Employee Of The Month

Informações:

Synopsis

Employee of the Month is a talk show hosted by Catie Lazarus. She interviews phenomenal folks about their careers, be it comedian Jon Stewart or activist Gloria Steinem or the Guinness Book of World Record Holder for Most Guinness Book of World Records. These candid conversations may inspire you to finish your novel or start one or simply self-medicate. Her guests also receive the coveted Employee of the Month Award, which falls somewhere between a Nobel Peace Prize and free cup of coffee. The podcast is released weekly and you can attend live tapings. To find out more, check out www.employeeofthemonthshow.com or @catielazarus on Twitter or Instagram.

Episodes

  • Martha Plimpton and Masha Gessen on Putin, Abortion, and Modeling

    13/10/2018 Duration: 41min

    Once a muse for Calvin Klein, actor Martha Plimpton had ample training before becoming a role model to destigmatizes abortion. Today, Plimpton, who continues to be a prolific actor on and off Broadway, as well as in hit TV shows like The Black List, Younger, and Raising Hope, works with A Is For. A breadwinner from a young age, Plimpton talks to Catie Lazarus about how she coped with burnout. Then Lazarus speaks with National Book Award-winner and New Yorker columnist Masha Gessen about inviting yourself to the table when an invitation does not emerge. She shares the cost of intergenerational trauma, Putin’s war on journalists, and how writing became her night job.  

  • Alex Lacamoire on Hamilton, Hollywood and his hearing impairment, plus the Resistance Revival Chorus

    26/09/2018 Duration: 49min

    Between ensuring Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen's global tours are as magnetic off-Broadway as they are on it, to scoring feature films, musical maestro Alex Lacamoire’s schedule is relentless. The 43-year-old Cuban-American hasn't stopped making music since he began dazzling audiences at piano recitals at age four. But much like Alexander Hamilton, Lacamoire struggled. The prolific polymath reveals to Catie Lazarus how he grapples with his own hearing impairment to the harsh reality of breaking into Hollywood, even as a Grammy, Tony, Olivier and Employee of the Month winner. Plus, The Resistance Revival Chorus explains why joy is an act of resistance. Want a second or third jolt of joy? Hit up Employee of the Month's Youtube page to see The Resistance Revival Chorus  and Alex Lacamoire, who performed an impromptu medley of idol Billy Joel's hits.

  • Employee of The Month is Back!

    25/09/2018 Duration: 04min

    New episodes coming fall 2018, now from Slate Magazine. 

  • REBECCA TRAISTER on Sexism, Class & Jared Kushner Destroying The Observer

    21/11/2017 Duration: 50min

    REBECCA TRAISTER reveals the price of elitism within journalism and publishing, and how it decides who and what gets published. Today, most journalists, writer and reporters earn less than minimum wage which determines who can afford to do this critical job. Now, she is one of New York Magazine's star columnists and talking head on Real Time with Bill Maher, but she got her start as a reporter. Her experience shows. Her self-awareness and research contextualizes the nuances of sexism, racism, and elitism. She didn't rise the ranks alone. She talks to Catie Lazarus on Employee of the Month about what her mentors, including the late great editor of The New York Observer Peter Kaplan and Billboard's Frank DiGiacomo did. She touches on why The New York Observer crumbled under Jared Kushner and how her views of Hilary Clinton changed in covering her for her first book, BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY. Her second book ALL THE SINGLE LADIES was also a New York Times best seller. Traister is working on a third about women and an

  • Playwright ANNA ZIEGLER on Nicole Kidman, Roger Federer & Broadway

    16/11/2017 Duration: 45min

    Sexual assault, sexism and harassment in the work place is getting its due in the news, but in ACTUALLY, currently on Broadway at the Manhattan Theater Club, playwright Anna Ziegler examines whether colleges are any more objective than our criminal system. It is nearly impossible for women of all races seeking justice for rape and sexual harassment in our criminal system. Men of color are also considered "guilty until proven innocent." What happens when these two issues collide? And on a college campus? Ziegler speaks about the challenges of judging these cases to her big break, which she credits to Nicole Kidman starring in the West End Production of Ziegler's beloved PHOTOGRAPH 51. Ziegler's works often touch on loneliness, love, and, most recently, ambition, which she deftly tackles in THE LAST MATCH, which is also currently on Broadway. Loosely based on tennis stars Roger Federer and Novak Djokic The Last Match is a "must see" at The Roundabout Theater Company. We also spoke about writing a television se

  • Nicole Holofcener on celebrity, money, & being a "female" director in Hollywood

    16/10/2017 Duration: 47min

    After getting her start as a PA for Woody Allen, director and writer Nicole Holofcener gave stars like Jennifer Aniston in FRIENDS WITH MONEY, Julia Louis Dreyfus in ENOUGH SAID, Jake Gyllenhaal and Catherine Keener in LOVELY & AMAZING their meatiest, roles. With her new Netflix film THE LAND of STEADY HABITS, starring Ben Mendelsohn, Edie Falco, Elizabeth Marvel, and Thomas Mann, Holofcener will focus for first time from the perspective of a male protagonist. On this episode off Employee of the Month, Catie Lazarus talks to Holofcener about her about being labeled a female director versus a director, rejecting actors, being rejected, and aging, and directing Yoplait ads to TV shows like Amazon's ONE MISSISSIPPI with Tig Notaro so she can do her own iconic, feature films.

  • STEPHEN WRIGHT the one and only Oscar award winning comedian

    20/09/2017 Duration: 33min

    EMPLOYEE of the MONTH is a talk (and awards) show about what it truly means to have a dreamy job. CATIE LAZARUS, who created and hosts Employee of the Month, only selects good eggs for the prestigious EMPLOYEE of the MONTH award, so no wonder she picked Steven Wright. He is utterly hilarious, thoroughly original, and hope you will enjoy our interview. You're welcome. PS Please excuse the AMAZING sound quality. Can't do anything about my voice, but you can donate if you want to help us improve the actual recording quality. No donation too big or too small. www.employeeofthemonthshow.com

  • CYNTHIA NIXON talks about casting when you're non-white, hetero male and political activism

    13/09/2017 Duration: 42min

    There are actors who anoint themselves activists, without considering that most activists don't suddenly claim they are actors, simply because they bought movie tickets. That said, there are consummate professionals, like Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner CYNTHIA NIXON, who will consciously support causes. Nixon has her plate full with upcoming films, like LIFE ITSELF, JAMES WHITE, and STOKHOLM, PENNSYLVNIA; directing a one woman show, and prepping to play Emily Dickinson, among other gigs, but she is passionate about certain causes. We spoke about how she chooses what she gets involved with and what it means to be an activist. Cynthia also weighs in on the challenges of breaking into Hollywood, when you aren't a blonde Barbie doll or white bread beefcake, as well as the hard part of turning down roles when you finally get enough traction as an actor to enable other voices to be heard.

  • TITUSS BURGESS talks Tina Fey, Patti LuPone & reveals new Pinot Noirs

    06/09/2017 Duration: 25min

    Peeno Noir is Expanding! Actor Tituss Burgess’s real wine company Pinot Noir, inspired by his Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s character viral music video, will unveil a new wine for Pride Week and a rosé. Whether your celebrating the LGBTQ or can’t get enough of the nimble actor and deliriously delightful singer, you’ll feel better about splurging on Pinot Noir after seeing how Burgess does in a blind taste test. Catie Lazarus, host of Employee of the Month, wanted to see if the 37 years old, Georgia native really knows his wine. A consummate performer, Burgess was game. His honesty and humility, as much as his humor, makes their interview a must listen. “Sometimes on Broadway, you have an inflated budget to do what is essentially a community theater production,” Burgess explains with refreshing candor. Without missing a beat, he flashes a mischievous grin. As he acknowledges the bad and the ugly about working in theater, he never forgets the good. Burgess points out how intoxicating Broadway and television, at

  • Zadie Smith on pot, Prince, plotlessness, and plagiarism

    30/08/2017 Duration: 29min

    I selfishly don't want Zadie Smith to quit her day job, but the famed novelist could easily moonlight as a singer. The author of the critically acclaimed, best-selling novels White Teeth, The Autograph Man, On Beauty, NW, and, most recently, Swing Time shared her insight on plagiarism, plots, outlines, and publishing. A regular contributor to The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books, she has written about everything from Brexit to Key & Peele to her late father. She once flirted with being a cabaret singer, and once you hear our interview, which was recorded live at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, you'll know why. It was a pleasure and privilege to speak with Zadie about publishing, awards, critics, and to hear her and Lady Rizo sing "Lady and the Tramp."

  • Mad Magazine's AL JAFFEE

    23/08/2017 Duration: 34min

    This October marks Al Jaffee reign as Mad Magazine’s longest running contributor, clocking in 59 years and over 479 issues. Since 1952, the comic book turned magazine infused a childish silliness with biting political depth and orignal artwork. By engaging readers to add their own “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions,” and even mangling the magazine to solve the “Fold-In” picture riddle, Mad was one of the first enterprises to treat consumers as co-conspirators. The result was an entirely new forum for humor in an era when few questioned whether father really knows best. It’s allure for children and teenagers simultaneously fueled outrage from the FBI to Congress the collective imaginations of future comedy writers and cartoonists. Writers behind The Simpsons, The Daily Show, The Onion, and The Colbert Report credit Mad Magazine for inspiring them. The sheer joy Jaffee’s work provides fans offers to fans is inverse proportion to what he and his three brothers experienced growing up. In his biography Al Jaffee

  • DAVEED DIGGS, talks about why he hates Pier 1 and how he snagged a starring role in Hamilton

    16/08/2017 Duration: 13min

    DAVEED DIGGS, a rapper, actor, and now Broadway star in Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, stopped by Employee of the Month at Joe's Pub to reveal why Diggs hated working at Pier 1. You'll get to hear him freestyle rapwith Jelly D. and Shockwave, who are both the MC's for Employee of the Month Show's house band, and bandmates of Daveed's in Freestyle Love Supreme. In this episode, which was taped live, you will also here Jelly D. and Daveed rap and Shockwave beatbox the Employee of the Month rap up as I give out awards to all of my guests from the live taping in May 2015 at Joe's Pub. To hear my conversations with those guests, The New York Times columnist Nick Kristof, Emmy nominee Anna Chlumsky, and soul singer Lee Fields, as well as Lee Fields singing, subscribe to Employee of the Month's podcast. This is part 1 of a two part interview with Daveed, who plays Jefferson and Lafayette in Hamilton on Broadway. Once you hear our interview, you'll know why he had enough swagger, drive, and talent to take on a starri

  • LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA on writing Robo calls, g-chatting with Stephen Sondheim & his own bodyguard

    09/08/2017 Duration: 19min

    An Emmy, Grammy, Tony, Pulitzer and Employee of the Month winning composer, actor, writer, and hip-hop super star performer, Lin-Manuel Miranda can currently be seen performing in Marry Poppins. He spoke with Catie Lazarus about creating political commercials for Hillary Clinton to Elliot Spitzer, collaborating with Stephen Sondheim on West Side Story, and playing bar-mitzvahs before In the Heights and Hamilton made him a global sensation. Hamilton Mix tapes premiered off-off-Broadway at The White House, and led to the least known Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, finding his place in the pantheon of complex, prolific leaders. No other musical has done what Hamilton has. Miranda's riveting, utterly unique masterpiece brought together Republicans and Democrats, toddlers and elderly, wealthy and working class, and hip-hop devotees and musical theater junkies.

  • Comedian Wayne Federman on Gary Shandling Judd Apatow, Jimmy Fallon and composing music

    02/08/2017 Duration: 31min

    If you looked up the phrase "comic's comic," Wayne Federman's name should appear. For decades after the late great Gary Shandling cast Wayne as his brother in Larry Sanders Show, Shandling remained close friends with Wayne. While Federman is presently touring with Judd Apatow and has done so with Jimmy Fallon, and writes for both comics as well, he has started to compose theme music. After appearing in and on over fifty hit movies and television shows, including Legally Blonde, Knocked Up, X-Files, and The New Girl, Federman had no idea he'd become the composer for the new Employee of the Month's theme song! Dreams, you never dared to dream, can come true. Even though Wayne has worked throughout his career, we spoke about the uncertainty that befalls any artist. For more about Employee of the Month, go to www.employeeofthemonthshow.com and follow host @catielazarus on Twitter. This episode was produced by Rob Schulte(https://robkschulte.com)

  • KIDS in the HALL's Kevin McDonald on Jerry Seinfeld, Beatles, and love, loneliness, and finances now that he's adult(ish)

    28/07/2017 Duration: 32min

    "Bobcat Goldthwait came to the show with the same fear I did," On this episode of Employee of the Month, comedian Kevin McDonald shares what it is like to be judged both about how you write about your life and lived it. We spoke about his one man show as well as the love of being part of a group and loneliness of no longer being one of the cool kids. In their twenties, Kevin McDonalds and Dave Foley, darlings of the sketch comedy world, described themselves as "punk rock," as Kids in the Hall, which began in Canada, became one of the first sketch comedy shows on Comedy Central and HBO and now working with a protege Trevor Moore from the sketch group The Whitest Kids You Know. We spoke about Kevin's relationships with Mike Meyers, Jerry Seinfeld, and Dom Deluise. Kids in the Hall still performs. Kevin also hosts his own podcast Kevin McDonald's Kevin McDonald Show, and appears in films and TV shows, including Sorry for Your Loss with Justin Bartha and FX's Man Seeking Woman by fellow Employee of the Month alum

  • Michael Patrick King on being king to princess Sarah Jessica Parker, Bridget Everett, and Lisa Kudrow

    24/07/2017 Duration: 38min

    Best known for HBO's iconic Sex-And-The-City, CBS's Two Broke Girls and HBO's The Comeback with Lisa Kudrow Michael Patrick King talks about being Catholic to how Hollywood's corporate maze is more like feudal system, and his new show with cabaret star and Employee of the Month alumni Bridget Everett, of Inside Amy Schumer fame. If you have ever wanted to work in Hollywood, listen to Michael Patrick King as he reveals the discipline, passion, and politics of the entertainment industry. This episode was produced by Rob Schulte(https://robkschulte.com)

  • SETH HERZOG on Jimmy Fallon, Vh1's Best Week Ever, Wonder Woman, and Mark Rothko

    12/07/2017 Duration: 37min

    Seth Herzog became nationally known for his wry one liners on Vh1's Best Week Ever. He spoke to Catie Lazarus about what he discovered at camp Stagedoor Manor to Zog's Place to acting in New York City with Ethan Hawke, Live Schrieber, Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain. Herzog's early jobs, including painting, performing as Wonder Woman, and his initial hesitation about being a warm-up comic for Jimmy Fallon, who he frequently tours with and often appears alongside of and writes for on The Tonight Show. Herzog's beloved comedy show Sweet is a must-see for comedy nerds. Find out more at (https://employeeofthemonthshow.com) This episode was produced by Rob Schulte (https://robkschulte.com)

  • Shonali Bhowmik on growing up Indian in Nashville, leaving Sony and touring with David Cross.

    01/07/2017 Duration: 47min

    The word multi-tasked doesn't begin to describe Shonali Bhowmik, who somehow juggles, law, music, and comedy. It would've been harder to grow up tone deaf in Nashville than Indian-American, and Shonali describes how progressive her immigrant parents were when raising Shonali and her sister Ruchi, who went on to serve as former Deputy Assistant to President Barack Obama. Shonali was no slouch either. She juggled law school while touring with her band ULTRABABYFAT. After opening for comedian David Cross, Sony came knocking with a record deal. She hadn't stopped practicing law, yet somehow added comedy to the mix. Shonali teamed up with Heather Lawless (Bob's Burgers), Chelsea Peretti (Brooklyn 911), and Andrea Rosen (Episodes, Stella) to create Variety SHAC. It was the first time female stand-ups came together to produce videos, host live shows at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and promote one another's work. In doing so, the foursome transformed the indie comedy scene. Today, Shonali also perform with The Ne

  • Bradley Whitford on why he hates David Mamet & loves Bill Clinton & Barack Obama

    21/06/2017 Duration: 43min

    If you didn't have a crush on Josh Lyman, you will after hearing the Emmy Award-winning star of West Wing sing. In our Employee of the Month interview, Bradley Whitford discusses starting out in theater to whether he gets the irony of his fabulous portrayal of well-meaning white liberal in Jordan Peele's hit horror film Get Out, as the actor would have voted for former President Barack Obama for a third term. Whitford tells a very funny story about Bill Clinton, why he finally did Law & Order, hates David Mamet and donates to his alma mater Wesleyan. We also speak about Transparent and, of course, Revenge of the Nerds II. -------- This episode was produced by Rob Schulte (https://robkschulte.com)

  • Edie Falco on acting classes, Law & Order, and a surprise Nurse Jackie reunion

    14/06/2017 Duration: 33min

    A beloved actor, Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe winner Edie Falco, will star in Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. I spoke with her on Employee of the Month, about her marriage and off-screen relationship with James Gandolfini on The Sopranos, shifting priorities, and challenges single parents face. She talked about making money, her rise early on as an indie film queen after SUNY Purchase, and theater ticket prices. Edie mentions Brad, as in The West Wing's Bradley Whitford, as we discuss the pitfalls with certain acting teachers, MFA's and BFA's. The two co-star in a new film Megan Leavey, and you can hear my interview with him up next. Plus, Edie Falco and Stephen Wallem, Nurse Jacki alum, give a special surprise treat, you can't miss. For more great episodes, check out http://employeeofthemonth.com or follow @catielazarus

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