Some people camp out for tickets to their favorite shows. Diana DiMenna camps out to produce her favorite shows.

That’s right.  When she finds a project she wants to be a part of, she doesn’t stop until she finds a way to join the team.

It’s that drive and passion that has gotten her on the producing teams of shows like Girl From The North Country; What The Constitution Means to Me; Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812; and more.

In this episode (recorded before this whole virus thing came down), Diana shared just what it is about certain projects that compel her to produce them, as well as . . .

• Why Broadway needs to pay more attention to contracts
• Why passion is a double-edged sword
• How Broadway fails its audiences
• Why Broadway needs more women in leadership roles
• Why theatre needs to adjust its price points to make room for new demographics

It won’t take long into this podcast for you to understand why Diana isn’t going to have to work so hard to join projects in the future.  I can’t imagine anyone NOT wanting her on their team. 

Enjoy the podcast!

• Click above to listen!
• Listen to it on iTunes here. (And if you like the podcast, give it a great review while you’re there!)
• Download it here.

And this week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek (or Songwriters in this case!) are Kinosian and Blair! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, go on over to kinosianandblair.com or check them out on Instagram & Twitter @JoeAndKellen.

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Looking for more content like this during the Broadway Shut Down?  Every night at 8pm EDT (INCLUDING TONIGHT!), I’m live streaming interviews on my Facebook page with Broadway greats like Stephen Schwartz, Alan Cumming, Sierra Boggess, Kenny Leon and more.  Click here for the full schedule!

Well, like so many of us, our favorite pastimes aren’t possible right now.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t figure out another way to enjoy what we love to do, which is why I couldn’t help but smile (a much needed one) when I read this article written by Adam, that one of his favorite piano bars was going virtual.

Something tells me that he had something to do with it.

You’ll hear all about Adam’s love for piano bars in this week’s podcast recorded BV (Before Virus), as well as some incredibly insightful comments about the current state of theatrical criticism, and . . .

• What the future holds for critics of the theater (and if anything) 
• How he manages to see a hundred shows a year and keep a fresh perspective.
• What he looks for when he sees a show, and how that translates to his reviews.
• Chat rooms, blogs, and how they affected what he does.
• The process of writing a review and how that has changed over the years.

Enjoy the podcast!  And stay safe and healthy!

• Click above to listen!
• Listen to it on iTunes here. (And if you like the podcast, give it a great review while you’re there!)
• Download it here.

And this week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Michael Mott! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, go on over to https://www.michaelmott.net/ or check his out on Instagram & Twitter @michael_mott.

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If you like these podcasts, you’ll love our brand new ProducersPerspectiveLIVE Chats with Industry greats like Sierra Boggess, Alan Cumming, Stephen Flaherty and more!  Every night at 8 PM EDT during the Corona Crisis, I’ll be live streaming with a new Broadway star from all different professions on what they’re up to, how they’re getting through it, and what they’ll do on the other side.  Click here for the full schedule!

Everybody, say it with me . . . Alex Brightman. Alex Brightman. Alex Brightman.

And he appears!

I have an awesome treat for all of you.

The Producer’s Perspective Podcast team went on a field trip to host our first live show at BroadwayCon! And we stole Alex Brightman from the Winter Garden to chat with us for a bit. 

Alex has been heavily involved in the collaborative process of not just one, but three shows: Big Fish, School of Rock, and Beetlejuice. And on this podcast, we talk about the influence an Actor can have (and should have) when creating a brand-spankin’ new musical.  

During this “live” podcast (so yes, the sound will be different!), Alex and I discussed:

• Why accountability is needed for every writer 
• What it’s like originating a role . . . the fun and the pressure 
• Does he get nervous?  (His answer will surprise you.)
• Whether or not TOO much development process can kill a show
• Why you need to be promoting your work . . . more than anyone else

Oh, and remember this is Alex Brightman, after all, so expect a few hearty chuckles as you listen.

Enjoy the podcast!

• Click above to listen!
• Listen to it on iTunes here. (And if you like the podcast, give it a great review while you’re there!)
• Download it here.

And this week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Sam Salmond! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, go on over to www.samsalmond.com or check him out on Twitter @samsalmond.

I don’t know that I could have done it.

But, then again, I’m not Maddie Corman.

As you’ll hear in my intro to this podcast, I’ve known about Maddie Corman since I was a teenager.  Chances are, you have too.  After all, she has been in over 25 films, including Some Kind of Wonderful and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. 

But all that could never have prepared her for the real-life drama she was dragged into a few years ago.

She came out the other side of it and, then, she decided to write about it . . . and perform it . . . in a play called Accidentally Brave.

And you know what?  I KNOW I could not have done it.

Maddie and I talked about how she got the courage to do what many in the world would not, as well as . . .

• How sharing trauma is a powerful tool for storytelling.
• The process of how she created her one-person show . . . and how you can create one too.
• How to tell the difference between an actor and someone who just wants to be famous.
• Just who deserves to be sent an invitation to your first reading.
• Why you need friends who will give you honest feedback and not just tell you how great your shows is.

Enjoy the podcast!

And this week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Misha Lambert! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, go on over to https://mishalambert.com/ or check her out on Instagram & Twitter @mishalambert.

Here’s all you need to know about Vivek Tiwary . . .

He had never lead produced a Broadway musical when he had sat down with Alanis Morissette and convinced her that he should be the one to develop a musical based on her best-selling album, Jagged Little Pill.  (I mean, just getting the meeting would be a win in my book . . . but walking away with the rights?)

Alanis didn’t have to go with him.  She could have called any Broadway Producer in all of Google and they would have leaped at the chance to put those songs on stage.

But she chose Vivek.  Because, as you’ll hear in this podcast, he has that fantastic combination of passion, perseverance and business acumen (backed by a business degree from Wharton).

Oh, and did I mention that he also wrote a New York Times best-best-selling graphic novel called “The Fifth Beatle”?

I got the chance to sit down with the left-and-right brained Vivek and we talked about . . .

• What he said to Alanis at that meeting to get those rights.
• His path from Investor to Co-Producer to Producer.
• Why the secret to success in business is finding a niche . . . and what his is.
• What he learned in business school that he uses on Broadway.
• Why he believes it’s important to tell stories that are about what is happening NOW.

Enjoy the podcast, and if you haven’t see Jagged Little Pill yet . . . go!

And this week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Drew Gasparini! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, go on over to www.thedrewgasparini.com or check him out on Instagram & Twitter @DrewGasparini.