Break A Bat! where Baseball Meets Broadway

TV's Jessalyn Gilsig steps into the 'remote' Batter's Box for Episode 27 alongside Al Malafronte (Host), Alan Seales (Producer), and Chris Katzmann (Creative Consultant). Gilsig's career on screen spans primetime mega-hits including leading roles in Boston Public, Nip/Tuck, Vikings, as well as a personal favorite of our host - Glee. She's currently in the midst of production on the upcoming sports dramedy Big Shot on Disney+, in which she stars alongside John Stamos as a high school basketball coach. In this episode, Gilsig takes the boys through the new show, as well as some of her fond memories of working on Glee. A lifelong fan of both sports and theatre, she offers some great perspective on how our two favorite mediums mirror each other, which made for both a fun and insightful chat. Hosted by Al Malafronte Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Edited by Matthew Hendershot Connect with Jessalyn Gilsig on Instagram: @jgilsig and Twitter: @jessalyngilsig Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meghan Picerno steps into The Batter's Box with host Al Malafronte and producer Alan Seales, for Episode 26! Picerno is currently playing Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, after having previously played the role in the show's touring production, as well as its sequel Love Never Dies. Broadway's longest-running show, seeing Phantom is one of the most epic experiences you can have on The Great White Way. In this episode, Picerno talks about her transition from the opera world to the Broadway world, the athleticism behind her performance, and the Yankees' All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman --- who in 2016, carried her Chicago Cubs to their first World Series Championship in 108 years! In that postseason, he posted an impressive 3.45 ERA, multiple wins and no losses, an incredible 4 saved games, and an absolutely stunning 21 strikeouts in only 15.2 innings pitched. Tune in to hear Picerno's thoughts on Chapman's historic run, as well as how baseball and Broadway relate to each other when it comes to performance-driven leadership. Shoutout to our buddy Michael Borowski at The Publicity Office for helping put this one together. Note: This episode was recorded just a few days prior to Broadway's shutdown due to the Coronavirus outbreak. As stated in the intro, it was originally intended to be our 25th release. Hosted by Al Malafronte Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Edited by Matthew Hendershot Connect with Meghan Picerno on Instagram: @meghanpicerno Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As COVID-19 brings the world to a halt, the deep impact on the Broadway and baseball communities can't be overstated. While our team hopes to provide some solace during these trying times, this episode tackles the tough questions surrounding the weeks and months ahead for the two mediums we care about so deeply, as both remain in limbo due to their inevitable shutdowns. In this episode, host Al Malafronte and producer Alan Seales captain a roundtable panel that includes: Robert Casey (Managing Editor/Head Writer for the popular New York Yankees blog: Bleeding Yankee Blue), Doug Horowitz (guest co-host in Episode 1), and friend of the show Gil Cosenza. We also have a quick chat with Broadway veteran, Sara Jean Ford (CATS, The Phantom of the Opera) to round out the episode. Panel intros / state of baseball content begins at 0:24 The state of Broadway content begins at 36:24 Sara Jean Ford chat begins at 51:42 Hosted by Al Malafronte Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Edited by Matthew Hendershot Connect with Robert Casey and Bleeding Yankee Blue online: www.bleedingyankeeblue.com and on Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda Jane Cooper steps into The Batter’s Box for Episode 24! Cooper holds the distinction of being one of the longest-tenured actresses to play Glinda in the now storied franchise that is Wicked on Broadway. Amanda performed the role in the show’s First National Tour in 2011, Second National Tour from 2015-2017, and then in the Broadway company from 2017-2018. While in Oz, she also had the opportunity to meet and perform for Yankees Hall of Famer, Derek Jeter, after speaking to the young adults volunteering for his Turn 2 Foundation. As Jeter was a leader for his Yankee teammates, Cooper has a reputation of being a leader among her Broadway castmates and speaks to the importance of that. When discussing the emotion that performers feel in big moments both on the stage and at the stadium, Cooper touches on overcoming adversity off the stage, and how that helped shape her both as a person and an All-Star performer. Another wild edition of the 7th Inning Stretch ensues with some Wicked, baseball, and Aroldis Chapman trivia questions, as Cooper sought to join our show’s exclusive ‘Winner’s Circle’ for the trivia elite. Hosted by Al Malafronte Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network Edited by Matthew Hendershot Connect with Amanda Jane Cooper on Instagram: @amandajanecoop and Twitter: @amandajanecoop Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caitlin Houlahan is one of the stars of Girl from the North Country featuring the music of Bob Dylan, which just began previews and has a Broadway opening set for March 5th at the Belasco Theatre. In Episode 21, Caitlin discusses her background in music therapy at Baldwin Wallace University, her decision to switch gears towards acting, as well as some of her big career moments that mirror the signature performances that New York has witnessed at Yankee Stadium from the likes of All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, and recently inducted Hall of Famer, Derek Jeter. An Ohio native and lifelong Cleveland Indians fan with a true grasp of baseball and Broadway’s parallels, Caitlin also touches on making her Broadway debut as Dawn in Waitress during the heart of the team’s World Series run in 2016, and how their success helped pumped her up throughout it all. Recently, some alumni from both Caitlin’s Indians (Manny Ramirez) and Al's Yankees (Roger Clemens) were left out of the Baseball Hall of Fame in its latest round of voting due to their connection to performance-enhancing drugs, despite having incredible statistics. In Caitlin’s extremely competitive line of work on stage, there’s a tremendous emphasis on health and strength. She offers some eye-opening perspective on how the industry views steroid use among its performers when a boost is needed to perform eight times a week, versus a baseball player looking to gain an edge illegally. Caitlin also fills us in on what we can expect from Girl from the North Country in which she plays the role of Kate Draper, and how it’ll move an audience much like a great night at the ballpark. Connect with Caitlin Houlahan on Instagram: @caithoula Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kennedy Caughell steps into The Batter's Box in Episode 19! Caughell is currently hitting for some major power on the road in the touring production of Beautiful - The Carole King Musical, in which she stars as Carole King. Caughell's stage credits include playing Elphaba in the Wicked tour, multiple positions in the Broadway production of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, as well as the Broadway production of Beautiful. She was sure to rock her softball jersey from her days as a left fielder in the Broadway Show League. An Oklahoma native like Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Johnny Bench, Caughell discusses why sports remain so prominent in her home state, and how her hometown of Bartlesville helped bridge the gap between athletics and the arts to help spur her interest in both. She and host Al Malafronte even discuss how defensive alignment on the baseball field correlates to stage positioning for actors and actresses, and how vocal coaches protecting your voice mirrors the recent trend of innings-limits for starting pitchers in their development. Many baseball players are a big fish in a small pond in high school, and the same applies to hopeful Broadway performers honing their craft upon entering college and then arriving in New York. In an ever-changing game and industry, preparation and an ability to make adjustments are vital, which Kennedy has mastered through hard work, dedication, and a wide array of outlets. As her time in Beautiful originally began during its Broadway run, she talks about gearing up for what's proven to be a dream role, what goes into her portrayal of the legendary Carole King, and the profound words spoken to her by Carole herself upon meeting for the first time. If you're outside of New York, you may be able to catch Caughell in a city near you, as the Beautiful tour runs through mid-June, and as this episode proves, Caughell can hit 'em out of the park regardless of which stadium she's playing in. Connect with Kennedy Caughell on Instagram: @kennedycaughell Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a Baseball meets Broadway roundtable! In this week's episode, our host Al Malafronte calls some All-Star panelists to The Batter's Box to discuss all things topical in the baseball and Broadway world. Co-captaining the panel alongside Malafronte is someone who's been instrumental in the baseball and theatre crossover world. With diverse experience in both acting and athletics, his knowledge and expertise on both fronts are truly invaluable. It's with great pleasure to reintroduce Scotty Katzmann to the Batheads, as our special guest in Episode 18. Scotty is one of the co-founders of our podcast, and the show’s original co-host going back to when it was recorded in Malafronte’s apartment while the two would order a pizza and watch the Yankee game during the spring and summer of 2019. Although a lot has changed with the podcast since his last BPN co-hosting appearances in Episodes 1 and 5, its spirit in which he helped create remains fully intact, and that shines through in this episode. Also joining Malafronte and Katzmann on the panel were: Ellen Adair: Ellen is a veteran in the acting world who has an “unhealthy obsession with baseball,” as she reveals in this episode. Her acting credits include appearances on Billions, Homeland, and