The Sam Sanders Show

Janelle James: What’s It Like To Embody A Diva?

Comedian Janelle James became a star after playing the selfish, scamming, yet hilarious principal Ava Coleman in 'Abbott Elementary.' She’s since been nominated for five Emmy awards for the role. But Janelle spent years grinding through the standup scene before finding television success. She told Sam about what inspired her to try comedy years ago, and what she’s learned about herself from playing a larger than life character in a sitcom. Plus, Janelle breaks down her forthcoming Hulu show inspired by her own childhood in the U.S. Virgin Islands.  This conversation took place in front of a live audience at KCRW’s Annenberg Performance Studio in Santa Monica. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.  

Can Mamdani Save Broadway?

Sam recently experienced one of the best stage musicals he’s seen in years.  Cats: The Jellicle Ball reimagines the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber story with a ballroom twist. The show is filled with voguing, runway and Black, queer joy. It also won multiple Tony awards this year, which packed the theater night after night.  The whole show seemed like it was on the path to success, until it closed suddenly on August 8th.  Theater critic Naveen Kumar wrote about the fate of the production for The New York Times. He joined Sam to break down the major money problems facing Broadway. He also shares some ideas to fix them…Which may involve a certain charismatic mayor. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.  

Eliot Glazer: Spiritually Lesbian, Sexually Gay

Comedian Eliot Glazer feels like he “missed the first day of Gay 101.”  Even though he came out in college, he has always struggled to fit into gay culture. He doesn’t like the parties. He doesn’t wear the right clothes. Never listens to the right music. Can’t give off the right vibes. He writes about all these feelings in his hilarious new book of essays ‘The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Gay.’ Eliot tells Sam about feeling like an outcast, yearning for connection, and how he learned to find peace with his style of queerness. Check out Eliot on his book tour now through September.   Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.  

Is Culture Stuck? (From Decoder Ring)

Today we’re sharing an episode from our friends at Decoder Ring, a podcast that explores cultural mysteries. In this episode, host Willa Paskin digs into one of Sam’s biggest critiques about culture right now. There is more of it than ever before, it’s more accessible than ever, but so little of it feels original. New movies are based on old stories, new songs are recycling old hooks, and fashion trends are cycling so fast that everything’s in. Has our culture grown stagnant?  Author and culture critic W. David Marx thinks so. His book, Blank Space, argues that there is a “blank space” in the 21st century where cultural innovation should be. David explains to Willa how culture change worked in the 20th century, what changed after the turn of the millennium, and what we might do about it. Listen to Decoder Ring on your favorite podcast app!  Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

Hannah Einbinder on Comedy, Connection & Queer Art

Actor and comedian Hannah Einbinder has had an eventful past few years. She burst onto the scene with the acclaimed HBO comedy ‘Hacks’ in 2021. She won an Emmy for her role last season, and is nominated again this year. Now, she’s starring in the new horror film, ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.’  Hannah tells Sam about the craft of transitioning from comedy to drama, television to film, and why her true love will always be standup. She also dives into the importance of queer art and her lessons for navigating Hollywood. Plus, she tells Sam about her future passion project: An eventual stoner comedy made with her best friend. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.