EPISODE 125 - Stronger Than Hate - A Benefit for Tree of Life Synagogue


On December 6th, 2018 The Green Room 42 presented "Stronger Than Hate: A Benefit for Tree of Life Synagogue." The concert raised funds for the Pittsburgh congregation and the victims' families who were attacked in a shooting on October 27th, 2018. The mass shooting claimed eleven lives and left six others injured.

Cast members of Off-Broadway's "Fiddler on the Roof," produced by National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, performed "Matchmaker" and "Sabbath Prayer." The evening also featured a discussion with award-winning Director/Choreographer Gary John La Rosa and Jason Sirois, Director of Education Programs at the Anti-Defamation League. Julie Gold, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter closed the evening with "From A Distance." Hosted by Ilana Levine, creator of the podcast "Little Known Facts," the benefit also featured Jodi Bluestein, Jillian Gottlieb, Nathan Klau, Danny Harris Kornfeld, Rebecca Kuznick, Stephanie Lynne Mason, Jesse Manocherian, Rosie Jo Neddy, Bill Nolte, Collin O'Connor, Samantha Joy Pearlman, the group Scruffy Pearls, Hannah Richter, Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld, Gavriel Savit, Eileen Tepper, Marc Winski, Rachel Zatcoff, and Tree of Life congregant Samantha G. Harris.


EPISODE 147- STEPHANIE J. BLOCK

Stephanie has established herself as one of the most relevant and versatile voices in contemporary musical theatre. She most recently won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical portraying Star in THE CHER SHOW and won THE TONY Award for her current role of Star. Ms. Block also received the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk & TONY nomination(s) for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2017 for her star turn as Trina in Lincoln Center Theatre’s highly acclaimed revival of FALSETTOS. In 2013 she was recognized with both the Drama Desk and TONY Award nomination(s) for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Alice Nutting/ Edwin DROOD in The Roundabout Theater’s production of THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD. That marks 3 TONY Award nominations in the last 6 years, a feat very few Broadway actors have attained. Other Broadway credits include Reno Sweeney in the 2011 TONY Award winning revival of ANYTHING GOES, 9 TO 5:THE MUSICAL playing the role of Judy Bernly for which she earned a Drama Desk nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She created the roles of Grace O'Malley in THE PIRATE QUEEN and Liza Minnelli In THE BOY FROM OZ (opposite Hugh Jackman). Ms. Block is best known for her portrayal as Elphaba in the Broadway company of WICKED as well as originating the role in the First National Tour for which she won numerous awards including the prestigious Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.

Ms. Block has sung with numerous symphony orchestras including the NY Pops at Carnegie Hall, Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra (under the baton of Marvin Hamlisch), Dallas Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Charlotte Symphony and the Cleveland Pops among many others. Her solo concert has been critically acclaimed and continues to sell out throughout the US and in London.

Some of her Off-Broadway and regional theatrical credits include LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical), BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK(Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play), THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG(starring opposite Jason Alexander), CATS (St Louis' Kevin Kline Award Nominee- Best Actress),FUNNY GIRL, CRAZY FOR YOU (L.A. Ovation Award Nominee), OLIVER (Critics Award-Best Actress), James Joyce's THE DEAD, TRIUMPH OF LOVE, THE GRASS HARP, SOUTH PACIFIC, WILL ROGERS FOLLIES and the World Premiere of WICKED.

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Stephanie's solo album, THIS PLACE I KNOW has been received with great praise, lauded by critics as "One of the best debut recordings to come out of the Broadway community in quite some time... 6 out of 5 stars". An array of award-winning songwriters assembled to help interpret their music on Stephanie's album. Composers such as Stephen Schwartz, Marvin Hamlisch and the legendary Dolly Parton join forces with Ms. Block to create a thrilling musical experience. Stephanie's voice can be heard on multiple cast recordings, including THE BOY FROM OZ, THE PIRATE QUEEN, WICKED's 5th Anniversary Album and 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL (GrammyNomination). 

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Television credits include: RISE (upcoming: NBC), MADAME SECRETARY (CBS), ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix), HOMELAND (Showtime), IT COULD BE WORSE (HULU). 

photo credit- ChristopherBoudewyns

EPISODE 145- TRACY SPIRIDAKOS

Tracy Spiridakos was born in  Canada and spent a portion of her childhood in her native Greece.  Her family returned to Winnipeg but Tracy knew she wouldn't stay there long, eventually leaving solid employment at her parents Greek restaurant to move  to Vancouver and pursue her dreams of acting. 

She found success early on television series such as Supernatural and Being Human, but her breakout role was playing the lead role of Charlie Matheson on JJ Abrams' Revolution on NBC.    Since then she has shown her comedic side in Showtime's Episodes with Matt LeBlanc, as a femme fatale on A&E’s Bates Motel and has the mysterious ex-girlfriend of Lucas Till’s “MacGyver.”

 Tracy currently stars as “Det. Hailey Upton” on the NBC hit show “Chicago PD”.   She lives in Chicago with her beloved Rottweiler, Nala.

 

EPISODE 144 -SHOSHANA BEAN

Shoshana Bean's latest album Spectrum landed her at #1 on the Billboard Jazz Charts. She  made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Hairspray and starred as the first replacement for Elphaba in Wicked.  Most recently she stepped into the role of Jenna in the Broadway musical Waitress, she also played Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and Cee-Cee Bloom in the new musical adaptation of Beaches, for which she earned a Jeff Award Nomination for best lead actress in a musical.

 


EPISODE 140 - MANDY GONZALEZ

Mandy Gonzalez possesses one of the most powerful and versatile contemporary voices of our time. She is currently starring in the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton”. She is best known for her emotional portrayal of Nina Rosario in the Tony Award winning, Lin-Manuel Miranda Broadway musical “In the Heights”, a role she originally created Off Broadway at 37 Arts and which received a Drama Desk Award for Best Ensemble. She starred as Elphaba in the Broadway production of “Wicked”, blowing the roof off of New York’s Gershwin Theatre each night as she belted out signature song “Defying Gravity” and for which she was rewarded with a Broadway.com Award for Best Replacement. Other Broadway roles include Princess Amneris in the Elton John and Tim Rice musical “Aida” and the Broadway show “Lennon” where she portrayed multiple roles including that of Beatles’ icon John Lennon. Mandy made her Broadway debut in Jim Steinman’s “Dance of the Vampires” starring opposite Michael Crawford.

Mandy received an OBIE Award and overwhelming critical praise for her performance in the Off-Broadway production of “Eli’s Comin’”, directed by Diane Paulus and based on the music and lyrics of renowned singer-songwriter Laura Nyro.

Equally at home on the big and small screen, she has appeared in “Across the Universe” directed by Julie Taymor, “After” starring opposite Pablo Schreiber and “Man on a Ledge” with Sam Worthington. Most recently, Mandy had a recurring role on the ABC drama thriller “Quantico”. On Sunday evenings, television viewers can find her working at The White House on the CBS breakout hit “Madam Secretary”.

Mandy can be heard as the voice of Mei in Disney’s “Mulan 2” and on recordings of the original Broadway cast album of “In the Heights”, “Kerrigan-Lowdermilk Live” and “The Man Who Would Be King”.

Mandy performs concerts in prestigious venues across the U.S. and around the world.

EPISODE 139- MARC KUDISCH

Marc Kudisch – Three-time Tony Award Nominee, Drama Desk Award winner and two-time Outer Critics Circle Award Nominee. 

Film and Television: LATE NIGHT (Billy Kastner), THE TICK (Commander Ty Rathbone, Amazon), BILLIONS (Dr Gus, Showtime), MINDHUNTER (Roger Wade, Netflix), LIMITLESS, HOUSE OF CARDS (Senator Henry Mitchell, Netflix), UNFORGETTABLE, PERSON OF INTEREST, 27 EAST (Pilot); GOSSIP GIRL , BLUE BLOODS, SMASH, SEX AND THE CITY, BYE BYE BIRDIE (Conrad) for ABC TV, BREAK IN (Val) for Lifetime, ALL MY CHILDREN (ABC).

Broadway: FINDING NEVERLAND (Charles Froman/Hook), HAND TO GOD (Pastor Greg), 9 TO 5 (Franklin Hart), CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (Baron Bomburst), THE APPLE TREE (Roundabout Theatre), ASSASSINS (The Proprietor, Roundabout Theatre), THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (Trevor Graydon), BELLS ARE RINGING (Jeff Moss), LaChiusa’s THE WILD PARTY (Jackie – Public Theater), THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (Chauvelin), HIGH SOCIETY (George Kittredge), DISNEY’S BEAUTY & THE BEAST (Gaston) and JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (Reuben). 

Recent Off-Broadway: GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY at the Public Theatre, HEY LOOK ME OVER. At Encores/City Center, FUCKING A and THE WAYSIDE MOTOR INN at the Signature Theatre, HAND TO GOD at MCC, THE HOLIDAY GUYS (co-creator) at The York Theatre, THE BLUE FLOWER at Second Stage, A MINISTER’S WIFE and THE GLORIOUS ONES at Lincoln Center. Recent Regional credits include UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN at MUNY, HAMLET at Yale Rep; TARTUFFE at Westport Playhouse; Terrence McNally's GOLDEN AGE at the Kennedy Center (Helen Hayes award nom.); Ricky Ian Gordon's SYCAMORE TREES (Helen Hayes award), Michael John Lachusia's THE HIGHEST YELLOW (Helen Hayes nom.) and THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (Helen Hayes award) all for the Signature Theatre DC. Opera: A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and PIRATES OF PENZANCE for NYC Opera, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, ANATOMY THEATRE and WONDERFUL TOWN at LA Opera, Henry Kissinger in THE NEW PRINCE for The Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam. 

Married to choreographer Shannon Lewis and lives in New York City

EPISODE 138- ISABELLE HUPPERT & TRIP CULLMAN

ISABELLE HUPPERT  is a multi-award winning screen and stage actress. Throughout her career Isabelle Huppert has worked with many French and international directors including Jean-Luc Godard, Michael Haneke, Maurice Pialat, Patrice Chéreau, Olivier Assayas, Claire Denis, the Taviani brothers, David O’Russell, Marco Ferreri, Michael Cimino, Harl Hartley, Neil Jordan, Hong Sang Soo and more. Awards won include: a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Feature Films for her work in The Lacemaker, two Venice Film Festival Best Actress Awards for Claude Chabrol’s Story of Women and The Ceremony, Venice Film Festival’s Special Jury Lion d’Or for her performance in Patrice Chéreau’s Gabrielle and for her entire body of work; two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards for Claude Chabrol’s Violette and for Michael Haneke’s The Piano Teacher; in France she received the César (Best Actress Award) for Claude Chabrol’s The Ceremony and Paul Verhoeven’s Elle – a film for which she also received a Gotham Award, a Golden Globe and a Spirit Award in addition to being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She received a Molière Award for her career (honoring achievements in French theater; equivalent to the Tony Awards); and the prestigious “XVI Prix Europe pour le Théâtre” in Rome. Isabelle Huppert has also pursued her theatrical career in France and internationally, including BAM (4:48 Psychosis, Quartet, and Phaedra). She has acted under the direction of Bob Wilson (Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, Heiner Müller’s Quartet), Peter Zadek (Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure), Claude Régy (Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis), and Howard Davies (Friedrich von Schiller’s Mary Stuart). Noteworthy productions include: Euripide’s Medea (directed by Jacques Lassalle), Hedda Gabler; A Streetcar (director Krzysztof Warlikowski’s spin on Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, at the Odéon Theater and on tour throughout Europe and internationally); The Maids (directed by Benedict Andrews with Cate Blanchett at the Sydney Theatre Company and at New York’s City Center in conjunction with the Lincoln Center Festival); Phaedra directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski; Les Fausses Confidences (by Marivaux, directed by Luc Bondy at the Odéon Theater and on tour throughout Europe); Mary Stuart (Howard Davies) at the National Theater in London. Most recent files are: Eva, directed by Benoit Jacquot; Claire’s Camera by Hong Sang Soo; and Mrs. Hyde, directed by Serge Bozon (Best Actress Award at Locarno Film Festival). Upcoming: Snow Whitedirected by Anne Fontaine, Greta directed by Neil Jordan, and Frankie directed by Ira Sachs. Isabelle Huppert is an Officer of the National Order of Merit of the Legion of Honor, and an Officer of the National Order of Merit and Commander in the Order of Arts and Letters. She was the President of the Jury for the 62nd Cannes Film Festival.

 

TRIP CULLMAN - Broadway: Choir Boy, Lobby Hero, Six Degrees of Separation, Significant Other. Select off Broadway: I'm Gonna Pray For You So Hard (Atlantic); Days of Rage, The Layover, Lonely I’m Not, The Substance of Fire, Some Men, Bachelorette, Swimming in the Shallows (Second Stage); Punk Rock (Obie Award), Yen, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Gynecologic Oncology Unit At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Of New York City (MCC); Significant Other (Roundabout); Choir Boy, Murder Ballad (MTC); A Small Fire (Drama Desk nom.), Assistance, The Drunken City (Playwrights Horizons); The Hallway Trilogy: Nursing, The Last Sunday in June (Rattlestick); Dog Sees God (Century Center); Roulette (EST); US Drag(stageFARM); and several productions with The Play Company. London: The Colby Sisters of Pittsburgh, PA (Tricycle). Select regional: Geffen, Alliance, Old Globe, South Coast Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Bay Street, Williamstown Theater Festival.

Photo Credit for Isabelle Huppert headshot- Peter Lindbergh


EPISODE 137- Sophie von Haselberg & Ariana Venturi


Having A Night is a podcast dedicated to reviving the lost art of the dinner party. Sophie von Haselberg and Ariana Venturi are obsessed with both the micro and the macro of the all-important question: how to throw the absolute, supreme, no holds barred, remember-it-forever-unless-you-were-too-drunk dinner party.

Ilana sat down with Sophie and Ari for this crossover podcast event.

Having A Night will also air this conversation on their podcast platform.


Sophie is a bonafide produce fiend. When she’s not dreaming about fennel or a great head of lettuce, she acts in stuff. Some stuff includes the ultra-creepy American Crime Story: Versace, Equity, House of Cards, and Woody Allen’s Irrational Man. She is extremely psyched about the upcoming American Princess, in which she runs the pork-pocket booth at a Renaissance Faire. (what typecasting!) She also produces her own work, including the short YOYO (Tribeca Film Fest). She spent seven years in the great pizza city of New Haven, as an undergraduate of Yale College and then a world-weary grad student at Yale Drama School.

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Ari has originated roles across the country, including Higgy in Rolin Jones and Billie Joe Armstrong’s These Paper Bullets! at the Atlantic Theater Company in NYC and the Geffen Playhouse in LA.  She returned to her hometown of Chicago for the world premiere of Tracy Letts’ Mary Page Marlowe at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. While offstage there, she ate hotdogs. Along with Sophie, she is a member of a certain band of hooligans parading as the multi-media production company New Neighborhood.  She recurs as Alya Feinberg in season two of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Little Known Fact- after this conversation Ilana has hosted many dinner parties and enjoyed them!

Hello, World!

EPISODE 136- CAITLIN KINNUNEN

 

Caitlin Kinnunen is currently starring on Broadway in The Prom. Born and raised in Washington State, she moved to New York when she was 16 to make her Broadway debut in Spring Awakening. She later appeared on Broadway in The Bridges of Madison County, on the first national tour of Next to Normal, and in numerous film and television projects including The Intern, It's Kind of a Funny Story, Sweet Little Lies, Younger, American Vandal, The Knick, and Law & Order: SVU.

EPISODE 135- MARIO CANTONE

Mario Cantone, the celebrated New York stage actor and stand-up comedian gained critical acclaim with his Tony-nominated one-man show Laugh Whore, from its appearance at the Cort Theatre on Broadway to the Showtime Network special. He also starred on Broadway as SAM BYCK in the Tony-winning Assassins, by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman, BUZZ in Terrence McNally’s Tony award-winning dramatic comedy, Love! Valor! Compassion! All three of these hit shows were directed by four-time Tony-winner Joe Mantello.  His other Broadway credits include GIDGER, in The Violet Hour (original Broadway cast), and STEPHANO (opposite Patrick Stewart), in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Off-Broadway Cantone also originated the roles of TERRY in The Crumple Zone, directed by Jason Moore, and MATT inSteve, for the New Group, directed by Cynthia Nixon. He is currently starring in A Room Of My Own (opposite Ralph Macchio), at the Abingdon Theatre.

The feature film from work, from Cantone, include “Quiz Show”, directed by Robert Redford, Sony’s animated film, “Surf’s Up”, “In Stereo”, “The Aristocrats”, and as Anthony Marentino, in “Sex and the City 1” and “Sex and the City 2”. He can still be seen, HBO’s series “Sex and the City”, in syndication on many television stations. He was a recurring character on ABC’s “Men In Trees”, and has a guest star on VH1’s “Hindsight”.

On Comedy Central Cantone’s performances have been featured on “The USO Comedy Tour”, “Comics Come Home”, “Chappelle Show”, “Denis Leary Roast”, and “Joan Rivers Roast”. The network was also home to his first solo stand-up special “Comedy Central Presents Mario Cantone.”

Cantone got his start hosting the local New York children’s show “Steampipe Alley”, where the comic slipped in sly pop culture innuendo that adults could enjoy. His other television credits include appearances on “Late Night with David Letterman”, “Jimmy Fallon”, “Oprah”, “Conan” “Martha Stewart”, “Meredith Viera”, “The Today Show”, and through out it’s 18 year run, multiple appearances, as guest and co-host, on “ABC’s The View”.

Cantone has appeared on the stages of Carnegie Hall, Atlantic City’s Borgata, The Golden Nugget, Cearsar’s Palace (Las Vegas), and performing arts centers of Santa Rosa, Peekskill, Scottsdale, Fort Lauderdale, and St. Louis, where he performed his comedy and music show, Mario Cantone Live!

EPISODE 134- DARYL ROTH

Daryl Roth is honored to hold the singular distinction of producing seven Pulitzer Prize-winning plays: Anna in the Tropics; August: Osage County (2008 Tony Award); Clybourne Park (2012 Tony Award); How I Learned to Drive; Proof (2001 Tony Award); Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women; and Wit.


The proud recipient of 12 Tony Awards and London’s Olivier Award, her over 120 productions both on and Off-Broadway include Kinky Boots, now in its 6th year on Broadway and around the globe (London, Toronto, Australia, Korea, Japan, Germany; 2013 Tony Award, 2016 Olivier Award).  Other highlights in her producing career include: Angels in America; Bea Arthur on Broadway; Buyer and Cellar; Caroline, or Change; A Catered Affair; Closer Than Ever; The Crucible; Curtains; The Divine Sister; Driving Miss Daisy; Fela!; Gloria: A Life; The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? (2002 Tony Award); Harlem Song; The Humans (2016 Tony Award); Paula Vogel’s Indecent; Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron’s Love, Loss, and What I Wore; The Normal Heart (2011 Tony Award); Old Wicked Songs; One Man, Two Guvnors; Our Lady of 121st Street; The Play About the Baby; A Raisin in the Sun (2014 Tony Award); Shuffle Along; Sunset Boulevard; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; The Temperamentals; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; A View from the Bridge (2016 Tony); War Horse (2011 Tony Award); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Wiesenthal; The Year of Magical Thinking; and De La Guarda and Fuerza Bruta, which ran for 14 years at the Daryl Roth Theatre on Union Square.   


Ms. Roth was recently named to Crain’s 2017 “50 Most Powerful Women in New York.”  She is a Trustee of the Kennedy Center, the New York City Police Foundation, and the Mayor’s Theater Sub-district Council, and an Honorary Trustee for Lincoln Center Theatre, having served on the Board for 21 years. Honors include: the Lucille Lortel Lifetime Achievement Award; the Town Hall Friend of the Arts Award;  The New Dramatists Outstanding Career Achievement Award; The Elly Award from the NY Women’s Forum; The Order of the Golden Sphinx award from The Harvard Hasty Pudding Institute;  New York Living Landmarks award; Humanitarian Award from the Women's Division and Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Broadway Association Visionary Leader Award; Family Equality Council Family Award; and the Live Out Loud Humanitarian Award.  She is proud to have been inducted into the 2017 Theatre Hall of Fame.


The Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Award annually honors a gifted theatre artist or organization, providing them with financial support as they develop new works in an artistic residency.  The inaugural Creative Spirit Award was given to Michael Mayer in 1996.  Over the years the award has been given to Mark Brokaw, Sinan Unel, Steven Williford, Cybille Pearson, G. W. Mercier, Edwin Sanchez, Debra Monk, Kia Corthron, Michael Wilson, Karen Hartman, Anika Noni Rose, David Pittu, Musical Theatre Works, New Dramatists, LAByrinth Theatre, and Playing on Air. The last two years the Creative Spirit has been granted through the Lilly Awards for an Apprenticeship for Women in Design. 

EPISODE 129- KURT DEUTSCH, BONNIE MILLIGAN & ME

At BroadwayCon 2019 Ilana led a fascinating and illuminating panel on "The Making Of A Cast Recording" with Bonnie Milligan and Kurt Deutsch.
Bonnie Milligan is currently making her broadway debut to critical acclaim starring in Head  Over Heels. Previous to HOH, Bonnie was seen playing the original role of Pat in the first national tour of Kinky Boots and off broadway in God Bless You, Mr Rosewater (Encores!), Gigantic (Vineyard), Jasper in Deadland (Prospect). Television credits include the recurring role of Kathryn on Search Party (TBS), Happy! (Sci Fi) and the upcoming new series from Ben Stiller. Twitter: @beltingbonnie Instagram @beltingbons -
Kurt Deutsch is an actor, director, record producer and film producer. He is the Senior Vice President for Theatrical & Catalog Development for Warner/Chappell Music, and President of Sh-K-Boom Records, a division of Warner Arts Music. Upon his joining Warner/Chappell Music, CEO Jon Platt stated that “Kurt is one of the most prominent figures in the Broadway world, having built Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight into a major force in musical theatre. His exceptional creative instincts, deep relationships in the theatrical community, and extensive experience in encouraging and cultivating composers will be invaluable as we continue to expand our service to songwriters. Today, the theatrical world is in the midst of a renaissance, and Kurt is a leader of this new generation of incredibly gifted songwriters, who are creating brilliant music that transcends genres and cultures."


EPISODE 127- PATTI MURIN


Patti Murin is an accomplished stage and television actress. Known for her acclaimed Broadway performances, Murin currently stars as ‘Anna’ in the Broadway production of Disney’s "Frozen." With lyrics written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Frozen is the timeless tale of a fearless princess who sets off on a journey alongside a rugged iceman, his loyal pet reindeer, and a naive snowman to find her estranged sister.

Murin made her Broadway debut in 2007’s "Xanadu," in which she played the roles of Euterpe, Siren, and Thetis. Based on the film of the same name, "Xanadu" centers on a Greek muse who is sent to Earth to inspire Californians during the 1980s. Four years later, Murin played the lead of ‘Lysistrata Jones’ in 2011’s "Lysistrata Jones," a modern day adaptation of Aristophanes’ "Lysistrata." Soon after, Patti starred as ‘Glinda’ in the national tour of Broadway’s renowned play "Wicked."

In addition to her performances on Broadway, Patti Murin has also starred in a wide range of off-Broadway theatrical productions. Most recently, Murin starred as ‘Linda Mason’ in "The Muny’s Holiday Inn" and Susie in "Lady, Be Good." At The Muny, she has also starred as ‘Roxie Hart’ in "Chicago" and ‘Ariel’ in "The Little Mermaid." In New York, Murin starred as ‘Princess’ in The Public Theater’s production of "Love’s Labour’s Lost." She also played the role of ‘Amber’ in The Cape Playhouse’s production of "Hairspray" and ‘Sharpay Evans’ in The Atlanta Theater of the Stars’ production of "High School Musical." Other theater credits include "Fly By Night," Jane Austen’s "Emma," "Band Geeks," "Give It Up!," "White Noise," "Princesses," "Glimpses of the Moon," "Beauty and the Beast," "Annie Get Your Gun," and "Crazy for You."

On the small screen, Murin has starred as recurring character ‘Dr. Nina Shore’ in NBC’s “Chicago Med,” a medical drama set in the ER department of Chicago’s Gaffney Medical Center. She has also starred as ‘Ana’ in USA’s “Royal Pains.” Additionally, Patti Murin played the recurring role of ‘Ellen’ on ABC’s “All My Children.”

Murin has also sung the national anthem at numerous sporting events, including a New York Mets game, Philadelphia Soul Football, and an event at Syracuse University.

Patti Murin currently resides in New York City. 

EPISODE 126- A BENEFIT PERFORMANCE FOR THE "TREE OF LIFE" SYNAGOGUE

Ilana was the host of a benefit concert for Stronger Than Hate - A benefit concert for the  Tree Of Life Synagogue.

The Jewish community and Broadway friends perform for a night of unification benefitting the Pittsburgh congregation and victims' families of the tragic October shooting. The evening features cast members from the National Yiddish Theatre's Fiddler on the Roof, a speaker from the Anti-Defamation League, and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Julie Gold. Proceeds  go to Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Hosted by Ilana the evening  cast members donating their talents include: Jodi Bluestein (Disney On Classic), Julie Gold ("From A Distance"), Jillian Gottlieb (The Golden Bride), Nathan Klau(Jersey Boys), Danny Harris Kornfeld (Renascence), Samantha G. Harris (Tree of Life congregant), Rebecca Kuznick (Company), Gary John LaRosa (Fiddler on the Roof), Stephanie Lynne Mason (Fiddler on the Roof), Jesse Manocherian (Marry Harry), Rosie Jo Neddy (Fiddler on the Roof), Bill Nolte (Waitress), Collin O'Connor (A Christmas Carol), Samantha Joy Pearlman (Chasing Rainbows), Scruffy Pearls featuring RJ Gatsby, Renee Hikari, Carly Pearlstein, and Billy Pearson, Hannah Richter (Far From Canterbury), Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld(Pokémon), Gavriel Savit (Amazing Grace), Jason Sirois (Anti-Defamation League), Eileen Tepper (LES MISERABLES), Marc Winski(Grease), and Rachel Zatcoff (The Phantom Of The Opera).

The evening is Directed and Produced by Mara Jill Herman with Music Direction by Danny Lepek.