BROADWAY NATION

My guest is author Ron Fassler, whose latest book is titled The Show Goes On — Broadway Hirings, Firings, and Replacements, a fascinating collection of insider theater stories that range from as far back as the 1930s and go right up to today. The performers and creatives referenced in this episode include Andrea McArdle, Ann Miller, Anne Bancroft, Barbra Streisand, Cameron MacIntosh, Carol Burnett, David Merrick, Dorothy Louden, Hal Lindon, Harold Prince, Helen Gallagher, Jerry Zaks, John Cullum, Lauren Bacall, Lea Michelle, Louis Jordan, Mary Martin, Michelle Lee, Mimi Hines, Pearl Bailey, Shirley Maclaine, Sutton Foster and more! Ron Fassler is a historian, theater critic, and former actor whose previous book was Up in the Cheap Seats — A Theatrical Memoir of Broadway. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club Members, such as Alan Teasley. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month, you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I, along with the rest of the musical theater world, was saddened to learn that composer CHARLES STROUSE, one of the last of the great creators from the Golden Age of Broadway had passed away last week at the age of 96. Of course, Strouse and his three Tony Award-winning “Best Musicals": Bye Bye Birdie, Applause, and Annie — have been discussed frequently on this podcast. So over the weekend, I dug deep into the archives of Broadway Nation and newly adapted a section of my upcoming book regarding the musical Golden Boy and wove it all together to create this tribute episode, including an excerpt from my 2021 interview with Applause original cast member Lee Roy Reams. I am also delighted to report that a brand-new production of Bye Bye Birdie will open on June 10 at The 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle, where it will play through June 29. If you are in Seattle, or can get there, this is a fantastic opportunity to experience the musical and theatrical magic of Charles Strouse. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club Members, such as Taryn Darr. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month, you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠⁠⁠ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's hard for me to believe that I launched this podcast exactly five years ago this week, and even harder for me to comprehend that, to date, more than 279,000 people, from nearly every country in the world, have listened to at least one, and in many cases all, of the 175 episodes! So, today it seemed fitting to rerelease the episode that started it all — the very first episode of Broadway Nation: George M. Cohan and the Immigrants Who Invented Broadway. As you will hear, at the time, we were still trying to figure out exactly how to make a podcast, so the production quality is not up to my current standards. However, the content and subject matter are still, I believe, essential to fully understanding and appreciating the remarkable history of the Broadway Musical. Happy birthday, Broadway Nation, and thank you all! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the third and final segment of my conversation with Michael Owen, author of the recent book,  Ira Gershwin — A Life in Words. On this episode, Michael and I focus on the period of Ira Gershwin's career following the death of his brother George, during which he had success on Broadway and in Hollywood with composers such as Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern, Arthur Schwartz, and Harold Arlen, and shows and movies such as Lady In the Dark, The Barkleys Of Broadway, and A Star Is Born, If you missed the first two parts in this series, you may want to catch up with those before listening to this one. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club Members, such as Cheryl Hodges Seldon. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month, you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: ⁠⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠⁠ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the second episode of my three-part conversation with author, historian, researcher, and archivist, Michael Owen, whose recent book,  Ira Gershwin — A Life in Words, is the first full-length biography devoted to that outstanding artist who penned the words for many of the greatest songs of the 20th Century. If you missed part one, you may want to catch up with that before listening to this one. Michael Owen is also the author of Go Slow — The Life of Jule London and the editor of The Gershwins Abroad. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club Members such as Alan Brodie. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: ⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Michael Owen, whose recent book Ira Gershwin—A Life in Words is the first full-length biography devoted to the other Gershwin. In this book, Owen at last brings Ira Gershwin out from behind the long shadow cast by his younger and more famous brother, George. Drawing on extensive archival research, Owen often uses Ira's own words to create a captivating portrait of a shy and retiring artist who, nevertheless, penned the words for many of the greatest songs of the twentieth century. Michael Owen is a historian, researcher, and archivist. He is the author of Go Slow — The Life of Jule London and the editor of The Gershwins Abroad. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club Members such as Geoffrey Block. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the second half of this week's Encore presentation of my conversation with Tony-award-winning lighting designer Ken Billington. Last week, Ken received rave reviews for his lighting design of the new Broadway musical SMASH, which amazingly is his 108th Broadway production. So, I thought it was an ideal time to revisit this fascinating conversation about the history of lighting design on Broadway and Ken's own tremendous contribution to it.  If you missed part one you may want to catch up with that before listening to this one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special encore episode of my 2022 interview with Tony-award-winning lighting designer Ken Billington. This past week, Ken received rave reviews for his lighting design of the new Broadway musical SMASH, which amazingly is his 108th Broadway production. So, I thought it was an ideal time to revisit this fascinating conversation about the history of lighting design on Broadway and Ken's own tremendous contribution to it. This is a two-part conversation and I will be rereleasing both parts this week. Original Description: My guest on this episode is Tony Award winning lighting designer Ken Billington who created the lighting for an incredible 105 Broadway plays and musicals, including 21 productions that were directed by Harold Prince.  Ken's career spans from his very first Broadway show in 1967 when he was the assistant to legendary lighting designer Tharon Musser, to his most recent Broadway show, the hit musical, Waitress.  Along the way, he designed the original productions of Sweeney Todd, On The 20th Century, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Scottsboro Boys, The Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In the Universe starring Lily Tomlin, three revivals of Fiddler On The Roof, two revivals of Sunday In The Park with George, and the still running 1996 revival of Chicago for which he received the Tony Award. I have had the great pleasure of knowing and working with Ken for more than 40 years, and it is always fascinating and always a delight to speak with him. Theatrical lighting design is a very young art form. Its history begins primarily in the early 20th Century -- just as the Broadway musical was being invented. Lighting design's earliest innovators include the American actress Maude Adams – most famous today for her performance as Peter Pan – and producer, director, playwright, and theater owner David Belasco.  One of the recurring themes of this podcast, and one of my obsessions, is how the art and craft of the Broadway Musical have been handed down directly – firsthand – from artists to artists, from craftsperson to craftsperson.  Ken Billington's long career and especially his early experiences as the assistant to the pioneering designers Peggy Clark, Pat Collins, Tom Skelton, William Rittman, and Tharon Musser make him the ideal guest for this episode. And of course, after Ken stopped being an assistant, he eventually became one of Broadway's most acclaimed and most prolific lighting designers. And we'll hear the story of how that came about on the next episode of Broadway Nation! You can learn more about Jean Rosenthal, Tharon Musser and other great women lighting designers on Episode 8 of Broadway Nation, which is titled, “Agnes DeMille & The Women That Invented Broadway”. It's a fascinating episode and I encourage you to check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since announcing last week that Broadway Nation has teamed up with Like Minds Travel to create a series of unique Broadway and Broadway history-related travel experiences specially designed for fans of this podcast, I have been receiving a number of questions, so I thought I createdd this mini bonus episode to answer them. As you probably know by now, we are kicking off this initiative with a whirlwind weekend in New York City, September 11—15, 2025, filled with Broadway musicals, Broadway theater-makers, and Broadway history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is the three-time Tony award-winning Broadway orchestrator Doug Besterman, whose 31 Broadway musicals include The Producers, Fosse, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and his very first show, the 1991 revival of Damn Yankees, to name only a few. During this current Broadway season, Besterman will achieve something unheard of in his field: he will have three big musicals — Death Becomes Her, Boop!, and Smash — all running simultaneously on Broadway. Making it even more remarkable, two of those shows began previews on the same night and now open on Broadway in the same week. Besterman's film credits include the live-action version of Beauty and The Beast and Frozen. TV credits include the Marc Shaiman/Scott Witman compositions for Smash, ABC's version of Annie, The Sound of Music Live, and Peter Pan Live. As Tony Award-winning choreographer Susan Stroman's orchestrator of choice, his work has been heard on Little Dancer (co-orchestrator with Larry Hochman) at The 5th Avenue Theatre and the Kennedy Center and Crazy for You at Chichester Festival and on the West End. His most recent regional work was the World Premiere of Schmigadoon at the Kennedy Center and Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil at the Goodman Theatre. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club Members such as Andy Wigginton. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is thee second part of my conversation with author Joshua Rosenblum about his new book CLOSER THAN EVER — THE UNIQUE SIX-DECADE SONGWRITING PARTNERSHIP of RICHARD MALTBY, JR, and DAVID SHIRE. We dicuss Maltby's work on the musicals Ain't Misbehavin', Fosse, Song And Dance, Miss Saigon, and The Pirate Queen, and the Maltby/Shire shows, Baby, Closer Than Ever, BIG, and Waterfall. Travel to NYC with David Armstrong and Broadway Nation For information this new Broadway Nation initiative, go to: https://www.likemindstravel.com/ Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club Members such as John Schroeder. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Joshua Rosenblum, author of Closer than Ever — The Unique Six-Decade Songwriting Partnership of Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire. This terrific new book chronicles the sixty-six-year (and counting) partnership of two of the most gifted songwriters of our time, giving full behind-the-scenes accounts of their musicals interspersed with deep-dive analyses of standout individual numbers. Among the well-known Broadway figures who feature prominently in the Maltby/Shire story are Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Michael Stewart, Francis Ford Coppola, Susan Stroman, John Weidman, Charles Strouse, Garth Drabinsky, Jason Robert Brown, and Jonathan Tunick. Using his experiences as a Broadway conductor, music journalist, and professor of musical theater composition, as well as his long-term personal and professional acquaintance with both Maltby and Shire, Joshua Rosenblum is uniquely suited to chronicle their lives, careers, and creative output. The songwriters, both of whom are engaging and articulate in describing what they do, are quoted liberally throughout the book in exclusive interviews, creating the impression that one is spending time with two inspiring creative artists who happen to be great company.   Joshua Rosenblum teaches Composing for Musical Theater at Yale University and Conducting at New York University. As a composer/lyricist, he wrote the scores to the off-Broadway musicals Fermat's Last Tango, Bush is Bad, and Einstein's Dreams (four Drama Desk Nominations). He has conducted fourteen Broadway and off-Broadway shows and has performed as pianist with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the City Center Encores! Orchestra, and the American Symphony. A longtime contributor of reviews and features to Opera News, Rosenblum is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale College and holds a master's degree in Piano from the Yale School of Music. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club Members such as John Schroeder. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may not know Trude Rittmann's name, but you have heard her music. During the "Golden Age of Broadway" (and beyond), she composed music for 33 Broadway musicals, including Carousel, Brigadoon, South Pacific, Fininan's Rainbow, The King and I, My Fair Lady, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, and Camelot.  In this episode, Albert Evans and I tell the story of one of the least known, but most significant, women who invented the musical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 On this episode, I have a big announcement, so I asked my buddy, friend, colleague, and Broadway Nation's favorite co-host and guest host, ALBERT EVANS, to join me today to turn the tables on me and ask me the questions rather than me being the interviewer. As you may have guessed from the episode title, the announcement is that I have a book coming out called BROADWAY NATION (sound familiar?) and the subtitle will be similar to what you've heard before as well: HOW IMMIGRANT JEWISH, QUEER AND BLACK ARTISTS INVENTED THE BROADWAY MUSICAL.  It's coming out on July 24th, 2025 from Metheun Drama which is an imprint of Bloomsbury, which is a renowned publishing company with a 100-year history of publishing plays and books about drama books, theater, and musical theater. Many of the authors and books that I have featured on this podcast over the past few years have been published by Metheun Drama/Bloomsbury. If you are inclined to want to make sure you get this book at the earliest possible moment it is on presale right now on Amazon everywhere you might buy a book. However, you can get a discount on the Bloomsbury website as follows: Paperback: $34.95, but you can buy it for $32.45 on the Bloomsbury site. Hardback: $100.00  but you can get it for $90.00 on the Bloomsbury site. Ebook: $31:45. Here is the link!: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/broadway-nation-9781350428317/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 On this episode, Albert Evans retuns to Broadway Nation to discuss a topic we don't often broach on this podcast: Movie Musicals. Of course, movie musicals go hand in glove with Broadway musicals and many film musicals originated as Broadway musicals including several we talk about here because our principal topic is Movie Musicals that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Coming up this weekend we, of course, have the possibility of the blockbuster Wicked becoming another Broadway musical to win Best Picture. It will be fascinating to see what hapens. There are a lot more nominees for Best Picture today than there were when West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Oliver! or Chicago won the Oscar. It's an interesting topic, and I knew that Albert was the perfect person to discuss it with me. Like me, he's seen all of these movies, most of them multiple times, and we both did do a bit of reviewing of some of the films we have seen less recently. Let us know if you agree with our assessments! Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club Members. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest again this week is Christopher S. Connelly, author of the fascinating new book HELEN MORGAN — THE ORIGINAL TORCH SINGER AND ZIEGFELD'S LAST STAR. Christopher S. Connelly is a film and theater historian. His work has appeared in Etcetera magazine and the Kino Lorber DVD release of Mamoulian's Applause. He is also an actor, Roman Catholic cantor, and chorister for the Atlanta Opera. When he is not writing or performing, he works IT for the Georgia Institute of Technology. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Mark Stanton. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest again this week is Christopher S. Connelly, author of the fascinating new book HELEN MORGAN — THE ORIGINAL TORCH SINGER AND ZIEGFELD'S LAST STAR.  The topics discussed in this episode include: Morgan's follow up to Show Boat, the 1929 hit musical Sweet Adeline — a star vehicle created especially for her by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II. The 1932 revival of Show Boat and subsequent tour. Morgan's career as a nightclub hostess and entertainer at a series of night spots named for her including Chez Morgan, Helen Morgan's Summer House, and The House of Morgan. The Ziegfeld Follies of 1931. And Helen Morgan as a Gay Icon and the "Pansy Craze" stars who imitated her. Christopher S. Connelly is a film and theater historian. His work has appeared in Etcetera magazine and the Kino Lorber DVD release of Mamoulian's Applause. He is also an actor, Roman Catholic cantor, and chorister for the Atlanta Opera. When he is not writing or performing, he works IT for the Georgia Institute of Technology. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Ann Welsh. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week my, guest is Christopher T. Connelly, the author of the fascinating new book HELEN MORGAN — THE ORIGINAL TORCH SINGER AND ZIEGFELD'S LAST STAR.  There are a number of individuals who were very big Broadway stars back in what I call the Silver Age of Broadway (the 1920s and 30s), But who today are mostly overlooked and left out of the conversation. Performers who were on a level with Jolson and Cantor and Fanny Bryce, but whose fame has almost entirely faded. Of course most musical theater fans will know the name Helen Morgan, and know that she originated the role of "Julie" in Show Boat. But if you are like me, you will be largely unaware, of the incredible range of her talents, the depth and breadth of her career, and the level of her stardom. And I have no doubt that you'll be as fascinated by this book and by this conversation as I was. Christopher S. Connelly is a film and theater historian. His work has appeared in Etcetera magazine and the Kino Lorber DVD release of Mamoulian's Applause. He is also an actor, Roman Catholic cantor, and chorister for the Atlanta Opera. When he is not writing or performing, he works IT for the Georgia Institute of Technology. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member MARK STANTON. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The progressive and disruptive social movements of the 1960s and 70s had a huge impact on the Broadway Musical and were reflected back into the culture by them. These include the Civil Rights movement, Women's Liberation, Black Power, and the Gay Liberation Movement. The Stonewall Rebellion in 1969 brought gay issues into the mainstream and during the 1970s LGBTQ+ people would become “out, loud, and proud” in significant numbers. Of course, it makes sense that this new visibility and feeling of liberation would be felt on Broadway where there had always been a large representation of queer people throughout the industry, including in positions of leadership. As a result queer characters and stories began appearing on Broadway -- especially in plays -- but also in a few musicals as well. In this episode I explore the growing visibility of openly queer content on Broadway in musicals such as Hair, Coco, Applause, Seesaw, A Chorus Line, La Cage Aux Folles, and the works of William Finn. I also recount the devastating effect that the AIDS Crisis had on Broadway during the 1980s and 90s when a whole generation of creative talent was eliminated or sidelined by the disease.  AIDS claimed the lives of hundreds of actors, singers, musicians, stage managers, production assistants, and designers -- as well as scores of dancers that had been trained by Bennett, Fosse, Champion, and Tune and might have one day become influential directors and choreographers themselves. The devastation of AIDS opened the door to the “British Invasion” that would soon dominate Broadway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the final episode of a three-part conversation with author Elizabeth T. Craft regarding her recent book, Yankee Doodle Dandy — George M. Cohan and the Broadway Stage, the first book major work about Cohan in fifty years. If you missed the first two episodes in this series, you may want to catch up with those before listening to this one.   In this episode, Elizabeth Craft and I discuss the final decades of Cohan's remarkable career, during which he continued to establish and define the very nature of celebrity, including the significant impact he had on young Oscar Hammerstein II and the next generation of Broadway innovators. Elizabeth also shares with us how, during the 1920s, in a series of hit musicals, Cohan, for the first time, put his Irish American heritage and identity at the center of his work, which was not without controversy. Along the way, she reveals the truth behind Cohen's claim that he was born on the 4th of July, provides us with an inside view of the making of the classic 1941 Cohan bio-musical, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and sums up his enduring legacy as the primary inventor of the myth of Broadway.   Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Ruth Oberg. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the second of a three-part conversation with author Elizabeth T. Craft regarding her recent book, Yankee Doodle Dandy — George M. Cohan and the Broadway Stage, which is the first book about Cohan in fifty years. If you missed the first episode in this series you may want to catch up with that one before listening to this one.   This week, Elizabeth and I begin with a discussion of Cohan, the entertainer. He was, without a doubt, one of the first brand-name celebrities in the modern sense, and every aspect of his persona was perfectly integrated – his unique style of performance, the content of his plays and lyrics, the beat and rhythm of his music, all worked together in perfect unison. But what exactly was it that made Cohan such a distinctive and potent personality? Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Anne Welsh. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is author Elizabeth T. Craft, whose terrific new book, Yankee Doodle Dandy — George M. Cohan and the Broadway Stage, is the first book about Cohan in fifty years. No one looms larger in the history of early Broadway than the Irish American writer, composer, lyricist, director, choreographer, producer, actor, singer, dancer, and musical theater legend George M. Cohan — who is often called “the father of musical comedy.” It is no mistake that Cohan's is the one and only statue of a Broadway figure to have a place of honor in the center of Times Square.   As you will hear, Elizabeth Craft situates Cohan as a central figure in the invention of the Broadway musical and illustrates how his plays, musicals, songs, and persona indelibly shaped the American cultural landscape of his day and more than 100 years later continue to have enduring resonance. Featured on this episode is music from The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra's outstanding album You're A Grand Old Rag — The Music of George M. Cohan, and the studio cast recording of Yankee Doodle Dandy (book by David Armstrong, music & lyrics by George M. Cohan, musical arrangements and additional music and lyrics by Albert Evans.) Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Juan J. Neumeister. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the second half of my recent conversation with author Doug Reside, whose fascinating new book is titled Fixing The Musical — How Technologies Shaped the Broadway Repertory. Today, Doug shares with us how cast recordings, movie versions, and even illegal bootlegs on YouTube have shaped the American musical as an art form and defined the Broadway repertory as we know it. If you missed part one you may want to catch up with that before listening to this one. And of course, many listeners to this podcast will know Doug from his day job as Curator of the Billy Rose Theatre Division at the NYPL for the Performing Arts. Reside joined NYPL in 2011 first as the digital curator for the performing arts before assuming his current position in 2014. Prior to joining NYPL, Reside served on the directorial staff of the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities at the University of Maryland. He has published and spoken on topics related to theater history, literature, and digital humanities, and has managed several large grant-funded projects on these topics. He holds a PhD in English from the University of Kentucky. How to become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including long-time patron Carl Baldasso. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth discussions with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past century, thousands of musicals have opened on Broadway. Why do we remember some and not others? My guest this week is Doug Reside, the author of a very interesting new book: Fixing The Musical — How Technologies Shaped the Broadway Repertory.  In this conversation, Doug shares with us how the printed versions of the scripts, cast recordings, movie versions, and even illegal bootlegs on YouTube have shaped the American musical as an art form and defined the Broadway repertory as we know it. This book is filled with fascinating research, which might be expected since, in his day job, Doug Reside is the Curator of the Billy Rose Theatre Division at the NYPL for the Performing Arts. Reside joined NYPL in 2011 first as the digital curator for the performing arts before assuming his current position in 2014. Prior to joining NYPL, Reside served on the directorial staff of the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities at the University of Maryland. He has published and spoken on topics related to theater history, literature, and digital humanities, and has managed several large grant-funded projects on these topics. He holds a PhD in English from the University of Kentucky. How to become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including long-time patron Kelly Allen. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth discussions with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guests this week are Dustyn Martincich & Phoebe Rumsey who have edited and authored (along with a number of other contributors) a recent book titled Dance In Musical Theatre — A History of the Body in Movement. As anyone who has listened to this podcast regularly knows, much like the authors of this book, I believe that dance has always been one of the most important and key elements of musical theater—from Oklahoma! and West Side Story to Spring Awakening and Hamilton. By pulling together a range of diverse authors and perspectives, this book not only tracks the emergence of the dancer as a key figure in the genre, it also connects the contributions of past and present choreographers from the beginning of the 20th century and right up to today.  Dustyn Martincich is a Professor of Theatre and Dance at Bucknell University. Her research interests involve investigating narrative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary possibilities in theatre and dance performance and musical theatre dance studies that focuses on the work of the ensemble. She has movement directed, choreographed, and performed for concert dance and theatrical stages. She has been recently published in Studies in Musical Theatre, and in edited collections like Gender Sex, and Sexuality in Musical Theatre (edited by Kelly Kessler), Dueling Grounds: Revolution and Revelation in the Musical Hamilton (edited by Paul Laird and Mary Jo Lodge), and Toni Morrison: Forty Years in The Clearing (edited by Carmen Gillespie). Phoebe Rumsey is a Senior Lecturer in Musical Theatre and Course Leader of the BA (Hons) Musical Theater degree at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. She received her PhD from The Graduate Center, CUNY, and holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU, an MA in Theatre from UNLV, and a BFA in Contemporary Dance from Simon Fraser University. A scholar and practitioner, her research has been published in The Routledge Companion to Theatre and Politics, Studies in Musical Theatre, The Routledge Companion to the Contemporary Musical and Reframing The Musical: Race, Culture, and Identity (Palgrave). She is the author of Embodied Nostalgia: Social Dance, Communities and the Choreographing of Musical Theatre (Routledge). Along with her engagement in academic studies Dr. Rumsey has worked extensively as a performer and choreographer. How to become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including long-time patron Judy Hucka. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth discussions with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Gypsy on Broadway, Wicked on movie screens nationwide and Mama I'm A Big Girl Now off-Broadway, this seemed to be the perfect time to revisit this episode from the first season of Broadway Nation. This was the first of three episodes highlighting the principal themes of the Broadway Musical.  Here I look at the single most ubiquitous and pervasive theme: “Transgressive Women”. For more than 100 years an overwhelming majority of musicals have featured transgressive female characters who break the rules, and refuse to follow the path that society has set out for them. And more often than not they are the protagonist, or co-protagonist, of the story. However, for some reason musicals are not generally perceived in this way. Most people would not identify this as one of the Broadway Musicals principal attributes. I believe that is part of their subversive power. In fact I would contend that the musicals themselves, as well as the characters, are transgressive. From “Laurey” in Oklahoma! to “Elphaba” in Wicked. From “Annie Oakley” to “Tracy Turnblad”. From “Maria” in The Sound Of Music to “Effie” in Dreamgirls. Dynamic women have always been at the center of America's signature Art Form. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the third and final segment of my recent conversation with author Laurie Winer regarding her book Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of The Musical, recently released in paperback. Today our discussion centers on the second half of Hammerstein's remarkable partnership with Richard Rodgers, including the creation of their musicals South Pacific, Me And Juliet, The King And I, Pipe Dream, and The Sound Of Music. If you missed the first two parts, you may want to catch up with those before listening to this one. Laurie Winer has been a theater critic for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times, and was a founding editor of the Los Angeles Review of Books. How to become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including long-time patrons Gary Fuller and Randy Everett.  For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth discussions with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest again this week is the noted journalist and theater critic Laurie Winer, who returns for part two of our conversation about her book, Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of The Musical. If you missed part one, you may want to catch up with that before listening to this one. Following the triumph of Show Boat, during the 1930s Hammerstein experienced a very challenging decade of devastating flops on Broadway and very limited achievement in Hollywood. And that's where we pick up our conversation. Topics included in this episode include the musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, and Allegro! as well the the stark differences between the personalities of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, their working methods, and their fruitful collaboration and contentious relationship with choreographer Agnes De Mille.  How to become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including Producer Level Patrons Paula & Steve Reynolds. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth discussions with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is the noted journalist and theater critic Laurie Winer, the author of a beautifully written and expertly researched book, Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of The Musical. Diving deep into Hammerstein's life and work, Winer, offers new insights into the groundbreaking achievements of the creator of Show Boat, Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific, and The Sound of Music, to name only a few of the musicals that made Hammerstein one of the most commercially successful and culturally significant artists of all time. In Winer's view, Hammerstein can be credited more than anyone else with inventing the Broadway musical. Laurie Winer has been a theater critic for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times, and was a founding editor of the Los Angeles Review of Books. How to become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including longtime patron Chris Moad. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth discussions with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest is six-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin, who has created book & lyrics for Broadway musicals The Prom, Disney's Aladdin, The Wedding Singer, and Elf. Today, he joins me to discuss his captivating new novel set in the world of theater, SHOWMANCE. The beautifully crafted plot of Showmance opens on the disastrous opening night of a new Broadway musical — Stage Of Fools — with book, music, and lyrics by Noah Adams, the novel's central character. The scorching reviews the show receives, coupled with a family emergency, send Noah back to his Podunk hometown of Plainview, Illinois, where he figures he can hide out for a bit and lick his wounds. There, to his horror, he discovers that his agent (and longtime boyfriend, Chase) has secretly arranged for him to stage an amateur production of his musical at the hometown community theater he grew up in. And, of course, he also runs into Luke, the hot, sexy jerk from high school, whom he may have misjudged, all of which sets the stage for a delightful and often hilarious romantic comedy. How to become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including longtime patron Neil Hoyt. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth discussions with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is the second half of my conversation with Trevor Boffone regarding his fascinating new book: TikTok Broadway — Musical Theatre Fandom in the Digital Age. If you missed part one of our discussion, you may want to catch up with that before listening to this one. Trevor Boffone is a Houston-based content creator and social media manager. His previous books include Renegades: Digital Dance Cultures from Dubsmash to TikTok and Latinx Teens: US Popular Culture on the Page, Stage, and Screen. He is also the editor of TikTok Cultures in the United States and the co-editor of five collections on Latinx popular culture and performance. Today, Trevor and I explore several massively popular viral TikTok trends relating the Broadway and West End musicals SIX, Heathers, Wicked, and Mamma Mia! And he also shares with us his observations of the many ways that TikTok has become a performance space of its own for fans of Broadway musicals. We also delve into the phenomenon of musicals that have been created on TikTok such as Ratatouille — The Musical and Bridgerton — The Musical. This all brings up some big questions relating to the very nature of theater itself, and of course, the future of TikTok. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth discussions with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is Trevor Boffone whose new book is titled TikTok Broadway — Musical Theatre Fandom in the Digital Age. I suspect that many of you, like me, are not on TikTok and may not immediately think this book will be of great interest to you. However, I encourage you to give it a listen because I think you will find what Boffone has to say in his book and in this discussion to be a fascinating and important aspect of recent Broadway history. I was quite captivated by it. On this episode, we look at the history of Social Media and its relationships with the Broadway musical and how from the very beginning of TikTok in America, Broadway musicals became a key aspect of even it most mainstream content. Trevor Boffone is a Houston-based content creator and social media manager. He is the author of Renegades: Digital Dance Cultures from Dubsmash to TikTok and the co-author of Latinx Teens: US Popular Culture on the Page, Stage, and Screen. He is the editor of TikTok Cultures in the United States and the co-editor of five collections on Latinx popular culture and performance. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth discussions with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, my guest is my old friend, GERARD ALESSANDRINI, creator of the long-running off-Broadway hit revue Forbidden Broadway, which recently opened its 27th edition, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY — MERRILY WE STOLE A SONG now playing at Theater555 NYC.   On this episode, Gerard and I discuss not only this latest iteration of the show but also look back to its origins in 1980 and explore its remarkable forty-three-year history of hilariously skewering Broadway and insightfully spoofing its musicals, plays, and stars. As you might imagine, Gerard and I went off on several entertaining tangents not directly related to the subject of this episode, resulting in an additional ten minutes of outtakes that are available exclusively to patrons of Broadway Nation. Here is the information about how you too can become a patron. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including Geoffrey Block and Larry Spinelli For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the second part of my recent conversation with author Thomas Hischak regarding his new book, Song Of The Season — Outstanding Broadway Songs Since 1891. In this captivating book, Hischak looks back at the history of the Broadway musical by chronicling of every New York theater season from 1891 to 2022 and then audaciously selecting one single song as the song of that particular season. To facilitate this discussion, I selected one or two songs from each decade covered in the book for us to discuss. On this music-filled episode, we begin in 1938 with “September Song” from Knickerbocker Holiday and continue with his admittedly controversial selection of “I Enjoy Being A Girl” from Flower Drum Song (1958), “Do-Re-Mi” from The Sound Of Music (1959), a mind-blowing leap of only seven years to “Aquarius” from Hair (1968), and on through “All that Jazz” from Chicago (1975), “The Lambeth Walk” from Me And My Girl (1986), the title song from Ragtime (1998), "Omar Sharif" from The Band's Visit (2017), and the title song from Some Like It Hot (2022). Thomas Hischak retired from full time teaching in New York State and now teaches theatre part-time at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, USA. He is the author of over 30 non-fiction books on theatre, film and popular music. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including Tayrn Darr and Cheryl Hodges-Seldon. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Thomas Hischak returns to the Broadway Nation this week to tell us about his captivating new book, Song Of The Season — Outstanding Broadway Songs Since 1891. For this book, Hischak analyzed every Broadway season since 1891 and selected one song as the most outstanding. In this episode, we discuss “Oh, Promise Me” from Robin Hood (1891), “In The Good Old Summertime” from The Defender (1902), “Defying Gravity” from Wicked (2003), “In Old New York” from The Red Mill, “They Didn't Believe Me” from The Girl From Utah, “Charleston” from Runnin' Wild, and “Begin The Beguine” from Jubilee (1935). Thomas Hischak retired from full-time teaching in New York State and now teaches theatre part-time at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, USA. He is the author of more than 30 indispensable non-fiction books on theater, film, and popular music, and long-time listeners will remember him from episodes 104 and 105, where we discussed his previous book, The Abbott Touch — Pal Joey, Damn Yankees and the Theatre of George Abbott. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including our newest member, Alan Teasley. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a new season of Broadway Nation — the podcast that delves deeply into the remarkable history of the Broadway musical, with a special focus on the Immigrant, Jewish, Queer, and Black Artists who invented it. My guest today is Tony Award-winning Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell. After a short break, I am excited to be back with a new season that will be jam-packed with fascinating Broadway history, including interviews with an amazing lineup of authors of some brilliant new books that take us back to the earliest days of Broadway and bring us right up to the twenty-first century — from George M. Cohan to how TikTok and the digital age have impacted the Broadway musical. Today, we start things off with a bang with a delightful conversation with Brian Stokes Mitchell, whose career spans over forty years on television, films, recordings, concert appearances, and, most notably for our purposes, ten Broadway shows. He made his Broadway debut in 1988 in a short-lived musical called Mail, and in 1990, he was cast as the lead in David Merrick's revival of the 1926 Gershwin musical Oh, Kay! He next went on to two very high-profile gigs — first replacing Gregory Hines in Jelly's Last Jam and then Anthony Crivello in Kiss Of the Spiderwoman. In 1998, his unforgettable Tony-nominated performance as Coalhouse Walker in Ragtime firmly established him as a true Broadway star, and the following year, jumping from musical drama to musical comedy, he won the Tony Award for his performance in Kiss Me Kate. His performance in August Wilson's play, King Hedley II, in 2001 earned another Tony nomination, and the next year, he took on the title role in Man Of La Mancha. His most recent Broadway appearance was in 2016 in George Woolf's behind-the-scenes look at Shuffle Along, but as you will hear, Brian Stokes Mitchell may be back on Broadway very soon in a new musical that he is very excited about.  In addition, our conversation today ranges from two tear-inducing new video performances that he has recently been involved in creating and performing: a Ted Talk with Leer deBessonet, which you can find at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZNhuRIGQZs and "Hope" with Jason Robert Brown, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJkqV2xwars. Also, his work with The Entertainment Fund and the soon-to-be-released video capture of their reunion concert of Ragtime, as well as a peek inside his process and approach to interpreting a song. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including our newest member, Alan Teasley. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi this is David Armstrong. You may be wondering where I and Broadway Nation have been over the past few weeks. As you will hear, I have been battling a wicked case of bronchitis and today is the first day in ten days that I have been able to talk even enough to croak out this brief message. At the end of the summer, I had been planning to take a few weeks off from podcasting anyway, and this bronchitis has just jumpstarted that break. So here's the plan: On September 19 Broadway Nation will return for an exciting new season featuring a fascinating line-up of authors who have written some amazing new books. We will start with author Thomas Hischak who will kick us off with a discussion of Song Of The Season — Outstanding Broadway Songs since 1891. In the weeks that follow, you will meet Laurie Winer talking about Oscar Hammerstein and the Invention of The Musical, Doug Reside on his book Fixing the Musical — How Technologies Shaped The Broadway Repertory, Trevor Boffone who has written about TikTok Broadway. Dustyn Martincich and Pheobe Rumsay will discuss Dance In Musical Theatre — A History of the Body In Movement, Christopher Connelly on Helen Morgan: The original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld's Last Star, and Joshua Rosenblum and his book Closer Than Ever — The Unique Six-Decade Songwriting Partnership of Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire. And that's just the beginning! As always Albert Evans will join me for some deep dives into Broadway's past and, no doubt, there will be previews of my upcoming book. I guarantee it will all be worth the wait. In the meantime, you are invited to join more than 2600 fans of this podcast in the Broadway Nation Facebook Group where every day you can find posts and videos about the Broadway musical and Immigrant, Jewish, Queer and Black artist who invented it.  See you soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm David Armstrong, and my guest again today is author Andrew L. Erdman, whose captivating new book is titled Beautiful — The Story of Julian Eltinge, America's Greatest Female Impersonator. In this third and final episode in this series, Andrew shares with us the story of how Julian Eltinge capitalized on his international Vaudeville and Broadway fame and became a major movie star in Hollywood and how that coincided with a golden age of female impersonation in America. We also explore the challenges Eltinge faced during the final years of his career as America became more conservative and began to restrict and censor drag performance in the 1930s. If you missed the earlier episodes in this series, you may want to catch up with those before listening to this one. Author Andrew Erdman has immersed himself in this remarkable era of show biz history; his previous book was the equally fascinating Queen of Vaudeville: The Story of Eva Tanquay Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including our newest member Alan Teasley. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest again this week is author Andrew Erdman, whose captivating new book is Beautiful—The Story of Julian Eltinge, America's Greatest Female Impersonator. In this episode, Andrew continues the story of Julian Eltinge's rise to the absolute highest realms of show business — and we especially focus on three musicals that were created especially for him by top Broadway talents such as Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern, and Irving Berlin: That Fascinating Widow (1911), The Crinoline Girl (1914), and Cousin Lucy (1915). Along the way, you will have a chance to hear some of the songs that they created for Eltinge, as performed by a friend of the pod David Sabella (aka Amanda Reckonwith) including “Those Come Hither Eyes” – from the musical Cousin Lucy (lyrics by Schuler Green; music by Jerome Kern), and "Don't Take Your Beau to the Seashore," (music by Irving Berlin; lyrics by E. Ray Goetz). If you missed the first episode in this series, you may want to catch up with that before listening to this one. Author Andrew Erdman has immersed himself in this remarkable era of show biz history; his previous book was the equally fascinating Queen of Vaudeville: The Story of Eva Tanquay Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including our newest member Alan Teasley. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest on this episode is Andrew L. Erdman, who is the author of the new book: Beautiful — The Story of Julian Eltinge, America's Greatest Female Impersonator. In the late 19th and early 20th Century — long before the fierce television Drag stars of today — a specific style of drag performance known as Female Impersonation was wildly popular on stage and screen — in America and around the world. And no female impersonator was more famous, successful, or highly regarded than Julian Eltinge. Although barely remembered today, in his time, Eltinge was on a par with Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, and Fanny Brice, and was so popular and renowned that he even had a Broadway theater named after him! That theater still exists, and you can still go there and see Julian Eltinge — but you will have to listen to the episode(s) to find out where and how. Author Andrew Erdman has immersed himself in this remarkable era of show biz history; his previous book was the equally fascinating Queen of Vaudeville: The Story of Eva Tanquay Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including members John Schroeder and Alan Brodie. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This special encore episode of Broadway Nation was first released in the fall of 2022. My guest is PAUL SALSINI, who many listeners will remember as the founder and original editor of The Sondheim Review, the first and only quarterly magazine ever devoted to a living musical theater composer. Paul passed away earlier this month, at the age of 88, so I thought this was a very appropriate time to revisit this fascinating conversation.  Paul launched the magazine in 1994, and over the following ten years, Paul exchanged notes, letters, faxes and phone calls with Stephen Sondheim — who it was clear was reading every word of every issue of the magazine — and Sondheim often had corrections and comments, or as he called them, “emendations.” On a few occasions these notes and phone calls included “vigorous objections” to what Paul had included the magazine, but overall Sondheim was wonderfully supportive and helpful. In his book SONDHEIM AND ME, Paul chronicles his unlikely relationship with Sondheim during an eventful period that included the New York premieres of Passion and Saturday Night, the Kennedy Center's Sondheim Celebration, Broadway revivals of six of Sondheim's major works, and the decade long development of the musical that would eventually be called Road Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 My guest this week is award-winning entertainer Richard Skipper, who joins me to talk about his new show, Still Going Strong—A Celebration of 60 Years of Hello Dolly!, which he will be bringing to various venues on several continents over the next few months, starting with Crazy Coqs in London on August 5th. As you will hear, it was Richard's friendship with Carol Channing that inspired him to begin chronicling the history of Hello Dolly!, and over the past fifteen years, Richard Skipper has interviewed more than 1,000 participants of various productions of the show. That this discussion follows on the heels of the Bette Midler series of podcasts is a happy quirk of serendipity! Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including long time members Larry Spinelli and Geoffrey Block For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I am excited to share with you the third and final segment of my conversation with author Kevin Winkler regarding his new book, On Bette Midler: An Opinionated Guide. In this engaging book, Kevin focuses on all aspects of Bette Midler's career — on stage, recordings, film, and television. But in this conversation, again we focus primarily on her work as a theater artist. If you missed the other two episodes in this series, you may want to listen to those before jumping into this one. For more than twenty years, Kevin was a curator, archivist, and administrator at the New York Public Library, and prior to that, he was a professional dancer on Broadway. His previous books include the award-winning Big Deal: Bob Fosse and Dance in the American Musical, and Everything is Choreography: The Musical Theatre of Tommy Tune. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including long time members Mark Stanton and Andy Wigginton. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode author Kevin Winkler returns for the second part of our discussion of his fascinating new book, On Bette Midler — An Opinionated Guide. If you missed part one of this conversation, you may want to catch up with that before listening to this one. In that episode, Kevin and I touched on Bette's childhood, explored her early years in the off-off-Broadway experimental and very campy Gay theater scene, detailed her unusual rise to at least demi-stardom at the Continental Baths, her debut on Broadway in Fiddler On The Roof, and her Tony Award wining concert at the Palace Theater which set the stage for the first of what Kevin calls her Broadway musicals of her own devising: Bette Midler's Clams On The Halfshell Revue, conceived and staged by Broadway director/choreographer Joe Layton, and the shows that followed. For more than twenty years Kevin Winkler was a curator, archivist, and administrator at the New York Public Library, and prior to that, he was a professional dancer. His previous books include the award-winning Big Deal: Bob Fosse and Dance in the American Musical in 2018, and Everything is Choreography: The Musical Theatre of Tommy Tune. Kevin and I discussed that terrific book on several episodes of Broadway Nation back at the beginning of 2022. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including long time member, ANNE WELSH. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I am excited to welcome author Kevin Winkler back to Broadway Nation to discuss his new book, On Bette Midler: An Opinionated Guide. This engaging book is a critical analysis of every aspect of Bette Midler's career on stage, recordings, film, and television, but in this conversation, we focus primarily on her work as a theater artist. To date, Midler's long career has been bookended by her appearances in two classic Broadway musicals, Fiddler On The Roof and Hello, Dolly! In between, she invented her distinctive brand of musical theater—“musicals of her own devising,” as Kevin calls them. For more than twenty years Kevin Winkler was a curator, archivist, and administrator at the New York Public Library, and prior to that, he was a professional dancer. His previous books include the award-winning Big Deal: Bob Fosse and Dance in the American Musical in 2018, and Everything is Choreography: The Musical Theatre of Tommy Tune. Kevin and I discussed that terrific book on several episodes of Broadway Nation back at the beginning of 2022. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including long time member, ANNE WELSH. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Encore Episode from 2021, author Rick Pender takes us inside the creation of The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia.  Rick Pender is a longtime member and former chair of the American Theater Critics Association. He first began reviewing theater in 1985 for a public radio station he managed at Northern Kentucky University. He later became the theater critic for CityBeat – Cincinnati's alternative weekly newspaper -- and eventually became its arts and culture editor. He also often contributed articles to The Sondheim Review, a quarterly magazine that I know many of you remember fondly, and for 12 years, from 2004 to 2016, he served as its managing editor.  His latest venture, The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is a 638 page overview of anything and everything related to Sondheim's work, life and career.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 My guest again this week is author BEN WEST who returns for the fourth and final segment of our conversation in regard to his exceptional new book The American Musical – Evolution of an Art Form.  As you will hear, in today's episode, we move into what I call the Modern Era of Broadway from the 1970s right up to today and detail the major changes in the way musicals are made over the last 50 years. Our discussion touches on such shows as Hair, Your Own Thing, Rent, The Wiz, Jelly's Last Jam, Hamilton, The Band's Visit, and more! If you missed the previous episodes in this series you may want to go back and catch on that before listening to this one. Ben West is a musical theatre artist and historian who created the extensive “Timeline Wall” exhibits for the Museum of Broadway that trace the history of the Broadway stage from 1732 to 2021, spotlighting more than 500 productions and 100 artists. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally and created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. He has lectured and spoken at Yale University, University of Michigan, the Dramatists Guild, and the Shubert Organization. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including our Producer Level patrons, Paula & Steve Reynolds. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the third segment of my conversation with author BEN WEST, regarding his new book: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL — EVOLUTION OF AN ART FORM. As you will hear this book is a comprehensive history of the American Musical from its origins in the 19th Century right up to the turn to the 21st Century. Along the way Ben West sheds new light on a myriad of shows, authors, directors, and performers including a host of often-overlooked women and African-American artists. If you missed the previous episodes in this series you may want to go back and catch on that before listening to this one. Ben West is a musical theatre artist and historian who created the extensive “Timeline Wall” exhibits for the Museum of Broadway that trace the history of the Broadway stage from 1732 to 2021 and spotlight more than 500 productions and 100 artists. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, and created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. West has lectured and spoken at several institutions including Yale University, University of Michigan, the Dramatists Guild, and the Shubert Organization. He is a recipient of Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including our Producer Level member, Bob Braun. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is the second part of my recent conversation with author BEN WEST, regarding his his exceptionally comprehensive new book: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL — EVOLUTION OF AN ART FORM. This book traces the American Musical's creative journey from its 19th Century beginnings through its 20th Century maturation, and on to the turn of the 21st century. Along the way, Ben West sheds new light on a myriad of shows, authors, directors, and performers including a host of often-overlooked women and African-American artists. If you missed the first episode in this series you may want to go back and catch on that before listening to this one. As our previous episode ended Ben and I were discussing the revue form, especially the annual revues such as the Ziegfeld Follies and Earl Carroll's Vanities. Today we pick up conversation with some of the other forms of musical theater that Ben explores in Part Two of his book, a section that he titles Birth Of An Art Form. Ben West is a musical theatre artist and historian who created the extensive “Timeline Wall” exhibits for the Museum of Broadway that trace the history of the Broadway stage from 1732 to 2021 and spotlight more than 500 productions and 100 artists. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, and created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. West has lectured and spoken at several institutions including Yale University, University of Michigan, the Dramatists Guild, and the Shubert Organization. He is a recipient of Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including our newest member, Taryn Darr. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is author BEN WEST, who joins me to discuss his exceptional new book: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL — EVOLUTION OF AN ART FORM. This book is a comprehensive history of the American Musical that traces the form's creative journey from its 19th Century beginnings through its 20th Century maturation, and on to the turn of the 21st century. Along the way Ben sheds new light on a myriad of authors, directors, and craftspeople who worked on Broadway and beyond. In a similar way to this podcast, this book actively addresses the form's often-overlooked female and African-American artists. It also goes beyond the strict boundaries of Broadway to explore such outside influences as minstrelsy, vaudeville, nightclubs, and burlesque as well as the dynamic relationship between the American Musical and and the consciousness of its country that gave it birth. Ben West is a musical theatre artist and historian who created the extensive “Timeline Wall” exhibits for the Museum of Broadway that trace the history of the Broadway stage from 1732 to 2021 and spotlight more than 500 productions and 100 artists. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, and created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. West has lectured and spoken at several institutions including Yale University, University of Michigan, the Dramatists Guild, and the Shubert Organization. He is a recipient of Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is Jack Viertel who joins us to talk about his delightful new novel, Broadway Melody. This is one of a fascinating wave of novels that explore the history of Broadway though a combination of fictional characters and real-life Broadway figures. Jack Viertel began his theatrical career as a drama critic for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and then worked as a dramaturg at the Mark Taper Forum. This led to him serving three decades as Creative Director and Senior Vice President of Jujamcin Theaters where he oversaw the production of 50 Broadway plays and musicals. Simultaneously, during two of those decades, he also served as the Artistic Director of the New York City Center's Encores! series, producing 65 musical revivals. And he was a creative force behind a string of blockbuster musicals including Smokey Joe's Café, Dear Evan Hanson, and Hairspray. He taught musical theater at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Secret Life of The American Musical. I want to thank all of our Broadway Nation Patron Club members, including our longtime Producer Level patrons, Paula & Steve Reynolds. Their generous support helps to make it possible for me to bring this podcast to you each week. If you would like to support the creation of Broadway Nation, here is the information about how you too can become a patron. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices