Real Talk with Mason Bray
Gather advice and knowledge from some of the most knowledgable professionals on Broadway and more!
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Ep. 68 – Jay Armstrong Johnson, Performer in PARADE
Broadway Legend Jay Armstrong Johnson stops by to talk about the impact of the Tony Award-Winning Revival of Parade on the future of Broadway, his path into performing, and figuring out the journey of a character throughout a show.
Ep. 67 – Katharine Quinn, Writing Associate at SHUCKED
TikTok’s (and Broadway’s) Katharine Quinn chats about her roles as the Writing Associate on the new a-maize-ing SHUCKED and more! Katharine is no stranger to the Theatre world!
Ep. 66 – Meg Masseron, Playbill Reporter
Playbill Night-time Report, Meg Masseron, sits down to discuss her career in Theatre reporting as well as the importance of criticism and journalism. Meg is a recent graduate of Marymount Manhattan College and joined to discuss her position as the night-time/weekend reporter at Playbill!
Ep. 65 – Mike Karns, CEO at Marathon Digital
Mike Karns sits down with Mason to chat about the trajectory of Broadway's social media and provide insight into careers on Broadway.
Ep. 64 – DJ Martin, Founding Partner at Bond Theatrical Group
DJ Martin sits down to talk about his career throughout all facets of Broadway marketing and discusses the future of theatre for generations to come. DJ is the owner and founding partner of Bond Theatrical Group which works hand in hand with marketing, social media, and tour booking for iconic Broadway productions and international tours.
Ep. 63 – Gennean Scott, Chief Diversity Officer at The Broadway League
The Broadway League’s first Chief Diversity Officer, Gennean Scott, joins Real Talk to discuss her definition behind the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion fields, her day-to-day operations, representation, Black excellence, and much more relating to her impactful work across the industry.
Ep. 62 – Derek McLane, Scenic Designer
Tony-Award Winning Scenic Designer, Derek McLane, chats about his unexpected route to Broadway, his creative processes leading to some of the most captivating designs in NYC, and more!
Ep. 61 – Sean McManus, Performer in BEETLEJUICE & Social Media Influencer
Broadway’s own Sean McManus sits down with Mason (in-person) to discuss his life on Broadway, his position as a Vacation Swing, his infamous TikTok account with a special appearance from Patti LuPone – sort of… Sean grew up around theatre, even playing Bert in his high school production of Mary Poppins.
Ep. 60 – Welcome Back to Real Talk!
After 9 months away from releasing episodes, Mason returns to discuss the future of Real Talk! Burnout is a battle that we always hear about, but generally assume that it won’t get to us – but with everything going on, it happened to me.
Ep. 59 - Mari Lyn Clark, Theatre Teacher
On top of being Mason's theatre teacher and high school director, Mrs. Clark is the face of the YouTube channel Clarks in Parks and is currently studying at Mississippi University for Women to get her masters degree!
Ep. 58 - Tony Nominations, Moulin Rouge, and Winnie the Pooh! (Oh my!)
The 2022 Tony Awards nominations are OUT and all of us theatre stans are getting excited for the annual ceremony on June 12th (finally back at Radio City Music Hall)! But not only are Tony Nominees up for discussion, but Mason also discusses his recent trip to the Windy City to see Winnie the Pooh and Moulin Rouge!
Ep. 57 - Kelsey Tippins, Stage Manager at THE PROM
Kelsey Tippins is the current Production Stage Manager on tour with THE PROM! Before this tour, she has worked on Once on this Island, Finding Neverland, A Bronx Tale, Beauty and the Beast, Shrek the Musical, and so many more.
Ep. 56 - Eli Tokash, Actor/Podcast Host
Eli Tokash is one of the other youngest podcast hosts on the Broadway Podcast Network with his show “Take A Bow” which just celebrated 100 episodes! As a fantastic child performer, he has been in the Broadway production and National Tours of Finding Neverland, Pippin, A Christmas Story, and Mary Poppins.
Ep. 55 - Lexie Path, Swing at THE PROM
Lexie Plath is an amazingly talented triple threat currently with THE PROM on their national tour as a Swing and Co-Dance Captain. Before this tour, she has joined the cast of Anything Goes, Bullets Over Broadway, and Cats on their national tours!
Ep. 54 - BROADWAY TALKS with Olivia Miller - Bloody Mary: LIVE!
Olivia Miller is the brilliant writer and star of “Bloody Mary: Live!” earning glowing reviews such as “Olivia Miller dazzles in this tart and punky solo show” from The Guardian. She has also performed across the U.S.
Ep. 53 - BROADWAY TALKS with Executive Producers from "ENSEMBLE" - Telly Leung & Joey Monda
Broadway performer, Telly Leung, and producer, Joey Monda, sit down to discuss their new documentary “Ensemble” highlighting the rapidly changing theatre industry! Telly Leung is a Broadway star with credits ranging from Aladdin to Allegiance as a performer.
Ep. 52 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Performer - Braden Allen King
Braden Allen King joins from the ensemble of the National Tour of THE PROM to discuss his upbringing in dance and into the theatre. Braden is no stranger to professional theatre at just 18-years-old!
Ep. 51 - BROADWAY TALKS with "What the Constitution Means to Me?" Cast
Cassie Beck, Jocelyn Shek, and Emilyn Toffler join me to kick-off Season 7 and discuss their journey and time on the road with Heidi Shreck’s “What the Constitutional Means to Me?” “Fifteen-year-old Heidi earned her college tuition by winning Constitutional debate competitions across the United States.
Ep. 50 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Voiceactor - Jake Bazel
Jake Bazel in the amazing voice-actor and puppeteer behind Winnie the Pooh in the current off-broadway stage adaptation of Disney's Winnie The Pooh! He has also been a puppeteer on Sesame Street, The 90th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with the Muppets, The Hungry Caterpillar Show, and so much more!
Ep. 49 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Freelancer/Podcast Host - Martín Acuña
Martín Acuña is the amazing host of Backstage Talk, a podcast highlighting the under-represented people in the theatre world. He is also 1/3 of the What's Up, Broadway hosts along with Ayanna Prescod.
Ep. 48 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Marketing Director - Jenna Rich
Jenna Rich is an amazing marketing professional and producer based in NYC and working on countless Broadway and Off-Broadway productions! Right now, she is on the Marketing Team for Winnie the Pooh Off-Broadway and is the brain behind the New York City-wide Honey Hunt and various other partnerships.
Ep. 47 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Composer - Ryan Scott Oliver
Ryan Scott Oliver is the phenomenal composer behind 35 MM with Lindsey Mendez, Alex Brightman, Betsy Wolfe, Jay Armstrong Johnson, and Ben Crawford. He also wrote the musical Future Demons, Three Points of Contact, Rope, Mrs.
Ep. 46 - REMEMBERING STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Broadway lost one of the greatest artists ever in the past few weeks. Stephen Sondheim was such a huge influence on my life and the lives of so many others. He has truly been an inspiration to millions...
Ep. 45 - BROADWAY TALKS with a CEO - Heather Hitchens
Heather Hitchens is the CEO and President of the American Theatre Wing which hosts the Annual Tony Awards, Obie Awards, and has so many great educational and empowering programs to get people involved with the arts.
Ep. 44 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Playwright - Douglas Lyons
Douglas Lyons is the phenomenal Broadway playwright behind “Chicken & Biscuits”! Not only did he write that show, he also worked on the musical “Breathe” virtually during the pandemic!
Ep. 43 - MOVIE TALKS with a Cinematographer - Alice Brooks
Alice Brooks is the genius cinematographer behind the films “In The Heights” and “tick, tick…BOOM” and the Apple TV series “Home Before Dark”! But that’s not all! She is also the Director of Photography for the upcoming “WICKED” movie starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, directed by Jon Chu!
Ep. 42 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Social Media Manager - Bailey Ford
Bailey Ford is the amazing social media manager behind Joe Iconis and a founding member of the Be More Chill team going all the way to Broadway! She has also worked on several other Joe Iconic shows as the Social Media Manager and Intern.
Ep. 41 - BROADWAY TALKS with The Drama Podcast - Connor & Dylan MacDowell
Mason sits down with the twin brothers from the awesome Drama Podcast, Connor and Dylan MacDowell! Real Talk is back to connect you to Broadway and the Theatre community! As a welcome back, I wanted to sit down with my friends Dylan and Connor and talk about all things theatre, podcasting, and everything in between!
Ep. 40 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Podcast Host - Alan Seales
Alan is a fellow podcast host on the Broadway Podcast Network with his show The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales. Not only does Alan have a podcast on the network but he is also the Chief Technical Officer and a Co-Founder for the BPN!
Ep. 39 - BROADWAY TALKS with an Actor - Matt DeAngelis
Matt DeAngelis is a Broadway actor who is in the ensemble for Waitress the Musical (which just opened on Broadway on September 4th)! Before that, Matt made his Broadway debut in Diane Paulus’s revival of HAIR!
Ep. 38 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Director - Sammi Cannold
Sammi Cannold is a director for theatre and film! She directed the recent documentary “The Show Must Go On” about the South Korean Theatre industry during the height of the pandemic. She has also been featured on Forbes 30 under 30 in Hollywood and Entertainment.
Ep. 37 - WELCOME BACK, BROADWAY!
After almost a year and a half of no Broadway! The Great BRIGHT Way is starting to re-open!! Antoinette Nwandu’s Pass Over began it’s previews a few weeks ago and is set to open before the end of the month!
Ep. 36 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Resident Director - Matt DiCarlo
Matt DiCarlo has been the stage manager for Broadway shows like Beetlejuice, The Play That Goes Wrong, The Color Purple, Rock Of Ages, and Honeymoon in Vegas. He has also been the Associate Director for The Play That Goes Wrong, The Color Purple, Rock Of Ages, and Moulin Rouge!
Ep. 35 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Marketing Director - Courtney Kochuba
Courtney Kochuba is the current Director of Marketing at Concord Theatricals. Before that, Courtney was also on the team at Samuel French before it merged with Concord back in 2018.
Ep. 34 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Lighting Designer - Ken Posner
Ken Posner is a lighting designer for Broadway shows such as Wicked, Hairspray, Legally Blonde, Grease, Kinky Boots, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, War Paint, Finding Neverland, Mean Girls, Beetlejuice, and several other ICONIC Broadway shows!
Ep. 33 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Lighting Designer - Bradley King
Bradley King is a Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer who has worked on amazing shows like Hadestown and The Great Comet. Bradley has also worked on several corporate events with Samsung, Microsoft, Target, and several other huge brands!
Ep. 32 - TV TALKS with an Executive - Nick Bernstein
Nick is the Senior Vice-President of Late Night Programming at CBS. If you frequent the Late Late Show with James Corden, he has been featured heavily the past few months and I think he has made an amazing show that continues to please audiences!
Ep. 31 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Producer - Ken Davenport
Ken Davenport is a Tony-Award Winning Producer who has worked on shows like Once On This Island, The Play That Goes Wrong, Groundhog Day, Kinky Boots, Godspell, Macbeth, and so many other amazing works of art we have all come to know and love!
Ep. 30 - TV TALKS with a Head Writer - Lauren Greenberg
Lauren Greenberg is the Head Writer at the Late Late Show with James Corden. Among other credits are; she has written several special segments for the 70 and 73rd annual Tony Awards. She also did special segments for the Grammy’s in 2017 and 2018.
Ep. 29 - THEATRE TALKS with a Thespian Troupe - BHS Troupe #950
The BHS Thespian Troupe #950 is in the midst of rehearsals for their annual spring musical. This year is High School Musical. This Troupe is where several people got their start in theatre, including your host, Mason Bray, in 2014!
Ep. 28 - MUSIC TALKS with a Songwriter - Philip Lawrence
Philip Lawrence is an 8-time Grammy-winning songwriter. Philip has worked with singers like Bruno Mars, Adele, Flo Rida, CeeLo Green, and so many more! In the 2020 holiday season the film "Jingle Jangle", for which he wrote the music, was released!
Ep. 27 - BROADWAY TALKS with a 2020 Graduate - Kathryn Mayer
Kathryn is an actress who has appeared in television shows such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Evil Lies Here on Investigation Discovery. She graduated from the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts in May 2020!
Ep. 26 - BOOK TALKS with an Author - Mike Bockoven
Mike is an author in Nebraska! He has written hit novels such as Fantasticland, which is about kids trapped in a theme park after Hurricane Sandy had devastated the coasts of Florida. He also wrote the book Pack about a small town in Nebraska where this man transforms into a werewolf!
Ep. 25 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Casting Director - Pat Goodwin
Pat is a casting director in New York City! He has cast Broadway shows such as Waitress, The Cher Show, Tina, Annie, Finding Neverland, and Chaplin. He has also cast movies and broadcasts such as Jesus Christ Superstar Live and The Spongebob Musical.
Ep. 24 - DESIGN TALKS with an Interior Designer - Benjamin Bradley
Benjamin Bradley is an interior designer in New York City! He recently got his own Netflix show to help people design their home for the holidays! A fun fact, Ben actually grew up in the same city I live in!
Ep. 23 - BROADWAY TALKS with an Actor - JJ Niemann
SEASON 4, EPISODE 2 JJ Niemann is an actor who was on Broadway in Book of Morman as a swing! You may have also seen him in Ratatouille the TikTok Musical on January 1st as an Ensemble-member! Speaking of TikTok, he is widely known for his "Actors with their mic on vs.
Ep. 22 - Hindsight 2020 - Let’s Look Back...
Welcome back to season 4 of Real Talk with Mason Bray! Now before we get rolling with interviews, I want to take time to reflect on 2020 and look at what positives happened in that crazy, jam-packed year. Thank you for listening!
Ep. 21 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Music Supervisor - Alex Lacamoire
Alex Lacamoire is a music supervisor, composer, and music director on Broadway! Alex has worked side-by-side with popular composers like Lin-Manuel Miranda on Hamilton. A few other shows he has been a part of are Dear Evan Hansen, In The Heights, Wicked, Legally Blonde, 9 to 5, Annie, and several others!
Ep. 20 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Set Designer - Scott Pask
Scott Pask is a Set Designer for Broadway Shows such as Mean Girls, Waitress, The Bands Visit, The Prom, Who’s Afraid of the Virginia Wolf, Something Rotten, Finding Neverland, and so many more! Join us as we talk about his experience with the shutdown and how he got involved in scenic design!
Ep. 19 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Choral Composer - Eric Whitacre
Eric Whitacre is a choral composer and musical director. He is famous for his virtual choirs, where he has thousands of people all over the world sing his songs to make a beautiful music video.
Ep. 18 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Vocal Technician - Amanda Flynn
Amanda Flynn is a Vocal Technician and Vocal Coach based in New York City! She was the official Vocal Coach of Be More Chill and The Lightning Thief! She has also been in shows like Wicked on Broadway!!
Ep. 17 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Choreographer - Christopher Gattelli
Christopher Gattelli is a Choreographer for the Original Broadway Productions of Newsies, The Cher Show, The King and I, Spongebob Squarepants, My Fair Lady, and several others! Join us as we talk about his journey to becoming a broadway choreographer!!
Ep. 16 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Sound Engineer - Brad Berridge
Brad Berridge is a Sound Artist at Feld Entertainment, which is the company that produces Disney ON ICE!, Marvel Experiences, and several other big time franchises. He has worked across the United States bringing his sound design and composition to tons of different theaters and auditoriums!
Ep. 15 - BROADWAY TALKS with an Associate Director - David Alpert
David Alpert is an Associate Director and Director on Broadway for shows such as If/Then (He also directs this show!) and The Trip to the Bountiful as well as several other shows! He also hosts his own podcast E-Ticket To Broadway where he talks to A-List Broadway stars about their love of Disney!
Ep. 14 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Costume Assistant - Mark Koss
Mark Koss is a Costume Assistant for Susan Hilferty (Costume Designer for WICKED)! He also designs several of his own shows Off-Broadway! Join us as we talk about being an assistant and different useful tips from him!
Ep. 13 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Set Designer - Anna Louizos
Anna Louizos is a Set Designer on Broadway for shows such as In The Heights, Cinderella, School of Rock, and so many more! Join us as we talk about her journey to Broadway and how she approaches a design!
Ep. 12 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Sound Designer - Nevin Steinberg
This week I close out my Season 2 with an interview from Nevin Steinberg! He has worked on a handful of HUGE Broadway shows such as Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Hadestown, Bandstand, Bright Star, Freestyle Loves Supreme, The Cher Show, TIna, and several more!
Ep. 11 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Tour Director - Susanna Wolk
This week I interview Susanna Wolk, the Tour Director for the Second National Tour of Waitress and she was also the assistant director ON BROADWAY for Waitress! She has done that with several shows as the director.
Ep. 10 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Lighting Designer - Ken Billington
This week I interview Tony Award Winning Lighting Designer, Ken Billington! He has worked on close to 100 Broadway shows. "You are illuminating the playwright's words." - Ken Billington. Find out more at BPN.fm/RealTalk!
Ep. 9 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Producer - Kevin Bailey
This week I close out the FULL month of interviews with Kevin Bailey. He is a producer and actor who has produced shows like ANN on Broadway and has acted in the original Broadway cast of The Lion King and Annie Get Your Gun!
Ep. 8 - BROADWAY TALKS with an Actress and Swing - Grace Stockdale
Welcome back to the Real Talk Podcast! We are here with another Interview in our BROADWAY talks series! This Week I interview Grace Stockdale who is an actress who has been on the first national tour of Waitress as "Ghost Mom" and is currently working on the workshop / Broadway version of the Musical 1776 where she will make her Broadway Debut!
Ep. 7 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Stage Manager - Jen Ash
This week on Real Talk Podcast, I interview Jen Ash! She is a stage manager that has been on Broadway and on tour with shows such as Wicked, Dear Evan Hansen, and Come From Away. We talk about a broad spectrum of Stage Management and Management on the road.
Ep. 6 - BROADWAY TALKS with a Director - Kevin Roach
Welcome back to Real Talk! Another interview today! This time with Kevin Roach, the Managing Artistic Director at Evansville Civic Theatre! You can hear insights on what directors look for while casting a show and some little tidbits on what makes the decision of getting a role.
Ep. 5 - BROADWAY TALKS with a General Manager - Matthew Herrmann
Today I continue the Broadway Talks episode type! This week I interview Matthew Herrmann who is an independent producer and the General Manager of The Montalban Theatre in Los Angeles, California. He talks about the ups and downs of his job and the types of stuff he is doing during his Quarantine.
Ep. 4 - Energy, Energy, Energy
Welcome back to another week! This week I talk about why Musical Theatre is amazing and what is so magical about an audience watching a show and also some #QuarantineAdvice. Enjoy!!
Ep. 3 - BROADWAY TALKS with an Actress - Gabriella Marzetta
Today I kick off a new type of episode! BROADWAY TALKS! Every few weeks I will release an interview with someone from the theatre community! I know it's long, but it is worth every second! This week I interview Gabriella Marzetta, who plays Dawn on the national tour of Waitress the Musical!
Ep. 2 - To All the Mom's:
Hey everyone! This episode is my gift to all the mother's listening! (It was recorded on Mother's Day but it didn't fit into my Tuesday upload schedule... so just pretend) LOVE YOU ALL!
Ep. 1 - Guess Who's Back!
Hi! It's me, Mason! I am back at it making podcast episodes. Enjoy this one where I tell you what I've been up to! Tell me what you are doing to pass the time! I need suggestions!
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