Musicals Magazine Podcast

For this Musicals Magazine Podcast, Edward Seckerson talks to Jordan Luke Gage, currently starring in Titanique in the West End. In a pretty meteoric rise since leaving drama school, Gage has been raising a little hell with characters as diverse as Clyde Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde, JD in Heathers and Marilyn in Taboo. He's currently aboard HMS Titanic in a show whose French title quickly establishes that this is not the Maury Yeston version. During technical week he talks to Edward Seckerson about all this and more – not least how he and his Titanique co-star Rob Houchen have both now honed their Italian as Fabrizio in Adam Guettel's The Light in the Piazza. Titanique is currently docked at the Criterion Theatre, London – for information and tickets, visit https://london.titaniquemusical.com/ The musical excerpts featuring Jordan Luke Gage are taken from the Original London Cast Recording of & Juliet (2019) on MTM Musical LLC under exclusive license to Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International for the world outside the United States; the opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records

For this Musicals Magazine Podcast, Edward Seckerson talks to Bradley Jaden, possessor of one of the most recognisable baritones in Musical Theatre. Jaden has, in a relatively short space of time, established himself as the go-to heroic baritone of the UK's Musical Theatre scene. He's stormed the barricades of Boublil and Schonberg's Les Misérables, rising through the revolutionary ranks to assume his place as the darkest and swarthiest of Javerts now sharing the role with Michael Ball on the show's epic arena world tour. His forthcoming debut album for Westway Music was recorded live at London's Cadogan Hall and finds him carving a path through some of Musical Theatre's most iconic outsiders, from Shrek to Phantom. He talks to Edward Seckerson about the journey so far and the way ahead.

Join Edward Seckerson in an intimate conversation with celebrated actress and soprano Gina Beck, known for her powerhouse performances on stages from the West End to Broadway. Gina reflects on her journey, sharing insights into her roles in classic musicals like South Pacific and Les Misérables, as well as her acclaimed portrayal of Glinda in the US tour of Wicked. In this episode, Gina opens up about the artistry behind interpreting beloved characters along with the thrill of breathing life into Golden Age classics and bringing them to contemporary audiences.

For this Musicals Magazine Podcast, Edward Seckerson meets Julian Ovenden, universally acknowledged as possessing one of the most beautiful voices in Musical Theatre. Gearing up a rare solo concert with Broadway composer Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens, War Paint), Ovenden reflects on a career that has taken him from the Donmar's Merrily We Roll Along to TV's Bridgerton. His appearances with the John Wilson Orchestra highlighted his way with Golden Age Broadway scores, and Daniel Evans's recent Chichester/Sadler's Wells revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific afforded him his shining moment with arguably the two greatest ballads in the repertoire. The musical excerpts are taken from Carousel: World Premiere Complete Recording, by John Wilson and his Sinfonia of London, released on Chandos Records on 13 September 2024; and My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert by The Rodgers & Hammerstein Concert Orchestra, conducted by Simon Lee, released on Concord Theatricals on 31 May 2024. The opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records.

For this Musicals Magazine Podcast, Edward Seckerson meets Jac Yarrow, who didn't even have time to collect his diploma before he was plucked from drama school to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium. His progress since has been fast and furious, establishing him as one of the go-to younger leading men in the business. He talks about life during and after drama school, the instant stardom of Joseph, his brush with Pippin in a stunning concert staging, and being part of the glitziest ensemble in town for the Sondheim tribute Old Friends. Plus, he looks forward to taking the world by storm with Les Mis as we've never seen it before.

Edward Seckerson meets the fabulous Stephanie J Block, currently wowing London audiences as Lili Vanessi in Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate. Her astonishing career has taken her from a Broadway debut as the young Liza Minnelli in the Hugh Jackman vehicle The Boy From Oz to The Cher Show (wait till you hear her Cher voice in this interview!) and a long-overdue Tony Award. She and Seckerson talk of her life-changing journey with Elphaba – which she almost [ital] originated – in Wicked and Tony-nominated turns in Falsettos and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, plus the not-so-little matter of Boublil and Schoenberg's ill-fated The Pirate Queen. One song still resonates: her glorious account of ‘Woman', a performance for the ages.

For this Musicals Magazine Podcast, Edward Seckerson meets Melissa Errico, celebrated purveyor of the songs of Stephen Sondheim and Michel Legrand and a cabaret artist of extraordinary magnetism. Her theatre career on Broadway and beyond has embraced some classics like My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music and Camelot with excursions into Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash's One Touch of Venus and Michael Legrand and Jeremy Sam's Amour for which she was nominated for a Tony Award. But she thrives on the intimacy of the cabaret room and on disc she has garnered lavish praise for her two insightful and subtly jazz-inflected Sondheim collections.

Edward Seckerson meets the prolific Frank Wildhorn ahead of the West End opening of Your Lie in April, his latest venture (after Death Note) into the realms of Japanese Manga. From one huge Whitney Houston hit – ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go' – to well over a thousand songs and countless musicals, his is quite a story. At one time in the late '90s he had three musicals running simultaneously on Broadway. One of them, Jekyll & Hyde, has become one of the most performed and most revered all over the globe, while ‘This is the Moment' can lay claim to being the most sung competition and audition choice ever. Then there's the cult following growing for Bonnie & Clyde and the little matter of an 11 o'clock number he penned for Julie Andrews…

For this Musicals Magazine Podcast, Edward Seckerson meets Christine Allado, fresh from lending her shining soprano to the Old Friends celebrating Stephen Sondheim at London's Gielgud Theatre. Some may remember her opposite Rob Houchen in the TV documentary The Making of a Classic, chronicling the genesis of West Side Story, but onstage the Filipino actress is best known as Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds – and sometimes Eliza – in Hamilton, and Tzipporah in Prince of Egypt. She's about to give her Julie Jordan in a concert staging of one of the greatest musicals ever written – Carousel. 

For this Musicals Magazine Podcast, Edward Seckerson meets Jack Godfrey, one of the brightest and most engaging talents in the exciting renaissance of new writing, enlivening the West End and beyond. With 42 Balloons – for which he wrote book, music and lyrics – fresh from its inaugural production at the Lowry Manchester and Babies opening at The Other Palace, Godfrey's insidiously memorable hooks are ear-worming their way into all Musical Theatre enthusiasts' consciousness. Godfrey writes pop songs with heart, soul, and zing. Can anyone wait for what comes next? 

For this Musicals Magazine Podcast, Edward Seckerson meets Samantha Barks, who has travelled far since she and Rachel Tucker went head-to-head in a bid to win the role of Nancy in the reality TV show I'd Do Anything. Unforgettably, there was Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years where she and Jonathan Bailey lit up the then St James Theatre with their conspicuous talent. Then came Éponine in Les Misérables both onstage and onscreen, and a Broadway debut as the feisty Vivian in Pretty Woman. Edward Seckerson meets her in her dressing room at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane where Queens Elsa is about to put the freeze on for a lot of adoring little girls. 

For this Musicals Meets Podcast, Sarah Kirkup meets Bronté Barbé and Rebekah Hinds. The pair are playing the title roles in Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!, an award-winning musical comedy by Jon Brittain and Matthew Floyd Jones, which opens in the West End at the end of May. They have been involved with the show since its initial workshop back in 2022, taking it to the Edinburgh Fringe later that year and then again in 2023, before touring it to Bristol and Manchester.  They come to Musicals magazine's headquarters to chat about the show's upcoming West End debut, and why 2024 is an exciting year for homegrown, grassroots Musical Theatre.    

For this Musicals Magazine Podcast, Edward Seckerson meets Sam Tutty, one of the youngest ever Olivier Award winners for his deeply affecting performance in the London premiere of Pasek and Paul's Dear Evan Hansen. He journeyed with Evan across the great divide of the Covid pandemic, gathering a huge fan base as he did so. As he opens in the West End as the likeable and hyperactive Dougal in Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York), he relives his journey so far – backstage at London's Criterion Theatre.  

For this Musicals Magazine Podcast, Sarah Kirkup meets Timmika Ramsay, who's currently starring as Miss Adelaide in Nicholas Hytner's immersive production of Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre. Ramsay, who previously starred as La Chocolat in Moulin Rouge in the West End, talks about the challenges of following in the footsteps of Marisha Wallace, how she juggles eight shows a week with a small baby, and her determination to make the role her own.   The musical excerpts of Guys and Dolls are taken from the 2023 London Cast Recording on Broadway Records, starring Marisha Wallace, Daniel Mays, Andrew Richardson, Celinde Schoenmaker and Cedric Neal; the opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records.  

For this Musicals Magazine Podcast, Edward Seckerson meets Zachary James, who's currently hotting up the Underworld on the other side of that wall in Hadestown. James, who originated the role of Lurch in the Andrew Lippa musicalisation of The Addams Family, is perhaps best known to date – indeed immortalised – as The Scribe/Amenhotep III in Philip Glass's Akhnaten in the jaw-dropping Phelim McDermott, Olivier Award-winning staging at English National Opera in 2016. His work has straddled the opera and Musical Theatre worlds in intriguing ways and as an actor-singer his work is nothing if not diverse. Plus his 6'6” frame makes him hard to miss.   Never miss an issue of Musicals magazine – subscribe today The opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records.

For this Musicals Meets Podcast, Editor Sarah Kirkup meets Marlow and Moss, the talented writing duo behind global sensation SIX. Following in that musical's footsteps was always going to be a challenge, but last summer they workshopped Why Am I So Single? at the Lilian Bayliss Theatre. Following two friends, who just happen to be writing a musical, as they enjoy a prosecco-fuelled evening, the two-act show was positively received by audiences. It was subsequently finessed and sculpted into the final version premiering in the West End this summer.   At the press launch at Soho's Boulevard Theatre on Valentine's Day, Marlow and Moss – along with some special guests – performed a selection of songs from the show. They speak to Musicals magazine's Editor about the writing process, the musical styles they have drawn upon, and how their friendship has remained very much intact.  Why Am I So Single? opens at the Garrick Theatre 27 August and the run is currently scheduled to continue through to 13 February, 2025  The musical excerpts from Why Am I So Single? – ‘8 Dates' and ‘Just In Case' – were recorded at the launch event on 14 February at the Boulevard Theatre in Soho. The opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records 

Edward Seckerson meets Evelyn Hoskins, forever associated with bringing Carrie White in from the cold in the invigorating 2015 Southwark Playhouse production of the ill-fated musical Carrie. They also talk Spring Awakening - which marked Hoskins's stage debut and is back for an original cast reunion; the loveable Dawn in Waitress where she shared the stage with the composer Sara Bareilles; and the stranger-than-fiction alchemy of 42 Balloons soon to be seen at the Lowry in Manchester.   Never miss an issue – subscribe to Musicals magazine today: https://www.magsubscriptions.com/musicals

For this Musicals Meets Podcast, Sarah Kirkup talks to Sarah Crompton, one of Britain's most respected writers and broadcasters, about the new production of Hadestown which has just premiered at the Lyric Theatre in the West End. Crompton is a huge fan of the show, having previously seen the UK production at the National Theatre and reviewing it favourably for WhatsOnStage. She recently wrote a fascinating feature on the new West End production for the current issue of Musicals magazine.  Blending modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz, the music for Hadestown is written by the acclaimed Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell. Mitchell originated Hadestown as an indie theatre project and acclaimed album before transforming the show into a genre-defying new musical alongside Tony Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin.  How has the show been reinvented this time around? What aspects work particularly well, and which performers stand out? The two Sarahs meet to discuss the production in detail. 

For our first Musicals Meets Podcast, Editor Sarah Kirkup meets the actor and performer Joel Harper-Jackson. Starring as Harry in the revival of Standing at the Sky's Edge at the Gillian Lynne Theatre from 9 February, Harper-Jackson – previously known for Musical Theatre roles such as Charlie Price in Kinky Boots on tour and Simon in Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre – hit the headlines in 2022 in Mike Bartlett's play Cock at the Ambassadors Theatre. Having covered both lead roles, he took over from Taron Egerton as M opposite Jonathan Bailey after Egerton left the production for personal reasons. He talks to Musicals about striving for a varied career, why understudies are underrated, and how the role of Harry is a dream come true.  The musical excerpts from Standing at the Sky's Edge featured in this podcast are taken from the Original Live Cast Recording of Standing at the Sky's Edge with songs by Richard Hawley, arranged and orchestrated by Tom Deering, with musicians including Tom Deering and Ehsaan Shivarani, published by BMG and Universal. It was recorded live at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, over three nights in December 2022, and released on 13 February 2023 on Pink Moon Records. Tracks are as follows:  ‘Standing At The Sky's Edge' – performed by Maimuna Memon, Bobbie Little and Samuel Jordan  ‘For Your Lover Give Some Time' – performed by Robert Lonsdale   ‘Tonight The Streets Are Ours' – performed by Baker Mukasa, Deborah Tracey and Faith Omole     The opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records. 

EDWARD SECKERSON meets OLIVER TOMPSETT at London's Wonderville Bar & Café to chat over his ongoing journey from The Who's Tommy (title role) at Arts Ed and a veritable portfolio of rock/pop shows – Our House, Rock of Ages, We Will Rock You – to more legit fare like Fiyero in Wicked and his winning turn as Will Shakespeare in & Juliet. As we speak, he is preparing to launch a new show Wild About You (with a score by Broadway's Carole King, Chilina Kennedy) at London's Theatre, Royal Drury Lane, with a jaw-dropping cast including Eric McCormack and Rachel Tucker.

In the latest MUSICALS podcast EDWARD SECKERSON talks to playwright and book writer JOHN WEIDMAN who collaborated with the late, great Stephen Sondheim on three of his shows - Pacific Overtures, Assassins, and Road Show - and was in London for a long-awaited revival of the first of them. Chatting in the bar of the Menier Chocolate Factory the morning after the first preview he reminisces about an extraordinary working relationship where making good theatre was always front and centre of their objectives.  

Edward Seckerson drops in on Jenna Russell during the run of Richard Taylor/Rachel Wagstaff's Flowers for Mrs Harris at London's Riverside Studios. They compare notes on the show and on other movers and shakers who've been instrumental in pushing the envelope on musical theatre including Sondheim (with whom Olivier Award-winning Jenna enjoyed several career-defining encounters), Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home), and Jason Robert Brown (Bridges of Madison County). Recorded backstage at London's Riverside Studios in October 2023. The opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records. For more details on Musicals magazine, please visit MusicalsMagazine.com

Jamie Muscato - the original Jason "J.D." Dean in the now cult hit Heathers and currently the lovelorn Christian in Moulin Rouge - sits down with Edward Seckerson to talk Once, Bend It Like Beckham, and being Kelsey Grammer's younger self in Big Fish. Recorded backstage at London's Piccadilly Theatre in August 2023. The opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records. For more details on Musicals magazine, please visit MusicalsMagazine.com

In this episode of the Musicals Podcast Edward Seckerson drops in on the two leading ladies of the current revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love - Laura Pitt-Pulford and Danielle de Niese - to compare notes on two fascinating women and re-evaluate the show itself 34 years on from its premiere. It's two hours before curtain up and Michael Ball's ears must have been burning… Recorded backstage at London's Lyric Theatre in June 2023. The opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records. For more details on Musicals magazine, please visit MusicalsMagazine.com

In this episode of the Musicals Podcast Edward Seckerson talks to the multi-award-winning Jamie Parker (The History Boys, Harry Potter - The Cursed Child) about his current project The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a new musical by Jethro Compton and Darren Clark, and swinging like Sinatra with conductor John Wilson. Recorded backstage at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant in May 2023. The opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records. For more details on Musicals magazine, please visit MusicalsMagazine.com

In this episode of the Musicals Podcast, Edward Seckerson talks to Jon Robyns about his journey from singing in the National Youth Choir to playing Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and now the new Phantom in Phantom of the Opera.   The episode was recorded in May 2023 in Robyns's dressing room at His Majesty's Theatre.   The opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records. For more details on Musicals magazine, visit www.MusicalsMagazine.com

In this episode of the Musicals Magazine Podcast, Edward Seckerson talked to the Olivier-nominated Broadway and West End star Sierra Boggess in February 2023, while the soprano was in London for a one-off concert at Cadogan Hall, and prior to the run of The Secret Garden in Los Angeles (19 February – 26 March). The podcast includes a world-exclusive preview of the track ‘Many a New Day' from Oklahoma! by Rodgers and Hammerstein, sung by Boggess and taken from the forthcoming world-premiere recording of the complete original score by John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London, to be released on 15 September 2023, on Chandos Records. Also included in the podcast is an excerpt of Boggess singing A Quiet Thing from the album ‘Awakening – Live at 54 Below', courtesy of Broadway Records. The opening and closing musical excerpts are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records. For more details on Musicals magazine, please visit MusicalsMagazine.com

Welcome to the first episode of our regular Musicals Magazine Podcast hosted by Edward Seckerson. In this episode, our guest is Celinde Schoenmaker, currently starring as Sarah Brown in Nicholas Hytner's immersive production of Guys & Dolls at London's Bridge Theatre. The musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture of Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's Overtures Vol 2 courtesy of JAY Records. For more details on Musicals magazine, please visit MusicalsMagazine.com