Interviews

One Night In Towson: #GameOn with Third Wall Players’ Principal Players in Chess the Musical

Interviews March 30, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

Everybody’s playing the game. But nobody’s rules are the same. Who’s side will you be on? The Soviet’s? The American’s? Third Wall Productions’? In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview, we sit down with three of the principals of Third Wall Productions’ upcoming production of Chess to get a feel for this first return-to-live performances for 2022.

Thank you all again for sitting down with me in person and giving me some of your time for this!

Kyle Taylor Parker as Happy Man in Pretty Woman.

Forget Your Troubles Come On Get Happy: An Interview with Pretty Woman’s Happy Man- Kyle Taylor Parker

Interviews March 29, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

Everybody needs a dream! For a great many of us, it was waking up to find that live theatre had returned after nearly two years in darkness, waiting and hoping and dreaming that we’d all be able to return to the stage with all the joy and wonder and feeling that entails. In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview, we’ve had a phone chat with Broadway veteran Kyle Taylor Parker about his current role in the National Touring production of Pretty Woman the musical.

Sunflowers of Hope: An Interview with Director Conni Trump Ross on Calendar Girls at Silhouette Stages

Interviews March 2, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

The long-awaited production of Calendar Girls is finally making its way to the stage! Silhouette Stages production of the show, directed by Conni Ross, was originally slated for the Slayton House stage in March of 2020. The show was in its final phase of tech week when the pandemic shuttered the world, shutting down the state and all live-theatre with it. Two years later, with indefatigable hope and a feeling of triumph, director Conni Trump Ross has given us some time in a one-on-one,

Medication Time: An In-Depth Interview with Lance Bankerd & Melanie Bishop on Playing Randle McMurphy & Nurse Ratched for Showcase On Main’s Production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Interviews February 24, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

“He who marches out of step, hears another drum.” Randle McMurphy, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Aren’t we all just marching to our own drum, the one we hear inside our head? Some maybe more than others, sometimes even the whole country marching out of step with itself? A powerful stage play, which started life as a novel by the same name and later went on to become an iconic film of the mid 1970’s,

Go Downtown- Where The Urchins Go: An Interview with Isabel Bray, Kalea Bray, and Tigga Smaller and their experiences with Little Shop of Horrors at Tidewater Players

Interviews February 23, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

Downtown…there’s no rules, you know. Downtown… you’ll have to see their show. Downtown… the urchins of Skid Row— this one’s about the-ee-eem. There on Skid Row. That’s right— Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon— the urchins of Skid Row and in a sit-down TheatreBloom exclusive, we’re talking with Tigga Smaller, Isabel Bray, and Kalea Bray on what it’s like to play the ‘ensemble’ of an ensemble-less show.

Thank you all so very much for taking some time to sit and talk with me.

Don’t Feed The Plants! An interview with Eric Bray on Playing Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors at Tidewater Players

Interviews February 22, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

You’ve got his number now. You know just what he’s done. He’s got no place to hide. He’s got not place to run. You know is life of crime—I think it’s suppertime! Er— um— interview time. Yes, that’s right. DON’T feed the plants, as the story goes! We’ll interview them instead. In a TheatreBloom exclusive, in-person interview, we’ve sat down with Eric Bray, currently in the role of Audrey II at Tidewater Player’s production of Little Shop of Horrors.

Brittny Smith (center) as Diva Donna and the cast of Summer. Photo: Denise Trupe

Sizzlin’ Summer: Dynamic Diva Delivers Interview- Brittny Smith on playing ‘Diva Donna’

Interviews February 4, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

“To come back into live theatre, in the wake of this on-going pandemic, why not come to a party?” ~Brittny Smith on Summer: The Donna Summer Musical experience.

You’ve heard the songs. You know the name. Now go behind the scenes to see what it’s like to be Donna Summer. In a TheatreBloom exclusive, we’ve had the privilege to speak with Brittny Smith, playing ‘Diva Donna’ on the current national tour of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.

Keeping it Zazzy! An Interview with The Prom’s Emily Borromeo

Interviews January 18, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

“When a challenge lies ahead and you are filled with dread and worry— give it some Zazz!” the opening lines of the opening number of the second act of The Prom. Making its way to The Hippodrome Stage in Charm City, this joyous, heartfelt, and uplifting musical about living your best life and being true to yourself is ready to give audiences all over Baltimore some real Zazz. In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview,

Madness & Melancholy: An Interview with Baltimore’s John Kelso on Playing Edgar Allan Poe

Interviews October 1, 2021 Amanda N. Gunther

“Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.” –Edgar Allan Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordyn Pym.

When one twists darkened words of macabre and melancholy through the mind and round the tongue, one finds perhaps phantom shades of Baltimore’s beloved Edgar Allan Poe coming to light. Returning to the stage after two years’ hiatus, Do Or Die Productions is reviving their renowned production of Poe’s Last Stanza,

God Bless Them, Everyone! An Interview with Henry Cyr & J Purnell Hargrove about Third Wall Productions’ A Christmas Carol Radio Drama Podcast

Interviews December 7, 2020 Amanda N. Gunther

“It’s true wherever you find love— it feels like Christmas!” My favorite quote from my favorite adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol— A Muppet Christmas Carol— and while we may not be gathering at big Christmas parties this year, or packing into the theatre to see the latest area rendering of the Dickensian holiday classic, the statement stands— wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas. Henry Cyr and J Purnell Hargrove,

The Band's Visit national tour. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

Haled’s Song About Love: An Interview with The Band’s Visit’s Joe Joseph

Interviews February 20, 2020 Amanda N. Gunther

“Not break the ice; you melt the ice. You melt yourself and soon
you’re all one puddle.” The lead-in lyrics from “Haled’s Song About Love”, the
feature number performed by Joe Joseph’s character, Haled, in The Band’s
Visit. TheatreBloom Founder Amanda Gunther sits down with Joe Joseph and ‘melts
the ice’ in a quick conversation about his experience on tour with the
production and why he’s excited for it to come to Charm City.

DeCarlo Raspberry (left) as Lola and Matt Hirsh (right) as Charlie Price in Kinky Boots. Photo: Jeri Tidwell Photography

The Sex Is In The Heel! Talking Some Kinky Boots with Kinky Boots Stars and Helen Hayes Award Winners Matt Hirsh and DeCarlo Raspberry

Interviews February 12, 2020 Amanda N. Gunther

PINK is for playthings.

YELLOW’s for warnings.

PURPLE for princes.

BLACK for wannabes.

GREEN is for pickles.

But RED… RED IS FOR SEX!!!

Serving up all the sex, the sauce, the sassiness, and the
serious heart and soul, Kinky Boots is all the rage at Toby’s Dinner
Theatre of Columbia. Marking the regional premiere of the production, whose
successful run on Broadway sent it touring around the country before it finally
landed in Columbia,

The Hippodrome’s 2020/2021 Broadway Season: A Quick Chat With President Ron Legler

Interviews January 15, 2020 Amanda N. Gunther

Are you ready for Broadway in your own backyard? Baltimore’s
Hippodrome Theatre just announced their 2020/2021 season and they’re bringing
shows hot off Broadway right to the heart of Charm City! The season features
six shows making their Baltimore debut:

Tootsie (10/13/20 – 10/18/20)
Pretty Woman (12/8/20 – 12/13/20)
Mean Girls (01/19/21 – 01/24/21)
The Prom

DREAMING THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM WITH THIRD WALL PRODUCTIONS- INTERVIEWS WITH THE CAST OF MAN OF LA MANCHA: Robert Howard, Jim Morgan, Nick Ruth, Mike Zellhofer

Interviews November 7, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

The impossible dream interview series may be coming to a
close— just in time for you to stop dreaming of Third Wall’s Man of La
Mancha and go see it! They open tomorrow! (Friday 11/8/19) and there are
still tickets available! You won’t want to miss this timeless classic, rarely
produced in Baltimore, as it sweeps past its own impossible dreams and brings
you hope of dreaming once more. In the final installment of the interview
series,

DREAMING THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM WITH THIRD WALL PRODUCTIONS- INTERVIEWS WITH THE CAST OF MAN OF LA MANCHA: Henry Cyr, Maggie Flanigan, Valerie Foxburrow, Emily Machovec

Interviews November 5, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause!
Surely that’s everyone’s feeling on Tech-week Tuesday when it comes to any
production, but particularly that of Third Wall Productions’ Man of La
Mancha. In the penultimate installment of the “Dreaming the Impossible
Dream” series, we feature members of the ensemble, the horse, the good Duke
& Doctor, and the innkeeper’s wife.

Amanda N. Gunther | TheatreBloom (L to R) Maggie Flanigan,

DREAMING THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM WITH THIRD WALL PRODUCTIONS- INTERVIEWS WITH THE CAST OF MAN OF LA MANCHA: Eve Carlson, Olive DeVille, Sarah Joyce, Will Zellhofer

Interviews November 3, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

And their Don Quixote, their— Man of La Mancha opens in
just days! Carrying on further into the Dreaming The Impossible Dream interview
series, the fourth installment of the cast features the Housekeeper, a member of
the ensemble, Don Quixote’s niece, the assistant choreographer, and the show’s
musical director.

If you want to tell us who you are, who you play in this
show, and the most recent thing you’ve done in/on/around/adjacent to a stage,

Today 4 U, Tomorrow 4 Angel: An Interview With Joshua Tavares on playing Angel in the 20th Anniversary Tour of Rent

Interviews October 31, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights in cups of coffee— in
cities you tour through, in shows that you do— it’s 525,600 minutes! How do you
measure, measure a year? In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview, we are
fortunate enough to chat with Joshua Tavares, playing Angel in the current
touring production of Rent, all about the seasons of love and what it
means to fulfil the iconic role in this show.

Thank you so much for giving us some of your tome,

DREAMING THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM WITH THIRD WALL PRODUCTIONS- INTERVIEWS WITH THE CAST OF MAN OF LA MANCHA: Jim Driver, Frederick Frey, Ann Pallanck, Hope Standish-Pallanck

Interviews October 29, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

Continuing their quest! Following that star— no matter how
hopeless— no matter how far! Third Wall Productions opens their production of Man
of La Mancha in just a few weeks. With tech week just around the corner,
much like a windmill giant that must be slain, Part 3 of The Impossible Dream
interview series comes to you now.

Here we are, four more in the cast of Man of La Mancha,

DREAMING THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM WITH THIRD WALL PRODUCTIONS- INTERVIEWS WITH THE CAST OF MAN OF LA MANCHA: Lance Bankerd, James Doggett, Brian Reagan

Interviews October 24, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

To beat the unbeatable foe! To bear with unbearable sorrow!
To run where the brave dare not go— this is dream! This is Part 2— continuing
on in a multi-part interview series with the company of Third Wall Productions’
Man of La Mancha, we explore the impossible dreams of three more
individuals involved with the production.

Thank you all for continuing to donate precious rehearsal
time to us so that the denizens of the greater Baltimore area can be privy to
your impossible dreams!

Korie Lee Blossey as The Genie in Aladdin. Photo: Deen van Meer

POOF! What Do You Need? An Interview with Korie Lee Blossey on playing The Genie in Disney’s Aladdin

Interviews October 16, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

Well Ali Babba had them had them 40 thieves!

Scheherezade had a thousand tales!

But Baltimore you in luck ‘cause on your stage— you got a
brand of magic that never fails!

Make way— for Disney’s Aladdin! Hey, clear the way,
on the street downtown, hey you, let us through, and come on down— get your
tickets in your hand and be the first to see this show!

Dreaming The Impossible Dream with Third Wall Productions- Interviews With The Cast Of Man Of La Mancha: Andy Collins, Timoth David Copney, Jessica Preactor, Nick Rose

Interviews October 15, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

To right the unrightable wrong! To love pure and chaste from
afar! To try when your arms are too weary! To reach— the unreachable star! This
is their goal— Third Wall Productions— with their upcoming production of Man
of La Mancha, directed by Mike Zellhofer. In a TheatreBloom exclusive,
we’ve sat down with the entire cast of the production and gotten an idea of
what it is to dream the impossible dream.

40 Whacks: A Round-Table Talk with the Women of Lizzie

Interviews September 27, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

Lizzie Borden took an axe, and gave her mother 40 whacks;

When she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41.

That’s the Lizzie that most people think of when they hear
the name Lizzie Borden. The axe-murdering disturbed little girl who chopped up
her parents. Only she wasn’t a little girl, she was 32. And technically she was
acquitted of the charges. She didn’t even testify at her own trial.

Where In The World Have You Been Hiding? An Interview with The Phantom of The Opera’s SarahGrace Mariani on Playing Meg Giry

Interviews September 10, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

It’s here— The Phantom of the Opera! Well, almost! In
just a few short weeks, the newly imagined National Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber
& Cameron Mackintosh’s critically acclaimed musical success will be landing
in Charm City for just two short weeks! The Phantom of The Opera comes
to Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre from October 6, 2019 through October 20, 2019;
the spell-binding masterpiece still has tickets available for sale! TheatreBloom
has sat down with SarahGrace Mariani,

Magic Alive! An Interview with Choreographer Maxx Reed of Xanadu

Interviews September 6, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

Amanda N. Gunther | TheatreBloom

I’m alive! And you will be too if you catch the RWS
Entertainment Group’s National Tour of Xanadu, the Tony Award-nominated
roller-skating smash hit musical while it pops into Charm City at the end of
the month. Gliding into The Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore’s Bromo-Arts
District for just two performances on Sunday September 29, 2019 this fun-loving
show is featuring two of America’s iconic and beloved Drag Queens who gained
national stardom on the hit series RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Greg & Michele Guyton on their wedding day, July 21, 1990.

Love Letters: Spelling Marriage One Married Couple At A Time- Greg & Michele Guyton

Interviews July 31, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

“Someday I’ll meet someone whose heart joins with mine—
aortas and arteries all intertwined! They’ll beat so much stronger than they
could apart, eight chambers of muscle to hustle the love in our heart!” Greg Kotis
& Mark Hollmann this time, weighing in on love as TheatreBloom talks shop—
love and marriage, that is— with the next married couple appearing in Love
Letters during the benefit fundraiser production run at Spotlighters
Theatre. Delivering their rendition of Love Letters on Friday August 9th,

Laura and Larry Malkus on their wedding day

Love Letters: Spelling Marriage One Married Couple At A Time- Larry & Laura Malkus

Interviews July 25, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

“Love is oration, like an elation, love speaks to us in
tongues. Natural as teething, simple as breathing, air in the love-starved
lungs.” Andrew Lippa’s take on love through the morbidly delightful lens of
Gomez Addams. Everyone has their own approach to love. A.R. Gurney probably
never imagined that his words of love would be used as a benefit fundraiser for
the theatergoers of Baltimore to show their love of theatre and in particular
their love of Spotlighters Theatre.

Really Listening: An Interview with Director Daniel Valentin-Morales about El Viaje de Beatriz at MET’s FUN Company

Interviews February 5, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

Amanda N. Gunther | TheatreBloom

A real family helps each other when they stumble, not kick
each other when they’ve fallen; a paraphrase of just one of the profound
insights found inside Andrea Moon’s El
Viaje de Beatriz or Beatrice’s
Journey, now appearing at the MET FUN Company as a part of their 2018-2019
season. Maryland Ensemble Theatre and its familial branches— like the FUN Company—
uplift this message with great consistency in their work.

A-one two three four five- we take the ROCKIN’ ROAD TO DUBLIN with Co-Creator

Interviews April 24, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

You take the high road and we’ll take the ROCK ROAD!! And we’ll be standing at the world’s first hybrid crossroads of Irish Dance and Rock-N-Roll! Join us in a TheatreBloom exclusive interview as we chat with Co-Creator Scott Doherty about Rockin’ Road to Dublin before it swoops into Baltimore for its one-night engagement at The Hippodrome Theatre.

Thanks so much for giving us a few seconds of your time, just looking at the show’s tour schedule,

Together Again For The First Time: An Interview with David James and Jeffrey Shankle on Toby’s Young Frankenstein

Interviews February 11, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

Like Laurel and Hardy, like Coke and Bacardi, like Romeo and Juliet, ebb and flow, to and fro! Together again for the first time! They’ve only met in a— wait— when did they meet? Two of Washington DC’s most seasoned musical theatre actors, Helen Hayes-nominated and winning performers Jeffrey Shankle and David James are together again for perhaps the millionth time on the stage, but in a rare setup where they’re playing leading opposites! In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview,

Heritage Players’ Ship of Dreams: Titanic’s Cast & Musicians Share Their Dreams- Spencer Kate Nelson & Daniel Plante

Interviews January 31, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

Setting sail with an ambitious production, The Heritage Players is preparing to launch Titanic in Concert. Because of the piece’s ensemble nature, TheatreBloom wanted to explore the hopes and dreams of the cast and the musicians (as there are nearly 25 of each, making this an almost 50-performer theatrical experience.) Asking each of the players- both on stage and in the pit- about their dreams has proved to be a remarkable experience.