Let's Grab Coffee

In this week’s episode I sit down with James King. James King is a musical theatre performer, musician, and the lead singer of James King & the Midnight Hours. In our conversation today we discuss his experiences with theatre growing up in a smaller town and the importance of arts based extra-curricular activities, his training and what he learned from his time in school, as well as how he began writing songs and working as a singer-songwriter. We also discuss how his band James King & the Midnight Hours was formed, the similarities and differences he finds performing in theatre versus when he performs with his band, as well as some upcoming plans for James King & the Midnight Hours and where he hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Chilina Kennedy. Chilina Kennedy is an actor, singer, songwriter, and the Artistic Producer of Eclipse Theatre Company. In our conversation today we discuss how she was introduced to theatre growing up, what she learned from her time in school and her path into the industry, as well as some of her most positive experiences in the theatre industry both in Canada as well as the United States. We also discuss her experiences portraying Carole King in both the Broadway and Mirvish productions of Beautiful: the Carole King Story, how Eclipse Theatre Company was created and her role as Artistic Producer, as well as upcoming projects for Eclipse Theatre and where she hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Alan Kliffer. Alan Kliffer is a Canadian producer, director, and teacher. In our conversation today we recap the various projects he has been a part of over the past year and what he learned from those experiences, his move to New York City and what he has learned from his time there so far, as well as the main similarities and differences he has noticed between the Toronto and New York theatre scenes. We also discuss some of his future plans and goals both in New York as well as Canada, the importance of always continuing to learn and grow as an artist and person, as well as where he hopes to see theatre in Canada and abroad headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Landon Braverman. Landon Braverman is a writer and one of the founders of the Canadian Musical Theatre Writers Collective. In our conversation today we discuss how he was introduced to theatre and the arts, when he began writing and the path he took with his education and development as a writer, as well as what he learned from some of his first experiences in the industry. We also discuss how the CMTWC was created and what he has learned from building the collective, as well as some of his future goals for himself and the CMTWC and where he hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Michael Lomenda. Michael Lomenda is a Canadian actor and writer who has performed both on stage and in film. In our conversation today we discuss his experiences with theatre growing up in a more rural community, his time in school and his path into the industry, as well as what he learned from his mentors and first experiences in the industry. We also discuss his process of auditioning, rehearsing, and starring in both the stage production and film adaptation of Jersey Boys, his transition to film and the main things he learned through the process of filming Jersey Boys, as well as some of his goals and where he hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Michael Rubinoff. Michael Rubinoff is a producer and the Producing Artistic Director at Sheridan College. In our conversation today we recap what he has been working on over the past year, the changes going on at Sheridan College and his new position as producing artistic director, as well as how this year went as planned and what surprised him. We also discuss the Canadian production of Come From Away and how Toronto audiences have responded to it, other productions and future goals for the show, as well as the main things he has learned over the past year and where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.  

In this week’s episode I sit down with Ellen Denny. Ellen Denny is a Toronto based actor and writer. In our conversation today we discuss how she was introduced to theatre, her time in school and the main lessons she took from her time out East, as well as what she learned from some of her first experiences in the industry. We also discuss her time at the Banff Citadel program, how she began writing and her show “Wonder”, as well as future goals for “Wonder” and where she hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Mitchell Cushman. Mitchell Cushman a director and the Artistic Director and founder of Outside the March. In our conversation today we discuss some of his main focuses over the past year, how Outside the March has grown and what he has learned from his experiences with the company, as well as his experience directing Treasure Island at the Stratford Festival. We also discuss his vision and goals for Outside the March, the company’s mentoring program and what they strive to achieve with it, as well as how the industry has shifted and where he hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Robert Gontier. Robert Gontier is a writer, speech coach, and the Professor of Voice and Text at Sheridan College. In our conversation today we discuss how he was introduced to theatre and his path into the many different areas of the industry he is a part of, the main lessons he took from his training, as well as what he has learned from his experiences in the industry. We also discuss what drew him to voice and text work specifically, his process as a writer, collaborator, and teacher, as well where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Kyla Musselman and Jen Thiessen. Kyla Musselman and Jen Thiessen are two Toronto based performers and the creators of the Tits and Teeth podcast. In our conversation today we discuss how they were introduced to theatre, how they met and what their first impressions of each other were, as well as what they have learned from their experiences in the industry. We also discuss their podcast Tits and Teeth, what they have learned about themselves as well as the industry through the creation of their podcast, as well as where they hope to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Mitchell Marcus. Mitchell Marcus is the Artistic and Managing Director of The Musical Stage Company. In our conversation today we catch up on some of the things he has been involved in over the past year, the success of the company’s rebranding and what he has learned from that experience, as well as what surprised him and what went as planned over the past year. We also discuss The Musical Stage Company’s upcoming projects, how the industry has shifted over the past year, as well as where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Julie Tomaino. Julie Tomaino is a performer, choreographer, and director originally from Vancouver BC. In our conversation today we discuss how she began dancing at a very early age, what she learned from her time in school and working in New York, as well as the mentors she has had throughout her career. We also discuss her transition to working more as a choreographer and now director, some of her most positive experiences in the industry and what made them so positive, as well as where she hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Andres Sierra. Andres Sierra is a Toronto based singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor. In our conversation today we discuss how they were first introduced to performing, what made them pursue a career in the arts and what they learned from their time in school, as well as what some of their first experiences in the industry were. We also discuss how they began developing themselves as a singer-songwriter and the advice they would give other artists looking to go down a similar path, some of their most positive experiences so far in the industry, as well as where they see theatre and live performance in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Marc Hallworth. Marc Hallworth is a stand up comedian, sketch writer/performer, improviser, actor, and teacher originally from Calgary. In our conversation today we discuss how he was introduced to the arts, what made him choose to pursue a career in the arts and what he learned from his time in school, as well as the main lessons he took from some of his first experiences in the industry. We also discuss his process when approaching stand up comedy and sketch writing, some of his most positive experiences in the industry and what made them so positive, as well as the advice he would give people looking to get more involved in the world of stand up comedy and where he hopes to see the performing arts in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Chris Tsujiuchi. Chris Tsujiuchi is a performer, cabaret artist, and music director originally from Toronto. In our conversation today we discuss how he began performing and what drew him to the arts, his experiences in school that lead him to pursue a career in theatre, as well as what he learned from his experiences at Sheridan College. We also discuss how he began working in the worlds of cabaret and music direction, his annual Christmas cabaret and the exciting next steps for this coming year, as well as where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Chris Tsujiuchi. Chris Tsujiuchi is a performer, cabaret artist, and music director originally from Toronto. In our conversation today we discuss how he began performing and what drew him to the arts, his experiences in school that lead him to pursue a career in theatre, as well as what he learned from his experiences at Sheridan College. We also discuss how he began working in the worlds of cabaret and music direction, his annual Christmas cabaret and the exciting next steps for this coming year, as well as where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Scott Beaudin. Scott Beaudin is an actor, singer, and dancer originally from Hamilton Ontario. In our conversation today we discuss how he was introduced to theatre, his experiences performing at a young age, as well as what he learned about the industry from some of those early experiences. We also discuss some of his most positive experiences in the industry so far and what made them so positive, the mentors he has had in his career and the main lessons he has taken from them, as well as where he hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Jennifer Walls. Jennifer Walls is a performer, producer, director, and host of SINGular Sensation every Monday night at Statlers in Toronto. In our conversation today we discuss how she was introduced to theatre and what made her choose to pursue a career in the arts, her training and the main lessons she took from her time in school, as well as what she learned from some of her first experiences in the industry. We also discuss the many different aspects of the industry she is a part and the importance of having a wide variety of skills, what she has learned from her experiences working in the world of cabaret, as well as where she sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Britta Johnson. Britta Johnson is a composer, lyricist, and book writer originally from Stratford Ontario. In our conversation today we discuss how she was introduced to theatre growing up in Stratford, how she began writing for the theatre, as well as what she learned from her experiences at the University of Toronto. We also discuss what she has learned from working with companies such as The Musical Stage Company and Young People’s Theatre, the importance of making mistakes and not taking yourself too seriously, as well as where she hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Daniel Abrahamson. Daniel Abrahamson is a performer, composer, and creator of Theatre 20’s Composium training program. In our conversation today we discuss how he was first introduced to theatre, the path he took with his training and the main lessons he took from his time in school, as well as what he learned from some of his first experiences in the industry. We also discuss his experiences co-writing the musical Funny Business and the successes he has had at the Fringe Festival, the important characteristics that people working in the theatre industry should try and foster in themselves, as well as where he hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.