'Freestyle Love Supreme' Takeover

Featuring Tarik Davis

Tarik Davis is an actor and writer based in New York City with a 20 year history of acting, performing improv and writing comedy. Past experience includes performing for The Upright Citizens Brigade in NY, Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, and The Second City in Chicago. He is a member of the longest running improv team at The PIT, The Baldwins, and also performs with Baby Wants Candy and Shamilton at UCB in Hell's Kitchen. Tarik is a founding member of the monthly improv show Comedy People’s Time that features writers and performers from shows like Late Night with Seth Meyers and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. He made his Broadway debut in Freestyle Love Supreme, which just returned to Broadway on October 7th, and is well known as the sidekick and announcer on The Amber Ruffin show on Peacock.A self proclaimed theater nerd, Tarik reflects on his recent Tony Award’s performance with Freestyle Love Supreme, calling it one of the best days of his life. He describes the fill circle moment he experienced as he held hands with Wayne Brady on the Tony’s stage, and shares that it was Brady’s performance on Whose Line Is It Anyway? that encouraged him to stick with improv years ago. Tarik opens up about the high’s and low’s of imposter syndrome, and learning to embrace life as an improviser, and say “yes”. He also takes us behind the scenes of his audition for Freestyle Love Supreme, how it played out, and what made it different from other auditions. In this episode, we talk about: How the FLS Tony Awards performance was crafted When he realized 20 years of improv had prepared him for FLS What he learned from years of small black box performances in NYC Following your passion, and betting on yourself The importance of comedy Connect with Tarik: IG: @tarikdavis Twitter: @tarikdavis Get tickets to Freestyle Love Supreme Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com.

Featuring Jill Furman

“If you can do something that makes you happy and that you really feel passionate about, it's not going to feel like work, it's going to feel joyous.”Two-time Tony Award winning theatrical producer Jill Furman is part of the driving force bringing Freestyle Love Supreme back to Broadway this month, after having originally brought it to Broadway in 2019. She is also currently producing six productions of Hamilton, including one on Broadway and one in London’s West End. Additional Broadway credits include In the Heights, the 2013 revival of Cinderella, The Heiress, Seminar, West Side Story, The Drowsy Chaperone, Sly Fox, and Fortune’s Fool. Jill grew up in New York City going to the theatre with her parents, reading Variety magazine with her father, producer Roy Furman, and always knew she wanted to be in entertainment. She chronicles her journey from NYC, to LA, and back again, through college, grad school, and starting her own production company. Jill shares how she became involved with In the Heights very early on in 2003 after watching Lin Manuel perform in the basement of the drama bookshop; and how later the same year, she witnessed Freestyle Love Supreme for the first time. Jill also opens up about how she chooses projects to work on, highlighting the importance of her shows having a positive impact on an audience in some way. In this episode, we talk about: The special Tony Award given to Freestyle Love Supreme Deciding when and how to bring shows back post-shutdown The thought process behind remounting FLS on Broadway Her preference for working in theatre v. film Two new projects she has in development Connect with Jill:IG: @jillfurman Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com.

Featuring James Monroe Iglehart, Tommy Kail

To celebrate it’s reopening on Broadway next month, the acclaimed director of Freestyle Love Supreme joins one if it’s first company members to talk about all things past, present and future for their show, and for FLS Academy.Tommy Kail is a director and producer known for his amazing work on Hamilton, In the Heights, Grease Live!, and Fosse/Verdon. James Monroe Iglehart just reprised his role as Lafayette/Jefferson in the newly reopened Hamilton on Broadway, originated Genie in Disney's Aladdin, and has other Broadway and TV credits including Memphis, Spelling Bee, Netflix's Maniac, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and the Tangled animated series. Both Tony Award winners, Tommy (director) and James (one of the first members to join FLS) are set to bring their hit show Freestyle Love Supreme back to Broadway next month for a limited run beginning on October 7, 2021. Tommy and James recall their first meeting at James’ audition for Freestyle Love Supreme, where James was hired on the spot. James shares how he met, performed, and became friends with Chris Jackson, who later introduced him to Freestyle Love Supreme in its early years. Tommy gives us an inside look on what it’s like directing an improv show like FLS, comparing it to being the coach of a basketball team, and describing how important it is for him to find new members whose energies vibe with the rest of the group. They also open up about what makes FLS so unique and different from any other show they’ve worked on, highlighting the unfailing affection and admiration each company member has for the other. In this episode, we talk about: How Freestyle Love Supreme was born The family they’ve created, and why they always return Discovering new member Aneesa Folds at the FLS academy The impact of the audience storing their phones during the show What Tommy looks for when casting a show like FLS The future of Freestyle Love Supreme Connect with Tommy: Good luck! He's not on social media! Watch We Are Freestyle Love Supreme on Hulu Connect with James: IG: @jmiglehart Twitter: @jamesmiglehart Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com.

Featuring Jenny Steingart, Producing Powerhouse

Jenny Steingart is a powerhouse producer for theater, film, and television. She has worked alongside some of the greatest names in the industry, including Tina Fey, Joel Grey, Sir Patrick Stewart, Josh Groban, and Lin Manuel Miranda. Recent productions include Freestyle Love Supreme on Broadway, a limited engagement of Sir Patrick Stewart's A Christmas Carol, Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, Mean Girls and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. She most recently produced the documentary We Are Freestyle Love Supreme, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Jenny is the co-founder of Ars Nova, New York City’s premier theater for emerging artists and new work. She has also co-founded a Japanese animation studio called Ultra Super Pictures. Jenny grew up in a creative household, where her mother, a singer and musician, and her father, a broadcaster, strongly encouraged her to pursue her passions. A theater kid, initially not able to conceive of doing anything else except acting, Jenny takes us back to her post college days when she realized performing was actually not going to be for her. She recounts her introduction to producer Margo Lion, for whom she became an assistant, and details how she began her own journey to producing. Jenny chats about the years she has happily devoted to the development and production of FreeStyle Love Supreme, and also candidly speaks about how the pain and grief of losing her brother became a catalyst for founding Ars Nova. In this episode, we talk about: The advice her father always gave her Having powerhouse female producers as role models Her oldest son’s interest in the performing arts How failing is an essential part of any creative process Her favorite game in Freestyle Love Supreme Connect with Jenny:IG: @jennysteingart Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com.