There’s No Business Like...

Ep. 141 NBL Summer Check-In Join Josh, Katie, and Kevin this week as they talk about what they are thinking about in our industry – the good and the bad. We would love to hear what you are thinking about- send us an email or reach out through socials. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 140: Finding the Future Together This week Danielle recaps the 2025 TYA/USA National Festival and Conference with guests Brian Fahey, Ashli St. Armant, and Sarah McCarthy. They dig into some of the best professional development sessions, major takeaways around audience investment, pay what you wish models, meeting student needs as teaching artists, seeing new work, advocacy, and more. The TYA/USA National Festival and Conference is the largest gathering of professionals in the field of theater for young audiences, featuring diverse performances, speakers, breakout sessions and opportunities to exchange ideas (https://www.tyausa.org/). Brian Fahey is the Senior Director of Education at Austin Theatre Alliance (https://www.austintheatre.org/). Ashli St. Armant is an author, songwriter, playwright, vocalist, and educator, known for her work as Jazzy Ash and NORTH: The Musical (https://ashlistarmant.com/). Sarah McCarthy is the founder of Dandelion Artists, an agency that connects young audiences with authentic performances that speak to the childhood experience (https://www.dandelionartists.com/). Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 139: Broadway’s Biggest Night – Voting for the Tonys The lights are bright on Broadway as Katie and Josh learn all about the Tony Awards from Broadway producer Rashad Chambers and the Wharton Center’s Eric Olmscheid, who both serve as Tonys voters. We discuss seeing 42 shows in a season, the voting process, Tonys marketing and press, the role the Tonys play in the larger theater industry landscape, and more. We even make some 2025 awards predictions! Rashad V. Chambers is a Tony Award-winning Broadway and film producer, currently nominated for the show Purpose (https://www.esquireentertainment.com/). Eric Olmscheid is the Executive Director of the Wharton Center for Performing Arts in East Lansing, MI (https://www.whartoncenter.com/). Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 138 Christopher Kendrick-Castanho: Full Circle Moment We’re headed to Broadway this week as Danielle and Bryan talk about the Broadway League’s 2025 Spring Road Conference and arts marketing with guest Christopher Kendrick-Castanho. Christopher shares about social media and influencer marketing, some of the rising challenges in the Broadway touring industry, and turns the tables on Danielle and hosts his own game! Christopher Kendrick-Castanho is a Marketing Manager for The Bushnell in Hartford, CT (https://bushnell.org/). Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 137 The Pod Goes “Wildcard” It’s a “choose your own adventure” discussion as Katie borrows this week’s format (with tweaks) from the NPR podcast “Wildcard” and our hosts select their questions from a deck of notecards. We reflect on our work, our current challenges, what’s bringing us joy...and the time machine is back! Share your own answers with us via social media or email us a voice note via our website. Thanks to Wildcard with Rachel Martin for the inspiration and we hope you check it out: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510379/wild-card-with-rachel-martin Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 136 State of the Arts: Montana Edition! This week, Katie sits down with the head of a presenters consortium, the head of a state arts council, and the head of a performing arts center, all from the State of Montana, in our first ever episode focused on one singular state. They discuss how presenting in Montana is different, funding concerns, the Yellowstone Effect, and more. Emily Wolfram is the Executive Director of the Montana Performing Arts Consortium (https://www.mtperformingarts.org/) Krys Holmes is the Executive Director of the Montana Arts Council (https://art.mt.gov/) Benji Cosgrove is the Executive Director of The Myrna Loy (https://themyrnaloy.com/) Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 135 Arts Data Redefined- The Conversation This week the Pod Squad shares their thoughts on Josh’s conversation with Angela Meleca, Founder and Chief Advocate Officer of Meleca Creative Associates (https://www.melecacreative.com/). They share their thoughts on the Return on Arts concept and more. If you have not listened to that interview, please listen to Episode 134, first. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 134 Angela Meleca: Arts Data Redefined This week Josh shares his conversation with Angela Meleca, and our hosts opt to save their commentary until next week so our listeners can sit with this one a bit longer. Angela shares her journey to where she is now, spending more time on her true passion, the Return on Art (ROA). Angela also shares how she is leading a cohort to measure the social, emotional, and public value of the arts and their impact on well-being. Angela Meleca is the Founder and Chief Advocate Officer of Meleca Creative Associates (https://www.melecacreative.com/). She is also the host of the ARTS Redefined podcast. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 133 What Keeps You Up? This week Barron Ryan and Jacob Deaton join Katie, Josh, and Danielle to talk about the industry and what keeps them up at night. Don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom, what’s keeping these folks up are big ideas! To learn more about our guests, you can listen to their full interviews: Ep. 35 Jacob Deaton: Work Hard and Be Patient Ep. 60 Barron Ryan: The Evidence of Beauty Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 132 Michelle Grove Herzog: There Is Not a Linear Path This week Danielle sits down with Michelle Grove Herzog to talk about going from a musician (violin) to consultant and Director of the Arts Admin Program and the University of Arizona. She shares conversations about board management, fiscal sponsorships, grants and more. The Pod Squad talks about their interactions with grantmaking, boards, and more. Michelle Grove Herzog is an independent non-profit consultant and the Director of the Arts Administration Program at the University of Arizona. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 131 Mark Ross and Erika Finley: Does Your Board Reflect Your Community? Josh finally asks the important question, what would our hosts name their bands! Then he shares his conversation with Mark Ross and Erica Finley when they spoke at APAP 2025. Mark and Erika share how they got started in the arts, the interesting history of Community Concert Associations, volunteerism, and more. Mark Ross and Erika Finley work for Live on Stage (https://www.liveonstage.biz/), Live Arts and Attractions (https://www.livearts.biz/), and Matt Davenport Productions (https://mattdavenportproductions.com/) wearing multiple hats including agent, marketing, and national sales. Volunteerism article we mentioned: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/11/civic-engagement-and-volunteerism.html Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 129 Alex Morgan is Silencio Pantomimo: From the County Fair to Paris This week Bryan sits down with professional mime, Alex Morgan. Alex shares how he got into the art form, running away to Paris, and finding his character, Silencio Pantomimo. The interview really takes off when Alex allows Bryan to interview Silencio and we learn how we went from busking in Paris to touring internationally. Alex Morgan is a professional mime, known best for his work as Silencio Pantomimo. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 128 Bracket Madness: What our industry can learn from sports marketing. This week the hosts go all in on March Madness sharing their prowess and knowledge of College Basketball, which does not take long so they move onto what our industry can learn from sports, more specifically sports marketing. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi

Ep. 127 What’s Happening in D.C.? This week Kevin, Josh, and Katie discuss Ep. 126 with James Shapiro, and connect it to what is happening with the Kennedy Center and the National Endowment for the Arts in 2025. They dive into some practical and philosophical questions surrounding the politicization of two national arts entities and potential impacts on the live performing arts field. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

BONUS: James Shapiro working on Broadway’s Othello This week’s episode had too much for one episode! Enjoy this excerpt that was cut for time where James Shapiro talks about his work on performances, specifically Othello featuring Denzel Washington. James Shapiro (https://www.jamesshapiro.net/) is the author “THE PLAYBOOK: A Story of Theatre, Democracy, and The Making of a Culture War.” Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 126 “The Playbook” with Author James Shapiro This week Katie is joined by author, professor, and Shakespeare Scholar in Residence at the Public Theatre, James Shapiro. They talk about Shapiro’s new book “THE PLAYBOOK: A Story of Theatre, Democracy, and The Making of a Culture War” which is the story of the start and end of the Federal Theatre Project in the 1930s. Shapiro shares how this reflects our current time. James Shapiro’s (https://www.jamesshapiro.net/) essays and reviews have appeared in the New York Times, the New Yorker, The Guardian, the London Review of Books, and many more. He has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Guggenheim Foundation, The New York Public Library Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, and the American Academy in Berlin. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 125 The State of Development with Lori L. Jacobwith This week, Kevin sits down with fundraising professional Lori L. Jacobwith to talk about the changing development landscape. Lori shares her top 5 things you can do right now and gives insight into the world of philanthropy. If you want to go deeper on the topic with Lori, you can check out her webinar with GrantStation on April 1: https://grantstation.com/product/how-fundraise-during-times-fear-and-uncertainty Lori L. Jacobwith is the Founder of Ignited Fundraising (https://ignitedfundraising.com/). The sweet spot of her work is to help organizations put a face on their impact by sharing inspiring, ethical mission moment stories. For more than 35 years Lori has had a laser focus on helping nonprofit staff & board members implement fundraising solutions that put ease and joy into raising money. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 124 Of, By, and For Community – A Discussion about Community Engagement This week Katie invites industry leaders Donna Walker-Kuhne, Gary Minyard, and Marisol Sánchez-Best to discuss community engagement – a broad term that touches many facets of our industry. This delightful conversation between colleagues and friends just scratches the surface as they discuss language, metrics, internal communication and collaboration, arts as medicine, and more. Marisol Sánchez-Best is the Director of Education & Community Engagement at Seattle Theatre Group in Seattle, WA. Gary Minyard is the Chief Creative Officer at Dayton Live in Dayton, OH and serves on the board of Heartland Performing Arts. Donna Walker-Kuhne is the founder of Walker International Communications Group and the Senior Advisor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 123 What’s Next? The Pod Goes Rogue The Pod Squad has been hosting the most amazing podcast (we know we’re biased!) for over two years – and it’s time to shake up the format. Listen for what’s next for There’s No Business Like... and give us your feedback via our audience survey! We’d love to hear your ideas for topics, guests, and more. Fill out the survey here: https://forms.gle/najC47yc8ZfmVHKd9 Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 122 What Now? Our Current Moment in the Arts This week we discuss the current state of the arts in early February 2025 and identify a few of the many challenges ahead for our field, including the strain on arts workers after recovering from the pandemic, as well as how we can stand together moving forward. As some of our podcast friends say, things may have changed by the time you hear this. The litigation tracker mentioned in this episode from the Reiss Center on Law and Security can be found at https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/. Artnet is also documenting the impact on the arts: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/trump-executive-orders-arts-2605142. Arts Action Fund FAQ: https://www.artsactionfund.org/executive-orders-their-impact-arts-faq This episode contains some adult language (and lots of laughs at the end – enjoy!) Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.