With her unique style of hosting, Ilana Levine gives her listeners up close and personal access to today's biggest stars from Broadway, Film and Television. Her intimate and revealing conversations with Tony Award, Academy Award, Grammy Award and Emmy Award winners gives listeners the feeling they are part of a conversation between old friends. Guests include Julianne Moore, Matthew Broderick, Isabelle Huppert, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Platt, Uma Thurman, Matt Bomer, Aasif Mandvi, Octavia S ...
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Aasif Mandvi Podcasts
Candid Insights is a podcast that interviews leaders, influencers, and intellectuals to draw out their deeper insights and timeless wisdom on issues facing society today with thought-provoking questions that hit at the heart of a matter. Each episode brings listeners closer to the insights and stories that shape today’s most influential voices. Some of the previous guests, among others, include Hasan Minhaj, Karen Armstrong, Aasif Mandvi, and Jim Wallis. Ready to dive in? Listen to Candid In ...
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Comedian and pop culture fanatic Aasif Mandvi gets up close and personal with the most iconic artifacts at the National Museum of American History. Join Aasif and his guests as they explore how vintage clothing, ratty furniture, and mismatched shoes transformed into Fonzie's leather jacket, Archie Bunker's chair, and Dorothy's ruby slippers and became defining symbols of American culture along the way.
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"Before The Cheering Started with Budd Mishkin" explores the journey to success and professional fulfillment. These are the stories of obstacles overcome, periods of doubt, plan B's and the passion to push through to follow one’s passion and realize a dream. Guests on the first 80 episodes of the podcast have included musicians Shawn Colvin, Sarah Jarosz, Nick Lowe, Steven Van Zandt and John Pizzarelli, writers Nick Hornby, Jacqueline Woodson, Patrick Radden Keefe, Scott Turow and Colum McCa ...
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Hey it’s me! Chris Hardwick! This new old podcast is now called “I Think You're Overthinking It," because, well, I am an incurable overthinker. Are you? Probably! Why else would you have clicked on this? Do you lie awake at night analyzing some random conversation you had in 2009 on a loop? Or every one since then? In an economy of attention where our minds are on overdrive every second of every day it seems damn near impossible to pump the brakes on our inner chatter. We might feel okay whe ...
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"Yum's The Word" is the only show that blends old-school fun with modern-day storytelling. Join host, Robin Gelfenbien, and some of NYC's best storytellers, comedians and writers every month for funny true stories, Mad Libs, nostalgic candy and Robin's homemade ice cream cakes.* Past guests have included stars from "Orange is the New Black," Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show), Sasheer Zamata (SNL), Ophira Eisenberg (NPR), Joy Behar (The VIew), Tom Shillue (The Tonight Show)and more! "We love Yum' ...
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Every creative work you’ve ever loved has a hero’s journey behind it. On Spark & Fire, you'll hear creators tell the story of bringing one beloved work to life. Iconic creatives — like Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, Pixar director Domee Shi, comedian Patton Oswald, musician Wynton Marsalis, and novelist Isabel Allende — share the endless iterations, the inevitable setbacks, and the breakthrough ideas along the epic process of creation. But this isn’t an interview show. It’s a story — told ...
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Burke Swanson currently stars on Broadway as James Hooper, Jr. in the most Tony Award winning play of 2025 - Stranger Things The First Shadow. He made his Broadway debut, immediately following his graduation from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), when he originated the role of “Jack” in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Tenne…
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Mr. Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep, Inside Out 2) is a FANTASTIC guest who not only is a lifelong overthinker but has really great insight and advice for those gifted with a surplus of thoughts, ESPECIALLY in the middle of the night when the "what ifs" start poking at ya! His new film "Sketch" is in theaters August 6th and he cohosts the Ext…
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Episode 465 - John Proctor Is The Villain
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49:24Kimberly Belflower is a playwright and educator originally from a small town in Appalachian Georgia. This is her Broadway debut, and she’s probably crying about it right now. Plays include JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN (2024 Huntington Theatre, 2022 Studio Theatre, 2019 Kilroys List, published by Broadway Licensing, Farm Theatre College Collaboration…
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STEVE FORBERT: From Meridian to MacDougal
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54:51Send us a text I always smile when I think of the apt title of Steve Forbert’s terrific debut album “Alive on Arrival.” Because he was. “Alive on Arrival” speaks to the excitement of coming to the big town and making it work. For Steve Forbert, that meant plenty of hard work, indefatigable optimism and the inspiration of an uncle’s unorthodox caree…
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Jeb Brown has had a decades long career on stage and in film and televsion. Jeb appeared in productions on and off-Broadway including Grease, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, in which he originated the role of Don Kirshner. For his performance in Dead Outlaw, Brown was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Feat…
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Send us a text Peter Asher has been part of the music that has elated and sustained me for some 60 years. The songs of Peter and Gordon as part of the 1960’s British Invasion still sound fresh and wonderful six decades later. And the musicians he produced and managed, especially James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, created the soundtrack of my life. An…
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The podcast just wouldn't be the podcast without Tom Lennon! OF COURSE you know Tom from Reno 911, The State, @midnight, the first ever episode of this very podcast, and a million movies that he's acted in and/or written...but he is ALSO quite the guitar wizard. At Chris's request, Tom brought one of his fancy guitars to give Chris a couple of poin…
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CHRIS BAUER has appeared in over 300 episodes of television, 40 feature films, and several theater productions on Broadway and Off. His multiple long running television credits include Frank Sobotka in ‘THE WIRE’, Andy Bellefleur in ‘TRUE BLOOD’, and Bobby Dwyer in ‘THE DEUCE’ for HBO. Most recently he starred as pro wrestler Wild Bill Hancock on ‘…
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Send us a text Luis Miranda Jr.’s story is a great American story. It’s a great New York story. It’s a great Puerto Rican story. Long before Hamilton became part of our vocabulary, Luis Miranda Jr. created a new life for himself in New York as a respected and influential advocate, organizer, politico and much more. And then, thanks in part to the c…
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GEORGIA STITT is an award-winning composer, lyricist, music producer, pianist, and activist. Her original musicals include Snow Child (commissioned by and premiered at Arena Stage, directed by Molly Smith), Big Red Sun (11th Hour Theater in Philadelphia, NAMT 2010), and a children’s musical, Samantha Spade, Ace Detective (TADA Youth Theater), which…
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Send us a text Larry Charles’ comedy journey has taken him to some of the familiar places for a comedy writer, such as on set for Seinfeld, Mad About You and Curb Your Enthusiasm. At other times, it’s found him running for a waiting van to escape when a scene in the Borat and Bruno movies goes great but upsets the locals. And then there have been m…
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Zulfiqar Bhutta on International Health and Maternal Child Care
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45:12Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta — Co-Director of the SickKids Centre for Global Child Health and Founding Director of the Institute for Global Health & Development at Aga Khan University. He is one of the world’s most recognized voices in global health and has been honored for his groundbreaking work in maternal and child health.…
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It's Sparks! The Band!! Russell and Ron Mael are back on the podcast to talk about their new album, "Mad!" (available now), going out on their big world tour, and how it's possible to overthink things and STILL just move forward anyway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…
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Jeffrey Seller is an Tony Award-winning American theatrical producer best known for his work on Rent, Avenue Q, In the Heights, and Hamilton, as well as inventing Broadway’s first rush ticket and lottery ticket policies. After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1986, Jeffrey moved to New York City where he worked, as a publicist, booking…
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Send us a text Willie Nile is a musical lifer, still going strong in his late 70’s with a new album “The Great Yellow Light.” He’s been a New York singer songwriter who has traveled the country and the world with his guitar for decades. But when it comes to the lessons learned that shaped his life and musical career, it always comes back to the Buf…
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Julia Knitel - Broadway: Dead Outlaw ( Tony award nominee), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Carole King, first national tour), Bye Bye Birdie. Off-Broadway: A Letter to Harvey Milk (Lucille Lortel nomination). Select New York/Regional: Nora in Brighton Beach Memoirs (Portland Stage Co.), Ingrid in Volleygirls (NY Musical Festival: Best of Fest)…
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Send us a text The story of the 1969 New York Mets, the Amazin’ Mets, has been told for more than five decades. It will no doubt be told for decades to come. Art Shamsky has experienced it as a player and an author, playing a key role as a left handed hitter and outfielder in 1969 and then hitting the keys to write several books about the Mets. His…
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It’s the first episode of a new era! And what better way to start than with the hilarious and wonderful Ben Schwartz (Sonic the Hedgehog, Parks and Rec, The Afterparty) discussing improv and how you don’t have TIME to overthink it. Find Ben's live show dates at rejectedjokes.com! Oh, and PS, the pre-show intro on this ep is probably a weeeeeee long…
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Julie Halston is one of New York's busiest actresses and was the recipient of the 2021 Isabelle Stevenson TONY AWARD for her advocacy on behalf of The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Her Broadway credits are numerous, including Tootsie, Hairspray, Gypsy, Anything Goes, and The Twentieth Century, and most recently Our Town. She received the Richard S…
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Send us a text David Gabriel is a young dancer on the rise as a soloist with New York City Ballet. The love affair with dance began early. Really early. He started watching ballet videos of Mikhail Baryshnikov while growing up in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. David was 2. Not long after, the goal became “get to New York, “a dream he has realized.…
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Aaaaaaaaand we’re back!! PHEW! That was a quick three years! Chris starts this new podcast chapter with a minisode that explains the decision to hit the pause button and focus on being a dad after the birth of his daughter in 2022, why he wanted to come back now, and what to expect with the new show. I mean, it’s pretty much like the old show, but …
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Florencia Cuenca is a Mexican actress, singer, writer, and director currently starring on broadway in Real Women Have Curves. She entered the artistic world at the age of 3 acting alongside her father in stadiums and theaters throughout Mexico and the United States. In Mexico, she is known for telenovelas such as “De que te Quiero te Quiero, Muchac…
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JAMAL GREENE: Sportswriter Turned Constitutional Law Professor
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44:27Send us a text How many people have written for Sports Illustrated and the Harvard Law Review?Jamal Greene is one of the rare few. His own story is compelling, growing up in a Brooklyn home that produced a constitutional law professor, Jamal, and a world-renowned rapper, his brother Talib Kweli. Jamal’s experiences at Harvard, Sports Illustrated an…
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Broadway: Jacob Jankowski in Water for Elephants, Originated the role of Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls, Elder Price in The Book of Mormon on Broadway. National Tour/Regional: The Book of Mormon, October Sky, Joan of Arc: Into the Fire by David Byrne, West Side Story at the Hollywood Bowl. Film/ television: “Welcome to Flatch”, “Monster High”, “FBI: I…
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Send us a text Did I think that I would read a 500 page book about lacrosse? Uh, no. But if S.L.(Scott) Price is writing it, I’m reading it. Scott has long been one of our preeminent writers about people through the prism of sports, primarily during his more than two decades at Sports Illustrated. There were more than a few chapters before he becam…
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Shannon began her career as a performer and has appeared in 10 Broadway musicals over a 25 year career. She is most known for her performance of “I Gotcha” in the Tony Award winning original Broadway cast of FOSSE. As a choreographer, Shannon has extensive experience creating for film and television as the choreographer of Saturday Night Live’s Fil…
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Julie Tucker is a highly acclaimed casting director with a remarkable career spanning over two decades. Recognized for her outstanding contributions to the industry, she boasts an impressive tally of nine Emmy nominations and two Emmy Awards. Additionally, Julie has been honored with five Artois awards from her peers for her excellence in casting. …
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Currently starring in Broadway’s BOOP! The Musical, Erich Bergen is best known for his performance as Blake Moran on television's Madam Secretary, and for his portrayal of Bob Gaudio in the Clint Eastwood film, Jersey Boys, reprising his performance from the stage production of the hit musical. On Broadway, Erich also starred in Waitress and Chicag…
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JUDY COLLINS: “How Can I Keep From Singing”
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44:20Send us a text It’s hard to imagine Judy Collins pursuing anything but a life in music. Music and performing were in the air as she was growing up in Colorado. There were classical piano lessons with her beloved teacher Antonia Brico. And Judy’s father was a performer with a radio show. But it was actually a broken leg in her teens that led Judy do…
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Kelsie Watts’s musical journey began in Lubbock, Texas, where she found her voice at two years old in a family of musicians. From early performances in church and school to studying opera and commercial music at Belmont University in Nashville, she developed her craft and gained recognition. Her self-released music led to a feature on AJ McLean’s 2…
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SIMON SHUSTER: A Front Row Seat To History
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43:52Send us a text For some 20 years, Simon Shuster has reported from Russia and Ukraine. He speaks the language and he understands the history of the region, making him the ideal foreign correspondent to report on the lead up to the Russian invasion in 2022 and the subsequent war in Ukraine. This is not exactly what his folks had in mind when they emi…
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Adam Platt is a contributing editor at New York Magazine and was chief restaurant critic between 2000 & 2022. He won the James Beard Foundation Journalism Award for Restaurant Reviews in 2010. During the course of nearly twenty-five years in the magazine business, Platt has written for a variety of publications, including The New Yorker, The New Yo…
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Send us a text A life in show business is not for the faint of heart. It’s a rollercoaster of joy and disappointment, uplifting highs and debilitating lows. But if you’re fortunate, a window of opportunity opens up. And if you’re ready, the rest of your career and life can await on the other side. The window opened for Sydnie Christmas in 2024. Rat…
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ERIC BOGOSIAN (Playwright) is the author of plays, solos, and novels, including TALK RADIO, subUrbia, and PERFORATED HEART. He received a Drama Desk award, three Obie awards, and a Guggenheim fellowship. He has also been nominated for the Pulitzer and a Tony award. Bogosian earned the Berlin Silver Bear for writing and starring in the film adaptati…
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Send us a text There’s a great line in the wonderful old film The Front; “it’s nice when nice happens to somebody nice.” That’s been the story around the National Hockey League this season, as Sam Rosen bids farewell after some 40 seasons as the television play by play voice of the New York Rangers. He’s been saluted with standing ovations in arena…
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Episode 450 - Natalie Margolin and Jaki Bradley
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35:44NATALIE MARGOLIN (Playwright) is a Brooklyn-based playwright. Her plays have been developed with Broadway Video, The WP, The Hearth, Colt Coeur, and Fault Line Theatre. Her play The Party Hop, written for Zoom, was published by Dramatist Play Service and produced in high schools and colleges across the country during the pandemic. Currently, she is…
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Send us a text Long ago as a film major at City College of New York in the 1970’s, Stanley Nelson found his passion. We are fortunate that he did. For almost 40 years, his films have told the story of the African American experience. Be it Attica or Emmett Till, the Freedom Riders or the Black Panthers, his films speak with an eloquent voice and a …
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Initially an actress ('Les Miserables', 'Aspects of Love', et al.), Merri found herself out West some years back where she quickly made a name for herself at Liberman/Hirschfeld Casting, then Liberman/Patton Casting, working on such shows as Seinfeld, Party of Five, HBO’s Band of Brothers, the feature film My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the Miramax f…
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Send us a text Tom Chapin is still going strong at the age of 80. There are performances and projects. And there’s an appreciation for a life that has brought him experiences that extend far beyond the usual path of the folk musician: searching for sharks on the Indian Ocean, playing basketball at the famed Rucker Court in New York and being assign…
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Caroline Aaron is known to theatre, film and television audiences, as well as a published author and playwright.She made her Broadway debut in Robert Altman's "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean,Jimmy Dean" and later appeared in the film. The following Broadway season, she starred in the revival of "The Iceman Cometh". She next starred in M…
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PETER BEINART: Reckoning With A Reckoning
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28:00Send us a text Those of us who follow the Middle East intensely, reading about it constantly, understand that our reactions are never dispassionate. Peter Beinart knows this all too well. For decades, his writing and television appearances have garnered plenty of praise and plenty of criticism, even vitriol. And that reality won’t likely change wit…
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Taylor Polidore Williams Currently leading the cast of Netflix’s BEAUTY IN BLACK, Taylor stars as Kimmie, a stripper whose fate takes a turn when she crosses paths with the wealthy, dysfunctional family behind a cosmetics dynasty and a devious trafficking scheme. This past summer, Taylor was seen starring opposite Meagan Good in Tyler Perry and Ama…
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ALSU KURMASHEVA AND PAVEL BUTORIN: Press Freedom Fighters
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33:13Send us a text How do you return to a normal life after experiencing pain, loss and then unbridled joy? Alsu Kurmasheva is a Russian American journalist who works for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Prague. She was detained in her native Russia while visiting her mother in 2023 and later arrested on charges of “spreading false information” about…
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Abubakr Ali starred in Anything’s Possible (MGM/Orion Pictures) dir. Billy Porter, and was the titular lead in Netflix/Dark Horse’s series “Grendel.” He recently finished working on Kathryn Bigelow’s upcoming untitled Netflix feature film. Other credits include “Law & Order: Organized Crime” (NBC), “Walking Dead: World Beyond” (AMC), “Power Book II…
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Katie O’Brien is a writer, actor, producer, and showrunner. She, along with her comedy group, The Katydids, co-created, wrote, produced, and starred in the hit comedy, Teachers, which ran for three seasons and fifty episodes on TV Land. She worked as the co-executive producer for Disney + The Santa Clauses starring Tim Allen. Currently, she is the …
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CAROLINE AARON: A Mom Who Plays Moms Inspired by Her Mom
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37:59Send us a text Caroline Aaron knows from motherhood. She’s a mom. As an actor, she’s played plenty of moms, long before she got the mom role for which she is best known, Shirley Maisel in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” She’s currently playing a mom in the off-Broadway show “Conversations With Mother.” But her own mother’s story might be the most comp…
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Award-winning director Michael Mayer has worked in a broad spectrum of media from theatre and opera to television and film. Current theatre: Swept Away, a new musical featuring songs of The Avett Brothers which opened November 19, 2024 on Broadway, the hit revival of Little Shop of Horrors now playing at the Westside Theatre, the national tour of h…
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Send us a text Art seems to be imitating life for actor Gretchen Mol in her new film, the latest Ed Burns project, “Millers in Marriage.” It’s not the plot of the movie, which covers three complicated and troubled marriages and relationships. That does not mirror her life. But Gretchen plays a character who is a middle-aged woman trying to figure o…
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Peter Gallagher has delivered critically acclaimed performances in film, television and theatre. He has starred in many films, including: sex, lies and videotape, American Beauty (SAG Award), The Player, Short Cuts (Golden Globe), The Idolmaker, Dreamchild, While You Were Sleeping, The Underneath, To Gillian on her 37th Birthday, Center Stage, Mr. …
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Grey most recently played Buddy in Elf the musical on Broadway. He received Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for his performance as Damian in the original Broadway cast of Mean Girls. He was recently seen playing Michael in tick, tick… BOOM! at the Kennedy Center and Storyteller 2 in the Tony nominated musical Shucked on Broadway. He played th…
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