Sammi Cannold, Broadway, Film, and TV Director
Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
Release Date: 02/05/2026
Carlos Simon, GRAMMY-Nominated Composer, Curator and Activist (Re-Release)
Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
Producer's Note: While Arts Unscripted is on summer hiatus, we're re-sharing a few of our favorite episodes from past seasons. Carlos Simon is the the inaugural Composer Chair of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Composer-in-Residence since 2021 at the Kennedy Center. Since we recorded earlier this year, his Good News Mass keeps finding new orchestras and new audiences. With its Midwest premiere on July 31st at Ravinia Music Festival, what better moment to go back and hear how Carlos has built his body of work. ----- Music has the power to move a room. For composer Carlos Simon, that effect...
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Shanta Thake, Chief Artistic Officer of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (Re-Release)
Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
Producer's Note: While Arts Unscripted is on summer hiatus, we're re-sharing a few of our favorite episodes from past seasons. Shanta Thake is the vision behind Lincoln Center's free Summer for the City festival happening right now through August 8 in New York. It's a good moment to go back and hear how she thinks about building a season for an entire city, not just a subscriber base. ----- Shanta Thake sees artistic curation as a practice rooted in curiosity and community connection. As the Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Shanta is helping redefine...
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Jeffrey Haydon, President and CEO of Ravinia Festival
Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
A festival lasts only a few weeks or months each year, but the work of leading one never stops. Jeffrey Haydon has spent his career at the helm of some of the country’s most respected music festivals, including Ojai, Caramoor, and now Ravinia Festival, where he serves as President and CEO. Drawing on a background that bridges music and business, he has led major capital projects, expanded educational and community programs, and navigated moments of organizational transformation. In this episode, Jeffrey reflects on what makes festivals such distinctive cultural institutions; the leadership...
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TONYS WEEK: Beth Callen, Musician, The Lost Boys
Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
The Tony Awards often celebrate the names on a show poster, but every Broadway production is carried by countless artists whose work rarely fits neatly into a category. So in anticipation of this year’s awards ceremony, we’re spotlighting a few of the performers, collaborators, and creative forces behind nominated productions. Beth Callen follows her curiosity wherever the music leads. A multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and educator, she has traveled from indie folk stages and an all-female Guns N’ Roses tribute band to some of Broadway’s most acclaimed productions, including Head...
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TONYS WEEK: Victor Vazquez, Casting Director, CATS: The Jellicle Ball
Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
The Tony Awards often celebrate the names on a show poster, but every Broadway production is carried by countless artists whose work rarely fits neatly into a category. So in anticipation of this year’s awards ceremony, we’re spotlighting a few of the performers, collaborators, and creative forces behind nominated productions. Victor Vazquez has spent his career expanding the possibilities of who gets seen onstage and whose stories Broadway embraces. As the founder of X Casting and casting director for CATS: The Jellicle Ball, Victor has helped build one of the most joyful, original, and...
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TONYS WEEK: Allison Blackwell, Broadway Performer, Ragtime
Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
The Tony Awards often celebrate the names on a show poster, but every Broadway production is carried by countless artists whose work rarely fits neatly into a category. So in anticipation of this year’s awards ceremony, we’re spotlighting a few of the performers, collaborators, and creative forces behind nominated productions. Allison Blackwell knows the power of ensemble storytelling firsthand. Currently appearing in Ragtime at Lincoln Center Theater as Sarah’s Friend, Allison is part of the acclaimed company behind one of Broadway’s most resonant productions this season. She has...
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Oliver Richman, Singer-Songwriter and Actor
Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
Creative work is often romanticized as spontaneous: a flash of inspiration, a breakthrough moment, a burst of talent. In reality, many artists discover that creativity is less about sudden genius and more about the systems, rituals, and relationships that help ideas grow over time. For Oliver Richman, creativity has been both an early spark and an evolving practice. As a child, his performances found an audience far beyond his years, from a widely shared rendition of “Defying Gravity” to performing alongside Stevie Wonder at just ten years old. Since then, he has continued exploring new...
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Sydney Symphony Orchestra on Creating a Culture of Collaboration
Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
Arts organizations thrive when teams stop operating in parallel and begin building together. Take it from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, which is wrapping its biggest season in over a decade. By creating shared goals across teams and building systems that encourage communication instead of competition, the Symphony has seen unprecedented audience growth in just a few short years. In this episode, Monica sits down with three leaders from across the organization—Director of Marketing Charles Buchanan, Director of Artistic Planning Melissa King, and Director of Learning & Engagement John...
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Susan Magsamen, Co-Author of “Your Brain on Art”
Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
Susan Magsamen has spent her career arguing that creativity and aesthetic experiences are not luxuries, but biological necessities woven into how we heal, learn, and connect. A researcher, educator, and co-author of the New York Times bestseller Your Brain on Art, Susan has become one of the leading voices in the growing field of neuroaesthetics: the science of how the arts and sensory experiences shape the brain and body. Through her work with the and the , she has helped bridge the gap between scientific research and real-world practice in healthcare, education, and community life. In this...
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Jacob Jonas, Dancer, Choreographer, and Founder of Films.Dance
Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
Jacob Jonas consistently questions who dance is for, where it belongs, and how it can be sustained. From his early days as a street performer on Venice Beach to founding his own company at just 21, his work reflects a conviction that art must evolve alongside audiences. That perspective has shaped his drive to build new models for the field just as much as it has informed his creative practice. In this episode, Jacob discusses expanding access to dance beyond traditional ticketed spaces, and bringing movement to the screen through his global platform . He also reflects on the gaps he...
info_outlineRisk is usually something leaders are told to minimize. But for Sammi Cannold, it’s essential to success.
As an award-winning director across Broadway, film, and television, Sammi has built her career on ambitious projects—like staging Violet on a moving bus and reimagining Ragtime on Ellis Island. What stands out isn’t just the boldness of the choices, but the intention behind them: using place and performance to help audiences experience even the most familiar stories in new ways.
In this episode, Sammi shares how she found her voice as a young woman in a male-dominated field; how she brings new perspective to beloved works while still honoring their legacy; and what it means to be an “actor’s director” whether she’s working on stage or the silver screen. Plus, she shares why advocacy in entertainment doesn’t always have to feel like eating your vegetables, and breaks down the false dichotomy between mission-driven and commercial work.
LINKS:
Sammi Cannold: https://www.sammicannold.com/
The Agnes Index: https://www.instagram.com/theagnesindex/?hl=en
Broadway Briefing: https://broadwaybriefing.com/