Clayton Howe’s Entertainmentx

”8 Bars. Don’t Suck” Clayton Howe

Clayton Howe (IG:@inclaynation) breaks down what he believes "8 Bars. Don't Suck." means. This is another short episode where I consider the thoughts associated with doing your best work RIGHT AWAY. Hope some of this resonates with you! Enjoy!

”What I Do Matters” Bobby Cronin: The Concrete Jungle/Mary and Max

Bobby Cronin (IG:@croninbobby) is an award-winning composer/writer rep'd by James Beresford (Shepherd Management, UK). His projects include: Mary & Max [based on the claymation film of the same name] with bookwriter Crystal Skillman and director Stafford Arima which will have its World Premiere at Theatre Calgary in the fall of 2018; Olisnach with bookwriter Crystal Skillman (being developed to star Ali Stroker); ‘Til Death Do Us Part (2016 Overtures Series directed by Kent Nicholson; 2012 Alec Baldwin Fellowship Winner, UK’s S&S Award Finalist) with bookwriter Caroline Prugh; Sunset City with bookwriter Wade Dooley (2013 Running Deer Theatre Lab, 2014 Goodspeed Mercer Project, 2014 the Pitch, 2015 The York Theatre, NYC); Till Soon, Anne with bookwriter Christine Toy Johnson which had a residency at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center and a NYC reading April 2018 starring Abby Mueller, Wade McCollum, Kate Loprest, Stacia Fernandez, Joel Perez, Lauren Molina, and more; Welcome To My Life (W2ML); Alone in the U.S. with Terry Berliner, which was commissioned by CAP21 and was produced at the University of Cumbria under the title Alone in the UK; The Concrete Jungle, commissioned in 2011 for London’s esteemed ArtsEd (President: Andrew Lloyd Webber) opened in London June 2012, had a lab presentation at West Texas A&M 2015 and made the short list for the New American Musical Theatre Prize; Daybreak (winner of the 2011 New Jersey Playwrights Contest) premiered in Wayne, NJ & London’s Tristan Bates Theatre June 2012. He is currently working on a commission by A Class Act NYC called Psykidz. Bobby composed the scores and songs for several musical films, which have been in festivals all over the country, for NYFA, where is also on faculty. He was part of the 2015 Prospect Theatre Company's Off-Broadway show Fright Night where his 15-minute musical My Boyfriend Is An Alien written with Christine Toy Johnson premiered. His music won “Best Score of a Mockumentary” for the webseries Thank You, Next and Best Music/Lyrics for Ten Reasons I Won’t Go Home With You in 2010’s MITF. Bobby is one of the four NEO Writers for the York Theatre Company's 2014-2015 season with Stephen Flaherty as his mentor. He was commissioned to write a pop song for the 2013 winner of Italy’s televised singing competition Lo Canto. Other: 54 Below, Lincoln Center Songbook Series, Birdland, Symphony Space, London’s The Players Theatre & St. James Theatre, etc. "Reach The Sky: Live" & “The Concrete Jungle International Studio Cast Recording” available on iTunes featuring theatre stars Caissie Levy, Kate Shindle, Jared Gertner, Rebecca Trehearn, Alex Gaumond, and Olivia Phillip. Bobby created the Inspired Benefit Concert Series for animal rescue organizations across the U.S. & UK to raise funds and awareness for the 3 million adoptable pets euthanized in our country each year. Bobby has taught Master Classes around the world for musical theatre actors on song interpretation, audition technique, and his specialty, the ever-popular pop/rock genre. He’s a Yale graduate where he won the Michael P. Manzella Award for excellence in Arts, Scholastics and Character. Member of ASCAP, Dramatists Guild. 

”You Are The Average of the Five People You Most Associate With” Clayton Howe

Hey fam! For this SHORTER episode, I riff on the thought that "You are the average of the five people you most associate with" something, I think, is good to be reminded of. I take it a step further and discuss what apps or websites you most associate with as well. What we put into our brain changes the way we think, feel, and ultimately act. Happy Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for all of you listening to this show! Enjoy!

”We’re All Connected” Raymond Bokhour on The Glorious Death of Comrade What’s-His-Name

Raymond Bokhour is the lyric writer of "The Glorious Death of Comrade What's-His-Name" (comradewhatshisname.com)and performer onstage, tv, and in film. We have an excellent conversation regarding his life, career path, and ways-of-being. This conversation takes many twists and turns that I think make for a wonderful chat! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did having it! Enjoy! 

”Listen To Each Other” Susanna Wolk On Directing Waitress

Susanna Wolk (IG:@susannawolk) is a New York based director originally hailing from Los Angeles, CA. Her work as a director has been seen at 54 Below, Williamstown Theatre Festival, New York Fringe Festival, Access Theatre, the PIT, Dixon Place, Theatre Row, The Flea, Club OBERON, 13th St. Repertory Theater, A.R.T.’s Loeb Mainstage, and more. This fall, she will direct the Second National Tour of the hit musical Waitress. As an Associate or Assistant Director, she has worked on the Broadway productions of Choir Boy, Lobby Hero, Waitress, Significant Other, and Finding Neverland. She is a Manhattan Theatre Club Directing Fellow and has assistant directed productions at Second Stage, MTC, Atlantic Theater Company, A.R.T., Williamstown, the Geffen, and more. Susanna graduated in 2014 from Harvard University where she studied English and Dramatic Arts. 

”Life Isn’t That Serious” Diana DeGarmo on staying true to herself

Singer, songwriter, and actress from stage to screen, Diana DeGarmo (IG:@dianadyoung) has conquered it all and then some. This Southern belle always cooks up something special in blending together her country roots and love for fun and the dramatics. Her newest big band country feast for the ears, GEMINI, will have your toes tappin’, hearts racin’, and eyes wellin’ with 16 new tunes written by Diana and longtime pal, Dylan Glatthorn.
Diana’s powerhouse vocals shot her to fame on American Idol and opened doors to her numerous Broadway shows, National & International Tours, a recurring role on The Young & The Restless, and much more. Diana has decades of entertainment experience that make her a force to be reckoned with no matter where she performs. Her newest musical creation GEMINI will be released the Spring of ‘19. Don’t let her sweetness fool you, she is power packed with lots of spice.
We have a fantastic conversation on staying true to you and so much more! Enjoy!!

”A Poem Is Never Finished, Only Abandoned” Melissa Errico on Legrand Affair Deluxe Edition and much more!

Melissa (IG: @melissa_errico_fairymom) is best known for her starring roles on Broadway, but her career is characterized by diverse interests in many creative corners of show business. She has had a steady career in television, appeared in feature films, and performed in non-musical roles in Off-Broadway plays by Shaw, Wilde, and others. She has also explored music as both a recording artist and concert singer, releasing several music albums and working with some of the world’s best symphonies and jazz and cabaret spaces. More recently, she established herself as a writer, publishing essays in The New York Times and beyond. As a musical theater actress, she starred in the Broadway musicals Anna Karenina, My Fair Lady, High Society, Dracula, White Christmas, and Amour which won her a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical and began a longtime association with its composer Michel Legrand. Melissa was recently honored with a caricature at Sardi’s in celebration of her Broadway starring theatrical performances, her concerts as well as her engaging essays for The New York Times on the actor’s art.
 
Her latest album Sondheim Sublime was released to critical acclaim, with The Wall Street Journal calling it, “The best all-Sondheim album ever recorded.” And throughout 2017, 2018, and 2019, Melissa performed successful and extended runs at Feinstein’s/54 Below of her solo concert “Melissa Sings Sondheim” celebrating the music of Stephen Sondheim and won raves when she brought it to London’s Live at Zédel for her sold-out UK concert debut co-written with Adam Gopnik in 2018. She also brought her Sondheim program to The Ravinia Festival in the fall of 2018 and appeared again at Feinstein’s/54 Below in for the new Sondheim CD release in November 2018. Her 2019 Sondheim performances include playing The Baker’s Wife in three concert performances of Into the Woods with Tony Award-winner Alice Ripley in March, the run of “Wordplay” at Lyrics & Lyricists produced by Ted Chapin for the 92nd Street Y in April, and being a featured performer on the forthcoming PBS Poetry in America portrait of Stephen Sondheim. Melissa also returned to London in May 2019 to Live at Zédel with her Sondheim concert after her sold-out run in 2018.
Melissa’s professional debut at age 18 was as Cosette in the premiere national tour of Les Misérables. Her Broadway credits include Anna Karenina, the revival of My Fair Lady in which she played Eliza Doolittle (The New York Times called her “beguiling”). She went on to star on Broadway in High Society, Amour (Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical), Dracula the Musical, and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. At The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, she starred in The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady (with John Lithgow), and Camelot (with Jeremy Irons). She has worked with Stephen Sondheim on the revival of Sunday In the Park with George (Dot/Marie at The Kennedy Center), followed by John Doyle’s production of Passion (Clara) for which she was nominated for a sixth Drama Desk Award, and most recently as Leona in the 2016 Encores! production of Do I Hear A Waltz? at City Center. In 2016 she also reprised the role of Sharon in the smash hit Off-Broadway revival of Finian’s Rainbow at Irish Repertory Theatre, which was extended three times, received rave reviews and was filmed in January 2017 for The Lincoln Center Library. She has also starred in plays by Shaw, Oscar Wilde and Wally Shawn and last year starred in another acclaimed Irish Repertory production of On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
Her solo CDs include Blue Like That (EMI/Capitol Records), Lullabies & Wildflowers (Universal), Legrand Affair (Ghostlight/Sony), and What About Today? Melissa Errico Live at 54 Below (Broadway Records; CD & DVD). In December 2017, Melissa had a new single release (Ghostlight/Warner Music Group) “Hurry Home” written by multiple Oscar-winner Michel Legrand, made an accompanying music video with filmmaker Gary Gardner, and proudly sings it on the title credits of the film Max Rose.
Television roles include the series Central Park West by Darren Star, recurring roles on Steven Soderbergh’s The Knick (Catherine), and Showtime’s Billions (June). Melissa also recently finished shooting a role in The Magnificent Meyersons, an Eric Oppenheimer film with Kate Mulgrew (2019 release). Her other feature films include Frequency with Dennis Quaid and Life or Something Like It as Angelina Jolie’s character’s best friend.
Melissa has also served on The National Endowment for the Arts and has published essays for The New York Times and is a contributing essayist in Cristina Cuomo’s The Purist and other magazines. She is married to tennis player and sports commentator Patrick McEnroe and they have three young daughters and a Yorkie named Pepper.

”Clear Heads, Kind Hearts, With Hope” Michael Kooman & Chris Dimond

Michael Kooman (music)(IG:@michaelkooman) and Christopher Dimond (book & lyrics)(IG: @dimondvision) are a New York City-based writing team for the stage and screen. Their most recent musical, ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS, debuted to rave reviews at Shakespeare's Globe this fall. They also currently serve as songwriters for VAMPIRINA, an animated musical TV series for which they have written more than 100 songs. The show airs on the Disney Channel and Disney Junior, reaching over 49 million viewers in 115 countries. Michael and Chris have written songs for Patti Lupone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Patina Miller, Christian Borle, Andrew Rannells, Skyler Astin, Anna Camp, and Wanda Sykes. Their stage projects include THE NOTEWORTHY LIFE OF HOWARD BARNES (Village Theater), ORPHIE & THE BOOK OF HEROES (The Kennedy Center), THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF PERCIVAL VON SCHMOOTZ (commissioned by the Canadian Music Theatre Project), JUDGE JACKIE: DISORDER IN THE COURT (Pittsburgh CLO; licensed by Samuel French), DANI GIRL (Exit, Pursued by a Bear; licensed by Samuel French), GOLDEN GATE (Williamstown Theatre Festival), HOMEMADE FUSION (London’s Ambassadors Theater, Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and JUNIOR CLAUS (Orlando Repertory Theatre; licensed by Dramatic Publishing).
Awards and honors include the Fred Ebb Award, a Jonathan Larson Grant, the Mary Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award, the Samuel French Next Step Award, the Burton Lane Award, and the Harold Adamson Award. They are members of the Dramatists Guild and ASCAP, and are proud alumni of Carnegie Mellon University.
Their debut album, OUT OF OUR HEADS, featuring an all-star lineup of Broadway performers, is now available on iTunes.
This was an incredible conversation spanning the years of them meeting and creating up to present day!
Enjoy!

”GoSeeDoBe”Clayton Howe: 100th Episode

Clayton Howe (IG:@inclaynation) host of this podcast, Entertainment(x)!! Welcome to the 100th Episode! This has been an incredible journey thus far. Nakiya Peterkin (Episode 001) interviews me on all things podcast, happiness, and life. We cover A LOT of topics so I hope you enjoy this 100th episode of Entertainment(x)!! 

”It Is What It Is” Matt DiCarlo: Stage Managing, Directing, And Ambition

Matt DiCarlo (TW:@MattyD0804) is a stage manager and director. Currently, he is the production stage manager for "Beetlejuice" on Broadway and Directing "The Play That Goes Wrong" on tour. Matt's early ambitions rival those of most community theatre actors and he opens up to where they came from. Everything from trusting the journey to creating his own path, Matt shares it all!! Enjoy!