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    History

    BROADWAY NATION

    A lively and opinionated cultural history of the Broadway Musical that tells the extraordinary story of how Immigrants, Jews, Queers, African-Americans and other outcasts invented the Broadway Musical, and how they changed America in the process.In Season One, host David Armstrong traces the evolution of American Musical Theater from its birth at the dawn of the 20th Century, through its mid-century “Golden Age”, and right up to its current 21st Century renaissance; and also explore how musicals have reflected and shaped our world — especially in regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, and equality.

    Advertise

    Copyright: © David Armstrong & Broadway Podcast Network

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    Latest Episodes:
    Encore Episode: TRUDE RITMANN & THE WOMEN WHO INVENTED BROADWAY Mar 13, 2025
    Show notes

    You may not know Trude Rittmann's name, but you have heard her music. During the "Golden Age of Broadway" (and beyond), she composed music for 33 Broadway musicals, including Carousel, Brigadoon, South Pacific, Fininan’s Rainbow, The King and I, My Fair Lady, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, and Camelot.


    In this episode, Albert Evans and I tell the story of one of the least known, but most significant, women who invented the musical.

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    Episode 169: If They Asked Me I Could Write A Book Mar 06, 2025
    Show notes

     On this episode, I have a big announcement, so I asked my buddy, friend, colleague, and Broadway Nation’s favorite co-host and guest host, ALBERT EVANS, to join me today to turn the tables on me and ask me the questions rather than me being the interviewer.


    As you may have guessed from the episode title, the announcement is that I have a book coming out called BROADWAY NATION (sound familiar?) and the subtitle will be similar to what you've heard before as well: HOW IMMIGRANT JEWISH, QUEER AND BLACK ARTISTS INVENTED THE BROADWAY MUSICAL.


    It's coming out on July 24th, 2025 from Metheun Drama which is an imprint of Bloomsbury, which is a renowned publishing company with a 100-year history of publishing plays and books about drama books, theater, and musical theater. Many of the authors and books that I have featured on this podcast over the past few years have been published by Metheun Drama/Bloomsbury.


    If you are inclined to want to make sure you get this book at the earliest possible moment it is on presale right now on Amazon everywhere you might buy a book. However, you can get a discount on the Bloomsbury website as follows:


    Paperback: $34.95, but you can buy it for $32.45 on the Bloomsbury site.

    Hardback: $100.00 but you can get it for $90.00 on the Bloomsbury site.

    Ebook: $31:45.


    Here is the link!:

    https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/broadway-nation-9781350428317/

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Episode 168: ACADEMY AWARD WINNING MUSICALS — The Movie Musicals That Won the Oscar for Best Picture Feb 27, 2025
    Show notes

     On this episode, Albert Evans returns to Broadway Nation to discuss a topic we don't often broach on this podcast: Movie Musicals. Of course, movie musicals go hand in glove with Broadway musicals and many film musicals originated as Broadway musicals including several we talk about here because our principal topic is Movie Musicals that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.


    Coming up this weekend we, of course, have the possibility of the blockbuster Wicked becoming another Broadway musical to win Best Picture. It will be fascinating to see what happens. There are a lot more nominees for Best Picture today than there were when West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Oliver! or Chicago won the Oscar.


    It's an interesting topic, and I knew that Albert was the perfect person to discuss it with me. Like me, he's seen all of these movies, most of them multiple times, and we both did do a bit of reviewing of some of the films we have seen less recently.


    Let us know if you agree with our assessments!


    Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

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


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


    For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast.


    And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits.

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

    https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/


    Thank you in advance for your support!

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Episode 167: HELEN MORGAN, part 3 Feb 20, 2025
    Show notes

    My guest again this week is Christopher S. Connelly, author of the fascinating new book

    HELEN MORGAN — THE ORIGINAL TORCH SINGER AND ZIEGFELD'S LAST STAR.


    On this episode, Christopher and I look at Helen Morgan's life and career during the 1930s, both in Hollywood and on Broadway. And we delve a bit into her personal story, including the love of her life and her several marriages. we end by looking at her extraordinary legacy, including the two filmed biographies of her life that both came out in the same year, both named The Helen Morgan Story.


    Christopher S. Connelly is a film and theater historian. His work has appeared in Etcetera magazineand the Kino Lorber DVD release of Mamoulian's Applause. He is also an actor, Roman Catholic cantor, and chorister for the Atlanta Opera. When he is not writing or performing, he works IT for the Georgia Institute of Technology.


    Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

    This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Mark Stanton.


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


    For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast.


    And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits.

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

    https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/


    Thank you in advance for your support!

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Episode 166: HELEN MORGAN, part 2. Feb 13, 2025
    Show notes

    My guest again this week is Christopher S. Connelly, author of the fascinating new book

    HELEN MORGAN — THE ORIGINAL TORCH SINGER AND ZIEGFELD'S LAST STAR.


     The topics discussed in this episode include:

    • Morgan's follow up to Show Boat, the 1929 hit musical Sweet Adeline —a star vehicle created especially for her by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II.
    • The 1932 revival of Show Boat and subsequent tour.
    • Morgan's career as a nightclub hostess and entertainer at a series of night spots named for her including Chez Morgan, Helen Morgan's Summer House, and The House of Morgan.
    • The Ziegfeld Follies of 1931.
    • And Helen Morgan as a Gay Icon and the "Pansy Craze" stars who imitated her.


    Christopher S. Connelly is a film and theater historian. His work has appeared in Etcetera magazineand the Kino Lorber DVD release of Mamoulian's Applause. He is also an actor, Roman Catholic cantor, and chorister for the Atlanta Opera. When he is not writing or performing, he works IT for the Georgia Institute of Technology.


    Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

    This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Ann Welsh.


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


    For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast.


    And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits.

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

    https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/


    Thank you in advance for your support!

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Episode 165: HELEN MORGAN — THE ORIGINAL TORCH SINGER & ZIEGFELD'S LAST STAR Feb 06, 2025
    Show notes

    This week my, guest is Christopher T. Connelly, the author of the fascinating new book HELEN MORGAN — THE ORIGINAL TORCH SINGER AND ZIEGFELD'S LAST STAR.


     There are a number of individuals who were very big Broadway stars back in what I call the Silver Age of Broadway (the 1920s and 30s), But who today are mostly overlooked and left out of the conversation. Performers who were on a level with Jolson and Cantor and Fanny Bryce, but whose fame has almost entirely faded. Of course most musical theater fans will know the name Helen Morgan, and know that she originated the role of "Julie" in Show Boat. But if you are like me, you will be largely unaware, of the incredible range of her talents, the depth and breadth of her career, and the level of her stardom. And I have no doubt that you'll be as fascinated by this book and by this conversation as I was.


    Christopher S. Connelly is a film and theater historian. His work has appeared in Etcetera magazineand the Kino Lorber DVD release of Mamoulian's Applause. He is also an actor, Roman Catholic cantor, and chorister for the Atlanta Opera. When he is not writing or performing, he works IT for the Georgia Institute of Technology.


    Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

    This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member MARK STANTON.


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


    For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast.


    And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits.

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

    https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/


    Thank you in advance for your support!

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Special Encore Episode: BROADWAY COMES OUT! Jan 30, 2025
    Show notes

    The progressive and disruptive social movements of the 1960s and 70s had a huge impact on the Broadway Musical and were reflected back into the culture by them. These include the Civil Rights movement, Women’s Liberation, Black Power, and the Gay Liberation Movement.

    The Stonewall Rebellion in 1969 brought gay issues into the mainstream and during the 1970s LGBTQ+ people would become “out, loud, and proud” in significant numbers.


    Of course, it makes sense that this new visibility and feeling of liberation would be felt on Broadway where there had always been a large representation of queer people throughout the industry, including in positions of leadership. As a result queer characters and stories began appearing on Broadway -- especially in plays -- but also in a few musicals as well.

    In this episode I explore the growing visibility of openly queer content on Broadway in musicals such as Hair, Coco, Applause, Seesaw, A Chorus Line, La Cage Aux Folles, and the works of William Finn.


    I also recount the devastating effect that the AIDS Crisis had on Broadway during the 1980s and 90s when a whole generation of creative talent was eliminated or sidelined by the disease.

    AIDS claimed the lives of hundreds of actors, singers, musicians, stage managers, production assistants, and designers -- as well as scores of dancers that had been trained by Bennett, Fosse, Champion, and Tune and might have one day become influential directors and choreographers themselves.


    The devastation of AIDS opened the door to the “British Invasion” that would soon dominate Broadway.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Episode 164: THE MYTHS & LEGACIES OF GEORGE M. COHAN Jan 23, 2025
    Show notes

    This is the final episode of a three-part conversation with author Elizabeth T. Craft regarding her recent book, Yankee Doodle Dandy — George M. Cohan and the Broadway Stage, the first book major work about Cohan in fifty years. If you missed the first two episodes in this series, you may want to catch up with those before listening to this one.

    In this episode, Elizabeth Craft and I discuss the final decades of Cohan’s remarkable career, during which he continued to establish and define the very nature of celebrity, including the significant impact he had on young Oscar Hammerstein II and the next generation of Broadway innovators. Elizabeth also shares with us how, during the 1920s, in a series of hit musicals, Cohan, for the first time, put his Irish American heritage and identity at the center of his work, which was not without controversy. Along the way, she reveals the truth behind Cohen’s claim that he was born on the 4th of July, provides us with an inside view of the making of the classic 1941 Cohan bio-musical, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and sums up his enduring legacy as the primary inventor of the myth of Broadway.


    Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

    This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Ruth Oberg.


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


    For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast.


    And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits.

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

    https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/


    Thank you in advance for your support!

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Episode 163: George M. Cohan —The Man Who Owned Broadway, Part 2 Jan 16, 2025
    Show notes

    This is the second of a three-part conversation with author Elizabeth T. Craft regarding her recent book, Yankee Doodle Dandy — George M. Cohan and the Broadway Stage, which is the first book about Cohan in fifty years. If you missed the first episode in this series you may want to catch up with that one before listening to this one.

    This week, Elizabeth and I begin with a discussion of Cohan, the entertainer. He was, without a doubt, one of the first brand-name celebrities in the modern sense, and every aspect of his persona was perfectly integrated – his unique style of performance, the content of his plays and lyrics, the beat and rhythm of his music, all worked together in perfect unison. But what exactly was it that made Cohan such a distinctive and potent personality?


    Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

    This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Anne Welsh.


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


    For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast.


    And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits.

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

    https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/


    Thank you in advance for your support!

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Episode 162: GEORGE M COHAN and the BROADWAY STAGE Jan 09, 2025
    Show notes

    My guest today is author Elizabeth T. Craft, whose terrific new book, Yankee Doodle Dandy — George M. Cohan and the Broadway Stage, is the first book about Cohan in fifty years.


    No one looms larger in the history of early Broadway than the Irish American writer, composer, lyricist, director, choreographer, producer, actor, singer, dancer, and musical theater legend George M. Cohan — who is often called “the father of musical comedy.” It is no mistake that Cohan’s is the one and only statue of a Broadway figure to have a place of honor in the center of Times Square.

    As you will hear, Elizabeth Craft situates Cohan as a central figure in the invention of the Broadway musical and illustrates how his plays, musicals, songs, and persona indelibly shaped the American cultural landscape of his day and more than 100 years later continue to have enduring resonance.


    Featured on this episode is music from The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra's outstanding album You're A Grand Old Rag — The Music of George M. Cohan, and the studio cast recording of Yankee Doodle Dandy (book by David Armstrong, music & lyrics by George M. Cohan, musical arrangements and additional music and lyrics by Albert Evans.)


    Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

    This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Juan J. Neumeister.


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


    For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast.


    And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits.

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

    https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/


    Thank you in advance for your support!

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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