When Lightning Strikes!

For nearly two decades Ray Mercer has been a cast member of 'The Lion King' on Broadway. One of the longest-running male dancers in Broadway history, Mercer, who plays one of the iconic 14 foot giraffes at the top of the show, is also the show's fight captain. This past November 'The Lion King' celebrated its 25th Anniversary. Mercer is also a prolific choreographer creating pieces and working with companies and universities around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Melissa Etheridge is a ferociously talented rock music icon. This Grammy and Oscar-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist is known for her deeply passionate, raw and honest lyrics and smoky, distinctive voice. With a career that has spanned more than three decades, this month she is debuting her new solo show, My Window - A Journey Through Life, which combines great music and storytelling. The intimate show at New World Stages, brings us from her childhood in Kansas to becoming a golden voiced rock music force. The show will run for just 12 performances. For tickets visit, www.MelissaEtheridge.com/MyWindow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katy Sullivan is reprising her role as Ani in Martyna Majok's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, 'Cost of Living,' which opened on Broadway October 3rd. Just a few of her other acting credits includes 'Dexter: New Blood,' 'My Name is Earl' and 'Last Man Standing.' A double below the knee bilateral amputee and four-time U.S. Paralympian champion, Katy is the first female amputee and only the second amputee actor ever to appear in a Broadway production. Manhattan Theatre Club's 'Cost of Living' is playing at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carl Moellenberg has produced more than 70 shows worldwide and won 13 Tony awards. Just a few of his Broadway credits includes Spring Awakening, Hair, Death of a Salesman, Pippin, All the Way, Dear Evan Hansen, Angels in America, The Band's Visit, Oklahoma, Hadestown, The Minutes, Company and many more. His memoir, Broadway and Spirituality as a Path to Survival, debuts on October 1. carlmoellenberg.com/memoir  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eugene Pack is an Emmy nominated writer and winner of the Drama Desk award for creating the hit international comedy Celebrity Autobiography. The beloved show where stars act out other celebrity memoirs live on stage, has run on on and off Broadway. Eugene’s short original comedies are now featured on a unique podcast, called The Pack Podcast, https://www.thepackpodcast.org Just a few of the stars who have performed on the podcast have included Sarah Jessica Parker, Blair Underwood, Matthew Broderick, Stockard Channing, Marisa Tomei Annette Bening, Brian Stokes Mitchell,Martin short. Renée Fleming, Dick Cavett and many more. “A compelling work of art” says Variety about the plays which is listened to in 100 countries. The Pack Podcast also raises money for The Entertainment Community Fund, https://entertainmentcommunity.org (Formerly called, The Actors Fund). As acting legend Eva Marie Saint who has performed in three of his plays says “Eugene’s work is so honest. I’ve lived long enough to know what’s honest and what isn’t and Eugene’s plays are." This episode was recorded on January 21, 2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sharon Wheatley is an original cast member in the the hit Broadway musical, "Come From Away." She has the distinction of being the only actress to appear in "Cats," "Les Miserables" and :The Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway. When the pandemic shut down "Come From Away," Wheatley and her family hit the road in 30-foot RV. A gifted writer, she chronicles her adventures in her riveting new book, "Drive: Stories from Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Miriam Pultro is an actor, singer, composer, lyricist musician, director, filmmaker and theater artist who wrote and stars in Glass Town which played at the Tank in New York City. The rock musical spotlights the Brontë-siblings as rock band. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor-musicians Van Hughes and Nick Blaemire wrote and are performing in “Space Dogs” at MCC theater. The new musical tells the heartbreaking, mind-blowing true story of the first living beings to go into outer space, even before humans. The musical centers on a stray dog named Laika and the top-secret Russian scientist who sent this pup and other dogs to space during the Cold War. “Space Dogs” is now playing at MCC until March 20th. Nick and I talked about birthing “Space Dogs” from Van’s Bushwick basement studio, what it was like to play Jonathan Larson in the off Broadway musical “Tick, Tick… Boom!” and more. Learn more about Space Dogs at https://mcctheater.org/tix/space-dogs/. This episode was recorded on March 8, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clare Barron is a prolific writer who has written the plays “Baby Screams Miracle,” “Dirty Crusty,” “I’ll Never Love Again,” “You Got Older” and the Pulitzer-nominated “Dance Nation." Her gripping play “Shhhh,” which has been called “illuminating” and "raw" recently had a very successful run at the Atlantic Theater Company. Not only did Clare write Shhhh she also directed and starred in the play. Clare is working on an adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” for New York Theatre Workshop’s (NYTW) 2022/2023 season. Directed by Sam Gold the cast includes Greta Gerwig, Oscar Isaac, Steve Buscemi, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Emily Davis, Chris Messina, Lola Kirke, John Christopher Jones, Michael Benjamin Hernandez, Anthony Michael Lopez, Matthew Maher, Chris Messina, Aaron Clifton Moten, Ben Sinclair and Virginia Wing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeannette Bayardelle is a Grammy-nominated performer who has traveled to more than 50 countries to share her exceptional gifts. Most recently she starred on Broadway as Mrs. Nielsen in Girl From The North Country featuring the songs of Bob Dylan. Her additional credits include Hair, The Color Purple, Rock of Ages, Deaf West’s Big River and she wrote the book, music, lyrics and stared in her own musical Shida. Jeannette created the online class, Broadway To Wall Street - https://broadwaytowallstreet.com/. The course is a fun introduction to the stock market and includes music and animation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices