Episodes

  • A Look Back at John McGinty and His Persistence as a Deaf Actor on the Broadway Stage

    A Look Back at John McGinty and His Persistence as a Deaf Actor on the Broadway Stage
    Feb 6 2026
    As Why I’ll Never Make It approaches its tenth season, this special retrospective looks back at ten conversations that helped shape the podcast and transformed a simple interview into a meaningful message for us all. This episode features John McGinty, a deaf actor who lost his hearing at a young age and initially headed toward a career in finance, but theater kept calling him back. In this conversation, he shares the realities of auditioning and performing in an industry so dependent on sound and timing, and what it means to pursue this work on his own terms rather than stepping away from it. Recorded in 2018, this episode was also the first video interview ever produced for the podcast, with an ASL interpreter present to ensure the conversation could be fully seen and heard. John talks about making his Broadway debut in the revival of Children of a Lesser God, being the first deaf actor to play Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Sacramento Music Circus, and continuing to push for greater access and representation in the arts. It’s an honest look at a career shaped not by limitation, but by commitment—and by the belief that this industry can expand when artists insist on being included. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • What Does “Making It” Even Mean? — A Look Back at Ten Conversations

    What Does “Making It” Even Mean? — A Look Back at Ten Conversations
    Feb 2 2026
    As Why I’ll Never Make It approaches its tenth season, this special retrospective looks back at ten conversations that helped shape this podcast in meaningful and profound ways. Since 2017, this has been a place to talk honestly about a career built on uncertainty, rejection, hope, and persistence. And over time, it’s become something far more personal than I ever expected—a place where success is never the most interesting part of the story. This revisit isn’t some “best of” series or a collection of the biggest names. These episodes feature artists who showed up with honesty and openness, sharing the setbacks, questions, and quiet work it takes to keep going. Across the next several weeks, you’ll hear voices like Anthony Rapp, J. Harrison Ghee, Ann Harada, Lynn Nottage, and others whose stories still resonate, reminding us why these conversations matter and why they’re worth hearing again as we head into season ten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    4 mins
  • Kate Baldwin Looks For Creative Purpose Beyond Just Performing (REWIND)

    Kate Baldwin Looks For Creative Purpose Beyond Just Performing (REWIND)
    Jan 10 2026
    This past fall 2025 I got to see two of my favorite leading ladies on stage. The first was Christine Sherrill, who was making her Broadway debut in Mamma Mia. She and I had first worked together in the out-of-town tryout for First Wives Club back in 2015 that ran for about a month and a half in Chicago. But due to various factors that show never ended up coming to New York. Nonetheless, Christine was so great in that show. And she brought that same energy and vocal power to the role of Donna in Mamma Mia as well. The second leading lady I got to see was also someone I had worked with before in 42nd Street at Goodspeed in Connecticut. Now, she wasn’t making her Broadway debut, but she was playing a character for the first time: Roxie Hart in the long-running musical Chicago. She has about another month in this role, and so to celebrate her fantastic performance in the show I thought I would replay my conversation from 2022 with this dynamic leading lady...Kate Baldwin --- Why I’ll Never Make It is an independent production of WINMI Media and Patrick Oliver Jones. To support the ongoing efforts of this podcast please ⁠subscribe⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠donate⁠⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • Justin Collette Brings Beetlejuice to Life at the Palace Theatre

    Justin Collette Brings Beetlejuice to Life at the Palace Theatre
    Dec 31 2025
    Step inside the dressing room with Beetlejuice's Justin Collette for a behind-the-scenes conversation that’s equal parts bone broth and backstage banter. From the rock riffs of School of Rock to the undead hilarity of Beetlejuice, Justin shares his wild ride from Canadian improv star and punk band frontman to taking center stage on Broadway. We discuss his his technique of “farting with vocal cords” as well as punk bands and improv nights. It's a season finale with backstage stories, audition adventures (including a fire alarm mishap), and heartfelt reflections on leadership, creativity, and finding joy in the moment. --- Why I’ll Never Make It is an independent production of WINMI Media and Patrick Oliver Jones. To support the ongoing efforts of this podcast please ⁠subscribe⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠donate⁠⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • Jen Rudolph Helps Actors Focus on the Business of Acting

    Jen Rudolph Helps Actors Focus on the Business of Acting
    Dec 17 2025
    Being an actor requires a constant balancing act between showing up creatively and understanding how the industry actually functions. And Jen Rudolph has spent years operating at the intersection of casting, coaching, and strategy. She shows actors how to become clearer, more intentional collaborators in the room and more viable professionals outside of it. Together we talk about her years as a casting director and the creation of The Actor’s Green Room, where she worked closely with actors in person. This eventually morphed into the online space and the leap to fully digital training with the creation of the 2% Signature System. Jen also gives her honest and sometimes controversial assessment of education, access, and the cost of becoming a more bookable professional. Jen’s insights show us why some actors keep getting called in, keep getting trusted, and keep getting hired. And as a special treat, you get my full conversation with Jen in one single episode, something normally reserved for subscribers, that include auditions stories and the Final Five questions. --- Why I’ll Never Make It is an independent production of WINMI Media and Patrick Oliver Jones. To support the ongoing efforts of this podcast please ⁠subscribe⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠donate⁠⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • David Bushman Proves There’s No Expiration Date on a Theater Career

    David Bushman Proves There’s No Expiration Date on a Theater Career
    Dec 8 2025
    Chicago is now celebrating 29 years on Broadway, with multiple national and international companies as well. And for more than two decades David Bushman has been a part of various Chicago productions around the world. But what makes David’s story remarkable isn’t just his longevity with the show—it’s the path that got him there. We talk about his early days in community theater, his unexpected move from a 17-year ballet career into musical theater, and the fact that he booked his first Broadway contract at the age of 50. He shows that “late bloomers” aren’t late at all—they’re just following a different rhythm. --- Why I’ll Never Make It is an independent production of WINMI Media and Patrick Oliver Jones. To support the ongoing efforts of this podcast please ⁠subscribe⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠donate⁠⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 30 mins
  • FINAL FIVE: Trisha Paytas, YouTuber and Broadway Performer in Beetlejuice

    FINAL FIVE: Trisha Paytas, YouTuber and Broadway Performer in Beetlejuice
    Nov 29 2025
    The previous episode with Trisha Paytas covered so much ground, from her recent Broadway debut in Beetlejuice to her rise as a YouTube star. But one of the best parts of every conversation is when we get to discuss the Final Five Questions. It’s where we hear about personal lessons, hopes for the industry, and those moments that truly define an artist’s career. --- Why I’ll Never Make It is an independent production of WINMI Media and Patrick Oliver Jones. To support the ongoing efforts of this podcast please ⁠subscribe⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠donate⁠⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    16 mins
  • Trisha Paytas on Media, Missteps, and Making Her Broadway Debut

    Trisha Paytas on Media, Missteps, and Making Her Broadway Debut
    Nov 22 2025
    Trisha Paytas joins the podcast to talk about her unexpected and much-talked-about Broadway debut in Beetlejuice. She shares what drew her to the show, how the opportunity came about, and what it’s been like stepping into a completely new kind of spotlight. We also get into her family background and the early days of her online career, how she first gained attention, and the twists and turns of twenty years on YouTube. Trisha speaks openly about the fandom she’s built, the tougher moments she’s faced, and the mental health journey and personal growth that have shaped who she is today. It’s an honest, surprising conversation about reinvention, vulnerability, and the ways we keep learning from both the chaos and the successes along the way. Special thanks to Jimmy Whetzel and Hannah McKinley for their production and editing efforts in putting this episode together. --- Why I’ll Never Make It is an independent production of WINMI Media and Patrick Oliver Jones. To support the ongoing efforts of this podcast please ⁠subscribe⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠donate⁠⁠. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins