If you asked me what theater to see in New York last year, I would have told you to head to Lincoln Center for one of two shows - Ragtime or Night Side Songs.

For this episode I sat down with Brooke Ishibashi, the lead actress from the cast of Night Side Songs, to talk about grief, breast cancer, mammograms, and our shared love of the show. (Full disclosure: fellow cast member Jonathan Raviv is a friend and I try to see everything he's in and that's how I was introduced to the Lazour brothers and this work of heartbreaking (and heartmending) genius).

We talk about breast cancer A LOT in this episode and the liminal space in between a mammogram and an answer.

As a listener of Finding Favorites, you are now required to listen to the cast recording of Night Side Songs.

• Website: https://www.brookeishibashi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brookeishibashi
• Coaching email: ishibashicoaching@gmail.com
• Night Side Songs cast recording: https://castalbums.org/recordings/night-side-songs-2026-original-off-broadway-cast/52272

• Mary Kageyama Nomura: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Nomura
• College Audition Pros: https://collegeauditionpros.com/
• Felicity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felicity_(TV_series)
• Under the Radar: https://utrfest.org/
• Sharsheret: https://www.sharsheret.org/
• Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Archives: https://archives.lincolncenter.org/

Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com

This episode was edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Thanks for coming back!

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