From Welch’s Grape Juice to Broadway Dreams: Laguna Playhouse's Tom Horvath

He was the kid in all the commercials (well … he wasn’t the Welch’s Grape Juice kid, but he did the kid’s voice over for that … so it still counts). Now Tom Horvath is the marketing mastermind behind one of California’s oldest theaters, our own Laguna Playhouse.


In this fast-paced and fun episode, I sit down with Tom to spill the backstage tea – everything from how Ariana Grande got her start right here … to special kids’ programming and youth theater … to why PBS is suddenly knocking at their door.
Add in some Cardi B (who’s surprisingly bringing in Gen X-Y-Z kids), Dolly Parton, and Instagram line dancing taught by the Playhouse Controller (yes, really), and you’ve got one unforgettable ride through 105 years of theatrical magic – and the future it's leaping into now.

Show Notes:

• From SpaghettiOs to Stagecraft: Tom’s journey from 5-year-old child actor to Disney performer to Laguna Playhouse’s fresh creative force.
  
  
• Ariana Grande, Neil Patrick Harris & Panto Pandemonium: Discover the British theatre twist that’s been launching stars from Laguna’s stage.
  
  
• Marketing Gold: How Tom used Cardi B to sell Eleanor Roosevelt … it worked! And how he’s working the overall marketing umbrella that’s new and refreshing.
  
  
• Line Dancing + Country Queens: Honky Tonk Angels is here – a story line around the original album creation by Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette – and you WILL sing along. Rhinestones required.
  
  
• The Golden Ticket Moment: During the holiday Panto run, kids from the audience can grab a “Golden Ticket” to hop on stage mid-show. Some of today’s rising stars started right there – in sparkly sneakers, belting out "five golden rings" to a cheering crowd.
  
  
• PBS Partnership + A New Era: Big visibility, new leadership with their latest big GM hire, Adele Adkins, and bold moves for the Playhouse’s next 100 years.
  
  
• 🫶 Plus: Wally the legend (you’ll find him behind the bar during intermission), Golden Ticket kid cuteness, and why “the higher the hair, the closer to Jesus” is a marketing mood.