Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine

Latest Episodes:

Episode 265 - Ethan Slater and Nick Blaemire Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

Ethan Slater is an actor, writer and musician (mostly) based in New York. He was nominated for a Tony Award, and won the Drama Desk Award for playing SpongeBob in The SpongeBob Musical, which also happened to be his Broadway debut! As a writer, some upcoming projects include the films Intervenors and Silent Mode, both of which he co-wrote and co-stars in. He’s released two EPs of original music, available on Spotify (or wherever you listen to stuff). As an actor, other theater includes: Who’s Your Baghdaddy..., PEMDAS, Camelot (Lincoln Center), and when theater returns this fall (!), he will be playing Lee Harvey Oswald/The Balladeer in Assassins at Classic Stage Company. Some TV/film credits: Fosse/Verdon (FX), Law and Order (NBC), Murphy Brown (CBS), SpongeBob: Live On Stage (Nickelodeon), Evol, Untitled Vanessa Del Rio Biopic (upcoming), Kurt. (upcoming). IG: @ethanslater TW: @ethansaslater

Nick Blaemire is a writer and performer based in Brooklyn. At 23 years old, Nick wrote the Broadway one-night-sensation rock musical Glory Days, which has since had over 50 productions around the world -- and will re-open in Japan in Fall 2021. He has written five other original musicals: A Little More Alive (commissioned by Broadway Across America, produced at Williamstown, Kansas City Rep, Barrington Stage, and is optioned as a feature film); Soon (premiered at Signature Theatre, upcoming at the Prima Theatre Fall 2021); Fallout (with Kyle Jarrow), Edge of the World (with Ethan Slater) and Space Dogs (with Van Hughes, upcoming Winter 2022 Off-Broadway at MCC Theatre). Nick has released three EPs of pop songs, all available on iTunes, Spotify, etc. As an actor, he most recently completed the National Tour of Falsettos as Mendel, recurred on Dash & Lily on Netflix, and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his performance as Jon in the Off-Broadway Revival of Tick, Tick...Boom!. IG: @blaemire TW: @nickblaemir

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Episode 264 - A Tribute to Willie Garson Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

1964-2021

Rarely at a loss for work, Garson had appeared in over 300 episodes of

television and more than 70 films. Garson is best known for his long

runs on television, as Mozzie on WHITE COLLAR, Stanford Blatch on SEX

AND THE CITY, and Henry Coffield on NYPD BLUE. Other TV series

include ASK HARRIET, and JOHN FROM CINCINNATTI. He had been

recurring as the grifter with a heart of gold Gerard Hirsch on "HAWAII

5-0" since 2015.

Born in New Jersey, he started training at The Actors Institute In New

York, before majoring in Psychology and Theater at Wesleyan

University. After graduation, he quickly started landing guest roles on

shows such as CHEERS, FAMILY TIES, THIRTYSOMETHING, LA LAW, as

well as continually recurring on a wide array of shows including XFILES,

TWIN PEAKS, TWO & A HALF MEN, STARGATE, PUSHING

DAISIES, THE PRACTICE, ALLY MCBEAL, JUST SHOOT ME, SPIN,

SALVATION, etc etc. His favorite longform on TV was Dr. Kreutz for

Steven Spielberg in the acclaimed miniseries TAKEN.

On the big screen, other than reprising his SEX & THE CITY role for two

features, he has collaborated with the Farrely Brothers on 3 films,

SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, KINGPIN, and FEVER PITCH, as well as

appearing in SOAPDISH, GROUNDHOG DAY, MARS ATTACKS, THE

ROCK, BEING JOHN MALKOVITCH, FEED, POLKA KING, and many

others. He has often been re-used by such varied directors as Spike

Jonze, Michael Bay, the late great Mike Nichols, and Ron Shelton.

Garson continued to perform with various bi-coastal theater companies

such as Naked Angles, Manhattan Theater Club, The Roundabout

Theater, and The Geffen. He is very involved with many charities,

including AMFAR, Camp Joslin for Diabetes, Doctors Without Borders,

Habitat for Humanity, and especially The Alliance for Childrens Rights,

which facilitates adoptions in LA County---this has a special place in the

Garson family, as Willie adopted his son Nathen in Los Angeles in 2010,

and has twice served as National Spokesman for National Adoption Day,

as well as winning the Francis Wheat Award from The Alliance, and

many others. Willie and Nathen speak about adoption nationwide.

Aside from acting, Garsonwas known as a world-class poker player,

having been nicknamed "Evil Willie" on the first episode of CELEBRITY

POKER SHOWDOWN, and continued to play in tournaments all over the

world, both for charity, and through the WORLD POKER TOUR.

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Episode 263 - Ngozi Anyanwu and Daniel J. Watts Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

NGOZI ANYANWU is a playwright, storyteller, and most recently a 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award winner. Previous productions include Good Grief (Vineyard Theatre in NYC / Center Theatre Group in LA) and The Homecoming Queen (sold-out world premiere run at Atlantic Theater Company). Good Grief was on the Kilroys List 2016 and a semifinalist for the Princess Grace Award, and won the Humanitas Award. The Homecoming Queen was on the Kilroys List 2017 and was a Leah Ryan Finalist. Her play Nike… (Kilroys List 2017) was workshopped at The New Black Fest in conjunction with The Lark and The Strand Festival in conjunction with A.C.T and Space on Ryder Farm. Ngozi also has commissions with NYU, The Old Globe, Two Rivers Theatre, Atlantic Theater, and Steppenwolf. Anyanwu has also received residencies from LCT3, Space on Ryder Farm, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, The New Harmony Project, New York Stage and Film, and Page 73. She attended Point Park University (BA) and received her MFA in Acting from University of California, San Diego.

DANIEL J. WATTS is an NYC-based multidisciplinary artist. For acting, Watts is a 2020 Tony Award nominee and Outer Critics Circle Award winner for his portrayal of Ike Turner in the hit Broadway musical TINA. He has appeared in nine Broadway shows including Hamilton, Memphis, and After Midnight. He received the Barrymore Award (People’s Light) and the LA Ovation Award (Geffen Playhouse) for Best Featured Actor for his portrayal of Sammy Davis, Jr. in Lights Out: Nat King Cole opposite Dulé Hill. TV credits include Season 3 of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Seasons 1 & 2 of “The Last OG,” “Blindspot,” and “Vinyl.” Off-Broadway he has starred as the title character in Suzan-Lori Parks' Death of the Last Black Man in the Entire World AKA The Negro Book of the Dead (Signature Theatre) and Whorl Inside a Loop (Second Stage Theater). A play-on-words, Daniel J. Watts’ The Jam pays homage to Watts’ great-grandmother who, after making jam from scratch, would share with others what she was unable to consume herself. The Jam is Watts’ continuation of that legacy, blending elements of stand-up comedy and compelling storytelling with his original spoken word, often set to music and/or dance. The Jam: Only Child was a wide success at the 2020 Public Theater Under the Radar Festival and has also streamed as part of the Signature Theater (DC) 2020-2021 season. Inaugural (2020) ANTONYO Award Winner for Best Quarantine Content. His original work and musical collaborations are featured on Raphael Saadiq’s newest album “Jimmy Lee,” Tituss Burgess’ “Saint Tituss,” Divinity Roxx’s “ImPossible,” Nick Blaemire’s “Ampersand;” as a contributing artist for Armstrong Now in conjunction with The Louis Armstrong House Museum; and featured in the young adult anthology "How I Resist" edited by The New York Times Best Seller Maureen Johnson for Wednesday Books/Macmillan. His TED talk “To Accomplish Great Things, You Need to Let Paint Dry” appears at go.Ted.com/danieljwatts. Watts is an artist in residence at ASU Gammage and also serves as an adjunct professor of NYU's Tisch New Studio. BFA, Elon University Music Theatre Program. 2021 Commencement SpDaniel J. Watts has appeared in eight Broadway shows including Tina : The Tina Turner Musical, Hamilton, In The Heights and Memphis.

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Episode 262 - Aneesa Folds and Anthony Veneziale Sep 13, 2021

Show notes

ANTHONY VENEZIALE (Two-Touch) is conceiver and co-creator FLS and FLS Academy. Founding member of American Immigrants (San Francisco). He has used improv techniques to create endeavors with Thomas Kail & Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights, Bartlett, “The Electric Company”), Daveed Diggs (The Freeze), numerous networks/companies (HBO, Cartoon Network, Sesame Workshop, Boardwalk Pictures, Google) and co-founded speechlessinc.com, an improv thinking company that helps humans create, collaborate, and find their authentic voice. STAGE: Freestyle Love Supreme, Servicemen, Death in One Acts, and Trashin': Time to Waste. TV: ”Sex and the City”, “Freestyle Love Supreme”.

ANEESA FOLDS made her Broadway debut in Freestyle Love Supreme in 2019. Off-Broadway/NYC: Sistas The Musical. Regional: North Shore Music Theatre, Goodspeed Opera House, Arrow Rock Lyceum. National Tour: Ragtime.

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Episode 262 - Maddie Baillio Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

Maddie Baillio can be seen in the live action remake of CINDERELLA on Amazon. Maddie stars in the film as one of the evil step-sisters to Camilla Cabello’s Cinderella and Idina Menzel’s step-mother. She is a trained musical theater actress who first burst onto the scene as Tracy Turnblad in NBC’s HAIRSPRAY LIVE! After beating out thousands for the role. She most recently starred in the Netflix film DUMPLIN’. Maddie is also an accomplished vocalist who has performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

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Summer Break Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

Ilana shares a quick end of summer note

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Episode 261 - Adam Pascal Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

Adam Pascal was born on October 25, 1970, in the Bronx and raised in Syosset, New York. He started singing in various rock bands when he was 12, playing the local New York club scene for many years, and has been singing in bands, as a solo artist, in movies, or on the Broadway stage ever since. In 1996, Adam tried out for the then unknown, off-Broadway production of Rent. He landed the role of Roger Davis. Adam was nominated for a 1996 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical), and won a Drama League and Obie award for his performance as Roger. The Show went on to become a worldwide success and one of the longest running shows in Broadway history. In 1997 He reprised the role of Roger (the first of several times he would do so) for the West End Premiere of Rent. In 1998, Adam’s career expanded to the big screen in the independent film SLC Punk! In

2000, Adam was cast as Radames in Elton John and Tim Rice’s new Broadway musical Aida, for which he received a Drama League award. In May of 2000, his debut solo album, Model Prisoner, was released. Also in 2000, Adam co- produced the hit off-Broadway play Fully Committed with fellow former Rent cast member, Jesse L. Martin. The show went on to garner many awards and played to sold out houses in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and London. In October 2003, Adam once again visited the Broadway stage, this time, asked to be the final Emcee in the Sam Mendes/Rob Marshall production of Cabaret at Studio 54, as part

of the closing cast. Also during that time Adam starred alongside Jack Black, as Theo, the lead singer of “No Vacancy” in 2003’s School of Rock. Finally in 2004, Adam’s second CD, Civilian, was released in November, again on Sh-k-boom records. In 2005, Adam reprised the role of Roger in the movie version of Rent. Adam’s journey with Rent finally came to conclusion when in 2009, he reprised the role one last time alongside Anthony Rapp, in Rent The Broadway Tour which traveled all over the U.S. as well as Japan and South Korea.

In 2008, Adam played the role of Freddie Trumper in the Tim Rice/Abba Musical Chess, alongside Josh Groban, and Idina Menzel for two sold out performances at The Royal Albert Hall, in London. The DVD is currently on sale worldwide. In 2010/11 Adam starred as Huey Calhoun in Broadway’s Tony Award winning musical Memphis and in 2013 Adam starred as Billy Flynn in Broadway’s long running hit Chicago. In 2015 Adam starred as Chad in Broadway’s Disaster. In 2017 Adam starred as Shakespeare on Broadway and in the first national tour of the musical Something Rotten. Most recently he starred as Edward Lewis in Broadway’s Pretty Woman and Harold Hill in the 5 Star Theatrical’s production of The Music Man.

