Create & Connect: featuring Paul Oakley Stovall

How do you go from the White House to Broadway in one life?

Host Jana Angel sits down with Paul Oakley Stovall, an actor, writer, producer, and storyteller whose journey spans the Obama White House, Broadway stages, and deeply personal creative work.

Paul portrayed George Washington in the first national tour of Hamilton, is a Tony Award–winning producer of A Strange Loop, and spent seven years working in the Obama White House, including as advance staff lead and media logistics coordinator for First Lady Michelle Obama.

In this conversation, Paul shares the defining moments that shaped his life, including surviving a near-fatal shooting at 21, rebuilding his career one day at a time, and learning to live with intention, grace under pressure, and honesty. Together, Jana and Paul explore what it means to say yes to life, embrace the parts of yourself that stand out, and tell the truth through your work.

The episode also dives into Paul’s most personal project yet, Breaking Free, a cabaret rooted in healing, community, and the beauty that comes from putting broken things back together.

This episode is for creatives, performers, and anyone navigating change while trying to live authentically and with purpose.

It's time to live boldly. Coffee and Conversations from WBTV is bringing you honest chats between everyday people -- some who happen to be celebrities, others who may be your neighbor. Together, we talk about our lived experiences and the choices that brought us to where we are today. Our goal is to leave you feeling entertained, enlightened, and encouraged to do the damn thing.