Hayley Podschun Discusses Muny's Smokey Joe's Cafe, Wicked, & Taking Every Opportunity You Can!

It is my true joy to introduce you to Hayley Podschun! Hayley will be performing in Smokey Joe's Cafe at The Muny (where she was last seen in Gypsy). On Broadway and in National Tours, Hayley has performed in Wicked (Glinda), Hello, Dolly!, Something Rotten, Chaplin (Mildred Harris), Anything Goes, Pal Joey, Sunday in the Park with George, Hairspray, and The Sound of Music. Off-Broadway and select regional credits include Freckleface Strawberry (Freckleface; original cast), Holiday Inn (Linda Mason; Paper Mill Playhouse), I Married an Angel (Anna Murphy; NY City Center Encores!), The Royal Family of Broadway (Gwen; Barrington Stage, world premiere), Holiday Inn (Lila Dixon; Goodspeed, world premiere) Crazy for You (Polly; Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), Peter Pan (Peter Pan; Artpark), and Legally Blonde (Elle Woods; Arvada Center). You may also recognize her from her Film and Television appearances such as Hairspray (Tammy), The Blacklist, Louie, Isn’t It Romantic, and Hail, Caesar; You can also find Hayley on QVC as a guest host for Zodiac Shoes.

I have been a fan of Hayley for many years and will always be rooting in her corner because she is an artist that truly deserves all the amazing opportunities that come her way. I am so happy to have the chance to feature Hayley!

How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a performer?   

Oh gosh, I've always been in love with performing since I was a little kid.  I knew I wanted to be on Broadway probably since I was 7 or 8.  I made my Broadway debut when I was 12 in The Sound of Music which was truly a dream come true.  However, seeing the business side of "show business" was hard for me.  It all happened when we got our closing notice.  I saw that one day you could have a job, and the next day you couldn't.  That really shook me up, and for a few years after that, I thought it was irresponsible to be a performer, so I researched any other job I could do.  When it was time to apply to colleges though, I didn't know what else I could do or wanted to do, so I decided to keep on performing. I'm so glad I did because I've had a wonderful career and have made incredible friends along the way.

Where did you study? Are there any mentors that truly helped shape you into the amazing artist you are today? 

I owe all of my training to The Miller-Marley School of Dance and Voice in Kansas where I grew up.  They shaped me in every way, and I am so thankful for all of the teachers that I trained with.

Congratulations on Smokey Joe's Cafe at The Muny! I have followed your wonderful career for many years and truly enjoy watching you perform! After all this time of uncertainty due to the pandemic, how does it feel to be getting back on stage?  

Thank you!!!  It's exciting to finally share the news that I've known for a year and a half.  I'm really ready to get back to performing; however, I'm terrified!  I haven't sung or danced the way I'm used to for a year and a half.  My body and muscles are honestly not as strong as they were pre-pandemic.  I'm trying to be kind to myself, but sometimes it's hard.  I want to be the best I can be now!  I'm really looking forward to working my butt off all day with my fellow castmates, singing songs, dancing in a shimmy dress, and hearing an orchestra in person for the first time in a long time.  There will be LOTS of tears.

Are there any roles, shows, or moments in your career that stick out and will always be near and dear to your heart?

ALL OF THEM!  Truly.  Each one was such a special and unique experience.  I've been really lucky to have such a diverse career.  But if I had to pick only two (haha), I would say first, obviously Wicked.  Playing Glinda on the National Tour was a life dream of mine.  Singing that score, wearing those costumes, and playing such an iconic role was something I will never forget.  And I met my best friend, Jenny DiNoia, on that contract.  I would love to do it again.  My other favorite was Chaplin on Broadway.  It was the first Broadway show I got to help create from a workshop and then move to Broadway after.  I've done lots of workshops, but I've never gotten to bring a workshop to a full-on Broadway show.  That entire cast, crew, and creative team worked so well together.  We became such a beautiful family.  There's a handful of us that even have Charlie Chaplin tattoos.  I see mine every day and it makes me so happy and inspires me.

What advice would you give any young aspiring artists? 

I always say get involved in as much as you can at a young age.  If you have the opportunity to work on the crew or be the stage manager, costume designer, etc, do it!!  You might find that you like that more!  You also learn how important every single person's job is to put on that show at night.  I loved stepping into all of those different positions in middle school and high school.  I think it made me a better performer too.  Also, if you have the opportunity to do shows in your community or school, do them!  Take every opportunity you can.

Smokey Joes Cafe opens at The Muny on July 26th and will be running until August 1st! To learn more about the show please visit - https://muny.org/show/smokey-joes-cafe/ and to learn more about Hayley please make sure you visit her official website at http://www.hayleypodschun.com