Podcast: Joel B. New Welcomes 'Rock Star Juggler' Marcus Monroe, Ernie Pruneda Sings a Maya Angelou Poem

In the premiere of Something New's fifth season, award-winning songwriter Joel B. New sat down with comedy juggler Marcus Monroe.

Dubbed "the rock star of jugglers" by the New York Press, Marcus Monroe combines innovative juggling with a high-energy original take, making him one of the most sought-after variety performers today. Marcus is the recipient of the prestigious Andy Kaufman Award, awarded once a year to a performer who exhibits an original and creative performance with the spirit and execution of Kaufman. His original one-man show, THE RISE & FALL OF Marcus Monroe, was presented at Ars Nova last month.

For the live song portion of the episode, Ernie Pruneda (SISTER ACT) premiered "On the Pulse of Morning," featuring Gillian Berkowitz on piano. Music by Joel B. New. Text from Maya Angelou's 1993 Inaugural poem for President Bill Clinton. This performance is also available on YouTube and SoundCloud.

CHECK OUT A VIDEO OF THIS EPISODE'S PERFORMANCE:

"Something New" is available on iTunes, Stitcher, and TuneIn.

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A composer, lyricist, bookwriter, producer, and performer, Joel B. New is the proud recipient of an American Theatre Wing Jonathan Larson Grant for his music and lyrics. His stage projects include TO HELL AND BACK, MACKENZIE & THE MISSING BOY, AWAKENING (book: Jenny Stafford, music: J. Oconer Navarro), STANDALONE: A SONG CYCLE, AGATHA IN THE ATTIC, and RSVP. Joel's work has been seen and developed at New York Theatre Barn, Prospect Theater Company, Musical Theatre Factory, Broadway au Carré in Paris, and the New York Musical Festival. Joel's first solo EP Cabot Cove -- a collection of "theatre pop" songs inspired by the classic TV series MURDER, SHE WROTE -- is available on Broadway Records. For more info, please visit joelbnew.com.