'Back to the Future' Takeover

Featuring Roger Bart

We dive deep into the incredible career of Roger Bart, a Tony Award-winning actor who has brought iconic characters to life on both stage and screen. Currently starring as Doc Brown in Back to the Future: The Musical, Roger shares his journey with us, from his early Broadway debut in Big River to his voice work as young Hercules in Disney's animated classic.Roger reflects on his career highlights, including his award-winning role as Snoopy in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, working with Mel Brooks in The Producers and Young Frankenstein, and his memorable TV roles in Desperate Housewives and Revenge. He offers fascinating behind-the-scenes stories from his time developing Back to the Future from its early days in Europe to its current run on Broadway, touching on the challenges of portraying Doc Brown and how he brings his unique comedic flair to the role. Roger also discusses his love for comedy, the influence of Warner Bros. cartoons on his sense of humor, and how he balances broad comedic moments with genuine character depth. He offers heartfelt advice for young performers: be prepared, be kind, and don’t be afraid to make bold choices.Roger Bart’s passion for performing began in childhood, using his singing talent to connect with his parents and spark his love for the stage. His professional journey truly began after studying acting at Rutgers’ Mason Gross School of the Arts, where he transitioned from instinctual performing to a more profound understanding of the craft. This education laid the foundation for his wide-ranging career, where his unique blend of humor and depth has become a hallmark of his performances. His comedic style, influenced by the precise timing and structure of Warner Bros. cartoons, was refined during his collaborations with Mel Brooks in the beloved productions of The Producers and Young Frankenstein.Roger’s career spans both stage and screen. He made his Broadway debut in Big River and won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Snoopy in the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. In addition to his stage work, Roger has also left a mark on television with notable roles in Desperate Housewives, Revenge, Good Trouble, and A Series of Unfortunate Events. Film and voice work include the 2005 movie version of The Producers and voicing young Hercules in Disney’s Hercules. Currently, he stars as Doc Brown in Back to the Future: The Musical, a role that has earned him a Tony nomination and further solidified his reputation as a versatile and beloved actor.SPECIAL ACCESSIBLE BTTF TICKET INFO, valid on performances Sept 17 - Nov 10, 2024 only Upper Level Seats from $59 (including fees) Stage Level Seats from $79 (including fees) Tickets are available at BackToTheFutureMusical.com, through Telecharge by calling 212-239-6200 or visiting Telecharge.com, or at the Winter Garden Theatre box office. Connect with Roger: Instagram: @rogerbartofficial Watch the full "Shooting Star" cut song from Hercules: https://youtu.be/hkPhGYMGmno Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support the podcast on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com My personal Instagram: @alanseales

Featuring Evan Alexander Smith

We explore the remarkable journey of Evan Alexander Smith, whose path from Ontario to Broadway—and beyond—has been marked by diverse experiences and significant milestones. Evan's passion for theatre ignited in his early years, catalyzed by a transformative production of "Oliver" and a pivotal audition opportunity presented by a friend for an arts high school. Evan reflects on his tenure with Disney Cruise Line, where he not only honed his craft but also experienced a "showmance" that blossomed into marriage, ultimately guiding him to the vibrant theatre scene of New York City. He discusses his role as an audition reader and how this experience helped him demystify the audition process, thereby alleviating his fears and enhancing his performance skills. Having shared the stage with luminaries such as Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez in the production of "Merrily We Roll Along," Evan emphasizes the centrality of storytelling in his approach to acting. He delves into his current portrayal of George McFly in "Back to the Future: The Musical," a role he approaches with a blend of humor and depth, focusing on George's distinct mannerisms and psychological complexity. Evan concludes with practical advice for aspiring performers: prioritize authenticity and self-belief over concerns about others' perceptions. His insights offer valuable guidance for those navigating the competitive landscape of the performing arts.Evan Alexander Smith is an actor, singer, and voiceover artist hailing from Toronto. A Dora Award nominee and Gemini Award winner, he starred in the original Canadian production of “The Toxic Avenger” musical and spent two seasons at Canada's prestigious Shaw Festival in productions of “Ragtime”, “His Girl Friday”, “Guys & Dolls”, and “Lady Windermere's Fan”. His National Tour credits include “Dirty Dancing” and “The Play That Goes Wrong”. His Broadway credits include “Amazing Grace” the recent revival of “Merrily We Roll Along" and now, “Back to the Future: The Musical” where he is currently starring as George McFly. Connect with Evan: Website: www.evanalexandersmith.com Instagram: @iamevansmith Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support the podcast on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com My personal Instagram: @alanseales

Featuring Casey Likes

With impressive stage credits at a young age, Casey Likes who’s currently playing the iconic role of Marty McFly in "Back to the Future: The Musical" is someone to watch out for in the Broadway scene. Starting his acting career at age three, Casey talks about his road to Broadway and the lessons he learned from his mom who’s also an actress. The rising star shares how he initially heard about "Back to the Future: The Musical" when it was announced in 2018, considering it a fun idea to play Marty McFly one day potentially. Casey talks about his audition process, getting the part, and learning to play the guitar to portray Marty better. He shares that Huey Lewis, who performed the song, "The Power of Love" in the movie, provided him with a note about the song's timing. Casey describes the challenge of incorporating iconic movie scenes into the show and highlights his favorite moments. He emphasizes the importance of continuously working on your craft–stressing the significance of continued growth and improvement in his talents.Casey Likes is one of Broadway's brightest rising stars who made his Broadway debut as the lead in last season's production of “Almost Famous”. His film credits include playing the young Gene Simmons in the Neil Bogart biopic, “Spinning Gold”, Richie Shepard in the leading role at MGM's feature “Dark Harvest”, and the film “Everything Must Go”, where he portrayed a young Will Ferrell. His TV credits include the recent Crypt TV and Facebook Watch series, “The Birch” and National Geographic's “American Blackout”. A filmmaker himself, he has won awards for the direction of his films, “Seriously” and “How to Romance”, and at the age of just a wee 17, he won the ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards for best lead male and was a finalist in the 2019 Jimmy Awards. He can now be seen tearing up the stage as Marty McFly in Broadway's “Back to the Future”.Connect with Casey: Instagram: @justcaseylikes Twitter: @justcaseylikes TikTok: @justcaseylikes Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales

Featuring Liana Hunt

Liana Hunt is a triple-threat actress currently gracing the stage as Lorraine Baines in the Broadway musical, "Back to the Future". She talks about her journey to theatre, sharing that even though nobody in her family is in the arts, or into theater and music, their unwavering support was more than enough. Having experiences with improv comedy, Liana highlights the importance of trust and vulnerability in improvisation, and how it helped her to embrace unpredictability and let go of perfectionism. Playing an iconic role in "Back to the Future," she recalls the time of her audition process, the challenges that came along with it, bringing their own uniqueness to their roles while being faithful to the movie, and why she thinks the show is filled with “Broadway magic”. Beyond her work on stage, Liana emphasizes the significance of spending time with herself, personal growth, and authenticity in her journey as a performer.Liana Hunt is known for her remarkable performances on stage. She has appeared on Broadway, national tours, regionally, on television, and in films. She's a skilled improviser, teacher, and private coach, and has been seen on the Broadway stage previously in “Newsies” and “Mamma Mia”. Now she's bringing her flavor to the iconic role of Lorraine McFly in “Back to the Future” on Broadway.Connect with Liana: Instagram: @lianamariehunt Twitter: @lianamariehunt Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales

Featuring Jelani Remy, Merritt David Janes

This is the second of four of the “Back to the Future” podcast takeover! This episode features Merritt David Janes and Jelani Remy, two real-life friends and on stage frenemies. Merritt talks about the show’s influence on his childhood and describes being a part of the show as a pinch-me moment for him, Jelani discusses his early experiences with performing and touring and the two talk about their experiences with the production of "Back to the Future" , how they auditioned for their roles, and what it means to them. They emphasize the positive and collaborative atmosphere on the set and how the cast gets along well, their favorite parts of the show, and the fulfillment they get from the support of younger fans and the theater community. Merritt and Jelani share their motivations and advice for aspiring performers, including finding reasons to show up to pursue one's dreams (and good food!).Merritt David Janes and Jelani Remy are both no strangers to the Broadway stage. Jelani Remy’s credits include “Ain't Too Proud”, “The Lion King”, “High School Musical” (1 and 2), and “Smokey Joe's Cafe”. He was recognized as a Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star and is a Chita Rivera Award recipient. Merritt David Janes, on the other hand, recently graced the Broadway stage in the original cast of “School of Rock” and has performed in national tours of “School of Rock”, “Sweeney Todd”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “The Wedding Singer”, “Phantom of The Opera”, “Shrek”, and “Catch Me If You Can”, and was recently in the world premiere of “The Griswolds’ Broadway Vacation”. Together, they have numerous credits, including Jelani now playing Mayor Goldie Wilson and Marvin Berry and Merritt playing Principal Strickland, both in the Broadway production of “Back to the Future”.Connect with Merritt David Janes and Jelani Remy: Instagram: @mdjtanner, @itsjelaniremy Facebook: @merritt.janes Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales

Featuring Nate Hackmann

From playing Jean Valjean in “Les Misérables” to working with some of the best orchestras in the world, Nathaniel Hackmann has etched his mark as a versatile artist. Nate grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, doing community theater at a very young age which eventually led to his love for theatre and performing arts. He talks about his initial goal of becoming the youngest baritone to make his debut at the Metropolitan Opera and life lessons along the way that made him realize the music theater community and the people who work in music theater are his tribe. Nate looks back on his turning point which came when he auditioned for the NETwork’s Beauty and the Beast National Tour in 2010. Currently playing as Biff Tannen in the production of Broadway's “Back to the Future”, he reveals his in-depth knowledge of the film, its production history and the challenges it faced, and his starstruck moment with Huey Lewis. Nate reflects on his motivations as an artist, emphasizing service, community, and spreading joy, and why young artists should find their voice and what motivates them.Nathaniel Hackmann is an incredibly versatile actor who has held many roles alongside many of the world's greatest orchestras. He's played both Jean Valjean and Javert in “Les Misérables” on Broadway in addition to iconic roles like Jekyll and Hyde and Hunchback of Notre Dame for the internationally televised BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall. He was Curly with the John Wilson Orchestra in the acclaimed production of “Oklahoma!”. He’s also an opera singer, and an alumnus of the prestigious Merola Opera Program in the San Francisco Opera and has performed with the Virginia Opera, Michigan Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco, Lyric Opera, and many others. On the concert stage, he appeared with the John Wilson Orchestra, Sinfonia of London, Hong Kong Symphony, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, and Springfield Symphony. He can now be seen as Biff Tannen in the current production of Broadway's “Back to the Future”.Connect with Nathaniel: Instagram: @n8hackmann TikTok: @nathanielhackmann Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales