For today’s episode, we sat down with 2x Tony Award-winning Producer, Stage Manager, Educator, and Advocate Cody Renard Richard. I went into this conversation knowing we had a lot of ground to cover—the conversation ranged from discussing the process of building out a stage management team, to dancing while calling a show, to why he intentionally chooses to be a voice for others.

I had the privilege of meeting Cody as a student in the 2024 cohort of the CRR Scholarship Program, where I had endless opportunities to learn and make meaningful connections with industry professionals in NYC. In addition to the scholarship program, Cody’s work has spanned across Broadway productions, like Hamilton & Into the Woods, universities including Columbia, NYU, and Fordham, and TV events, such as the MTV VMAs & live musical specials. Cody’s story is especially inspiring because of how easy it is to see that he set out to champion marginalized voices from the start. 

What We Learned (Or Were Reminded Of)

⭐️ Everyone has different communication preferences.

⭐️ Speak what you want into existence. 

⭐️ Different ≠ wrong.

⭐️ You never have to stay in a lane. 

⭐️ Surround yourself with people who pour into you when you need it. 

I really appreciated Cody’s transparency when it came to discussing his decision to turn down shows in order to shape the career he wanted for himself. Setting yourself up for success means setting yourself up for advancement. It means speaking up for yourself and others. It means making hard decisions. Something I always like to say is it’s okay to be picky. Only you can realize the vision you see for your life and career. Cody’s story is a clear-cut example of how to dream big and never falter in that.

“You belong. If I did it, you can do it…There’s space for all of us. Dig into the abundance of life.”

— Cody Renard Richard

Check out this week’s episode to hear all about How Cody Renard Richard Got On Broadway.

— uchenna agbu 💫

Relevant Resources

CRR Scholarship Program

Daring to Dream Op-Ed

Ragtime at NYCC

Cody Calling A Show

Cody NYT Piece: 7 Days in the Cultural Life of a Broadway SM