Something New - A Musical Theatre Podcast

Katharine Pettit served as Susan Stroman's SDC Observer on BULLETS OVER BROADWAY on Broadway. Recent Works include: PUMPED!(Dir.) TRU musical voices reading series, ANGEL IN MY HEART (Dir.) Fresh Fruit Festival 2014 Best New Musical & The York Developmental Reading Series, DAY OF WRATH (Dir.) NYMF 2015, YOUR NAME ON MY LIPS (Dir./Choreo.) Theater for the New City Dream Up 2015. Katharine is on the Tap Dance Faculty at Peridance Capezio Center and was featured in DANCE TEACHER MAGAZINE November 2015. I COULD NEVER LOVE ANYONE..., conceived and choreographed by Katharine, is a new dance theater piece exploring the struggles of addiction. The next incarnation of this new work will be presented as part of Green Space's Take Root Initiative, February 2016. Follow her on Instagram: @icouldneverloveanyone. katharinepettit.com. | Song Premiere: "Goodbye, Charlie" from Joel B. New's upcoming CABOT COVE EP. To watch the video of this performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry5tZGkLBM8

JBN had the chance to chat with two very cool dudes recently. Why not combine them into one super special episode? Michael Gilboe is the creator, producer, and host of Broadway Bullet, your theatre podcast ticket to Broadway, Off-Broadway, and beyond! (http://www.broadwaybullet.com) James Ludwig is a Broadway vet (SPAMALOT) and creator, producer, and host of The Happy Hour Guys. (http://www.thehappyhourguys.com). JBN plugs Becca Ayers' newest collaborative album SPAZCANDY (soooo good). And we end the episode with James Ludwig's performance of "Cabot Cove," the title song from Joel's upcoming EP. (www.joelbnew.com) Thanks for dropping by for Something New!

Season 4 Premiere! Michael Arden is a performer and director. He recently directed Deaf West’s production of SPRING AWAKENING at both the Wallis and Inner-City Arts in Los Angeles, which has subsequently become that musical’s first Broadway revival, now playing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre thru January 24th. Other directing credits include L.A. RONDE and FOR THE RECORD: JOHN HUGHES. As an actor, he has appeared in Deaf West’s BIG RIVER and PIPPIN, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’, BARE, and ASPECTS OF LOVE. His film and TV credits include SOURCE CODE, BRIDE WARS, THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN and ANGER MANAGEMENT on FX. He is a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and is artistic director of the LA-based, site-specific theatre company, The Forest of Arden.Song Premiere - "The Corpse Danced at Midnight" from JBN's upcoming Cabot Cove EP. Performed by Gabe Violett (Spring Awakening). To watch this performance on YouTube, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoSBvV-H

Season Three of Joel B. New's "Something New" podcast concludes in concert form as part of New York Theatre Barn's New Works Series on July 20th, 2015. New's set list is highlights from MACKENZIE AND THE MISSING BOY, an original musical that has been developed on "Something New" throughout Season Three. The songs feature performances by artists who have previously appeared on the podcast, including Nikka Graff Lanzarone (Ep 208),Tiffan Borelli (Ep 215), Joshua Hinck (Ep 313), Caroline Selia (Ep 307), and Chris York (Ep 114), as well as Kendal Hartse (Cinderella), Gregory Haney (Bring It On), Will Mann (Memphis), James Burgin, and Ethan Riordan. Musical direction by Gillian Berkowitz. With Greg Germann on drums, Lloyd Kikoler on upright bass, and Berkowitz on piano. Directed by Laura Brandel."Set in the post-Jazz Age of 1930's New York, MACKENZIE AND THE MISSING BOY is a noir musical melodrama about an impoverished flapper with a knack for spinning elaborate lies. M

JBN talks to you about his upcoming NY Theatre Barn concert while he walks his dog, he has a loopy catchup session with his star Nikka Graff Lanzarone, he chats with "Mackenzie" director Laura Brandel and music director Gillian Berkowitz as they walk through Times Square, he treats his cast to a Buzzfeed Quiz on the subway, and he stands in for a singer at the sitzprobe. Enjoy and come to the concert tonight! Monday, July 20th @ 7:30PM @ the D Lounge, produced by New York Theatre Barn. Visit nytheatrebarn.org for tix and more info.

