Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine

Latest Episodes:

Episode 356 - Alex Brightman Jun 26, 2023

Show notes

Alex Brightman is a two-time Tony-nominated actor for his performances in Beetlejuice the Musical and School of Rock. Other Broadway credits include Matilda, Big Fish, & Glory Days. Most recently, Alex was seen on stage in Lewberger's The Wizard of Friendship as Ketih's Dad. You can also hear him on the upcoming cast recording of The Wizard of Friendship as Flim Flam the Sausage Man. Alex can be seen on the current (and final) season of The Blacklist on NBC as forensic analyst Herbie Hambright. Other TV credits include Law & Order: SVU, Documentary Now!, The Good Fight, Blue Bloods, and Important Things w/ Demetri Martin. Alex is the voice of Pugsley/Temeluchus on the acclaimed Netflix animated series Dead End: Paranormal Park. Other cartoon credits include Helluva Boss, Teen Titans Go!, and the upcoming Scooby Doo and the Haunted High Rise. As a writer, Alex has developed series with NBC, Universal Studios, 20th Century, and Warner Brothers. He is currently developing Cleaners, an animated musical comedy, with his writing partner (and Spamalot cast mate) Nik Walker, and Singular, a New York romantic comedy, with 20th Century Studios. Alex’s play, Everything Is Fine, recently received a developmental reading/workshop at Manhattan Theatre Club (directed by Cynthia Nixon), and is expected to have its world premiere in 2024. Alex lives in New York City and has a dog named Kevin.

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Episode 355 - Young Playwrights Ukraine Jun 19, 2023

Show notes

In the fall and winter of 2021/2022 Laura Cahill taught screenwriting to 8 young acting students

from Kyiv on Zoom in English. Their last class was February 6th, 2022. The war started 18 days

later. Most of the students fled their homes.

Laura reunited with her students and started teaching them playwriting.

On May 1st, she started teaching a second playwriting class that had been advertised on a a

Telegram channel for art programs for Ukrainian Youth. It was supposed to last four weeks.

Most of those students were still in Ukraine, but some had fled.

The May class went so well, they decided to keep going, so on June 1st, the two classes came

together and formed Young Playwrights Ukraine.

On July 24th, six months after the war started, they had a reading of 18 short works with

professional actors on Zoom for an audience. The cast included noted actors David Morse,

Cara Buono, Ann Dowd, Kevin Corrigan, Misha Brooks, Bridgette Lundy-Paine, Ivanna Sakhno,

Stefanie Lavie Owens, Oona Laurence and others.

The plays were subsequently produced by Orion Theater in Stockholm Sweden, directed by

Lars Rudolfsson, who had been in the audience on July 24th. The plays opened on March 20th,

2023, to outstanding reviews and ran for 30 performances. Laura and ten of the playwrights met

in person for the first time in Sweden for the opening night.

The collection is soon to be published by Smith&Kraus

Young Playwrights Ukraine continues to meet every Saturday and Sunday to write. They’re

currently working with professional mentors including Theresa Rebeck, Peter Hedges,

Jacquelyn Reingold, Kate Robin, Alexis Scheer, as well as Will Arbery, Stephen Belber, Erin

Cressida Wilson, Keith Bunin, Jessica Goldberg and Suzanne Heathecoate on a collection of

ten minute plays that tell their stories of living with war.

Aside from the mentors, they have special talks with professional artists like filmmaker Mary

Harron, TV creator Michelle King, Juilliard professor Kathleen McNenny, casting director Rob

Decina, Playwright/TV writer Aurin Squire and others.

Writers and directors offering help with this project include Warren Leight, Matthew Carnahan,

Mark Brokaw, Paul McCrane, Whitney White, Lila Neubauer and more.

The Young Playwrights Ukraine Festival of Ten Minute Plays is set for August 20th on Zoom.

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Episode 354 - Steven Soderbergh, Emma Sheanshang and Dan Algrant Jun 12, 2023

Show notes

Steven Soderbergh (Producer) is a writer, director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. He most recently directed this year’s Magic Mike’s Last Dance, as well as the forthcoming HBO Max limited series “Full Circle.” He earned the Academy Award in 2000 for directing Traffic, the same year he was nominated for Erin Brockovich; and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for his 2013 HBO film “Behind the Candelabra.” Soderbergh earlier received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for sex, lies, and videotape, his feature film directorial debut. That film also won the Palme d’Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Soderbergh has also worked as a theatrical director, creating and directing the play Tot Mom at the Sydney Theatre Company in December 2009; as well as directing the world premiere of Scott Z. Burns’ play The Library at New York’s Public Theater in April 2014.

Emma Sheanshang (Playwright) is a playwright and screenwriter from New York City. Her first play, Every Girl Gets Her Man, was performed at the Soho Playhouse.Greetings from Tim Buckley, a film she co-wrote with director Dan Algrant, starring Penn Badgley and Imogen Poots, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.

Dan Algrant (Director) is a film director and writer. His films include Greetings from Tim Buckley (Focus World/Tribeca), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, Naked in New York (Fine Line Features) and People I Know starring Al Pacino (Miramax Films). Dan has also directed HBO’s Emmy winning “Sex and the City” and award-winning short films including Some Film Chopping Wood. He directed the documentary Anything for Jazz about piano legend Jaki Byard, executive produced How to Grow a Band about prodigy mandolinist Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers and acted in Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience and Let Them All Talk with Meryl Streep, Candace Bergen and Lucas Hedges. Current directing projects include the film Little Rootie Tootie, executive produced by Whoopi Goldberg; and Cathedrals, a documentary spanning nearly fifty years of the lives of two young men living in the Cathedral Housing projects in Boston, MA.

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Episode 353 - Miriam Silverman Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

Miriam Silverman’s Broadway credits include The Sign In Sidney Brustein’s Window and Junk. Other theater credits include - A Delicate Ship at The Playwrights Realm, Everything You Touch at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, You Got Older at Page 73, The Hour of All Things and Finks at Ensemble Studio Theatre (Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actress), Septimus and Clarissa at Ripe Time, The Witch of Edmonton at Red Bull Theater, Hamlet at The Public Theater/NYSF and Bone Portraits at Walkerspace at Soho Repertory Theatre. Regional credits include The Moors at Yale Repertory Theatre; The Dog in The Manger (Helen Hayes Award nomination), Measure for Measure, All’s Well That Ends Well, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, As You Like It and the world premiere of David Ives’s The Liar at Shakespeare Theatre Company, where she is an affiliated artist; Extremities and Moonchildren at the Berkshire Theatre Festival; Peer Gynt at the Guthrie Theater; Awake and Sing! at Arena Stage, As You Like it at the Folger Theatre and numerous productions with Trinity Repertory Theatre. Film and Television credits include Breaking, Bad Education, Fleishman Is In Trouble, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisle, Dead Ringers, Elementary, Pan Am, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Better Days Ahead.

She received her BA and MFA from Brown University and is a recipient of the 2011 TCG Fox Foundation Fellowship.

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Episode 352 - Julian Lerner May 29, 2023

Show notes

The talented Julian Lerner is quickly becoming a star to watch on not only on the stage, but the big screen. Lerner will next be seen starring as ‘The Artful Dodger’ in New York City Center’s production of Lionel Bart’s “Oliver!” The show also stars Lilli Cooper, Raúl Esparza, Tam Mutu, Benjamin Pajak, and Mary Testa.Lerner can currently be seen in ABC’s hit reboot “The Wonder Years.” Lerner plays ‘Brad Hitman,’ lead character Dean’s (Elisha Williams) best friend, a smart, good-natured kid with a sense of humor. He’s described by Adult Dean as “the Pee Wee Reese to my Jackie Robinson. That is, if Pee Wee Reese were Jewish and Jackie Robinson couldn’t catch a fly ball.” Set in the same era as the original, the series is a family comedy-drama that looks at how the Williamses, a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, AL, in the turbulent late 1960s made sure it was the Wonder Years for them too. The second season is set to premiere on June 14, 2023. In 2022, Lerner completed production on “Boys of Summer,” a fantasy-adventure film directed by David Henrie. The film, which is set in the summer of 1997, follows a trio of best friends (Lerner, Mason Thames, and Abby James Witherspoon) who team up with a retired detective (Mel Gibson) to confront a supernatural entity that has recently moved to Martha’s Vineyard.

