At The Vanguard

Broadway veterans Beverly Ward and Kirby Ward join Christopher for a wide-ranging conversation about a lifetime in the theatre, creating new work, and their original musical Sunday After Next.
Bev and Kirby reflect on the experiences that shaped them as artists—from Kirby originating Bobby Child in the West End production of Crazy For You to Bev’s evolution from performer to composer and writer—and on what decades spent performing, directing, choreographing, writing, and producing have taught them about the craft.
They also share the story behind New Art City Theatre, which grew in part from an intimate living-room reading and their desire to create more opportunities for writers to develop new plays and musicals in front of real audiences.
Much of the conversation focuses on Sunday After Next, their musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s "Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime". They discuss what drew them to Wilde’s darkly comic story, how they expanded it into a full-length musical, Bev’s approach to finding the score’s sound, what it’s like to write together as a married couple, and how the show has evolved through more than a decade of readings, rewrites, discarded songs, and discoveries.
Now Sunday After Next is taking its biggest step yet with a fully staged developmental production featuring a seven-piece chamber ensemble and orchestrations by Tony Award winner Larry Hochman.
The conversation also explores the state of musical theatre today: the importance of strong storytelling, the challenges facing truly new work, accessibility and ticket prices, how the art form has changed over the course of their careers, and what they hope its future might look like.
And for anyone who feels the urge to create something of their own, Bev and Kirby offer perhaps the simplest and most important advice of all: start.
SUNDAY AFTER NEXT  Music & Lyrics by Beverly Ward  Book by Beverly Ward & Kirby Ward  Directed & Choreographed by Kirby Ward
November 13–22, 2026  Matilija Auditorium  Ojai, California
Tickets and information:  https://newartcitytheatre.org/
At The Vanguard explores the ideas, experiences, and people shaping the performing arts, education, creativity, and the lives we build around them.

What does a professional matchmaker actually do—and can matchmaking itself be an art?
Christopher sits down with professional matchmaker Simone Grossman for a thoughtful conversation about love, attraction, compatibility, dating culture, and the craft of bringing two people together.
Simone shares how she unexpectedly found her way into matchmaking, why she left larger companies to create a more personal practice, and what she listens for when getting to know a client. They discuss the difference between what people think they want and what may actually suit them, the limits of dating apps, the pressure to feel an immediate “spark,” and why habits, curiosity, consistency, and emotional availability can matter more than people realize.
They also explore the ethics and integrity of matchmaking, the difficult feedback Simone sometimes has to give, and the ways bias and unrealistic expectations can complicate the search for love.
Finally, the conversation turns to one of At The Vanguard’s central ideas: that artistry can exist far beyond the traditional arts. Simone reflects on matchmaking as a blend of intuition, storytelling, judgment, and science—and on the feeling that a great match may be less about creating something from nothing than about uncovering a connection that was already waiting to be found.
A conversation about love, risk, hope, and the deeply human desire to connect.
Find Simone Grossman:simonegrossmanmatchmaking.com
TikTok: @TheInternetYentaInstagram: @InternetYenta

The phrase "The Revenge of the Humanities" comes from Sam Harris, whose work inspired this episode.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly capable, much of the conversation has centered on jobs, automation, and the future of work. Those are important questions. But I believe there's another question that's even more fundamental:
What kind of lives will humans choose to live?
In this episode, I explore the possibility that AI won't diminish the humanities—it may elevate them.
As machines increasingly assume responsibility for tasks where efficiency, speed, and optimization matter most, I believe we'll place greater value on the pursuits where efficiency was never the point: music, theatre, literature, philosophy, film, dance, storytelling, and the countless ways we seek meaning, beauty, and connection.
This isn't an argument against science or technology. It's an argument for remembering what they ultimately serve.
Science expands our understanding of the universe. Technology expands our capabilities. But the humanities help us answer questions that become increasingly important as those capabilities grow:
What is worth creating?
What makes a meaningful life?
What kind of civilization do we want to build?
What does it mean to be human?
Along the way, I explore why human-made art may always possess a unique kind of value, the difference between consumption and creation, why all roads ultimately lead back to humanity, and what each of us can do to help cultivate a richer cultural future.
Whether you're an artist, educator, scientist, engineer, entrepreneur, student, or simply someone fascinated by where humanity is headed, I hope this conversation offers a hopeful perspective on one of the defining questions of our time.

Can we separate the art from the artist?
More importantly: should we?
In this episode of At The Vanguard, Christopher Lloyd Bratten-Zappala explores one of the most emotionally charged and philosophically difficult questions in modern culture. Through the lenses of art, morality, psychology, history, and human flourishing, this episode examines whether collapsing artists and their work into a single moral object ultimately leads to clearer judgment — or cultural and intellectual fragility.
Along the way, Christopher discusses figures such as Michael Jackson, Harvey Weinstein, Pablo Picasso, R. Kelly, J.K. Rowling, Kevin Spacey, Kanye West, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Wagner, and more, while confronting difficult questions about accountability, trauma, censorship, context, redemption, moral purity, and the role art plays in human civilization itself.
This is not an argument for excusing abuse or abandoning morality. It is an argument for nuance, discernment, conceptual clarity, and the preservation of art’s ability to help humanity wrestle honestly with complexity.
Topics include:
“Can we?”, “Do we?”, and “Should we?” separate art from artist?
Moral contamination and purity culture
Trauma, resilience, and emotional association
Accountability vs erasure
The difference between preserving, contextualizing, and celebrating
Why art matters beyond entertainment
Human imperfection and the dangers of simplification
Art as meaning-making, transcendence, and civilizational memory
If we demand moral perfection from every voice before we allow ourselves to listen, eventually the conversation goes silent.

Why aren’t you getting cast?
In this episode, I share what I’ve learned from sitting on both sides of the audition table—as a performer, pianist, and evaluator watching hundreds of auditions.
Most performers focus on the wrong things. They treat auditions as isolated events, obsess over details that may or may not matter, and overlook what casting teams are actually evaluating.
This episode breaks down the bigger picture:
Why first impressions carry more weight than you think
What casting teams are really looking for (beyond talent)
How “trust” drives casting decisions
The common mistakes that quietly undermine strong performers
Why you need to stop thinking audition-to-audition and start thinking long-term
Whether you’re an actor, singer, or dancer, these principles apply.
Because ultimately, every audition comes down to one question:
Can they trust you to do the job?
🎓 Masterclass
If singing is part of your audition process, check out:Mastering the Singing Audition: Working With the Accompanist
👉 https://www.clbzworks.com/masterclasses
🎙 At The Vanguard
A podcast dedicated to elevating the arts and empowering artists.

In this episode of At The Vanguard, I sit down with married artists and educators Christine Negherbon and Joe Abraham — Broadway performers, directors, choreographers, college professors, and co-founders of The Thriving Artists.
From national tours of Hairspray, Shrek, and The Little Mermaid to directing Spring Awakening, choreographing new works, and shaping the next generation of performers through MTCA (Musical Theatre Competitions of America), Christine and Joe embody what it means to be multi-hyphenate artists in today’s landscape.
We talk about:
• The reality of sustaining a long-term performing arts career• Why “starving artist” is a mindset — not a destiny• Financial literacy for creatives (yes, compound interest matters)• The cost and value of higher education in musical theatre• How social media has changed young performers• Raising kids while building creative careers• Why live performance will survive — even in the age of AI• Keeping your marriage strong while working side-by-side
Christine and Joe share the origin story of their book, The Thriving Artists, which began as a Broadway talkback and evolved into a six-year labor of love. The book has since grown into workshops, masterclasses, and curriculum used in college programs across the country — helping young artists build not just careers, but sustainable lives.
If you’re a performer, educator, parent of an artist, or someone navigating a creative path, this conversation is both practical and deeply encouraging.
Because as they say: The only way to fail is to quit.
📘 Learn more about The Thriving Artists:https://thethrivingartists.com
🎭 Explore MTCA – Musical Theatre Competitions of America:https://mtcofa.com
🎙️ Subscribe for more conversations with artists, educators, and creators at the forefront of the arts.

In this episode of At the Vanguard, I’m joined by my friend Christopher Sepulveda, a Los Angeles–based film and theatre producer whose career spans independent film, commercial theatre, new-work development, Deaf West Theatre, and emerging technologies like VR and AI.
Christopher demystifies the role of the producer—one of the most misunderstood jobs in the entertainment industry—and walks us through what producing really looks like day to day: creative problem-solving, leadership, relationship management, financial responsibility, and protecting the integrity of the work while getting it over the finish line.
We talk about:
What producers actually do (and why it’s so hard to explain)
How projects move from idea to production—and where producers matter most
Balancing artistic vision with budget, time, and reality
Why producing is often invisible, thankless, and essential
Building a career without a clear ladder or rulebook
Producing new work vs. revivals
Working in theatre, film, TV, VR, and mixed reality
How AI and emerging technologies are changing storytelling
Christopher’s work with Deaf West Theatre and bilingual ASL/English productions
Advice for emerging producers and creatives trying to break in
This conversation is practical, candid, and deeply human—an honest look at what it takes to shepherd stories into the world, and why producing matters more than most people realize.
Whether you’re an artist, filmmaker, theatre-maker, or just curious about how creative work gets made, this episode offers clarity, insight, and perspective you won’t hear in a soundbite.

In this episode of At The Vanguard, host Christopher Lloyd Bratten-Zappala sits down with Jason Paige—best known as the voice behind the iconic Pokémon theme song—for a wide-ranging, deeply human conversation about art, autonomy, community, and what it really means to build a creative life.
While Pokémon fans will appreciate Jason’s firsthand account of recording the theme song, its unexpected cultural afterlife, and the massive resurgence sparked by Pokémon GO, this conversation goes far beyond nostalgia. Jason speaks candidly about the realities of being a working singer in the late-90s New York session scene, the evolution of his relationship to fame, and the long journey from waiting to be “picked” to choosing himself.
Together, Christopher and Jason explore:
Why Jason reframes birthdays as “birth-giving days”
The myth of being discovered vs. the power of community
Theater as the most complete and sacred artistic form
The role of ego, soul, and authenticity in music—especially in the age of AI
How nostalgia economies, fandom, and modern capitalism intersect
What sustains a creative life over decades: ritual, gratitude, discipline, and purpose
Jason also shares what he’s building now—from global live events and performances to innovative collectible projects—and offers thoughtful guidance for artists navigating doubt, burnout, and the pressure to monetize creativity.
This episode is not just about where success comes from—but how to live with it, after it, and beyond it.
Learn more and get merch at jasonpaige.com

Honor. Cherish. Invest. | A Better Way to Start the New Year
The start of a new year often comes with pressure—resolutions, reinvention, and the feeling that you’re already behind before you’ve even begun.
This episode offers a different approach.
Rather than goals or hype, I share a simple, grounded framework for orienting yourself in the year ahead—one that respects how growth actually works and leaves room for patience, integrity, and real momentum.
We explore three guiding ideas:
Honor what you’ve already lived, learned, and endured—without getting stuck in the past
Cherish the present moment through attention and acceptance, even when life feels unfinished
Invest wisely in your future through small, consistent actions that compound over time
This conversation is for artists and non-artists alike—for anyone interested in living, working, and growing with intention. It’s about shaping a life thoughtfully, forgiving missteps, and beginning again without drama or self-punishment.
Whether you’re listening at the start of the year or any moment when you need to reset your orientation, this episode is an invitation to move forward deliberately—steady, hopeful, and empowered.

The holidays can be beautiful.They can also be lonely, tender, complicated—and quietly revealing.
In this solo episode, I reflect on what the holiday season tends to bring to the surface: longing, grief, connection, memory, and meaning. I talk about spending my first Christmas without both of my parents, about chosen family and evolving traditions, and about what it means to move through this season as both an artist and a human being.
Rather than offering platitudes or forced cheer, this episode takes a grounded, compassionate look at the holidays as a kind of mirror—one that reflects who we are, what we value, and what we’re still carrying. We explore art as sanctuary, sensitivity as strength, and the possibility of belonging even when life feels unresolved.
Whether this season feels joyful, quiet, heavy, or somewhere in between, this conversation is an invitation to slow down, tell the truth gently, and make space for what’s real.
You’re welcome here, exactly as you are.