BROADWAY NATION

Latest Episodes:

Episode 90: A Novel Approach To Broadway History Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

My guest this week is author Laura Frankos whose delightful and entertaining new novel is titled Broadway Revival — What If Gershwin Had Lived?

Although this is the first work of fiction that I have featured on this podcast, as you will hear, Broadway Revival is filled with fascinating and meticulously researched Broadway history.

One of the greatest joys of this book is that it provides all of us the opportunity to go back in time and experience legendary Broadway musicals of the 1930s, 40s, & 50s — at least vicariously — through the eyes of the story’s protagonist David Greenbaum.

Other central characters include George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Vincent Youmans, Jerome Kern, Kurt Weil, Richard Rodgers & Larry Hart. In fact, an alternate subtitle for the book could have been, “The Time Travelers Boyfriend — Larry Hart”!

Laura Frankos is also the author of the The Broadway Musical Quiz Book, the mystery novel St. Oswald’s Niche, numerous stories which have appeared in fantasy, mystery, and science fiction magazines, and she also contributed a chapter to the recent book 50 Key Stage Musicals.

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Episode 89: More Of Why We Love/Hate Movie Musicals! Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

This is the second half of my conversation with my dear friend and frequent co-host, Albert Evans, in which we explore the differences between stage and film musicals. If you missed part one you may want to catch up before listening to this one.

Of course, we don’t really hate any movie musicals, and as you heard on the previous episode and will continue to hear on this one, we actually love quite a few of them.

Hollywood and Broadway musicals are closely related to one another and share many of the same writers, directors, choreographers and stars – which is no doubt why many books and other podcasts analyze and discuss them together. But, as you will hear, Albert and I see stage musicals and film musicals as being two very wonderful, but very different things.

Enjoy!

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Episode 88: Why We Love/Hate Movie Musicals, part 1 Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

This episode is in response to a question I get quite often from listeners: Is Broadway Nation ever going to focus on movie musicals? Well, today is the day!

Of course, I don’t really hate any movie musicals. And I love quite a few of them.

In fact, it was largely old movie musicals from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s that I watched on TV when I was a kid back in the 60s and 70s that made be fall in love with show business in the first place. No doubt because so many of them were backstage musicals set in the worlds of Vaudeville, nightclubs, and the bright lights of Broadway.

The history of stage and film musicals is, of course, closely related, and they share many of the same creators and stars – which is no doubt why many historians and books analyze and discuss them together. I however see stage musicals and film musicals as being two very different things.

What are the main differences between them?

I am thrilled to be joined today by my dear friend and frequent Broadway Nation co-host, Albert Evans, to explore and define those differences -- and at least for a day -- give film musicals some love (and maybe a little bit of criticism) on this podcast.

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Episode 87: Sondheim And Me Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

My guest this week on Broadway Nation podcast is Paul Salsini, author of the memoir, Sondheim & Me.

Many listeners will know Paul as the founder and original editor of the much beloved magazine, The Sondheim Review, the first only quarterly magazine ever devoted to a living musical theater composer.

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.

Paul’s new book 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.

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Episode 86: A Preview of the Museum Of Broadway! Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

New episode out now!

My guests this week are JULIE BOARDMAN & DIANE NICOLETTI — the founders and driving forces behind the Museum Of Broadway!

In this episode Julie and Diane share with us the story of how this first ever Broadway museum has come to be. They profile the team extraordinary talents they put together to create it, and most importantly they give us the inside scoop on what to expect when this highly immersive and experiential museum opens next week on November 15, 2020, in the heart of Times Square.

I also chat with BEN WEST who is the MOB’s Resident Historian and the creator of one of its central features — the “Timeline of Broadway” history.

As you will hear, the Museum of Broadway seems to be tailor made for fans of this podcast, and by the end of the episode I have no doubt that you will be as excited about it as I am.

The Museum Of Broadway is located at 145 West 45th Street in New York. Tickets are on sale now at: https://www.themuseumofbroadway.com/about

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Episode 85: RETURN OF THE MONSTER MUSICAL! Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

This is the second half of my conversation with Adam Abraham, author of the engaging new book Attack Of The Monster Musical – A Cultural History Of Little Shop Of Horrors. If you missed the previous episode you may want to catch up with that one before listening to this one.

Last week Adam shared the unlikely behind-the-scenes story of the making of Rodger Corman’s original low budget horror film The Little Shop Of Horrors, and then how that inspired a young writer and director named Howard Ashman to transform it into the stage musical, Little Shop Of Horrors, which quickly became a long running Off-Broadway smash.

This week Adam takes us inside the creation of the hit movie adaptation of the musical -- which opened which opened while the original Off-Broadway stage production was still playing. And we discuss the incredible legacy of Little Shop and its impact on American culture over the past 40 years. Most especially, how it kept the flame alive for American musical comedy during the “British Invasion” of Broadway in the 1980s. Perhaps most importantly we explore the significant influence that Howard Ashman, Alan Menken and Little Shop Of Horrors have had on the several generations of musical theater writers who have followed in their footsteps.

Adam Abraham is a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow at Auburn University, and he also has taught at Virginia Commonwealth University, NYU, and Harvard. His previous books include When Magoo Flew: The Rise And Fall of Animation Studio UPA, and Plagiarizing The Victorian Novel: Imitation, Parody, Aftertext. He has also written for film, television, and theater.

Attack of the Monster Musical provides a fascinating, in depth, look into the dynamic partnership of Howard Ashman & Alan Menken and their creation of what I believe is one of the best and most perfectly crafted musicals of all time!

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Episode 84: Attack Of The Monster Musical, part 1 Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

This special Halloween edition of Broadway Nation!

This is the first part of my conversation with Adam Abraham, author of Attack of the Monster Musical – A Cultural History of Little Shop Of Horrors.

In this terrific new book Adam relates the unlikely story of how Roger Corman’s schlocky, low budget, 1960’s monster movie was transformed 20 years later into a smash hit, long-running, Off-Broadway musical that became an international sensation and spawned a hit film musical adaptation as well. And of course, today Little Shop Of Horrors is a hit all over again and can currently be seen in another long running off-Broadway production.

Attack of the Monster Musical provides us with a fascinating, in depth, look into the dynamic partnership of Howard Ashman & Alan Mencken and their creation of what I believe is one of the best and most perfectly crafted musicals of all time.

Topics discussed in this episode include: How Howard Ashman was influenced by the cast album of GYPSY; how he discovered Roger Corman’s film in the first place; his first musical The Candy Shop;

the truth behind the legend that Corman shot the original movie in just two days; NYC’s Off Broadway scene during the late 1970s and early 80s; the WPA Theater; how an early version of Little Shop bombed at the BMI Workshop; the casting of Ellen Greene & Lee Wilcoff (and how Nathan Lane & Faith Prince were almost in the original cast); why the show never moved to Broadway; what Cameron Mackintosh, David Geffin & the Shubert Organization have to do with the show; how the dream team of Ashman & Menken worked together; and the tragic loss of Howard Ashman.

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Episode 83: Inside The Creation of FOLLIES Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

My guest this week is Ted Chapin who’s captivating 2003 book Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical “Follies,” has recently been reissued in a revised and updated edition.

As you may know, this book is based on Ted’s first-hand experience as the production assistant on the original Broadway production of the Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, & James Goldman landmark musical Follies.

Of course, the expression, “I just couldn’t put that book down” is a cliché – but in this case, it has been absolutely true – twice! -- both when I read this book when it was originally released, and again just a few weeks ago when I had the great pleasure of diving into it all over again.

On last week’s episode, Peter Filichia, talked about wanting to be able to go back in time and be a “fly on the wall” to witness the inner workings of legendary musicals as they were being put together. Ted’s book allows all of us to do exactly that. This book makes you feel as it you are right there in the thick of it during Follies rehearsal period in New York, and in Boston during its out-of-town tryout’s many trials and tribulations.

For 40 years Ted served as the President of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization a role that he was personally chosen by the Rodgers and Hammerstein families to take on. On his watch there were eight Tony Award winning Best Revivals of musicals in the R&H catalogue -- On Your Toes, Carousel, Show Boat, Annie Get Your Gun, South Pacific, The King And I – twice! – and Oklahoma! He also supervised major R&H productions In London, on television, and around the world.

And Ted is the co-founder of the acclaimed City Center Encores! series, and he currently serves on the boards of City Center, The Kurt Weil Foundation, and the American Theatre Wing.

It is always a delight to speak with him – especially in regard to his one-of-a-kind experience of being in the rooms where Follies happened.

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Episode 82: Broadway Musical Debates, Disputes, & Disagreements Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

My guest today is Peter Filichia who is the author of the new book that he calls The Book of Broadway Musical Debates, Disputes, and Disagreements.

As a prolific theater journalist and critic Peter has written for Playbill, Theatermania, Broadway Select, Encore, and if you are in my age range you may even remember a magazine namedTheater Week! You can hear him every week on the Broadway Radio podcast This Week On Broadway.

Most significantly he is the author of five previous books about Broadway including: The Great Parade: Broadway’s Astonishing Never To Be Forgotten 1963-1964 Season; Strippers, Showgirls And Sharks: A Very Opinionated History of Broadway Musicals That Did Not Win The Tony Award; Broadway Musicals MVPs: The Most Valuable Players of The Past 50 Seasons; Broadway Musicals: The Biggest Hit & the Biggest Flop of the Season, 1959 to 2009; and Let’s Put On A Musical.

I’ve known Peter for many years, and it is always a delight to talk with him. As you will hear – much like me – Peter has never been shy about sharing his often very passionate opinions about all things Broadway, both past and present. We don’t always agree, but I'm always fascinated to hear what he has to say.

This is a fun one that I feel certain you will enjoy!

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Special Encore Episode: Cameron Mackintosh & The British Invasion of Broadway Oct 06, 2022

Show notes

As you have probably heard, The Phantom Of The Opera – the longest running show in Broadway history –– recently announced that it will close this coming February, just over 35 years after it first opened on Broadway. This New York production of Phantom has been seen by nearly 20 million people and has grossed $1.3 billion dollars. Globally the show has been seen by 145 million people in 42 countries.

Since this week marks the anniversaries of both CATS – which first opened on Broadway on October 7, 1982, and Les Misérables – which first opened in London on October 8, 1985, it seemed like the perfect time to bring back Episode 28 of Broadway Nation which is titled Cameron Mackintosh & The British Invasion of Broadway (or Sondheim vs. the Poperetta).

In a recent interview in the New York Times, Mackintosh stated that the weekly running cost for TPOTO were more than $950,000, which is about $100,000 more than it was pre-Covid. And at the same time ticket sales have been down 10 to 15 percent on average.

And when asked why the show was so expensive to run, he went on to say this:

“Many of the long-runners — “Cats,” “Chicago,” “Chorus Line,” even “Hamilton,” which will be a long-runner — they’re all single-set shows with mostly limited costumes. We’ve got 27 musicians. It was a different world that Andrew and I created the show in. Most of my great shows were created during the ’80s, and that world has disappeared. We are in different times.”

So, today I thought it would be interesting to journey back to those different times by revisiting one my favorite episodes!

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