On social media, Laura Heywood is known as Broadway Girl NYC, a handle she created anonymously 10-years ago on a whim to entertain herself. Five years ago, during a Ted Talk, Heywood revealed herself as the writer behind this joyful character she had created on Twitter and being Broadway’s most influential fan then became her career. She is a TV, radio, and podcast host, writer, social media consultant, and a board member of Story Pirates Changemakers. Hear what she has to say about Broadway fandom, practicing happiness, and this upcoming Broadway season.

Ep. 59: Highlights from the Southeastern Theatre Conference Convention

Based inside the beltline in Raleigh, North Carolina, Lauren Van Hemert is an award-winning podcaster who has been covering regional theater for over three years. She has been called a "pioneer" for her community-based approach to cultural arts reporting and candid conversations about diversity and inclusion in the theater industry. Her guests have included Tony Award-winners, Broadway veterans, international recording artists, and television icons, including Eric Woodall, Lauren Kennedy, Robert Hartwell, Karen Ziemba, and Ed Asner. Van Hemert is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association, Society for Professional Journalists, and the Broadway Makers Alliance.