Episodes

  • #65 - Rodney Hicks - With Love and Gratitude

    #65 - Rodney Hicks - With Love and Gratitude
    Feb 19 2025
    Original Rent cast member Rodney Hicks joins Behind the Awards to recount the creation of the cult phenomenon Rent and his friendship with Jonathon Larson. Fun Fact the OBC still has an active group text. Rodney discusses for the first time ever 1968: An American Love Story, a project that he has been writing for the past 5 years. Rodney shares how Susan Stroman made him a dancer, his battle with Spasmodic Dysphonia and upcoming feature film. Also in this episode - Julianne Moore 2015 Best Actress win for Still Alice. Review of Idina Menzel’s return to Broadway in Redwood. Rodney Hicks is a meditator, playwright, and TV/Film/Stage actor. Plays: 1968 an American Love Story (musical); inhale-EXHALE; Just Press Save; FLAME BROILED. or the ugly play(2019 Local Theatre Company premiere/Boulder, CO); Ms. Pearl’s. Broadway actor credits: Come From Away, The Scottsboro Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar, RENT. Film: Mighty Oak (Apple TV, Amazon), Rent: Live on Broadway, The Sleepover (Disney+) TV: Leverage, Grimm, Hope & Faith, Student Affairs (Pilot), Law & Order: CI; NYPD Blue, FOREVER (Netflix series, May 2025) Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y. Connect with Eila and Bruce: Instagram @behind_the_awards Eila @eilamell Bruce @cominghomewithbruce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 18 mins
  • #64 - Live from BroadwayCon 2025 - Real Women Have Curves The Musical Early Access

    #64 - Live from BroadwayCon 2025 - Real Women Have Curves The Musical Early Access
    Feb 17 2025
    Behind the Awards was thrilled to participate in BroadwayCon 10 and have Producer Jack Noseworthy & Composer and Lyricist Benjamin Valez on their live panel to discuss the new musical Real Women Have Curves. Jack Noseworthy is the co-founder of Truworthy Productions along with Tony and Olivier Award-winning Director/Choreographer Sergio Trujillo. His producing career has been bolstered by 33 years as a stage and screen actor. Jack was honored to make his Broadway debut in Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, which was followed by Cats, A Chorus Line, Sweet Smell of Success, and the original Toronto company of the international hit, Come From Away. Benjamin Velez is a composer/lyricist born and raised in Miami, FL. A winner of the Fred Ebb Award, Jonathan Larson Grant, Stephen Schwartz Award, and the Kleban Award, his original musicals include BORDERLINE, which opened the 2019 O'Neill MT Conference. Other credits include KISS MY AZTEC, written with John Leguizamo (Berkeley Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Hartford Stage), a Public Works musical of THE TEMPEST (The Delacorte Theater), and REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (ART, and in April, Broadway!). Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y. Connect with Eila and Bruce: Instagram @behind_the_awards Eila @eilamell Bruce @cominghomewithbruce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    56 mins
  • #63 - Jen Ponton & Deborah Unger - Maiden, Mother, Crone

    #63 - Jen Ponton & Deborah Unger - Maiden, Mother, Crone
    Feb 14 2025
    Theater has the power to challenge, connect, and inspire—and that’s exactly what Maiden Mother Crone: A Duet of Solo Plays delivers. This groundbreaking production, featuring Sugarcoated by Jen Ponton and The Longer My Mother is Dead, the More I Like Her by Deborah Unger, invites audiences to explore universal themes of identity, resilience, and transformation through two uniquely personal perspectives. In Sugarcoated, acclaimed actor and writer Jen Ponton (AMC’s Dietland) delivers a searing, humorous exploration of the polished facade society expects from women. This performance strips away the "sugar" to reveal the raw truths of trauma, survival, and unapologetic self-discovery. In The Longer My Mother is Dead, the More I Like Her, Deborah Unger crafts a witty and poignant narrative of her lifelong, and even posthumous, relationship with her mother. The result is an honest and bittersweet meditation on love, understanding, and reconciliation. Also in this episode - Kathy Bates Emmy win for Supporting Actress in American Horror Story: Coven. Jen Ponton (she/her) Last seen off-Broadway in Halley Feiffer’s How To Make Friends and then Kill Them (Rattlestick, 2013), Jen has spent the past decade building a vibrant career in film and television. Highlights include Dietland, 30 Rock, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Orange is the New Black, Law & Order: SVU, and Blue Bloods, among many others. Jen also starred in Ash Christian’s Love on the Run, alongside Frances Fisher, Annaleigh Ashford, and Steve Howey. She has since appeared in Rebecca Miller’s She Came to Me and Todd Solondz’s Wiener-Dog, opposite Greta Gerwig and Kieran Culkin. Deborah Unger’s (she/her) artistic journey has been as dynamic as it is enduring. She began her career with dreams of musical comedy stardom, crafting and performing cabaret shows in the vibrant Village scene. From there, she transitioned to film and television, debuting in Ragtime and continuing with roles in 911: Lone Star, FBI: Most Wanted, and her personal favorite, Olga, the Penguin’s Russian maid in Gotham. Her film credits include acclaimed projects such as Motherless Brooklyn, Eighth Grade, and the Oscar-winning Birdman. Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y. Connect with Eila and Bruce: Instagram @behind_the_awards Eila @eilamell Bruce @cominghomewithbruce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    47 mins
  • #62 - Francisco Costa - The Beauty of Sunset Blvd

    #62 - Francisco Costa - The Beauty of Sunset Blvd
    Feb 12 2025
    CFDA Award Winning Designer Francisco Costa joins Behind the Awards to review Sunset Blvd. Francisco also shares the launch of his new beauty line Coast Brazil. Also in this episode Meryl Streeps 2004 Emmy Win for Angels in America, a busy Behind the Awards weekend of BroadwayCon 10 Panel discussing Real Women Have Curves and Nancy McKeon in the Off Broadway Play Pen Pals. Francisco Costa, the 13-year-long former creative director of womenswear for Calvin Klein. After his departure from the brand in 2016, Costa, an avid environmentalist, returned to his home country of Brazil where he discovered local healing rituals and an untapped wealth of curative native ingredients in the Amazon rainforest. Francisco assumed the role of Women’s Creative Director of Calvin Klein Collection after working directly with Calvin Klein and with other top design houses such as Gucci, Balmain Couture, and Oscar de la Renta. Mr. Costa’s first collection for the house debuted for Spring 2004. Mr. Costa’s work is critically acclaimed, and he has received numerous awards. In 2006 and again in 2008, the Council of Fashion Designers of America named him the Womenswear Designer of the Year. Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y. Connect with Eila and Bruce: Instagram @behind_the_awards Eila @eilamell Bruce @cominghomewithbruce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    53 mins
  • #61 - Alison Arngrim - Confessions of a Prairie Bitch

    #61 - Alison Arngrim - Confessions of a Prairie Bitch
    Feb 7 2025
    Alison Arngrim joins Behind the Awards to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Little House on the Prairie. Alison shares how she was cast as Nellie Oleson. What it was like to work with Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert. Did you know Alison played Eve Plumbs daughter on Fantasy Island? Alison also talks about guest starring on The Love Boat, what it’s like being a child start and her one woman show - Confessions of a Prairie Bitch. Also on this show - Joan Rivers 1990 Emmy Win for Best Talk Show Host. Review of Off Broadway Play Still starring Melissa Gilbert & Mark Moses. Alison Arngrim began as a prominent child TV actress who was best known for her role as "bad girl" Nellie Oleson on "Little House on the Prairie" (NBC, 1974-1983). Born into a show business family (her father was a talent manager, while her mother worked as a prominent voice over actress), Arngrim began acting at a very young age. She landed her most lasting role on the hit family drama, "Little House on the Prairie." Arngrim played the part of bratty Nellie Oleson for eight years on the show, and became a household name during the show's 1970s heyday. In addition to guest spots on shows like "Fantasy Island" and "The Love Boat", she also starred in the made-for-TV movie "I Married Wyatt Earp,” "The Last Place on Earth", "Le deal" and "Make the Yuletide Gay" (2009). Arngrim focuses her attention on her various charitable activities, most notably raising awareness of AIDS prevention. In 2011, she published a memoir about her life and her most famous role, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned To Love Being Hated. Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y. Connect with Eila and Bruce: Instagram @behind_the_awards Eila @eilamell Bruce @cominghomewithbruce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 1 min
  • #60 - J. Harrison Ghee - Brings Black Queer Joy to the World

    #60 - J. Harrison Ghee - Brings Black Queer Joy to the World
    Feb 5 2025
    Tony Winner J. Harrison Ghee joined Behind the Awards to reminisce on their Some Like it Hot Tony nomination and win and how the subject of identity has evolved since then. J also takes us on a journey to create Lady Chablis for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Plus going from Swing to Dance Captain to Lola in Kinky Boots. Also in this episode - A review of Wonderful World. J. Harrison Ghee -Tony and Grammy Award winner, made history as the first non-binary actor to win in a leading individual performance category for creating the role as “Daphne/Jerry” in Some Like it Hot, which also garnered them Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards. Also on Broadway, Ghee starred as “Lola” Kinky Boots, created the role of “Andre Mayhem” in Mrs. Doubtfire, and co-starred opposite Harry Connick, Jr. as “Johnny Hooker” in The Sting. On television, Ghee was selected to play the title role in “Robyn’s Story” on the hit FOX anthology series Accused (dir. Billy Porter), starred as “Kwame” in Netflix’s Raising Dion, and guest starred on HBO’s High Maintenance. A Fayetteville, North Carolina native, Ghee moved to New York City to study at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, and began their professional career working at Tokyo Disney, on cruise ships and national tours. They live by the mantra, “You have to free yourself to see yourself,” with the hope of inspiring people to dream big and to chase those dreams. An outspoken advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, Ghee has been involved with many organizations, including Broadway Cares, GLAAD, and God’s Love We Deliver, among others. They hope to create roles and conversations that reach beyond what was and into a realm of infinite possibilities. Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y. Connect with Eila and Bruce: Instagram @behind_the_awards Eila @eilamell Bruce @cominghomewithbruce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    48 mins
  • #59 - McKinley Belcher III - Is Not Homesick on Stage

    #59 - McKinley Belcher III - Is Not Homesick on Stage
    Jan 29 2025
    McKinley Belcher III pays Behind the Awards a visit before taking his final bow in A Guide for the Homesick. He also discuses his Netflix series Eric co-starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Death of a Salesman and how he detoured into a career of acting. Also in this episode - Jean Smart’s 2025 Golden Globe win for Hacks. A review of Pulitzer Prize winning Play English by Sanaz Toossi at The Roundabout Theater. Broadway: Happy Loman in Death of a Salesman and Private Louis Henson in A Soldier’s Play at Roundabout Theatre Company. Off-Broadway: The Light (MCC), for which he was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award, The Royale (Lincoln Center- Drama Desk Award), and Romeo & Juliet (Classic Stage Company). Film: Alan Brown’s next indie Other People’s Bodies, Eraser:Reborn (Max), Marriage Story (Netflix), The Art of Racing in the Rain (Fox 2000), Trial By Fire, Mapplethorpe, and auteur John Sayles’s indie Go For Sisters. TV: Netflix’s upcoming limited series Zero Day, opposite Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons, Netflix’s recent limited series Eric opposite Benedict Cumberbatch, Ozark, and it’s manga-anime adaptation One Piece, David Simon’s Show Me a Hero and We Own This City (HBO), The Good Lord Bird (Showtime), The Passage (Fox), Mercy Street (PBS), Found (NBC), Power (Starz), among others. McKinley is a proud graduate of Belmont University (BA) and USC School of Dramatic Arts (MFA). Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y. Connect with Eila and Bruce: Instagram @behind_the_awards Eila @eilamell Bruce @cominghomewithbruce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    1 hr
  • #58 - 2025 Tony Awards - Is it ever too early to talk about the Tony’s???

    #58 - 2025 Tony Awards - Is it ever too early to talk about the Tony’s???
    Jan 24 2025
    Behind the Awards looks at what could be nominated for the 2025 Tony Awards. Big in the conversation are Gypsy, Sunset Blvd, Death Becomes Her, Oh Mary!, Our Town, Good Night and Good Luck, Glengarry Glen Ross, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y. Connect with Eila and Bruce: Instagram @behind_the_awards Eila @eilamell Bruce @cominghomewithbruce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    58 mins