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Episodes
Join host Christiaan Abbott for "In the Holding Room". Produced for Performerstuff.com each episode features Broadway professionals in segments such as "Performer's Spotlight", "Professors Corner" and "Thank you 5" where they share real experiences while offering learned nuggets of knowledge for the listener to take away. For anyone dreaming of a life on Broadway or currently beginning that journey "In the Holding Room" will help give you the tools you need.
Episodes
Wednesday Apr 14, 2021
Wednesday Apr 14, 2021
Episode Summary
Nicolas Dromard in “Performer Spotlight” tells us what it was like auditioning for shows like Mary Poppins. “Thank You 5” this week will be about that one thing you need to become a Broadway Superstar. In “Professor’s Corner” Aaron Lotzow is giving you simple tips to get you started playing the piano.
Intro to this Episode
In this Episode of “In The Holding Room” we are joined by performer Nicolas Dromard. He has been on Broadway performing in shows like the original Broadway cast of Mary Poppins, Jersey Boys, The Boy from Oz starring Hugh Jackman, and Oklahoma. He was also in the National tour of Wicked, Mama Mia, Jersey Boys and Mary Poppins. He gives some great advice on how to let go of a bad audition, and tips to keep in mind when in the audition room.
In “Thank You 5” this week, I tell you the one thing you need to do to become a Broadway Superstar. No, it’s not your network, it’s not your work ethic, or your talent level.
Aaron Lotzow in “Professor’s Corner” brings his musicianship to the podcast, as he gives you tips and tricks to learn the piano. It isn’t as hard as you think it is and the benefits outweigh the cost. With a little bit of practice, and not trying to become the next Eddie Van Halen, you can learn to accompany yourself and put chords together for your very own songs.
Resources
For all your audition needs including sheet music, tracks, monologues advice and so much more visit:
https://performerstuff.com/
Engage with the Show
facebook.com/InTheHoldingRoom
@in_the_holding_room
Nicolas Dromard
https://www.nicolasdromard.com/
http://www.superheroesinlove.com/
@ndromard & @superheroesinlove
Aaron Lotzow
alotzow@gmail.com
facebook.com/alotzowmusic
Wednesday Apr 14, 2021
Wednesday Apr 14, 2021
Episode Summary
Nicolas Dromard in “Performer Spotlight” tells us what it was like auditioning for shows like Mary Poppins. “Thank You 5” this week will be about that one thing you need to become a Broadway Superstar. In “Professor’s Corner” Aaron Lotzow is giving you simple tips to get you started playing the piano.
Intro to this Episode
In this Episode of “In The Holding Room” we are joined by performer Nicolas Dromard. He has been on Broadway performing in shows like the original Broadway cast of Mary Poppins, Jersey Boys, The Boy from Oz starring Hugh Jackman, and Oklahoma. He was also in the National tour of Wicked, Mama Mia, Jersey Boys and Mary Poppins. He gives some great advice on how to let go of a bad audition, and tips to keep in mind when in the audition room.
In “Thank You 5” this week, I tell you the one thing you need to do to become a Broadway Superstar. No, it’s not your network, it’s not your work ethic, or your talent level.
Aaron Lotzow in “Professor’s Corner” brings his musicianship to the podcast, as he gives you tips and tricks to learn the piano. It isn’t as hard as you think it is and the benefits outweigh the cost. With a little bit of practice, and not trying to become the next Eddie Van Halen, you can learn to accompany yourself and put chords together for your very own songs.
Resources
For all your audition needs including sheet music, tracks, monologues advice and so much more visit:
https://performerstuff.com/
Engage with the Show
facebook.com/InTheHoldingRoom
@in_the_holding_room
Nicolas Dromard
https://www.nicolasdromard.com/
http://www.superheroesinlove.com/
@ndromard & @superheroesinlove
Aaron Lotzow
alotzow@gmail.com
facebook.com/alotzowmusic
Wednesday Apr 07, 2021
Wednesday Apr 07, 2021
Episode Summary
Melanie Cripps in “Performer Spotlight” tells us what it was like auditioning for Chicago. “Thank you 5” is all about staying in your craft and going where the work is. In “Professor’s Corner”, Nikki Snelson is back to discuss why this unfortunate lockdown could be a blessing, if you take advantage of it.
Intro to this Episode
In this Episode of “In The Holding Room” we are joined by Melanie Cripps for “Performer Spotlight”. She has performed in theme parks, on cruise ships and National Tours, in Singapore, Dubai, Germany and on the West End Stage. Just a few of her credits include, Annie, Chicago, Starlight Express and Cats. She talks about her audition experiences for Chicago, shares great advice on selecting your audition songs, and explains why sometimes you have to sacrifice who you are for what you want to become.
In “Thank you 5” this week, I talk about doing what you need to do to stay in your craft, and sometimes that means going where the work is and not waiting for the work to come to you.
Nikki Snelson in “Professor’s Corner” brings you some amazing advice. With incredible Broadway, off-Broadway and National Tour credits to her name, she has the performance and first-hand experience to give meaning, fun and practical advice. Her experience as an arts educator also give her the expertise to know first-hand what students and young professional need to hear. You are going to love her three BIG pieces of advice.
Resources
For all your audition needs including sheet music, tracks, monologues advice and so much more visit:
https://performerstuff.com/
Engage with the Show
facebook.com/InTheHoldingRoom
Nikki Snelson
Musical Theater Mayhem
https://www.facebook.com/MusicalTheatreMayhem
Fan Page
https://www.nikkisnelson.com/Nikki_Snelson.html
Wednesday Apr 07, 2021
Wednesday Apr 07, 2021
Episode Summary
Melanie Cripps in “Performer Spotlight” tells us what it was like auditioning for Chicago. “Thank you 5” is all about staying in your craft and going where the work is. In “Professor’s Corner”, Nikki Snelson is back to discuss why this unfortunate lockdown could be a blessing, if you take advantage of it.
Intro to this Episode
In this Episode of “In The Holding Room” we are joined by Melanie Cripps for “Performer Spotlight”. She has performed in theme parks, on cruise ships and National Tours, in Singapore, Dubai, Germany and on the West End Stage. Just a few of her credits include, Annie, Chicago, Starlight Express and Cats. She talks about her audition experiences for Chicago, shares great advice on selecting your audition songs, and explains why sometimes you have to sacrifice who you are for what you want to become.
In “Thank you 5” this week, I talk about doing what you need to do to stay in your craft, and sometimes that means going where the work is and not waiting for the work to come to you.
Nikki Snelson in “Professor’s Corner” brings you some amazing advice. With incredible Broadway, off-Broadway and National Tour credits to her name, she has the performance and first-hand experience to give meaning, fun and practical advice. Her experience as an arts educator also give her the expertise to know first-hand what students and young professional need to hear. You are going to love her three BIG pieces of advice.
Resources
For all your audition needs including sheet music, tracks, monologues advice and so much more visit:
https://performerstuff.com/
Engage with the Show
facebook.com/InTheHoldingRoom
Nikki Snelson
Musical Theater Mayhem
https://www.facebook.com/MusicalTheatreMayhem
Fan Page
https://www.nikkisnelson.com/Nikki_Snelson.html
Wednesday Mar 31, 2021
Wednesday Mar 31, 2021
Episode Summary
Nikki Snelson in “Performer Spotlight” tells us what it was like auditioning for the original Broadway cast of Legally Blonde the Musical, where she created the role of Brooke Wyndham, as well as the revival cast of Annie Get Your Gun, where she starred opposite Bernadette Peters. “Thank you 5” is all about working with celebrities and what to look out for. In “Professor’s Corner” we have the incredible Darla Hayward, a casting director for Disney, to tell it like it is!
Intro to this Episode
In this Episode of “In The Holding Room” we are joined by performer Nikki Snelson, for “Performer Spotlight”. Nikki was a member of the original Broadway cast of Legally Blonde The Musical. In 2008, Nikki headlined the first national revival tour of A Chorus Line, starring in the iconic role of Cassie. Other credits on Broadway include starring with the original cast of the 1999 Tony and Grammy Award winning Broadway revival ofAnnie Get Your Gun, opposite Bernadette Peters. She also appeared in the Broadway revival of Sweet Charity starring Christina Applegate, the national tours of Tick, Tick... Boom! as Susan, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Hello Dolly! starring Carol Channing, and Showboat. In 2009 and 2010, she originated the role of the new, female, villainous Mad Hatter, in the Frank Wildhorn musical Wonderland: Alice’s New Musical Adventure, in its world premiere productions at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa and Houston’s Alley Theatre.
In “Thank you 5” this week, I talk about working with celebrities, what to look out for and what to consider.
Darla Hayward in “Professor’s Corner” brings you a ton of information, as she spent years with Disney as a casting director. She has cast Equity and Non-Equity shows for Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Sea and Disney Cruise Line. She sees 1000’s of performers a year and hires 100’s a year. So, believe me when I say she has seen it all. You will get some great insight from this amazing discussion.
