Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine

Hosted by actress Ilana Levine
Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine

With her unique style of hosting, Ilana Levine gives her listeners up close and personal access to today's biggest stars from Broadway, Film and Television. Her intimate and revealing conversations with Tony Award, Academy Award, Grammy Award and Emmy Award winners gives listeners the feeling they are part of a conversation between old friends. Guests include Julianne Moore, Matthew Broderick, Isabelle Huppert, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Platt, Uma Thurman, Matt Bomer, Aasif Mandvi, Octavia Spencer, Edie Falco, Allison Janney, Beanie Feldstein, John Slattery, Judith Light, Molly Ringwald, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Chenoweth, Anthony Rapp, Jason Alexander, Tony Shalhoub, Griffin Dunne, Kaskade, Laura Linney and many more. New episodes are released on Mondays.

  1. 2H AGO

    Episode 449 - Merri Sugarman

    Initially an actress ('Les Miserables', 'Aspects of Love', et al.), Merri found herself out West some years back where she quickly made a name for herself at Liberman/Hirschfeld Casting, then Liberman/Patton Casting, working on such shows as Seinfeld, Party of Five, HBO’s Band of Brothers, the feature film My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the Miramax feature film "Playing By Heart", starring Sean Connery and Angelina Jolie.  In 2000, Merri moved to Dreamworks Studios as the Casting Executive in charge of TV Pilots and Series- including "Spin City", “Freaks and Geeks” and the critically acclaimed "The Job", starring Denis Leary. She was then offered a position as the Director of Casting for Dramas and Movies at ABC Television, overseeing the casting of the series "Alias", "NYPD Blue", "The Practice" and the made for television movies "Gilda Radner - It's Always Something" and "The Music Man", starring Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth, to name just a few.  Merri then returned to the East Coast to teach and coach actors – something she still does (and loves) as time permits, when Tara Rubin offered her a Senior Casting Director position where she’s been happily ensconced ever since, working on, among many others - the Broadway, touring and international companies of THE WHO’S TOMMY, COMPANY, AIN’T TOO PROUD, JERSEY BOYS,THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, LES MISERABLES, SCHOOL OF ROCK, MISS SAIGON, A BRONX TALE, CLUELESS the Musical, TREVOR the Musical (2023 Artios Award) and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (2024 Artios Award) The TRC office is also responsible for the casting of Billy Crystal’s series “Before” for Apple TV and the Broadway productions of The Outsiders, SIX and Death Becomes Her, just to name a few  Merri also casts for many theaters regionally – including The Papermill Playhouse, Lyric Opera of Chicago,  The Old Globe, Seattle Rep, The Goodman and The La Jolla Playhouse.  She is the very proud Casting Director of the critically acclaimed web series SUBMISSIONS ONLY and also boasts having cast many other independent TV & film projects, workshops and readings. In 2024, Merri took on some passion projects on the side, as well. These include the highly acclaimed and starry concert production of “FOLLIES” at Carnegie Hall for Transport Group’s annual benefit gala, and a reading of a new play at The Actors Studio written by Lyle Kessler (“Orphans”) and directed by Academy Award winner Bobby Moresco – starring Chazz Palminteri, Tim Blake Nelson and Gina Gershon. In addition, Merri is now also the Casting Director at The South Carolina New Play Festival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    43 min
  2. MAR 24

    Episode 448 - Caroline Aaron

    Caroline Aaron is known to theatre, film and television audiences, as well as a published author and playwright.She made her Broadway debut in Robert Altman's "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean,Jimmy Dean" and later appeared in the film. The following Broadway season, she starred in the revival of "The Iceman Cometh". She next starred in Mike Nichols's Broadway smash comedy "Social Security". She returned to Broadway starring in "I Hate Hamlet." She headlined the west coast premiere of Wendy Wasserstein's "The Sisters Rosensweig" and was acknowledged with both a Helen Hayes and Dramalogue Award. Next on Broadway she starred in Woody Allen's comedy "Honeymoon Hotel". She headlined Lincoln Center's award winning play "A Kid Like Jake." She played the title role in "All The Days" at the McCarter Theatre and was named best actress by several newspapers in the New York/New Jersey area. She headlined "Call Waiting" at The. Odyssey theatre which became a hit and was later made into a film available on Amazon Prime.On film Caroline has been in over a hundred films and is frequently in demand from top directors including Woody Allen, the late Mike Nichols, Nora Ephron, Paul Mazursky, and Robert Altman.Favorite film roles include “21 & 22 Jump Street”, “Just Like Heaven", "Nancy Drew", "Surveillance", "Love Comes Lately", "Edward Scissorhands", "Anywhere But Here", The Big Night", and "Bounce" among others. Later this year she will be seen in "Theatre Camp", "Between Two Temples", and "The Fourth Dementia".Television audiences are also familiar with her work as a guest star on hundreds of shows. She has recurred on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ghosts, Episodes and Transparent. She is best known for her role as Shirley Maisel on the hit Amazon series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 3m
  3. FEB 24

    Episode 444 - Michael Mayer

    Award-winning director Michael Mayer has worked in a broad spectrum of media from theatre and opera to television and film. Current theatre: Swept Away, a new musical featuring songs of The Avett Brothers which opened November 19, 2024 on Broadway, the hit revival of Little Shop of Horrors now playing at the Westside Theatre, the national tour of his hit Broadway revival of Funny Girl (which starred Lea Michele) and the national tour of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, which recently ended its Broadway run.  Recent opera:  Jeanine Tesori and George Brant’s new opera Grounded which opened the Metropolitan Opera season on September 23, 2024 with performances running until October 19. Upcoming opera: a new production of Aida at the Metropolitan Opera this season opening on December 31, 2024. Other Broadway credits include Adam Driver and Keri Russell in Burn This, Head Over Heels (featuring the songs of The Go-Go’s), Neil Patrick Harris in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Tony Award, best musical revival, also National Tour), Spring Awakening (Tony Award/Best Musical and Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Director; also London, National Tour, Vienna, Tokyo, and Seoul productions); Green Day’s American Idiot (also co-author, Drama Desk Award for Best Director; also US, UK and Asia tours); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Tony Award/Best Musical also London and National Tour), Side Man (Tony Award/Best Play also London and Kennedy Center Productions),  A View from the Bridge (Tony Award/Best Revival),  Michael Moore’s The Terms of My Surrender, Everyday Rapture, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Triumph of Love; off-Broadway credits include Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 21 Chump Street (BAM), Chess (Kennedy Center), Love, Love, Love (Roundabout), Brooklynite (Also co-author, Vineyard), Whorl Inside A Loop (with Dick Scanlan, Second Stage), 10 Million Miles (Atlantic): Angels in America. London: a record-breaking West End run of Funny Girl and a UK tour. Tokyo: As You Like It (Toho Theatre). Film: A Home at the End of the World (Excellence in filmmaking, National Board of Review, GLAAD nomination), Single All the Way for Netflix, Flicka, The Seagull. He was featured in both the documentaries Those You’ve Known on HBO and Broadway Idiot. Television credits Include: SMASH (Pilot, producing director: Season One), two seasons of Alpha House (Amazon), and producer for the HBO film WIG. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut with a celebrated new production of Rigoletto, followed by a co-production (with the English National Opera) of Nico Muhly’s Marnie, and a new production of La Traviata, which broke box office records. He directed the world premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s Grounded at the Washington National Opera. Grounded  opened the Met’s 24/25 season on September 23, 2024, and his new production of Aida will premiere at the Met on New Year’s Eve 2024.  Additional Awards and fellowships: the inaugural Daryl Roth Creative Spirit award, Drama League Founders Award, Jefferson, Ovation, Alan Schneider, and Carbonell awards;  Fox Foundation, Drama League and TCG/NEA Directing Fellowships.   He serves on the Boards of SDC (Stage Directors and Choreographers Society) and the Arthur Miller. Photos by Sergio Villarini for Broadway.Com- assisted by BrookeBellPhoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    52 min
  4. FEB 17

    Episode 443 - Peter Gallagher

    Peter Gallagher has delivered critically acclaimed performances in film, television and theatre. He has starred in many films, including: sex, lies and videotape, American Beauty (SAG Award), The Player, Short Cuts (Golden Globe), The Idolmaker, Dreamchild, While You Were Sleeping, The Underneath, To Gillian on her 37th Birthday, Center Stage, Mr. Deeds, Palm Springs and the upcoming Humane. Gallagher’s recent television work includes: “Truth Be Told,” “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” as Mitch, “Grace and Frankie” as Nick, “Grey’s Anatomy” as Dr. Hamilton, “Law & Order SVU” as Chief Dodds, “Covert Affairs” as Arthur Campbell and Schmidt’s dad on “New Girl,” “Togetherness,” “Californication,” “Rescue Me” and “The OC” as Sandy Cohen. His Broadway credits include: Guys and Dolls (Drama Desk nomination), Long Day’s Journey Into Night (with Jack Lemmon, receiving a Tony Award Nomination), The Real Thing (The Clarence Derwent Award), The Corn Is Green (Theatre World Award), A Doll’s Life, Noises Off , The Country Girl, Grease (Original production) On The Twentieth Century and Left On Tenth. Gallagher was honored with a Light on the Hill Award and a Jumbo Award from Tufts University, the Steve Chase Humanitarian Award, the Inspire Award from AARP for his Alzheimer’s advocacy, a Jewish Image Award for his portrayal of Sandy Cohen and the Elsa Rose Fabares Award from The Alzheimer’s Association. He continues to support The Alzheimer’s Association, The Entertainment Community Fund and Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    49 min

Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
477 Ratings

About

With her unique style of hosting, Ilana Levine gives her listeners up close and personal access to today's biggest stars from Broadway, Film and Television. Her intimate and revealing conversations with Tony Award, Academy Award, Grammy Award and Emmy Award winners gives listeners the feeling they are part of a conversation between old friends. Guests include Julianne Moore, Matthew Broderick, Isabelle Huppert, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Platt, Uma Thurman, Matt Bomer, Aasif Mandvi, Octavia Spencer, Edie Falco, Allison Janney, Beanie Feldstein, John Slattery, Judith Light, Molly Ringwald, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Chenoweth, Anthony Rapp, Jason Alexander, Tony Shalhoub, Griffin Dunne, Kaskade, Laura Linney and many more. New episodes are released on Mondays.

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