Actor Aesthetic

Veteran Kara Lindsay has played many beloved roles on Broadway: Glinda in Wicked, Katherine in Newsies and, most recently, Cynthia Weil in Beautiful.  She originated the role of Laura in the national tour and Guthrie Theatre productions of Little House on the Prairie. Regional credits include Paper Mill Playhouse (Newsies, Little House on the Prairie); North Carolina Theatre (title role in Mary Poppins); Kansas City Starlight (title role in Cinderella); Kansas City Rep (Sally Bowles in Cabaret); The 5th Avenue Theatre (Lone Star Love); and Geva Theatre Center (A Christmas Carol), among others.

In this episode, Kara chats with NYC-based actress and host Maggie Bera about college auditions, her transition from college to NYC, her "almost" Broadway debut, vocal injuries, Newsies, and her FAVORITE JOB YET - being a mom!

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To join the Actor Aesthetic Alliance Facebook group, click here.

 

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Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

Gianna Yanelli is a New York-based actress who made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Mean Girls. She performed at the Tony Awards, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and SNL. Gianna also appeared on Law and Order: SVU. Regional: Saturday Night Fever (Annette), Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel, Barrymore nomination), Junie B. Jones (Junie B.) BFA MT Texas State University.

In this episode, NYC-based actress and host Maggie Bera chats with Gianna about her college audition process, studying musical theatre at Texas State University, auditions and side jobs in New York City, and her Broadway debut in Mean Girls!

 

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Spread love and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

 

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

 

Follow Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic

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Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

Christine Cornish Smith is a New York City based dancer, singer and actor. She was most recently seen in the Original Broadway Cast revival of Kiss Me, Kate!, where she was a featured dancer in the ensemble and covered Lois Lane/Bianca. Christine is most well known for her portrayal of Bombalurina in the OBC revival of CATS, and was also seen in the OBC of My Fair Lady at the Lincoln Center Theater. 

Other credits include: the original work of Agnes DeMille in Oklahoma! at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, original revival tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat helmed by director/choreographer, Andy Blankenbuehler, Laurey Williams in Susan Stroman’s Oklahoma! at the MUNY, Sheila Bryant in A Chorus Line at the Riverside Theater, and Goodspeed Opera House. She has also performed as a principal vocalist with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, the Phoenix Symphony, and the Niagra Symphony Orchestra, as well as was a finalist in the prestigious Kurt Weill’s Lotte Lenya Vocal Competition in 2014.

She appeared in the 25th Anniversary Concert performance of Crazy For You at Lincoln Center, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman and has also appeared on HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver, “Good Morning, America”, “The Today Show”, “The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”, and “The Tony Awards”. She has been featured on Playbill.com, Broadway.com, Inside Dance Magazine, and BroadwayBox as one of the “Incredible Debuts” of the 2016 Broadway season. Visit her website at www.ChristineCornishSmith.com and follow her on instagram @ChristineCornish.

In this episode, NYC-based actress and host Maggie Bera chats with Christine about her musical theatre training at CCM, her transition to New York City, survival jobs, agents, auditions, rejection, and making her Broadway debut in Cats. 

Ciara Alyse Harris is an actor currently playing Alana Beck and understudying Zoe Murphy in the First National Tour of Dear Evan Hansen. She received her BFA degree in Musical Theatre from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. When she’s not performing she’s working on her blog Queen Made of Light whose purpose is to remind women of their power and how they are fully capable of finding their own light in the darkness. Ciara is a strong mental health advocate and uses her own experiences to share insight about topics such as anxiety, relationships, being an artist, and learning how to love yourself where you are and where you are going. 

 

In this episode, Ciara chats with NYC-based actress and host Maggie Bera about Broadway auditions, booking Dear Evan Hansen, traveling on tour, Black Lives Matter, blogging, mental health and MORE!

 

*apologies for the emergency siren underneath the beginning of the interview!*

 

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To join the Actor Aesthetic Alliance Facebook group, click here.

 

Spread love and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

 

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

 

Follow Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

Janine DiVita graduated from the University of Michigan with a double major in Musical Theatre and Communications. Favorite credits include Broadway: Grease (Rizzo), Anything Goes (Reno Standby), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Miss Isabel Yearsley). National Tours: Finding Neverland (Mary Barrie), If/Then *w/ Idina Menzel (Anne), Young Frankenstein (Elizabeth). TV/Film: The Deuce (Amy Goldman), Elementary (June Cunningham), Gravesend (Jennifer) and many, many more!

 

But Janine's prowess goes beyond entertainment. She co-wrote a screenplay called 'Sisters Before Misters' which is in development with Dolphin Entertainment (to be directed by Lea Thompson), is the director of over 60 members of the USO Show Troupe which entertains military and veterans all over the world, AND co-founded Empowered Voices which provides theatrical prevention education workshops, specializing in Sexual Assault Prevention and Suicide Prevention, to the U.S. Military.

 

In this episode, Janine chats with NYC-based actress and host Maggie Bera about her training at the University of Michigan, her Broadway debut at 23 years old, the audition grind, survival jobs, moving to NYC, the USO show troupe, how she's coping in quarantine and MORE!

 

Scott Freeman https://www.thefreemanstudio.com/

Bob Krakower http://www.bobkrakower.com

Ted Sluberski http://tedsluberski.com

Susan Cameron http://cameronmethod.com/home/

 

To join the Actor Aesthetic Alliance Facebook group, click here.

 

Spread love and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

 

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

 

Follow Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

Introducing the next level of virtual auditioning, Eco Cast Live! NYC-based actress and host Maggie Bera chats about the basics of Eco Cast Live, how actors can use it to their advantage, and how it will impact the future of the theatre industry.

 

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"Here's How To Audition With EcoCast Live From Actors Access" (more in-depth info and visual advice) - https://www.actinginchicago.com/advice-for-actors/heres-how-actors-will-audition-with-ecocast-live/

 

To join the Actor Aesthetic Alliance Facebook group, click here.

 

Spread love and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

 

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

 

Follow Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

Kaitlin Hopkins is an award-winning actress, director, and educator and has worked in theater, film and television for over 30 years. In 2009 she created the BFA Musical Theatre program at Texas State University, recently named one of the top 10 musical theatre programs in the nation. As an entrepreneur, she is the Co-Founder of Living Mental Wellness, which is a holistic evidence-based company that offers educational programs to enhance mental wellness for performing artists through an integrated scientific life skills model. In addition, Hopkins is the proud creator and president of Fontus Green Apple Dry Throat Lozenges, in partnership with Ocu-soft, a multi-million dollar pharmaceutical company. Fontus is the official lozenge of Hamilton the musical, and many other Broadway shows and national touring companies, and is the lozenge of choice for many performing artists including Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson and Julie Andrews.

 

As an educator, she received the 2016 Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching from Texas State University and was recognized by Broadway Dreams Foundation as an innovative voice in education, and one of the 6 top women educators in the performing arts. In 2012, in collaboration with the ProJazz Institute Hopkins created and launched the first musical theater-training program in Chile. Her recent TEDx Talk on the importance of mental wellness education for students, along with her research and curriculum-based mental wellness training program for performing artists at Texas State has garnered international attention.

 

As an actress her Broadway credits include: Noises Off, Anything Goes with Patti LuPone and originating the role of “Mama Who” in How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Hopkins has a half dozen cast album credits to her name and has originated multiple roles off-Broadway including: Bat Boy-the Musical for which she received a Drama Desk and Ovation award nominations, Bare: A Pop Opera, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, and Nicky Silver’s Beautiful Child. National tours include originating the roles of “Diane” in Disney’s On The Record, and “Margorie” in Dirty Dancing, and originating the role of “Tiffany” in the international tour of the John Adam opera I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky directed by Peter Sellars.

 

Hopkins has appeared in over 50 television shows including Star Trek- Deep Space Nine, Star Trek Voyager, JAG, Law and Order, Law and Order SVU, Law and Order CI, Rescue Me, Spin City and three years on Another World as Dr. Kelsey Harrison. She has appeared in 11 feature films including The Nanny Diaries, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles and How To Kill Your Neighbor’s Dog with Kenneth Branagh.

 

As a director, writer, producer her production of The World According to Snoopy, which made its world premiere at Texas State, and its regional premiers at Theatre Under The Stars, and Theatre Aspen, has been licensed by Tams Witmark . Other producing credits include producing radio plays and musicals for LA Theatre Works-The Plays the Thing Series and for The Pet Shop (Animal Planet Network) hosted by comedian Andy Kindler. As a director, favorite credits include: The Boch and Harnick Revue To Life!, which she co-conceived with Tony award winner Robert L. Freedman, The Two Orphans by Theresa Rebeck, and Collision Course by Jim Price (The Lark Play Development Center, NY). She is a member of the Playwright and Director's Workshop at The Actors Studio in New York. Kaitlin’s directing credits at Texas State University include: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, RENT, Anything Goes, Urinetown, Hair, All Shook Up, Oklahoma!, The Wild Party, A Little Princess (world premiere), and Bat Boy-The Musical. Her productions at Texas State have been recognized with numerous awards by the Austin Critics' Table Awards.

 

In this episode, NYC-based actress and host Maggie Bera chats with Kaitlin about how COVID-19 will impact the future of college auditions. 

 

To join the Actor Aesthetic Alliance Facebook group, click here.

 

Spread love and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

 

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

 

Follow Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, actors all around the United States are hurting mentally, emotionally and financially - with almost 100% of the industry out of work. In this episode, Maggie shares her favorite self-care strategies actors can use right now to boost mental health.

 

To join the Actor Aesthetic Alliance Facebook group, click here.

Spread love and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

 

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

Follow Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

Broadway is shut down until at least January 2021. By the time it *hopefully* reopens, an entire industry will have been out of work for a minimum of 9 months.

So what does this mean for actors?

 

In episode 92, NYC-based actress and host Maggie Bera chats about the Broadway shutdown and how it ultimately affects actors.

 

Why It's Ok For Actors To Slow Down

Send A Letter To Congress To Support The Worker Health Coverage Protection Act

Cigna Silver Plan

 

To join the Actor Aesthetic Alliance Facebook group, click here.

 

Spread love and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

 

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

Follow Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

Cailen Fu is an actor, singer and voiceover artist based in New York City. She made her Broadway debut in MEAN GIRLS and is the current standby for Regina George and Gretchen Wieners! She trained classically at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and in London with RADA + Shakespeare’s Globe. She then graduated with her BFA in Musical Theater + Honors in Acting from University of California, Irvine. Post-grad, she signed across-the-board with A3 Artists Agency. Off-Broadway: Nickel Mines (Rosanna King). NYC: Austen's Pride (Associate Choreographer). Regional: Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Lyric Company, the Nashville Repertory Theater. When she’s not on stage or teaching, you can find her hiking a new trail, watering her plant babies or trying out a new pastry recipe! 

In this episode, NYC-based actress and host Maggie Bera chats with Cailen about her training, how auditions for Hamilton lead to her Broadway debut in Mean Girls, the difference between Broadway standbys and understudies, survival jobs, how she's coping during quarantine, her secret "Chipotle" analogy, and more. 

To join the Actor Aesthetic Alliance Facebook group, click here.

Spread love and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info.

Follow Maggie Bera on social media

Instagram: @actoraesthetic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/

Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com