LISTEN: Tony Nominee Kate Baldwin Talks 42 STREET & More on WHY I'LL NEVER MAKE IT Podcast

Kate Baldwin (Big Fish, Hello Dolly!) is currently performing the role of Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street at Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut and sat down with Patrick Oliver Jones, her fellow co-star in the production and host of the award-winning Why I'll Never Make It podcast. They discuss the current revival of this classic musical from 1980 that won two Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and why it means so much to both of them. They then take a surprisingly candid and unvarnished look at Baldwin's life in theater as she shares three stories and moments from her career.

Listen below!

The first part deals with her height and how teachers, casting directors, and others said she was too tall to make it in this business. One evidence of this could be that out of all the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Lucille Lortel awards she's been nominated for, she's never won any of them. Still, she takes it all in stride and appreciates the nominations all the same, realizing that this is a fickle business with No Guarantees.

Next, Baldwin talks about one the most important yet frustrating parts of being an actor, auditioning. One way she handles it is by playing casting director in the waiting area. She will look around the room and pick other people who could be a better fit for the role. And often times she can become far more interested in what other people are doing rather than focusing on what she needs to be doing to prepare for the audition. But even despite that preparation, "I see roles go to my friends and colleagues, most of whom I've known for 20 years, and yes sometimes I'm disappointed that I don't get picked."

In her final story, Baldwin admits that she gets antsy and bored very quickly, which can be really bad for long runs. In fact, until Hello Dolly! she had not been in a Broadway show longer than 4 months. So she tends to start doing lots of other things during the day and doesn't rest enough or take care of herself as well as she probably should. She believes it comes from a deep-seated and pesky belief that performing a play or musical eight times a week isn't enough, because it isn't saving lives or the planet or feeding people who are hungry. "My family is filled with bankers, scientists, energy consultants and teachers. They make the world better," she admits. "I dress up and wear someone else's hair on my head, and that's my job." She has to remind herself, though, that audiences need the experience of theater-its laughter and tears and catharsis-just as much as these other important areas of our lives. It is a purpose and connection that has kept her going now for almost 25 years.

Kate Baldwin starred as Irene Molloy opposite Bette Midler, David Hyde Pierce and Gavin Creel in the hit Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! for which she was nominated for the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic's Circle awards. She originated the role of Sandra Bloom in Big Fish on Broadway and earned accolades for her starring role in the 2009 revival of Yip Harburg's and Burton Lane's hit classic musical Finian's Rainbow, which also drew Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic's Circle Award nominations. She has appeared in other Broadway shows including The Full Monty, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Wonderful Town. She has recorded solo albums and also performed in concert with the New York Pops, Boston Pops, National Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Portland Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Chicago Symphony, the American Songbook series at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and at the legendary New York nightclubs Feinstein's, Birdland and 54 Below. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and lives with her husband and son in Maplewood, NJ.

WHY I'LL NEVER MAKE IT is one of Feedspot's Top 25 Theater Podcasts and received a 2022 Communicator Award of Distinction. This performing arts podcast is hosted by Off-Broadway actor, singer, and producer Patrick Oliver Jones. WINMI Podcast features fellow creatives sharing the realities of a career in the performing arts, all while challenging the notion of what it really means to "make it" in this business. Other past guests include Justin Guarini (American Idol, In Transit), Will Swenson (A Beautiful Noise, Hair), and Caitlin Kinnunen (The Prom).