The Sinner, and in recent months, she’s become a regular on many fantasy baseball podcasts, as well as a guest host on the MLB Network. Brittany Bigelow: Brittany is the host of A Broad’s Way on the BPN which explores the unpredictability of life in the theater business and how to find your sense of self through it all. With an acting background of her own, her perspective on performance and the state of the industry is both refreshing and needed. Among the topics discussed in this episode: • The Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. • What could serve as Broadway's equivalent of a fantasy baseball league. • The roots of one’s passion for sports and the arts. • Baseball’s Hall of Fame voting results. • Beetlejuice unjustly being kicked out of the Winter Garden Theatre. • Malafronte and Katzmann calling the Commissioner of Major League Baseball to task over his agenda to boost TV ratings at the expense of the record books through juiced baseballs. • How the politics of baseball and Broadway can impact its performers. • Broadway’s love affair with the Yankees' All-Star and flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman. • Katzmann’s love of the song 'Barbara 2.0' from Beetlejuice, and how he associates it with putting everything on the line in a big game. Connect with Scotty Katzmann on Instagram: @ghostface_scootah Connect with Ellen Adair on Instagram: @ellenadairig Connect with Brittany Bigelow on Instagram: @brittanymbigelow Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nancy Newman has served as one of the YES Network's leading talents since 2003, and invited our host Al Malafronte up to Yankee Stadium for a special interview. The two look back on some of her highlights while covering the Yankees, hosting Yankees Magazine and helping make the show what it is today, and covering Yankee legends Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez during their primes - as well as their unique approaches and style of performance. Nancy and Al also talk about what makes both baseball and Broadway so special here in NYC, as they revisit their first experiences with musical theatre, and how they've since resonated throughout their lives. Connect with Nancy Newman on Instagram: @nancynewmanyes Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jane Bruce is in the midst of an exciting rookie year on Broadway, serving as part of the backbone for one of Broadway’s hottest new shows Jagged Little Pill, featuring the music of Alanis Morissette. Bruce plays a multitude of roles on the team as a member of the chorus, as well as an understudy to principal roles that speak to her versatility as a performer. Bruce takes host Al Malafronte and producer Alan Seales through her road to Broadway which was defined by hard work, perseverance and positivity. Not to be confused with former New York Mets outfielder, Jay Bruce, the virtues behind Bruce’s success within the show mirror that of any successful team player on a Major League Baseball roster – an ability to stay humble, respecting your team goals and message, and always looking to improve. When you can be called into action at any moment for a wide array of roles in the juggernaut that is Jagged Little Pill, it’s a testament to performers like Bruce that the show runs as such a well-oiled machine; which is not unlike the key role players on the Yankees’ World Series teams of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. While Jagged Little Pill may be her Broadway debut, Bruce is no stranger to the stage, having also appeared in The Other Josh Cohen in which she took on more than 20 different roles, and she’s fast immersed herself into the New York City music scene as a singer/songwriter with a new album on the way! One term that Jane uses throughout the interview is “grateful,” and as nothing can be taken for granted in either the theatre world or baseball world, this sets a great backdrop for the episode. Connect with Jane Bruce on Instagram: @janeybrucey Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Potts steps into The Batter’s Box to chat with host Al Malafronte and producer Alan Seales in Episode 16! Potts is an Obie Award Winner, and one of the most esteemed and versatile actors in the game. He takes the boys through his processes and views towards acting that’ve produced some extremely memorable performances both on stage and on screen. With an acting career that began via a secret application to the Yale School of Drama, Potts has since gone onto master authentic embodiment of characters that’ve spanned iconic performances such as Brother Mouzone in HBO's The Wire, Mafala Hatimbi in The Book of Mormon, and Principal Hawkins in The Prom. With a Class Act reputation on stage and off, it only seems fitting to parallel his master of craft to that of Derek Jeter. With the legendary Yankee Captain’s upcoming induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame later this month, Potts offers a poignant perspective on what embodies greatness either in acting or athletics. Connect with Michael Potts on Instagram: @mpotts62 Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices