Lance and Ray talk with the legendary Annie Golden aka Norma Romano on Orange is the New Black. Annie's amazing career, which began when she was the lead singer of the band The Shirts, includes the film Hair, the TV show Cheers, and originating roles in Assassins, The Full Monty, and Leader of the Pack.
They talk about her being discovered by Milos Forman, working on Orange, her new musical project Annie Golden: Bounty Hunter, Yo! (co-written by Lance), and what Annie loves about Halloween.
Also, Annie Golden Family and Friends' "Clara Bow" (written by Annie Golden and Frank Carillo), Ray's Spooky Stories, and Ray and Lance talk about their Halloween costumes.
“Hold clear in your mind the image of your highest self…and never lose sight of that.”
Lance and Ray talk with the wise and delightful Shakina Nayfack, director, performer, writer, producer, and artistic director of the Musical Theatre Factory in Midtown Manhattan. Last year Shakina underwent transition surgery in Thailand, and her show Post-Op will be happening at Joe's Pub at 9:30 PM on September 22nd, the one year-anniversary of that surgery. Follow her @Shakeenz.
“November 13th, 1991. With musical guest Tin Machine.”
Lance and Ray talk with the delightful Arthur Meyer, who's a writer for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He's also a co-author (with Kelly Hudson and Dan Klein) of FUDS, a hilarious book about all things food-related. Follow him on Twitter @arthurmeyer13.
They talk about the shift from being Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to being The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, why rhyming is great, the show's behind-the-scenes writing process, Arthur's freaky SNL date brain, and being naked onstage.
Also, "A Medley of Some of Arthur's Favorite Christmas Songs," Arthur shares a bit he wrote for Jimmy Fallon that didn't make the show, and Ray and Lance talk about how chill they are and the passing of time.
“So, when does the roller coaster of being a rock and roll author start?”
In honor of their 50th episode, Lance and Ray ditch their usual format in favor of eighteen minutes of Ray asking Lance hard-hitting questions about his debut YA novel Denton Little's Deathdate. They talk about the first time Lance told Ray about the idea for the book, how much of Ray there is in Denton's best friend Paolo, and Lance's relationship to online Denton reviews.“I’m watching TV, I’m like, ‘Oh! That’s Ray!'”
Lance and Ray talk with Temmy Maldonado, one of Ray's best friends since high school. Temmy and his buddy Jo have their own podcast, called Break Time Podcast, which focuses on nerd news.
The guys talk about how Dawson's Creek brought Ray and Temmy together, Ray's high school celebrity status, and Temmy's adventures with Kieran Culkin.
Also, Ray's original song "Crazy Ways, Babe," Finish That Lyric, and Ray and Lance talk about their favorite movies of 2014, phenomenons, and the nights you remember forever.
“You can just walk beside me.”
Lance and Ray talk with Ryan Gilliam, the artistic director of Downtown Art--a teen theater in the East Village--and one of Ray's mentors. Her production of To Kill a Mockingbird, starring seven teen actresses, opens this weekend. More info here: http://www.downtownart.org/
They talk about the ensemble as a metaphor for community, how Ryan's company evolved into a teen theater, her stint as NY1's New Yorker of the Week, and how she bought a building for a dollar.
Also, a track Ray wrote and recorded for Ryan's birthday, Outtakes of a Sketch That Never Happened Because Lance Was Cracking Up The Whole Time, and Ray and Lance talk about Lance's book making Ray cry, Lance's son turning 1, and what made Ray the performer and person he is today.
“2015 Me-Time”
Lance and Ray talk with the effortlessly charming Charla Lauriston, stand-up comedian and writer for the upcoming Netflix show (executive produced by Tina Fey) The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which premieres March 6th. She's also the creator and star of webseries Clench and Release. Learn more about Charla here.
They talk about School Night at UCB, the premise of Clench and Release, and the epic story of how Charla got the writing job on Kimmy Schmidt.
Also, DC Pierson's "It's a Shame," Worst New Year's Resolutions Ever, and Ray and Lance talk about their 2-year-podcast anniversary and the importance of valuing your self.
“Oh, my god, this Monopoly was five dollars.”
Lance and Ray start off 2015 by talking with documentary filmmaker David Novack, whose work includes Burning the Future: Coal in America and an upcoming doc about Russian writer Isaac Babel. David also had a long career as a sound mixer, including the films Kids and Velvet Goldmine.
They talk about why David shifted from a career in engineering to a career in the arts, the difference between sound mixing and sound editing, and David's favorite documentaries and sound mixes.
Also, David Bowie's "Five Years," and Ray and Lance talk about Lonely Planet's questionable selection for the top U.S. tourism destination and the Park Slope Food Co-op.