No to Wall St. and Yes to Broadway (and Tony Awards and heartbreak) with Tom Kitt

Tony Awards, Grammys, a Pulitzer Prize, Emmy Awards. Next to Normal, If/Then, Hell's Kitchen, and NY State of Mind. Tom Kitt traded a Wall St. job offer (and paycheck) to follow his passion, a life making music, but that decision didn't come without great cost. He spent five years developing his first Broadway show, "High Fidelity," and it closed after just 10 days, sending him into months of depression and self-doubt. In this raw conversation, Kitt reveals how creative heartbreak became his greatest teacher, why collaboration and his relationships saved his career, and how saying "yes" to risky projects—including an epic pandemic Times Square performance—keeps him creating against all odds. From getting fired from his first music job to creating Next to Normal. Kitt's story is a masterclass in resilience. He shares hard-won wisdom about navigating brutal Broadway reviews, managing creative input overload, and why failure at any age can still become your greatest launching pad.

Topic Covered (with timestamps):

05:27 – The Morgan Stanley choice: Nine interviews and choosing art over finance 

07:19 – Early career struggles: Getting fired as a pivot moment 

09:49 – Meeting collaborators: Brian Yorkey and Rita's introductions 

12:18 – High Fidelity development: Five years from BMI workshop to Broadway 

16:41 – The garage band approach: Cabaret performances and producer discovery 

18:38 – When things go wrong: Boston reviews and Broadway closure after 10 days 

20:00 – Recovery and community support: Friends reaching out after failure 

21:14 – Next to Normal beginnings: Getting back on the horse 

22:16 – Saying yes during pandemic: Times Square performance and Billy Joel collaboration 26:05 – Billy Joel impact: Childhood hero and Emmy-winning "New York State of Mind" 

27:52 – Collaboration challenges: Working with long-time partners like Brian Yorkey 

29:32 – Managing creative feedback: Trusting audience reactions over individual opinions 

31:03 – Continuous learning: From SpongeBob to Shakespeare, staying curious 

33:03 – Artistic purpose: Creating physical reactions and inspiring others 

34:41 – Starting later in life: It's never too late, Billy Porter's example 

36:03 – Future dreams: Film scoring and musical television series 

36:24 – Rapid fire: Karaoke songs, reading list, and life advice

Mentioned: 

Hell's Kitchen, Jagged Little Pill, High Fidelity, American Idiot, Next to Normal, If/Then, “New York State of Mind”: https://www.nycnext.org/ny-state-of-mind

Brian Yorkey, Billy Joel, Billy Porter, Amanda Green, Jeffrey Seller, Kevin McCollum, Robin Goodman, Walter Bobbie, Green Day, Alanis Morissette, Times Square, 

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