Behind the Awards with Eila Mell & Bruce Gotlieb Podcast By Broadway Podcast Network cover art

Behind the Awards with Eila Mell & Bruce Gotlieb

Behind the Awards with Eila Mell & Bruce Gotlieb

By: Broadway Podcast Network
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About this listen

 Celebrating extreme excellence in theater, film and tv, this podcast takes listeners all over the world on a journey behind the scenes featuring never-before-heard stories from Academy Award winners, Tony Award winners, Golden Globe Award winners, and so much more. Co-Hosts Eila Mell, bestselling author (The Tony Awards: A Celebration of Excellence in Theatre) and renowned podcast host, and Bruce Gotleib, who has never met an Awards show he doesn’t like, take guests through their experience of being nominated and subsequently winning their award(s), highlighting interesting and intimate details about their awards experience that will leave everyone happy to be a part of the experience. Visit http://bpn.fm/behindtheawards to learn more.Broadway Podcast Network Art Economics
Episodes
  • #109 - J Savage - Smashing Broadway

    #109 - J Savage - Smashing Broadway
    Jul 9 2025
    J Savage joins Behind the Awards to chat about Smash from Audition to Closing, Understudying Buddy the Elf in Elf the Musical, and turbulence that was part of his Broadway Debut in Bad Cinderella. Also in this episode - Harvey Fierstein’s 2025 Lifetime Achievement Tony Award. Plus Joy the Musical. J Savage, also known as Jonathan, is an NYC based artist and outdoorsman most recently seen in SMASH on Broadway, just down the street from the Marquis theatre where he recently was in the ensemble and was first cover for Buddy in the Broadway revival of Elf: The Musical Also a singer/songwriter, Jonathan took his pandemic experience and wrote his critically acclaimed one man show, Farewell to the West. Three months into quarantine, he bought a one way ticket West, got a camper van and moved to Yellowstone National Park to teach preschool to the rangers' kids. He fell in love with a true mountain man who taught him how to climb, ski, ride horses and live a full mountain life. With 11 original songs he dives deep into the emotional and physical tug-of-war of his two major yet conflicting passions: the outdoors and musical theatre. The show was see at both Feinstein’s/54 Below and The Green Room 42 last year. After a year and a half away in the mountains, Jonathan moved back to New York City in August of 2021 on his 25th birthday. It was that day be promised himself that if he would come back to pursue his dreams, then he was going to do two things this year: his first solo backpack trip and book Broadway. A year later both those dreams came true. Within the same week, he did his first solo backpack in Yosemite and auditioned for Bad Cinderella on Broadway. After making his Broadway debut in 2022, J spent most of 2023 in what he likes to call his New World Stages Residency, performing in both A Sign of the Times and Empire: The Musical (Ethan O'Dowd). Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Connect with Eila and Bruce: Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@behind_the_awards⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Eila ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@eilamell⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bruce ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cominghomewithbruce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • #108 - Rupert Holmes - Escape with Pirates

    #108 - Rupert Holmes - Escape with Pirates
    Jul 2 2025
    Tony Award Winning Writer/Composer stops by Behind the Awards to discuss adapting Pirates into the Jazz age as as his other hits such as The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Curtains….Don’t forget the Pina Colada Song. Also in this episode - Catherine Zeta Jone’s 2010 Tony win for A Little Night Music and Chess Revival finds a home at The Imperial Theater. Plus new music and workshop from the Broadway bound Wanted featuring Solea Pfeiffer, Liisi LaFontaine, and Will Swenson. Rupert Holmes is a 2023 New York Times bestselling author and was the first individual to singly win Tony awards for book, music, and lyrics, this for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which also won the Tony for Best Musical. The Drama Desk awarded him the identical honors plus Best Orchestration. He is a recipient of the Bergeret Living Legend award from The New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, ASCAP’s George M. Cohan Award, and an honorary doctorate from The Manhattan School of Music. Additional Broadway & LORT include: Say Goodnight Gracie (Tony Nomination, Best Play); Curtains (Drama Desk award, Best Book, Tony nominations Best Book, Best Add’l Lyrics); Accomplice (Edgar Award, Mystery Writers of America); Roundabout Theatre’s The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2013 Tony nomination, Best Revival), the current All Things Equal: The Life and Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg; The Nutty Professor (libretto by Holmes, music by Marvin Hamlisch), and The Picture of Dorian Gray (music and libretto by Holmes, The British Museum). He created and wrote all four seasons of the acclaimed AMC period dramedy Remember WENN; contributed songs to the Golden Globe-winning score of A Star is Born; wrote, arranged and conducted platinum recordings by Barbra Streisand as well as his own Billboard top ten hits. He dedicates his work on Pirates to his brother Richard, a fixture of The Met and NYGASP, who as a boy steeped him in the entire Gilbert and Sullivan canon. Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Connect with Eila and Bruce: Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@behind_the_awards⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Eila ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@eilamell⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bruce ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cominghomewithbruce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • #107 - Lea & Drew Lachey - Breaking Boundaries

    #107 - Lea & Drew Lachey - Breaking Boundaries
    Jun 25 2025
    Husband/Wife creative team Lea & Drew Lachey visit Behind the Awards to discuss their Original Theatrical Experience Label-less which recently enjoyed an Off-Broadway run at Theater Row. Drew brings his 98 Degrees & Broadway (Rent & Spamalot) experience to this one of a kind show coupled with the storytelling of Lea’s choreography. Also in this episode - 2010 Tony Awards with Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane. Drew Lachey - Drew Lachey's an accomplished singer, dancer and actor. Drew first rose to prominence as a member of the Motown pop group 98 Degrees. The group recorded four successful albums and sold more than nine million records worldwide. Drew made his Broadway debut playing the role of Mark Cohen in Rent. His latest Broadway credits include the role of Patsy in Monty Python’s Spamalot and Corny Collins in Hairspray with the PCLO. Drew became a household name when he took home the infamous mirror ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars (season-two champion, season-five co-host) and later took his dancing talents on the road with 3 North American tours of Dancing with the Stars and was asked to come back and be apart of the All-Star season. Drew also hosted the primetime ABC show Dance War with Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli, The Miss USA Pageant, HGTV's $250,000 Challenge and America Sings for GMC. After a decade break 98 Degrees is back together and recently toured with NKOTB and Boyz II Men on the "Package Tour", "My2K Tour" and the "98 Degrees at Christmas" tours in the fall of 2017 and 2018. Drew also starred in UPTV's "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas" and A&E's "Lachey's Bar". Drew also consults with the Cincinnati Film Commission on films being produced around Cincinnati. Lea Lachey was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH and began working professionally at 11 on the "King and I" National Tour. After being awarded a full dance scholarship to Marymount Manhattan College in NYC she went on to work with the world renowned Radio City Music Hall Rockettes as a dancer and assistant choreographer. Whether it is doing “Singing in the Rain” with the Santa Barbara CLO, the Disney NYC World Premiere of Hercules or the Missy Elliott video for “I Can’t Stand the Rain” Lea has always taken pride in being a versatile dancer and expects the same from her students. Lea's choreography credits include 98 Degrees (Today Show, Good Morning America, Mtv, VH1, Miss Teen USA, NFL ProBowl and NBA All-star game). Her live stage credits include the Nickelodeon ‘All That” Tour, 98 Degrees “Heat It Up” Tour, 98 Degrees “Revelation” World Tour and Creative Director for Jessica Simpson’s “Reality” Tour. Lea is currently Co-Director of the School for Creative and Performing Arts Musical Theater program and co artistic director of Lachey Productions which is bridging the gap between student and professional performer. Her work was showcased in the Exhale Dance Tribe shows "Love Letters" and "Rapture" at the Aronoff which included Lachey Arts performers. Lea's choreography was on display this past summer on the US national My2K tour as well as in 2013 with 98 Degrees as part of the NKOTB, 98 Degrees, Boyz II Men "Package Tour". Over the last several years, Lea has had the honor of working as choreographer and dance consultant on multiple films. "Carol" staring Academy Award winning actress Cate Blanchett and Kyle Chandler, "Miles Ahead" starring Golden Globe winning actor Don Cheadle and Emayatzy Corinealdi and A Christmas Melody directed by and starring Grammy winner Mariah Carey and Lacey Chabert. You can also catch her as a guest DJ on Q102. Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Connect with Eila and Bruce: Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@behind_the_awards⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Eila ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@eilamell⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bruce ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cominghomewithbruce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
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