145 episodes
- On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber is joined by the unstoppable and magnetic Ana Villafañe - a woman who has spent her career refusing to be pigeonholed, and doing it spectacularly!
Ana has had a remarkable career, making her Broadway debut as Gloria Estefan in the Tony-nominated On Your Feet! on Broadway, performing at the Tony's for her very first Broadway job. She's gone on to play Roxie in Chicago and Nina in In the Heights alongside TV credits in the likes of New Amsterdam and Sunnyside.
She currently plays Ava Gardner in Sinatra The Musical - her West End debut.
On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber and Ana talk about her intense Broadway debut, the advice from Lea Salonga that changed her entire approach to vocal training and the joy of playing Ava Gardner on the West End.
Ana also shares the story of losing her voice during a matinee of On Your Feet, her memorable conversation with Audra McDonald and what happens when a cast member is injured mid-show...
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. - On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber is joined by one of the most thrilling new voices to have graced the West End stage: the extraordinary Sam Ryder!
Sam broke through when he representation the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022, becoming the highest scoring UK entrant ever and reaching second place. Since then, he was nominated for Best New Artist at the BRIT Awards, an Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music, as well as nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards, TikTok Awards and a Hollywood Music In Media Award.
Sam's West End debut came this year in the renowned revival of Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium, where he stars as Jesus of Nazareth, and has now transferred to Theatre Royal Drury Lane due to exceptional demand.
On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber and Sam talk about the pressure of taking on the role of Jesus (and performing in ever show without a single night off!), the night everything went wrong in Gethsemane and the moment Andrew Lloyd Webber called him out of the blue and changed his life.
There are also stories from the Palladium stage door, the Olivier Awards with Johannes Radebe, and a practical masterclass in vocal health.
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. - On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber is joined by the utterly magnetic and brilliantly funny Summer Strallen - a performer who has been building one of the most extraordinary careers in British musical theatre since she was fifteen years old.
As one of the Strallen sisters, Summer launched into the industry straight out of school, joining the final West End cast of Cats in 2001. Since then, she has played iconic roles in the likes of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Guys and Dolls (alongside Ewan McGregor and Jane Krakowski) and The Boy Friend (which earned her an Olivier nomination).
Along the way, she has played Maria in The Sound of Music in the West End, been nominated for another Olivier for Love Never Dies and even appeared in Wicked alongside Ariana Grande! She current stars as Delia Deetz in the West End production of Beetlejuice.
On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber and Summer talk about the panic attack that became the unexpected turning point in her vocal training, the surreal Zoom audition for Beetlejuice and the chaotic Hollyoaks publicity stunt that landed her the role of Maria in The Sound of Music.
There are also stories from Guys and Dolls, Wicked and Beetlejuice as well as a candid conversation about ADHD and why it took until she was thirty to truly figure out who she was.
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. 142 - Legally Blonde Cast Compilation: George Crawford, Hannah Lowther, Annabelle Terry & More!
20/10/2026 | 38 mins.On this very special episode of Call To Stage, we're revisiting some of our favourite moments from Amber's interviews with the cast of Legally Blonde The Musical from this year!
Re-live conversations with Jamie Chatterton (Warner), Karen Mavundukure (Paulette), Annabelle Terry (Vivienne), Jocasta Almgill (Brooke), Adam Cooper (Callahan), Rosanna Harris (Serena / Elle cover), Hannah Lawther (Elle cover) and George Crawford (Emmett) for the ultimate behind-the-scenes company conversation!
From pre-show rituals to the audition stories that got them into the room... and even relive the big reveal that George Crawford had been cast as Emmett opposite Amber’s Elle!
There are also brilliant behind-the-scenes moments from Gay or European, the What You Want dance break and the Bend and Snap, as well as a candid conversation about what makes Nikolai Foster’s production different from every Legally Blonde that has come before it and why this company, more than any other, feels like the cast were born to play these roles.
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.141 - Debbie Kurup on The Bodyguard, Playing Iconic Characters & The Devil Wears Prada
14/10/2026 | 33 mins.On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber is joined by the effortlessly sharp Debbie Kurup - a performer whose career CV reads like a greatest hits of British musical theatre.
An Olivier Award-nominated actor (for her performance as Nicki in the World Premiere of The Bodyguard in the West End), Debbie has taken on some of theatre's most iconic roles, including in the West End productions of Chicago, Rent, West Side Story and Sister Act. On tour, she has also starred in Fame and as Cher in The Cher Show, and she appears on the Original West End cast albums of The Prince of Egypt, Girl From The North Country, Tonight's The Night and Sister Act.
Debbie currently covers the iconic role of Miranda Priestly in the West End production of The Devil Wears Prada.
On this episode of Call To Stage, Amber and Debbie talk about the unspoken pressure of stepping into the shoes of a a character based on a real person, the remarkable experience of going straight back into Chicago as Velma just three months after giving birth and the importance of representation in the industry.
Debbie also shares stories from the UK Tour and West End productions of Rent, her iconic turn in The Bodyguard and she shares her thoughts on why the material will always matter more than the money, and how she completed a university degree in a dressing room.
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About Call To Stage with Amber Davies
This is Call To Stage, the podcast from Amber Davies, where musical theatre takes centre stage. From unforgettable backstage stories to exclusive news and insights, each week Strictly Come Dancing finalist and WhatsOnStage Award winning actress Amber is joined by stars of the stage (and sometimes just fans of it!) to chat, laugh… and maybe even sing. If one thing’s for sure, Amber and her guests will be leaving it all on the mic. New episodes every Wednesday.
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