Early in 2021, Lerner starred in Netflix’s hit film “Yes Day” opposite Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramirez, and Jenna Ortega. Based on the novel of the same name, “Yes Day” follows Allison (Garner) and Carlos (Ramirez) who decide to give their kids a "yes day", where for 24 hours, the children make the rules. Lerner plays their son ‘Nando,’ a fun, energetic kid who is slightly nerdy and has a love of science. The film was the streaming giant’s second-biggest Kids & Family release – it was watched in nearly 53 million homes.

For the past three years, Lerner has played ‘Lucas’ in the animated series “Alma’s Way” for PBS. Written by Sonia Manzano, Maria from “Sesame Street,” the show is inspired by her childhood growing up in the Bronx. ‘Lucas’ is one of ‘Alma’s’ best friends and is an aspiring pop singer. Lerner can also currently be heard playing the 12-year-old version of Brian Cox in “From Now,” a podcast series available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The podcast also stars Richard Madden, Erin Moriarty, David Dastmalchian, and more.

On the silver screen, Lerner has been seen in Netflix’s “Pottersville” where he starred opposite Michael, Shannon, Judy Greer, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, and more. He was also featured in Netflix’s animated adaptation of the best-selling video game “Dragon Quest.”

On the stage, he starred in the out-of-town trial for a new Broadway show in Fall 2019 called “Last Days of Summer” as well as touring the country in the National Broadway Tour of Les Misérables.

Lerner currently resides in New York.

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Episode 351 - Julia Mayorga May 22, 2023

Show notes

Julia Mayorga was born in Los Angeles, Ca. She attended the Terry Knickerbocker studio in New York to study acting. During her first year attending the Knickerbocker conservatory she booked a series regular role on the show AMERICAN RUST. She is currently shooting season 2 of the show. Mayorga can also be seen in RARE OBJECTS starring opposite Katie Holmes.

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Episode 350 - NaTasha Yvette Williams & Kevin Del Aguila May 15, 2023

Show notes

NaTasha Yvette Williams Broadway: Tina, The Tina Turner Musical (Zelma), Chicken and Biscuits (Brianna), Waitress (Becky), Chicago (Mama Morton) A Night With Janis Joplin (Aretha, Joplinaire) The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (Mariah) The Color Purple (Sofia). Selected TV/Film Credits: “Partner Track” (Nella), “Run the World (Aunt Grace), “Harlem (Rebecca), “FBI ( Mrs. Adamu) “New Amsterdam” (Esther) ,“The Good Fight." Some movies: The Historical Thriller ALICE (Ruth) on Prime video and Disney’s BETTER Nate than Never (Principal), Follow insta @Natashayvettewillliams. Proud Black Theatre United and Actor’s Equity Member.

Kevin Del Aguila has been part of the original Broadway companies of Frozen (as Oaken), Peter and the Starcatcher (as Smee), and Rocky (as everybody in Philadelphia). He’s performed in a myriad of off-Broadway shows including Peter and the Starcatcher (NYTW/New World Stages), Love’s Labour’s Lost (The Public/Shakespeare in the Park), Jacques Brel (NYC revival), God Bless You Mr. Rosewater (Encores), and A Christmas Carol (TheaterworksUSA). His television guest appearances include “Peg + Cat,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Deadbeat,” and children everywhere have heard his voice as a Troll in the Disney blockbuster movie “Frozen.” In his spare time, Kevin is a multi-Emmy-winning TV writer, lyricist for stage & screen (Lortel, Drama Desk, and Emmy noms), and book-writer of the hit comedy Altar Boyz (Outer Critics Circle Award), which made history as one of the longest running off-Broadway musicals ever. Kevin’s other stage adaptations include musical versions of the Dreamworks movie Madagascar and the smash book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. www.kevindelaguila.com

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Episode 349 - Kevin Cahoon May 08, 2023

Show notes

Broadway: Shucked, The Who’s Tommy, The Lion King, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Rocky Horror Show, The Wedding Singer. Off Bway: Hedwig and the Angry Inch ( also Boston, San Francisco, Edinburgh Fest ), The Foreigner (Lortel nomination), The Wild Party (MTC), How I Learned To Drive (Second Stage), The Shaggs ( Playwrights Horizons ). TV/ Film: Monarch, Glow, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Nurse Jackie, Modern Family, Good Wife, Six Degrees, NCIS, CSI, Elementary, Franklin and Bash, Odd Mom Out, The Mentalist, Mars Needs Moms, So Cold The River, I Am Michael, Curse Of The Jade Scorpion, One Night, among others. NYU Tisch. @kevincahoon

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Episode 348 - Deirdre Connolly May 01, 2023

Show notes

Deirdre Connolly is the Executive Producer of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. In 2009, she helped to launch late-night’s first live, interactive talk show alongside host Andy Cohen. Under Deirdre’s leadership, WWHL has become a late night and pop culture phenomenon, hosting guests such as Hillary Clinton, Oprah, Lady GaGa, Mindy Kaling, Jimmy Fallon, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lawrence. The show has produced over 2400 episodes and was recently renewed through 2023. Deirdre also works in development at Embassy Row producing pilots and series including Bravo’s groundbreaking Fashion Queens.

Prior to her role at Watch What Happens Live and Embassy Row, Deirdre was a producer at MTV’s Total Request Live, which led her to temporarily relocate to London to launch TRL for MTV UK. As a prominent female leader in late-night, Deirdre has been featured in LA Times, The Washington Post, Boston College Magazine, Glamour and as a panelist for both Variety and NYWIFT. Deirdre’s success is a direct reflection of her passion and commitment to those around her and a love of making great television.

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Episode 347 - Zoë Wanamaker Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

ZOË WANAMAKER is an actress with a multitude of Film, TV, and Theatre credits to her name. Theatre: Zoë is a 2-time Olivier Award winner, and 9-time nominee, for her work on the West End including: Once in a Lifetime (Olivier Award - Best Actress in a Revival), The Time of Your Life, Twelfth Night, Mother Courage and her Children, Othello, The Crucible, Electra (Olivier Award – Best Actress), Boston Marriage. She has also received 4 Tony Award and Drama Desk nominations for her work on Broadway in Piaf, Loot, Electra, and Awake and Sing! (won a special Drama Desk award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance). Additional West End credits include: The Devil’s Disciple, Ivanov, Wild Oats; or, The Strolling Gentleman, The Taming of the Shrew, Captain Swing, Piaf, Mrs. Klein, Dead Funny, The Glass Menagerie, All My Sons, All On Her Own and Harlequinade, The Birthday Party, Constellations. She has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, as well as other regional productions including: Cabaret, Much Ado About Nothing, Kiss Me Kate, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Crucible, The Last Yankee, The Old Neighbourhood, His Girl Friday, The Rose Tattoo, Much Ado About Nothing, The Cherry Orchard, Stevie, Elegy, and Two Ladies. TV: Zoë is most known for her British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award nominated work on “Love Hurts” (Tessa Piggot) and “Prime Suspect” (Moyra Henson), in addition to other television work on “My Family” (Susan Harper), “Doctor Who” (Cassandra), “Brittania” (Queen Antedia), and “Shadow and Bone” (Baghra). Other TV credits include: “Edge of Darkness,” “Paradise Postponed,” “Once in a Life Time,” “Agatha Christie’s Poirot” (Ariadne Oliver), and “Mr. Selfridge,” Film: Zoë received a BAFTA nomination for her role as Ada Leverson in Wilde. She has also starred in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Madame Hooch), Five Children and It (Martha), It’s a Wonderful Afterlife (Mrs. Goldman), and My Week with Marilyn (Paula Strasberg).

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