Podcast appearances and mentions of John Caird

Christy Altomare and I first met when I had the honor of directing her in her college production of Little Women. Immediately after graduating from Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, she led the 1st National company of Spring Awakening, starring as Wendla, and her star has only continued to rise ever since. She originated the role of Anya in the Broadway production of Anastasia for which she received the Theatre World Award and was nominated for an Outer Critics Award and a Drama Desk Award for lead actress in a musical. She made her Broadway debut as Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia! Off-Broadway, Christy portrayed the role of Sue Snell in MCC's revival of Carrie the Musical. Christy can be heard on cast recordings of both Anastasia and Carrie. Regional credits include Jerusha Abbott in John Caird and Paul Gordon's production of Daddy Long Legs, Guinevere in Camelot, and most recently in two musicals with their sights set for Broadway, as Sue in The Wanderer the Musical at Papermill Playhouse and Scarlett in Noir the Musical at the Alley Theater.  Along with her passion for musical theater, she is a songwriter/recording artist who recently released her new album of original music, Wandering Bird. Tune in as we chat about her life and career, as well as her most recent role, that of mom to son Preston! Christy is truly one of the most remarkable humans I've ever known and every bit of that empathy, intelligence and fierce artistry is on display in our catch up session - so sit back and enjoy! 

Our guest today is Vivien Parry  http://vivienparry.com/home/ Vivien is a seasoned actress with a robust career spanning stage, screen, and radio. Her theatrical resume features performances in renowned productions like Les Miserables, Cabaret, Mamma Mia!, and Top Hat. She has collaborated with esteemed directors such as Trevor Nunn, John Caird, Rachel Kavanaugh, Christopher Luscombe, Terry Hands and Rebecca Frecknall. She's tread the boards at the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Playhouse, and Aldwych Theatre among others and has toured extensively.  Her work encompasses genres, ranging from classic musicals to contemporary dramas. She's also appeared in television shows like Holby City, Crash, and Beauty and the Beast.  Vivien is 18 years sober. Our conversation covered her relationship to her Higher Power as she understands it and the power of human connection - in life and in theatre.  In 2025 she's reprising her role in Cabaret. A role that had intense parallels to her own life when she first portrayed it. In our discussion she shares how, her unhealthy marriage informed her characters emotional life. Now that her marriage has ended, Vivien is seizing the opportunity to revisit the same role— to heal her tumultuous experience during her first run of the play and to heal her relationship to the character she portrayed.  

Dr. Niamh Lynch and Dr. John Caird join us to discuss the critical subject of concussions in children, particularly those who are active in sports. Their professional journeys, from Dr. Lynch's path from the University College Cork to a paediatric neurology fellowship in Vancouver, to Dr. Caird's extensive dual practice in paediatric and adult neurosurgery, provide rich insights into the complexities of treating brain injuries and neurological conditions. Together, they illuminate the importance of recognizing and managing concussions, emphasizing that while scans aren't used for diagnosis, specialized treatments like vestibular physiotherapy play a crucial role in recovery.  This episode is filled with personal anecdotes and reflections from our podcast journey. We share our memorable moments, behind-the-scenes bloopers, and the laughter that has made recording this season a joy. Katie shares her exciting summer plans, including a family trip to France, and even Buddy, her dog, has his holiday lined up! We also take a trip down memory lane, recalling our favourite guests like Anna Geary, Orla Franklin, and Audrey Hamilton, who have left an indelible mark with their inspiration and authenticity.  We touch on diverse and impactful topics ranging from childhood epilepsy syndromes to the significance of monitoring a baby's head circumference for signs of hydrocephalus. John and Niamh provide valuable advice on managing concussion risks and the proactive measures in sports to prevent head injuries. Tune in, laugh with us, learn from the experts, and get ready for a summer of Baby Tribe shorts with Afif and Anne! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jackson is joined by special guest Phil Quinn to discuss a musical by famed Broadway and film composer Stephen Schwartz: Children of Eden. Listen in!  ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue.  https://www.patreon.com/noscriptpodcast  ----------------------------- We want to keep the conversation going! Have you read this play? Have you seen it? Comment and tell us your favorite themes, characters, plot points, etc. Did we get something wrong? Let us know. We'd love to hear from you. Find us on social media at:  Email: noscriptpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/No-Script-The-Podcast-1675491925872541/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noscriptpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/noscriptpodcast/ ------------------------------ Our theme song is “Upbeat Soda Pop” by Purple Planet Music. Credit as follows: Music: http://www.purple-planet.com ------------------------------ Thanks so much for listening! We'll see you next week. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue.  https://www.patreon.com/noscriptpodcast  ----------------------------- We want to keep the conversation going! Have you read this play? Have you seen it? Comment and tell us your favorite themes, characters, plot points, etc. Did we get something wrong? Let us know. We'd love to hear from you. Find us on social media at:  Email: noscriptpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/No-Script-The-Podcast-1675491925872541/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noscriptpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/noscriptpodcast/ ------------------------------ Thanks so much for listening! We'll see you next week.

In a specially-extended episode, Steve has a detailed conversation with some of the creative team behind the smash hit stage version of the Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away. Director John Caird, co-adaptor Maoko Imai and Musical Supervisor/Orchestrator Brad Haak tell Steve how the show came to be, and give some absolutely fascinating insights into composer Joe Hisaichi's work, including Brad demonstrating some beautiful examples on John and Maoko's gorgeous grand piano.But first, Steve chats with Jay Chakravorty, composer, producer and promoter of brilliant London crossover classical music night Counter Chamber. Jay demonstrates his incredible modular synthesiser setup, and he and Steve discuss how expressive and emotional these wobbly, warbly voltage controllers can be, before Jay jams on his amazing machines.And before that, Steve shares his mild despair at the state of the music industry at the moment, prompted both by off-mic chats with his guests and musician colleagues, and also by a recent article in the Guardian about the plight of musicians in 2024.Sign up for the Patreon, mailing list and everything else here: http://www.originofthepieces.comGuardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/25/shocking-truth-money-bands-make-on-tour-taylor-swiftJay Chakravorty: https://jaychakravorty.com/Spirited Away: https://www.spiritedawayuk.com/ Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, multi-disciplinary black femme storyteller AriDy Nox discusses how Elphaba and Galinda/Glinda from Wicked are absolutely gay. We also talk about the song "The Spark of Creation" from the 1991 Stephen Schwartz and John Caird musical Children of Eden. You can write to scenetosong@gmail.com with a comment or question about an episode or about musical theater, or if you'd like to be a podcast guest. Follow on Instagram at @ScenetoSong, on X/Twitter at @SceneSong, and on Facebook at “Scene to Song with Shoshana Greenberg Podcast.” And be sure to sign up for the new monthly e-newsletter at scenetosong.substack.com. Contribute to the Patreon. The theme music is by Julia Meinwald. Music played in this episode: "One Short Day" from Wicked "For Good" from Wicked "What is this Feeling" from Wicked "Popular" from Wicked "Defying Gravity" from Wicked "I'm Not That Girl Reprise" from Wicked "The Spark of Creation" from Children of Eden

Hailing from Camden, London, ELIZA is a singer and songwriter whose sound can best be described as restrained R&B and Neo Soul.ELIZA first came to public attention in 2010 as Eliza Doolittle, along with her debut album of the same title. At this time she was signed to the major record label "Parlophone", who were pushing her to write and release pop hits. After a couple of albums ELIZA become disillusioned with this approach. She left the record label, changed her stage name to simply "ELIZA" and began writing and recording a new album, "A Real Romantic", which would result in her most authentic sounding music to date.Join us as we discuss her career, her creative approaches, and her famous family."Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.https://www.signlradio.comhttps://www.instagram.com/signlradiohttps://www.twitter.com/signlradiohttps://www.facebook.com/signlradiohttps://www.mixcloud.com/signlhttps://open.spotify.com/user/96mhz6qfjoztxbl2dpm0uj903?si=aAZpsoEnRAKdx85kr1QWhg

Television star Katey Sagal (Married with Children, Futurama, Sons of Anarchy) & writer Paul Gordon (2001 Tony Nominated Composer for Jane Eyre) pull back the curtain to talk about the new Off-Broadway Musical, The Gospel According to Heather.In this interview, they reveal:What they relate to most about the showTheir creative processesStage/Theatrical mishapsBest Advice they receivedOne rule they each live byIn The Gospel According to Heather, Heather Krebs just wants a boyfriend. But how can she even navigate her way through high school if she might be the New Messiah? A small town in Ohio grapples with politics, religion and teenage romance in this eclectic pop musical.The Gospel According to Heather plays at Theater 555 in NYC through the newly extended date of July 16, 2023.*This interview took place live at The Gospel According to Heather press event, where members of the media were given a sneak peak of this new Off-Broadway Musical. More on Katey Sagal:TV: The Connors, Rebel, Sons of Anarchy (Golden Globe Award), Superior Donuts, 8 Simple Rules, Futurama and Married with Children.FILM: Bleed For This, Pitch Perfect 2 and The Good Mother.Music: CDs Well..., Room, Covered and performs with her band The Reluctant Apostles.Books: Her first book, Grace Notes: My Recollections, was published in 2017 by Simon and Schuster.More on Paul Gordon:2001 Tony Award nominated composer for his musical Jane Eyre. Other works include Sense and Sensibility (winner of the 2015 Jeff Award for Best New Work), Daddy Long Legs (2009 Ovation Award, 2 Drama Desk Award nominations, Off-Broadway Alliance Award nomination and 3 Outer Critic Circle award nominations). He is the co-founder of StreamingMusicals.com, where his musicals Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Estella Scrooge, Being Earnest and No One Called Ahead can currently be streamed. Knight's Tale, written with John Caird, has had multiple productions in Japan. His other shows include: Stellar Atmospheres, Little Dorrit, Schwab's, Analog and Vinyl, The Front, Juliet and Romeo, Sleepy Hollow, First Night, The Circle, Ribbit, Greetings From Venice Beach and The Sportswriter. In his former life, Paul was a pop songwriter, writing several number one hits.Special Thanks:Richard Hillman PRTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergMore Call Me Adam:Website: www.callmeadam.comFacebook: @CallMeAdamNYCInstagram: @CallMeAdamNYC

Season Finale! Grab your Playbills and pens and meet me at the stage door of the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, as I look at the history of, and review, the 2001 Broadway musical "Jane Eyre,"starring Marla Schaffel and James Barbour, with music and lyrics by Paul Gordon, and book by John Caird. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-reader-a-jane-eyre-podcast/id1585429797 Don't use iTunes? Use this link for your podcast catcher: https://feeds.feedburner.com/dear-reader-podcast Also available on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts Follow DEAR READER on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/batgirltooracle This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK: Visit the Fire & Water WEBSITE: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com Follow Fire & Water on TWITTER – https://twitter.com/FWPodcasts Like our Fire & Water FACEBOOK page – https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Support The Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts Use our HASHTAG online: #FWPodcasts Put down your comics, pick up your first editions, and subscribe to DEAR READER, A JANE EYRE PODCAST!

For Video Edition, Please CLick and Subscribe Here:  https://youtu.be/vsLJM9r6zdY Random Act of Kindness Day - Want to change the world? Start with a random act of kindness! One random act of kindness could be to tell a friend about this show! We will be joined by three special artists to be announced later this week who are creating against the odds of Covid. Versatile and sophisticated jazz guitarist Ron Jackson has performed, recorded and taught music in over 30 countries. With a varied career as a performer, composer and arranger, Highlights include shows and tours with artists such as Taj Mahal, Jimmy McGriff, Larry Coryell, Benny Golson, Oliver Lake, Russell Malone and Mulgrew Miller.  Ron currently teaches guitar at Jazz at Lincoln Center, The New School, Midori and Friends, and is the founder and director of the website www.practicejazzguitar.com. Chuck Muckle (director/playwright/actor/composer) directed IN LOVE WITH THE ARROW COLLAR MAN and MOURNING BECOMES RIDICULOUS at the New York New Works Festival last year. Lance Ringel's career as a writer and journalist has spanned more than four decades. His novel Flower of Iowa, an epic romance between two soldiers in the First World War, has met with unexpected success in the United States and Europe, receiving accolades from Kirkus Reviews and Stephen Fry, among many others. Both Arrow Collar Man and the musical Animal Story, for which Ringel wrote book and lyrics to Chuck Muckle's score, made the semifinals of the New York New Works Theatre Festival.  He also wrote the narrative for At Home in the World, a joint production of Vassar and Japan's Ashinaga Foundation, which played in Tokyo, New York, Washington, D.C., and Kampala, Uganda, under the direction of John Caird.

