Rephonic
Artwork for I Wanna Be Like You

I Wanna Be Like You with Elbi Cespedes

elbito322
Broadway
Theater
Schmigadoon
Lighting Design
The Play That Goes Wrong
Criticism
Caesar the Musical
West End
Hamilton
Lisa Lampanelli
Maulik Pancholy
Susan Stroman
Big Time Rush
Sondheim
In the Heights
Grace Yurchuk
Groundhog Day
Ragtime
The Prom
Blood Love

I Wanna Be Like You with Elbi Cespedes is a podcast that explores the journeys of successful individuals and how they’ve built and sustained their careers. Host Elbi Cespedes sits down with accomplished guests to discuss their beginnings, the challenges they’ve faced, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Through engaging and insightful conversations, this podcast offers inspiration, prac... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes88Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Arts

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for I Wanna Be Like You

Latest Episodes

Cynthia Meng made history as first woman to ever conduct Ragtime on Broadway which now holds the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical and closes August 16th at the Vivian Beaumont Theater on Broadway! Her other work on Broadway includes Company (... more

Donna Lynne Champlin is currently starring in The Loved Ones as Cheryl-Ann at Irish Rep open now until August 2nd! Her most notable stage work includes playing Pirelli in the 2005 Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd (directed by John Doyle featuring Mic... more

Joomin Hwang is a Broadway performer turned author currently in & Juliet (alongside Joey Fatone & Chrissy Metz!) which he's been in since it originally opened on Broadway in 2022! He made his Broadway debut in The Prom in 2018 after immigrating from ... more

Joel Blum is a 2 time Tony Award nominated actor with multiple Broadway, Off Broadway and National Tour credits! He received his Tony Award nominations for his performances as Frank in the 1994 Revival of Show Boat (directed by Hal Prince and choreog... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Donna Lynne Champlin
Actress with Broadway credits including Sweeney Todd, The Dead, and Hollywood Arms
Episode: Donna Lynne Champlin's I Wanna Be Like You!
Joomin Hwang
Competitive breakdancer, Broadway performer, author of The Rule of Five Journal
The Prom (Broadway), Angeliette (Broadway)
Episode: Joomin Hwang's I Wanna Be Like You!
Joel Blum
Guest on the episode exploring his career in musical theater
Actor
Episode: Joel Blum's I Wanna Be Like You!
Ken Jennings
Broadway actor known for Tobias in Sweeney Todd and other lead roles
Broadway
Episode: Ken Jennings' I Wanna Be Like You!
Jack O'Brien
Broadway director and producer with a long-form career in theater
Theatre
Episode: Jack O'Brien’s I Wanna Be Like You!
Stephanie Klemons
Associate choreographer and original cast member of Hamilton and In The Heights
Hamilton and In The Heights productions
Episode: Stephanie Klemons' I Wanna Be Like You!
Grace Yurchuk
Composer/lyricist of Caesar The Musical
Grace Yurchuk, Caesar The Musical
Episode: Grace Yurchuk's I Wanna Be Like You
Alejo Vietti
Broadway costume designer
Broadway theater
Episode: Alejo Vietti's I Wanna Be Like You!
Jim Borstelmann
Broadway performer and dancer known for Jerome Robbins Broadway, Chicago, The Producers, and more
Theater/Stage
Episode: Jim Borstelmann's I Wanna Be Like You!

Host

Elbi Cespedes
Host of I Wanna Be Like You with Elbi Cespedes

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 17 ratings
  • Love it!

    Educational and entertaining. Great questions, great guests, great stories. 10/10 for theatre folks.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ChrisRiceNY
    United Statesa month ago
  • Reams interview

    I could listen to Lee Roy all the long! So touching funny and interesting

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Aøna
    United Statesa year ago
  • Love the show!!

    This podcast has taught me so much and I find it so entertaining with the perfect arc for the guests with the tie in questions!! Love it!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    EO2022
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

I could listen to Lee Roy all the long! So touching funny and interesting
Educational and entertaining. Great questions, great guests, great stories. 10/10 for theatre folks.
This show has taught me so much and I find it so entertaining with the perfect arc for the guests with the tie in questions!! Love it!

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Simon Leary's I Wanna Be Like You!
Q: What are some standout roles or moments from Simon's career before Heartbreak Hotel?
Roles and experiences include Chekov in Hell, The Outsiders school production, performing in The Hobbit as an orc, and seeing the NZ fringe scene evolve through Edinburgh Festival and Circa Theatre.
Simon Leary's I Wanna Be Like You!
Q: What was Simon's experience like at drama school and with NZ theatre education?
He describes a curriculum that emphasized devising and sketch/physical theatre, influenced by Mike Alfred's Stanislavski-influenced methods, and valued ensemble work and text work, plus exercises like compositions that built versatility.
Simon Leary's I Wanna Be Like You!
Q: How did Simon get started in theatre in New Zealand and how did he decide to pursue acting professionally?
He grew up in Tamaru with early theatre exposure, joined theatre sports and school productions, studied hard, and then pursued formal training at Toi Whakaari after encouragement from peers, which helped him focus his path into professional acting.
Adam Gwon's I Wanna Be Like You!
Q: How did Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty influence you?
They offered a formal mentorship through the Dramatist Guild Fellows Program, helping him develop his craft and establish a long-term writer identity.
Adam Gwon's I Wanna Be Like You!
Q: What was your path from acting to writing?
A pivotal high school and NYU experience, plus mentorship from a teacher who saw his voice at the piano, steered him toward composing rather than pursuing acting alone.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About I Wanna Be Like You

What is I Wanna Be Like You about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on in-depth conversations with leading theater artists and creative professionals, including actors, directors, designers, choreographers, producers, and writers. Episodes explore career journeys, behind-the-scenes processes, mentorship, collaboration, and the craft of storytelling across Broadway and related media. Listeners can expect candid anecdotes, practical career advice, and a clear focus on long-term success in the arts, with a distinctly backstage perspective that highlights mentorship, experimentation, and resilience in a high-stakes creative world. A notable strength is the breadth of guest roles—from performers to designers to producers—providing diverse angles on building durable, meaningful careers in theater... more

Where can I find podcast stats for I Wanna Be Like You?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for I Wanna Be Like You. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to I Wanna Be Like You and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does I Wanna Be Like You get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for I Wanna Be Like You, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for I Wanna Be Like You?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for I Wanna Be Like You, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does I Wanna Be Like You have?

To see how many followers or subscribers I Wanna Be Like You has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to I Wanna Be Like You?

These podcasts share a similar audience with I Wanna Be Like You:

1. Good Hang with Amy Poehler
2. Funny You Ask with Ike Barinholtz
3. That's A Gay Ass Podcast
4. Unspooled
5. Staying Alive with Jon Gabrus & Adam Pally

How many episodes of I Wanna Be Like You are there?

I Wanna Be Like You launched 2 years ago and published 88 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact I Wanna Be Like You?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for I Wanna Be Like You?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for I Wanna Be Like You from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for I Wanna Be Like You?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of I Wanna Be Like You. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on I Wanna Be Like You?

Recent guests on I Wanna Be Like You include:

1. Donna Lynne Champlin
2. Joomin Hwang
3. Joel Blum
4. Ken Jennings
5. Jack O'Brien
6. Stephanie Klemons
7. Grace Yurchuk
8. Alejo Vietti

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days