EPISODE 209- JENNIFER ASHLEY TEPPER RETURNS


Jennifer Ashley Tepper is producer of the musicals Be More Chill, Broadway Bounty Hunter, and Love In Hate Nation. She is also the Creative and Programming Director at Feinstein's/54 Below, and the author of The Untold Stories of Broadway book series. She is the creator of The Jonathan Larson Project and historian consultant on the upcoming film version of tick, tick...BOOM! Tepper was recently named recipient of a 2020 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award.

As the leader of Feinstein's/54 Below's creative programming team, Tepper is responsible for programming every show at the Broadway supper club and concert venue. She has curated and overseen the production of over 3500 shows, ranging from musicals in concert, to original solo acts, to theatrical reunions, to songwriter celebrations, and beyond. Feinstein's/54 Below has become notable for being the only venue of its kind: presenting over a dozen shows every week, specializing in Broadway acts, and welcoming both traditional cabaret and innovative new work. Tepper's leadership has been instrumental in making the locale "Broadway's Living Room", where on any given night one can find Broadway's biggest stars and emerging talents side by side, creating and sharing new work in an intimate theatrical environment.

Tepper's producing work on original ventures at the venue has gained praise from publications including The Huffington Post, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, Playbill, Newsday, the New York Post, and more. From Hit List (the live concert version of the fictional musical from NBC's Smash) to Smile: A Broadway Reunion Concert to her collaborations with musical theatre writers both established and emerging, Tepper has, according to Theatermania, "brought her encyclopedic knowledge and typical gusto to the venue, knowing just what musical theatre enthusiasts are looking for."

Tepper is the co-creator of the Bistro Award-winning concert series, If It Only Even Runs A Minute, now in its 7th year. ...Runs A Minute celebrates short-lived Broadway and off-Broadway musicals in concerts that feature photos and research as well as songs. Each concert also boasts original cast members and writers telling stories, as well as songs that have never been recorded. The series thus far has comprised over 250 performers and over 200 'under-appreciated' shows. AM New York has called the series: "Artistically compelling... displays the blood, guts, sweat and tears that go into making Broadway shows."

As a writer, Tepper has authored three volumes of The Untold Stories of Broadway series, published by Dress Circle. For these books, Tepper interviewed 250 theatre professionals about the Broadway theaters themselves and their stories of working in each house. The books cover over 70 years of our theatrical history, shared through first-hand interviews with Broadway professionals who were there. The Untold Stories of Broadway books comprise stories with actors, producers, directors, writers, designers, stagehands, door men and women, musicians, house managers, press agents, ushers, and many more. Interspersed with interviewees' stories are Tepper's own tales and discoveries about each historic building. The Untold Stories of Broadway partners with a charitable organization that receives proceeds from each volume, and is currently partnered with Broadway Impact, the Theatre Development Fund, and the Broadway Green Alliance. Published in 2013, 2014, and 2016, each book has occupied the #1 spot on Amazon.com's Best Sellers List in Broadway & Musicals. NBC New York has called the books an 'inspiring Must-Read'.

Tepper was recently named one of the 10 professionals on Backstage Magazine's "1st Annual Broadway Future Power List", alongside Alex Timbers and Leigh Silverman. According to the article: "Proving herself both a zeitgeist predictor and theatrical historian with her eclectic programming, Tepper is leading the conversation on contemporary musical theatre."

EPISODE 207- SASHA HUTCHINGS

Sasha Hutchings is an actress, foodie, lover of manatees, and collector of too many house plants. She was most recently seen as Laurey Williams in Oklahoma!, winner of the 2019 Tony Award for Best Revival. Sasha is notably an original cast member of Hamilton. Additional Broadway credits include My Fair Lady, Rocky, Motown, and Memphis. TV credits include Paula Kelly on Fosse/Verdon, The Bold Type, Jessica Jones, Master of None, Blue Bloods, and The Dangerous Book for Boys. Sasha is a teaching artist with the Arthur Miller Foundation, Epic Theatre Ensemble, and New York City public school theatre programs. She holds a BPA in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University.

Together with actor Nik Walker she is the co-host of “Chaos Twins “ for Broadwayworld.com

EPISODE 206- KELLY AuCOIN

Kelly AuCoin is a series regular on the Showtime series Billions, on which he plays ‘Dollar’ Bill Stearn. He also currently plays Warren Sloan on Freeform/HULU’s The Bold Type. Recent other recurring TV roles includes Pastor Tim on FX’s The Americans, Hercules Mulligan on AMC’s TURN, and Gary Stamper on House of Cards. Other TV includes Blacklist, The Slap, Madam Secretary, Person of Interest, The Following, The Good Wife, Elementary, Blue Bloods, Unforgettable, Body of Proof, Gossip Girl, White Collar, The Sopranos, Without A Trace, and many Law & Order episodes of various suffixes. His film credits include the upcoming The Good House (Amblin), False Positive (A24) and A Shot Through The Wall, as well as previous apperances in, among others, The Post, The Wizard of Lies, Julie & Julia, The Kingdom, All That I Am (SXSW Award; Ensemble Acting), Drunk Parents, Benji The Dove, Police State, The Music Never Stopped, and The Word. Theatre credits include Octavius Caesar in Julius Caesar on Broadway opposite Denzel Washington, The 24 Hour Plays Broadway, and the first national touring company of Copenhagen.  He was part of the Drama Desk Award-winning ensemble cast of The Wayside Motor Inn (Signature Theatre), and his other Off-Broadway credits include Long Lost and Of Good Stock (Manhattan Theatre Club), The Call (Playwrights Horizons), Some Men (Second Stage), Boy (Primary Stages), Happy Now? (Primary Stages), Jailbait (Cherry Lane), The Ladies Of The Corridor (Peccadillo), and The Fifth Column (Mint Theater). Regional appearances include Yale Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Williamstown, Syracuse Stage, Folger, Hartford Stage, TheatreVirginia, Virginia Stage, and New York Stage & Film.  He is a former member of the Oregon Shakespeare festival acting company. 

EPISODE 202- MARISA TOMEI

Marisa Tomei continues to bridge the gap between rich, dramatic performances and smart, comedic turns. Marisa won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mona Lisa Vito in My Cousin Vinny. Tomei subsequently earned Academy Awards nominations for her performances in In the Bedroom and The Wrestler. 

Marisa recently wrapped her run as “Serafina Delle Rose” in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of the acclaimed Tennessee Williams play The Rose Tattoo, which marked Marisa’s return to the Broadway stage. She also recently wrapped production on Netflix’s action film, Sweet Girl, where she will appear alongside Jason Mamoa.

She star alongside Pete Davidson in Universal Pictures’ The King of Staten Island, a comedy film from Judd Apatow.

Recently, Marisa returned to the silver screen for ABC’s live special of Live In Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All In The Family & The Jeffersons, where she starred as ‘Edith Bunker’ alongside Woody Harrelson, Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes. The one-night only events aired live on ABC on May 22 and December 18, 2019, and garnered three Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Variety Special (Live).

Last year, Marisa reunited with Ira Sachs for independent drama, Frankie, which had its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. She also reprised her role of “Aunt May” in Sony Entertainment and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Far From Home. The film released in theaters on July 2, 2019, dominating the box office weekend.

Her other notable film credits include: The Big Short, Love is Strange, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Ides of March, Loitering with Intent, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, What Women Want, Happy Accidents, and Slums of Beverly Hills. She also recently appeared on television in Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and FOX’s “Empire,” among others. A veteran of the theater, Marisa starred as ‘George’ in Sarah Ruhl’s “How To Transcend a Happy Marriage” at Lincoln Center in 2017. Her previous Broadway credits include: Will Eno’s “The Realistic Joneses” (2014 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance), Caryl Churchill's “Top Girls” (Drama Desk Award nomination), “Oh! The Humanity” and “Other Good Intentions,” “Marie and Bruce,” “Design for Living,” “We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!,” “Waiting for Lefty,” “Rocket to the Moon,” “Demonology,” “Dark Rapture,” “Slavs!,” “The Comedy of Errors,” and “The Summer Winds,” among others. Tomei is a founding member of the Naked Angels Theater Company in New York City.

199-NIK WALKER


Nik Walker is an actor, cinephile, theme park nerd and collector of talented frenemies. Currently leading the Broadway cast of Ain’t Too Proud (after 3 years as Aaron Burr in the Broadway and touring companies of Hamilton), he’s also been seen in Motown the Musical, Peter and the Starcatcher, on TV in Law and Order SVU, and regionally at La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe and The Denver Center, to name a few. A playwright, he is the co-writer of Company One’s ARTiculation, and the creator of The Bloody Boston Trilogy. He is cohost of the talk show The Chaos Twins, hosted by BroadwayWorld, and  his movie podcast, Little Justice, is streaming with the Broadway Podcast Network. @nikkywalks

EPISODE 197- NICOLE BLAINE

Nicole Blaine’s first stand-up special with Comedy Dynamics, Life's A Bit, is available on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, and a variety of cable outlets. She is thrilled to embark on a midwest tour this summer for Scary Mommy Live, and you can catch her on the upcoming season 3 of Laugh After Dark on Amazon Prime. Nicole has been seen on NBC’s The Today Show, E’s That Morning Show, SFSketchfest, Big Sky Comedy Festival, The International FringeNYC Festival, Laughing Skull Comedy Festival and HBO’s Women in Comedy Festival. 

Nicole and her producing partner/husband/assistant, Mickey Blaine, executive produced and directed the stand-up special, Burning the Light, which debuted on HBO in 2016. You can see Nicole perform every Monday night at the Kibitz Comedy Show at Canter’s Deli in Los Angeles. LA Weekly describes her as “a remarkable performer with brains, beauty and rich comic delivery,” and her honest (and crass) observations showcase her “humor, passion, dazzling charm and a naturalness that many performers, or even civilians, would kill for." (Backstage West) She lives in Santa Monica with her husband and two kids. They all suck so she has great material.