Paul Gordon was nominated for a 2001 Tony Award for composing the music and lyrics to the musical Jane Eyre. He won the 2015 Jeff Award for Best New Work for his book, music and lyrics for Sense and Sensibility, commissioned by Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. He is the recipient of the 2009 Ovation Award for his music and lyrics to Daddy Long Legs which has had productions all over the world, including Off-Broadway, where it was nominated for 2 Drama Desk Awards, an Off-Broadway Alliance Award and 3 Outer Critic Circle awards. Knight's Tale, written with John Caird, opened at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo in 2018 and was remounted in 2021. He is one of the 3 founders of StreamingMusicals.com and his critically acclaimed Austen adaptations, Emma and Pride and Prejudice can be streamed on StreamingMusicals and Amazon Prime. Estella Scrooge, Being Earnest and No One Called Ahead can also be streamed on StreamingMusicals.com. His other shows include: Analog and Vinyl, Stellar Atmospheres, The Front, Juliet and Romeo, Ribbit, Sleepy Hollow, The Circle and The Sportswriter. Look to license Paul's work at Music Theatre International and Uproar Theatrics In his former life, Paul was a pop songwriter and wrote several number one hits. Paul Gordon Website

Yin & Tonic YogaRuby's PoisonFrances RuffelleFrom her Tony Award winning performance as Eponine in Les Miserables, to her extensive stage appearances in London’s West End, to her ongoing work as a composer, author, recording artists and cabaret performer, Frances Ruffelle is constantly finding new ways to reinvent herself.  On stage, Frances was able to explore her love of French chanteuse Edith Piaf, playing the title role in Pam Gems’ play Piaf at the Curve Theatre, Leicester, for which she received a UK Theatre award nomination. Additional stage highlights include the role of Dinah in the original production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express, the role of Yonah in director John Caird’s production of Children of Eden, and starring as Roxie Hart in Chicago at London’s Adelphi Theatre. Following the success of her widely acclaimed solo Beneath The Dress concerts at the Edinburgh Festival and in London, Frances took the show to legendary venue 54 Below in New York, for a series of sold out performances. Her follow-up show, Paris Original, premiered at The Crazy Coqs in London.  Ruby’s Poison, her most recent project, is due to arrive in London and New York in the near future. As a singer/songwriter, Frances has released the albums Fragile, Frances Ruffelle (produced by Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp), Showgirl, Imperfectly Me, and I Say Yeh-Yeh. She is also a licensed yoga instructor, and recorded the meditative album Yin&Tonic, based on ancient Sanskrit mantras.

Welcome back to the 7th episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. The theatres may be closed, but art finds a way to survive! For the time being on this podcast we are rereleasing our past reviews, interviews, roundtables, and duet reviews in remastered audio only versions so you can take your CoH content on the go! For our fifth episode we continue to release our inaugural run of The Cup: Reviews, where we reviewed the Stratford Festival Production series that streamed on YouTube last spring. In this episode we discussed the 2015 production of Love's Labour's Lost, directed by John Caird, starring Mike Shara in the role of Berowne. You can watch this production and all other Stratford Festival productions on their new streaming platform Stratfest@Home. Here is the link (subscription needed): https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/AtHome Cup of Hemlock Theatre is a Toronto-based performing arts collective dedicated to staging works that examine the moral quandaries of the human experience. With an inquisitive compass, we aim to provide audiences the space to retrace their personal stories and navigate their individual ideologies. Follow us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: cohtheatre Follow our panelists: Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeat Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/before-the-downbeat-a-musical-podcast/id1478579754?uo=4 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/154zV9bBHUGBUkbzwpJ6ws Katie Miller – Instagram: merciermiller Jillian Robinson – Instagram: jillian.robinson96 Ryan Borochovitz – [Just send all that love to CoH instead; he won't mind!] --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cup-of-hemlock-theatre/support

Host Luisa Lyons chats with Tony nominated composer Paul Gordon. Topics include Jane Eyre, Daddy Long Legs, how union rules impact artists, the differences between subscription and pay-per-view models, why filming musicals is important, and making theatre more accessible, sustainable, and fair. Paul Gordon was nominated for a 2001 Tony Award for composing the music and lyrics to the musical Jane Eyre. He won the 2015 Jeff Award for Best New Work for his book, music and lyrics for Sense and Sensibility, commissioned by Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. His critically acclaimed stage musicals, EMMA and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE are available to stream on Amazon Prime. He is the recipient of the 2009 Ovation Award for his music and lyrics to Daddy Long Legs which has had productions all over the world, including Off-Broadway, where it was nominated for 2 Drama Desk Awards, an Off-Broadway Alliance Award and 3 Outer Critic Circle awards. Daddy Long Legs was also the first off-Broadway musical to be livestreamed. No One Called Ahead was filmed and released in June of 2019. Knight’s Tale, written with John Caird, opened at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo in 2018 while the concert version debuted in 2020 with the Tokyo Philharmonic. His other shows include: Being Earnest, Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol with a Twist, Analog and Vinyl, Stellar Atmospheres, The Front, Juliet and Romeo, Sleepy Hollow, The Circle and The Sportswriter. In his former life, Paul was a pop songwriter and wrote several number one hits. Learn more about Paul Gordon at www.paul-gordon.weebly.com/ and follow him on Twitter.Visit Filmed Live Musicals at www.filmedlivemusicals.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also support the site at Patreon. Host Luisa Lyons is an Australian actor, writer, and musician. She holds a Masters in Music Theatre from London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and now lives, works, and plays in New York. Learn more at www.luisalyons.com or follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

On this edition of Bagels and Broadway, the incredible acclaimed director and writer John Caird talks about his new musical Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol With a Twist. Also find out about Pandemic Solutions, a company offering compelling ways to create a safe environment in large and small venues. CEO Peter Cantone weighs in. Plus, celebrity chef Vincent Tropepe reveals a new confection line of his and talks about food safety during the holidays. Also, small business and marketing expert Nic Faitos from Starbright Floral design. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts : Andrew Ross and Bonna Sue Burtt A journalist and writer for four decades, Lance Ringel has penned five novels and three plays. At Vassar College, where he has worked for 14 years, he served as principal writer for Vassar Voices, a staged reading honoring the college’s sesquicentennial. It debuted at Lincoln Center, starring Meryl Streep, Lisa Kudrow and Frances Sternhagen and subsequently toured America and London. Ringel also wrote the narrative for At Home in the World, a music-and-words collaboration directed by John Caird that recently played across Japan. As editor of the Weekend section of the Taconic Newspapers in the Hudson Valley from 1996 to 1998, Ringel wrote theater and film reviews and maintained a weekly column. A native of central Illinois, Ringel has had an impressive career in politics as well, serving as Assistant Commissioner of Human Rights under New York Governor Mario Cuomo. He currently resides in Poughkeepsie, New York, with his spouse of 37 years, actor-composer Chuck Muckle. Flower of Iowa is his first published work.

The SCF Musical Theatre Program is proud to offer the 2020 Fall Musical Children of Eden through a pre-recorded scheduled content viewing experience available onSaturday, November 7, 7:30 p.m.Sunday, November 8, 2:00 p.m.Sunday, November 8, 7:30 p.m.Stephen Schwartz and John Caird’s musical, Children of Eden, casts the beloved biblical stories of Genesis through the personal lens of family. This epic musical starts with the very beginning: the creation of the universe. Father breathes life into his children, Adam and Eve, and learns that the hardest part of being a loving Father is letting go. It’s a lesson that translates into the parenting of Cain, Abel, and Seth – and is reiterated once again as Noah parents his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. This joyous and inspiring musical celebrates the difficulty of choice, the importance of passion, the value of questioning, and the pain in allowing those you love to take risks and face the consequences.The cast of Children of Eden will be wearing "Singing Masks" and following CDC guidelines in regard to social distancing throughout the entire performance.The production will be filmed on Friday, November 6 in the Neel Performing Arts Center and available for viewing on Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. andSunday, November 8 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. • Children of Eden Tickets• SCF Foundation Donate2Music Link to donate to the SCF Music Program• Text Code to donate to the SCF Music Program: Text "SCFMUSIC" to 41444 • SCF Music Program Website & Facebook & Instagram• SCF Theatre Program Website & Facebook Page & Instagram• SCF Art Gallery Facebook & Instagram• SCF Foundation Website & Facebook & Instagram & LinkedIn• State College of Florida Website and Facebook and Instagram and YouTubeSupport the show (https://scf-foundation.org/suncoastcultureclub/)

Matthew invites his first guest of Amelia Smith, actor and director of Still Small Theatre, to talk about their favorite underrated musical: Jane Eyre by Paul Gordon and John Caird.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/matt-garlin/support

In April 2019 a new opera with music by the composer Tarik O’Regan had its premiere at Houston Grand Opera. Called “The Phoenix”, it’s based on the life of Lorenzo Da Ponte, best known as Mozart’s librettist. The opera has been years in the making, from Tarik’s first idea to the final rewrites. We follow Tarik through months of creating the music, the orchestrations and the workshop processes with his collaborator, the librettist and director John Caird. From Tarik’s original base in the former Swaziland, now known as eSwatini, to meetings in London and rehearsals in Houston, we hear how the process of working on an opera is a global business and how the music evolves over a long period from first sketches to opening night. This is an updated version of the podcast. We changed the ending because the next podcast will be with the opera star Danielle de Niese, rather than Iris Van Herpen. We’ll get to Iris soon.

If you like A.R. Gurney’s popular two-person play “Love Letters”, you’re going to love “Daddy Long Legs”, a musical adaptation of the 1912 novel by Jean Webster. Set at the turn of the 20th century, it’s the story of the relationship between an orphan and her mysterious benefactor as told – well, actually, sung – through a series of letters. Elly Lichenstein, Artistic Director of Petaluma’s Cinnabar Theater, transports her directorial skills from the cozy confines of Cinnabar to the even cozier confines of Sebastopol’s Main Stage West for this production. Jerusha Abbott (Madison Genovese), the oldest orphan at the John Grier Home, is surprised to learn that a trustee who’s been impressed with her writing will provide her with a college education under a very particular set of circumstances. She must write him regularly with the knowledge that he will never respond. He will remain anonymous with her letters simply to be addressed to “Mr. Smith”. Jerusha imagines him to be a trustee whose shadow she caught a glimpse of one evening. His legs were long and spindly and as he is a trustee she imagines him to be quite old. Rather than address her benefactor with his chosen boring moniker, she titles him “Daddy Long Legs.” Her benefactor is actually Jervis Pendleton (Tyler Costin), a young philanthropist who is at first amused but soon enchanted by Jerusha’s musings on college life and her personal growth. As he’s the uncle of one of Jerusha’s college roommates, he arranges to meet her while maintaining his anonymity. Their relationship grows over the four years of college, but Jerusha’s graduation may finally force Jervis’s hand in revealing his true identity. This entire tale is told through song with titles like “Who is this Man?”, “She Thinks I’m Old”, “Freshman Year Studies”, “The Secret of Happiness”, “Graduation Day” and the like. The show’s format demands that the music and lyrics by Paul Gordon and John Caird be heavy on exposition and there’s so much of it that it often feels repetitive and one note. Ah, but it’s a beautifully sung note. Ms. Genovese brings pluck and charm to Jerusha and Mr. Costin’s physical lankiness is perfect for the role of Jervis. Both are in fine voice and complement each other quite well in their duets. They manage to completely avoid the trap that a closer examination of the storyline might provide. Elizabeth Craven had designed a very utilitarian set for the small MSW stage with half of it occupied by Jervis’s study and the other half representing the orphanage, the college, a farm and a mountaintop at various times. Musical director Dave MacNab and his three-piece orchestra give the often-sweet score its due with the cello work by Gwenyth Davis particularly emotive. Director Lichenstein, though again limited by the show’s epistolary format and the relatively small performance space, manages to add a few nice directorial touches that when combined with two appealing performances ends with the result being a very pleasant evening of musical theatre. “Daddy Long Legs” plays at Sebastopol’s Main Stage West through December 10, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm, with Sunday matinees at 5pm. For more information, go to mainstagewest.com

Gunnel Lindblom har arbetat som skådespelare och regissör i 65 år, både med teater och film. Just nu är hon aktuell som regissör på Dramaten. Hon intervjuas av Anneli Dufva. Gunnel Lindblom fyller 86 år i december och är välkänd efter ett långt och pågående yrkesliv. Hon har en lång, lång meritlista efter att ha arbetat som skådespelare och regissör i minst 65 år vid det här laget både med teater och film. Känd inte minst för sina roller i flera av Ingmar Bergmans filmer.  Hon föddes i Göteborg och utbildades på elevskolan vid Göteborgs Stadsteater 1950-53. Lindblom lockades av Ingmar Bergman till Malmö Stadsteater, där han var chef på 50-talet, och hon gjorde där en rad stora roller bland annat Gretchen i Goethes Faust och Solveig i Ibsens Peer Gynt. Hon gjorde också en rad filmer med Bergman som regissör. Och hade även roller i Mai Zetterlings filmer, Älskande par och Flickorna. Gunnel Lindblom  har både spelat och regisserat på tv-teatern och i radioteatern och hon har regisserat filmer som Paradistorg och Sally och friheten. Men hon har även regisserat teater i Norge och Danmark och hon har arbetat mycket på Dramaten där hon spelat i uppsättningar regisserade av såväl Ingmar Bergman, som Eva Bergman, John Caird och Staffan Valdemar Holm. Själv har hon satt upp bland annat Tjechov, Ibsen, Strindberg och Jon Fosse och nu senast Thomas Bernhards pjäs Ritter, Dene, Voss som spelas nu på Dramaten. Alla tre som är med i pjäsen är tidigare intervjuade i Teaterprogrammet: Staffan Göthe, Stina Ekblad och Irene Lindh. Snart har Gunnel Lindblom också premiär på en ny svensk kortfilm av Åsa Kalmér. I Möte om eftermiddagen spelar hon mot Sven-Bertil Taube i ett äktenskapsdrama som specialskrevs av Henning Mankell för Gunnel Lindblom och som också finns som Radioteater med just Lindblom. Gunnel Lindblom valde en bit ur Lorcas Fröken Rosita som sitt klipp. Av upphovsrättsliga skäl finns inte föreställningen att lyssna på.

På Dramaten sedan 1960-talet, gjort massor av film och TV. Är Petunia Dursleys svenska röst i Harry Potter - och har spelat in Carl Jonas Love Amqvists Songes på skiva. Irene Lindh är skådespelare och sångare, född 1945 i Stockholm. Hon utbildades på Dramatens elevskola 1964-67 och har sedan dess varit knuten till Dramaten. Där har hon arbetat med regissörer som Alf Sjöberg, Ernst Günther, Karl Dunér, John Caird, Mattias Andersson, Stefan Larsson, Staffan Valdemar Holm, Tobias Theorell... Hon har också gjort många roller på tv och film bland annat i tv-serien om A-gruppen baserad på Arne Dahls romaner. Har även gjort rösten till Petunia Dursley i Harry Potterfilmerna och spelat in C J L Amqvist Songes på skiva.

John Caird is an English stage director and writer of plays, musicals and operas. He is an honorary associate director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a regular director with the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain and the Principal Guest Director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre, Stockholm (Dramaten). John Caird is a guy who defies convention and at the same time has achieved incredible conventional success.  His credits include the epic The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Jane Eyre, a ton of shows at the RSC, operas all over the world and oh yeah, that little show called Les Misérables.   He’s also a writer as well, and his most recent credit happens to be Daddy Long Legs playing at my very own theater. While we were in tech for DLL, I pulled John aside to hear what other advice he had for me and for all of you out there, including: What he thought right after the heard the demo of Les Miz (his answer should be printed on a t-shirt and worn by artists everywhere). Why he doesn’t read reviews. Why he wouldn’t let Andrew Lloyd Webber change the title of Song & Dance. Would the 8.5-hour Nicholas Nickleby get produced today? With all these big shows and big operas, why he was so drawn to an intimate two-character musical like Daddy Long Legs (and why you should be too). Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we visit with another designer from across the pond, it's Tony nominated Scenic and Costume Designer, David Farley! David was in town finally bringing 'Daddy Long Legs' to New York after playing around the globe for 6 years. He tells us about the evolution of the design and the process of modifying the set to fit different theatres. David and Cory dig into the artistic, practical and economical differences of being a designer in the US vs the UK and they chat about David's award winning work on 'Sunday in the Park...', why designing Josh Groban's tour was more difficult than you would think, designing in the Festival Theatre at Stratford and the qualities he loves in his frequent collaborators John Caird, Trevor Nunn, and John Doyle. But David isn't all work…he also shares insight into being a designer on the road with an infant back home and why he's passionate about his garden. It's a great show, but mainly because of how adorably he pronounces ‘aluminum.' Grab a seat in the stalls, raise the gauze and enjoy this week's panto!

Bob Wilcox and Gerry Kowarsky review (1) LES MISERABLES, by Claude-Michel Schonberg, Alain Boublil Jean-Marc Natel, et al., at the Fox Theatre, (2) DADDY LONG LEGS, by Paul Gordon & John Caird, at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, (3) SPRING AWAKENING, by Frank Wedekind, Duncan Sheik, & Steve Sater, at Stray Dog Theatre, (4) LOST IN YONKERS, by Neil Simon, at the New Jewish Theatre, (5) THE HAIRY APE, by Eugene O'Neill, at Upstream Theater, (6) GOOD, by C.P. Taylor, at St. Louis Actors' Studio, (7) WONDER OF THE WORLD, by David Lindsay-Abaire, at St. Louis University, and (8) INVENTING VAN GOGH, by Steve Dietz, at West End Players Guild.

This is a workpack for John Caird's 2000 production of Hamlet. This pack includes practical exercises and a look at Hamlet in popular culture.

Idag blev det klart vilka nunor som ska pryda framtidens sedlar, och ny 500-lapp blir alltså operalegendaren Birgit Nilsson. Vi har satt konstnären Hannes Fossbo på att rita en egen sedel, och hör med honom vilka han egentligen skulle velat se på sedlarna. Vi uppmärksammar den råa mattrenden - här i Sverige är restaurangen Frantzén/Lindeberg först med att servera levande havskräftor. De kommer hit och bjuder Nordegren på en garanterat rå matupplevelse. I samband med detta undrar vi också om ostron har ett själsliv? Och så rasar Nordegren själv mot tassandet och nigandet inför den brittiske teaterregissören John Caird, aktuell på Dramaten med sin uppsättning av Romeo och Julia. Återstår att se om teaterrecensenten Jenny Telemans närvaro i studion kan lugna honom. Dagens bisittare: Natalia Kazmierska.

Images, articles, interviews and points for discussion.

Puccini's diva drama, TOSCA is at Houston Grand Opera from Jan 22 to Feb 7, 2010www.HoustonGrandOpera.org/ToscaRenowned soprano Patricia Racette makes her role debut as the passionate Floria Tosca in Puccinis timeless drama. Tenor Marcus Haddock is the painter Mario Cavaradossi, whom Tosca adores and Raymond Aceto sings the menacing Baron Scarpia who will stop at nothing to destroy the object of Toscas affections. Created especially for Houston Grand Opera, this new production by John Caird features classic sets and costumes designed by Bunny Christie in the style of nineteenth-century Rome.

The production team of "Stanley" -- press representative Bill Evans, producers Gregory Mosher and Edgar Rosenblum, and marketing representative Evan Shapiro -- discuss the process of bringing the play from the Royal National Theatre in London to Broadway, working with director John Caird, extensive press coverage, and target marketing including a new $10 ticket program aimed at young people.

The production team of Stanley -- press representative Bill Evans, producers Gregory Mosher (Tony Award winner for his revivals of Anything Goes in 1988 and Our Town in 1989) and Edgar Rosenblum, and marketing representative Evan Shapiro -- discuss the process of bringing the play from the Royal National Theatre in London to Broadway, working with director John Caird, extensive press coverage, and target marketing including a new $10 ticket program aimed at young people.