What Happens When Your Dream Job Ends? Tom Kitt’s Journey of Heartbreak, Resilience & Tony Awards

Discover the inspiring journey of Tony Award-winning composer Tom Kitt, who left a Wall Street job offer to chase his passion for Broadway music. From the heartbreak of a Broadway flop to Emmy-winning collaborations and breakthrough moments during the pandemic, Tom shares the highs and lows of a creative life fueled by resilience and collaboration. In this raw, honest conversation, learn how Tom navigated early career struggles, the pain of High Fidelity closing after 10 days, the creation of Next to Normal, and a historic Times Square performance with Billy Joel during the pandemic. Topic Covered: 0:00 - Introduction to Tom Kitt and the podcast 05:27 - Choosing art over finance: The Morgan Stanley decision 09:49 - Meeting key collaborators Brian Yorkey and Amanda Green 12:18 - Developing High Fidelity: 5 years in the making 18:38 - Facing failure: Boston reviews and Broadway closure after 10 days 21:14 - Bouncing back with Next to Normal 22:16 - Pandemic creativity: Times Square pop-ups and Billy Joel collaboration 26:05 - Billy Joel’s lasting impact and Emmy-winning "New York State of Mind" 29:32 - Managing creative feedback and collaboration challenges 33:03 - Artistic purpose and continuous learning in music 36:03 - Future dreams: film scoring and a musical TV series 36:24 - Rapid fire: Karaoke songs, life advice, and final thoughts Show Notes: Guest: Tom Kitt, Broadway orchestrator, composer, and producer Winner: Tony Awards, Pulitzer Prize, Emmy Awards Follow Tom Kitt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomkittmusi... Mentioned: High Fidelity: https://broadwaylicensing.com/shows/b... Everyday Rapture: https://playbill.com/production/every... American Idiot: https://www.mtishows.com/green-days-a... Next to Normal: https://www.mtishows.com/next-to-normal If/Then: https://www.mtishows.com/ifthen Broadcast Music, Inc: https://www.bmi.com “New York State of Mind”: https://www.nycnext.org/ny-state-of-mind Brian Yorkey: https://playbill.com/person/brian-yor... Jagged Little Pill:https://jaggedlittlepill.com/ 💥 SUBSCRIBE for more honest convos every week. 🔔 Hit the bell so you never miss a drop. 🎙️ Follow us on IG & TikTok: @TheMessyPartsPodcast 📧 Email: [email protected]