When Lightning Strikes!

Broadway’s top talents reveal their lightning bolt moments that set them on the course of their dreams. When Lightning Strikes! Is hosted by Forbes.com and Parade.com contributor Jeryl Brunner. “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” - Mark Twain We’ve all had it. Eureka! Your proverbial lightbulb goes off. The heavens open. The seas part. That wondrous, heart thumping, tingly, glorious mic drop moment when you realized what you were meant to do. No matter what it took. Lightning has struck! And from then on nothing is ever, ever the same. Host Jeryl Brunner presents candid, sometimes soul-baring, often funny chats with actors, writers, producers, directors and creatives as they lay down their THIS IS IT! discoveries about why they do what they do and what led them into theater. Learn more about Jeryl at @jeryl_brunner or www.jerylbrunner.com." When Lightning Strikes" theme song by Tom McGovern. Producer and talent booker: Anna Strout. Part of the Broadway Podcast Network.

When Lightning Strikes! is a arts podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 109 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts When Lightning Strikes!, a arts show with 109 episodes published.

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  When Lightning Strikes!

  #109 - Max Clayton

  Aug 5, 202625 min

  Max Clayton stars in the hit musical Schmigadoon!, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Clayton, plays dashing Danny Bailey in the show. He was honored with the Chita Rivera Award along with Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for his riveting and showstopping performance. His other stage credits include Chicago, The Music Man, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Hello, Dolly!, Pretty Woman, Bandstand, Something Rotten!, On the Town, Gigi, A Chorus Line and more. On screen, he can be seen in Kiss of the Spider Woman, White Noise, and Dear Edward. This episode was recorded on July 22, 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  When Lightning Strikes!

  #108 - Neyla Pekarek

  Aug 3, 202633 min

  Neyla Pekarek is a two-time Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter, cellist, and former member of The Lumineers. Currently she is channeling her gift for storytelling into original stage musicals, including "Rattlesnake Kate" and her newest work, "The Queen of Magic." Now on Joy Machine records, "The Queen of Magic" album is inspired by the remarkable life of pioneering magician Adelaide Herrmann. A contemporary of Harry Houdini, Adelaide transformed the world of magic by reinventing the traditional 19th-century magic show into the dazzling theatrical spectacle audiences know today. In August 2026, Neyla celebrates "The Queen of Magic" with a special “Vaudevillian Extravaganza,” featuring curiosities and amusements from special guests, in New York at The Green Room 42 on Thursday, August 13 and at The Cat’s Crawl Los Angeles on Thursday, August 27. Neyla will also perform a solo concert at Theatre SilCo in Silverthorne, Colorado on Sunday, August 23. Learn more at neylapekarek.com. This episode was recorded on July 16, 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  When Lightning Strikes!

  #107 - Maryann Plunkett

  Jul 23, 202635 min

  Maryann Plunkett can currently be seen in Erica Murray’s The Loved Ones at Irish Repertory Theatre. A Tony Award winner for Me and My Girl, she earned a second Tony nomination for her performance in The Notebook. Over her four-decade career, she has delivered acclaimed performances in countless productions, including Agnes of God, Sunday in the Park with George, The Seagull, Saint Joan, Richard Nelson's Rhinebeck Panorama, and many others. Her film and television work includes Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Manifest, and Dr. Death. She and her equally brilliant husband Jay O. Sanders were jointly awarded a Special Citation for Lifetime Achievement by the New York Drama Critics Circle. This episode was recorded July 20, 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  When Lightning Strikes!

  #106 - Adrienne Campbell-Holt

  Jun 27, 202635 min

  Adrienne Campbell-Holt is an director, choreographer, and the founding artistic director of Colt Coeur. Known to champion bold new plays and innovative artists, her newest production, Camping, by Victoria Lynne Barclay is currently playing at HERE Arts Center. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  When Lightning Strikes!

  #105 - Todd Almond

  Jun 27, 202629 min

  Todd Almond is an actor, songwriter, and playwright currently performing his riveting show I'm Almost There at BAM Fisher. His many credits include the Bob Dylan musical Girl from the North Country and the HBO series Gossip Girl. He also wrote three Public Works musicals for the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, is currently the orchestrator and music supervisor on Girl Interrupted and has collaborated with countless artists, including Martyna Majok, Aimee Mann, Laura Benanti, Sarah Ruhl, Courtney Love, Judy Kuhn, Kelli O'Hara, and Andrew Rannells. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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