frustrating to feel like the world only sees one piece of what you do. That certainly applies to a guest I talked to back in 2021, Geoffrey Owens. I was so excited when he agreed to come on the podcast. I mean, I grew up watching him and the Huxtable family every Thursday night on The Cosby Show. And yes, in this episode we address the shocking downfall of the man once called “America’s Dad” and the toxic figure that Bill Cosby has become. But it was only after doing research for our interview that I discovered all the work he’s done on Broadway and in Hollywood. But then there was the photo of him working at Trader Joe’s that went viral in 2018, which made people see him (and actors in general) in a new light. Geoffrey was an absolute joy to talk to as he shared openly about judgment, perception, and how he’s maintained integrity and focus in a world that’s quick to reduce people to headlines. He shows us that patience and perspective matter more than recognition, and that steady effort always counts. --- Links and References: ⁠Huxtable family watches "I Have a Dream"⁠ • ⁠Carsey/Werner Production⁠ • ⁠Alvin Poussaint Interview⁠ • ⁠Claire sets Elvin straight⁠ Follow Geoffrey: Website / Instagram / IMDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    1 Std. und 26 Min.
  • A Look Back at John McGinty and His Persistence as a Deaf Actor on the Broadway Stage

    A Look Back at John McGinty and His Persistence as a Deaf Actor on the Broadway Stage
    Feb 6 2026
    As Why I’ll Never Make It approaches its tenth season, this special retrospective looks back at ten conversations that helped shape the podcast and transformed a simple interview into a meaningful message for us all. This episode features John McGinty, a deaf actor who lost his hearing at a young age and initially headed toward a career in finance, but theater kept calling him back. In this conversation, he shares the realities of auditioning and performing in an industry so dependent on sound and timing, and what it means to pursue this work on his own terms rather than stepping away from it. Recorded in 2018, this episode was also the first video interview ever produced for the podcast, with an ASL interpreter present to ensure the conversation could be fully seen and heard. John talks about making his Broadway debut in the revival of Children of a Lesser God, being the first deaf actor to play Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Sacramento Music Circus, and continuing to push for greater access and representation in the arts. It’s an honest look at a career shaped not by limitation, but by commitment—and by the belief that this industry can expand when artists insist on being included. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    1 Std.
  • What Does “Making It” Even Mean? — A Look Back at Ten Conversations

    What Does “Making It” Even Mean? — A Look Back at Ten Conversations
    Feb 2 2026
    As Why I’ll Never Make It approaches its tenth season, this special retrospective looks back at ten conversations that helped shape this podcast in meaningful and profound ways. Since 2017, this has been a place to talk honestly about a career built on uncertainty, rejection, hope, and persistence. And over time, it’s become something far more personal than I ever expected—a place where success is never the most interesting part of the story. This revisit isn’t some “best of” series or a collection of the biggest names. These episodes feature artists who showed up with honesty and openness, sharing the setbacks, questions, and quiet work it takes to keep going. Across the next several weeks, you’ll hear voices like Anthony Rapp, J. Harrison Ghee, Ann Harada, Lynn Nottage, and others whose stories still resonate, reminding us why these conversations matter and why they’re worth hearing again as we head into season ten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    4 Min.
  • Kate Baldwin Looks For Creative Purpose Beyond Just Performing (REWIND)

    Kate Baldwin Looks For Creative Purpose Beyond Just Performing (REWIND)
    Jan 10 2026
    This past fall 2025 I got to see two of my favorite leading ladies on stage. The first was Christine Sherrill, who was making her Broadway debut in Mamma Mia. She and I had first worked together in the out-of-town tryout for First Wives Club back in 2015 that ran for about a month and a half in Chicago. But due to various factors that show never ended up coming to New York. Nonetheless, Christine was so great in that show. And she brought that same energy and vocal power to the role of Donna in Mamma Mia as well. The second leading lady I got to see was also someone I had worked with before in 42nd Street at Goodspeed in Connecticut. Now, she wasn’t making her Broadway debut, but she was playing a character for the first time: Roxie Hart in the long-running musical Chicago. She has about another month in this role, and so to celebrate her fantastic performance in the show I thought I would replay my conversation from 2022 with this dynamic leading lady...Kate Baldwin --- Why I’ll Never Make It is an independent production of WINMI Media and Patrick Oliver Jones. To support the ongoing efforts of this podcast please ⁠subscribe⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠donate⁠⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    51 Min.
  • Justin Collette Brings Beetlejuice to Life at the Palace Theatre

    Justin Collette Brings Beetlejuice to Life at the Palace Theatre
    Dec 31 2025
    Step inside the dressing room with Beetlejuice's Justin Collette for a behind-the-scenes conversation that’s equal parts bone broth and backstage banter. From the rock riffs of School of Rock to the undead hilarity of Beetlejuice, Justin shares his wild ride from Canadian improv star and punk band frontman to taking center stage on Broadway. We discuss his his technique of “farting with vocal cords” as well as punk bands and improv nights. It's a season finale with backstage stories, audition adventures (including a fire alarm mishap), and heartfelt reflections on leadership, creativity, and finding joy in the moment. --- Why I’ll Never Make It is an independent production of WINMI Media and Patrick Oliver Jones. To support the ongoing efforts of this podcast please ⁠subscribe⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠donate⁠⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    57 Min.
  • Jen Rudolph Helps Actors Focus on the Business of Acting

    Jen Rudolph Helps Actors Focus on the Business of Acting
    Dec 17 2025
    Being an actor requires a constant balancing act between showing up creatively and understanding how the industry actually functions. And Jen Rudolph has spent years operating at the intersection of casting, coaching, and strategy. She shows actors how to become clearer, more intentional collaborators in the room and more viable professionals outside of it. Together we talk about her years as a casting director and the creation of The Actor’s Green Room, where she worked closely with actors in person. This eventually morphed into the online space and the leap to fully digital training with the creation of the 2% Signature System. Jen also gives her honest and sometimes controversial assessment of education, access, and the cost of becoming a more bookable professional. Jen’s insights show us why some actors keep getting called in, keep getting trusted, and keep getting hired. And as a special treat, you get my full conversation with Jen in one single episode, something normally reserved for subscribers, that include auditions stories and the Final Five questions. --- Why I’ll Never Make It is an independent production of WINMI Media and Patrick Oliver Jones. To support the ongoing efforts of this podcast please ⁠subscribe⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠donate⁠⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    1 Std. und 17 Min.
  • David Bushman Proves There’s No Expiration Date on a Theater Career

    David Bushman Proves There’s No Expiration Date on a Theater Career
    Dec 8 2025
    Chicago is now celebrating 29 years on Broadway, with multiple national and international companies as well. And for more than two decades David Bushman has been a part of various Chicago productions around the world. But what makes David’s story remarkable isn’t just his longevity with the show—it’s the path that got him there. We talk about his early days in community theater, his unexpected move from a 17-year ballet career into musical theater, and the fact that he booked his first Broadway contract at the age of 50. He shows that “late bloomers” aren’t late at all—they’re just following a different rhythm. --- Why I’ll Never Make It is an independent production of WINMI Media and Patrick Oliver Jones. To support the ongoing efforts of this podcast please ⁠subscribe⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠donate⁠⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    1 Std. und 30 Min.