West Of Broadway Podcast

On this episode of West of Broadway, Will & Wendy are shifting focus slightly away from celebrating Musical Theater in Los Angeles and on the West Coast to celebrating Musical Theater FROM Los Angeles. With the recent announcement that the Broadway Industry will be staying closed until 2021, it is now more important than ever that we support arts education. Will and Wendy sit down with Director of Sales and Partnerships for PASSDOOR and one of their Visiting Educators, James Tabeek do discuss how they are working to help change the face of tomorrow’s Broadway by educating the young artists of today. PASSDOOR The new virtual platform offers intimate dance classes taught by seasoned Broadway performers. Offering over 40 live dance classes per week for aspiring dancers of all ages and skill levels. The emerging company in the New York theatre scene, announced the launch of their virtual platform which hosts professional-level dance classes taught solely by seasoned Broadway performers. Through the instruction of

Will & Wendy get a chance to talk to the captivating and brilliant Adam Epstein about his upcoming 11-week online course presented by the Pasadena Playhouse. 11-week Webinar 60-minute virtual lectures every Tuesday at 5:00PM PST May 12–Jul 21, 2020 The Broadway Musical and America is intended to give students a broad overview of the American musical from Oklahoma to the present. The course situates the form as a distinctly American phenomenon and which both influenced and was influenced by the American political landscape since the end of World War II. The course, which will include special Broadway guests, will survey classic works of musical theater, and we will engage, discuss and think about why the Broadway musical has endured as an important American art form. Hosted by Adam Epstein, a theatrical producer whose productions have received 46 Tony nominations and garnered 12 Tony Awards, one of which Adam himself received as a producer of Hairspray in 2003. Adam’s other credits include A View From a Bridge

On this episode of West of Broadway Will Armstrong and Wendy Rosoff talk with Broadway star Laura Bell Bundy about absolutely everything! First, Laura Bell shares how her family are navigating the Covid-19 epidemic and her recent personal bout with the disease. Then they discuss Laura Bell's upcoming album and video series centered around women and the challenges facing them today. From an NYU student to young soap opera actress to originating a role in the hit musical Hairspray, Laura Bell shared her early career experiences and how her journey prepared her for her portrayal of Elle woods in Legally Blonde. The evolution of her process is something that is still shaping and informing the roles she portrays to this day. Keep up with Laura Bell Bundy on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tick Tock. Just search for @LauraBellBundy. We hope you enjoy this candid conversation and find inspiration from her insightful approach to life, family and theater. As far as Wendy and Will you can find past episodes of

On this episode of West of Broadway, Will Armstrong and Wendy Rosoff connect via ZOOM with Producer and Creator of Rock of Ages Musical to find out how he and the cast are doing and to learn about how this unexpected musical hit found it's way all the way to Broadway and back home to Hollywood. Matt Weaver and a tenacious team of creatives took a terrific idea and made it one of Broadways most successful and longest running hits of all time. In this very cool episode, Matt Weaver explains how he staffed and cast the show, found multiple theaters to mount and create the musical, amassed funding and sold the film rights to an unproven project all before opening on Broadway! We also learn how Matt and his team are working to hold things together during this pandemic and how COVID-19 has directly effected one of their beloved cast members. Matt even shares details about his next musical project with Dominique Morisseau, Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Camille A. Brown and Kamilah Forbes. "Soul Train" the musical is cur

On our very first video version of West of Broadway, Will Armstrong and Wendy Rosoff catch up with 2 time Emmy Award-winning choreographer Kathryn (Kat) Burns while she is Sheltering in Place during the coronavirus pandemic. Kathryn discusses her career, shares insight for working performers and pays tribute to the recent loss of her friend and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend colleague, Adam Schlesinger. Links: https://www.instagram.com/katmburns/ https://www.instagram.com/wendy_rosoff/ https://www.instagram.com/willarmstrongpr/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the COVID 19 Pandemic bringing shows and businesses to a stand still, there isn't much theater news to report but Will Armstrong and Wendy Rosoff wanted to share their conversation with Book of Mormon star Liam Tobin from their Los Angeles run at the Ahmanson Theater. Liam talks about his history with this musical juggernaut and what life is like on the road. After that, friend of the pod, Joseph Corella of 567Broadway shares some tips to inspire us on our fitness journeys. We hope that this episode made you smile. Special thanks to our friends at The Ahmanson Theater and Center Theater Group for helping us connect with Liam and if you are looking for some inspiration and motivation, be sure to check out 567Broadway.com Hope you are all staying safe and healthy and taking this time of extended isolation to rest, recharge. So on behalf of Will & Wendy, good by for now! But, not for long because, if you're looking for us you'll always find us, just West of Broadway! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

On this very special episode of West of Broadway, Will Armstrong and Wendy Rosoff are discussing the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic and what we might do during this time of widespread shutdowns, work stoppages, and self-isolations. The pair discuss theaters going dark from Broadway all the way west to California and how this is affecting members of the theatrical community. As a working actor and teaching artist, Wendy offers some productive suggestions for using possible downtime to get productive and prepared for when life gets back to normal. Here are some of her terrific suggestions: ·     If you happen to be out of work due to the enforced shutdowns, (and you are healthy and have not been exposed to the COVID 19 virus,) consider assisting with elder or childcare. People are going to Facebook and posting their availability. There are also Facebook groups forming to help place people together. Consider helping with Dog Fostering! This is a terrific way to help dogs in need of a forever home collect import

On this episode of West of Broadway Will Armstrong and Wendy Rosoff speak with Gedde Watanabe and George Xavier, two cast members of East West Players’ Spring 2020 production of the award-winning Broadway musical Assassins. Will and Wendy first speak with Gedde Watanabe – famous from appearing in John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles, and his stage appearances include the original Broadway production of Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures. Gedde discusses his process and character development as well as his experience working with the East West Players. George, A former student of Wendy's talks about his love for musical theater and his appreciation for working with such an inspiring cast. All performances of Assassins will be staged at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center of the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 in Little Tokyo. Previews are Thursday, March 12th through Sunday, March 15th, with 8pm shows from Thursday to Saturday, and a 2pm matinee show on Sunday. Regular performances ar

Will Armstrong & Wendy Rosoff stopped into the rehearsal of Glass Ceilings, a new musical directed by Jessica Gardner and created by the musical writing team of Laura Watkins and Nicholas David Brandt (Comic-Con the Musical.) Glass Ceilings is a new musical about women throughout history whose stories you don’t know, but should. Jessica and Laura talk about the show and what it takes to mount and produce their own labor of love. Opening at The Rockwell on March 5th at 8pm and playing each weekend throughout March. www.glassceilingsmusical.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Armstrong and Wendy Rosoff met up Downtown LA to see the new musical Found Starring Jonah Platt and Jordan Kai Burnett. This IAMA Theater production is playing at the Los Angeles Theater Center until March 23! Listen in as Will and Wendy talk with cast members and discuss their experience before, during intermission, and after the show. Special thanks to Jonah Platt, Jordan Kai Burnett and Parvesh Cheena for taking the time to speak with us! About the show: Found isn’t just based on a true story — it’s based on hundreds of them! When lost and broke Davy, played by Jonah Platt (Fiyero in Wicked on Broadway, NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live with John Legend) happens to find a peculiar note meant for someone else on the windshield of his car, it sparks an outlandish idea to collect the hilarious and revealing notes and letters that surround us every day. Along with friends Denise (Jordan Kai Burnett, seen in the national tour of Seussical and a Scenie award-winner for the title role in Scissorhands at Rock

Will and Wendy officially set their clocks to island time as the L.A. Premiere of Jimmy Buffett’s ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE weighed anchor at the Dolby Theatre for a three week L.A. premiere! You guessed it! Jimmy Buffett himself was present on the red carpet – along with the ENTIRE cast of the show – accompanied by some of our Hollywood friends! Listen in as Will and Wendy hit the carpet and then check in during intermission and after the show! Now playing at the Dolby Theater part of the Pantages Theater's Broadway in Hollywood Series. Tickets are available at: https://www.broadwayinhollywood.com/events/detail/escapetomargaritaville Be sure to follow @Wendy_Rosoff and @WillArmstrongPR and their new instagram handle @WestofBroadwayPodcast for the latest in West of Broadway news. Don't forget to go to BroadwayPodcastNetwork.com/podcasts/west-of-broadway to keep up with us and find past and future episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s curtains up on a very special episode of West of Broadway, a celebration of musical theatre on the West Coast! with theatre veteran Will Armstrong and introducing West of Broadway’s new co-host Broadway Veteran and all around wonderful human Wendy Rosoff. Wendy has been a guest several times on West of Broadway but now, she has officially joined the show and we are so grateful for her energy, insight and expertise and she couldn’t have come on board at a better time! We have officially joined the BroadwayPodcastNetwork and we can now be found on broadwaypodcastnetwork.com along with a roster of fantastic theater themed shows.   On this episode, Will and Wendy discuss their time working together on the Broadway Revival of 42nd Street and discuss what some of their old cast mates are up too. They also mention several exciting productions coming to Los Angeles that they look forward to covering on coming episodes.  The podcast really takes off when Will and Wendy discuss their experience with Rock of Ages!.

It’s curtains up on a special episode of West Broadway! I’m Los Angeles publicist and Broadway veteran Will Armstrong. This episode is a bit of a departure from our normal shows at west of Broadway, but as I think of it, maybe it’s less of a departure and more of an evolution. After all, as I see it, a podcast about musical theater on the West Coast is great. But what is musical theater without… Theater? Yesterday I was asked to attend the opening night of The Father staring Alfred Molina at the Pasadena playhouse that very night. The Pasadena Playhouse is a pretty special theater in the heart of Pasadena. And over the past couple seasons they have really upped their game when it comes to the shows that they produce. And it sounded like this production was no different.   As the official state theater of California, their mission is to enrich people’s lives through theater, community programs and learning. With over 100 years of experience they are one of the most prolific theaters in American history with th

It’s curtains up on another episode of West of Broadway. I’m Broadway Veteran Will Armstrong and this is a continuation of our Broadway Con Series. That’s right, the West of Broadway crew went all the way to NYC for the 5th annual Broadway Con. We met celebrities, broadway fanatics and some innovators really changing the way broadway fans connect with their favorite shows and personalities. While walking the Marketplace floor, we ran into someone I just had to interview. Maybe you’ve seen the Netflix special John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch? If not, put it on your must watch list because it’s fantastic. The show features the comedy of John Mulaney and some amazing guest cameos from comedian Richard Kind to The Talking Head's David Byrne, actor Jake Gyllenhaal and the iconic Annaleigh Ashford! The show also features a cast of incredibly talented kids. One of the stands outs is a young man named Jacob Laval and he was walking the Marketplace floor with his mom and his sister and I just had to interview him

On this episode of West of Broadway, Will Armstrong interviews Michael (Mike) Milton at the 2020 Broadway Con where he was debuting his new mentoring App Shadow Star! Mike took time off from his national tour of Jersey Boys to personally reveal his anxiously awaited app to the convention-goers in New York City. Shadow Star is the premier Broadway mentoring mobile app designed to help those in search of a career in the performing arts. Shadow Star connects you to Broadway Stars who will become your biggest supporters and work to help you reach your full potential. LINK: www.shadowstarnyc.com/ Michael Milton: Link: www.iammichaelmilton.com/ IG: www.instagram.com/michaelmilton2/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special 50th episode of West of Broadway, we head east to the 5th annual Broadway Con in New York City to celebrate musical theater with thousands of super fans! This being our 50th episode, we wanted to do something special, so we caught up with Broadway veteran Laurie Wells to talk careers, our love for musical theater and her partnership with a brand-new mentoring app called Shadow Star! Shadow Star is the premier Broadway mentoring mobile app designed to help those in search of a career in the performing arts. Get connected with Broadway Stars like Laurie who will become your biggest supporters and work to help you reach your full potential. Special thanks to Broadway Con for the incredible access! We hope you enjoy this series of interviews from the house floor of this 3-day event! Links: https://www.lauriewells.net/ https://www.shadowstarnyc.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ in Costa Mesa, California continues it's 2019 – 2020 Family Series with The Joshua Show: Episode 2 This family-friendly production plays February 1 and 2 in Samueli Theater. Will caught up with Joshua himself. Joshua holden is an Award-winning puppeteer and Ambassador joy.  He shares how he uses singing, tap dancing and a cast of zany puppets to thrill audiences of all ages in his whimsical production about friendship and the value of being yourself. SEGERSTROM CENTER for the arts.  February 1 – 2, 2020 Samueli Theater Tickets are $20 and are available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. Follow Joshua : https://instagram.com/ohmygoshuajoshua The joshuashow.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of West of Broadway, Will talks with Tony Award-winner and five-time Tony Award nominee Laura Benanti who is bringing her one-woman act to Walnut Creek, California's Lesher Center for the Arts on Friday, January 31st. In her show titled, "Tales from Soprano Isle," Laura will be performing alongside a pianist for a night that will leave you in awe and in stitches. We also discuss her participation in the remarkable benefit album, "Singing You Home, Children’s Songs for Family Reunification" where she gathered other award-winning artists to raise money and awareness for families in need at our border. Featuring tracks from Lin-Manuel Miranda & Mandy Gonzalez, Josh Groban & Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald & Jason Robert Brown, Kristin Chenoweth, Cynthia Erivo, Ingrid Michaelson & Ana Villafañe, and a duet with Laura Benanti & Isabella Preston with backup vocals from the Broadway Baby Mamas. The album was conceived by Laura Benanti and produced by Benanti, Mary-Mitchell Campbell and Lynn Pinto. All a

Welcome to part 2 of our series on Disney's Frozen 1st National Tour. Today we are connecting with Evan Strand one of the actors who plays the impressive and loveable Sven the Reindeer. Listen in as we learn about Evans path from Ballet, to firefighter training, to acting to dawning the intricate mantle of Sven. Frozen is currently playng at the world-famous Hollywood Pantages Theater and is embarking on the first leg of what promises to be an extensive tour of North America. Tickets are available at HollywoodPantages.com Additional Links: https://www.evanstrand.com/ https://www.instagram.com/evan.strand/ https://www.instagram.com/frozenthetour/ www.instagram.com/frozenbroadway/ www.instagram.com/hollywoodpantagestheatre/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thank you for joining us on our first episode of 2020! Listen in as we speak with Mason Reeves, the exceptionally talented young man who has stepped away from his senior year at the University of Michigan to originate the role of Kristoff in Disney's Frozen National Tour. Currently playing at the Hollywood Pantages Theater til Feb. 2nd, tickets are available athttps://www.hollywoodpantages.com/ Additional Links:: https://www.masondreeves.com/ https://www.instagram.com/rasonmeeves/ https://www.instagram.com/frozenbroadway/ https://www.instagram.com/hollywoodpantagestheatre/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices