Arts
**LITTLE ME: Growing Up Broadway**

Find out what your favorite stars were doing as kids. Whether they were starring on Broadway or their backyard cabaret act, host Marc Tumminelli will get the full story! Marc sits down with Broadway, TV & Film stars to dish about how it all got started on LITTLE ME: growing up Broadway! As a theater educator and the owner of Broadway Workshop, Marc gets his guests to open up about the good, bad and ugly of being a young person with a dream of the bright lights of Broadway. Performers will share tales of hitting it big, local auditions, school theater, backstage stories, child stardom, nightmare auditions, opening nights, unexpected closings, stage moms and dads, wranglers, unemployment, college and everything else Marc can get out of them!
Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network.

Latest Episodes:

EP77 - Luke Islam - Comment Section Apr 13, 2023

Show notes

Film and TV star - Luke Islam breaks down his wild ride to fame in episode 77 of LITTLE ME: Growing up Broadway!

Little Me host and Broadway Workshop director, Marc Tumminelli sits down with his student Luke Islam to talk about his incredible career going from Broadway super fan to one of the most talked about America's Got Talent contestants and his rise to stardom on Disney+' Mighty Ducks, Netflix's movie musical 13 and the upcoming film Theater Camp!

Luke Islam shot to national stardom when he appeared on Season 14 of America's Got Talent. After a show stopping performance he received the Golden Buzzer, sending him straight to the Quarter finals as well as viral acclaim, following his success on AGT, he made his professional acting debut as the series regular on the Disney+ series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. He starred in the Netflix musical move, 13: The Musical, this summer he can be seen playing the role of Christopher L in the anticipated film Theater Camp starring Ben Platt. But before Theater Camp hits theaters, Luke will be seen back on stage as "Bobby Strong" in Broadway Workshop/Project Broadway’s main stage production of URINETOWN at theater 555 in NYC!

Produced by Marc Tumminelli and The Broadway Podcast Network!

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EP76 - Spotlight on... Merri Sugarman Mar 30, 2023

Show notes

In this special SPOTLIGHT episode, Marc sits down with Broadway Casting Director, MERRI SUGARMAN to chat about her career and her new book: From Craft to Career, A Casting Directors Guide for the Actor!

Merri Sugarman (of Tara Rubin Casting) has cast the Broadway, touring, Chicago, Las Vegas and international companies of Spamalot, Jersey Boys, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Jesus Christ Superstar, It Shoulda Been You, School of Rock, Miss Saigon, A Bronx Tale and Ain't Too Proud. She has also cast for many regional theaters including the Papermill Playhouse, The Kennedy Center, The Stratford Theater Festival, Dallas Theater Center and many others. She is the casting director of the critically acclaimed web series Submissions Only and has many TV and film projects, workshops, labs and developmental readings to her credit, including the musical TREVOR.

Broadway Workshop director, and Little Me host, Marc Tumminelli breaks down the Broadway casting process and everything that is part of Merri's new book From Craft to Career, A Casting Directors Guide for the Actor, now available for pre-order!

Buy the Book!

https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/from-craft-to-career-9781350276017/

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EP75 - Jean Louisa Kelly - Anything Can Happen Jan 05, 2023

Show notes

Broadway, Film and TV star - Jean Louisa Kelly joins us for our first episode of 2023!

Little Me host and Broadway Workshop director, Marc Tumminelli begins 2023 by sitting down with Jean Louisa Kelly who began her career playing title role in a New England summer stock production of Annie, and then went on to make her Broadway debut with the original cast of Into the Woods. Jean tells her Broadway to Hollywood story in this epic episode.

Jean Louisa Kelly shot to stardom playing the role of Tia opposite John Candy in the John Hughes hit film Uncle Buck, and went on to play Rowena Morgan opposite Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Holland’s Opus, and Luisa in the film adaptation of The Fantasticks. More recently, she appeared the Warner Bros film Malignant and in Paramount’s monster hit Top Gun: Maverick. On the small screen, she played Kim Warner in the long-running CBS sitcom “Yes, Dear", and as Nurse Diane on “Mad About You" as well as so many other notable TV and Film Projects.

She has recorded multiple albums available across all digital platforms and she is bringing her all new solo show to the Laurie Beechman theater on January 21st!

Produced by Marc Tumminelli and the Broadway Podcast Network.

https://www.westbankcafe.com/laurie-beechman-theatre

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EP74 - Drew Minard - Joy Machine Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

Drew Minard breaks down his Broadway debut in The Music Man and his life growing up on stage in this week's episode of LITTLE ME: Growing Up Broadway!

Little Me host and Broadway Workshop director - Marc Tumminelli sits down with Broadway's Drew Minard to touch down on his remarkable journey performing from the age of 3 in Iowa to touring the United States and the world as the title role in Billy Elliot: The Musical to making his Broadway debut in the hit Broadway revival of The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster.

Produced by The Broadway Podcast and Marc Tumminelli

@drew.minard

@littlemepodcast

@marctumminelli

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EP73 - Casey Likes - Absolutely Famous Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

The star of Broadway's Almost Famous, Casey Likes sits down with Marc Tumminelli to talk about living his dream 8 times a week in episode 73 of Little Me: Growing Up Broadway!

At age of 20, Casey Likes made his Broadway debut playing William Miller in the new musical ALMOST FAMOUS, a role he created in the pre-Broadway run at the Old Globe. Casey breaks down his time working on the creation of Almost Famous and the long road to Broadway as well as his experience at the Jimmy Awards, his high school musicals, his cosmic connection to Les Mis, his childhood stardom in Arizona, his Broadway parents, the cast of Almost Famous, the upcoming films Spinning Gold where he plays "Kiss" legend Gene Simmons and MGM's film Dark Harvest.

Produced by Marc Tumminelli and The Broadway Podcast Network.

@justcaseylikes

@littlemepodcast

@marctumminelli

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EP72 - Danielle Brisebois - Molly & More Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

Danielle Brisebois, Broadway's first ever "Molly" from the historic original production of Annie shares her "growing up Broadway" story in this week's episode of LITTLE ME!

Little Me host and Broadway Workshop director, Marc Tumminelli sits down with Academy Award and Golden Globe Nominee, DANIELLE BREISEBOIS who at the age of 7 started her career in film The Premonition before making history in the original Broadway cast of Annie creating the role the youngest orphan, Molly. Danielle went on to join the cast of the hit TV show All in the Family, and then co-starred in its continuation Archie Bunker's Place. Sheappeared on dozens of TV shows including Hotel, Mr. Belvedere, Murder, She Wrote, Tales from the Darkside, and Days of Our Lives. Danielle is now a very successful songwriter, collaborating on such hits as Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten", and "Pocketful of Sunshine".

Danielle breaks down her unbelievable story working in the business and how every moment made her the woman she is today!

Produced by Marc Tumminelli and The Broadway Podcast Network

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EP71 - Alysha Umphress - Dynamite Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

Broadway star - Alysha Umphress breaks down her childhood performance career in episode 71 of LITTLE ME: Growing Up Broadway.

Little Me host and Broadway Workshop director - Marc Tumminelli sits down with friend, Alysha Umphress to talk about her time on Broadway in On the Town, American Idiot, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Bring it On! Alysha shares all the magical moments of her childhood performing in the carnival/fair circuit, recording her epic album "Dynamite" at the age of 8, her local theater productions and so much more in this hilarious episode of LITTLE ME: Growing Up Broadway.

Produced by Marc Tumminelli and Broadway Podcast Network

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EP70 - Trevor Braun - Treffy White Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

Broadway's Trevor Braun tells his growing up Broadway story in episode 70 of Little Me: Growing Up Broadway!

Little Me Host, and Broadway Workshop director, Marc Tumminelli sits down with former child actor and current star of off Broadway's THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG - Trevor Braun! Trevor tells his Broadway story, making his Broadway debut as CHIP in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and going on to originate the role of Flounder in Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID, Michael in BILLY ELLIOT and the original Broadway cast of THE FERRYMAN. Trevor shares the highs and lows of being a Broadway kid and the incredible and hilarious story of how he got his nickname Treffy White!

Produced by Marc Tumminelli and the Broadway Podcast Network

https://broadwaygoeswrong.com

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EP69 - Kate Reinders - Miss Jenn Now & Then Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

Broadway and Disney+ Star - Kate Reinders breaks down her career in episode 69 of Little Me: Growing up Broadway!

Little Me host and Broadway Workshop director, Marc Tumminelli sits down with Kate Reinders who chats about playing the beloved "Miss Jenn" in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series! Kate also shares her early career story growing up doing community and school theater, making the big move to NYC and going on to be part of the the short lived The Adventures of Tom Sawyer on Broadway as well as the Broadway casts of the 2002 Broadway revival of Into The Woods and the 2003 revival of Gypsy where she played Dainty June opposite Bernadette Peters, what it was like starring in Good Vibrations on Broadway and playing Glinda in Wicked as well as her time in Broadway's Something Rotten, and Beautiful!

Kate breaks down some wild audition stories, being part of Disney family, being part of Frog and Toad, working with Tim Federle, Olivia Rodrigo, Julia Lester, Sheri Shepard, the joys of motherhood living in Utah and so much more!

Produced by The Broadway Podcast Network and Marc Tumminelli.

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EP68 - Sasha Charnin Morrison - Heir Apparent Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

This week we are joined by the daughter of ANNIE creator Martin Charnin - SASHA CHARNIN MORRISON!

Little Me host and Broadway Workshop director, Marc Tumminelli sits down with the fashion icon Sasha Charnin Morrison to chat about the world's most famous orphan and what is was like to witness the meteoric rise of the musical phenomenon - ANNIE.

Sasha tells her backstage story growing up around Annie and what her experience was watching her father create the mega hit musical and what it's like now maintaining the legacy of the historic show. Marc and Sasha break down the Annie revivals, the sequels, the film versions, casting stories, the new national tour and so much more! Sasha also touches down on her own career in the the fashion world working for such publications Vanity Fair, Seventeen, Allure, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, US Weekly and currently as Style Director of CBS Watch.

Produced by Marc Tumminelli and The Broadway Podcast Network.

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@sashacharninmorrison

@littlemepodcast

@marctumminelli

@broadwaypodcastnetwork

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