She Was Told She Couldn’t Sing—Then Spirit Took the Stage! With Pamela Bob – #753

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In this episode:

What happens when divine guidance moves through music, creativity, and the courage to trust your calling?

Join Julie Ryan and Broadway star Pamela Bob as they explore spiritual channeling, divine timing, singing as sacred expression, and how play and creativity reveal why we incarnate. In this heartfelt and inspiring episode, Pamela opens up about the sacred vulnerability of singing, why performing for an intimate room can feel more terrifying than a packed theater, and how music aligns with our unique energetic vibration. From the emotional force of shows like Ragtime to a childhood moment of divine recognition—“I think this is God”—this conversation dives deep into artistry as a spiritual calling.

Listeners will be captivated by Pamela’s jaw-dropping story of channeling June Carter Cash during a nightly, unscripted improvisation—an experience so powerful that Julie reveals June herself chose Pamela in the audition and guided her through every performance. Pamela also shares the brutal truth behind elite performing arts training, where she was repeatedly told she couldn’t sing, yet trusted her inner knowing enough to persevere when others were cut. That same guidance later led her from a lucid dream to creating the award-winning Livin’ On a Prairie, as the right people and opportunities appeared at exactly the right time.

This episode is ultimately a love letter to play, joy, and remembering who you were before the world told you who to be. Pamela reflects on the transformative power of creativity through stories like Encore, where adults rediscover themselves through performance, and offers a simple yet profound invitation for anyone feeling stuck: return to what you loved as a child. The conversation closes with a tear-filled reflection on why we incarnate at all—sparked by a dying woman’s final words: “It was so much fun.”

Guest Biography:

Pamela Bob is a multifaceted actor, singer, and award-winning screenwriter whose career spans Broadway, Off-Broadway, film, television, and podcasting. On Broadway, she appeared in the Tony-nominated Hand to God and the Tony Award–winning A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, where she famously covered all six female roles and regularly stepped into leading performances. Off-Broadway, she starred as Clarice Starling in the cult hit Silence! The Musical—named one of Time Magazine’s ten must-see NYC shows—and earned a BroadwayWorld nomination for Best Actor for her role in Cracked Open. Pamela is also the creator and star of the acclaimed series Livin’ On a Prairie, an award-winning, festival-selected exploration of pop culture obsession inspired by Little House on the Prairie, which won Best TV Series and Best Actress at the LA International Film Fest. She currently co-hosts the Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary Podcast, which has surpassed one million downloads and recently sold out its first live NYC event. Pamela is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati–Conservatory of Music.

📣Pamela Bob’s Website:

➡️https://pamelabob.com/

Episode Chapters:

(0:02:00) – When Talent Becomes Sacred

Pamela was harmonizing to records at age one. Singing remains vulnerable for her—it opens the soul. Intimate audiences of 12 are more terrifying than crowds of 2,000.

(0:05:00) – The Power of Music and Vibration

Music matches whatever vibration you’re at, which is why different music resonates for different people. Ragtime is the greatest American musical—Stephen Flaherty played the opening number at Pamela’s Thanksgiving as a family friend.

(0:08:00) – Pamela Sings “My Favorite Things”

Pamela performs live, giving Julie full-body chills. This demonstrates the power of music to affect us deeply—a combination of painful and pleasurable.

(0:10:00) – Channeling Spirit on Stage

The goal is to allow something to take over that surprises even the artist. When it’s the best, an energy source channels through you. As a child, Pamela thought, “I think this is God.”

(0:12:00) – The June Carter Cash Story

Playing June Carter Cash, Pamela had to improvise comedy in the audience nightly—terrifying. Something took over every single performance. Julie confirms June chose Pamela at the audition and was her safety net.

(0:17:00) – Actor Who Sings vs. Musical Theater Actor

Pamela considers herself an actor who sings, not a musical theater actress. For her, acting comes first—vocal acrobatics without truth don’t interest her. It’s storytelling.

(0:19:00) – Surviving the Cincinnati Conservatory

CCM was brutal and toxic with a cut system—her class went from 25 to 9 students. They kept telling her she couldn’t sing. Being underestimated sparked her fire: “Oh, you think I can’t do it? I’m gonna do it the best you’ve ever seen.”

(0:24:00) – Intuition in Landing Roles

Intuition plays a big role when you resonate with a character—you recognize this person, you know how to play them. A psychic predicted Pamela would book something very big this year with specific details.

(0:28:00) – Stage vs. Camera Performance

Stage performance is a codependent relationship with the audience—every audience is different. On camera, acting happens like a pinpoint on your face. Comedy is musical, mathematical—timing and rhythm.

(0:32:00) – Creating “Living on a Prairie”

A lucid dream about Little House on the Prairie gave Pamela an electrical jolt and a knowing she had to make this series. Within six months, an investor appeared at a show, and a production company owner appeared during a workshop—pure divine guidance.

(0:38:00) – Divine Guidance and Trusting the Process

The people and circumstances we need always show up when we need them. Whenever Pamela has tried having control, it ends in disaster. The “nos” often lead to the best things.

(0:40:00) – Advice for Those Feeling Stuck

Think about what brought you pleasure as a child—coloring, baseball, whatever it was—and do it now. Once you start experiencing joy, things align themselves.

(0:42:00) – The Transformative Power of Play

The Disney show “Encore” brought adults back to perform their high school musicals. Adults who hadn’t played since teenagers experienced utter transformation. Play keeps Pamela young, creative, and healthy.

(0:45:00) – Rapid Fire Questions

Musical or drama? Both—can’t choose. Belting anthem or soulful ballad? Soulful ballad—her voice’s natural state. Favorite role? “Syncopation”—a two-person play about immigrants teaching each other to dance in 1911.

(0:50:00) – Angel Signs and Feathers

Pamela sees 11:11 sometimes. After asking angels for a sign, she opened her bedroom door to find a full bird feather at her feet—in a New York apartment.

(0:52:00) – Why We Incarnate

A dying elderly woman looked up and said, “It was so much fun.” Despite life’s hardships, we’re here for the great adventure, the experiences, the joy. We incarnate because it’s fun.