The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales

For a person who claims she can’t really sing or dance, Julie Halston sure has done a lot of Broadway musicals (and rightfully so!). Even during the pandemic, she remained booked and busy despite the circumstances. She even took to the internet to keep the fans entertained (after some persuasion and help from her friend, Jim) with over 40 episodes of her hit web series called “Virtual Halston”. Julie tells the story of starting a theatre company with Charles Busch, and starring in a little play he wrote entitled, "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" which ended up playing Off-Broadway for six years and opened up countless more opportunities for her. Her love for theatre and acting can be traced all the way back from when she was nine years old and that one afternoon her mom took her and her sisters to watch "West Side Story". She shares how she trained by doing, her three Cs of comedy: confidence, clarity, and commitment, the difference between a one-person show and a straight standup comedy routine, and her late husband's tip when you land that one punchline which is to take a look at the audience. With the cultural change happening today, Julie reflects on its relationship with comedy and how it makes it very tricky, especially when it comes to controversial topics. Apart from cultural change, Julie discusses current New York theatre problems, a possible resurgence in Off-Broadway, the need for public officials to value the arts, and how connecting with other people motivates her to keep doing what she’s doing.

Julie Halston is a comedian and actress who recently received the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award for raising awareness and funds for The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. She first achieved recognition as an actress through her co-starring performances in the comedy plays of writer-performer, Charles Busch. "Julie Halston's Lifetime of Comedy", a series of one-woman comedy shows that she wrote had a successful Off-Broadway production and earned her an Outer Critics Circle nomination for Best Play and a CBS network development deal. Julie was recently seen on Broadway playing Rita Marshall in “Tootsie”. Her other Broadway credits include “On The Town”, “You Can’t Take It With You”, “Anything Goes”, “Hairspray”, “Twentieth Century”, “Gypsy”, “The Women”, and “The Man Who Came To Dinner”. She's a founding member of Charles Bush's theatre company and has collaborated with Charles on numerous productions, including “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom” and “The Divine Sister”. Her tv credits include “Gossip Girl”, “The Good Fight”, “Almost Family”, “Divorce”, and “Law & Order” among others. She is also reprising her role as Bitsy Von Muffling in the “Sex and the City” reboot, “And Just Like That...” During the pandemic, she launched a web series, “Virtual Halston”, and garnered popular acclaim with over 40 episodes on YouTube. Today, Julie plays an asshole talent agent owner in Broadway Podcast Network’s new series, "Rolling Calls."

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: @actressjuliehalston
• Twitter: @juliehalston
• Facebook: @juliehalston

Connect with The Theatre Podcast:

• Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast
• Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast
• TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast
• Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast
• TheTheatrePodcast.com
• Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales
• Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think.

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Originally aired as episode 276 on July 18, 2023.

Conrad Ricamora is a talented actor known for his roles on Broadway and his portrayal of Oliver Hampton in the hit TV series "How to Get Away with Murder." He shares his insights as they delve into his background, including his family's journey from moving to the U.S. to growing up in military bases, and how he got into acting and theater. Conrad discusses the significance of "Here Lies Love," a groundbreaking Broadway production featuring an all-Filipino cast, and shares his experiences with the show, including how it explores the intertwined history between the Philippines and America. He also looks back on how he auditioned and got involved with it 11 years ago. The discussion expands to the challenges of performing on Broadway, the staging of "Here Lies Love," and the unique experiences of interacting with the audience up close. Conrad reflects on the current state of democracy and political issues, drawing parallels between historical events and the fragility of democracy today. From sharing personal anecdotes to addressing important social issues, Conrad's passion for his craft shines through as he tells what motivates him as an actor: storytelling and connecting through stories.

Conrad Ricamora is an actor best known for his role as Oliver on the ABC network hit “How to Get Away with Murder”. His TV and film credits include “Fire Island”, “Over the Moon”, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”, and “The Light of the Moon”. His stage credits include “The King and I”, which was his Broadway debut,” Little Shop of Horrors”, “Soft Power”, and numerous plays penned by Will Shakespeare. He is a 2016 Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award recipient and 2017 Equality California Award recipient. He can now be seen in the Broadway hit, “Here Lies Love”, reprising his role of Ninoy Aquino, which he developed 11 years ago in the original Off-Broadway Workshop.

Connect with Conrad:

• Instagram: @conradricamora
• TikTok: @conradwaynericamora

Connect with The Theatre Podcast:

• Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast
• Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast
• TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast
• Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast
• TheTheatrePodcast.com
• Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales

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Damian Sandys is currently bringing his talent to the Broadway stage as The Kite Runner's associate director. The theatre director talks about the difference between the UK production and Broadway production of “The Kite Runner”, the importance of humor in the show, and how its US audiences are more vocal. He shares how he started getting into theatre directing, from watching and learning from his dad to meeting Cameron Mackintosh which opened up opportunities for him. Damian recalls how after graduating, he ended up taking a teaching job at a boy's boarding school where he taught English and Drama, and after putting on shows at the Edinburgh Festival, a producer who watched one of his shows offered him a directing job. He talks about working for the show, “NewsRevue” which was influential in his career. Damian also shares how he got connected with "The Kite Runner" production, why he decided to stay with the show for this long, and why he thinks a line from the show, "there's a way to be good again" is the key to life.

Damian Sandys is a theatre director with productions across the UK, Edinburgh Fringe, the West End and internationally. He graduated from Oxford University and has directed over 50 productions at the Edinburg festival, including “Shakespeare For Breakfast: 25th Anniversary”. He has been the resident/associate director for several West End and international tours of “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”, “The Kite Runner”, and more. His other directing credits include “Aladdin”, “The Taming of the Shrew”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “Sleeping Beauty” among others. He's also been a part of the teams responsible for the London revival of “Tick, Tick... Boom!”, “When Midnight Strikes”, and “West Side Story”. Currently, he's the associate director for Broadway's "The Kite Runner”.

Connect with Damian:

• Twitter: @munchkindamo
• Instagram: @munchkindamo

Connect with The Theatre Podcast:

• Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast
• Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast
• TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast
• Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast
• TheTheatrePodcast.com
• Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales
• Email me at [email protected]. I want to know what you think.

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