Had to Ask
Claim This Podcastby Melanie Sutrathada
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Podcast Overview
<p><b>Had to Ask</b> is the podcast where bold conversations and unfiltered stories take center stage. Hosted by actor Melanie Sutrathada, each episode dives into candid, funny, and unexpectedly deep conversations with Broadway stars, rising talent, and storytellers. From mental health and stunt casting to what it's really like to be in the room where it happens and what’s on their For You Page, nothing is off-limits. Season 2 is officially here!</p><p><br /></p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
5/28/2025
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Recent Episodes
June 11, 2026
Had to Ask: Maria Wirries on The Lost Boys: Manifestation, Authenticity, and Finding Your Place
<p>Maria Wirries (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/maria_wirries" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">@maria_wirries</a>) has built a remarkable Broadway career by trusting her instincts, embracing authenticity, and staying open to unexpected opportunities.</p><p>In this episode of Had to Ask, Maria joins Melanie Sutrathada for a thoughtful, funny, and personal conversation about her journey from Dear Evan Hansen to Old Friends and now starring as Star in The Lost Boys on Broadway.</p><p>Together, they discuss manifestation, learning to advocate for yourself, navigating the pressures women face around aging in the entertainment industry, and the importance of choosing projects that genuinely resonate rather than trying to fit a mold.</p><p>Plus: pig calling, giraffe weevils, low-rise jeans, plant pathology, and an unexpected Broadway booking story.</p><p>Chapters:</p><p>05:54 — How manifestation helped Maria find her way to Broadway</p><p>09:18 — Working with Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga in Old Friends</p><p>10:48 — From the BMI Writing Program to plant pathology</p><p>14:39 — The famous pig call that helped her book a role</p><p>22:31 — Choosing authenticity over trying to fit a mold</p><p>28:19 — Aging, reinvention, and being a woman in entertainment</p><p>44:15 — Learning to advocate for herself on Broadway</p><p>52:03 — Starring as Star in The Lost Boys on Broadway</p><p>Follow Maria Wirries (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/maria_wirries" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">@maria_wirries</a>) and Had to Ask (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/hadtoaskpod" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@hadtoaskpod</a>) for more bold, unfiltered conversations — hosted by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/melaniesutra" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Melanie Sutrathada</a>.</p><p>Co-produced and edited by Joseph Loper.</p><p>Special thanks to <a href="https://www.hyatt.com/thompson-hotels/en-US/lgatp-thompson-central-park-new-york?src=agn_koddi_crp_chico_ppc_21503036087_Conversion_Thompson_Google_Search_English_LGATP_NewYork_Paid_Brand_CrossDevice_1x1_google_Koddi-TopUp-Evergreen-Brand_e_thompson%20central%20park&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21503036087&gclid=Cj0KCQjwof_QBhCgARIsADaMzOd67-DwYmsvawI_yXiBwN-5B-il4CsB_HAN4lA0s9MFdE4gsoHuV-8aAlFgEALw_wcB" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Thompson Central Park New York</a> for being the perfect space for this conversation with Had to Ask.</p><p>⭐️ Loved the episode? Leave a review and share it with someone who needs the reminder that the best things often happen when you stop trying to fit a mold and start showing up as yourself.</p><p><br /></p>
June 4, 2026
Had to Ask: Telly Leung on Masquerade, Representation & Broadway Leadership
<p>Telly Leung (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tellyleung/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@tellyleung</a>) is a Broadway leading man whose career spans more than two decades, with acclaimed performances in Aladdin, Allegiance, Rent, Godspell, Pacific Overtures, Flower Drum Song, and now Masquerade, the immersive reimagining of The Phantom of the Opera.</p><p>With Telly’s final performance in Masquerade coming up on June 12, we’re releasing this conversation as a special launch-week episode of Had to Ask. In it, Telly shares what it’s like to step into one of theatre’s most iconic roles, perform for just 60 audience members at a time, and share the role of the Phantom alongside five other actors.</p><p>In this conversation, Telly reflects on the performers who made him believe an Asian American actor could be a Broadway leading man, the responsibility that comes with leadership in the theatre, and why simply "showing up" can be a powerful act of representation.</p><p>He opens up about the insecurity that still follows him after 26 years in the business, the summer he deliberately chose to be the worst dancer in the room so he could grow, and the lesson that has guided him throughout his career: we don't grow unless we're uncomfortable.</p><p>We also discuss what makes a true leading man, how he landed Aladdin, why art remains one of the most powerful forms of resistance, and the advice he gives actors walking into a casting room for the very first time.</p><p>This is a conversation about courage, representation, leadership, and finding the confidence to take up space—even when you're not sure you belong there yet.</p><p>Chapters:</p><p>01:30 — The performers who made him believe he could be a leading man</p><p>02:35 — Why "showing up" matters</p><p>03:47 — The insecurity that never fully goes away</p><p>05:13 — Working a data entry job to fund dance training</p><p>09:07 — Why growth requires discomfort</p><p>10:14 — What being a leading man really means</p><p>12:51 — The surprising reason Disney cast him as Aladdin</p><p>27:09 — Why art matters in difficult times</p><p>28:56 — Inside Masquerade and immersive performance</p><p>34:53 — The brotherhood of six Phantoms</p><p>48:06 — How to convince a casting room you're right for the role</p><p>Follow Telly Leung (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tellyleung/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@tellyleung</a>) and Had to Ask (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/hadtoaskpod" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@hadtoaskpod</a>) for more bold, unfiltered conversations — hosted by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/melaniesutra" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Melanie Sutrathada</a>.</p><p>Co-produced and edited by Joseph Loper.</p><p>Special thanks to <a href="https://www.hyatt.com/thompson-hotels/en-US/lgatp-thompson-central-park-new-york?src=agn_koddi_crp_chico_ppc_21503036087_Conversion_Thompson_Google_Search_English_LGATP_NewYork_Paid_Brand_CrossDevice_1x1_google_Koddi-TopUp-Evergreen-Brand_e_thompson%20central%20park&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21503036087&gclid=Cj0KCQjwof_QBhCgARIsADaMzOd67-DwYmsvawI_yXiBwN-5B-il4CsB_HAN4lA0s9MFdE4gsoHuV-8aAlFgEALw_wcB" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Thompson Central Park New York</a> for being the perfect space for this conversation with Had to Ask.</p><p>⭐️ Loved the episode? Leave a review and share it with an artist who needs the reminder that growth rarely happens inside your comfort zone.</p>
June 4, 2026
Had to Ask: Ann Harada on Broadway Longevity, Representation & Having No F's Left to Give
<p>Ann Harada (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/iamannharada/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@iamannharada</a>) has built one of the most respected careers in Broadway history.</p><p>From Avenue Q and Seussical to Schmigadoon! (run and have a forking good time with this show at the Nederlander ASAP!), Cinderella, Les Misérables, Into the Woods, and beyond, she has spent decades navigating an industry that is constantly changing while staying true to herself.</p><p>In this episode of Had to Ask, Ann reflects on the realities of building a long-term career in the arts, the show she still has a deep emotional connection to, and how the landscape for Asian American performers has evolved since she first arrived in New York.</p><p>She opens up about being told she was "too American" for certain roles, the career regret she still carries, and why reaching a place of contentment has been one of the greatest gifts of getting older.</p><p>Along the way, we also talk about Hallmark movies, poker, fresh flowers, and the unexpected lessons that come from spending a lifetime in the theatre.</p><p>This is a conversation about longevity, identity, community, and what happens when you stop trying to be who everyone else wants you to be.</p><p><strong>CHAPTERS</strong></p><p>00:00 — Introduction01:28 — Opening Schmigadoon! and the magic of live theatre05:28 — Why Avenue Q still means so much to her09:20 — The people who helped build her career12:12 — Auditioning as an Asian American actress16:07 — Hallmark movies, baking, poker, and reading people22:52 — Reaching a point where she has "no Fs to give"31:57 — Her biggest career regret39:31 — Why art matters, especially during difficult times46:00 — Advice for the next generation of performers49:30 — Final thoughts</p><p>Follow Ann Harada (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/iamannharada/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@iamannharada</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/realshanlew" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>) and Had to Ask (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/hadtoaskpod" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@hadtoaskpod</a>) for more bold, unfiltered conversations — hosted by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/melaniesutra" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Melanie Sutrathada</a>.</p><p>Co-produced and edited by Joseph Loper.</p><p>Special thanks to <a href="https://www.hyatt.com/thompson-hotels/en-US/lgatp-thompson-central-park-new-york?src=agn_koddi_crp_chico_ppc_21503036087_Conversion_Thompson_Google_Search_English_LGATP_NewYork_Paid_Brand_CrossDevice_1x1_google_Koddi-TopUp-Evergreen-Brand_e_thompson%20central%20park&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21503036087&gclid=Cj0KCQjwof_QBhCgARIsADaMzOd67-DwYmsvawI_yXiBwN-5B-il4CsB_HAN4lA0s9MFdE4gsoHuV-8aAlFgEALw_wcB" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Thompson Central Park New York</a> for being the perfect space for this conversation with Had to Ask.</p><p>⭐️ Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use a reminder that there's more than one way to build a meaningful career.</p><p><br /></p>
13 total episodes available
Recent guests on Had to Ask
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Erich Bergen
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Tatianna Córdoba
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Emma Pittman
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Had to Ask?
<p><b>Had to Ask</b> is the podcast where bold conversations and unfiltered stories take center stage. Hosted by actor Melanie Sutrathada, each episode dives into candid, funny, and unexpectedly deep conversations with Broadway stars, rising talent, and storytellers. From mental health and stunt casting to what it's really like to be in the room where it happens and what’s on their For You Page, nothing is off-limits. Season 2 is officially here!</p><p><br /></p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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