Shakina Nayfack is the Founding Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory and the first transwoman to be honored with a Lilly Award recognizing the remarkable contributions to the American Theatre made by women. Her autobiographical ONE WOMAN SHOW has played Joe’s Pub, 54 Below, Sophie’s, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Barrington Stage Company, and was the flagship project of her groundbreaking KickStartHer campaign to crowdsource funds for her gender confirmation. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Community Studies, a Minor and a Graduate Certificate in Theatre Arts from the University of California Santa Cruz, as well as an MFA in Experimental Choreography and a PhD in Critical Dance Studies from UC Riverside. Shakina is a proud alumna of the Drama League Directors Project and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers union. Her writings on theatre and dance have been published in The Drama Review and the anthology Dancing Across Borders. Her first book Butoh Ritual Mexicano - Alchemy is Dancing is

JBN plays eight selections from his album musical TO HELL AND BACK that were performed over the past three seasons of the "Something New" podcast. Featuring the vocal stylings of Joel B. New, Jennifer Sanchez, Nathan Siler, Ben Cameron, Stephanie Joiner, Drew Gasparini, Matthew-Lee Erlbach, Matt Wilson, and many more. TO HELL AND BACK is being performed in concert for one night only on Tuesday, July 7th at 6PM at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in New York as an official selection of the 2015 New York Musical Theatre Festival. To purchase tickets, go to nymf.org/tohellandback.

JEN BENDER is a director and producer working in theater and live events. She is the Director of Programming and Artists Services for New York Musical Theatre Festival, and Associate Director of the recent Broadway musical Honeymoon in Vegas by Jason Robert Brown and Andrew Bergman. Other Broadway credits include The Lion King (Resident Director), The Wedding Singer, Steel Magnolias, and Avenue Q (Assistant Director). She spent the past three years touring North America, Asia, and Australia as the Assistant Artistic Director of Cirque du Soleil’s Ovo. From its creation in 2008, she was the Artistic Director of Broadway in South Africa, a non-profit organization that aims to develop a cross-cultural exchange between youth in need and artists who seek to use their change for good. She is also a co-founder of New Voices Collective, a concert series of art songs by contemporary American composers. A passionate supporter of new works, she directed the premieres of Like You Like it and Trails at NYMF, as well as n

CHARLIE JOHNSON is an artist living in New York. He is currently directing HeadVoice for NYMF. As an actor, Mr. Johnson has been seen in venues across the nation like Paper Mill Playhouse and the 5th Avenue Theatre. As a cabaret artist, he recently debuted his club act, CHARLIE! Anything but Basic, at the Metropolitan Room to rave reviews. He is reprising his performance this September at 54Below. Upcoming projects include participation in the 5th Avenue’s NextFest and assistant directing Into the Woods for North Carolina Theatre. BFA: Elon University. @chipper_charles / www.charliejohnsononeline.com. Song Presentation: "Henry's Other Golden Rule" from Joel B. New's MACKENZIE & THE MISSING BOY. Accompanied by Mike Pettry on piano. Recorded live on 6/18/15 @ Michiko Rehearsal Studios in NYC.

JBN selects highlights from three songwriting women interviewed earlier this season: Grace McLean, Janet Krupin, and Kate Steinberg. Song Presentation: "How To Sleep Alone", music by Joel B. New, lyrics by Heidi Heilig, performed by Visha Vaidya.

Kate Steinberg is a New York City-based performer, composer, songwriter, and session vocalist. In New York, she has been seen in Ludo's Broken Bride (at Ars Nova and The Cutting Room), concerts at Joe's Pub, The Laurie Beechman, The Bitter End, Piano's, 54 Below, Subculture, and Rockwood Music Hall. Her arrangements, vocals, and compositions have been featured in artist recordings, jingles, film, television shows, video games, and advertisements for clients such as Hefty, Oreo, Marvel, Coors Light, Brother, UPS, McDonald's, and KFC. She has also written music and lyrics for a family-friendly musical selected for NYMF and The NYCT Festival. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Songwriting from Berklee College of Music and is currently recording her debut EP. Song Presentation: "Apples" from Joel B. New's MACKENZIE AND THE MISSING BOY. Accompanied by Gillian Berkowitz. Recorded live at Ripley-Grier Studios.

Joshua Hinck (joshuahinck.com) is a human who was born in the land o' lakes. As an actor, he has worked with Nylon Fusion, the history theatre, Nautilus Music-Theatre, MN Opera, Ordway Center, toured North America with Barney the dinosaur, and spent over a year singing at the mouse kingdom in Tokyo. He's currently working on Mess, his third cabaret in the city, which will be performed on May 16th at 54 Below. He is the creator and producer of New Work Wednesdays, an interview web series that celebrates and showcases individuals who write new musical theatre (newworkwednesdays.com).

On Friday, April 24th, 2015, musical theatre writer Joel B. New made his New York solo concert debut on the Duplex Cabaret Theatre stage. Directed by Bistro Award winner Justin Daniel, "Joel B. New In Concert" features New behind the piano, playing and singing a variety of selections from his musical projects. Guest performers included Charlie Levy, Jenny Neale, Dan Radzikowski, and Christine Schneider. The concert also marks the 50th episode of "Something New".

In anticipation of his own upcoming solo concert debut, award-winning musical theatre writer Joel B. New sat down with three respected artists in the cabaret world to ask them about the impetus for getting into cabaret, what they’ve learned, and what inspires them. Nikki MacCallum is an actress, writer, and cabaret artist living in New York City. She’s originally from the Boston area and holds a BM from NYU. As a cabaret artist she’s performed at venues throughout NYC including 54 Below, The Metropolitan Room and Lincoln Center. Last fall, Nikki was a featured artist at Birdland along side Donna McKechnie and Jerry Mitchell. She recently attended the Eugene O’Neill Cabaret Conference directed by John McDaniel where she started developing “Familiar Things,” her most recent cabaret, which earned her second MAC nomination.Melanie Kann earned her BFA in Drama at NYU'S Tisch School of the Arts where she concentrated in Musical Theatre at CAP 21 Conservatory, and also double majored in Broadcast Journalism.

CLAIRE KARPEN is an actor, writer, and director. Her performing credits include David Ives's The Heir Apparent, directed by John Rando @ CSC; Into the Woods at the Old Globe, McCarter, and Fiasco; The 60's Project @ Goodspeed; The Last Five Years @ Stamford Center for the Arts; Richard III, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, and Comedy of Errors @ Trinity Rep. She co-wrote Hardcore West Virginia, with my friend of many years Mike Pettry, which was part of a 2012 ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop. As a director, she has had a hand in The Woodsman @ 59E59; Henry IV Part I, Trelawny of the Wells, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune and A Little Night Music, all @ Juilliard; and Voices in My Head @ Ars Nova. She received her training at Juilliard and Brown University. She can currently be seen as Cinderella and Granny in Fiasco Theater’s critically-acclaimed revival of INTO THE WOODS, now playing at The Laura Pels Theatre in New York, as part of Roundabout Theatre Company’s current season.JAMES ORTIZ

Shayla Benoit is an actor, singer, dancer, director, choreographer, producer, and Star Wars enthusiast who currently resides in NYC (shaylabenoit.com). She has appeared in regional theatres across the country, at Radio City Music Hall, in concerts at 54 Below, and can be seen and heard on television, radio, and film. Shayla holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Florida State University. She is also the co-founder of Shady Theatrics, a creative video production company that has produced works for The Tony Awards for the past three years including collaborations with Chita Rivera, Carol Channing, Peter Scolari, and Tom Hanks (shadytheatrics.com). Song Presentation: "Twisted Beginning" from Joel B. New's MACKENZIE & THE MISSING BOY (joelbnew.com). Accompanied by Daniel Kim on guitar. Recorded live on Sunday, February 15th, 2015 at TruVoice Studios NYC (truvoicestudiosnyc.com).

Janet Krupin is a vocalist and writer for the EDM duo Trillium, whose Aurora EP is now available on iTunes. She’s been on Broadway in Bring It On (Kylar), If/Then (Swing), and Hands on A Hardbody (Dance Capt). Janet has also been awarded LA's Next Great Stage Star and StagesceneLA's Breakout Star. In film, she appeared in "HITS" directed by David Cross. Ms. Krupin holds a BA from USC Cinematic Arts, double minor in musical theatre and philosophy. She’s the host and writer for the popular YouTube series "The Click Clique” and a five-time gold medalist at the Northwest Music Festival. Born and raised in Washington State, Janet likes nachos and doing impossible things (janetkrupin.com, trilliumtribe.com). Song Presentation: "Riding For A Fall" from Joel B. New's TO HELL AND BACK (joelbnew.com). Accompanied by Daniel Kim on guitar, Jessica Winderweedle on cajon, and New on piano. Recorded live on Monday, February 16th, 2015 at TruVoice Studios NYC (truvoicestudiosnyc.com).

Tom Morin is originally from Portsmouth, New Hampshire and holds a B.A. in Theatre and Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross and a M.F.A. in Acting from Ohio University. Off Broadway/NYC credits: The Rivals (Pearl Theatre Company), A Christmas Carol (Titan Theatre Company), That Lady from Maxim's (2013 NY Innovative Award for Outstanding Musical). Regional credits: the title role in The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Liar (Centenary Stage); Twelfth Night, Macbeth (Great River Shakespeare); The Winter’s Tale, Marriage of Figaro (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey); Guys and Dolls, Scapino (Monomoy). Caroline Selia is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she also completed her B.F.A. from Carnegie Mellon University. She completed her M.M. degree at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her most recent musical theatre credits include "Claire" in Class: a New Musical directed by Tony nominee Jerry Dixon. She has sung extensively throughout Europe, winning awards in Austria &am

Ryan Bauer-Walsh has appeared in the International Tour of ZORRO the musical, the 10-time Tony Award-winning Broadway hit, BILLY ELLIOT (both Chicago and the First National Tour), as well as playing the lead in HOMO The Musical at The Wild Project. Other credits include MISS SAIGON, LES MISERABLES, BYE BYE BIRDIE, SIDE SHOW, PIRATES OF PENZANCE, GIRL CRAZY, MEASURE FOR MEASURE, SEVEN BRIDES..., and many more. In addition to performing, Ryan is an author, artist, and community activist. His illustrative work and paintings have been used as set projections at The New York City Opera, the Coterie Opera, and are in private collections. He is also a voice-over artist and an associate casting director with Alison Franck Casting. Song Presentation: "The Long Voyage," poem by Malcolm Cowley, music by Joel B. New. Accompanied by Gillian Berkowitz. Recorded live at TruVoice Studios NYC on Saturday, January 31st, 2015.

JBN sits down with actor/producer Bill Coyne (billcoyneonlinecom). Off-Broadway: THE BRIGHTNESS OF HEAVEN at The Cherry Lane, GREED: A Musical For Our Times at New World Stages, LI'L ABNER, FADE OUT/FADE IN. Bassanio in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE with The Shakespeare Forum. Other NYC: Soho Playhouse, NYMF, Ars Nova. Bill created the role of Supernova in Superhero Celebrity Rehab, 2012 Best of DC Capital Fringe. Recent workshops include: BE MORE CHILL and ANNIE GOLDEN, BOUNTY HUNTER YO! by Joe Iconis for Two River Theatre and Cap21, I SPY A SPY by SooHee Youn and Jamie Jackson at The Playroom. Bill is an actor-vist and producer of MuseMatch, a not-for-profit concert series that has created 45 collaborations and raised thousands of dollars for charity. Song Presentation: "Strong, Silent Type" from THE SONGS OF JOEL B. NEW, VOLUME I (now available on Noisetrade). Recorded live on January 17th, 2015 at TruVoice Studios NYC.