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Anonymous 03/16/2006amazing range of guests
Anonymous 02/11/2006The best theatre interviews I've found. People outside of NY never get to hear these people talk at length. A must for theatre fans.
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Episodes
- William Ivey Long (#216) August, 2008
(18mb)
Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:12:29 -0500
Five time Tony-winner William Ivey Long talks about his extensive career as one of Broadway's top costume designers, from his earliest days on stage -- living in a dressing room at the Raleigh Little Theatre in North Carolina -- to his upcoming projects "9 To 5" and "Dreamgirls". Along the way, he describes how shocked he was by the first thing he saw on stage at the Yale School of Drama; how his career developed largely thanks to the support of his drama school friends; how he came up with Anita Morris' iconic body suit for "Nine" -- and how it resulted in his never working with Tommy Tune again; whether there's a difference between designing musicals and plays; how the paintings of Gauguin influenced his designs for "Guys And Dolls"; what its like to revisit the "Chicago" costumes for a variety of different actresses; and why he chooses to wear a largely unvaried "uniform" every single day. Original air date - August 22, 2008. - David Stone (#215) August, 2008 (17mb)
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:02:03 -0400
As "Wicked" approaches its fifth anniversary on Broadway, producer David Stone talks about the ever-expanding life of the international hit musical, including how the show first came into being, how the production quality is maintained across multiple companies, and whether the show has to be adjusted for local audiences when it plays in other countries. He also talks about how he came to produce his first Off-Broadway hit, "Family Secrets", and his first Broadway failure, "What's Wrong With This Picture?"; his relationship with not for profit theatres, including Barrington Stage Company and Second Stage, on "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and "Next To Normal"; his particular pride in producing "The Vagina Monologues"; which show he produced for his mother; and why he'd rather create controversy than respond to it. Original air date - August 15, 2008. - Tony Meola (#214) August, 2008 (17mb)
Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:32:29 -0400
Veteran sound designer Tony Meola talks about the many issues involved in designing such musicals as "Wicked" and "The Lion King" on Broadway and around the world, dissecting such issues as changes in technology over the course of his 30 year career, whether the theatre has lost something with the rise of the amplified voice, microphone placement at the hairline vs. the jawline, and why its hard to have two performers singing a romantic song face to face, only inches apart, on stage. He also describes his own growth as a designer, from his earliest days on the electrics crew at The Public Theater on a new show called "A Chorus Line" to his "big break" thanks to Jerry Zaks on the 1987 revival of "Anything Goes" to the nuances of sound in his design of the recent revival of "The Ritz" to what factors he uses to decide whether to sign on to design a production. Original air date - August 8, 2008. - John Glover (#213) August, 2008 (16mb)
Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:27:32 -0400
Tony-winning actor John Glover talks about the revival of Christopher Durang's "The Marriage of Bette and Boo" at the Roundabout, and how he grappled with the distinctly unpleasant aspects of his character, based upon Durang's own grandfather. He also talks about why he found the prospect of teaching more daunting than acting; how he's managed to maintain a steady diet of theatre work throughout his years of television and film work; the pivotal role that director Harold Prince played early in his career; his memories of the legendary Broadway production of "Frankenstein", which closed on its opening night; how he came to the role of the Jeckyll twins in Terrence McNally's "Love! Valour! Compassion!"; his rare musical appearances in "Hans Christian Anderson" in San Francisco and "The Drowsy Chaperone" on Broadway; and why some four decades after his stage debut he decided to start taking acting lessons. Original air date - August 1, 2008. - Randy Graff (#212) July, 2008 (16mb)
Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:46:03 -0400
Tony Award winning actress Randy Graff talks about her role as Meg Boyd in the current Encores! revival of "Damn Yankees", including what she learned from reading the novel on which the show is based and what she thinks of the enhanced intimacy between her character and the youthful Joe Hardy. She also talks about one of her earliest Broadway experiences, in the little-remembered flop "Sarava!"; the rehearsal process for the U.S. production of "Les Miserables", in which she was the original Fantine, as well as why she doesn't like to hear herself on the "Les Miz" cast album; how her show-stopping song in "City of Angels" came together; her experiences working with comedy legends Neil Simon and Carol Burnett on "Laughter on the 23rd Floor" and "Moon Over Buffalo"; how she felt about the change of director and choreographer midway through "High Society"; what it was like to be directed by and play opposite her close friend Lonny Price in "A Class Act"; and her special feelings for "Fiddler on the Roof". Original air date - July 25, 2008. - Todd Haimes (#211) July, 2008 (17mb)
Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:32:57 -0400
25 years after coming to New York's Roundabout Theatre Company, artistic director Todd Haimes talks about the company's growth from a financially troubled Off-Broadway group into one of the country's largest not-for-profit theatres; his own transition from managing the business side to setting the artistic agenda; the relationship of the company to the world of commercial theatre, since both produce on Broadway; how he manages to attract top level artists to work at Roundabout for relatively minimal salaries; why he planned to leave the company 10 years ago -- and why he ended up staying put; and how the company expanded its repertoire from Ibsen, Shaw and Shakespeare into more modern works, musicals and even brand-new plays. Original air date - July 18, 2008. - Michael Yeargan (#210) July, 2008 (17mb)
Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:31:14 -0400
"South Pacific"'s Tony Award-winning set designer Michael Yeargan discusses the visual approach taken for the first Broadway revival of this classic musical, including the negotiation behind the dramatic reveal of the show's orchestra, as well as the lessons he learned about working in the vast space of Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre on both "South Pacific" and "The Light In The Piazza". Yeargan also recalls his introduction to theatre and opera as a youth in Dallas; his studies -- and later his teachings -- at the Yale School of Drama; his early Broadway experiences with Terrence McNally's "Bad Habits" and "The Ritz"; and his sustained collaborations with directors Andrei Serban, Mark Lamos and Bartlett Sher. Original air date - July 11, 2008. - Michael Boyd (#209) July, 2008 (17mb)
Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:04:56 -0400
Royal Shakespeare Company artistic director Michael Boyd gives an overview of the company's work, including its acclaimed "Complete Works" Festival and the recent two-year journey of the "Histories" cycle. He also talks about his own evolution as a theatre artist, with significant stints in Moscow and Glasgow; the experience of joining the RSC as Associate Director and later rising to the artistic directorship; the work he had to do addressing the variety of troubles that surrounded the RSC as the time of his appointment; why he speaks of 'knocking Shakespeare off his pedestal'; the status of the rebuilding of the main theatre in Stratford; and what his plans are for the company in the next few years. Original air date - July 4, 2008. - Boyd Gaines (#208) June, 2008 (17mb)
Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:11:24 -0400
On the eve of his fourth Tony Award win, actor Boyd Gaines talks about his busy year, including "Journey's End", "Pygmalion" and both the Encores and Broadway runs of "Gypsy". He also describes his early training and extensive work in regional theatre, both before and after his years on the sitcom "One Day at a Time"; his breakthrough role in Wendy Wasserstein's "The Heidi Chronicles"; his first Broadway musical experiences in the first Broadway revivals of "She Loves Me" and "Company"; how the dance musical "Contact" was developed; and what it was like to step into Henry Fonda's shoes in "12 Angry Men". Original air date - June 27, 2008. - Barbara Gaines (#207) June, 2008 (16mb)
Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:49:57 -0400
Barbara Gaines, founder and artistic director of the newly Tony-recognized Chicago Shakespeare Theater, talks about the company's evolution from a classical acting workshop to a major institution with an impressive home on Chicago's Navy Pier. She discusses her own background, including training at Northwestern University and an acting stint in NYC, alongside her approach to classical theatre, the expanding repertoire of the company (including why their next production features Willy Wonka), the nature of the Chicago theatre community, the development of Chicago Shakespeare's international work, and her plans for the company's future -- including a 1,000 proscenium theatre to complement their current 500 seat thrust stage. Original air date - June 20, 2008. - Priscilla Lopez (#206) June, 2008 (17mb)
Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:36:02 -0400
Tony-winner Priscilla Lopez talks about what drew her to the new musical "In The Heights" and talks about her patience and faith that by the time it reached Broadway, she'd have her own song in the show. She also talks about her early training, including additional details about her high school years that didn't make it into the song "Nothing" in "A Chorus Line"; both her attempted and actual Broadway debuts in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "Henry Sweet Henry"; her recollections of the workshop sessions that ultimately became "A Chorus Line"; how she came to channel Harpo Marx for the musical "A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine"; and how she came to make her Broadway dramatic debut in Nilo Cruz's "Anna in the Tropics", some 35 years after her musical debut. Original air date - June 13, 2008. - Harriet Harris (#205) June, 2008 (17mb)
Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:26:23 -0400
Tony-winner Harriet Harris talks about being "the adult" in a company of kids in the Broadway musical "Cry-Baby" and reveals which of the musical numbers in the show convinced her that she needed to be in the production. She also talks about being sent to theatre school as a child in Texas to cure her shyness; her Juilliard auditions for formidable directors John Houseman and Michael Kahn; her touring years with The Acting Company; how she transitioned from classical to comic roles under the tutelage of Christopher Ashley and Paul Rudnick, who wrote her multiple characters in "Jeffrey"; her belated Broadway debut in 2000 opposite Nathan Lane in "The Man Who Came to Dinner"; branching into musicals with Broadway's "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and the Kennedy Center's "Mame"; and finding the humor in the character of Amanda in "The Glass Menagerie" at The Guthrie, as role she'd wanted to play since she was 13. Original air date - June 6, 2008. - Laura Benanti (#204) May, 2008 (16mb)
Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:14:00 -0400
Broadway's newest Gypsy Rose Lee, Laura Benanti, talks about playing the title role in "Gypsy" both last summer at City Center and again this year on Broadway, including her thoughts on formidable author and director Arthur Laurents, as well as a few facts about the real Gypsy and Rose that didn't make it into the musical. Benanti also discusses her vocal training under the tutelage of her mother (who unlike Rose expressly forbid young Laura from turning pro in her youth); her big break understudying Rebecca Luker in "The Sound of Music" -- and playing a romantic role opposite someone 45 years her senior; how she handled her first professional disappointment, at the fate of the musical "Time and Again"; the serious injury -- and nasty rumors -- that plagued her during the revival of "Into the Woods" and nearly derailed her performance in "Nine"; and what it was like, after playing many period roles, for this Jersey girl to play a girl from New Jersey in "The Wedding Singer". Original air date - May 30, 2008. - Laura Linney (#203) May, 2008 (15mb)
Tue, 27 May 2008 12:36:22 -0500
Actress Laura Linney talks about returning to Broadway as the Marquise de Merteuil in the Roundabout production of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" and whether she thinks her character is truly evil. She also discusses her earliest theatrical experiences, including working on the stage crew at a summer theatre while still in her "tween" years; appearing in a play written by her father, inspired in part by their own relationship, while a student at Brown; battling back from stage fright while at the Juilliard School; her big break appearing in the original production of "Sight Unseen" in its Off-Broadway debut -- and what it was like to return to the play, in a different role -- in its Broadway debut a dozen years later; how she handles appearing in shows that -- both fairly and unfairly -- don't meet with critical and popular success; and taking on a much-read but not often-seen classic like Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". Original air date - May 23, 2008. - Sherie Rene Scott (#202) May, 2008 (16mb)
Mon, 19 May 2008 14:08:30 -0400
"The Little Mermaid"'s Sherie Rene Scott talks about creating the role of Ursula in the stage version of the beloved animated film, including what she believes the character thinks of herself. She also talks about her earliest dreams of being on stage while still a child in Kansas, her training at the Neighborhood Playhouse when she came to New York, her particular affection for Randy Newman's "Faust" and why it never made it to New York, working amidst the turmoil of the changing creative team of Disney's "Aida", how her family reacted when she got the title role in the stage version of "Debbie Does Dallas", creating the role of Christine Colgate in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and the future of her one-woman show "You May Now Worship Me". Original air date - May 16, 2008. - Patrick Stewart (#201) May, 2008 (18mb)
Mon, 12 May 2008 17:27:12 -0400
Shakespeare veteran Patrick Stewart talks about finally having the opportunity to play the title role in "Macbeth", some 50 years after he first memorized the play's great speeches, and chronicles the production's swift journey from Chichester to London to Brooklyn to Broadway. He also talks about his decades-long association with the Royal Shakespeare Company, including his appearances in multiple productions of such plays as "The Merchant of Venice", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Titus Andronicus"; the impetus behind his one-man adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" -- including its interminable first performance; his enthusiasm for playing Prospero in "The Tempest" with an American cast in Central Park and on Broadway; the thrill of creating a role in Arthur Miller's "The Ride Down Mount Morgan"; why he's "finished" with certain roles and still hopes to play others yet again; and some of the plays he's looking forward to doing in the next few years, including a nascent project with his film nemesis Ian McKellen. Original air date - May 9, 2008. - Harold Prince (#200) May, 2008 (18mb)
Mon, 05 May 2008 16:23:16 -0400
Legendary producer and director Harold Prince surveys his career from his start in 1948 working for another legendary theatrical figure, George Abbott, to his newest project, the musical "Paradise Found", which was presented in a workshop in New York just last week. Over the course an hour, Prince talks about trends in the theatre and what has changed, both for better and worse; recalls working as a stage manager on the first show he produced, "The Pajama Game", so that he could collect a salary; describes his personal impact on the development of "West Side Story" and "Fiddler on the Roof", which he produced; reflects on his creative partnership and friendship with composer Stephen Sondheim, including how he got a handle on "Sweeney Todd"; explains his role in transforming "Evita" from a concept album to a stage musical; ponders the period in the 1980s when he had a string of commercially unsuccessful shows -- and which of those he feels is under-appreciated; marvels at the 22-year run of "The Phantom of the Opera"; and shares his thoughts about seeing revivals of musicals that he was so instrumental in creating. Original air date - May 2, 2008. - David Zippel (#199) April, 2008 (15mb)
Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:32:29 -0400
Lyricist David Zippel discusses the development of "Pamela's First Musical", the challenges posed by the untimely passing of two of his collaborators on the project -- composer Cy Coleman and author Wendy Wasserstein, and the upcoming benefit performance which will mark the show's first public performance. He also talks about his earliest lyric writing efforts, including the pre-Broadway "Rotunda" and "Going Hollywood", an adaptation of "Once in a Lifetime" which is about to get a new workshop presentation 38 years after Zippel first thought to adapt it; how he came to collaborate with Coleman and Larry Gelbart on "City of Angels", before the show's acclaimed dual-story structure was even in place; what drew him to musicalize "The Goodbye Girl"; and the challenge of creating the lyrics his first through-sung musical "The Woman in White", a collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber. Original air date - April 25, 2008. - Paul Rudnick (#198) April, 2008 (18mb)
Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:07:58 -0400
Playwright Paul Rudnick discusses his evening of one-act plays, "The New Century", currently playing at Lincoln Center Theatre, including how he came to combine characters originally written for separate plays into a single work and how he hopes they play against their stereotypes; how he announced his plans to be a playwright to his parents as a young child, before he'd even seen a play; the senior class project that he threw together at the last minute only to see it swiftly produced as a one-night-only event at Yale; the famously troubled Broadway run of "I Hate Hamlet"; the difficulty he experienced trying to get "Jeffrey", a comedy set in the era of AIDS, produced; and the story behind his longest-running character, film critic Libby Gelman-Waxner of "Premiere" magazine. Original air date - April 18, 2008. - James Earl Jones (#197) April, 2008 (18mb)
Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:04:41 -0400
In a startlingly candid interview, actor James Earl Jones talks about what drew him to playing the role of Big Daddy in the current revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and his views on the play being performed by African-American actors. He also charts his journey from stuttering youth to acclaimed actor, including his early training (in part at the American Theatre Wing School), his appearance in the acclaimed 1960 production of Genet's "Les Blancs" with co-stars including Cicely Tyson and Maya Angelou, his years with the fledgling New York Shakespeare Festival, his landmark performances in "The Great White Hope" and "Fences", his experiences working with playwright Athol Fugard and director Lloyd Richards, and why he never wants to be anyone's mentor. Original air date - April 11, 2008. - Ken Billington (#196) April, 2008 (17mb)
Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:55:28 -0400
Lighting designer Ken Billington, veteran of more than 80 Broadway productions ranging from the original "Sweeney Todd" to the current "Sunday in the Park with George", discusses the art of lighting design, including how lighting can be used to emotionally enhance the theatre experience, how he discovered his calling during a fourth grade play, what audience members might look for when assessing a lighting designer's work, the speed with which his design for "Sweeney" came together, how he collaborated with the English creative team of "Sunday", how rock and roll helped Broadway lighting, and how his career has encompassed work for performers as diverse as Liza Minnelli and Shamu the Killer Whale. Original air date ? April 4, 2008. - David Ives (#195) March, 2008 (17mb)
Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:25:53 -0400
Playwright David Ives talks about his many acts of "literary ventriloquism," channeling the voices of the authors of classic musicals for City Center's Encores series, including the current "Juno" and upcoming "No, No Nanette", as well as the distinctive voice of Mark Twain for the recent Broadway production of "Is He Dead?" He also describes the luck that led to his first play being produced at New York's famed Circle Repertory Company right after he graduated from college; explains why he enrolled at the Yale School of Drama only after his early successes; chronicles how his work for a theatre company that consisted of little more than a copy machine and an artistic director ultimately led to his success with "All In The Timing"; reflects on the role of pain in writing short comedies; considers whether he was typecast only as a writer of one-acts; and shares the genesis of his interest in the philosopher Spinoza, which led to his writing "New Jerusalem", seen Off-Broadway at CSC earlier this season. Original air date ? March 28, 2008. - Leigh Silverman (#194) March, 2008 (16mb)
Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:05:47 -0400
Director Leigh Silverman talks about the development of the Off-Broadway "Beebo Brinker Chronicles" and its transition from an Off-Off-Broadway space to a larger venue; how she juggles so many projects in a season where she has already staged "Yellowface" and "Hunting And Gathering" and is currently working on "From Up Here" at Manhattan Theatre Club and "Of Equal Measure" for the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles; the genesis of her involvement in the acclaimed play "Wit", as well as the sad circumstances that led her to direct the play's West End debut; and the impact of Lisa Kron's "Well" on her career, as it traveled from The Public Theatre to San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre then back to New York for the play's -- and her own -- Broadway debut. Original air date ? March 21, 2008. - Michael Cumpsty (#193) March, 2008 (17mb)
Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:12:23 -0400
"Sunday in the Park with George"'s Michael Cumpsty talks about the challenges of performing in the Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical, how the script and score match the pointillism of George Seurat's paintings, and why he'd like to call in sick just one night during the show's run. He also recalls the single day in his youth when his family's theatrical heritage was fleetingly revealed to him; describes how his passion for theatre evolved from his upbringing in England and South Africa through his training in North Carolina; remembers being selected by Joseph Papp for the "Shakespeare core" at the New York Shakespeare Festival in the late 80s; shares an assessment of his own musical skills in shows including "42nd Street" and "1776"; considers his roles in the Michael Frayn dramas "Democracy" and "Copenhagen"; and chronicles his continuing work at New York's Classic Stage Company as both leading actor and director. Original air date ? March 14, 2008. - Kathleen Chalfant (#192) March, 2008 (17mb)
Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:40:21 -0400
Tony Award nominee Kathleen Chalfant talks about doing double duty on New York stages right now: as the mother of the title character in "Dead Man's Cell Phone" at Playwrights Horizons and as the latter of the two title characters in "Vita And Virginia" at the Zipper Factory Theater. Chalfant ranges over her extensive career, explaining why she took the role in "Cell Phone" without having even read the script and her heritage as an early staff member at Playwrights Horizons; what Harvey Fierstein taught her about "upstaging"; how "The Jack Benny Show" influenced an aspect of her performance in the landmark "Angels In America"; and how she coped with personal loss during the her acclaimed run in Margaret Edson's "Wit". Original air date ? March 7, 2008. - Alice Ripley (#191) February, 2008 (16mb)
Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:36:06 -0500
Alice Ripley, star of the new musical "Next To Normal" at New York's Second Stage Theatre, talks about the challenge of playing the emotionally disturbed mother of a "typical" American family and describes how the show's music drives both the character and her performance. She also talks about her parallel career as a rock singer and songwriter, her Broadway debut in "The Who's Tommy", the remarkable experience of appearing as one-half of the conjoined Hilton Sisters in "Side Show", the unique style of "James Joyce's The Dead", and the difficulty of playing a role while being doused by audience-wielded water guns in "The Rocky Horror Show". Original air date ? February 29, 2008. - Nathan Lane (#190) February, 2008 (19mb)
Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:33:00 -0500
Tony Award-winning actor Nathan Lane charts the course of his career, from touring New Jersey schools in the historical musical "Jerz" to starring on Broadway as the President of the United States in David Mamet's comedy "November". Along the way, he recalls losing out on the leading role in the original "Little Shop Of Horrors" and making his Broadway debut in George C. Scott's production of "Present Laughter"; discusses a few of the quirks of his next big show, the musical "Merlin"; considers his longstanding partnerships with both playwright Terrence McNally (revealing the only play that McNally specifically wrote for him) and director Jerry Zaks; chronicles his challenging and charmed experience as Max Bialystock in the musical "The Producers" on Broadway and in London; and reflects on the impact of "Butley" -- first when he saw it as a teenager, and later when he took on the title role in the play's Broadway revival. Original air date ? February 22, 2008. - Michael Rupert (#189) February, 2008 (16mb)
Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:20:07 -0500
"Legally Blonde"'s resident legal shark Michael Rupert talks about why his role as that musical's unsavory Professor Callahan is consistent with other roles he often plays and talks about being the senior member of a youthful company; recalls being cast at age 15 by Gower Champion in "The Happy Time" and what he learned from Robert Goulet, Charles Durning and Kander & Ebb in that production; describes working with Bob Fosse on two productions -- replacing John Rubenstein in the title role of "Pippin" (which Rupert says was Fosse's metaphor for the Manson Family) and later playing Oscar in the 1986 revival of "Sweet Charity"; reflects on the role of Marvin in the various incarnations of William Finn's "Falsettos" over more than a decade; and chronicles his parallel theatrical career as the composer of "3 Guys Naked Form The Waist Down", "Mail" and the upcoming "Streets Of America". Original air date ? February 15, 2008. - Edward Albee (#188) February, 2008 (17mb)
Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:49:16 -0500
Multiple Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Albee talks about the "inadvertent festival" of his works in the New York area, explaining why he declined to allow any synopsis of "Me, Myself and I" for its production at Princeton's McCarter Theatre, whether "The American Dream" and "The Sandbox" at New York's Cherry Lane Theater will look any different than in their original productions, and why we won't see productions of "The Zoo Story" without its new first act, "Home Life". In a wide ranging conversation, he touches upon his approach to playwriting, what he looks for in students seeking to study playwriting with him, the effect of the fame that he achieved from "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", the experience of being critically out of favor during the 80s and early 90s, the two-decade disparity in ages between the actors who played the leads in the original "Seascape" and those who took on those roles in the Broadway revival, why we have seen so few films based upon his plays, how he chooses when to direct one of his plays himself, and the unique quality that his two long-time producers share. Original air date ? February 8, 2008. - Richard Easton (#187) February, 2008 (18mb)
Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:10:13 -0500
Tony Award-winning actor Richard Easton talks about his role in David Ives' play "New Jerusalem" and why he didn't spend much time trying to parse Spinoza's philosophy in preparation for the show (and why audiences needn't either); recalls how an off-hand contest entry as a schoolboy set him off on a theatrical career; describes the very first season of Canada's famed Stratford Festival; chronicles his peripatetic journey from Canada to New York to San Diego to London and all points in between; remembers his unsatisfying years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, which nevertheless brought about his friendship with Kenneth Branagh; considers his appearances in Tom Stoppard's "The Invention of Love", "The Coast of Utopia" and "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour"; reflects on the health challenges that befell him over the past year; and offers some practical advice for actors just starting out on the stage. Original air date ? February 1, 2008. - Tom Stoppard (#186) January, 2008 (18mb)
Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:24:23 -0500
Multiple Tony Award-winning playwright Sir Tom Stoppard talks about his latest work to appear on Broadway, "Rock 'n' Roll", including why he feels the play's love story, not its intellectual themes, ultimately drove the shape of the story and whether there's truth to the rumor that he wanted to cut the play but was persuaded not to by director Trevor Nunn; recounts the development of his epic "The Coast Of Utopia" and the extraordinary experience of seeing the trilogy performed in Russia; considers whether there's any thematic link between "Utopia" and "Rock 'n' Roll", as bookends to the rise and fall of communism; recalls his overnight success (after seven years of writing) with "Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead"; reveals the play of his that he feels has perhaps not gotten its due before audiences; speaks out about those who claim viewers need to read up before seeing a Stoppard play; muses on the differences between theatre programs in the U.S. and Britain; and shares what rock and roll album is tops on his personal playlist right now. Original air date ? January 25, 2008. - Frances Sternhagen (#185) January, 2008 (18mb)
Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:54:01 -0500
Two-time Tony-winner Frances Sternhagen surveys her six-decade career in the theatre, ranging from her decision to stop teaching "dramatics" to schoolchildren to her most recent Broadway appearance in Edward Albee's "Seascape". In between she talks about her time in such illustrious theatre companies as Washington DC's Arena Stage and New York's APA; her Broadway debut in a revival of "The Skin Of Our Teeth" with Mary Martin, Helen Hayes and George Abbott; the wonderful experience of performing Chekhov by way of Neil Simon in "The Good Doctor"; her efforts to be cast in the U.S. production of "Equus" based solely on having read a review of the play's London debut; why she thinks Terrence McNally's "A Perfect Ganesh" is due for a revival; how she came to create the role of Ethel Thayer in "On Golden Pond" while she was still in her 40s; and why she works so steadily, at theatres large and small, after all these years. Original air date ? January 18, 2008. - Norbert Leo Butz (#184) January, 2008 (15mb)
Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:44:26 -0500
Tony Award-winner Norbert Leo Butz talks about his first reaction on being approached about appearing in a "new" Mark Twain play, "Is He Dead?", and about the construction of farce and how David Ives crafted the version of the play currently on Broadway; recalls his classical training at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival; marvels at the good fortune that landed him in the company of "Rent" only two weeks after moving to New York; considers the experience of appearing in the critically unpopular Harry Connick musical "Thou Shalt Not"; describes the feeling of playing a character in "The Last Five Years" based on composer Jason Robert Brown -- with Brown often directly behind him as he sang; recounts the loss of a song for Fiyero when "Wicked" was out of town in San Francisco and how he worked with Stephen Schwartz in choosing a replacement; and delineates the difference between performing in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" with John Lithgow and his successor, Jonathan Pryce. Original air date ? January 11, 2008. - Tony Walton (#183) January, 2008 (19mb)
Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:53:47 -0500
Designer turned director Tony Walton talks about his work directing the plays of George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward for New York's Irish Repertory Theatre; considers how his work as a designer influences his work as a director -- and vice versa; remembers his earliest days both at art school in England and as a fledgling designer in the U.S.; recounts anecdotes from his first major Broadway success, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", including a tension filled encounter between star Zero Mostel and show doctor Jerome Robbins; and shares stories about his work with such varied artists and collaborators as George Abbott, Bob Fosse, Boris Aronson, Stephen Sondheim, Mike Nichols -- and even Michael Jackson and Winnie-the-Pooh. Original air date ? January 4, 2008. - John Cullum (#182) December, 2007 (19mb)
Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:13:35 -0500
Actor John Cullum, currently appearing in the title role of Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" at Lincoln Center Theater, but better known for his musical performances, talks about his experiences in classical theatre -- from his current work with director Mark Lamos to his earliest New York auditions to being directed by John Gielgud in the Richard Burton "Hamlet"; recalls how he landed roles in such classic Broadway musicals as "Camelot", "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever", and "Shenandoah"; reflects on the much discussed quick departure of actress Madeline Kahn from the original production of "On The Twentieth Century"; and tells how he didn't understand "Urinetown" when it first came his way. Original air date ? December 28, 2007. - Alan Menken (#181) December, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 24 Dec 2007 12:14:10 -0500
Alan Menken, composer of both the film and Broadway musical versions of "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty And The Beast", talks about going "under the sea" with Ariel so many years after writing the score for the Disney film, reflects on the impact of puberty and The Beatles on his songwriting career, recalls his acceptance into the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop under the tutelage of the legendary Lehman Engel, describes his collaboration with lyricist, bookwriter and director Howard Ashman, recounts his parents' dismay over certain content in "Little Shop Of Horrors" -- and plays and sings bits of some of the new songs from "Mermaid" and songs that were cut from "Little Shop". Original air date ? December 21, 2007. - Jack O'Brien (#180) December, 2007 (18mb)
Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:19:30 -0500
