The Quiet Part Out Loud

Ben Levi Ross (Ragtime at LCT) and Bobby share the distinction of playing Mother's Younger Brother a generation apart. They share how different upbringings in different eras contributed to their interpretation of the character. Ben's history of nonconformity to norms and expectations contrasts with Bobby's history of conformity, while both experiences offer a fascinating entry point into the psychology of a young man radicalized by period of great social change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bobby saw Elisa in her first performance as the lead in Real Woman Have Curves and was so taken with her that he was determined to track her down and learn more about her. What follows is a fascinating conversation about the need to be right - something that she seemingly nailed in her many roles, on and off stage in her Broadway debut - but on a deeper level, the need to avoid being made small in environments where it's common to be underestimated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary-Mitchell Campbell is one of the busiest musical directors on Broadway. She is the resident MD at Encores! and is currently readying The Queen of Versailles with Kristin Chenoweth. But there is another side to her life that gives her invaluable perspective as an artist and human, and it is all about serving the most vulnerable among us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tiffany Mann is an extraordinary singer and actor who is often hailed as a powerhouse - and so it might seem surprising that she battles uncertainty just like the rest of us. She shares what it was like to develop her talent in the context of family who are highly successful artists in their own rights, as well as the ongoing uncertainty of navigating a business that both values and minimizes the extraordinary talents of marginalized artists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christian Coulson is an actor and director - an all around thinker of great thoughts, and one of Bobby's favorite people to talk to. The two friends share the complexities of a self-conscious watchfulness that was borne out of difference and an early experience in the performing arts, as well as a mutual effort in cultivating creativity and experience that is freer from self-observation and richer in presence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicholas Barasch has been performing on Broadway since the age of 10. He is now 27 and making his adult debut in Pirates! While there is a generational divide, Bobby and Nicholas share how both of their inner children sought belonging and achievement on the Broadway stage, but agree that it is only through embracing the inner child in adulthood that freedom is ever truly possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenny Anderson has built an astounding career as the preeminent photographer of  Broadway culture - she and Bobby started in the business at around the same time, when she was working at Broadway.com.  Over the years, she has relied on her talent, and moreover, her easy way of connecting- the friendship and intimacy she has fostered with so many of the artists she captures - to help her become the most trusted photographer of the private and backstage lives of actors.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Bobby Steggert takes a break from interviewing to share his story of learning to play the cello. It turns out that learning something hard in middle age is a lot more confronting - and ultimately satisfing - than he ever could have imagined. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tally Sessions is a Broadway actor of immense commitment and passion for his work, and even more, for his community. His willingness to live openly and without shame within the complexities of experience makes him the perfect person for Bobby to share an honest and nuanced conversation about grief. Old friends who have done five shows together over the years, Tally and Bobby discuss what it truly means to face devastating loss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Breckenridge (Come From Away, Book of Mormon, The Scottsboro Boys) is one of the most employed actors on Broadway. He has a particularly complex relationship to code-switching that likely makes him a wonderful actor.  It is also a pattern in his life that emerged from a confluence of identities that consistently made him feel othered. He is black and gay, but grew up in largely white communities, where it was a constant and multi-dimensional challenge to find belonging - not only in the groups that he was different from, but in groups that he was connected to. It is through a continued search for personal identity that is not centered on making others comfortable that brings Josh closer to himself, and less dependent on the survival of code switching. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patti Murin is an actress most notable as the star of Brodway’s Frozen. In addition to a practically glowing personality and upbeat optimism, she has also navigated depression that many people might think directly contradicts these qualities. Patti emphasizes how she has worked towards change through acceptance. It was the acknowledging, understanding, and embracing of the largeness of her experience into her identity - the idea of who she is-  that set her on the path towards integration. Ultimately, it is the flexibility of identity as opposed to assurance in who we are that allows us to grow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eden Espinosa (Lempicka, Rent, Wicked) has been a powerhouse on Broadway for decades. She has also experienced the very human contradiction of struggling to own her power in certain areas, where shape shifting to avoid conflict and to maintain the status quo of an imbalanced power dynamic has kept her from stepping into the personal power that she is known for on stage. It is through the hard work of breaking old patterns and prioritizing independence where she is finding a new path forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lonny Price is Broadway royalty and just happens to be one of Bobby's best friends. They have shared several professional successes together, but in the end, it is their deep and enduring friendship they value most. Lonny shares the evolution of his ambition - one that was singly focused on professional success as a young person, and that has balanced into a philosophy based in kindness and perspective.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Bobby Steggert is back with an update for 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sara Gettelfinger (Water For Elephants) shares the harrowing story of an addiction that brought her to her knees and interrupted a highly successful career on Broadway. After a decade of struggle and recovery, she has returned to performing with a new perspective and hard-earned wisdom that is an invaluable lesson to us all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cody Renard Richard is a highly respected and singularly visible Production Stage Manager on Broadway who has carved out a multi-faceted career in the theater that includes producing, teaching, and advocacy. He shares how his faith, both religious and personal, has fueled his purpose and given larger and wider meaning to his contributions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Cromer is one of our finest directors. His gift for simple yet profound observation of the human condition makes for must-see theater. He’s won all the awards, is sought after and one of the rarest of talents - and, like so many of us, he has experienced depression. Leaders often feel required to set themselves apart from the struggles of the rest of us, and perhaps it is his willingness to speak the bare truth of his experience that makes him a leader worth following. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisa Gajda (Fosse, Movin' Out) is a veteran Broadway dancer who is now a therapist to many artists. Bobby and Lisa share in their similar paths, as well as their mutual focus on IFS, the model of therapy that is the inspiration for this podcast. Lisa's worker part, much like Bobby's drive for achievement, was single-minded in keeping her afloat through productivity. The rest is a journey towards healing and self-acceptance while, hopefully, working a little less. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Testa is a theater legend with a storied career spanning 50 years, and it is her natural grit, intuition, and boldness that contribute to her smarts - a part that has enabled her to stand in her power and to know exactly who she is- onstage and in life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn Colella (SUFFS, Come From Away) has always been a natural born leader, whether it's with her friends, her cast, or her community. Bobby and Jenn discuss the essential quality of leadership that often goes unnoticed - self-compassion. It is through a commitment to inner grace that Jenn nurtures every aspect of community with genuine optimism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices