Little Known Facts w/ Ilana Levine - Page 8

In today's episode, Ilana chats with Mira Sorvino, who forever cemented her role in popular culture with her performance as charmingly silly California beach girl Romy White in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), in which she and co-star Lisa Kudrow utter one hilarious absurdity after another. She is most recently featured on Ryan Murphy's Hollywood on Netflix.

Nicole Blaine's first stand-up special with Comedy Dynamics, Life's A Bit, is available on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, and a variety of cable outlets. She is thrilled to embark on a midwest tour this summer for Scary Mommy Live, and you can catch her on the upcoming season 3 of Laugh After Dark on Amazon Prime. Nicole has been seen on NBC's The Today Show, E's That Morning Show, SFSketchfest, Big Sky Comedy Festival, The International FringeNYC Festival, Laughing Skull Comedy Festival and HBO's Women in Comedy Festival.

Lena shares what it was like to grow up in an artistic household with dancer parents and how her sister who loved musical theater was her gateway into performing.

On this episode of Little Known Facts, Taylor Trensch shares his feelings about being in To Kill A Mockingbird when Broadway shut down due to the pandemic and what the future of that show may be and... why so many Evan Hansens fall in love. Plus hilarious tales from backstage at Hello, Dolly!, living in a house of young actors as a kid, why he felt he had to leave college to be in Spring Awakening and why he loves auditioning in science museums. All this and so much more on this weeks episode of Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine.

Today's episode features Noah Galvin. Noah's film credits include: Booksmart (Dir Olivia Wilde), Assassination Nation (Dir Sam Levinson). TV: 'The Real O'Neals' (ABC). Broadway: Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen. Off-Broadway: MCC, NYTW, Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Vineyard, Signature, Barrow Street, Rattlestick, and more. Regional: Huntington, Bay Street Theatre, Goodspeed, and more. Tours: Les Miserables (3rd National). Audiobooks: 'Perks of Being a Wallflower', 'What if it's Us', and others. 2019 Audie Award Nominee. 

Today's episode features Rebecca Naomi Jones- best known for her performances in the Broadway rock musicals Passing Strange, American Idiot, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch.Jones was born in New York City, New York, to a musician father. Her mother is Jewish and her father is African-American. Jones performed in the children's chorus of the Metropolitan Opera as a youth and graduated from the Berkeley Carroll School in 1999. 'I did theatre all throughout middle school and high school and was really into it, the same with singing,' she said.

From growing up in a small northern California town to falling in love with her Mean Girls co- star, Ilana and Erika catch up on this episode of Little Known Facts in the time of #StayHome. From Brooklyn to a country cabin in New Jersey the two actresses figured out the remote podcast technology and Erika takes Ilana through her  Broadway debut in Les Miserables and working on the musical Diner and of course a deep deep dive into what it's like to work with Tina Fey, Sheryl Crow and all the other icons she has collaborated with. Little Known Facts- Erika was not hired the first time for Les Miz or  Mean Girls but  in her case the second time is a charm! This and so much more  with Erika Henningsen.

On this episode Emmy Award winning actor and A Few Good Men star Timothy Busfield shares stories about his days on Thirtysomething, acting with Kevin Costner, marriage to Melissa Gilbert and driving in LA with Michael J. Fox.

Multiple Emmy award-winning and Grammy Award- nominated Wayne Brady has made his mark on stage and screen as an actor, singer, dancer, improviser, songwriter and television personality.

In this unprecedented time Ilana wanted to offer an opportunity to learn more about mindfulness and meditation and so on this episode she is introducing Little Known Facts listeners to mediation and wellness expert- Brogan Ganley. In this conversation Ilana asks Brogan to talk about the healing powers of meditation and offers up really easy ways to add the practice into your life and ways to keep your stress and anxiety levels down and even find moments of joy during this pandemic. 

George Salazar is best known for originating the role of 'Michael Mell' in Be More Chill (coming to the Signature off-Broadway this summer) and for his Drama Desk-nominated performance in off-Broadway's The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. 

On March 12th 2020 Broadway shows and performances all over the United States came to an immediate halt but the voices of all the artists are going strong while waiting for shows to re- open or mourning the shows that will not be able to come back.

Broadway may be dark for the time being but this week Little Known Facts is bringing you light and joy in the form of Elizabeth Stanley- star of the rock musical sensation, Jagged Little Pill. Elizabeth began her JLP journey with a self-tape in her bedroom. With her camera on a step ladder and the Christmas letter she reads in the play set up on her computer she was able to self tape in her bedroom and send it in to the musicals creative team. That began a journey with this musical that began over 3 years ago. Elizabeth shares stories from first readings to the  rehearsal room to Broadway. 

John Slattery had a moment after college where he was offered a great job in the hotel business and it was tempting - financial security, travel  and lots of other perks. He sat down with his father and asked if he should change lanes from acting to this new job... well, we know what the answer was! This week, Ilana sits down with her long-time friend and star of Broadway, film and television- John Slattery. Go behind the scenes of Mad Men, The Front Page and more plus find out this award winning actor's vocal warm-up tricks!

When he was 11 years old  a teacher sent a sealed letter home to his mother suggesting that Zachary might enjoy doing theater. That was the beginning of a journey that brings us Zachary Quinto who has had an extraordinary career on stage, film and television. He produces too!  From losing his father at a very young age and his friendship with mentor, friend and father figure Leonard Nimoy, Quinto shares intimate truths and little known facts about his life.

He starred as Nicole Kidman's son in the indie hit a?oeMargot At The Weddinga?? and now he has a major role in the new Richard Greenberg play at Manhattan Theater Club. Actor Zane Pais stopped by Ilana's apartment to talk about growing up the son of actors in NYC and his decision to pursue a life in the arts as well!

It's week 2 of previews of The Peeplexed - the new Richard Greenberg play - opening March 3rd at Manhattan Theater Club and Ilana shares some thoughts with her listeners from her dressing room at the theater. Tune in to Ilana's audio journal as she sorts out the preview process and other tales and mishaps as the play transitions from the rehearsal room to the stage.

Tony Award winner Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon) sat down with Ilana and shared stories of growing up in a small suburb in New Jersey and feeling like no one else looked like her and how the unexpected reaction to a solo she sang in kindergarten changed her life forever . Nikki opens up about how the loss of her father changed her so deeply at a very young age and that time she was in London and got a call asking if she might be able to take over in the London production of Mormon -that night- even though she had been out of the Broadway production for quite a while. This is an actress who takes on huge challenges and never stops working on her craft.

It's a special Valentine's Day edition of Little Known Facts. Recently podcast host and Broadway alum Ilana Levine was invited to do a live podcast event at Notre Dame University and she decided to interview her husband, actor Dominic Fumusa. Known for his starring role on television in Nurse Jackie opposite Edie Falco and his starring role on Broadway in Wait Until Dark- Dominic was a perfect fit on the Notre Dame campus because he began his college career a football player but acting quickly became his passion . In a theater filled with Notre Dame students Ilana and Dominic talked about falling in love with theater (and each other), auditions, how sports and acting go together and some other inspiring little known facts along the way.

Growing up in California meant many car rides and Jagged Little Pill was most definitely the soundtrack to and from the various activities his mom drove him to. Now Derek Klena shares what life was growing up in his own version of the Von Trapp Family singers with his musical siblings and a mom obsessed with musical theater. Derek played sports and was in  shows- much like Troy Bolton in High School Musical-  but lucky for us - theater won!  Find out what it's   like starring in Jagged Little Pill 8 shows a week and balancing life as a newlywed. This week on Little Known Facts!