Meow! This episode was a real treat for Noah because he got to gush about his favorite musical with his friend Lauren Louis, who currently stars as Demeter in the current North American tour of CATS! Let's get Jellicle!  We discuss the training process at kitty boot camp, our thoughts on the Cats movies (2019 and 1998), the unspoken subtextual relationships between the Jellicle cats, the moment performing at Disneyland that gave Lauren her "why" for doing theatre, and more!  Follow Lauren @Laurenalouis See her in Cats on tour in a city near you and buy tickets here! Follow us on Instagram! @TheatreWorld_Readings @WonderXandra @BenderNoah Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Tell a friend!

Hello, gorgeous! TheatreWorld founding member and current NYU Tisch student Sarah Gloss joins us to share her thoughts on the new Broadway revival of Funny Girl starring Beanie Feldstein, which she saw in previews at the August Wilson Theatre.  We discuss Beanie's stage presence and singing chops, our mutual obsession with Ramin Karimloo (dreamboat alert), how Funny Girl's themes fit in a modern context, why teen girls are obsessed with Phantom of the Opera, and more!  Check out Sarah's podcast A Bro's Guide to Glitter wherever you get your podcasts!  Follow us on Instagram! @TheatreWorld_Readings @WonderXandra @BenderNoah Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Tell a friend!

Virginia Musante taught drama at Bowditch Middle School in Foster City, CA for 37 years! Apart from blessing multiple generations with the gift of drama, she also taught Xandra and Noah at a formative time in their lives! They've both performed in several shows directed by Virginia as well as worked together for years on production staff at the Hillbarn Theater Youth Conservatory. Virginia has been a super impactful figure and it was wonderful to catch up and interview her on her amazing life's work!  We discuss the importance of "play" as we continue to grow up, her time performing with San Francisco's longest-running improv show, her work co-founding SNAP (Special Needs Arts Program), wildest show stories, and many more memories!  Follow us on Instagram! @TheatreWorld_Readings @WonderXandra @BenderNoah Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Tell a friend!

Aishy Panwar stars as Ariadne in Unwound: Beyond the Labyrinth, a new musical by Amanda Gulla. The story follows Ariadne as she navigates two different timelines: as a mortal and as a goddess. Themes of loneliness, letting the past go, and genderqueer Greek gods pervade this haunting and stunning new musical, which can now be viewed in concert form on YouTube!  We chatted with Aishy about the process of putting together an original musical on zoom over quarantine, what she's learned from her experience as the star of several TheatreWorld productions, and the greatest experience she's ever had at the theatre!  Follow Aishy on Instagram @aishypanwar Follow Unwound: Beyond The Labyrinth on Instragram @unwound_musical Follow us on Instagram! @TheatreWorld_Readings @WonderXandra @BenderNoah Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Tell a friend!

Ashley Chiu stars as Sleeping Beauty in the new jukebox musical, "Once Upon a One More Time," an original tale of classic storybook princesses regaining their agency and taking back their power, set to the music of pop icon Britney Spears.  With the show headed to Broadway next season, Xandra and Noah chatted Ashley up about what Britney Spears has meant to her in life, the roadblocks OUaOMT has faced due to covid, the joys of basing a character on yourself rather than needing to fit a specific mold, and more!  Did we mention Xan and Noah have known Ashley for over 10 years?! Follow Ashley Chiu on social media: @ashleychiuchiu on Instagram and TikTok ashleychiu.com Follow us on Instagram! @TheatreWorld_Readings @WonderXandra @BenderNoah Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Tell a friend!

Actor Hannah Herbert-Hunt and her father Keith Herbert are bringing you an original sci-fi musical called The Journey Home, a story of four young humans known as "stewards" living on a giant ark designed to transport humanity on a 700+ year journey to a new solar system, where a new life awaits.  They reflect on the many forms their show has taken in its progression, the triumphs of their first in-person concert, their plans for the show's next steps, their collaborative process as father and daughter, and more! Read more and hear some songs from The Journey Home at their website here! And sign up for our upcoming Miscast Cabaret (March 27 at 4pm pst) here!  Follow us on Instagram! @TheatreWorld_Readings @WonderXandra @BenderNoah Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Tell a friend!

This week we spoke with Gary Stanford Jr., an actor/director/choreographer/activist who has worked with seemingly every theatre company in the Bay Area! His latest mission has been serving on the boards of several local theatres, spearheading the push for diversity and antiracism in the theatre community.  We discuss the changing tides of racial disparity in theatre, the importance of representation at the gatekeeping level, and his vision for the future of equitable theatre. Plus, a lighthearted discussion about the joys of getting booed on stage! Catch Gary as Tom Collins in Marin Musical Theatre Company’s RENT (opens March 17), Choreographing Mamma Mia at Capuchino High School (opens March 9), and leading workshops as the Interim Educational Director at 42nd St. Moon! Follow us on Instagram! @TheatreWorld_Readings @WonderXandra @BenderNoah Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Tell a friend!

Hello! Welcome! In their inaugural episode, Noah Bender and Xandra Nemchik reminisce on the origins of TheatreWorld, an online theatre company they started in April 2020, where they have since produced and performed zoom readings over 35 popular musicals, with performers from around the country. They discuss the joys and limitations of zoom theatre, their company mission statement, and some of their favorite moments from the past two years. Later, they talk to DC-based actor and loyal TheatreWorld company member David Jones! He reflects on what this online theatre community has meant to him, his passion for "creating art for the sake of art," his most memorable experience at the theatre, and more!  Follow us on Instagram! @TheatreWorld_Readings @WonderXandra @BenderNoah Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Tell a friend!

Welcome to the TheatreWorld Podcast with Xandra Nemchik and Noah Bender!!! Tune in every other Friday for insightful interviews with some of the most interesting movers and shakers from around the world of theatre!  First episode launching on February 11!  Subscribe please! Follow us on Instagram @TheatreWorld_Readings  Noah: @bendernoah  Xandra: @wonderxandra