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Episode 260 - Rosanny Zayas Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

Rosanny currently stars as a series regular lead on Season 2 of Showtime’s THE L WORD: GENERATION Q.

She will next be seen in Sam Esmail's limited series ANGELYNE for Peacock and UCP.

Among her many NYC theater credits, Rosanny starred in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM for the Public Theater (Shakespeare in the Park). She recently performed the role of “Natasha” in the Roundabout Theater’s workshop of Anton Chekhov’s THREE SISTERS spearheaded by Resident Director Sam Gold. Rosanny's brilliant performance in the titular role of Jose Rivera's MARISOL while at Juilliard catapulted her into the NYC theater world.

Rosanny is a major talent out of Juilliard – recurring recently on ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK for Netflix, MODERN PERSUASION on Hulu, as well as THE CODE, and INSTINCT for CBS.

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Episode 259 - Bill Irwin Aug 09, 2021

Show notes

BILL IRWIN: Original member of Kraken and San Francisco's Pickle Family Circus. Original works include: On Beckett, Old Hats, Fool Moon, Largely New York, The Harlequin Studies, Mr. Fox: A Rumination, The Happiness Lecture, and The Regard of Flight.

Theatre: The Iceman Cometh, Show Boat (SF Opera), Endgame, Bye Bye Birdie, Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Waiting for Godot (2009 Drama Desk Nomination), Broadway/West End revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (2005 Tony Award, Helen Hayes Award), The Goat or Who is Sylvia, King Lear, Accidental Death of An Anarchist, 5-6-7-8 Dance! , Waiting For Godot at Lincoln Center, Scapin, The Tempest, Garden of Earthly Delights, Texts for Nothing, A Flea In Her Ear, 2003/2004 Signature Theatre Playwright in Residence, The Seagull, A Man's A Man, 3 Cuckolds.

Television: PBS Great Performances: Bill Irwin Clown Prince, Third Rock from the Sun, Northern Exposure, Sesame Street, Elmo's World, The Regard of Flight, Closing Ceremony 1996 Olympic Games, The Cosby Show, The Laramie Project, Subway Stories, Bette Midler: Mondo Beyondo, Law and Order, Life on Mars, A Gifted Man, CSI, The Good Wife, Lights Out, Monday Mornings, Law & Order: SVU, Elementary, Quarry, Sleepy Hollow and Legion on FX.

Film: Irresistible, HBO’s Confirmation, Interstellar, Identity Theft, Rachel Getting Married, Higher Ground, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Definitely, Maybe; Igby Goes Down, Lady in the Water, Dark Matter, Raving, Across TheUniverse, Popeye, Eight Men Out, Silent Tongue, Illuminata, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, My Blue Heaven, A New Life, Scenes from a Mall, Stepping Out.

Awards: National Endowment for the Arts Choreographer's Fellowship, a Guggenheim, a Fulbright and a MacArthur

Fellowship.

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Episode 258 - Eric Petersen Aug 02, 2021

Show notes

Eric Petersen stars in the AMC series “Kevin Can F*** Himself” alongside Annie Murphy. A dark comedy that mixes single-cam and multi-cam shooting in front of a studio audience to re-examine the trope of the passive sitcom wife while peeking into her secret life, the series was developed by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack and created by Valerie Armstrong.

A veteran of television and the Broadway stage, Petersen’s previous television credits include the TV Land series “Kristie,” and voicing Ant’ney the pigeon on the hit DreamWorks’ animated show “Madagascar: A Little Wild” now available on Hulu/Peacock. On stage Petersen has starred in the hit Broadway production and national tour of “Shrek: The Musical,” as Shrek, “School of Rock” as Dewey Finn, the musical “Escape To Margaritaville,” as Brick, and “Peter and the Starcatcher.”

Petersen hails from the Chicago suburb of Carol Stream, Illinois. He attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where he earned a degree in Acting. He currently resides in both Los Angeles and New York with his wife and two children.

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