Baring It All with Call Me Adam

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today, I am catching up with one of My Entertainment Pen Pals, Jodi Benson who is known for voicing Ariel in Disney's Oscar winning feature film, The Little Mermaid.Jodi is getting to ready to return to the New York stage, in her Off Broadway debut, to star in & close out one of my favorite plays, Michael Griffo's Pen Pals.In this interview, Jodi is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:How she landed Pen PalsWhat the show says about friendshipWhy Bernie is the perfect characterHer real-life bond with co-star Marcia Mitzman GavenThe legacy, and lasting impact, of The Little MermaidAnd so much moreJodi Benson & her long time friend, Marcia Mitzman Gaven will be starring in & closing out Michael Griffo's Pen Pals from March 4-15, 2026 at the Daryl Roth DR Theatre in NYC. Click Here for tickets!Click Here to watch this live interview in video format!Special Thanks:Joe Trentacosta, JT Public RelationsTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Jodi Benson:Jodi Benson is a Disney Legend Award recipient and has proudly served The Walt Disney Company for over 38 years. She is beloved worldwide as the singing and speaking voice of Ariel in the Academy Award®–winning The Little Mermaid, as well as the voice of Barbie in Toy Story 2 and the Oscar®-winning Toy Story 3. Her film work also includes Flubber, Enchanted, Wreck-It Ralph 2, and multiple Disney animated classics.On Broadway, Jodi earned Tony and Helen Hayes nominations for originating Polly Baker in Crazy for You, with additional credits including Smile, Welcome to the Club, and Marilyn: An American Fable. She recently appeared on Sweet Magnolias and continues to star as Ariel in Disney’s LEGO Princess films for Disney+.A celebrated concert artist, Jodi has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and with symphonies worldwide. She is a longtime Disney Cruise Line guest soloist, Candlelight Processional narrator, and currently serves as a D23 Fan Ambassador. Her memoir, Part of My World, shares behind-the-scenes stories from her remarkable journey.Mentioned in this episode:Book PromoDo you remember watching your favorite celebrity being interviewed, but you could tell there was more to that interview than what was being shown? My name is Adam Rothenberg and in the past 16 years I have interviewed over 2,200 artists & celebrities and I am here to tell you that YES, there is definitely more to the interviews you have watched, read or listened to. In my debut book, Behind The Curtain: The Mistakes, Lessons Learned & Triumphs of Interviewing Celebrities, I take you behind the scenes of what really happens during an interview, sharing the joys, the pitfalls & the OMG moments. You can get your copy on Amazon or through my entertainment platform, https://callmeadam.com/books, you can get your very own personalized autographed copy!

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today, I am catching up with My Entertainment Idol, Adam Jacobs (yep, Broadway's original Aladdin), who is getting to ready to return to the New York stage to star in Monte Cristo at the York Theatre in NYCIn this NEW interview, Adam is once again Baring It All with Call Me Adam, but this time around, he talks about:How Monte Cristo landed on his radarWhat it’s really like playing the darker side of Edmond DantèsA powerful life lesson that’s shaped his perspectiveThe traits he carried over from AladdinPlus so much moreAdam Jacobs will be starring in Monte Cristo from March 12-April 5, 2026 at NYC's York Theatre. Click Here for tickets!Click Here to watch this live interview in video format!Special Thanks:Katie Rosin, Kampfire Films PRTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Adam Jacobs:Adam Jacob’s made is Broadway debut as “Marius” in the revival of Les Miserables at the Broadhurst Theater alongside such Broadway luminaries as Lea Salonga, Judy Kuhn, Gary Beach, Daphne-Rubin Vega, Norm Lewis, Ann Harada, Aaron Lazar & many others.Since Les Mis, Adam has starred in such hit shows as Mamma Mia!,The Lion King, Once On This Island & of course, as the original Aladdin on Broadway.Mentioned in this episode:Book PromoDo you remember watching your favorite celebrity being interviewed, but you could tell there was more to that interview than what was being shown? My name is Adam Rothenberg and in the past 16 years I have interviewed over 2,200 artists & celebrities and I am here to tell you that YES, there is definitely more to the interviews you have watched, read or listened to. In my debut book, Behind The Curtain: The Mistakes, Lessons Learned & Triumphs of Interviewing Celebrities, I take you behind the scenes of what really happens during an interview, sharing the joys, the pitfalls & the OMG moments. You can get your copy on Amazon or through my entertainment platform, https://callmeadam.com/books, you can get your very own personalized autographed copy!

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today, I am catching up with My Entertainment Idol, 3 Time Emmy Award Winning Actress Cady McClain who is getting to ready to return to the New York stage to star in Roman Freud's Off Broadway play, Beneath the Ice of the Vistula.In this NEW interview, Cady is once again Baring It All with Call Me Adam, but this time around, she talks about:How Beneath the Ice of the Vistula landed in her handsWhy this story couldn't be more timelyHow this role challenges & expands her creative range as an actressLinking Beyond the Gates and Beneath the Ice of the VistulaPlus so much moreCady McClain will be starring in Beneath the Ice of the Vistula from February 12-28, 2026 at NYC's West End Theatre at St. Paul & St. Andrew UMC. Click Here for tickets!Click Here to watch this live interview in video format!Special Thanks:Ron Lasko, Spin Cycle NYCTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Cady McClain:Cady McClain is the first woman to win a Daytime Emmy© for playing three different characters, on three different shows, on three different networks. Cady made Emmy history by taking home the gold for her roles on All My Children (Best Juvenile, 1990), As the World Turns (Best Supporting Actress, 2004), and Days of Our Lives (Best Guest Performer, 2021).Cady is currently playing the recurring role of “Pamela Curtis” on CBS' Beyond the Gates, which Entertainment Weekly recently named one of the best TV shows of 2025.In 2024, Cady starred as “Joan Plowright” in Austin Pendleton's Off Broadway play, Orson’s Shadow, followed by What Happened Was at The Chain Theatre's 2025 Summer One Act Festival in NYC. Cady has also been seen on the theatrical stage in Shirley Valentine at Cape May Stage, The Red Address at Second Stage Theater, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing at Lincoln Center Theater, A Comedy of Errors at the Hudson Guild Theater & Barefoot in the Park at the Westbury and Valley Forge Music Fair theaters. Cady also performed in two one-woman shows: Mona7 and Inventions of Farewell (HERE Theatre).In addition to the above Soap Operas, Cady has also been seen on multiple episodes of Law & Order SVU (opposite Amanda Seyfried, Mariska Hargitay, Michael O’Keefe, Ice T & Kevin Kane).Mentioned in this episode:Book PromoDo you remember watching your favorite celebrity being interviewed, but you could tell there was more to that interview than what was being shown? My name is Adam Rothenberg and in the past 16 years I have interviewed over 2,200 artists & celebrities and I am here to tell you that YES, there is definitely more to the interviews you have watched, read or listened to. In my debut book, Behind The Curtain: The Mistakes, Lessons Learned & Triumphs of Interviewing Celebrities, I take you behind the scenes of what really happens during an interview, sharing the joys, the pitfalls & the OMG moments. You can get your copy on Amazon or through my entertainment platform, https://callmeadam.com/books, you can get your very own personalized autographed copy!

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today, I am catching up with My Entertainment Idol Actress, Author & 5-Time Golden Globe Nominee Marilu Henner who is getting to ready to return to the New York stage to star in Michael Griffo's smash hit Off Broadway play, Pen Pals, alongside her lifelong friend, Actress Brooke Adams.In this NEW interview, Marilu is once again Baring It All with Call Me Adam, but this time around, she talks about:How Pen Pals came into her lifeThe moments that shaped her view of BernieA Pen Pals date challenge that put her superhero memory to the testAnd so much more you won’t want to missMarilu (and Brooke) will be in Pen Pals, for 2 WEEKS ONLY, from February 4-15, 2026 at the Daryl Roth DR2 Theatre in NYC. Click Here for tickets!Click Here to watch this live interview in video format!Special Thanks:Joe Trentacosta, JT Public RelationsTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Marliu Henner:Marilu Henner is a 5 time Golden Globe nominee whose career spans Broadway, Film & Television. Some of her Broadway credits include Chicago, Grease & The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife.On screen, Marilu has appeared in such films as L.A. Story & Noises Off.She is well known to television audiences for her role on the Emmy winning series Taxi, with additional appearances on Grey’s Anatomy & Brooklyn Nine-Nine.A New York Times bestselling author, Marilu is also widely recognized for her work in memory & health. She tours the nation with her one woman show, Memory Girl!Mentioned in this episode:Book PromoDo you remember watching your favorite celebrity being interviewed, but you could tell there was more to that interview than what was being shown? My name is Adam Rothenberg and in the past 16 years I have interviewed over 2,200 artists & celebrities and I am here to tell you that YES, there is definitely more to the interviews you have watched, read or listened to. In my debut book, Behind The Curtain: The Mistakes, Lessons Learned & Triumphs of Interviewing Celebrities, I take you behind the scenes of what really happens during an interview, sharing the joys, the pitfalls & the OMG moments. You can get your copy on Amazon or through my entertainment platform, https://callmeadam.com/books, you can get your very own personalized autographed copy!

In this special BONUS episode of my podcast, I am sharing my recent LIVE interview with Rachel Potter (Broadway Actress, Recording Artist, Producer & X-Factor Season 3 Top 12 Finalist) about her upcoming concert, An Evening of Magic, in Nashville, TN.If you didn't get to watch my LIVE interview, listen to the replay below here!Wait until you hear Rachel's jaw-dropping story about her audition for the Ricky Martin/Michael Cerveris led Broadway revival of Evita!An Evening of Magic will feature Rachel & her talented friends singing music from Broadway & Disney Movies.Scheduled to perform: Susan Egan (Broadway's original Belle in Beauty & The Beast), Morgxn (Singer/Songwriter), Caroline Bowman (Originated the role of Elsa in the National Tour of Frozen) & many more!An Evening of Magic will take place at the Analog at Hutton Hotel in Nashville, TN this Friday, January 23, 2026 at 8pm CST. Click Here for tickets! More on Rachel Potter:Rachel Potter is an acclaimed Broadway Actress & accomplished Nashville Recording artist who was the “pop-u-lar” Glinda u/s on the National Tour of Wicked. She made her Broadway debut as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family & went on to originate the role of The Mistress in the Ricky Martin/Michael Cerveris led Broadway revival of Evita. Her standout performance of singing "Another Suitcase in Another Hall," further solidified her place in the Broadway community.Transitioning from Broadway to Nashville, Rachel achieved success as a Top 12 finalist on season 3 of FOX's The X Factor. She auditioned by singing Queen's "Somebody to Love" which earned international praise & continues to amass millions of views since the season aired in 2013. Rachel's version of "Somebody to Love" is featured on her solo album, Not So Black and White.Rachel's journey in entertainment began at Walt Disney World, where she portrayed iconic characters such as Ariel, Belle, and Nemo. Most recently, Rachel was the featured soloist on Journey to Fantasy Springs, the theme song for Tokyo Disney Sea's new land Fantasy Springs, further expanding her global reach.Rachel has been featured as a guest soloist with many symphony orchestras all over the world, including the Dallas Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Utah Symphony & many others. Rachel & fellow country artist, Patrick Thomas, celebrate past icons of country music in their Pops symphony show, Country Legends.Residing in Nashville, TN, Rachel remains focused on recording and writing music, as well as enjoying a successful career in real estate.Mentioned in this episode:Book PromoDo you remember watching your favorite celebrity being interviewed, but you could tell there was more to that interview than what was being shown? My name is Adam Rothenberg and in the past 16 years I have interviewed over 2,200 artists & celebrities and I am here to tell you that YES, there is definitely more to the interviews you have watched, read or listened to. In my debut book, Behind The Curtain: The Mistakes, Lessons Learned & Triumphs of Interviewing Celebrities, I take you behind the scenes of what really happens during an interview, sharing the joys, the pitfalls & the OMG moments. You can get your copy on Amazon or through my entertainment platform, https://callmeadam.com/books, you can get your very own personalized autographed copy!

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today, in this LIVE Interview Replay, I am catching up with My Entertainment Idol Alt Pop Singer Songwriter Rachael Sage who is getting to ready to drop her latest album, Canopy!In this NEW interview, Rachael is once again Baring It All with Call Me Adam, but this time around, she talks about:The making of her new album, CanopyHow she would describe her latest record to audiencesWhy you should come see her live in concertOvercoming adversityHer personal side inspired by the track listing of her latest album, Canopy.So much more Rachael Sage's new record, Canopy, drops on Friday, October 24, 2025. Rachael will be celebrating the release of Canopy with a concert at The Cutting Room in NYC on Thursday, October 23, 2025.Click here to watch this live interview in video format!Special Thanks:Jill Richmond Johnson, MPress Records PRTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Rachael Sage:Rachael Sage is a 6x Independent Music Award Winner & John Lennon Songwriting Contest Grand Prize recipient. She has released over 20 albums and EPs since bursting onto the music scene via Lilith Fair. Rachael is an outspoken activist on LGBTQ+ rights, anti-gun violence & women’s health issues. Rachael is a cancer thriver with multiple top-charting singles & hopeful anthems including "Blue Sky Days," "Bravery On Fire" and her feminist anthem “Sistersong.”Rachael has shared the concert stage such musical luminaries as Ani DiFranco, Rufus Wainwright, A Great Big World, Beth Hart and Howard Jones.

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I am catching up with Actress Jennifer Bassey, who you know for her over 30-year run as man-hungry nymphomaniac Marian Colby on ABC's hit soap opera, All My Children.In 2017, Jennifer & I did an interview together where she briefly spoke about putting together a cabaret show. Now, 8 years later, that cabaret show is coming to life at 54 Below!In this interview, Jennifer is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:Why she wanted to create a cabaret showWhat will amaze fans about her upcoming cabaret showHow Bobby Short changed the trajectory of her careerSome OMG moments from her time on All My ChildrenWalking through fearSo much more Jennifer Bassey's cabaret show, From Sexy Soaps to Classy Cabaret will be at 54 Below for TWO NIGHTS ONLY, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 & Wednesday, October 15, 2025 both shows are at 7pm EST. There is a livestream option on Wednesday, October 15.In From Sexy Soaps to Classy Cabaret, Jennifer shares memories of her humble beginnings as a singing Playboy Bunny, to starring on Broadway, Off-Broadway & her on and off-screen exploits as TV’s first nymphomanic-cougar daytime diva, in this autobiographical romp featuring songs from Broadway & The Great American Songbook.Click here to watch this interview in video format!Special Thanks:Candi Adams & Adelina Correa - 54 Below PRTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Jennifer Bassey:Jennifer Bassey is a two-time Emmy nominated actress whose first job in entertainment was as a singing Playboy bunny. After a chance encounter, Jennifer left her bunny ears behind & auditioned for a spot in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Jennifer got accepted while earning the lowest entrance marks in the history of the academy. She graduated from the RADA with honors, finishing just below classmate and future Academy Award winner, Sir Anthony Hopkins.Upon moving to New York City, Jennifer appeared in several Broadway and Off Broadway productions including Neil Simon's California Suite, Not Now Darling directed by George Abbott, In Praise of Love with Rex Harrison and The Homecoming (The Original Royal Shakespeare Production), Moliere's Tartuffe, Wendy Wasserstein's Isn't It Romantic &The Taming of the Shrew at the Roundabout Theatre. In 1983, Jennifer won the role of Marian Colby on ABC's Daytime Soap Opera All My Children, playing the borderline nymphomaniac for over 30 years.Jennifer has been seen in such feature films as Waxwork, Twogether & Dunston Checks In, where in a scene-stealing, skin revealing moment, she received an orgasmic massage from an orangutan!Jennifer's prime-time work has included guest roles on Law & Order, Body of Proof & Grey's Anatomy. She has also been seen on LA Law, Falcon Crest, Murphy Brown, Silk Stalkings, Matlock & Coach. Most recently Jennifer was a guest star on ABC's General Hospital.In addition to her Daytime Emmy nominations, Jennifer has also received two Soap Opera Digest Awards, the second of which was shared with her All My Children costar David Canary for Favorite Couple.

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I am catching up with Marissa Jaret Winokur, who you know for winning the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for starring as Tracy Turnblad in the Tony Award winning musical Hairspray.In 2023, Marissa was a featured guest performer in the Off-Broadway musical Exorcistic: The Rock Musical. Now, two years later, Marissa has been invited back as a mystery guest! The mystery is NOT that she will in the show, the mystery is WHEN?In this NEW interview, Marissa is once again Baring It All with Call Me Adam, but this time she reveals:What made her want to return to Exorcistic: The Rock MusicalHow she gets possessed by her charactersThe important role theatre plays in her lifeFinding her sparkSome jaw-dropping stories about her time in HairspraySo much more Exorcistic: The Rock Musical follows a theatre company planning to put on a parody of The Exorcist. The audience will follow this theatre company from stage reading to Broadway as their quest for fame and money supersedes their art and humanity, ensuring that their lead actress, Emma Hunton, actually becomes possessed in the process.The musical is a self-aware parody that creates a chaotic, over-the-top rock musical. In true Rock and Roll fashion, Exorcistic: The Rock Musical features a rotating cast of Celebrity Guests each week, creating an incentive for audiences to return again and again. This unique aspect sets the musical apart in the crowded horror-comedy genre, promising fresh surprises at every performance.Special guest stars include: Lance Bass, Garrett Clayton, Orfeh, Frankie Grande, Lena Hall, Lindsay Heather Pearce, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Evan Rachel Wood, Ryann Redmond, Nick Cearly and MORE! (Scheduling pending)Exorcistic: The Rock Musical is currently playing at The Asylum in NYC.Click here to watch this interview in video format!Special Thanks:Elizabeth Skollar, Skollar PRTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Marissa Jaret Winokur:Marissa Jaret Winokur is a Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award winner best known for her iconic role as “Tracy Turnblad” in Hairspray. She went on to win Celebrity Big Brother and placed in the final four on Dancing with the Stars.Currently, Marissa is touring in the Drama Desk-nominated Off-Broadway musical Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now, which she co-created, wrote, and directed alongside Kerry Butler and Laura Bell Bundy.Marissa will also be directing 5 Star Theatricals production of Hairspray this October in California.

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I am catching up with Actress Michelle Clunie, who you know for portraying Melanie Marcus on Showtime's hit Television Series Queer As Folk.The last time Michelle Clunie was on the New York Stage was in 2012 when she starred in her Off Broadway play US. In this NEW interview, Michelle is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:How Pen Pals made her want to return to the New York StageWhat she hopes audiences come away with after seeing Pen PalsWhat she would tell Melanie from Queer As Folk todaySomething she's never shared beforeSo much more Pen Pals is the extraordinary story of two friends that unfolds over decades. With a rotating cast of renowned actors, no two performances will ever be the same.Bernie and Mags live in two different countries, they’ve never met, and yet they’re best friends. Because they’ve been pen pals for over fifty years. Since they were teenagers, they’ve shared every aspect of their lives with each other. The trivial bits, the most intimate details, all the happiness, all the heartache. They’ve told each other things they wouldn’t dare tell another soul. Even though Bernie lives in New Jersey and Mags is from England, the women are closer to each other than anyone else in the world.Come witness the journey of their lifetime. In their own words.Pen Pals will run at the Daryl Roth DR2 Theater, with a rotating cast of stars, from August 15, 2025-December 21, 2025.Michelle Clunie will be playing Bernie from September 3-14, 2025.Click here to watch this interview in video format!Special Thanks:Joe Trentacosta, JT Public RelationsTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Michelle Clunie:Michelle Clunie is an award-winning veteran actress, born and raised in Portland, Oregon. Michelle stepped foot on stage at seven years old, first appearing in plays, operas and ballets.She made her stage debut in Los Angeles at 23, in A Comedy of Eros, earning her a Drama-Logue award. She went on to star in numerous television, film and theatre productions earning awards in all three mediums, including a Backstage Readers’ Choice Award for her performance in The West Coast premiere of Neil LaBute’s The Mercy Seat.In 2012 she wrote, produced, and starred in the Off-Broadway play US earning rave reviews, as an actress as well as writer, with critics comparing her style to Aaron Sorkin and Thornton Wilder.Michelle is most often recognized as ‘Melanie Marcus’ in the groundbreaking series QUEER AS FOLK. The popular series was based on the original British series, but the American remake for Showtime, remains incredibly popular to this day, with a passionate, continually building fan-base.Most recently Michelle wrapped shooting the powerful short film, EVERYTHING’S FINE, about PTSD after a mass shooting.Michelle also recurred on the hit MTV show TEEN WOLF; as well as MAKE IT OR BREAK IT on ABC Family. Up next, she stars in the mystery thriller, BURIED TRUTHS.

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I am catching up with Actress Nancy McKeon, who you know as Jo Polniaczek, from the beloved & long running 1980s series The Facts of Life.Nancy is kicking off the return of Michael Griffo's play Pen Pals, when she steps back into the role of Bernie, beginning August 15, 2025.In this NEW interview, Nancy is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:Why she wanted to come back to Pen PalsWho she would write a Pen Pal letter toHow she met her husband of 25 yearsSome behind the scenes info from The Facts of Life So much more Pen Pals is the extraordinary story of two friends that unfolds over decades. With a rotating cast of renowned actors, no two performances will ever be the same.Bernie and Mags live in two different countries, they’ve never met, and yet they’re best friends. Because they’ve been pen pals for over fifty years. Since they were teenagers, they’ve shared every aspect of their lives with each other. The trivial bits, the most intimate details, all the happiness, all the heartache. They’ve told each other things they wouldn’t dare tell another soul. Even though Bernie lives in New Jersey and Mags is from England, the women are closer to each other than anyone else in the world.Come witness the journey of their lifetime. In their own words.Pen Pals will run at the Daryl Roth DR2 Theater, with a rotating cast of stars, from August 15, 2025-December 21, 2025.Nancy McKeon will be playing Bernie from August 15-31, 2025.Click here to watch this interview in video format!Special Thanks:Joe Trentacosta, JT Public RelationsTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Nancy McKeon:An actress, director, and producer best known for playing the role of Jo Polniaczek on the beloved long-running 1980s sitcom, The Facts of Life. She starred in and produced the sitcom Can’t Hurry Love and starred with Jean Smart in the sitcom Style & Substance. She portrayed Inspector Jinny Exstead on the Lifetime police drama The Division from 2001 to 2004. She also directed two episodes. Nancy starred in numerous made-for-TV movies in the 1980s and 1990s, some including A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story, in which she portrayed the title role of Tracey Thurman, and Firefighter portraying the first female firefighter in Los Angeles County. Strange Voices, she portrayed a woman with schizophrenia. Love, Honor and Obey; The Last Mafia Marriage, mini series with Eric Roberts.She produced many of these movies through her film company, Forest Hills Entertainment. In 1999, she wrote and directed her own short film, A Wakening. The film won two film festival awards. 

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I am catching up with Motown Singer & Songwriter Charlene Oliver, who you know as the songstress behind the #1 song, "I've Never Been To Me," written by Ron Miller & featured in one of my favorite movies, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.Charlene & I last spoke in 2020 and now I am thrilled to be speaking with Charlene once again! In this NEW interview, Charlene is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:How she came to record the global hit song, I've Never Been To MeGetting out of her abusive marriageFinding tranquility amongst the chaos of the worldThe sweetness of candySo much more "I've Never Been To Me" is available to stream on all music platforms!Special Thanks:Adam White & Jeff OliverTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Charlene Oliver:Charlene Oliver always knew she wanted to be a singer, from her childhood in Hollywood in the late 1950s, one of two sisters in a loving family of Italian/American origin. Charlene's first break came with the offer to join Petula Clark's backing singers at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Before long, she was auditioning in front of legendary Motown boss Berry Gordy and to her joy, being signed, the first ever white female singer to be signed to the label.Her first song, "All That Love Went To Waste," came out in 1974, followed by two albums on the Motown label. Then writer Ron Miller persuaded Charlene to record his song, "I've Never Been To Me," in 1977, but the single only just scraped into the Top 100.By the early 1980s, Charlene's career seemed to be stalling and she had left the US to move to her second husband Jeff's home in Essex, England, where she found work in the local sweetshop.It was there that she heard, in 1982, that a Florida DJ had been pushing her song so much that it had been re-released, and was finally hitting the charts. Within a few weeks, the singer found herself back at the top, as the song hit #1 in country after country all over the world, and she left her Essex sweetshop to fly on the Concorde to perform internationally. The growing international success of the musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert has confirmed her as a hugely popular singer amongst the gay community, and recently she released a new club version of her iconic song in association with Eye Witness.Charlene's story has it all: the stars, the fame, the struggle, the pain.

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I am catching up with three-time Emmy Award Winner Cady McClain, who you know for playing Dixie Martin on ABC's Soap Opera All My Children & more recently, Pamela Curtis on CBS' Daytime Drama, Beyond The Gates!Cady & I last spoke in 2024 when she was starring in Austin Pendleton’s play Orson’s Shadow and now I am thrilled to be speaking with Cady once again as she returns to the theatrical stage to be directed by Austin Pendleton in Walter John Thompson’s What Happened Was which will be playing in the Chain Theatre’s Summer One Act Festival for 3 performances ONLY! In this NEW interview, Cady is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:How she got involved with What Happened WasWhen she has felt unseen & how she made herself more visibleAdvice she would give someone on working with their exHow Austin Pendleton elevates her as an actressSo much more In What Happened Was, a dilapidated bar that flickers between memory and imagination, two actors trapped in an endless loop confront love, regret, and the fragile line between reality, performance and the unbearable silence of being unseen.Directed by the legendary Austin Pendleton, What Happened Was will play 3 performances ONLY - July 22, 2025, August 1 & 2, 2025. Click here to watch this interview in video format!Special Thanks:Katie Rosin, Kampfire PRTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Cady McClain:Cady McClain is a history-making three-time Emmy© Award winning actress, two-time Emmy© nominated director, and an accomplished producer and writer who has worked for over 40 years in film, television, and theater. She is proud to be the new Artistic Director for Axial Theatre, a twenty-four year theatrical institution dedicated to the development of new plays.A Los Angeles Native, Cady spent 25 years living in New York City to pursue acting training and work in theatre. She studied for eight years with Master Teacher Michael Howard and was proud to be the youngest student he ever accepted into his master class. Cady went on to enjoy performing in such historic theatrical productions Off-Broadway as David Ives’ The Red Address at Second Stage, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing at Lincoln Center Theater, A Comedy of Errors at the Hudson Guild, Barefoot in the Park at the Westbury and Valley Forge Music Fair, Quiet on the Set at the Westbeth, and Self Offense at the Cucaracha Theater Company. In addition to performing in a one-woman show of Wallace Stevens poetry called Inventions of Farewell (directed by Estep Nagy) at the Here Theater in NYC, she is particularly proud of Mona7 - a short one-woman show she wrote, produced, co-directed, and performed, in which dealt with the after affects of abuse on a young woman through collaged video by video artist Tal Yarden, surrealist word play, and viewpoints movement. Her work in film and television includes starring roles in independent films Soldier’s Heart, Home Movie (with Adrian Pasdar, released through IFC), Alma Mater (with Alexander Chaplin and Will Lyman), Simple Justice (with Doris Roberts and Cesar Romero), and Retreat. Studio films include My Favorite Year (with Peter O’Toole) and Pennies From Heaven (with Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters). Television credits include Law and Order SVU (with Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Maloni), Cheers (with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson), and St. Elsewhere (with Christina Pickles). She is the first woman to have won three Emmys© for three different characters on three different television shows and networks: All My Children (Best Juvenile, 1991), As the World Turns (Best Supporting, 2004), and Days of Our Lives (Best Guest Performer, 2021). Additionally, she has earned eight Emmy© nominations for her work in daytime.Cady is also an award-winning audiobook performer, winning an Earphones Audiophile Award and recognition from Entertainment Weekly, Audiophile Magazine, and Publishers Weekly for her first book: Emma Cline’s incredible debut novel The Girls. Other books include Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay, The Witch Hunter by Max Seeck, Home Before Dark by Riley Sager, The Sleepwalker and The Premonition by Chris Bohjalian, Generation Chef by Karen Stabiner, Red, White, Blue by Lea Carpenter, and Home Sweet Home by April Smith - for which she won her second Earphones Audiophile Award.Cady moved into directing in 2013 and since has directed six short films, two web series, a full length play, and a documentary feature film. Her shorts include: Burnt Feathers, Broken Wings for Kids in the Spotlight (Winner: Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Ensemble - Paramount Sponsored “Movies by Kids” awards; Winner: Best Impact Film - Santa Fe FF 2020; Winner: Best Short Documentary - Mystic Film Festival 2020) which can now be seen on INDIEFLIX. The World of Albert Fuh (Premiere - SOHO International Film Fest 2015; Winner: Best Comedy Drama Short at the Indie Gathering Festival 2015; Honorable Mention: Best Director - Los Angeles Film Review 2015; Honorable Mention: SaMoIndie FF; Award of Merit: Best Shorts Film Festival 2015; Official Selection: LA Indie Film Fest 2015). Flip Fantasia (Official Selection Macon Film Festival 2014). Other Kids in the Spotlight films include The Last Day (Nominated for Best Ensemble - “Movies by Kids Awards”) and The Missing Piece (Winner: Best Ensemble and Best Supporting Actress at the Movies By Kids Awards hosted by Ty Burrell), also now available on INDIEFLIX.Devoted to helping more women become directors, her foray into documentary film, Seeing is Believing: Women Direct, premiered at the 2017 SOHO International Film Festival winning the Audience Award for Best Feature Film. A grant awardee from the Awesome Without Borders Foundation, Seeing is Believing: Women Direct has been featured in Indiewire as “Project of the Day,” NPR, Salon, Film Threat, PBS SoCal, Good Morning Texas, The Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and Women and Hollywood, to name a few. It is now available through the educational distributor Collective Eye. It can be seen on KANOPY and PBS stations and is in the collections of The University of Miami, Exeter University, The University of San Diego, Philip Exeter University, The University of Delaware, The University of Michigan, Pennsylvania State University, Temple University, Minnesota State University, Loyola Marymount University, the St Louis Public Library, the New York Public Library, and the Anchorage Public Library. It was picked up for further distribution by an APT (American Public Television) awarded grant and sold to eight regional PBS stations in 2020 including Connecticut PBS; KPBS, San Diego CA; KQED, San Francisco CA; KUEN, Salt Lake City UT; Maryland PBS; North Carolina PBS; WHUT, Washington DC [Howard University station] and WILL Illinois Public Media, Urbana IL.Cady interviewed highly experienced directors and producers for the film including Lesli Linka Glatter (Homeland, Mad Men), Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry), Sarah Gavron (Suffragette, Rocks), Bethany Rooney (Bull, Pretty Little Liars, co-author Directors Tell the Story), Joanna Kerns (Jane the Virgin), Jann Turner (Chicago Fire), Jon Wells (ER, West Wing), Oscar© winner Lee Grant, two-time Oscar© winner Sarah Kernochan; Michael Rauch (EP Royal Pains, Instinct); Mike Robin (EP Major Crimes, The Closer, NYPD Blue); and one of the highest grossing female directors in film, Betty Thomas (Dr. Doolittle, The Brady Bunch Movie), among others.Seeing is Believing: Women...

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I am catching up with Steve Burns, who you know as the original sleuth finding host of Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues.I first interviewed Steve in 2017 when he released his album Foreverywhere (alongside Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips).From 1996-2002, on camera, Steve Burns was entertaining millions of kids as the happy go-lucky host of Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues, but towards the end of his run, behind-the-scenes Steve was starting to hear multiple rumors of his death which was one of the events that led him to struggle with depression. Now, Steve his bringing his story to the theatrical stage with his solo show debut in Steve Burns Alive.In this NEW interview, Steve is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:What life was really like behind the camera during his days on Blue's CluesHow he almost missed his opportunity to write the theme song for CBS' Young SheldonWhy he is grateful to be alive todayHow he hopes this interview will help someone who is also struggling with depressionSo much more In Steve Burns Alive, Steve dissects the bizarre phenomenon of being mourned while still breathing. This isn't just his story—it's an excavation of how parasocial relationships shape our reality, how digital mythology replaces truth, and what happens when millions of strangers grieve a version of you that never existed.Steve Burns Alive cuts through the layers of myth and performance to expose the raw mechanics of human connection in the digital age. This is not a children's show. This isn't nostalgia. This is an unflinching forensic examination of what it means to exist in the space between who people think you are and who you actually are, and the stories we tell about the people who shaped our childhoods.Steve Burns Alive will play for 3 performances ONLY, from July 23-25, 2025 at The Club at La Mama in NYC's East Village.Click here to watch this interview in video format!Special Thanks:Emily Owens PublicityTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Steve Burns:Steven Burns is best known as the original host of Blue’s Clues, where he spent seven surreal years solving mysteries with a cartoon dog and a talking mailbox. Then he disappeared. On purpose.Since then, Steve has released indie rock albums, toured with The Flaming Lips, wrote the theme song for Young Sheldon, been a host and storyteller for The Moth and gone massively viral by quietly breaking the internet with a heartfelt message to a generation of now-grown-up viewers.

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I am speaking with musical sensations Bucky Heard & Tim D. Lee, who are part of the iconic musical duo, The Righteous Brothers, alongside original member Bill Medley. Tim has recorded and toured with The Righteous Brothers for over 35 years & is the group's current Music Director & Tour Manager.In 2016, Bucky joined The Righteous Brothers when original founding member Bill Medley reformed the group, choosing Bucky has his new singing partner.In addition to being part of The Righteous Brothers, Bucky & Tim have now teamed up to write the music and lyrics to Mark Corallo & Eileen Nelson’s Off Broadway Musical, Mike & Mindy's Wild Weekend Jam.In this interview, Bucky & Tim are Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:What it was like write the music & lyrics for Mike & Mindy's Wild Weekend JamHow the music & lyrics in this version of the show differ from previous incarnationsWhat is something they both have "Lost That Loving Feeling For"When there has been a time a song has had an "Unchained Melody"So much more Click here to watch this interview in video format!In Mike & Mindy's Wild Weekend Jam, audiences will once again be transported into the spirited world of two dreamers—Mike and Mindy—as they juggle love, life, and a whole lot of family drama in their quest to make it big. Set in early ‘90s Brooklyn, the story follows high school sweethearts Mike and Mindy who, despite working as a plumber and hairdresser, have never let go of their dream of becoming music stars.Their weekly “Wild Weekend Jams” are a chaotic mix of music, dancing, and eccentric relatives. But when word gets out that a top music producer might stop by, tensions rise—especially with Mindy’s old-school Italian father Don, whose disapproval threatens to tear it all apart. Will love, laughter, and music be enough to hold the night—and their future—together?Mike & Mindy's Wild Weekend Jam will play the Mainstage at The Player's Theatre in NYC through July 20, 2025.

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I am speaking with Emmy Winning Producer Dan Watt, whose Emmy Winning documentary EVERYBODY DANCE is a heartfelt trip inside the everyday challenges and blessings of kids living with neurological disabilities, following 5 kids, their families and dance teacher on a journey through life and toward their dance recital.After 10 years of working for Columbia Pictures and Simon Cowell, at 45-years-old, Dan Watt left his corporate job and jumped into entrepreneurship, starting his own independent production company, DancinDan Productions.In this NEW interview, Dan is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:How he went from Performer to Independent ProducerWhy he gave up corporate life for the unknown world of entrepreneurshipThe lessons he has learned from being an entrepreneurWhy he wanted EVERYBODY DANCE to be his first documentaryHow he go to be Bea Arthur’s personal assistant (Dorothy from The Golden Girls)So much moreEVERYBODY DANCE won a 2024 Emmy Award in the Independent Programming category at the 76th Annual Emmy Awards.EVERYBODY DANCE is available to watch on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Tubi.Click here to watch this interview in video format!Special Thanks:Theme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Dan Watt:Dan Watt is the 2024 Emmy Award Winning Producer & Director of the documentary EVERYBODY DANCE.Dan worked for 5 years at Columbia Pictures in the film development department on such films as HOUSE BUNNY with Anna Farris and Just Go With It with Jenifer Aniston and Adam Sandler. Dan then went on to work with Simon Cowell for 5 years starting with the documentary film about the band ONE DIRECTION titled THIS IS US. Prior to Dan’s film career he produced Gala Fundraisers with Bea Arthur, Chita Rivera, Dixie Carter, Carol Channing and Melissa Manchester. Dan also produced Tony Nominee, Anika Larsen’s debut cd SING ME TO SLEEP and songs with Ben Vereen. He is currently in production on an “untitled” documentary with Tony and Pulitzer Prizer wining producer Daryl Roth and a documentary with Rosie O’Donnell.

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I am speaking with Jason ‘Bea’ Schmidt, one of my favorite & arguably the world’s premier Bea Arthur impersonator.Jason is heading off to Provincetown this summer to present his new show Bea Arthur’s Brat Summer: A Drag Pop Broadway Fantasia.In this NEW interview, Jason is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:How Chappel Roan influenced the creation of Bea Arthur’s Brat SummerWhy audiences will love this new showHow he hopes to win a Tony AwardWhat he wishes he knew as an entrepreneurHow he stays focused on the task at handSo much moreIn Bea Arthur’s Brat Summer, a Tony-Award Wanting star takes on the brattiest pop singers of today and the classics of Broadway.Bea Arthur is having the brattiest summer since … last summer. Inspired by the music of Charli XCX, Kander and Ebb, Chappel Roan, Jerry Herman and so many more - Jason B. Schmidt, arguably the world’s premiere Bea Arthur impersonator brings you the Pop-Broadway-Mashup-Adventure, nobody asked for, but everybody will be talking about for the next 100 years, or seconds. Featuring live-singing, stand-up comedy and a teensy bit of historical fiction, this show tastes like cigarettes, vodka and… BeatriXCX.Bea Arthur’s Brat Summer will play The Arthouse in Provincetown, MA from May 26, 2025-September 9, 2025 at 7pm EST (on Mondays/Tuesdays).Click here to watch this interview in video format!Special Thanks:Theme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Jason B. Schmidt/Bea Arthur:Jason B. Schmidt is the Bea Arthur impersonator, voice-over talent, and member of the hilarious drag troupe, The Golden Gays™! In addition to his extensive off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and Regional credits, Jason has also traveled the U.S. starring in numerous high-quality productions.Jason B. Schmidt isn’t your average performer. He is the world’s premier (and only!) Bea Arthur impersonator. He’s perfected his craft to give audiences an unforgettable performance that Ms. Arthur would have definitely approved of in his hit show Beatrice Arthur: Astral Dame.Additionally, his work with The Golden Gays has been seen all throughout the U.S. What began as a flash mob extravaganza at RuPaul’s DragCon has skyrocketed to sold-out engagements, tours, and cruises all over the U.S., in Mexico and in the middle of the ocean. Previously, Jason starred in Dog Opera by Constance Congdon, which he also co-produced at the Little Times Square Theatre opposite his performing and producing partner Darlene Rae Heller. He is proud to have been part of the dynamic ensemble cast of Momentum Rep’s It’s Only Life, the theatrical revue of John Bucchino’s best musical numbers, featuring Mr. Bucchino at the piano. Other favorite credits include the German transvestite assassin Friedrich in Hit Girls: An Ass-Kicking Musical in Heels as well as Dorothea in The Golden Girls Parody, Thank You For Being a Friend: The Musical at The Kraine Theater. He also flaunted his “perfect comic timing” off-Broadway in The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever!Jason’s voice over talents can be heard in the extremely popular video game Red Dead Redemption by Rockstar Games. His hit show, Beatrice Arthur: Astral Dame, is currently booking out of NYC. Jason has a BFA in Acting from Adelphi University.Whether he’s doing Zoom shows, live performances, or something crazy and new altogether, you can bet you’ll have a great time with Jason B. Schmidt or The Golden Gays!

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I am speaking with Actor Andrew Keegan whose role as Kevin in the gay romantic comedy, The Broken Hearts Club, was very instrumental in my own coming out journey as I saw myself reflected in him.Now, Andrew is trading in romance for revenge in the new psychological thriller Healing Towers where Andrew plays Detective Joe Coolridge who has to rescue his daughter from a twisted mental institution.In this interview, Andrew is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:Why he wanted to star in Healing TowersWhat was the scariest part of filming Healing TowersA project he signed onto that turned out not to be what he expectedA role that allowed him to act out one of his fantasiesWhat it was like to kiss Dean Cain & Timothy Olyphant in The Broken Hearts ClubHealing Towers is currently available On Demand and On Digital platforms!In Healing Towers, a detective's search for his missing daughter uncovers a horrifying link to a twisted psychiatrist’s dream therapy treatment, where deranged patients are forced to enact their darkest fantasies on innocent victims.Click here to watch this interview in video format!Special Thanks:One Tree EntertainmentTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYC

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I am speaking with Tony, Emmy & SAG Nominated Actor Norm Lewis whom I last interviewed in 2019 when he was getting ready to perform at 54 Below.Now, Norm is once again lighting up the New York Stage, in the Off-Broadway production of Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, which has not had a NYC production in almost 40 years.In this interview, Norm is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:Why now is the right time to revive Ceremonies in Dark Old Men The similarities between the play’s time period (1950’s) and todayHow Norm got his nameSome jobs Norm had prior to making it as an actorWorking with the legendary Vanessa WilliamsSo much moreOriginally scheduled to play through May 18, 2025, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men has been EXTENDED, due to popular demand, through June 29, 2025 at The Theatre at St. Clements in NYC! Click here for tickets!In Ceremonies in Dark Old Men,  it’s New York in the 1950s. Russell Parker, a ne'er-do-well barber and the widowed father of three adult children, spends his days playing checkers and reminiscing about his life in vaudeville as a song and dance man. His two sons, Theo and Bobby, are dreamers of a different sort – a pair of petty criminals looking for a “score" in the form of ill-conceived and dangerous bootlegging and numbers schemes. Russell's daughter, Adele, the only gainfully employed member of the family, refusing to work herself into an early grave like her mother. When Adele's long-simmering resentments boil over and the boys' criminal enterprise falls apart, tragic consequences ensue for the whole family.A Personal Behind-The-Curtain Note….I have loved Norm ever since I saw him in his Broadway debut in the 1994 Original Broadway production of The Who’s Tommy. Since then, I have had the pleasure of seeing Norm in Les Misérables (2006 Broadway revival), Sondheim on Sondheim (Broadway 2010), The Gerhswins’ Porgy and Bess (2012 Broadway), The Phantom of the Opera (Broadway 2014) Once on this Island (Broadway March 2018), Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street (Off-Broadway June 2018), and Chicken & Biscuits (Broadway 2021).I have also loved Norm in his many television & film appearances including his recurring role, acting besides Vanessa Williams, on VH-1’s Daytime Divas, his guest starring roles on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and TV Land’s Younger as well as seeing him in the 2nd Sex and the City film.Click here to watch this interview in video format!Special Thanks:Brett Oberman at Keith Sherman & AssociatesTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Norm Lewis:Emmy, Tony, and SAG Award nominee, Norm Lewis was recently seen onstage starring in the national tour of the Tony Award-winning production of A Soldier's Play and in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End Concert of Love Never Dies. He starred in Spike Lee's critically acclaimed, Da 5 Bloods, and in the groundbreaking FX series, Pose. Additionally, Norm can be seen starring opposite Hilary Swank in the feature The Good Mother, Amazon Prime's newest series, Swarm, and Hulu's, Up Here. He was also seen as 'Caiaphas' in the award-winning NBC television special, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert!, alongside John Legend, Sara Bareilles, and Alice Cooper. Norm returned to Broadway in the Fall of 2021, starring in Chicken and Biscuits at the Circle In The Square Theatre. He previously appeared in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island and as Sweeney Todd in the Off-Broadway production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Barrow Street Theatre, receiving the AUDELCO Award for his performance. In May of 2014, he made history as The Phantom of the Opera’s first African American Phantom on Broadway. He has been seen on PBS in the Live From Lincoln Center productions of Showboat with Vanessa Williams, Norm Lewis: Who Am I?, New Year’s Eve: A Gershwin Celebration with Diane Reeves, as well as American Voices with Renée Fleming and the PBS Specials First You Dream – The Music of Kander & Ebb and Ella Wishes You A Swingin' Christmas. He had a recurring role in the VH1 series, Daytime Divas, also alongside Vanessa Williams. His additional television credits include TV Land's Younger, Women of The Movement, Law & Order, Dr. Death, Mrs. America, Better Things, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Bull, Chicago Med, Gotham, The Blacklist, and Blue Bloods, as well as in his recurring role as Senator Edison Davis on the hit drama Scandal. Norm is a proud, founding member of Black Theatre United, an organization which stands together to help protect Black people, Black talent and Black lives of all shapes and orientations in theatre and communities across the country. He received Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle award nominations for his performance as Porgy in the Broadway production of The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess. Other Broadway credits include Sondheim on Sondheim, The Little Mermaid, Les Misérables, Chicago, Amour, The Wild Party, Side Show, Miss Saigon, and The Who’s Tommy. In London’s West End he has appeared as Javert in Les Misérables and Les Misérables: The 25th Anniversary Concert, which aired on PBS. Off-Broadway Norm has performed in Dessa Rose (Drama Desk nomination, AUDELCO Award), Shakespeare in the Park’s The Tempest, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Drama League nomination), Captains Courageous, and A New Brain. His regional credits include Porgy in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (A.R.T.), Ragtime, Dreamgirls (with Jennifer Holliday), First You Dream, Sweeney Todd, and The Fantasticks. His additional film credits include Christmas In Tune (starring opposite Reba McEntire), Magnum Opus, Winter’s Tale, Sex and the City 2, Confidences, and Preaching to the Choir. Norm has released two albums The Norm Lewis Christmas Album & This is The Life.

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today I got to speak with Actress Nancy McKeon whom I grew up watching on the hit TV series The Facts of Life, and also enjoyed watching her on Lifetime TV's The Division and CBS Style & Substance (co-starring Jean Smart). Now, Nancy is making her Off-Broadway debut in the new play Pen Pals  by Michael Griffo. Nancy is heading back into the show for its final week (February 5th-9th, 2025)!I had the best time speaking with Nancy because it felt like I was talking to an old friend!In this interview, Nancy is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:How Double Dare's Marc Summers helped her get involved with Pen PalsWhat she would write to her younger self, if she sent Pen Pal LetterWhen there was a time the world didn't live up to hear dreamsThe nerdiest thing she does to wind down after a long daySo much moreNancy returns to Pen Pals for the show's final week, February 5th-9th, 2025!Pen Pals is the extraordinary story of two friends that unfolds over decades. With a rotating cast of renowned actors, no two performances will ever be the same. Bernie and Mags live in two different countries, they’ve never met, and yet they’re best friends. Because they’ve been pen pals for over fifty years. Since they were teenagers, they’ve shared every aspect of their lives with each other. The trivial bits, the most intimate details, all the happiness, all the heartache. They’ve told each other things they wouldn’t dare tell another soul. Even though Bernie lives in New Jersey and Mags is from England, the women are closer to each other than anyone else in the world. Come witness the journey of their lifetime. In their own words.Pen Pals is proud to partner with the Susan G. Komen® and will donate 5% of the total ticket sales and 100% of all customer donations collected to Susan G. Komen®, whose mission is to save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.Click here to watch this interview in video format!Special Thanks:Theme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Nancy McKeon:An actress, director, and producer best known for playing the role of Jo Polniaczek on the beloved long-running 1980s sitcom, The Facts of Life. She starred in and produced the sitcom Can’t Hurry Love and starred with Jean Smart in the sitcom Style & Substance. She portrayed Inspector Jinny Exstead on the Lifetime police drama The Division from 2001 to 2004. She also directed two episodes. Nancy starred in numerous made-for-TV movies in the 1980s and 1990s, some including A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story, in which she portrayed the title role of Tracey Thurman, and Firefighter portraying the first female firefighter in Los Angeles County. Strange Voices, she portrayed a woman with schizophrenia. Love, Honor and Obey; The Last Mafia Marriage, mini series with Eric Roberts.She produced many of these movies through her film company, Forest Hills Entertainment. In 1999, she wrote and directed her own short film, A Wakening. The film won two film festival awards. 

This season on my podcast, Baring It All with Call Me Adam, I am spotlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today, I am going back in time and Behind-The-Curtain to bring you this blast from the past, my 2013 interview with Nicki French, award-winning international recording artist, known for her smash hit dance version of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart."In this interview, Nicki is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:How she handles her success What she loves about musical theatreHow she decides what songs to recordWhat she loves about the creative process in putting an album togetherSo much moreSpecial Thanks:Theme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergUnderscore Music by CutiqueConnect with Me:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYCMore on Nicki French:Nicki was born in Carlisle, Cumbria to Mum Eileen and Dad Joe. Music was destined to be in the family – dad played the drums when he was younger, and mum the violin. Nicki’s brother, Tim, is very musical too – a guitarist and singer who is a fabulous song-writer. However, her two sisters, Allison and Carolyn, stayed away from music – probably plenty to listen to already in the household!The family moved down to Tenterden in Kent when Nicki was four years old. Always a keen singer, one of her early memories was sitting next to the radio, listening to the new chart rundown and singing along to all the songs, when Auntie Sally, her Godmother, came in and said to mum and dad, "She’ll be a singer when she grows up!"The first ‘gig’ came at the age of seven, when Nicki was chosen to sing a solo - the first verse of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" at the Infants’ School Christmas Concert! From then on there was no turning back! A few years later she won the local talent contest, and within the year had joined her first band, Krisp, run by Tim and his friend Kelvin. They worked the most salubrious places – working mens’ clubs and holiday camps – wooh!From the age of 16, Nicki studied Music and Drama at West Kent College in Tonbridge, Kent, passing her ‘A’ Levels two years later. At the annual college musical, she played the lead role of Laurey in Oklahoma!, earning rave reviews for her performance. She then moved up to London and started auditioning for bands and theatre shows. Not many know that Nicki actually was part of a duo in the early 1980s – name of Whisky and Sofa! They released a song called "Dirty Den," about the Eastenders character! It was played on the Radio One Breakfast Show and that was about it! Amazing though, it was written by an extremely well-known writer, Barry Mason. He wrote "The Last Waltz" for Engelbert Humperdinck and "Delilah" for Tom Jones. Credibility sadly was NOT in existence on "Dirty Den."Nicki started working the pubs and clubs, moving onto gay pubs and clubs a short while later – The Spread Eagle in Shoreditch was her first! However the most exciting show for Nicki was at the Player of the Season annual dinner/dance at Tottenham Hotspur FC – her team! They had just signed a new player and were introducing him to the fans – a player by the name of Paul Gascoigne, and Gazza and all the other players got up on stage with her to perform a couple of songs – a special moment. Nicki had been working on the gay scene for some time, when she made one of her regular visits to perform in a club in Cardiff, which was also the fateful night she met a certain Mr John Springate, who was to have quite an influence on her career from then on! John and Nicki hit it off straight away, and started what was to become a long association with his recording studio. In 1991 Nicki was booked as the leading lady in a series of revue shows on a cruise ship, touring Europe and beyond and covering shows such as Mack and Mabel, Oklahoma!, Paint Your Wagon, Calamity Jane, along with more general tributes to Stage and Screen. Nicki has always loved Musical Theatre, and even now would relish the opportunity to take part in a big production, particularly in the West End. Also in 1991, Nicki met Gavin, a trumpet player – they met on stage at the London Palladium, where they were both working in the band for the Irish songstress Rose-Marie! Eighteen months later they married in Nicki’s parish church in Tenterden, St Mildred’s, where she had been in the Church choir as a teenager, and a teacher at the Sunday School for over two years – she even ran it at one point! Early in 1994 John approached Nicki to be the vocalist on a dance version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" for his friends Gary and David who were starting up a new record company, Energise. Although at first unsure if it would suit her, she put her vocals down, and the first version was pressed up, and available on 12” vinyl. A few months later Mike Stock took on the track, re-jigged it and made it into the massive worldwide hit it was – the first release, and success, of his new record company, Love This Records. "Total Eclipse of the Heart," produced by Mike Stock and Matt Aitken, became the first big hit of 1995 by a new artist, reaching number five in the UK charts. It went to number two on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest placing in the UK by a UK artist since the 1980s, and spent six months in the chart there. It also reached number one in Australia, Japan, Brazil, Israel, Spain, Holland and Canada. Although she didn’t manage to fit in all the places, Nicki started touring extensively around the world with Gavin, finding that "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and Nicki’s lively stage show, were a huge success wherever they went. The touring has never really stopped either, and Nicki absolutely loves it! To cap a great 1995, Nicki’s success continued at the annual Dance Music Authority Magazine Awards in the USA, where she was honored to win all three awards she was nominated for - Best Female Vocalist, Single of the Year and Most Promising Newcomer. Nicki managed to achieve the often elusive international recording success, and in the summer of 1995 released her debut album, Secrets, which sold over 50,000 copies in its first week of sale in the USA. A second album in 1997, French Revolution, includes tracks co-written by Nicki.In March 1996, Nicki embarked on her first visit to Brazil, totally unaware of the extent of her success in the South American territories, where no less than nine of her songs have been huge hits, particularly "Did You Ever Really Love Me?" (her personal favorite) and "Te Amo." Brazil is still one of Nicki’s favorite places to do shows, where she performs with a live band organized and run by Gino Martini, who has been Nicki’s guitarist over there since the very first tour. In 1997 Nicki was approached by Jim Steinman, the original writer of "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and famous for his work with Meatloaf, Celine Dion, Cher and Barbra Streisand to name but a few. He had heard the French Revolution album, and wanted to work with Nicki. She then recorded a couple of tracks for his new record company, Ravenous. Nicki carried on doing live shows around the world, then in August 1999 had another call from John Springate – the song he had for her this time was entitled "Don’t Play That Song Again," written by John and Gerry Shephard (they were in the Glitter Band together back in the 1970s), and they were planning to enter it for Song for Europe – was she interested? John had never realized that Nicki was a HUGE fan of the Eurovision Song Contest – he does now! They recorded the track in two takes, and the song was put forward for selection. It then went through all the elimination rounds, and after the Radio 2 listeners voted it into the final four, Nicki ended up back in the Top of the Pops studio again, to perform the song live on BBC1. That was February 20, 2000 – a day she will remember forever.Nicki comfortably won the public’s vote – and support – thus fulfilling her childhood dream of representing her country at Eurovision in Stockholm, an experience she classes as ‘the most magical week of my life’. Although it didn’t win, the UK delegation did win one award – for Best Party during the week of rehearsals! Nicki’s popularity in Sweden since then is such that she was one of the headline acts at Stockholm Pride in 2001. In the Summer of 2003 she was invited to return and performed again – this time with her live band and singers. The audience reaction was amazing – even better than 2001, proving that there’s nothing like properly "live" music! In the lead-up to Eurovision 2000, Nicki took part in many television and radio interviews, and a lot of people noticed how natural she was in front of the camera, which has seen her move more into presenting work. In January 2003, Nicki was the only British artist to feature in an all-star line up for an ABC Television special in Los Angeles, The Disco Ball – a 30-Year Celebration, which was filmed at the Shrine Auditorium, home of the Oscars Ceremony, and included Gloria Gaynor, Whoopi Goldberg, KC & the Sunshine Band, Chic, Irene Cara, Usher, Village People…..The show has since been repeated on TV around the world many...