BROADWAY NATION

Latest Episodes:

Episode 106; ITAMAR MOSES — From THE BAND"S VISIT to AN AMERICAN TAIL Apr 27, 2023

Show notes

My guest this week is playwright Itamar Moses, winner of the 2018 Tony Award for “Best Book of a Musical” for his beautiful work on the Tony Award winning “Best Musical”, The Band’s Visit.

His other theater work includes the plays Bach at Leipzig, The Four Of Us, Completeness, and The Whistleblower, and the musicals Nobody Loves You, and The Fortress of Solitude. He has also written for several acclaimed television series including Boardwalk Empire and The Affair.

His current project, and the main subject of our conversation , is his new stage adaptation of the hit 1986 animated film, An American Tail, for which he has written the book and co-written the lyrics of the new songs. Performances began yesterday, April 26, at the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis where it will play through June 18, 2023.

As you will hear, in this episode Itamar Moses and I also discuss his own family and childhood connections to the story of An American Tail/; how he was came to be a playwright in the first place; the differences between writing plays and writing musicals, as well ad the many challenges of musical adaptation and much more!

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This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of Broadway Nation Patron Club members Alejandro Membreno, Ellie Schaffer, and Judy Hucka.

If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you too to become a PATRON!

For a just $7.00 a month you will 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:

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Episode 105: Two Degrees of George Abbott, The Abbott Touch, part 2 Apr 20, 2023

Show notes

This is the second half of my conversation with Thomas Hischak whose new book is titled The Abbott Touch — Pal Joey, Damn Yankees and the Theatre of George Abbott.

If you missed part one, you may want to catch up with the previous episode before listening to this one.

George Abbott was a major force in the American Theater for more than 80 years. As an actor, director, playwright, and producer — and often several of those at the same time — he played a significant role in the creation of well over 100 Broadway plays and musicals including Jumbo, The Boys From Syracuse, On The Town, Where’s Charlie, Call Me Madam, The Pajama Game, Once Upon A Mattress and Fiorello to name only a few.

Thomas Hischak is the author of more than 30 books about Broadway, Hollywood and popular music including Musical Misfires — three decades of Broadway Musical heartbreak, The Mikado to Matilda — British Musicals on the New York Stage, and the Tin Pan Alley Encyclopedia.

At the end of our previous episode Thomas Hischak and I were just beginning a discussion of the remarkable list of Broadway greatest writers, directors and choreographers who were all in essence trained and mentored by Mr. Abbott including Rodgers & Hart, Comden, Green & Bernstein, Adler & Ross, Bock & Harnick, Kander & Ebb, Jerome Robbins and most especially, Harold Prince.

We also explore his reputation as a "show doctor." We will never now how many shows he advised and "fixed" on their way to Broadway.

Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of Patron Club members Kelly Allen, Roger Klorese, and Neil Hoyt. If you too would like to support the work of Broadway Nation I will have information at the end of this podcast about how you too can join the club.

If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON!

For a just $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!

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Episode 104: The Abbott Touch — The Theatre of George Abbott, part 1. Apr 13, 2023

Show notes

My guest this week is author Thomas Hischak whose new book is titled:

The Abbott Touch — Pal Joey, Damn Yankees and the theatre of George Abbott.

For more than 60 years — from 1913 to 1994 — George Abbott was a major force on Broadway. As an actor, director, playwright, bookwriter, play doctor, and producer he applied his famous "touch" to more than 100 plays and musicals from Rodgers & Hart’s On Your Toes to Stephen Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.

Remarkably, this is the first book to take a deep dive into Abbott’s work and career and to analyze what he did, how he worked, what he contributed, what innovations he brought to Broadway, and how he stayed at the top of his field for so long?

And, of course, the most fundamental question of all: What exactly was that famous “Abbott Touch”?

Thomas Hischak is the author of more than 30 books about Broadway, Hollywood, and popular music including The Oxford Companion To The American Musical, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Encyclopedia, and Broadway Decoded: Musical Theatre’s Forgotten References.

And as you will hear, he is a delight to talk to about Broadway!

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If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link:

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Episode 103: More Scandalous Gertrude Hoffmann Apr 06, 2023

Show notes

My guest again this week is Sunny Stalter-Pace whose fascinating new book is titled:

Imitation Artist — Gertrude Hoffmann’s Life in Vaudeville and Dance.

Choreographer, producer, director, and dancing star, Gertrude Hoffmann was a close colleague and key collaborator with neatly all the legendary figures of early Broadway including Florenz Ziegfeld, Oscar Hammerstein I, the Shubert Brothers, and George M. Cohan. But, unfortunately Gertrude Hoffmann has been left out of most of the history books, at least until this book came out.

On the last episode Sunny shared the story of Hoffmann’s journey from teenage dancing star in San Francisco, to her marriage to arranger and composer Max Hoffmann, and her early success in the roof garden theaters of New York where she become the first woman to receive billing for choreographing a Broadway musical.

As we left off, Gertrude’s star was rising and she was capitalizing on her skill for mimicry by doing impressions the greatest stars of her day, both female and male, and sometimes impersonating them in the same show with those stars. But it was her next venture that makes her one of the most famous women in America when she takes on the role of “Salome” and performs her scandalous dance of the seven veils. That’s where we pick up our conversation today.

As you will hear, following this “succès de scandale,” Gertrude Hoffman’s amazing career will include introducing the dances of the famed Ballet Russe to America (without their permission!), becoming a headlining vaudeville star, creating her own troupe of dancers —The Gertrude Hoffmann Girls — who become an international sensation, as well as starring in and/or choreographing a string of hit 1920’s Broadway musicals that include From Broadway to Paris, Artists & Models, A Night in Paris, and A Night In Spain.

And as Sunny Stalter-Pace tells us her one of her legacies is to demonstrate that women were involved in the creation of the Broadway musical from the very beginning.

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Episode 102: The Scandalous Life & Career of GERTRUDE HOFFMANN Mar 30, 2023

Show notes

My guest this week is Sunny Stalter-Pace whose wonderful new book is titled:

Imitation Artist — Gertrude Hoffmann’s Life in Vaudeville and Dance.

And I am happy to say that this book covers her life on Broadway as well.

As you will hear Gertrude Hoffmann is another of those dynamic women who played key roles in the invention of the Broadway Musical but unfortunately have mostly fallen out of the history books, and are nearly forgotten today.

Not only was she a scandalous and transgressive Broadway dancing star, she was also a producer, writer, director, and the first woman to choreograph a Broadway show — or at least the first to be credited for doing so. Her world-famous troop of Gertrude Hoffman Girls established a template for Broadway dance ensembles that is still very much with us today.

Beyond Broadway her influence and innovations extend into the worlds of Ballet, Night Clubs, Vaudeville, and Modern Dance.

In this episode Sunny shares with us how Gertrude Hoffmann grew up in the vibrant theatrical world of late 19th Century San Francisco, and became a noted performer there while still in her teens. Soon after, she joined a traveling show that takes her to NYC and met her soon to be husband — music director and composer, Max Hoffman, who goes on to compose music for 12 Broadway shows.

Gertrude Hoffmann was a trusted colleague and key collaborator with almost all the legendary figures of early Broadway including Florenz Ziegfeld, Oscar Hammerstein I, the Shubert Brothers, and George M. Cohan. She also mentored, collaborated with and/or feuded with many of the biggest stars of the era including The Dolly Sisters, Charlotte Greenwood, Eva Tanguay, and Anna Held.

Sunny Stalter-Pace is an Associate Professor of American Literature at Auburn University, and it is my great pleasure to join with her to give some long overdue recognition to this important figure in the development of early 20th century show business.

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Episode 101: Round In Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CAROUSEL, part 3 Mar 23, 2023

Show notes

This is the third and final part of my conversation with author, Barry Kester whose new book is titled, Round In Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL.

(If you missed either of the previous two episodes you may want to catch up with those before listening to this one. )

First we focus on Carousel’s most famous song, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and explore the extraordinary impact it’s had on the world. Then Barry and I discuss the movie version of Carousel, including why many people view it as the least successful of the Rodgers & Hammerstein film adaptations. We also discuss the groundbreaking 1993 UK National Theatre production that transferred to Broadway and introduced and revitalized the show for a new generation of fans, including Barry Kester who became so enamored by the musical that eventually he wrote this book about it. Finally, we also delve into Carousel's difficult and controversial subject matter that often makes it challenging to stage in the 21st Century.

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If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link:

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Episode 99: ROUND IN CIRCLES, part 2 Mar 09, 2023

Show notes

This is the second part of my conversation with author Barry Kester whose fascinating new book is titled: Round In Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL.

Last week we focused on the three people most responsible for the creation of CAROUSEL — Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers, and the dynamic producer Theresa Helburn, whose vision and obsession it was to turn Ferenc Molnar’s play Liliom into a musical.

This week Barry takes us behind the scenes of CAROUSEL’s rehearsal period and it’s rocky out-of-town tryout including its very first performance in New Haven where the show ran more than four hours long! Along the way we have the opportunity to focus on the other key members of Carousel’s creative team — choreographer Agnes De Mille, director Rouben Mamoulian, dance arranger Trude Rittmann, and orchestrator Don Walker — all of whom were crucial in helping Rodgers & Hammerstein turn what could have been a disaster into one of the landmark musicals of the “Golden Age of Broadway.”

If you missed part one you may want to catch up with that episode before listening to this one.

This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of Patron Club Members:

Roger Kloresse, Elizabeth Troxler and Chris Moad.

Thank you all!

How to become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON!

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!

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Episode 98: Round In Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CAROUSEL Mar 02, 2023

Show notes

My guest on Broadway Nation this week is Barry Kester, author of the fascinating new book:

Round In Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL.

I thought I knew a lot about Carousel — and in fact Albert Evans and I have previously devoted several previous episodes to that show and its truly groundbreaking innovations. However, we both found this book to be filled with new information, new discoveries, and new insights.

Based on his exemplary research, Barry Kester takes us deep inside Rodgers & Hammerstein’s creative process as they endevour to transform Ferenc Molnar’s dark, fantastical play, Liliom, into their second Broadway musical collaboration, which they know will be compared to their first show, Oklahoma!, which had become the most successful Broadway Musical of all time and was still going strong! So, they consciously set out to do something very different.

At the center of this story is a dynamic woman, producer Theresa Helborn, who was the inspiring, driving force behind the show. In fact, without Helborn there would have been no Carousel or Oklahoma!

This is the first of three episodes in which Barry will share with us not only these fascinating stories but also his own unlikely and surprising tale of how he came to write this book.

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Special Bonus Encore Episode: When Broadway Was Black, part Two! Feb 26, 2023

Show notes

This is a special bonus Encore episode of Broadway Nation in celebration of the rerelease of the book formerly known as Footnotes and now retitled When Broadway Was Black — The Triumphant Story of The All Black Musical That Changed The World.

In the first segment you will hear part of my very recent conversation with author Caseen Gains all about this new retitled and updated version of his fascinating history of the 1921 musical Shuffle Along! Then you’ll hear the second part of my original discussion with him recorded back when the book first came out.

And if you missed it you can hear the first half of both of those conversations on the previous episode of Broadway Nation.

One final note: If you live in NY or are going to be there on May 22nd you can join Caseen at 54 Below for a special event he is producing called: 54 Sings Shuffle Along! Featuring an all-star cast of performers.

Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

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If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link:

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Encore Episode: When Broadway Was Black! Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

This is a special Encore edition of Broadway Nation.

In the fall of 2021, I devoted two episodes to the remarkable book Footnotes by Caseen Gaines which was published to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the landmark musical Shuffle Along. Now that book has just been rereleased in paperback and retitled, When Broadway Was Black — The Triumphant Story of The All Black Musical That Changed The World. So, this seemed like the perfect time to rerelease those episodes, and just like Cassen has done with his book, to include some new and updated content.

First you will hear a segment of a discussion I had just last week with Caseen about this rerelease of his book, and then the first half of our original conversation.

I’ll be releasing part two with even more new content as a bonus episode this coming Sunday.

Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON!

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!

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