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EPISODE 11 - ROGER BART

March 26, 2017 Ilana Levine

Broadway: Disaster on Broadway, (Outer Critic's Circle Nom) Young Frankenstein, The Frogs, The Producers, (Tony&Drama Desk Nominations), You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Tony Award & Drama Desk Award), Triumph Of Love, Big River. Film credits include: Speech & Debate, Trumbo, How To Build A Better Boy, Last Vegas, Smiley, Law Abiding Citizen,  Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, American Gangster, Hostel: Part II, The Producers, The Stepford Wives, The Insider, Hercules (singing voice- Hercules). Television, most notably: Desperate Housewives (George Williams), Revenge (Mason Treadwell), How I Met Your Mother, Episodes on Showtime Network, 30 Rock, The Event, Political Animals, The Lost Room, Bram and Alice, and currently Graves on EPIX. 

Little Known Fact: Roger Bart was accidentally conceived on a New Years Eve when his mother drank sake AND champagne. Oops. 

EPISODE 10 - REED BIRNEY

March 26, 2017 Ilana Levine

Reed Birney won a Tony Award for his role as Erik in Stephen Karam's play, THE HUMANS, at The Helen Hayes Theater in New York. Last season, Reed Birney appeared in New York Halley Feiffer's I'M GONNA PRAY FOR YOU SO HARD (Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk Award nominations) at The Atlantic Theater and Clare Barron's YOU GOT OLDER (Drama Desk Award nomination) at Here Arts Center. He won a Drama Desk award and was nominated for a Tony for his performance as Charlotte in Harvey Fierstein's CASA VALENTINA. He was Hubert Humphrey the A.R.T. production of ALL THE WAY with Bryan Cranston. His Broadway debut was in 1977 in Albert Innauratoʼs GEMINI. In 2012 he returned to Broadway in the Roundabout revival of PICNIC. In 2011, he received a Special Drama Desk Award honoring his career as an actor. Recent productions: CORE VALUES at Ars Nova, HAPGOOD at Williamstown Theater Festival, Annie Baker's translation of UNCLE VANYA (Soho Rep-Drama Desk Nomination), Kim Rosenstockʼs TIGERS BE STILL and David West Readʼs THE DREAM OF THE BURNING BOY (Drama League, Outer Critics Circle nominations), both at The Roundabout Underground, and Adam Bockʼs A SMALL FIRE at Playwrights Horizons. He was Ian in the New York premiere of Sarah Kaneʼs BLASTED in 2008 at Soho Rep (Drama Desk Award nomination.) He received an OBIE and Drama Desk Award for his performance in Annie Bakerʼs CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION also at Playwrights Horizons. He was Tony Blair in the acclaimed Public Theater production of STUFF HAPPENS. Other notable performances include the world premiere of Tony Kushnerʼs revised HOMEBODY/KABUL at Steppenwolf, The Mark Taper Forum and BAM; Tracy Letts' BUG (OBIE award) at The Barrow Street Theater; THE COMMON PURSUIT at the Promenade Theater; Gaev in THE CHERRY ORCHARD at Williamstown Theater Festival. He made his film debut in Arthur Penn and Steve Tesichʼs FOUR FRIENDS, and has appeared in Clint Eastwoodʼs CHANGELING, MORNING GLORY and Jeff Lipskyʼs TWELVE THIRTY, MOLLYʼS THEORY OF RELATIVITY, and MAD WOMEN, and with Kristen Wiig in THE GIRL MOST LIKELY. He is Rep. Donald Blythe on the Netflix series, "House of Cards" and can be seen as Patti LuPone's husband in HBO's "Girls." Other recent TV appearances include "Blue Bloods,” as Tom Connolly on "The Blacklist" and NBCʼs “American Odyssey.” On the web, he is in the series “Whatʼs Your Emergency?” He won a 2006 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Performance and in 2011 Actors' Equity awarded him the Richard Seff Award. He has taught acting at Columbia University and The Scott Freeman Studio. He is married to actress Constance Shulman and they have two children, Ephraim and Gus, who are both actors.

Little Known Fact: Reed Birney almost quit acting after his first professional job working in a children's theater company.

EPISODE 9 - BEN PLATT

March 2, 2017 Ilana Levine

BEN PLATT (Tony Award Winner) originated the title role in Dear Evan Hansen to critical acclaim (Obie Award, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League nominations). Platt was the original Elder Cunningham in the Chicago production of The Book of Mormon and reprised the role on Broadway (dir. Trey Parker and Casey Nicholaw). Film: Benji Applebaum in Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2, Ricki and the Flash (dir. Jonathan Demme), Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (dir. Ang Lee), Drunk Parents (dir. Fred Wolf). National Tours: Caroline, or Change (directed by George C. Wolfe). Regional credits include Dear Evan Hansen (Arena Stage), The Black Suits (Barrington Stage Company), The Power of Duff (dir. Peter DuBois/New York Stage and Film), Dead End (dir. Nicholas Martin/Ahmanson Theatre), The Music Man, Mame, Camelot, and The Sound of Music (dir. Gordon Hunt/Hollywood Bowl). 

Little Known Fact: Ben Platt had a broadway themed Bar Mitzvah and he entered the reception singing "Walk Like A Man" with his dad and brothers. 

EPISODE 8 - ANTHONY RAPP

March 2, 2017 Ilana Levine

Anthony Rapp has been acting and singing professionally since he was nine years old.  With an extensive list of achievements, Rapp is best known for originating the role of ‘Mark Cohen’ in Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award-winning rock opera, Rent, for which he shared an OBIE Award with the rest of the cast.  He reprised his role in Chris Columbus’ film version opposite other members of the original cast.  

Anthony can currently be seen in the national tour of If/Then, having previously starred in the Broadway production from the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning creators of Next to Normal.  He joined former Rent cast member Idina Menzel in this romantic and original musical about how choice and chance collide and how we learn to love the fallout. Additional Broadway credits include the revival of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation.  His Broadway debut was in Precious Sons with Judith Ivey and Ed Harris, for which he received an Outer Critics Circle award and a Drama Desk nomination. Other theater credits include Raised In Captivity (Vineyard Theatre), Trafficking in Broken Hearts (Atlantic), Some Americans Abroad (Second Stage), Dedalus Lounge (Interart Theatre Annex), and the national tour of Little Shop of Horrors. 

Anthony has been featured in a number of iconic feature films ranging from dramas like the Oscar-award winning A Beautiful Mind, Six Degrees of Separation, and The Other Woman opposite Natalie Portman, to comedies like Dazed and Confused with Matthew McConaughey and Road Trip directed by Todd Phillips. He will next be seen starring with fellow-Broadway favorite Cheyenne Jackson in the upcoming film Opening Night.  Additional film credits include Junction, Adventures in Babysitting, School Ties, Man of the Century, and David Searching.  He also appeared in Winter Passing, a film written and directed by his brother, Adam Rapp.

A writer as well, Anthony penned Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent (Simon & Schuster) about his struggle to balance the demands of life in the theatre with his responsibility to his family during his mother’s battle with cancer.  He recently adapted the book into a one-man show entitled “Without You” which he has performed on stages both nationally and internationally.  

On television, Rapp has appeared in The X-Files, The Beach Boys: An American Family, Kidnapped, Law & Order: SVU, and Psych.

In 2000, he released his debut album, Look Around.   He has performed his music in clubs and colleges throughout the country.

Rapp is proud to support and continue to help raise funds for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Friends in Deed.

Little known Fact: Anthony Rapp is an avid poker player. 

EPISODE 7 - FRANK DILELLA

February 2, 2017 Ilana Levine

Frank DiLella's celebrity interviews, along with his in-depth reporting of the theatrical scene for NY1, have helped make him a trusted friend and confidant within the theater and entertainment communities, as well as one of the most popular personalities in entertainment journalism in New York City. 

He joined NY1 in 2004 and now produces and reports for "On Stage," the news channel's weekly half-hour theater program. Working the entertainment beat, DiLella has interviewed many legendary artists including Edward Albee, Tom Hanks, Vanessa Redgrave, Bono, August Wilson, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Bette Midler, Hugh Jackman, Tom Stoppard, Carol Channing, James Earl Jones, Chita Rivera, Jane Fonda, Elaine Stritch, Angela Lansbury, Lady Gaga, Tony Kushner, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. 

In the fall of 2009, DiLella and the "On Stage" team were honored by the New York Musical Theater Festival for their weekly coverage of NYC theater. In addition to filing reports on the Broadway and off-Broadway scenes, DiLella has traveled internationally to cover theater in Japan, Hong Kong, England, Scotland, Germany, and Canada. 

In May 2013, Time Warner Cable launched a spin-off of "On Stage" entitled "On Stage Across America." The monthly program, which is produced and co-hosted by DiLella, shines a spotlight on Broadway theater, national tours, regional theater, and high school plays. 

In addition to his work at NY1, DiLella is a contributing correspondent for Playbill and MANHATTAN Magazine and has given lectures on theater and journalism at Hofstra University and The American Theatre Wing. He has also appeared as a theater correspondent for the BBC, Sirius XM, "The Early Show" on CBS, CTV, The American Theatre Wing, and Al Jazeera TV – as well as in the 2010 documentary, "Pitmen Painters – A Brush with Broadway." In 2013, he appeared on NBC's "Smash," portraying himself. 

DiLella serves on the board of The Gershwin Awards and is a part of the selection committee for the annual Clive Barnes Awards and Foundation. 

He received a B.A in communications/journalism with a minor in theater from Fordham University at Lincoln Center. DiLella has since returned to his alma mater as an adjunct professor teaching theater journalism. 

Little Known Fact: As a child, he and his brother performed musicals in their living room. 

EPISODE 6 - CONSTANCE SHULMAN

January 23, 2017 Ilana Levine

Constance Shulman originated the role of Annelle in Robert Harling's, Steel Magnolias at the WPA/Lucille Lortel Theater.  She was the voice of Patti Mayonnaise on Nickelodeon's animated series, DOUG (also ABC Disney).  FILMS:  Fried Green Tomatoes, Men Don't Leave, Reversal of Fortune, Sweet and Lowdown, recently released, Nasty Baby, Stereotypically You.  TV:  SVU, The Faculty, Orange Is The New Black (two time SAG award winner for best ensemble in a comedy series).  Shulman co-produced the documentary, Looks Like Laury, Sounds Like Laury (seen on America ReFramed, PBS. It was named one of the top ten documentaries of 2015 by the NY TIMES). 

Little Known Fact: Constance Shulman went to beauty school the summer after she graduated from college. 

EPISODE 5 - BRYAN GREENBERG

January 16, 2017 Ilana Levine

Bryan Greenberg is a well known American actor and musician. Fans first came to love him as teenage dad "Jake Jagielski" in the WB hit series One Tree Hill. His fan base continued to grow with his next television series, the ABC drama October Road in which he played "Nick Garrett." Bryan played a version of himself as an actor on the way up in Hollywood on the critically acclaimed HBO series, Unscripted, produced by Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney and Grant Heslov. Bryan's next star turn came as "Ben Epstein" in the cult hit HBO original series How to Make It in America. 

Bryan's numerous film roles include the lead role in Prime opposite Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman. Other film work includes The Perfect Score, Nobel Son, Bride Wars, The Good Guy, Friends with Benefits, and A Short History of Decay. 

An amazing singer and songwriter, Bryan has recorded the albums, Waiting for Now and Everyone Changes, both available on iTunes. 

You can follow Bryan on Twitter: @bryangreenberg - Instagram: @bryangreenberg - Snapchat: bryangreenberg1 

Little Known Fact - He was the kid in the Cookie Crisp commercial. 

EPISODE 4 - BD WONG

January 9, 2017 Ilana Levine

BD Wong grew up in San Francisco.  He won a Tony Award for his performance in M. Butterfly. 

He gained notoriety for playing the roles of Dr. George Huang on Law & Order: SVU, Father Ray Mukada on Oz, Dr. John Lee on Awake, Dr. Henry Wu in the first Jurassic Park film as well as the fourth entry, Jurassic World,  Mulan, and Ngawang Jigme in the film Seven Years in Tibet.

He is now appearing in the TV series Gotham as Hugo Strange, making Wong the first actor to play the character in live-action. He was nominated in 2016 for a Critic's Choice Television Award for his recurring role as White Rose in Mr. Robot.

Little Known Fact: May 11, 2016 was officially proclaimed to be “BD Wong Day” by New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio.

EPISODE 3 - CYNTHIA NIXON

December 21, 2016 Ilana Levine

Cynthia Ellen Nixon is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series Sex and the City for which she won the 2004 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She reprised the role in the films Sex and the City and Sex and the City 2. Her other film appearances include Amadeus , The Pelican Brief, Baby's Day Out, Little Manhattan, 5 Flights Up, Stockholm, Pennsylvania, James White and A Quiet Passion.

Nixon made her Broadway debut in the 1980 revival of The Philadelphia Story. Other Broadway credits include The Real Thing, Hurlyburly, Indiscretions and The Women. She played Eleanor Roosevelt in the HBO TV film Warm Springs. She went on to win the 2006 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the original production of Rabbit Hole, a second Emmy Award in 2008 for her guest role in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2009 for An Inconvenient Truth. In 2011, she played Michele Davis in the TV film Too Big to Fail, before returning to Broadway in the 2012 play Wit. 

Little Known Fact - She has an encyclopedic knowledge of Broadway musicals.

EPISODE 1 & 2 - JOHN SLATTERY

December 21, 2016 Ilana Levine

John Slattery is an American actor and director. He is best known for his role as Roger Sterling in the AMC drama series Mad Men. He has received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations and two Critics' Choice Television Awards for AMC's series Mad Men. He was also part of the Mad Men ensemble cast that won two SAG Awards.

In 2013, Slattery directed his first feature film, God's Pocket, which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. He is currently on the HBO series Veep.

Apart from his role on Mad Men, Slattery is also known for roles on Homefront; the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon;  the HBO series K Street; guest appearances on Will & Grace; Judging Amy; Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives.

Other films include Mona Lisa Smile, Flags of our Fathers, Charlie Wilson's War and The Adjustment Bureau.

In 2015, Slattery portrayed journalist Ben Bradlee Jr. in the Academy Award winning film Spotlight, and also appeared in the Netflix comedy series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, for which he earned a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series.

Little Known Fact- He is an avid surfer.

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