THEATRELY & ORIGIN STORY PRODUCTIONS TO HOST INAUGURAL BROADWAY BREAKOUT BRUNCH
Press Contacts:
Rick Miramontez / Kendall Edwards
rick@omdkc.com / kendall@omdkc.com
212 695 7400
Media Contact for Origin Story Productions:
Nicole Shiro / nicole.shiro@motleycrewmedia.com
Amy S. Layton / amy.layton@motleycrewmedia.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
THEATRELY AND ORIGIN STORY PRODUCTIONS
TO HOST INAUGURAL
BROADWAY BREAKOUT BRUNCH
HONORING
ANANIA
ISA BRIONES
AIDAN CLOSE & EMMET SMITH
MCKENZIE KURTZ
WHITNEY LEAVITT
JAKE SHANE
AND
RUNYONLAND PRODUCTIONS
ON FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2026
AT ASCENT LOUNGE
To download art, click here.
New York, NY (May 4, 2026) – Editor-in-Chief Kobi Kassal of Theatrely, Broadway’s leading Gen-Z theater media platform, and Co-Founders Christopher Ketner and Hunter Regian of Origin Story Productions announced today that they will host an inaugural Broadway Breakout Brunch on Friday, May 22 at Ascent Lounge in New York City (10 Columbus Circle) celebrating the next generation of Broadway talent on stage and off. The event will honor breakout stars Anania (The Rocky Horror Show), Isa Briones (Just in Time), Aidan Close & Emmet Smith (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), McKenzie Kurtz (Schmigadoon!), Whitney Leavitt (Chicago), Jake Shane (All Out: Comedy About Ambition) and Runyonland Productions (Thomas Laub and Alyah Chanelle Scott) for their contributions to the Broadway landscape this season and beyond.
To download headshots, click here. Performers, presenters, and host will be announced at a later date. Ketner and Regian’s new production company, Origin Story Productions, will serve as Executive Producers for the event.
In a statement, Kassal said: “It has been such an honor serving as the Editor-in-Chief of Theatrely for the past few years, watching the history of our industry being written in real time. I know I speak for the entire team here and our partners at Origin Story Productions when I say that we are so proud to celebrate and honor the young artists both on and off the stage who make Broadway what it is. And what better way to celebrate than with brunch! I look forward to continuing to champion the next generation for years to come. Now pass the avocado toast!”
In a joint statement, Ketner and Regian said: “This event is a celebration of the artists and creatives helping to make this season on Broadway so exciting, and we are honored to produce it alongside our friends at Theatrely. At Origin Story Productions, bringing our community together in creative and showstopping ways is at the core of what we love to do, and the Broadway Breakout Brunch is exactly that. Expect a room full of energy, talent, and the kind of joy that makes Broadway so special.”
Theatrely is the only Gen Z-led theatrical media company, speaking to the internet generation’s perspective. We are a fresh, new voice by the next generation, for the next generation. A one-stop shop for features, news, reviews, videos, podcasts, theatre interviews, BTS, and other staples of theatre arts and culture, delivered in a style and format that young millennial and Gen Z fans desire.
Origin Story Productions is a global live entertainment company producing work on Broadway, the West End, and international markets. Co-founded by Tony and Olivier Award-winning producers Christopher Ketner and Hunter Regian, the company is built on the belief that the best productions are powered by strong communities. Credits include the official A Chorus Line 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Shubert Theatre, Executive Producer of the Entertainment Community Fund Gala, and select productions including Sunset Blvd., Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Proof, and more. Origin Story champions the artists, collaborators, and creative teams who pour themselves into this work, celebrating the storytellers shaping live entertainment today.
BIOGRAPHIES
ANANIA is an actor, comedian, and creator known for blending queer culture, humor, and theater. Anania starred as Heaven in the Off-Broadway production of Saturday Church and is currently a swing in the Broadway production of The Rocky Horror Show. They’re also the host of the viral series “Gaydar” and a recipient of the Washington Post’s 2026 Post Next 50. Along with recognitions from Out Magazine, Them, and Glaad Media for their impact as a sharp, innovative voice in queer media and performance.
ISA BRIONES currently stars as ‘Dr. Trinity Santos’ on the award-winning series “The Pitt” on HBO Max, for which she and the cast recently won The Actor Award (formerly known as the SAG Award) for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.” Just in Time excitingly marks Briones’s return to Broadway since her debut as ‘Eurydice’ in Hadestown in 2024. Her additional television and stage credits include: the Disney+ series “Goosebumps,” the Paramount+ series “Star Trek: Picard,” FX’s “American Crime Story: Versace,” the First National Touring Company of Hamilton, Musical Theatre West’s production of Grease, and East West Players’ Next to Normal, for which she won an L.A. Ovation Award.
AIDAN CLOSE is currently making his Broadway debut as “Scorpius Malfoy ” in Harry Potter and the Cursed. Tour: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Year 1). Theatre includes Ally Sass’s brilliant Incels and Other Myths (world premiere, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); 12 Elephants (The Tank); Timon of Athens (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art); Much Ado About Nothing and Henry VI Part III (Prague Shakespeare Company). Training: Boston University (BFA) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. @aidanmclose
EMMET SMITH is currently making his Broadway debut as “Albus Potter” in Harry Potter and the Cursed. Theatre includes Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (First National Tour); Off-Broadway: Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Irish Repertory Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Theatre for a New Audience), Soul Doctor (New York Theatre Workshop); Regional: A Distinct Society (Pioneer Theatre), The Sound of Music (Marriott Theatre). Television includes: New Amsterdam, Law & Order, Blue Bloods. Award-winning songwriter (Write Out Loud, New Musicals Inc.) of works produced Off-Broadway, in films, at Carnegie Hall, and regionally. Training: Northwestern University. @emmetsmithnyc
MCKENZIE KURTZ is currently on Broadway in the new musical Schmigadoon! for which she earned a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Performance. She recently starred as Heather Chandler in the Off-Broadway musical Heathers. She made her Broadway debut shortly after graduating from The University of Michigan as Anna in Frozen. She starred as Glinda in the 20th Anniversary of Wicked on Broadway and originated the role of Cassandra in Broadway’s The Heart Of Rock And Roll. Other theater credits include: Trading Places (The Alliance), Footloose (The Muny), and Female Troubles (Williamstown). TV credits: NBC Live’s production of “Annie” as the fan-favorite role of Star-To-Be and Disney +’s “She-Hulk.”
WHITNEY LEAVITT is an actress and performer, and one of the breakout stars of Hulu’s hit series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” She was most recently seen competing on Season 34 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and can soon be seen starring in the film All for Love, which she also executive produced. Chicago marks Leavitt’s Broadway debut. A lifelong dancer, Leavitt earned a BFA in Dance from Brigham Young University and later rediscovered her passion during “Dancing with the Stars.”
JAKE SHANE is a comedian, digital entertainer, and cultural voice whose work embodies curiosity, humor, and emotional intelligence. Since his meteoric rise in 2023, he has built an audience of more than five million followers and was named a 2025 Webby Award winner for Best Comedy Creator, with recognition from Forbes, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, and People as one of the most influential creators shaping culture today. As the host of the hit podcast “Therapuss with Jake Shane,” Jake has created a space where artists and cultural figures come together for candid, funny, and deeply human conversations. Jake made his television acting debut on season four of “Hacks” and appears in the upcoming film Wishful Thinking, with a Hulu comedy series also in development. Onstage, Jake completed two sold-out North American comedy tours, culminating at Radio City Music Hall, and made his Broadway debut in All Out: Comedy About Ambition by Simon Rich.
RUNYONLAND PRODUCTIONS Together, three-time Tony Award-winning producers Alyah Chanelle Scott and Thomas Laub co-founded Runyonland Productions in 2018. Runyonland is a full-service production company for Broadway, off-Broadway, touring, television, film, and special events, with a hands-on approach and a passion for bold, unapologetic storytelling. In recent years, Runyonland has been a part of some of the most innovative, unique, and critically-acclaimed shows on Broadway and beyond, with a focus on telling stories from bold artists while leveraging innovative business practices. Recently: John Proctor is the Villain, All Nighter, Appropriate (Tony Award), Gutenberg! The Musical!, The Wiz, Parade (Tony Award), A Doll’s House, American Utopia (Special Tony Award), Slave Play. @runyonlandprods
# # # #
www.omdkc.com
www.instagram.com/omdkc
www.facebook.com/omdkc
www.x.com/omdkc
www.originstoryproductions.com
www.instagram.com/origin.story.productions
