Two-time Tony and Grammy Award-winner Stephen Oremus takes us behind the sound of the modern musical—WICKED, THE BOOK OF MORMON, KINKY BOOTS, FROZEN, and AVENUE Q—and the friendships that power it. We trace how opening doors for others can build careers (including the story of Stephen bringing Michael into THE BOOK OF MORMON, what it really takes to juggle “five dream jobs,” and why he likes to conduct with a pencil in hand (to capture fixes in real time!). Stephen talks family, fatherhood, and making work that resonates with your kid’s generation—plus a little pop‑culture joy (a South Park cameo and some Cynthia Erivo birthday magic). But first, Dr. Ariana Hoet kicks things off with a deeper look at the Elphaba-Glinda friendship at the heart of WICKED, with some tips on challenging tired stereotypes about female friendships (including a rant from Angry Bubbles!). If you love a peek behind the Broadway curtain and a little (green) magic, this is the episode for you!

(00:01:30) A “Wicked” Welcome! to HypeFriend!

(00:02:49) Ashley’s recurring Broadway anxiety-inspired theater nightmares

(00:07:07) Hypes + Gripes: Baking inspiration, moviegoing adventures, family visits, and breaking negative stereotypesthe “mean girls” stereotype

(00:07:28) A listener goes on a fudge-filled baking binge thanks to Ashley’s inspiration!

(00:09:05) Ashley’s family is hyped about seeing ‘Wicked: For Good’ in theaters

(00:11:43) Snack Battle – What’s the best thing to eat at the movies?

(00:13:04) Michael becomes the unofficial spokesperson for Buncha Crunch

(00:16:32) Michael on family trips that make you feel like your childhood self again

(00:20:53) Ashley goes “Angry Bubbles” mode while unpacking the “mean girls” stereotype

(00:24:17) Neighborhood Drop-In: Dr. Ariana Hoet on the origins of stereotypes and how they appear across genders

(00:25:29) Dr. Hoet explains the psychology of a bully

(00:29:08) The power of admitting when you’re wrong

(00:29:53) Can kindness be taught?

(00:30:38) Mean Girls in film vs. “mean girls” in real life

(00:33:25) How male friendships differ from female friendships + finding true friendship in romantic relationships

(00:36:06) Conflict resolution and the magic of unlikely friendship pairs

(00:41:06) Neighborhood Drop-In – Stephen Oremus joins the conversation!

(00:43:18) How Michael met two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Oremus during his first Broadway show, All Shook Up

(00:45:48) What “HypeFriend” means to Stephen and how musical theatre builds lasting bonds

(00:46:18) How Stephen brought Michael into the cast of The Book of Mormon

(00:49:51) Opening doors for friends who take the leap – and the relationships that lifted Stephen’s career

(00:51:46) Stephen’s work on the second national tour of RENT

(00:52:25) Stephen Oremus on the highs and lows of juggling five dream jobs at once

(01:05:27) Oremus at the podium – conducting while taking notes

(01:07:34) Family lessons from Stephen’s emotional New Jersey Italian household

(01:13:12) Fatherhood & fandom – creating work that resonates with your child’s generation

(01:16:51) Cynthia Erivo’s surprise birthday sleepover magic

(01:21:24) Digging deeper into the meaning of Wicked

(01:28:21) Stephen Oremus’ South Park cameo

(01:31:18) One last thing – make your friends want to be great!

Join us in our friendship revolution—one HypeFriend (and gravity-defying high note) at a time!

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