Theater People Podcast Counts Down Top-10 Moments

To celebrate their first year of podcasting, the Theater People Podcast is counting down its Top-10 moments. As he has done before, host Patrick Hinds is giving the BroadwayWorld readers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what happens before, during, and after the the tape is rolling.

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. You can also check out their first ever live show as part of 2015 NYC PodFest on Jauary 11th by getting your tickets here. The Theater People will welcome back two-time Tony nominee Laura Osnes as their special guest, and Podcast Fairy Godmother Ellyn Marie Marsh will also perform!

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A few years ago, my favorite podcast, "Downstage Center," inexplicably went off the air. It was a long form interview show where well known theater actors discussed their careers, and I was obsessed with it. I assumed that somebody would create a similar show immediately, I mean how could they not? But when years passed and that didn't happen, I realized that if I was ever again going to listen to a podcast where famous thespians told embarrassing audition stories, or talked about how they felt the moment they won a Tony, I was going to have to put together a team of crack producers to make it ourselves. And thus, the Theater People podcast was born. With 27 episodes behind us, we thought it would be fun to share our favorite moments and give a little behind the scenes scoop about what went into them. It needs to be said, we have loved ALL of our guests, and each one has been fabulous and interesting. These are just the stories that stand out to me right this second. I honestly could have written a top 100 moments, but, well, who has time for that?

10. Cady Huffman Beat Her Face (Episode 1)

Cady, who won her Tony for playing the role of Ula in 2001's THE PRODUCERS, did us a huge favor by agreeing to be our very first guest. She even agreed to do the interview in Producer Vonia's living room since we, um, forgot to book a space to record. In an email, she asked, "Is it just audio, or do I need to beat my face?"

I had never heard that expression before and had no idea what it meant. "Just audio, but it'd be great to do a picture or two," I wrote back. She showed up for her 2pm interview in a cocktail dress and full hair and makeup. She was so stunningly gorgeous, it left me speechless. Seeing the look on my face, she quipped, "What? You said we might do a picture."

When the interview was over, she popped a bottle of champagne and toasted our inaugural episode. Hashtag ClassyBroad.

9. LaChanze Invited Us To Her Dressing Room for her Interview (Episode 27)

Going backstage in a Broadway house is always special, but when it's at the invitation of a Tony winning Broadway superstar, well, that's extra special. An added bonus was being led across the stage of the Richard Rodgers Theatre and looking out into that huge, beautiful house. Her dressing room provided the perfect atmosphere for a warm, intimate, comfortable conversation. We held our microphones instead of using the mic stands, so the sound pops a bit and sounds a little shaky, and you can hear the stage manager at points talking over the PA System. It's gorilla podcasting at its best, and I love it.

8. Singing Paula Cole with Eden Espinosa (Episode 12)

I saw BROOKLYN THE MUSICAL that introduced the voice that is Eden Espinosa to the world, eight times. I'm crazy about her to the point that I had to spend the hour before our interview repeating the words "Be Cool" to myself. Towards the end of the interview, I mentioned her one woman show ME, which is named after a Paula Cole song. I said how much I also love Paula Cole, specifically the song "This Fire," at which point Eden burst into a chorus of the song. Without thinking, I started singing along with her, which made her stop. I blew it! How long would she have sung if I hadn't joined her? Ah well, how many superfans can say they got to sing with Eden? After the interview, she hung around and held baby Daisy, who was just three months old at that point, for about a half hour. I took a few pictures that I'll treasure forever.

7. Daisy Eagan Made Us Cry (Episode 5)

First of all, Daisy Eagan is awesome, and something of a legend among my generation of theater lovers. She was the girl who lived out our childhood fantasies of being a Broadway child star-she still holds the record for being the youngest female ever to win a Tony Award for her work in 1991 production of THE SECRET GARDEN. During our interview, she reflected on that time and, to my surprise, talked about how alone she felt, what an unpopular outsider she was at school, and the bullying she endured. When the talk turned to her newborn son, and how she hoped things would be different for him, all of a sudden she, Producer Vonia, who was also new mom, and I, who was mid-adoption process, were all in tears. Daisy, ever perfect with her comic timing, shouted "Forgive me, I'm Hormonal!" It was a beautiful, honest conversation that I still think about often.

6. Karen Olivo Said Yes (Episode 17)

I was stunned when Karen, Tony winner and one of the most promising actresses of her generation, announced in 2013 that she was leaving NYC (for Madison, Wisconsin!) and taking a step back from acting. When it was announced last June that she'd be back for a week of performances of TICK TICK...BOOM at Encores, I thought, "Would she consider talking to me?"

Not only did she say yes, she agreed to an 8:15 am in-person interview before at 10-hour rehearsal day. She was SO genuine and SO happy to share her story that it set me at a sort of ease that I hadn't experienced with a star of her magnitude. I remember it being the first time I was really, truly present in an interview. It was a magical experience.

5. Lesli Margherita stopped by for an interview and was, well, The Queen (Episode 14)

You know how the key to improv comedy is to say 'Yes, And...' Those must be the words Lesli lives her life by. Our first Oliver winner (for ZORRO: THE MUSICAL in the West End), she was one of the most listener-requested guests we've interviewed. In researching her, I found her online / famous-person persona, Queen Lesli, to be so over-the-top and intimidating, that I was actually a little terrified to meet her. But she was SO nice, and SO happy to talk, that I remember it being one of the silliest, easiest, and most fun interviews we've done. And did you know she's totally a STAR WARS nerd? But she has a virtual army of fans, so don't mess with her about it.

4. Celia Keenan-Bolger Told a Story (Episode 22)

I was so completely star struck when I met the three-time Tony-nominee that it took me a minute to get my bearings (and, full disclosure, I asked my husband to bring baby Daisy down, so I'd be able to tell her later that she met the legendary CKB). She shared so many amazing stories, but what caught me the most off guard was her openness about originating the role of Clara in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA out-of-town, and then not being asked to do it on Broadway (the role went to Kelli O'Hara for the Broadway run). She shared the motto that got her through that tough time: "Success is the graceful execution of Plan B."

And she talked of her admiration for, and friendship with, Kelli O'Hara, putting to bed any notion that there might be bad blood between them. Her grace in telling that story was completely disarming and an absolute bright spot in the history of our show. OH, and both ladies got Tony nominations that year, so, you know, whatever.

3. Annaleigh Ashford got serious (Episode 3)

When we met Annaleigh, she was just as quirky, silly, and hilarious, as we'd expected her to be. It was early in the run of KINKY BOOTS, in which she starred as factory worker Lauren. This was just after she was nominated for a Tony for her work, and before the show won for best new musical-it was a time when cast members were hearing for the first time the impact the show was having on audiences. There was a beautiful moment when she talked about the song "I'm Not My Father's Son" where she talked about her hope that its message would reach people-families that were struggling to understand each other. The moment was beautifully underscored with the song, and was the first time we experienced how good editing can elevate an episode. (In the same episode, Annaleigh went on to do a two minute Cindi Lauper impression and tell stories of go-go dancing with Lady Gaga back in the early 2000s, so, you know, the mood didn't get too heavy!)

2. Laura Osnes Sang (Episode 4)

Ok, try to follow this: our friend Bradley Beahen, who wrote and recorded our theme music, in a weird twist, was doing a dinner theater production of GREASE with a then unknown Laura Osnes at the very time she auditioned for and was cast in the reality show GREASE: YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT. She, of course, won the show, quit the dinner theater production-but stayed friends with Bradley, came to Broadway, and became a huge star. So, when Bradley asked if we'd like him to reach out to Laura to see if she'd do our show, we of course said sure, but never thought it would happen. So, imagine my surprise when she sent me a personal email saying, "Sure. Would love to."

The day of the interview, I was literally sick to my stomach with nerves (it was only our fourth episode, you guys! Who did I think I was to interview LAURA OSNES??). Being the gracious goddess that she is, she put me at ease immediately-so much so, that by the end, I felt comfortable enough to ask her to sing a little something (a capella! At 10am! Who did I think I was??) Without a moment's hesitation, she said, "I'm going to sing 'Till There Was You' from THE MUSIC MAN."

And then she did. And I fought back tears (it needs to be said that Laura has been such a good friend to the show, and we are so grateful for her support!)

1. Lin-Manuel Miranda FreeStyled (Episode 21)

Booking Lin was a goal from Day 1. I tweeted him constantly, harassed other guests that had worked with him, and stalked his website until he finally relented (after good naturedly teasing me about proper twitter- wooing etiquette). It was my dream to ask him to freestyle something for us, but he did it unprompted. In a discussion about using freestyle to pack information into a song, he burst into a Big Pun rap that left all of us in the room breathless. I mean, here we were, sitting two feet from one of the greatest theater artists of our time (of all time? Yeah, of all time) doing what he does best.

It was a powerful full circle moment for me, who had interviewed Lin back in 2003, "before everything" as Lin put it, when IN THE HEIGHTS was just a one-act being workshopped in the basement theater of the Drama Bookshop on 40th Street. We have a guest book we ask our guests to sign at the end of each interview. Lin wrote: "To Patrick, who knew me when." I treasure it.