- Auditions

Do you want to be famous or do you want to be an actor? Very few truly achieve both. For most of us it’s a choice, and the direction we choose impacts the roles and opportunities that we pursue going forward. Today’s guest has been presented with both during his career and came to discover which one mattered more to him. 
Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers (Part 3)
In the early 2000s, Ben Curtis was training to be a serious actor at NYU, but one commercial audition for Dell computers completely changed the trajectory of his life and career. He became the face of the computer company, performing in about 26 national commercials over the span of four years.  Ben shares with us the lessons he learned from reaching a level of fame that he never imagined, but he also talks about how it led him down some dark paths that took him years to resolve and come out of.
02:28 - Welcome and Ben talks about coming to NYC
06:02 - Story #1: Becoming the Dell Dude
11:01 - The business of commercial acting
16:34 - When Ben realized he was "famous"
21:31 - Story #2: The reality check of getting arrested
33:55 - Story #3: Surviving 9/11 through drugs and alcohol
41:14 - Lessons he has learned and now shares with other men
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Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 
Background music in the episode by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
 
Dude, You're Getting Well 
Ben's mission with the podcast is to share the real challenges that leaders, innovators, and influencers face every day as humans -- to show that it's okay to be human and have hard days, that all people experience pain and challenges. He wants to shed light on how we overcome these odds, the tools that we can use for self-care and sur-thrival, all while growing our vision and sharing these lessons with others.
 
 
Audition Story
In this week’s bonus episode, Ben shares an experience back in Chattanooga when he had to choose between playing on the school’s soccer team or doing theater. He couldn’t do both. While you can probably guess which one he chose, as often happens it didn’t quite turn out quite the way he had hoped. Subscribe to WINMI and get access to this and other bonus episodes.
Final Five Questions
In this interview, Ben shared his journey from fame to failure and points in-between. And the conversation continues on the WINMI Blog as he answers five final questions about “making it” and useful advice he's received.
Discover even more about Ben here.
 

The life of an actor is often a cross between a seesaw and a rollercoaster. Sometimes it’s as simple as an up or down choice between opportunities and trying to find the balance in our life and work. While other times we’re just along for the ride (especially when it comes to auditions and callbacks), going in ways we can’t control and just doing our best to make the best choices in the moment. And today’s guest reminds us how unpredictable that rollercoaster be and that finding balance can oftentimes be difficult. 
Ricky Schroeder has been dancing since he was 3 years old and has gone on to do a variety of projects from musicals like Kinky Boots and Hairspray Live to television shows including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Pose. Now, his name may sound similar to another actor from Silver Spoons and NYPD Blue, but on Twitter he’s quick to point out he’s not that Ricky Schroder. In fact, he’s been working to make his mark as more than just a dancer but rather an all around performer in the areas of acting, singing, and even improv. So this conversation with Ricky will be slightly different from other episodes as it highlights a journey common to all actors, one of hopeful expectation as well disappointing missed opportunities. 
The shows we discuss in this episode: 
Kinky Boots
Once Upon a One More Time (Britney Spears musical)
Muriel’s Wedding (musical)
The Last O.G. (starring Tracy Morgan)
POSE (starring Billy Porter)
Younger (starring Sutton Foster)
Broadway 4D
Bye Bye Birdie Live
The Last Five Years - available to monthly supporters...become one today :)
 
Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 
Please consider a monthly subscription to WINMI and get Bonus Episodes as well OR if you'd rather, you can make a one-time donation to help offset the production costs of this podcast. Whichever way you choose, your support is so very much appreciated!
 
 
Career Transition for Dancers
Ricky spoke about expanding his own artistic work and efforts beyond dancing because of his love of acting and singing and wanting to be seen as more than just a dancer. While this rings true of many dancers looking to open up more creative and career opportunities for themselves, some are looking beyond dance for other reasons. That’s where Career Transition for Dancers (and the Entertainment Community Fund) steps in. 
Maybe you're a professional dancer dealing with a career-threatening injury or illness and aren't sure what to do next.
Perhaps you feel burnt out in your dance career, wondering if there’s anything else you could do for work.
You're possibly thinking of starting a family or are simply looking for more financial stability but don’t know where to start.
Whatever your situation, the Career Transition For Dancers program offers career counseling, educational scholarships and panel discussions to assist you in navigating these choices and expanding new opportunities for your next chapter. 
 
 
Final Five with Ricky Schroeder 
After this main conversation, Ricky sat down to answer the five final questions. Among several topics, he shares why "making it" is an elusive concept and how social media can put undue pressure on some performers. Read it all on the WINMI Blog.
Follow Ricky: Twitter | Instagram | Website
 

For only the second time in my career, I’m doing back to back shows at the same theater. First there was Anne of Green Gables this past summer and now there’s 42nd Street here at the Goodspeed Opera House. It’s a show I’ve done before a few years back and in the same role as well, only this time there’s a lead producer who’s working to bring this production (and hopefully its cast) to Broadway. It has Carina-Kay Louchiey as the young starlet Peggy Sawyer and Max von Essen as the hard-nosed director Julian Marsh. I’m in the role of Pat Denning, playing opposite one of my favorite leading ladies of Broadway...
Kate Baldwin, who plays the veteran actress Dorothy Brock, joins the podcast to talk about this current production of 42nd Street and why it means so much to the both us. Then we take a surprisingly candid and unvarnished look at her career and why she was told she’d probably never have one in theater. We also discuss the ways we performers often compare ourselves to others and how to handle those times when someone else books the show instead of us.
Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 
Subscribe to WINMI and get Bonus Episodes on Supercast 
Donate to the making this podcast and its production efforts
 
MAESTRA, founded by Georgia Stitt
As Kate mentions in this episode, she and Georgia Stitt have worked together for years. And it was back in 2017 that MAESTRA MUSIC was formed by this composer/lyricist and music director to give support, visibility, and community to the women who make the music in the musical theater industry. Their membership is made up of female-identifying, non-binary, and gender non-conforming composers, music directors, orchestrators, arrangers, copyists, rehearsal pianists and other musicians who are an underrepresented minority in musical theater.
It was back in Season 4 that Stitt came on this podcast to talk about her career and this wonderful organization.
 
FINAL FIVE QUESTIONS WITH KATE BALDWIN
In addition to our main conversation, Kate answered the five final questions on topics that we only briefly touched on in this episode. She shares her definition of "making it" as well as what annoyed her most about some singers (riffing). She also discusses music directors, her early days in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and the importance of going where you are loved. Read it all on the WINMI Blog.
Follow Kate: Website | Instagram 

As noted in the previous episode, auditions are the backbone of this industry. It is the fundamental job of every actor to do as many jobs as we can and do each one to the best of our ability. But there is an important gatekeeper when it comes to submitting our self tapes or actually getting in the audition room, and that is the casting Director. You’ve heard from Actors and their experiences in front of the audition table. Well, now it’s time to hear from the other side of that proverbial table and what goes in to casting, and the vital role they play in the production for the stage or screen.
Daryl Eisenberg, along with fellow casting director Ally Beans, works to create a comfortable space for actors, so they can take risks and really show their full potential as artists. You’ll hear Daryl’s thoughts on how actors can make their mark in the audition room or on a self-tape, and then you’ll get an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at how she uses her position and expertise to make the audition process enjoyable and inclusive for artists on both sides of the table.
Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 
Subscribe to WINMI and get access to Bonus Episodes on Supercast 
Donate to the production efforts that make this podcast possible
Follow Why I’ll Never Make It on Instagram or Twitter
Watch interviews on WINMI's YouTube channel
Read the Final Five with Daryl Eisenberg on the WINMI Blog
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Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, top 25 theater podcast and is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones. It is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 
Background music in the episode is by John Bartmann (Public Domain) and Blue Dot Sessions (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License).
 
 
Audition Stories of Diversity and Inclusion
Covid certainly has changed the way we now audition, with self-tapes and Zoom auditions becoming the norm. But the summer of 2020 also changed the way we think about who is coming to the auditions and what that creative team looks like. In this week’s bonus episode, Daryl shares a few of her own experiences as she advocates for more diversity on both sides of the table. You’ll also hear how she works with fellow casting director Ally Beans, who is both partner and collaborator in the casting process.
Bonus episodes like these are only available to monthly supporters of Why I’ll Never Make It. So if you’d like to help this podcast as well, then please consider a monthly subscription and get access to bonus episodes like the Audition Stories.
 
 
CASTING OFFICES IN NYC
Some of the biggest casting offices for stage and screen (like Eisenberg/Beans) reside in New York City, and at the top of the list is...
The Telsey Office
Formerly known as Telsey + Company, The Telsey Office is perhaps the best known casting office for commercials, film, television, and course, theatre. The company has bases in both New York City and Los Angeles.
Recent Broadway: Waitress, MJ the Musical, Flying Over Sunset, Mrs. Doubtfire, Diana, West Side Story, Tina, The Sound Inside, Beetlejuice, Gary, Oklahoma!, Be More Chill, To Kill a Mockingbird, Network, The Cher Show, The Prom.
Website: www.thetelseyoffice.com
Contact: info@thetelseyoffice.com | 917-277-7520
Tara Rubin Casting
Rubin began her company in 2001 after working for 15 years as a Casting Director at Johnson-Liff Associates. She is a graduate of Boston University and serves on the board of the Casting Society of America.
Recent Broadway: Six, Ain't Too Proud, Summer, The Band's Visit, Prince of Broadway, Bandstand, Indecent, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, A Bronx Tale, Cats, Disaster!
Website: www.tararubincasting.com
Contact: tararubincasting.info@gmail.com | 212-302-3011
Binder Casting
Binder Casting was founded nearly 40 years ago by Jay Binder, who passed away in April 2022, and has been a part of RWS Entertainment Group since 2016. The office has cast 150+ Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Touring productions, in addition to countless national and international projects spanning both stage and screen.
Recent Broadway: The Lion King, In Transit, Dames at Sea, It Shoulda Been You, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Born Yesterday, White Christmas, Finian's Rainbow.
Website: bindercasting.com
Contact: info@bindercasting.com | 212-586-6777
Stewart/Whitley
An award-winning office in New York City that delivers excellence and innovation in casting. Respect for the creative process: the artistic teams, actors and all who collaborate in it is paramount. Connecting creativity is at the cornerstone of what they do.
Recent Broadway: Hadestown, The Lightning Thief, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Pippin, Chicago
Website: www.stewartwhitley.com
Contact: info@stewartwhitley.com | 212-635-2153
Wojcik Casting Team
Wojcik/Seay Casting opened its doors in January of 2009 with the national non-union tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and has also been featured in Season 2 of the podcast. But Gayle Seay has since gone to become Artistic Director of Stages St. Louis, while Scott Wojcik continues to cast shows in and out of New York.
Recent Broadway: Jesus Christ Superstar, Motown
Website: wscasting.com
Contact: info@wscasting.com
Jim Carnahan, CSA
Recent Broadway: Moulin Rouge!, Kiss Me, Kate, Tootsie, Burn This, The Ferryman, Head Over Heels, Travesties, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Angels in America, Farinelli and the King, Time and the Conways, 1984, Groundhog Day, The Price, The Cherry Orchard, Long Day's Journey Into Night, She Loves Me, Noises Off, Fun Home.
Stephen Kopel, CSA
Recent Broadway: Moulin Rouge!, Jagged Little Pill; Kiss Me, Kate; The Play That Goes Wrong; Beautiful; Sunday in the Park with George; Amélie; She Loves Me; Noises Off; Violet; The Glass Menagerie; Harvey; Once; Anything Goes
Caparelliotis Casting
Recent Broadway: The Minutes, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, In the Height of the Storm, Ink, Hillary and Clinton, King Lear, The Waverly Gallery, The Nap, The Boys in the Band, Saint Joan.
Daniel Swee, CSA
Recent Broadway: Pass Over, The Great Society, To Kill a Mockingbird, Six Degrees of Separation, Oslo, The Present, The Heidi Chronicles, The Audience
Cindy Tolan, CSA
Recent Broadway: Company, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Betrayal, Macbeth, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella.
Other standouts on the theatre scene:
Bass/Valle CastingBob Cline CastingFranck CastingHBD CastingJamibeth Margolis CastingKlapper CastingLaura Stanczyk CastingMichael Cassara Casting
 

As much as we actors wish it wasn’t so, auditioning really is our job. Performing it’s just an added perk, if we do that job really well. That being said though, there are times when we mail an audition and simply couldn’t have done any better, yet we still don’t book the part. Such is the life and labor of an actor.
Welcome to the annual episode of Audition Stories…the good, the bad, and the hysterical. And today you’ll be getting a sampling of the bonus episodes available to monthly supporters of this podcast. You’ll hear from the following actors, directors, and choreographers as they share their most memorable auditions:
Barton Cowperthwaite - actor and dancer from Tiny Pretty Things
Misty Rosas - actress, singer and performance artist from The Mandalorian
Carmen Cusack - actress and singer from Bright Star and Flying Over Sunset
Jerry Mitchell - director and choreographer of Kinky Boots and Pretty Woman
Al Blackstone - director and choreographer from So You Think You Can Dance
Michael Learned - famed actress from The Waltons
Kathryn Allison - actress and singer from Company and Aladdin
Briana Packen - actress and coach from Movement 4 Everybody
The Prom Tony Nominees - Caitlin Kinnunen, Beth Leavel, and
Brooks Ashmanskas
 
I love sharing these stories and episodes, but it does take time and resources to do it. Currently, about 90% of podcast production costs come out of my own pocket. So I would greatly appreciate if you would consider joining Why I’ll Never Make It and support the ongoing efforts of this podcast:
monthly subscriptions with access to bonus episodes and more
yearly subscriptions at a $20 discount off the monthly options
one-time donations to help the ongoing production of this podcast
Learn more about WINMI Podcast at whyillnevermakeit.com 
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Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It's an award winning Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 
Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
 

Just like actors show off their skills in the audition room, other artists and creatives have their own ways of showcasing talents to prospective theaters, directors, or employers. And these interviews can be just as anxious and nerve-racking as what we actors face, especially if you aren’t as prepared as you could be.
Adam Stocker is a Broadway costumer and returns for this bonus episode to share a story from his junior year at Western Michigan University. He recounts an interview he had for what would’ve been his first internship. However, from the moment the phone interview began, Adam was caught off-guard and just trying to keep up…
Follow Adam: Website | Instagram 
Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube 
A transcript of this interview can be found on the WINMI Blog and is available thanks to financial supporters of this podcast. You'll also find Adam's Final Five questions on the blog as well.
 
 
Welcome back to Why I’ll Never Make It and this special episode which is very different from the usual Audition Stories that are normally reserved for monthly supporters of this podcast. But I wanted to offer this conversation with Adam to all listeners like you as an invitation to subscribe to bonus content on Supercast, the Patreon alternative for podcasters. 
With your subscription, you’ll be helping this podcast continue to produce important and insightful interviews with a wide range of creative artists and actors. So become a supporter of WINMI today, and you’ll have my utmost appreciation and a lot of bonus episodes to listen to.
 

Among the many repercussions of the Covid pandemic, it caused actors, including myself, to question our purpose, our abilities, and our own belief in what it means to be an artist. Well, today’s guest had many of these same doubts and questions well before there was any pandemic affecting our industry. He felt an internal struggle between what he wanted to do and what he thought he should to be doing.
Brian Patacca is a life coach and podcaster as well as a non-denominational minister, but he started out as an actor, grinding it out, going to auditions, looking for representation. And he shares three stories of how he let go of expectations and allowed himself to find his purpose, to find his true calling. In the process he had to let go of plans and the very clear path he had laid out for himself. But in doing so he found a joy and fulfillment beyond anything he had anticipated. 
Get a copy of WINMI’s free ebook Creative Wisdom. 
Subscribe to WINMI and get bonus episodes with Brian on Supercast
Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.
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Why I’ll Never Make It is hosted and by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 
Music in the episode by Kai Engel and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
 
 
Artist Spotlight - BRIAN BREAKS CHARACTER
No more romanticizing the starving artist – let’s leave that to Moulin Rouge and Rent. The Brian Breaks Character podcast takes you behind the scenes with people who proudly walk the path LEAST taken. Inspiring industry insiders, working actors, and solopreneurs offer down-and-dirty advice (and lotsa laughs), all while spilling the tea on how to bring home the bacon (or seitan) in a creative field.
Brian proves that when actors and artists follow their purpose instead of playing by a tired set of industry rules (i.e. limiting beliefs), they can skip the drama, generate momentum, and build excitement around who they are and what they love to do the mostest. 
 
 
FINAL FIVE with Brian Patacca
Brian helps actors get what they want without all the struggle. He’s helped actors as “The Representation Whisperer” and through his wildly popular online courses, coaching program, and entertaining podcast, Brian teaches actors how to market themselves authentically, use gratitude to open doors, and ultimately make more money.
Brian is a graduate of Northwestern University, CTI’s Co-Active Coach Training Program, Marianne Williamson’s Teaching the Teachers – and on top of the education you’d expect a coach to have, Brian brings a spiritual and grounding approach to the biz that is rooted in his training as a non-denominational Reverend. And on the WINMI Blog he answers five final questions we didn't get to in this podcast episode, sharing the importance of making an impact as an artists rather than just making it in this industry.
Follow Brian - Life Coach / Instagram / Podcast / YouTube
 
 

This past week I started rehearsals up in Connecticut at the Goodspeed Opera House doing a new musical version of the beloved Anne of Green Gables. It’s a well-known story around the world but especially in its home country of Canada. So in honor of that I thought I would bring a Canadian onto the podcast. 
Ashley Victoria Robinson  is an actress, writer, producer and podcaster, and though she and I won’t be talking about Anne of Green Gables, we do hit upon some of the themes from that story...dealing with the loss of family and how that can impact our lives, finding our place in this world and where we belong, and learning how to control our emotions and our words so that they don’t get us into trouble.
Now, I hadn’t met Ashley until we sat down for this interview, But just like Anne is constantly searching for that kindred spirit, I too found a wonderful connection with Ashley throughout our conversation and thankfully a kindred spirit in this industry.
Subscribe to WINMI and get bonus episodes with Ashley on Supercast
Ashley answers the Final Five questions on the WINMI Blog
Check out the podcast website and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter
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Why I’ll Never Make It is a top 25 theater podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. It is a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 
Background music in this episode is by John Bartmann (Public Domain) and Blue Dot Sessions (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License).
 
 
Ashley Victoria Robinson & Unladylike Theatre present The Bearer of Bad News at the 2022 Hollywood Fringe Festival 
Most actors are used to working in a traditional power structure where actors are subservient to directors. There’s a very clear sense of who is in charge and whose opinions matter the most. Ashley met her Unladylike co-founders (Tiana Randall-Quant and Kendell Byrd) under these very circumstances. They found collaboration as the three of them really drew on each other through the creative process.
Ashley recognizes a school of thought in contemporary theatre that is Socratic in its approach, where everyone is equal is therefore more “feminine.” Unladylike Theatre was established by 3 femmes, trying to bring feminine sensibilities to every step in the creative process. And so their mission statement is: Reimagining the future through femme-forward theatre.
The Bearer of Bad News is their debut production, which they worked on for about 2.5 years total. Bearer of Bad News explores the intersection of identity and purpose set against the backdrop of a world irrevocably altered by climate change. Unladylike looks forward to future projects as well, whether an update of a classic work or creating fresh new pieces of theater. 
 
Ashley Victoria Robinson: Canadian Hobbit
She's been seen on stages all over the world including: The Wallis Annenberg, Theatre West, Hollywood Fringe Festival, Ottawa Fringe Festival, Youth Infringement Festival, Sock N Buskin, Cupcake Theater, and more. She's also a podcaster like me, hosting the Geek History Lesson podcast (alongside Jason Inman), was even the face of Twitter marketing for podcasters, and is the co-creator of The Red Shirt Diaries.
Ashley has been featured in several international commercial campaigns including Intel alongside The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons. On TV Ashley has shown off her acting chops on shows like Good Trouble (Freeform), Snowfall (FX), Pump (Urban Flix TV), and Hotel Secrets & Legends (Discovery Channel). Her comic book writings "Science! The Elements of Dark Energy" and the "Jupiter Jet" series are both award-nominated for Best Graphic Novel.