#jimmy ludwig

[thehappyhourguys]

Curtain Up on the road... to Long Island!

Now that Curtain Up is being brewed and released across the country, time to go out and meet some of the great folks doing this important work. Let's head out to DUBCO and St. James!

[thefederalistfreestyle]

from co-Happy Hour Guy (i.e., the folks who do Broadway Brews) Jimmy Ludwig’s instagram

[theensemblist]

Q&A: Jimmy Ludwig

Name: Jimmy Ludwig

Where are you from? Iron River, Michigan - in the Upper Peninsula of MI (the part that everyone thinks is Canada, eh!). Not too many of us make it out alive. I think there may be like 3 of us in the Biz.

Broadway credits: Spamalot (Original Company), Little Shop of Horrors

How did you hear you’d booked your first Broadway show? I had been in the Biz in NYC for over a decade when I finally booked my first Production contract. I believe my agent began the call by saying, “Well it’s about f*cking time."

What is your favorite event in the Broadway community? The Gypsy Robe. One of the coolest ceremonies on all of Broadway.

What’s something about Broadway that fascinates you? The History. The first day we got onstage at the Shubert (Spamalot), our Lead Producer gathered the entire company - crew, musicians, cast - and then read us a history of the theatre we were about to play. When the place was built; who had trod these boards. The shows - hits and flops. Then he asked the spirit of those past to bless our production. We all cried like babies.

What, other than theatre, has inspired you recently? I’m a huge Craft Beverage guy - Craft Beer, Distilleries, Wineries, etc.  I am completely in awe of these people who risk everything to start these businesses on a shoestring and make these amazing liquids, with no guarantee of even being sustainable, much less making a ton of money. Honestly it reminds me of Acting, Theatre, and every other Artistic endeavour. Also it tastes really good, and well…it’s drinking.

If I could have coffee with any living person, it would be… Jon Falk, the longtime (40 some years) equipment manager for the Michigan Wolverines football team - he just retired last year.

If I could trade places with anybody for a day, I would choose… I’m a big runner - I’ll be running the NYC Marathon this Fall, for the 5th time. I’d love to run like an elite marathoner - a world champion/Olympian - just once. If there’s a heaven and I get to be a Kenyan for a day, I would be so into that.

To be successful in this business, it takes… GRIT. Get up and do it every day, get better every day, keep doing it, no matter what, without being able to see the horizon or the finish line. Run your life like a marathon.

Tell us a secret. As a kid, I used to put messages in bottles and throw them in bodies of water (oceans, Mississippi River) on family trips. Still waiting for one of those to come back.

[the-ensemblist]

Check out this video of upcoming guest Jimmy Ludwig singing “I Wish I Could Go Back to College” from Avenue Q! Listen to Jimmy on our Actors’ Equity episode, available in your podcasts feed this Sunday.

[thehappyhourguys]

Video #310: BrewcadeSF - Craft Beer and Classic Arcade Games in the Castro!

Craft Beer has landed in neighborhoods around the country, and in so many different ways, including this dynamite stop in San Francisco's Castro District. Long an historic and iconic neighborhood in relation to the LGBT Community, the Castro is also now finding ways to lead in Craft. Join Mark and Jimmy as they make another stop on a recent NorCal tour at Brewcade, where the sound of quarters dropping into Defender, Joust and Buck Hunter mingle with the clink of glasses filled with a well-curated Craft list. Cheers!

[thehappyhourguys]

Craft beverages can mean many things to many people - and in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in early April, it means Maple Syrup! The Guys make a fly-by past a family operation that does far more that put flavor on pancakes - they share in a way of life; simple, hard work out in the woods that creates a sweet treat for everyone. Whether the beverage is alcoholic or not, The Guys keep learning the lesson; making something that you can share with others is one of the highest callings in life. Oh, and the stories are pretty good, too. Not to mention the pancakes.

[thehappyhourguys]

On The Happy Hour Guys: Passion, History, and Episode #300.

We’ve topped 300!

[thehappyhourguys]

The Guys make a stop in Lancaster, PA at The Fridge, a craft beer bottle shop and flatbread pizza cafe that will simply make you happy to be alive. Join Owners Kevin Brown and James Futty as they talk art, craft, pizza and beer. Enjoy!