Ilana Levine News

Today's episode features Andy Señor Jr., who just made his film directorial debut with the HBO Original Documentary Revolution Rent, Executive produced by Neil Patrick Harris. He was the Associate Director of Gloria and Emilio Estefan's musical On Your Feet! on Broadway, Netherlands, and UK West End Productions as well as Roundabout Theatre Company's Broadway production of Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn. He served as Associate Director on the new musical FLY at Dallas Theatre Center w Jeffrey Seller.

Today's episode features the Co-founder and President of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BAC), Britton Smith is. In addition to his work as an advocate and facilitator and adjunct professor at Columbia Law School, Britton is a Broadway actor recently featured in Be More Chill, Shuffle Along and After Midnight.

Today's episode of Little Known Facts features one of Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment, director Sammi Cannold. Her recent projects include NY City Center's Evita, Ragtime on Ellis Island, Violet on a moving bus and more.

Today's episode features actress/director/playwright/educator/activist Regina Taylor. She is the playwright-in-residence at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, a three-year appointment through the National Playwright Residency Program established by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and HowlRound Theatre Commons.

Today's episode features actress Zoey Deutch, who can be seen in Sony’s highly anticipated sequel to ZOMBIELAND for director Ruben Fleischer, starring opposite Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Woody Harrelson. She also can be seen in Ryan Murphy’s first series for Netflix THE POLITICIAN, starring opposite Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow.

As in a lot of things, it matters who you know. And at Westinghouse Arts Academy Charter School - a tuition-free public arts school near Pittsburgh - teachers Lindsey Carothers and Jarrett Reiche know everybody. Reiche works for the legendary Binder Casting - which cast the original 1999 Broadway production of 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.'

Today's episode features Steve Basilone. Basilone has been writing for film and television since graduating from Emerson College in 2003. In 2007 he sold his first spec with Benderspink. In 2009, Basilone wrote, produced and starred in a pilot for Fox Television Studios. Since then Steve has written and produced 200 episodes of television, working for critical and commercial successes like Happy Endings and Community.

Today's episode of Little Known Facts features Kurt Sutter. Kurt is a storyteller- that obligation has manifested into writing, producing, directing, and acting. Born and raised in the homogenous suburbs of Jersey, his home positioned between the Mafia-stronghold neighborhoods to the west and Rahway State Prison to the east.

Today's episode features actress, activist, and New York Times bestselling author of five books, Annabelle Gurwitch.

Today's episode features artist, activist, labor leader, and candidate for New York City Council District 6- Jeffrey Omura.

Today's episode features movie producer Jennifer Todd, who has partnered with Hamilton's Tommy Kail on a new TV company with 20th Century Fox. Her next project is the filmed version of Come From Away.

In this episode Donna Murphy takes listeners behind the scenes detailing how she created the role, how Lapine and Sondheim worked seamlessly as a team and how all the designers helped her find what was to become the iconic performance that remains legendary in Broadway history.

Today's episode features Jeremy Wein- a producer and director based in New York City. Jeremy is the founder and artistic director of the virtual theatre initiative Play-PerView.

Today's episode features Jordan Thierry- a documentary filmmaker, activist, and storyteller. He has worked for over a decade to highlight the stories of people of color and working to undo the ongoing legacy of systemic racism in the U.S.A.

Since 2011 Heather Hitchens has been the President and CEO of The American Theater Wing. She herself is an accomplished drummer who started out at a local radio station and then later went into arts management. She counts many women mentors in her life who gave her the confidence to take on leadership roles in the world of arts organizations which is how her career in the arts began at the age of 24.

Today's episode features Kate Burton- best known for her Tony nominated work on Broadway (where she last appeared in Present Laughter with Kevin Kline) and for her Emmy nominated work in Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. Listen as she tells stories of her famous family, upbringing in the arts, and more!

Tonya Pinkins had a very complicated journey with the musical Jelly’s Last Jam. Tonya shares that she was almost fired multiple times- even when she was in rehearsal for the Broadway production- but somehow she persevered and she won a Tony Award for her portrayal of this raw, powerful and vulnerable woman.

Today's episode features internationally renowned theater choreographer and director, Sergio Trujillo, who was quick to note that his success has been deeply effected by the many supportive people in his life.

Stephanie J. Block was no stranger to playing real people on Broadway having portrayed Liza Minnelli in The Boy From Oz so when director Jason Moore asked her to take on the role of Cher in the Broadway musical The Cher Show, she was quite trepidatious.

Ruben Santiago-Hudson had dreamed of being in an August Wilson from the first time he was in the audience of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. He found himself crying during the play and realized he was not just deeply moved by the play and the actors in it but the tears were connected to this feeling that for the first time in his life he was seeing people on stage who were so familiar to him and he wanted to be a part of that kind of storytelling.