Stage Rush TV: Episode 50, with co-host Jeremy Stolle of ‘Phantom’

(Using an iPhone or iPad? Watch on YouTube)

Talking points:

• Phantom understudy Jeremy Stolle co-hosts this special 50th episode of SRTV!
• Finding the positives of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark
• Idina Menzel in concert at Lincoln Center
• How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying ticket giveaway
• Broadway Mad Libs
• Broadway grosses

What do you think, Rushers? Is Jeremy Stolle the man, or what! Below, I have a special letter of gratitude in lieu of SRTV’s 50th episode—please check that out. Be sure to enter to win a pair of tickets to How To Succeed starring Daniel Radcliffe, and as always, leave your thoughts in the comments below. Thank you so much for watching this special episode!

Editor’s Note:

Stage Rush fills me with gratitude. I am thankful for the performers and creative minds I interview, the shows I see, and the Rushers I get to meet and know. I could have waited till the 100th episode of SRTV to give thanks, but I’m taking Jonathan Larson’s “no day but today” philosophy. I would like to thank the people that make Stage Rush possible.

Mom and Dad: They supported the idea of Stage Rush from the beginning. They never asked why or questioned my reasons for beginning this endeavor. Without their blessing, this site would not exist.

Gary Vaynerchuk: It was Gary’s book Crush It that gave me the confidence to create a Broadway news site of my own design. I read it at a crucial point in my life, when I needed inspiration more than ever. Five pages into Crush It, I was in tears. Gary taught me that it was possible to turn your passion into a business, and that hard work and sincerity would make it thrive. Most importantly, he encouraged me to be myself. Therefore, to read and watch Stage Rush is to know me. I am lucky enough to have met Gary, and owe so much to him.

Sammy Davis: Not a member of the Rat Pack, but just as cool; Sammy is my roommate, fellow entrepreneur, and dear friend. Running her own vintage fashion website out of the same apartment as I do Stage Rush, Sammy is always there to bounce ideas around, discuss web strategy, and give advice. Sammy pep-talked me into turning my camera on for the first time, and I will never forget that. If a day goes by without Sammy inspiring me, then I am clearly not awake. She is the gasoline to my automobile, and I cannot imagine running this site without her in my life.

Lauren Huston: Lauren is the one who suggested (with a knife to my throat) that I pick up Gary Vaynerchuk’s book Crush It. For months, she hounded me, trying her hardest to convince me that I could build Stage Rush from a review blog into a multimedia news site. I didn’t believe her. But Lauren is a good friend, and she believed in me. She set me down this path that has become a beautiful journey, and I thank her for that. Lauren runs her own social media strategy business, and is always giving me new ideas on how to improve Stage Rush. I think I frustrate Lauren, because I’m always initially reluctant to her ideas; but hopefully she won’t give up on me.

Ken Davenport: A Broadway producer who runs his own theater blog, Ken created the Independent Theater Bloggers Association, and I was present at the first meeting. Through the organization, Ken opened me up to event coverage and interview opportunities—something I don’t know how long it would have taken without his help.

Patrick Lee: My first friend in the world of theater reporting. I met him at the original ITBA meetup and he made me realize that there were warm people out there in this unknown, scary world I was entering. He sadly passed away last June, and I wish I got to know him better. However, his life is a profound reminder to me of the great things that can happen when you follow your passion.

Linda Buchwald, Kevin Daly, Sarah Roberts, Adam Rothenberg, and Andy McGibbon: My theater-blogger buddies. What a lovely surprise to create Stage Rush and find a new group of friends because of it. These five geniuses of theater are an endless wealth of knowledge. When I have questions, these are the people I go to. Each have their own specialties within theater, and together, they form a Broadway Megazord. But what’s more important is that they are beautiful people who welcome me and others with open arms. I love throwing a few back with these guys.

Carlos Alvarado: Carlos began as a stranger. He was the first reader to reach out to me and let me know that he enjoyed what I was doing and appreciated what Stage Rush represented. I was stunned. I realized I wasn’t writing for myself—there actually was someone out there paying attention to, and liking, what I was doing. Then came an even bigger shocker. Carlos lives in Texas. You mean Stage Rush reaches people who don’t live in New York? That it matters to anyone who loves Broadway, regardless of their geographic location? Carlos helped me realize the beauty of connecting with the people that share my interests and contribute to the Stage Rush community. Carlos is my most-dedicated reader. He is also my friend.

And I saved the best for last…

Rushers: To every person that has read a Stage Rush article, watched a video, left a comment, retweeted a link, “liked” a story on Facebook—thank you. You are the reason Stage Rush exists. I have enjoyed connecting with you, swapping opinions and stories, and asking and answering questions so much over this past year. I only look forward to more of it…

And 50 more episodes of Stage Rush TV!

Thank you.
-Jesse North, founder and editor