Episodes

  • #42 We Have to Have Courage: Marjaun Canady

    #42 We Have to Have Courage: Marjaun Canady
    Jan 19 2024
    How can we leave an impact that will help shape the Broadway landscape? Marjaun Canady, Founder and Executive Director of the Canady Foundation for the Arts, joins the podcast to share her inspiring mission of empowering the next generation of change makers through storytelling. Marjaun takes us on her remarkable career journey, from embracing her Caribbean-American roots to creating her play turned children's book, Callaloo. Tune in to hear her discuss her work as a co-producer on The Wiz, where she is working to provide greater access in the arts to the next generation of artists. Edited by Justin Payne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • #41 Working as a Collective: Ayanna Prescod

    #41 Working as a Collective: Ayanna Prescod
    Dec 28 2023
    How can social media and influencer marketing contribute to making theatre more accessible to a wider audience? Ayanna Prescod, Director of Influencer Marketing at Relay, is leveraging her skills as a theatre professional, influencer marketer, producer, and social media specialist to address this question. Hear about Ayanna's journey, from making her Broadway debut as a co-producer on Pass Over, realizing her dreams, founding OurBkSocial, and her vision for influencer marketing's role in attracting new audiences to the theatre. Edited by Justin Payne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • #40 Guiding Our Next Generation: Stephanie Pope

    #40 Guiding Our Next Generation: Stephanie Pope
    Dec 14 2023
    Ever wondered if you could build a career on Broadway while balancing family and life? From being hand-picked by the legendary Bob Fosse to performing in her first Broadway shows, Stephanie Pope Lofgren’s journey to becoming a Broadway veteran has been shaped by the mentors and teachers throughout her career in show business. Now she is passing on the lessons gleaned from her 35-year career teaching the Fosse repertoire through The Verdon Fosse Legacy® LLC and serving as choreographer for the Jimmy Awards®. Listen as Stephanie shares her experiences working with Bob Fosse, navigating burnout, her advice to young performers on embracing their authenticity, and what it means to her to be reprising her role as one of the original Hunnies in Jelly’s Last Jam at New York City Center. Edited by Justin Payne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    38 mins
  • #39 In the Pit: Alvin Hough, Jr.

    #39 In the Pit: Alvin Hough, Jr.
    Nov 30 2023
    Did you ever imagine that one could pursue a career as both a weather scientist and a Broadway music director? Alvin's journey to becoming the Associate Music Supervisor for "Merrily We Roll Along" was unconventional. As he emphasizes throughout his interview, "Everybody's path is a little different." Alvin shares his journey from studying Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard to becoming the music director on the national tour of "Dreamgirls", highlighting the moments where preparation met opportunity. Join us in this conversation, as Alvin shares how he is now cultivating the next generation of musicians through his work at MUSE and BMEP while creating opportunities for more inclusivity in the Broadway pit. MUSE (Musicians United for Social Equity) is committed to creating diversity within the music departments of the theatre industry by providing access, internships, mentorships, and support to historically marginalized people of color. Learn more at https://museonline.org/ BMEP (Broadway Musicians Equity Partnership) is providing access and learning opportunities for musicians from underrepresented communities to learn about playing in the musical theater industry. Learn more at https://www.broadwaymusiciansep.org/ You can learn more about opportunities relating to careers in the Broadway industry at https://careers.broadway/careers-jobs/ Edited by Justin Payne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • #38 Braiding the Stories of Black Hair on Broadway: Nana Mensah

    #38 Braiding the Stories of Black Hair on Broadway: Nana Mensah
    Nov 9 2023
    Nana Mensah, a Ghanaian-American writer, director, producer, and actress, joins the podcast to discuss her Broadway debut in "Jaja's African Hair Braiding". She discusses her Ghanaian-American heritage, shares her experience of playing the role of Aminata, the community's response, and the importance of bringing a story about the Black immigrant experience to Broadway. Edited by Justin Payne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • #37 Powered By Our Ancestors: Sade Lythcott

    #37 Powered By Our Ancestors: Sade Lythcott
    Oct 26 2023
    An inspiring conversation with Sade Lythcott, the CEO of National Black Theatre (NBT), about its history and how she is carrying on the legacy of her mother and founder, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer. Tune in to hear her discuss NBT's mission "to produce transformational theater... through telling authentic stories of the Black experience," its emphasis on placemaking and holistic producing, and her vision for the future of NBT. Edited by Justin Payne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • #36 The Power of the Mentor: Christina Selby

    #36 The Power of the Mentor: Christina Selby
    Oct 12 2023
    In this episode, Christina Selby shares her career journey, from getting her start in arts administration to the many moments where mentors played a role in helping shape her career. Now as Vice President – Production and Touring at Nederlander Producing Company of America, she discusses what it is like coming full circle from mentee to mentor and what representation means to her. Edited by Justin Payne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • #35 A Writer's Journey: James Ijames

    #35 A Writer's Journey: James Ijames
    Sep 28 2023
    On this latest episode of The Black Business of Broadway, we are joined by James Ijames, a Tony-nominated playwright, and Pulitzer Prize winner for his play 'Fat Ham'. Tune in to hear James discuss how growing up in the rural South helped inform the creation of 'Fat Ham,' why he chose to adapt 'Hamlet,' and how writing became a transformative tool for manifesting his dreams. Edited by Justin Payne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins