The Chicago Theater-Makers Podcast

Today’s guests are both starring in Theo's currently running production of Urinetown. Ryan Stajmiger, who plays “Officer Lockstock” has been seen all over the Chicagoland area for the last 13 years. Some of his more memorable roles were Olaf in Paramount Theater’s Frozen, Anthony in Kokandy Production’s Sweeney Todd, and many others, including the Marriott Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre and Porchlight Music Theater.Alicia Berneche who plays “Penelope Pennywise” has forged her career in both opera and musical theater all over the world. She came to fame replacing Dawn Upshaw in The Great Gatsby for the lyric opera of Chicago, which then took her to New York City’s Metropolitan Opera. She is also a very busy vocal teacher here in town specializing in classical, crossover and musical theater styles. Theo‘s production of Urinetown runs at their home base in Evanston, Illinois and has just been extended until January 4, 2026. For tickets please visit https://theo-u.com/ or you can simply click the link in our show notes. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ryan Stajmiger and Alicia Berneche. Now let’s go to the top of the show!

As we officially kick off the holiday season, we have a very special holiday concert that we’re chatting about today: Chicago's annual NF Hope fundraiser concert.“NF” stands for Neurofibromatosis - One of the most common genetic disorders of the nervous system in the United States.NF causes tumors to form on the nerves anywhere in the body at any time. This progressive disorder affects all races, all ethnic groups, and both sexes equally. Neurofibromatosis affects more than 120,000 Americans; One of whom is Emma Leibow, daughter of entertainment couple Jeff and Melody Leibow.When Emma was diagnosed with NF as a toddler, Jeff and Melody sprang to action the way entertainers know best. They produced 'NF Hope - A fundraiser concert in their hometown of Las Vegas - to support NF research funding, and the NF Network, which provides advocacy and support for NF families.The concert has since grown to stages in both New York and Chicago, with this year's Chicago concert being the sixth one in a row.My guest today is my good friend Jeff Leibow, and we chat about the upcoming concert and why this year's fundraising goal is more vital than ever.This year's one night only NF Hope concert will be Sunday, December 7th at 3 p.m. at the Madison Street Theater in Oak Park. There's also an online auction of exclusive experiences. If you would like your tickets or to view the online auction, please visit nfhope.org.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jeff Leibow. Now let's go to the top of the show.

Today’s guests are from the currently running production of “Miracle at Century High School”; A new Christmas musical comedy being produced for the second year in a row at the Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre.Writer and lyricist, Anthony Cusumano has been writing, performing, directing and producing comedy shows since 2017 and is a former member of Chicago’s famed second city. While he remains strictly behind the scenes for this production, you can find him doing standup on Instagram @anthonycusumanocomedy and @dnasketchshow.Aiden Tappert, who plays Teddy in the production, is a writer, actor and director who received his BFA from the University of Utah. He is also the co-writer of the original dark comedy titled “A Night to Dismember”. But today of course they’re on the podcast to chat about “Miracle at Century High School”, running every Saturday at 7:30 from November 29th until December 13th. For tickets please visit  https://www.theannoyance.comI hope you enjoy my conversion with Anthony Cusumano and Aiden Tappert. Now let's go to the top of the show!

Today’s guest is a multiple Jeff Award nominee and 3 time winner who has been working in Chicago and throughout the United States for more than 3 decades.Some of his more notable roles include Fiddler on the Roof, Beauty & the Beast and Crazy for You at Drury Lane Theatre, No Man’s Land and Noises Off at Steppenwolf, Titanic, Oliver! and Anything Goes at Marriott Theatre, and most recentlyThe First Lady of Television at Northlight Theatre. He spent 5 years in the National Tour of The Lion King covering the roles of Zazu, Timon and Pumba!Finally, he is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA and AGMA, Actors’ Equity Association and sits on the boards of Equity and Season of Concern; Chicago’s primary fund raising organization which focuses it’s efforts on the physical and mental wellness of those who share their gifts in the performing arts.For more info on Season of Concern, please visit https://seasonofconcern.org/ .I hope you enjoy my conversation with my good friend, Mark David Kaplan. Now let’s go to the top of the show!

Today’s guests both appear in the New Theater Project’s site specific production of “Blackbird“ running now through November 23rd at Servi-Sure: A working titanium parts factory in Chicago’s Bomanville Neighborhood. Todd Wojcik who plays Ray, is an ensemble member of The Artistic Home where he earned a Jeff award nomination for his role in their production of “The Pavilion”.Olivia Lindsay who plays Una is a Chicago based actor, clown and artist who also works with Vaudeville Chicago.We discuss the current of “Blackbird”, and the reason for producing this story for today’s audience. Be advised that while today’s episode does not include adult themes, the play “Blackbird” does, and our listeners are encouraged to read more about the play before purchasing tickets.You can get tickets to Blackbird here: https://www.tixtree.com/e/blackbird-by-david-harrower-the-new-theatre-project-9fb3e5b6066b I hope you enjoy my conversation with the 2 person cast of “Blackbird”: Todd Wojcik and Olivia Lindsay. Now let’s go to the top of the show!

Today’s guest is an actor, singer, and musician based in the city of Chicago.An alumni of Columbia College Chicago, he is a multifaceted performer who thrives on collaboration and ensemble work throughout the city's vast surplus of storefront and suburban theater.Some of his wide range of credits includes the Hollywood film, Grand Torino directed by Clint Eastwood, guest star appearances on Chicago Med and Chicago Fire, National tours of The Play that Goes Wrong and Once, Million Dollar Quartet at both Theatre At the Center and Paramount Theatre, and most notably as Samwise Gamgee in Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the New Zealand Tour of ‘Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale’.He is also a multi-instrumentalist who is proficient in acoustic, electric and bass guitars, Drums, Piano, Cajon, Mandolin, Banjo and Ukulele.I hope yo enjoy my conversation with Michael Kurowski. Now let’s go to the top of the show!

Today's guest shares their name with a famous recently departed Hollywood icon and also a renowned female jazz vocalist. The relations of which we actually were unaware of until the time of this interview.With a career spanning decades in opera, straight plays and musicals all over the world, some of his performance credits include Titanic, Ragtime, She Loves Me, The Full Monty, and Catch Me If You Can at the Marriott, the first National tours of The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, Come From Away and Company, Five Guys Named Moe, Satchmo at the Waldorf, and Porgy and Bess at Court Theater, and as the title character of Carlyle at the Goodman Theater. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Chicago's own James Earl Jones II. Now let's go to the top of the show.

Today’s guest is a playwright, performer and theater commentator whose work explores themes of resilience connection and self discovery.As "Broadway Bob" on TikTok, he shares news, insights and sparks conversation across the Broadway and regional theater communities. He has also written about Chicago’s rich cultural landscape for outlets including Huffington Post, NBC 5 Chicago and the City of Chicago. He also has a cult favorite podcast called "The Sunset Project".Recent Chicago credits as an actor include The Addams Family Titanic , Sondheim on Sondheim, Sweeney Todd and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical .He is passionate about storing telling it all its forms and is honored to continue to the evolving conversations around Theatre and the arts.I hope you enjoy our conversation with Bob Bullen. Now let’s go to the top of the show!

We are fortunate today to have two guests on the show: One the director of, and one a cast member of, 4 Chairs Theatre’s production of Four Places. Director Lauren Berman founded 4 Chairs Theatre in 2018. Since the company's inception, she has directed several cabarets as well as the musicals Ride the Cyclone, Be More Chill, Spring Awakening, and their current production of the play, Four Places.She also directed What the Constitution Means To Me as part of Paramount Theater’s Bold Series and is an acting coach for actors of all ages and abilities. Actress Andrea Uppling’s recent Chicago credits include hat the Constitution Means To Me , A Streetcar Named Desire, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Girls and Boys.Four Places opens October 16 and runs through November 2 at the Bramble Arts Loft.For tickets please visit https://www.4chairstheatre.org.Now let’s go to the top of the show!

Today’s guest is an award-winning freelance designer based in the city of Chicago.Having received his master’s degree in scenic design from Indiana University, Bloomington, he now designs sets, props, and projections for a variety of theaters the Midwest.Some of his favorite designs include Mean Girls with EVSC, The Beauty Queen of Leenane with Three Crows Theatre, and Pro-Am with First Floor Theatre.He’s also currently the Marketing Coordinator at Northlight Theatre in Skokie, where he runs their various social media accounts and manages their newsletter and digital audience communications.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Spencer Donovan Now let’s go to the top of the show!

Today’s guest is a Broadway veteran, who has appeared in the original New York casts of Ragtime and Candide, joined the long running A Chorus Line, and toured nationally in Urinetown, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ and Cabaret (where he understudied the legendary Joel Grey). in 2011, he inaugurated Paramount Theatre’s Broadway Series as Artistic Director with President and CEO, Tim Rater, with their critically acclaimed production of My Fair Lady. With a subscriber base then of 12,500 patrons, it has grown to 40,000 subscribers; The largest subscription based theatre in the country!In 2015, Paramount became Jeff Award eligible. Since then, the theatre has garnered over 150 nominations with 30 wins, including three Best Musical Awards for Les Misérables, West Side Story, and Sweeney Todd, the last two of which, he also won Jeff Awards for Best Director.Finally, he remains the sole honoree to have won Jeff Awards as an actor, choreographer and director. This season, the Paramount holds the record for the most Jeff nominations in a single season with 26, breaking its previous record of 18 during the 2016-17 season. Paramount’s current production of Million Dollar Quartet is running into its second year at the venue’s new Stolp Island Theatre.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jim Corti. Now let’s go to the top of the show!

Today’s guest holds a Doctorate of Music from Northwestern University and is a very busy Music Director, Composer, Conductor, Pianist and Vocal Coach residing in Chicago who also works in LA, NY, London and New Zealand!Currently the resident music director for Norwegian Cruise Line’s production of Choir of Man (a position he also held for Chicago’s resident production) he was also the music director and conductor of Porchlight Theatre’s Titanique which ran at Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse.He is also the music director of this year’s Joseph Jefferson Awards; An award he received for best musical direction of Boho Theatre’s Big Fish in 2019.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Michael McBride. Now let’s go to the top of the show!

Today’s guest is a Chicago based actress and teaching artist. As a Company Member of TimeLine Theatre, she has performed  in over 15 of their productions including the role of Maria Callas in Master Class. She has performed with the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Lookingglass, Northlight, Drury Lane, Marriott and Writers Theatres, as well as a variety of regional theaters including Woolly Mammoth in DC, and Milwaukee Rep. Also seen on both TV and Film, she has garnered 10 Jeff nominations in seasons past and is nominated this season for two productions: As part of the ensemble of Northlight’s A Prayer for the French Republic and for her role as Queen Elizabeth in Drury Lane Theatre’s The Audience. She will also, once again,  be the announcer for this Jef Awards.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Janet Ulrich Brooks. Now let’s go to the top of the show!

Today’s guest is a Chicago based actor who has performed all over America and the high seas. Notable performances include Miss Blakk for President at Steppenwolf, Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Signature Theatre in DC, and The Little Mermaid at Drury Lane Theatre.They are a Jeff recipient for best choreography for Heathers The Musical at Kokandy productions, has been previously nominated for Best actor in a supporting role as Fastrada in Pippin. THIS season, they're nominated for their role as Ursula in Disney’s The Little Mermaid at Drury Lane.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Sawyer Smith. Now let’s go to the top of the show!

Today’s guest is a multiple award winning Chicago based performer, currently nominated for her role as John Dickinson in Marriott Theatre’s 1776. A Northwestern Graduate, she hasperformed in over 100 productions in Chicagoland and around thecountry. Some of her most well known roles include Nessa Rose in the Chicago sit down of Wicked, Harper Pitt in Court Theatre’s Angels In America and Dolly Levi in Marriott Theatre’s Hello, Dolly! She has appeared in film and Television, is a nationwide concert performer and last but certainly not least, is the wife of actor, David Girolmo. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Heidi Kettenring. Now let’s go to the top of the show!

Today’s guests are both appearing in Point 2 Point Production’s production of “Next To Normal”.Max Trotter, who by day is a digital marketing expert, plays Gabe and Logan VanLerberghe, who is a school teacher by day plays Henry.They both shared with us their love of the show, this current production and also how their daily experiences align with their roles.“Next To Normal”. plays at the Lodge Performing Arts Center in Elgin from Sept 19th - 28th and you can get your tickets by visiting https://www.schaumburgonstage.org/point2productions.Now let’s go, to the top of the show!

Today’s guest was born in the North Shore of Chicago and started her career as a dancer at New Trier High School. Since then she has had a career spending decades as an actress, singer, director, choreographer, acting coach and casting director.Her acclaimed school, The Performers School, was one of the first of its kind in the Chicagoland area, strictly geared towards the training of child theater makers. Her latest project, 'A Flaster Production', is another feather in her cap where the shows they’ll produce will exclusively feature college ready teenagers.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Stacey Flaster!

Today’s guest began his professional career as a writer and actor with Chicago’s The Second City.His first full-length play, “Magic Time,” premiered at Brandeis University and was subsequently produced Off-Broadway. His next play, “The God of Isaac” premiered in 1985 at the Tony Award winning Victory Gardens Theater. A founding member of the Victory Gardens Playwrights Ensemble he premiered a dozen plays there between 1985-2010. His plays have been published and are regularly produced by theaters throughout the United States and have also been seen in Canada, Mexico, Australia, South America, England, Germany, Austria, Poland, Turkey, South Africa, Australia, China, and Korea.In the summer of 2006, he wrote and directed the movie of what is arguably is most popular play, “Beau Jest”, starring Lainie Kazan, Seymour Cassel, and Robyn Cohen.Finally, he teaches classes in Playwriting and Improvisation at Columbia College of Chicago and DePaul University and is a member of The Dramatists Guild of America.His newest play, “The First Lady of Television”, makes its world premiere at the Northlight Theatre, opening September 4th and runs through October 5th. For tickets, visit https://northlight.orgI hope you enjoy my conversation with playwright, James Sherman. Let’s go to the top of the show!

Kokandy Productions is one of Chicago’s premier storefront theatre companies.Created in 2011, they have been nominated for 101 Non-Equity Jeff Awards, with countless wins including 5 for last season’s "Into the Woods".Under the leadership of Scot Kokandy and Derek Van Barham, they have built a reputation that in every way aligns with the company’s mission: To leverage the heightened reality of musical theater, to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theater artists and new musical theater works while raising the profile of Chicago’s storefront musical theater community. Anyone who has seen a Kokandy production can attest that they are doing just that to great successTheir current production of "Amelie" has been acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, and is currently running through September 28th. For tickets, visit https://www.kokandyproductions.com/I hope you enjoy my conversation with Scot Kokandy and Derek Van Barham. Now let’s go to the top of the show!

Today’s guest is a founding Ensemble Member of The Regional Tony Award Winning Lookingglass Theatre Company, where he has worked as an actor, director, adapter, and  educator.As an actor, he has appeared in nearly 30 productions for Lookingglass, including 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Cascabel (with Rick Bayless); Big Lake, Big City (directed by David Schwimmer); a he received a Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination for his Solo Performance in For Keeps and a Single Day. He also lays claim as being the only actor to perform 3 out of 4 roles in LookingGlass Alice, the company's iconic take on the classic Lewis Carroll tale.He’s also been seen on the stages of the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Court, Drury Lane and Northlight Theatres. A a dedicated theatre educator for most of his adult life, he has worked with organizations such as Eileen Boevers Performing Arts Workshop, Piven Theatre Workshop, and as adjunct faculty member in the Departments of Theatre at Northwestern University and at the University of Illinois at Chicago and, as a teaching artist for Lookingglass, has worked in schools all over Chicago for more than 25 years.I hope you enjoy my conversation with today's guest, Thom Cox!