Resources
For all your audition needs including sheet music, tracks, monologues advice and so much more visit:
https://performerstuff.com/
Engage with the Show
facebook.com/InTheHoldingRoom
Nikki Snelson
Musical Theater Mayhem
https://www.facebook.com/MusicalTheatreMayhem
Fan Page
https://www.nikkisnelson.com/Nikki_Snelson.html
Darla Hayward
https://www.haywardentertainmentresources.com/
Wednesday Mar 31, 2021
Wednesday Mar 31, 2021
Episode Summary
Nikki Snelson in “Performer Spotlight” tells us what it was like auditioning for the original Broadway cast of Legally Blonde the Musical, where she created the role of Brooke Wyndham, as well as the revival cast of Annie Get Your Gun, where she starred opposite Bernadette Peters. “Thank you 5” is all about working with celebrities and what to look out for. In “Professor’s Corner” we have the incredible Darla Hayward, a casting director for Disney, to tell it like it is!
Intro to this Episode
In this Episode of “In The Holding Room” we are joined by performer Nikki Snelson, for “Performer Spotlight”. Nikki was a member of the original Broadway cast of Legally Blonde The Musical. In 2008, Nikki headlined the first national revival tour of A Chorus Line, starring in the iconic role of Cassie. Other credits on Broadway include starring with the original cast of the 1999 Tony and Grammy Award winning Broadway revival ofAnnie Get Your Gun, opposite Bernadette Peters. She also appeared in the Broadway revival of Sweet Charity starring Christina Applegate, the national tours of Tick, Tick... Boom! as Susan, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Hello Dolly! starring Carol Channing, and Showboat. In 2009 and 2010, she originated the role of the new, female, villainous Mad Hatter, in the Frank Wildhorn musical Wonderland: Alice’s New Musical Adventure, in its world premiere productions at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa and Houston’s Alley Theatre.
In “Thank you 5” this week, I talk about working with celebrities, what to look out for and what to consider.
Darla Hayward in “Professor’s Corner” brings you a ton of information, as she spent years with Disney as a casting director. She has cast Equity and Non-Equity shows for Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Sea and Disney Cruise Line. She sees 1000’s of performers a year and hires 100’s a year. So, believe me when I say she has seen it all. You will get some great insight from this amazing discussion.
Resources
For all your audition needs including sheet music, tracks, monologues advice and so much more visit:
https://performerstuff.com/
Engage with the Show
facebook.com/InTheHoldingRoom
Nikki Snelson
Musical Theater Mayhem
https://www.facebook.com/MusicalTheatreMayhem
Fan Page
https://www.nikkisnelson.com/Nikki_Snelson.html
Darla Hayward
https://www.haywardentertainmentresources.com/
Monday Mar 29, 2021
Monday Mar 29, 2021
Episode Summary
Tyler Murree walks us through his unique audition experience for the multi-million-dollar production of Lord of the Rings the Musical, that required him to get a physical trainer before a boot camp style audition and how he landed the role from the middle of the ocean. In “Thank You 5” I talk about how comparing cast albums or performances of the same songs is a fun and eye-opening experience. Kristy Cates tells us about the simplest mistakes people make at auditions and how to fix them, plus why you haven’t earned the right to sing the song like the character does in the show, at your audition.
Intro to this Episode
In this Episode of In The Holding Room we are joined by performer Tyler Murree for our “Performer Spotlight” segment. Amongst other notable performances, Tyler has been seen in the premiere Canadian casts of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and The Lord of the Rings the Musical, the US national tour of The Lion King, and Les Misérables on Broadway.
In “Thank you 5” this week, I will be talking about comparing cast albums and different versions of the same song.
Our “Professor’s Corner” segment features Kristy Cates. Kristy is an original member of the NYFA Musical Theatre Faculty and is a professional voiceover artist. She recently played Grandma Josephine in "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory" on Broadway. Past productions include: Elphaba in "Wicked" (Broadway, First National Tour, Chicago), Miss Bassett in "Finding Neverland", "Jerry Springer: The Opera" at Carnegie Hall, a handful of Off-Broadway shows and many regional productions.
Resources
For all your audition needs including sheet music, tracks, monologues advice and so much more visit:
https://performerstuff.com/
Engage with the Show
facebook.com/InTheHoldingRoom
Tyler Murree:
http://www.tylermurree.com/
Kristy Cates:
@KristyCates
Professional Conservatory of Musical Theater at the New York Film Academy
https://www.nyfa.edu/musical-theatre/
Monday Mar 29, 2021
Monday Mar 29, 2021
Intro to this Episode
In this Episode of In the Holding Room we are joined by performer, David Silvestre for our “Performer Spotlight” segment. Amongst other notable performances, David has been seen at The Stratford Shakespeare Festival in 42nd Street and The Pirates of Penzance. He appeared on the Toronto stage in the productions of Kinky Boots. He understudied Ramin Karimaloo as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and is currently in (although the show is on hiatus) Come From Away.
Our “Professor’s Corner” segment features composer, conductor, musical director extraordinaire, Sean Michael Flowers, back again talking about why you should write letters to your heroes.
In “Thank you 5” this week, I will be talking about the improv games you should be playing to better prepare yourself for your auditions.
Episode Summary
David walks us through some of his auditions including the one for Les Misérables where Cameron Mackintosh calls Boublil and Schonberg into the room to hear him sing. Sean drops value bombs as to why cultivating your network is incredibly important and what things to look out for when first starting out, as well as tips to find mentors to help you grow. I also discuss one of my passions, which is Improv, and the games that will help you better connect with your material, so you have a well thought out monologue and song performance for your auditions.
Quotable quotes from this Episode
“Don’t limit yourself, especially at an audition”
“Anything that makes my time in front of the piano less and in front of the casting director more.”
“Oh good! Now I’m going to sing Bring Him Home for Cameron Mackintosh, no biggie”
“You never know who you are standing next to, because they could go on to be stars!”
“You must have the audacity to believe the impossible is possible”
Resources
For all your audition needs including sheet music, tracks, monologues advice and so much more visit:
https://performerstuff.com/
Engage with the Show
facebook.com/InTheHoldingRoom
David Silvestre: Audition Coaching
https://www.silvestristudio.com/
Saturday Mar 27, 2021
Saturday Mar 27, 2021
Episode Summary
Mike walks us through some of his auditions including the one for the original revival cast of A Chorus Line on Broadway that was made into the documentary, Every Little Step. He discusses some of the pitfalls of rehearsals and the importance of being a hard worker over being talented. I tell you why you don’t need to bring dance shoes, why you do need a hoodie and that cough drops are good for you, though they can also hide your puke. Sean lays it out, that choosing the theater as a career means you have to read, see, and listen to everything you can.
Intro to this Episode
In this Episode of In the Holding Room we are joined by Broadway performer Mike Cannon for our “Performer Spotlight” segment. Mike has been seen on Broadway in All Shook Up, The Addams Family, Ghost, A Chorus Line, West Side Story and Aladdin.
In my “Thank you 5” segment this week, I will be talking about all the items you need to be packing in your bag to take with you to an audition.
Our “Professor’s Corner” segment features Composer, Conductor, Musical Director extraordinaire, Sean Michael Flowers, discussing why you need to have a voracious appetite.
Quotable quotes from this Episode
“Auditioning is a whole other tool. You can sing well, dance well, act well, but you also have to audition well.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself”
“When you accept the fact that you are going to walk the life of an artist, you then have to accept the fact that you are going to be a student of your craft for the rest of your life”
Resources
For all your audition needs including sheet music, tracks, monologues advice and so much more visit:
https://performerstuff.com/
Engage with the Show
facebook.com/InTheHoldingRoom
Mike Cannon
@Mikecannonhomesquad
Book: The Musical from the Inside Out
Book: The Longest Line
Movie: Every Little Step
Movie: A Chorus Line
For help moving to or moving in NYC give Mike Cannon a shout
https://www.newyorkhomesquad.com
Saturday Mar 27, 2021
Saturday Mar 27, 2021
Episode Summary
Gabrielle Reid describes the 4- year process for getting into Hairspray on Broadway as well as getting into Beautiful: The Carol King Musical. I’m also going to give you a list of shows that you will probably fight me over, but they are the shows that were recorded live on stage, besides Hamilton, that you should be watching. Yes, 4 of them are Sondheim musicals, and just because you’re not a Sondheim fanatic doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch them and I’ll tell you why. Nicolette Hart is going to school you today on why studying something other than theater is going to help your career and why you shouldn’t bother asking Siri for answers.
Intro to this Episode
This week our “Performer Spotlight” segment features Gabrielle Reid. She has been seen in the National Tour of Happy Days and Mama Mia in Las Vegas. She was in the National Tour and Broadway Casts of Hairspray. She was also an original cast member of Beautiful: The Carol King Musical. You will also want to check her out in the 2020 movie Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol with a Twist.
My “Thank You 5" segment this week is about the shows, besides Hamilton, that were recorded live on stage that you should be watching.
“Professor’s Corner” features Broadway TV and Movie Alumni Nicolette Hart, but she is also an accomplished voice acting coach, teaching college audition prep, and is a certified Rock the Audition Coach.
Quotable quotes from this Episode
“Your audition starts the second you touch the doorknob outside”
Resources
For all your audition needs including sheet music, tracks, monologues advice and so much more visit:
https://performerstuff.com/
Engage with the Show
facebook.com/InTheHoldingRoom
Gabrielle Reid
To get more info on coaching sessions from Gabrielle or more info on getting fit and healthy
@gabzreid
Nicolette Hart
https://www.nicolettehart.biz/