The Theater People Podcast Welcomes BRIGHT STAR Tony-Nominee Carmen Cusack; Listen HERE!

On Monday, May 16 the Theater People podcast welcomes BRIGHT STAR's Tony nominated leading lady, Carmen Cusack. Check out the episode below.

Cusack, a Colorado native, rose to prominence working in London's West End. Over the course of her 14-year career in London she played Christine Daae in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and Fantine in LES MISERABLES, among many other roles.

She returned to the US in 2006 when she was cast as the Elphaba standby in Chicago sit-down production of WICKED. She was later offered the role full-time on the show's first national tour. She went on to play Nellie Forbush in the national tour of SOUTH PACIFIC.

Other credits include Miss Gardner if the Off-Broadway revival of CARRIE THE MUSICAL, Dot in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and originating the role of Annie in the Chicago production of the new musical THE FIRST WIVES CLUB.

For the episode, Cusack discusses making her Broadway debut in the star-making role of Alice in BRIGHT STAR, working alongside the show's writers Steve Martin and Edie Brickell in creating the role, and why she thinks now is the perfect time for a musical such as this to make it's New York debut.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

Listen to the Theater People Podcast episode with Carmen Cusack here:

ABOUT THE THEATER PEOPLE PODCAST

Theater People is the only podcast featuring full length interviews with Tony winners, Broadway legends, and today's hottest theater stars.

Find this and all previous episodes at www.theaterppl.com. You can follow the show on Twitter and Instagram, and "Like" it on Facebook. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and get the each new episode a day early.

Previous guests on the Theater People Podcast include Tony-winner Cady Huffman (THE PRODUCERS), Tony-nominee Annaleigh Ashford (KINKY BOOTS), Tony-nominee Laura Osnes (BONNIE & CLYDE, RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA), Tony-winner Daisy Eagan (THE SECRET GARDEN), stage and screen star MICHAEL URIE (UGLY BETTY, BUYER & CELLAR), Broadway star and webseries creator Andrew Keenan-Bolger (NEWSIES, SUBMISSIONS ONLY), Tony-nominee Anika Larsen (BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL), Tony-winning director Michael Mayer (THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, SPRING AWAKENING, AMERICAN IDIOT, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH), two-time Tony-winner Katie Finneran (NOISES OFF, PROMISES, PROMISES), Eden Espinosa (WICKED, BROOKLYN, RENT), Anthony Rapp (RENT, IF/THEN), Olivier-Winner Lesli Margherita(MATILDA), Tony-winner Tonya Pinkins (JELLY'S LAST JAM, CAROLINE OR CHANGE) two-time Tony nominee Robin De Jesus (IN THE HEIGHTS, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES), Tony-winner Karen Olivo (IN THE HEIGHTS, WEST SIDE STORY), Tony-winner Jerry Mitchell, KINKY BOOTS' Ellyn Marie Marsh, GODSPELL and RENT star Telly Leung, Tony-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (IN THE HEIGHTS, BRING IT ON: THE MUSICAL, HAMILTON), three-time Tony nominee Celia Keenan-Bolger (25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTRY SPELLING BEE, THE GLASS MENAGERIE), Margo Siebert (ROCKY) ,Amber Iman (SOUL DOCTOR), Alysha Umphress (ON THE TOWN), Mary Testa (FALSETTOS, WICKED), Tony-winner LaChanze (ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, THE COLOR PURPLE, IF/THEN), Lindsay Mendez (GODSPELL, DOGFIGHT, WICKED), the hosts of the Ensemblist podcast Mo Brady (THE ADDAMS FAMILY) and Nikka Graff Lanzarone (CHICAGO, WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN), Tony-nominee Keala Settle (HANDS ON A HARDBODY, LES MISERABLES), two-time Tony-nominee Andy Karl (ROCKY, ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY), Tony and Emmy-nominee Martha Plimpton (PAL JOEY, A DELICATE BALANCE), musical theatre legend, Elaine Paige, Tony-nominee Tony Yazbeck (GYPSY, ON THE TOWN), Lisa Howard (THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU), Tony-winner Jeanine Tesori (FUN HOME, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, VIOLET), Tony-nominee Marc Kudisch (HAND TO GOD, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, ASSASSINS), and Tony-nominee Kerry Butler (HAIRSPRAY, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, CLINTON THE MUSICAL), Tony-winner Michael Cerveris (THE WHO'S TOMMY, ASSASSINS, FUN HOME), TV and Broadway star Lea Delaria (ON THE TOWN), Tony-nominee Geneva Carr (HAND TO GOD), director Michael Mayer (THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, SPRING AWAKENING, AMERICAN IDIOT, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH) and writer/lyricist Dick Scanlan (THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, EVERYDAY RAPTURE, WHORL INSIDE A LOOP), Tony-winner Laura Benanti (INTO THE WOODS, GYPSY, SHE LOVES ME), Tony-winner Lena Hall (HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH), Kate Baldwin (FINNIAN'S RAINBOW, BIG FISH), Elizabeth Stanley (ON THE TOWN, BRIDGE OF MADISON COUNTY tour), Andrew Briedis a.k.a. Annoying Actor Friend, Norm Lewis (LES MISERABLES, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA), Renee Elise Goldsberry (THE COLOR PURPLE, HAMILTON), Tony-nominee Beth Malone (FUN HOME), Alex Brightman (SCHOOL OF ROCK), Tony-nominee Megan Hilty (SMASH, NOISES OFF), Sierra Boggess (THE LITTLE MERMAID, SCHOOL OF ROCK), Tony-nominee Phillipa Soo (HAMILTON), Adam Kantor (FIDDLER ON THE ROOF), Spencer Liff (HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, SPRING AWAKENING), Andrea Burns (IN THE HEIGHTS, ON YOUR FEET), Tony-nominee Danny Burstein (FOLLIES, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF), Paul Alexander Nolan (BRIGHT STAR), and Laura Michelle Kelly (MARY POPPINS, FINDING NEVERLAND).