How To Be More Chill explores how the extraordinary musical Be More Chill arrived on Broadway in Spring 2019 with unprecedented momentum and then onwards towards a London production in 2020. Hosted by Ilana Levine of Little Known Facts and Sam Maher of YesBroadway, the podcast centers around deep-dive interviews with the show’s creators, cast members, and others involved in the show as they give us all the behind-the-scenes scoop on how the show entered the international pop culture zeitgeist on such a massive scale and how the impact of the show’s fandom brought the show to Broadway and beyond. Good luck being chill about this podcast - Sam and Ilana definitely aren’t!
BONUS Episode: BPN Live - Joe Iconis live from Times Square
Join Ilana and Sam as they interview Be More Chill's Joe Iconis live in Times Square as part of Playbill's Curtain Up Festival via Broadway Podcast Network! This bonus episode kicks off Joe Iconis' 40th birthday week with a couple of games with him with a "This is your life, Joe Iconis" vibe and a special report from Joe about the 2021 West End production of Be More Chill.
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4 Feb 2021
Episode 15: Jason SweetTooth Williams
In the first episode of what we're calling How To Be More Chill "4.0", Sam and Ilana interview someone who could not be a more integral part of the Be More Chill story: Jason SweetTooth Williams. Jason played Mr. Heere, Mr. Reyes, and (of course) Scary Stockboy both Off-Broadway and on and is one of the kindest humans ever and an absolute joy to talk to. No wonder Joe Iconis was the best man at his wedding!
Get the inside scoop on his name (spoiler alert: the reason could not be more awesome!), what it was like performing The Goodbye Song after the last performance of #BeMoreChill on Broadway, and all sorts of other lovely things you might not know about him and the show. Jason SweetTooth Williams, let's do this!
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19 May 2020
Episode 14: Miracle Chance LIVE
When Miracle Change got the call that she had an audition for the London production of Be More Chill, she was performing as Columbia in The Rocky Horror Picture Show in Edinburgh. In order to make it to her three auditions she had to take a 5 hour train and then fly back each night in order to make it back in time for the show. It was that kind of commitment that landed her the role of Christine Canigula, a part that Miracle found to be very close to her heart. Find out what Joe Iconis said to Miracle that was the key to understanding the role, what scared her the most about her big entrance, why she loved singing “ I Love Play Rehearsal “ night after night and why the Be More Chill fans are some of the most special people in the world in this episode of How To Be More Chill. Miracle Chance, let's do this!
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4 May 2020
Episode 13: Scott Folan LIVE
In the first ever live episode (video on Broadway Podcast Network's YouTube channel!) of How To Be More Chill, Sam and Ilana talk to Scott Folan. Scott is a child actor-turned-adult actor and singer/songwriter, but to us he will always be Jeremy Heere in the London production of Be More Chill. Scott's incredible gifts as a performer are matched by his honesty about the process of taking on the role of Jeremy. You will love hearing about how he used the incredible fan art of the show's previous productions to begin his research and how the fans supported him in unprecedented ways during the London run. Be More Chill was one of the many shows across the globe shut down early during the Spring 2020 global COVID pandemic and Scott admits there may be some cheese sitting in his dressing room among all his other belongings he has not yet picked up from The Other Palace. Scott Folan: let's do this!
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6 Feb 2020
Episode 12: Gerard Canonico
Gerard Canonico joins Sam and Ilana to chat about how the character of Rich evolved from Be More Chill's first workshop to Broadway, his joy and love of being part of Iconis and Family, and how being a child actor impacted his life in such amazing ways, and….how he balances his love of being a musician with his love of being an actor. Gerard Canonico, let’s do this!
Part of the Broadway Podcast Network.
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12 Dec 2019
Episode 11: Stephen Brackett
Oh, this is a GOOD one that we've been waiting a long time for. Besides being the director of so many of your favorite musicals fo the past decade, Stephen Brackett is the Godfather of the Be More Chill, being at its helm from extremely early on its development. Less than 48 hours after the London cast was announced, Stephen gives Sam and Ilana the inside scoop on who was cast as Jeremy, Christine, Michael, and the Squip. Enjoy every morsel of this delicious episode full of goodies that made Sam and Ilana's jaw drop for about an hour straight while recording it!
Part of the Broadway Podcast Network.
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14 Nov 2019
Episode 10: Mike Rosengarten
Mike Rosengarten was the guitarist for the viral smash hit musical Be More Chill all the way from the world premiere production at Two River Theater through the show's Broadway run, so you can imagine that he has the most incredible behind-the-scenes stories from every incarnation of the show. Be More Chill was the beginning of working with the Joe Iconis "family" and his story of the first time he heard and played "Michael In The Bathroom" will make you cry, so get your tissues now. It won't be long until this episode until you realize what Sam and Ilana figured while recording it: Mike is brilliant, hilarious, and truly one of the nicest humans on the planet. Oh...and did you know that that Mike built his own Be More Chill guitar? Yes, built. his. own. guitar. HIMSELF. Guitarist extraordinary Mike Rosengarten, let's do this!
Part of the Broadway Podcast Network.
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28 Oct 2019
Episode 9: Morgan Siobhan Green
Broadway swing Morgan Siobhan Green sat down with Sam and Ilana and shares stories from her Be More Chill journey and gives a thrilling and fascinating description of what it’s like being a cover for multiple characters and getting the call saying “you’re on"! Also, have tissues ready because Sam and Ilana couldn’t keep it together when Morgan talked about seeing all the faces of young people of color waiting for her at the stage door and the power of that moment. Morgan is a great champion of the idea that diversity must continue to be front and center on Broadway, in the theater at large, and everywhere. Morgan Siobhan Green, let's do this!
Part of the Broadway Podcast Network.
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31 Jul 2019
Episode 8: Stephanie Hsu
Stephanie Hsu studied experimental theater in college and always thought she would create non-commercial work that expressed her point of view and helped to shine a light on the issues and ideas she cares deeply about. In this episode, she explains to Sam and Ilana how Be More Chill and her role as Christine Cannigula ended up being the perfect job for her ideals and her passions and her talent. Over the years she has had some incredible survival jobs to pay the rent, but it was her star turn in SpongeBob SquarePants on Broadway and now Be More Chill that has allowed her to share her singular voice with us. Stephanie also shared her excitement about her role on the Emmy award winning show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and how she managed to do both a tv show and a Broadway show at the same time. As a young girl her role models were Lucy Liu and Sandra Oh and now she is a role model for so many young women. Stephanie Hsu, let's do this!
Part of the Broadway Podcast Network.
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27 Jun 2019
Episode 7: Jason Tam
Ilana and Sam sit down with Broadway’s SQUIP himself, Jason Tam! Fun fact: Jason was the very first actor to ever record the song "Michael In The Bathroom." Find out why and how in this episode along with all the ways he approached the role, the freedom he was given to create the character both physically and emotionally, and what it is like to be a part of the ensemble of talented “ Iconis Family“ members. From growing up in Hawaii and starring in Les Misérables at 10, to his life as a soap opera star, to how the fans of Be More Chill have filled his heart and his life with so much joy, Jason’s raw honesty and his commitment to the work is so inspiring…but: so is the story he shared about the thing that Will Roland did on stage one night that made him burst into laughter! Jason Tam, let’s do this.
Part of the Broadway Podcast Network.
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16 Jun 2019
Episode 6: Lauren Marcus
Lauren Marcus shines as Brooke in Be More Chill. She also happens to be married to Joe Iconis and she also happened to go to the 2019 Tony Awards. In this episode, Lauren takes us behind the scenes of an 8-show week on Broadway followed by a car ride to Radio City for an epic adventure you’ll remember for the rest of your life! Lauren is hilarious and inspiring as she spills the tea on her romance with Joe, her first encounter with Be More Chill, and her favorite moments from BMC 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0. Sam and Ilana are heart eyes emoji times a billion for the great Lauren Marcus!
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28 May 2019
Episode 5: Joe Tracz
In this very special episode, Sam and Ilana sit down with Be More Chill book writer Joe Tracz. From growing up in Detroit and seeing Broadway national tours to working in a Borders bookstore and getting to know the YA literary scene, Joe tells us about how he cames on board the project and combined his television and film writing experience with his passion for musical theater. From Two River Theater to Off-Broadway to Broadway, Joe Tracz explains the process of making Be More Chill from his point of view. Oh, and whatever forces combined to have Joe talk about the person who called in the testimonial for his episode moments before we played it for him: THANK YOU!
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28 Apr 2019
Episode 4: Will Roland
Sam and Ilana sit down with Broadway leading man Will Roland and were mesmerized as he shared his history as a member of the Joe Iconis Family and how the role of Jeremy in Be More Chill came his way. From the day he first encountered Joe Iconis when he was still a student at NYU to Dear Evan Hansen to the Off-Broadway run of Be More Chill, Will shares never-before-heard stories and revelations from behind the scenes that will make your heart explode with joy!
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4 Apr 2019
Episode 3: Jennifer Ashley Tepper
Be More Chill producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper takes Sam and Ilana on a journey that starts with how she met Joe Iconis through all the behind-the-scenes schemes and plans to share this brilliant musical with the world. Go on a deep dive into some of the new and unique perspectives Jen has on the industry as a young producer who does an excellent job of balancing old school and new school approaches to producing a Broadway musical. In the words of Joe Iconis, who gives us the fan testimonial for this episode: “Jen Tepper Forever!”
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25 Mar 2019
Episode 2: George Salazar
Be More Chill star George Salazar walks Sam and Ilana through the experience of coming on board for the original workshop presentation of Be More Chill and then the world premiere production at Two River Theater in New Jersey and its sold-out run Off-Broadway in Summer 2018. George also dives deep into the Be More Chill's incredible fandom and how they played such a huge part in getting the show to Broadway. Fair warning: get a giant box of tissues ready...
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9 Mar 2019
Episode 1: Joe Iconis
In this inaugural episode, Sam and Ilana interview composer/lyricist Joe Iconis as he walks us through the origins of the Be More Chill journey - all the way from the nexus of the idea of writing the musical leading up to to the opening night of the world premiere at Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey and then the making of the triumphant original cast recording of the show.
Part of the Broadway Podcast Network.
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144 ratings
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