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Hold on to your hats folks, this is the season 3 finale of Tits and Teeth and we are leaving it all out on the floor. Welcome to A Sermonia Special!Due to quarantine, and thanks to technology, we are coming at you with stories and wisdom from Julius, Jason and Genny Sermonia! 3 of our industry's most talented and driven humans - who are also siblings! We get to hear some old school family stories from this trio, how each of them has forged their own unique path in this industry, and the importance of representation. We also recap this season's twists and turns. Julius, Jason, and Genny have all performed at our industry's most prestigious houses. Julius made his Broadway debut as Mr. Mistoffelees in Cats, and has since performed on Broadway in Jesus Christ Superstar, Dr. Zhivago, The King And I, and Miss Saigon. Julius has just come off the Miss Saigon National Tour, and has spent many years at the Stratford Festival (Tommy, West Side Story, My One And Only, A Funny Thing…Forum). Jason too performed on Broadway in Miss Saigon, and Jesus Christ Superstar, and has spent 8 seasons with the Stratford Festival (Crazy For You, A Chorus Line, Little Shop Of Horrors, Billy Elliot). Jason was also in the movies Chicago (starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger) and Honey (starring Jessica Alba). Genny has spent multiple seasons with both The Shaw Festival (Brigadoon, Sweet Charity, Peter And The Starcatcher) and The Stratford Festival (The Music Man, A Chorus Line, West Side Story) was on the National Tour of Mary Poppins, and in multiple Ross Petty Pantos (Lil’ Red Robin Hood, A Christmas Carol). Genny can also be seen on screen in Full Out (Carmel Creek Prods), Degrassi: The Next Generation (Epitome Pictures), and Hellcats(CBS/Warner Bros). Come hang with us, grab a drink, and thank you for joining us in an epic season of Tits and Teeth.   

Today we are amplifying the voices and experiences of LaToya and Ron Bedeau. This gorgeous couple and parents to a glowing daughter were completely generous and open while we discussed parenting in this climate, the importance of accountability and consequence, and they urge everyone to live and learn and fight for a better tomorrow because it’s a movement, not a moment. LaToya and Ron are co-directors of In Tha Groove Productions and incredible dancers in their own right. LaToya has done it all, from touring the world to performing in movies (Honey, Bojangles, Save the Last Dance 2) music videos (Rihanna, Mario, Keshia Chante), and award shows (Fergie, Akon, The Black Eyed Peas). LaToya is now the choreographer and head dancer for Massari, has choreographed routines for the Toronto Argonauts Cheerleaders, Toronto Rock Lacrosse Cheerleaders, and a short show for superstar Mya. Ron Bedeau began his hip hop career under the mentorship of Luther Brown, and was a featured performer for legendary group DoDat. He can be seen in films like Shall We Dance, Save The Last Dance 2 (Stepping Up), and Honey. Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s continue to move forward, together.

That title says it all folks! Our guest today is tap and dance icon, Germaine Goodson.  Her journey in this industry is filled with first hand stories about some of the most legendary tap dancers and teachers of all time, and she is bringing those stories to your ears. Germaine radiates joy, and has a wealth of knowledge and experience that is unparalleled. She speaks with us about some of the icons she’s had the pleasure of working with - people like Harold and Fayard Nicholas, aka The Nicholas Brothers, Maurice Hines, Savion Glover, and Henry LeTang. We also hear all about her experience performing in Black and Blue which she travelled with from Paris to Broadway, and get her hopeful response to the overdue changes that this civil rights movement is having on our industry.Germaine’s Broadway credits include Play On and Black and Blue, which ran from 1989-1991 and won the Tony Award for Best Choreography, as well as Off Broadway in Back In the Big Time. Germaine was also a member of the world renowned tap duo and trio brought together by Cab Callaway called The Rhythm Queens. The Rhythm Queens performed on tours across Europe, with Ballet Tap USA, and even for the Queen of England. Germaine is an incredible teacher and educator and you can take her masterful class at Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center in New York, where she resides today. Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s continue to move forward, together. 

Today on the pod we are going on mute and passing over our mics and platform to the powerful duo, Tara Jackson and Masini McDermott, the co-creators of Musical Tokens. The pair are also established actors and met while performing in The Colour Purple. Tara’s portrayal of Celie in this production earned her a Merritt Award, and a Sterling Award nomination. She was also a Season 1 guest on Tits and Teeth! Masini is a graduate of Sheridan College, and has had an exciting career, with credits spanning from stage to screen. Together they have created a virtual platform that highlights Canadian women of colour in Musical Theatre, recognizing and celebrating female talent! Masini and Tara dissect some of the hot topics and phrases that are filling our Instagram feeds, share with us what has been on their minds in respect to the recent social change happening around the world as part of the Black Lives Matter movement, and chat to us about systemic racism within our society and industry. We are beyond grateful to these amazing women as they host this episode of Tits and Teeth! Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s continue to move forward, together  

Hi Tits and Teeth fam! We wanted to assure you that during this moment in time we are making sure our podcast platform reflects the tone of the world, and that we are using it to be a productive resource for you, our community. We want to provide conversations that acknowledge this very important civil rights movement, and the racism that exists in our own industry and country. We pledge to do better and fight for a better tomorrow - one that includes EQUALITY for everyone. Today on the pod we are turning up the volume on some previous episodes that we've produced, and are highlighting conversations we had with Ayanna Sealey, Ray Hogg, Kimberley Rampersad, Tara Jackson, Mary Antonini, Damian Chambers, and Ann Pornel over the past 3 seasons of Tits and Teeth. We have realized that we can’t move forward without looking back and LISTENING to our wonderful friends. They have been so wise, so graceful and so eloquent. We also hear some solution based conversations about things that we can do to make a better tomorrow. Feel free to take some time to go back and listen to the full episodes with to these formidable artists, with open ears and open hearts. They all have incredible insight on the industry as a whole, and have been always been gracefully speaking out about these issues that are ever present in our world.  We are so grateful to them all. Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s continue to move forward, together. 

Today on the pod we are hearing from 3 strong powerful women who are leading the way! Ayanna Sealey speaks with us to help elevate our mental training, and Stephanie Graham and Amy Wright are here to respond to some unanswered questions from our live QandA.Ayanna Sealey is a mental performance, wellness coach, and  neuro emotional technique practitioner. Her company is called ‘Magic Makers’ where she helps her clients get out of their own way, figure out what their full potential is, and succeed by using their own ‘magic’. Ayanna was also a former musical theatre gal who performed at the Stratford Festival (South Pacific, Hello Dolly) in The Lion King (Mirvish) and even trained at the prestigious Alvin Ailey School in New York. During this interview with Ayanna we dive into topics like; creating daily practices and rituals, recognizing the purpose in our failures, and moving past our injuries. Ayanna is a complete ray of light, we can’t wait for you to soak up all her wisdom. Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s get through this together.  

Today on the pod Kyla is being outnumbered by Aussies! Australian based choreographer, performer, and absolute legend, James Maxfield is with us today on Tits and Teeth!James has an incredible musical theatre and performance resume, and is currently the Creative Producer on The Voice Australia! We chat with James about his journey from theatre to tv, hear a Hugh Jackman story (yes, please), and learn all about what being a Creative Producer on The Voice entails.James is a self proclaimed musical theatre nerd like us all, and his hard work and dedication to the craft is apparent with his extensive resume. Some of his credits to date include; The Boy From Oz starring Hugh Jackman, the Australian productions of Miss Saigon & Wicked, Sweet Charity (The Production Company)  A Chorus Line (TML Ent.) and My Fair Lady (Opera Australia). He has also danced on the Ke$ha Japan Promo Tour, with Taylor Swift (Aria Awards) X Factor Aus, Australia’s Got Talent, and Australian Idol.Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s get through this together.  

Richard J Hinds is a man that we've have had on our ‘hopefully one day’ list to interview ever since the beginning of Tits and Teeth. It is not ideal how our schedules have finally lined up, but WE WILL TAKE IT!Ricky Hinds is a brilliant director/choreographer based out of New York and is the Associate Choreographer on the latest revival of Company, which is set to open once Broadway is lit up again. He often spends his time travelling the world, as he is also the Associate Choreographer on every production of Come From Away! Ricky challenges us to always put ourselves out there, and encourages us to be positive influences in our community, especially now.Ricky’s career is inspirational, and we can’t wait to see where he’ll go next! His other Broadway credits include Newsies! (Assoc. Director), Jekyll And Hyde (Assoc. Dir/Choreo) and Here Lies Love (Off Broadway, West End Assoc. Dir/Chore). Some of Ricky’s personal Director/Choreographer credits include Holiday Inn, Guys And Dolls (Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival) How To Succeed In Business… Evita (Flat Rock Playhouse) and Encore for Disney+ Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s all get through this together.

Karla Garcia has a style and groove all her own. You can’t help but stop and take notice when she showcases her amazing choreography. Not to mention she’s incredibly kind, generous, and funny! We can’t wait for you to get to know Karla!Karla is a New York based performer and choreographer who has spent the last 4 years as a swing in Hamilton on Broadway. We get to chat with Karla about choreographing the brand new musical, ‘Other World', which was set to make its world premiere at Bucks County Playhouse right before COVID sent us into isolation. We talk about how her sense of rhythm and musicality influences her choreography, and we hear some stories about her time with Hamilton. Karla is an award winning choreographer for her work on In The Heights (VA Repertory). She made her Broadway debut in Hot Feet, and been on the National Tours of Wicked and The Addams Family. Other Broadway credits for Karla include Hamilton: An American Musical, GiGi and West Side Story. Karla is a regular faculty member at Broadway Dance Center, was a top 7 female finalist on So You Think You Can Dance (Season 5), has a BFA in Dance and a minor in Journalism from NYU and in 2011 was named UNIpro Magazine’s ‘Top 30 Filipinos Under 30”.Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s all get through this together.

Fellow human beings! The Queen, Kimberley Rampersad, is here on Tits and Teeth! Her incredible words are ready to flow through your ear buds and inspire you to HOLD YOUR SPACE!Kimberley is a glowing force in this industry, who was recently appointed as the new Associate Artist Direct of the Shaw Festival. We chat with Kimberley about how she ‘schedules her balance’, the stories she wants to tell as a director, and a little bit about Gypsy, scheduled to play at the Shaw Festival, which she is both directing and choreographing. We also got to have a beautiful catch up with Kimberley because we had recorded her interview ‘pre-pandemic’. We needed to hear how Kim is continuing to inspire and lead while staying safely in her home, and in true Kim Rampersad fashion, she hit us with some incredible advice for this moment in time. Kimberley proudly hails from Winnipeg Manitoba and has been an asset to theatres all across Canada. Kimberley has been a performer in Holiday Inn, Grand Hotel, Pygmalion, Sweet Charity (Shaw Festival) Crazy For You, Man of La Mancha (Stratford Festival), has Directed The Colour Purple (Neptune Theatre, Citadel/MRTC) Man and Superman, O’Flaherty V.C. (Shaw Festival) How Black Mothers Say I Love You (GCTC), and Choreographed Matilda (RMTC/Citadel/Arts Club) Bittergirl (RMTC) and Seussical (Young Peoples Theatre). What we’re saying is…she does it all, and she does it all at the highest level.       Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s all get through this together.

On Wednesday April 22nd Jen and Ky were thrilled to host a Q and A live on YouTube with two of our industries elites, Amy Wight and Stephanie Graham. We had a blast and answered your live questions about injury, choreography, and auditioning for both film/tv and musical theatre. We wanted to make sure this valuable content got to you so we needed to put it in PODCAST VERSION! Amy Wright is the Casting Director, Choreographer and a Producer of the television series The Next Step, watched around the world. Most recently Amy has choreographed dancers for Private Eyes (Global), Anne With An E (Netflix and CBC) Killjoys (Crave) American Gods (Amazon Prime) and Dare Me (NBC/USA pilot).Stephanie Graham is one of our countries most sought after Directors and Choreographers. Stephanie won the 2015 Dora Award for Outstanding Choreography for her work on The Wild Party (Musical Stage Co.) She is also a twice nominated Merritt Award choreographer for Cinderella and The Addams Family (Neptune Theatre) Other Director credits for Steph include; Chicago, Beauty and the Beast, Mamma Mia (Globe Theatre) Anne of Green Gables (Thousand Islands Playhouse) and The Last Five Years (YRG Productions) Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s all get through this together

It’s crazy times out there right now friends, so why not take a break from the madness and hear a word from our incredible guest this week who is always working way past 9 to 5! International woman, Lisa Stevens is here to chat with Jen and Ky and take some of those blues away. Lisa is a Director/Choreographer who has taken her talents and tenacity from Canada, to The West End, Australia, Broadway and back again. We chat with Lisa about the journey she’s on putting up Dolly Parton’s musical adaptation of 9 to 5 all over the world, how to make yourself essential, and forging your own path. There is so much to learn from this boss woman!Lisa’s performance career took her across the pond to the West End in London where she was part of Chicago and Bombay Dreams. Bombay Dreams brought her back to North America as the Associate Choreographer on both the Broadway and National Tour productions. Lisa has also choreographed the National Tours of High School Musical in the US, UK, and Australia. Some of Lisa’s regional credits include; The Little Prince (World Premiere Theatre Calgary), Mamma Mia! (Rainbow Stage and The New Theatre), Grease, Spamalot, Mary Poppins, and West Side Story (Drayton Entertainment). You may also recognize Lisa from appearing on Encore (produced by Kristin Bell) on Disney+Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s all get through this together 

Today on the pod we have a forward thinking chat with the super compassionate, always passionate, David Connolly, who reminds us it’s always better to glitter than be bitter! David Connolly is the Associate Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment, where he has helmed over thirty productions! David leads Drayton's Youth Training Program and is also an adjunct professor to many performing arts colleges across Canada. Having also been the only below knee double amputee performer to ever perform on Broadway, he is also a huge advocate for very-abled-actors within the community. In our discussion with David we talk about his new initiative that began in response to social distancing, Matinee to Z. We also have an important discussion about people with disabilities, that encourages us to broaden our thinking beyond any labels, and David gets us excited about our 'new normal' going forward.David’s career has been vast and diverse. He was a cast member in the Broadway revival of Shenandoah, and from there become a company member of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. David then moved to LA  and spent 7 years working as an Associate Producer and Creative Director at Anita Mann Productions. He brought that knowledge back to Canada to choreograph, cast, and co-direct the CBC smash hit children’s series, The Doodlebops. Some of David’s other director/choreographer credits include; Newsies, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Hairspray, Singin’ In The Rain, Mamma Mia! First Wives Club, The Musical, and Disney’s High School Musical. Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s all get through this together. 

As we are all slowly adjusting to this socially distant world, it occurred to us that we needed to take a minute to look after our mental health. The stress and anxiety that is coming with these rapidly changing times can be overwhelming, so today on the pod we reconnect with past Tits and Teeth alum (and creator of The Dance Podcast) Lauren Ritchie to chat about our mental health and mindset during COVID-19. She helps us uncover tools, including using our breath and adjusting our habits to keep us connected to our goals, to come out resilient, grateful and perhaps more connected to our best selves on the other side. These practises are transferable throughout our careers and lives too... aka, there's a lot to take away this week! Lauren is a mental skills trainer, dance educator, writer, and unshakable optimist dedicated to helping dancers and performers become their best, and boy did she help us today! From her MEd in Coaching Studies, to a BA in Professional Communications, to multiple yoga certifications and an accredited Art & Science of Coaching Certification, Lauren is incredibly knowledgable and well spoken, and we are so grateful she was able to speak with us again. You’ll also hear from one of our industry's strong and mindful leaders, Stephanie Graham, with a message to us all, as well as an original song from the beautiful Jordan Bell to make you smile.Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s all get through this together!

Hi friends. Is COVID-19 making you feel stressed, anxious, unsure of what tomorrow is going to bring? Well guess what! You are not alone because here at Tits and Teeth we feel THE EXACT SAME WAY!  We have decided to do a bit of a different episode today, and why not? We are living in very ‘different’ times. Today you will hear from the lovely Ryan G Hinds, 2nd Vice President of Canadian Actors Equity, who has provided us with a synopsis of the March 17 CAEA meeting, along with other specifics you should know of coming from our union. Jen and Ky also have a conversation with the well spoken and elegant Anthony MacPherson. We discuss questions we still have going forward, coming together as a community, and we open up about our thoughts and feelings we’re experiencing during this time of uncertainty. We are also here to make you smile, so we will round off the episode with a fun story from the gem that is George Krissa. Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s all get through this together!

A glorious fearless fashionista is in our midst today. Her full beautiful name is Kimberly-Ann Truong, but she more commonly goes by KIMMY TRUONG! While being super classy ladies and sipping on some box wine, we chat with Kimmy about why she NEVER counts herself out! We also learn all about her time on Broadway with Miss Saigon and why good food is a mantra for a good life! Kimmy is truly a fearless actor who is never afraid of making bold choices. She will star in this season of The Stratford Festival of Canada as Lady of the Lake in Spamalot. Some of her incredible credits to date include; Miss Saigon (Broadway) The Rocky Horror Show as Columbia, A Little Night Music as Fredrika, A Chorus Line, The Music Man, Peter and Wendy (Stratford Festival) Into the Woods (TIFT) Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Drayton Entertainment) Mamma Mia!, Anne of Green Gables, and the premiere of Kronborg: The Hamlet Rock Musical (Charlottetown Festival) Come hang with us, grab a drink (if you’re not driving) and get your weekly fix of musical theatre banter, with beverages.

The elegant, hard working, ultra talented Michael De Rose is our special guest this week on Tits and Teeth, and let’s just say, there are no thorns on this rose! Michael was recently recognized by NOW! Magazine as one of the ‘Top Ten Toronto performers in theatre and comedy of 2019' and we couldn't agree more! You may also recognize him from his starring role in Ross Petty Panto's Lil’ Red Robin Hood and The Wizard of Oz, or even in the Toronto production of Grease, where he appeared as Teen Angel. We chat with Mr. De Rose about these recent acknowledgements he’s received, his reoccurring role as SugarBum in the Ross Petty Panto, and his tenacious work ethic!The already successful DeRose has an exciting future in this business and we can’t wait to see where this ‘Top Ten’ man is headed!  Micheal's epic vocals have had him touring across North America in Godspell and Saturday Night Fever, and he also received a Betty Mitchell Nomination for his role as Lonny in Rock Of Ages (Stage West). Other credits include Reprint (Musical Stage Co.) Freaky Friday (Theatre Aquarius), Juke Box Hero (Annerin Theatricals), and Return To Grace (RGA Productions), just to name a few! Come hang with us, grab a drink (if you’re not driving) and get your weekly fix of musical theatre banter, with beverages.

Get out your kitten heels folks, because the legendary Bruce Dow is our guest on Tits and Teeth Podcast this week!It was truly an honour to share a glass of wine with Bruce Dow and hear his kind, generous and intelligent perspective about this crazy business! We chat with Bruce about his years at The Stratford Festival, breaking out of that body image box, and the new musical he is currently working on, called Diana: A True Musical Story, which begins previews on Broadway TODAY! Bruce has had a wide and illustrious career and it just keeps growing! His broadway credits include Diana: A True Musical and Jesus Christ Superstar, where he played King Herod. Some favourite Canadian credits include A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (Mirvish Prod. and Stratford Festival) Les Miserables (Mirvish Prod) Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret, The Tempest, Into The Woods, Man of La Mancha, Comedy of Errors (Stratford Festival) and Alice Through The Looking Glass (Charlottetown Festival). Bruce is also known for creating intimate and personal cabaret performances and is a member of the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs. Come hang with us, grab a drink (if you’re not driving) and get your weekly fix of musical theatre banter, with beverages

We are so lucky here at Tits and Teeth to be able to speak with the many talented and inspirational leaders across North America, and today is no exception with director, choreographer, actor and educator, Ray Hogg!Ray completely PAMPERED your girls for this interview. He provided a stellar charcuterie board, and champagne glasses for our Perrier, all between his two shows that day! We chat with Ray over this luxurious spread about knowing our worth, longevity in this business, and fostering the love of theatre in our youngsters. Ray Hogg is a force in Canadian theatre. He is currently the Artistic Liaison in Toronto for Neptune Theatre, and most recently he has been appointed Artistic Consultant at The Musical Stage Company. He was the Artistic Director of Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg from 2012-2017 and has directed and choreographed at reputable theatres spanning across Canada, including The Shaw Festival in Ontario to The Arts Club Theatre Co in Vancouver! Some of Ray’s performance credits include; Cats (Stuttgart, Germany) My One and Only, Oklahoma!, South Pacific (Stratford Festival) Sweet Charity, Spelling Bee, Elf The Musical (Drayton Entertainment) and West Side Story (Vancouver Opera) Come hang with us, grab a drink (if you’re not driving) and get your weekly fix of musical theatre banter, with beverages.

Dan is a stunning dancer, teacher, and choreographer who works hard to give back to his community and inspire acceptance. We chat with this beautiful human about his journey as a choreographer, where he draws inspiration from, and the events he co-ordinates across NYC, particularly his ‘Night Of Life’ events, which raises money to benefit ‘The Trevor Project’, a foundation aimed at saving LGBTQ youth lives.Dan is a New York based artist and faculty member of Steps on Broadway and a regular guest teacher at Broadway Dance Centre. Dan has recently had a successful off Broadway choreography debut with Good Morning New York (The Players Theatre) and also choreographed the regional premiere of The Bodyguard (White Plains Performing Arts Centre) starring LaToya London (American Idol Finalist). Other choreography credits include Young Frankenstein (Phoenix Productions) and The Mystery Of Edwin Drood (Liberty University). Some of Dan’s theatre performance credits include; Miss Saigon, Beaty and the Beast (National Tours), Loch Ness: A New Musical (Merry Go Round Playhouse), Young Frankenstein (North Shore Music Theatre) and My Fair Lady (Lyric Opera Of Chicago).Come hang with us, grab a drink (if you’re not driving) and get your weekly fix of musical theatre banter, with beverages.