Director Jack O'Brien announces his new title as Artistic Director Emeritus at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre and charts his quarter-century tenure as Artistic Director from his hiring in 1981; reveals his original plans to be a musical comedy writer and star; describes his apprenticeship as a director in the APA Repertory Company under such mentors as Ellis Rabb and John Houseman; remembers his final acting appearance -- opposite Christopher Walken -- and how that set him firmly on the directing path for good; discusses his emergence as an acclaimed director of both musical comedies (including "Hairspray" and "The Full Monty") and the plays of Tom Stoppard (including "Hapgood" and "The Coast of Utopia"); and shares the impetus behind the creation of the stage version of "How The Grinch Stole Christmas". Original air date ? December 14, 2007. - David Henry Hwang (#179) December, 2007 (18mb)
Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:56:52 -0500
Playwright David Henry Hwang talks about putting a version of himself -- and his father -- onstage in his new play "Yellowface" and why he doesn't want to reveal what in the play is fact and what is fiction; recalls his extraordinary leap from having his first play produced in his college dorm to having a series of plays done at The Public Theatre only a short time later; explains the origins of his award-winning Broadway hit "M. Butterfly"; reflects on his role in the controversy over the hiring of Jonathan Pryce to appear in "Miss Saigon"; shares his thoughts on the failure of his farce "Face Value"; describes his work on the musicals "Aida", "Flower Drum Song" and "Tarzan", and contemplates what he hopes to explore next on stage. Original air date ? December 7, 2007. - Andr?ishop (#178) November, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:05:11 -0500
Lincoln Center Theater artistic director André Bishop talks about the selection of "Cymbeline" and "South Pacific" for the current season and the thread that unifies the work on the company's two stages; explains why its unlikely we'll see certain types of plays in their Lincoln Center complex; recalls his start in theatre and the ragtag early days of Playwrights Horizons, which he led for more than a decade; considers why he's perhaps less of a public figure than many artistic directors; and muses on why he's starting to feel like King Lear. Original air date ? November 30, 2007. - Shuler Hensley (#177) November, 2007 (15mb)
Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:45:37 -0500
Shuler Hensley, the creature from "Young Frankenstein", talks about the development of his character in the new Mel Brooks musical, as well as his seeming affinity for playing monsters; sings a bit from "The Phantom Of The Opera" in German, recreating the role he played in Hamburg a decade ago; recalls the experience of playing Jud Fry in "Oklahoma", contrasting the London and New York runs; describes the cast's training in simian mannerisms and theatrical flying for "Tarzan"; and draws an unexpected parallel between "The Great American Trailer Park Music" and a Jessye Norman recital. Original air date ? November 23, 2007. - Terrence McNally (#176) November, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:09:21 -0500
Terrence McNally talks about "The Ritz" then (1975) and now (the current Roundabout revival) and reveals his own cameo performance at the show's first opening night; describes his emergence as a playwright in the Off-Off-Broadway scene of the 1960s; considers the extraordinary run of productions he had at Manhattan Theatre Club from the mid-80s to mid-90s, as well as their culmination in the controversial production of Corpus Christi; remembers his work on such musicals as "The Rink", "Kiss of the Spider Woman" and "Ragtime"; and explains the difference between writing musicals and opera, specifically his adaptation of "Dead Man Walking". Original air date ? November 16, 2007. - Judy Kuhn (#175) November, 2007 (15mb)
Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:06:11 -0500
Judy Kuhn reflects on returning to the cast of "Les Misérables" 20 years after appearing in the original Broadway cast and how her perspective has changed now that she's playing Fantine, the mother of her original character Cosette; recounts her Broadway debut in "The Mystery of Edwin Drood", including living through every understudy's nightmare; describes the challenges of the fabled but troubled production of "Rags"; explains how "Chess" was restructured between its London and New York debuts; and talks about her affinity for the work of songwriter Laura Nyro. Original air date ? November 9, 2007. - Kevin Chamberlin (#174) November, 2007 (16mb)
Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:56:52 -0500
Kevin Chamberlin talks about his role in the Roundabout Theatre revival of Terrence McNally's "The Ritz", including whether his "midwestern" looks match up to his character of Gaetano Proclo; how his seasons in the acting company at the McCarter Theatre led to his first New York gig Off-Broadway in "Smoke on the Mountain"; why the Drama Department's "As Thousands Cheer" was his happiest time in the theatre ; what his experience was creating the role of Horton in "Seussical"; how Claudia Shear created a role for him in "Dirty Blonde"; and why he's skeptical of the workshop process, following stints in William Finn's "Muscle" and Stephen Sondheim's "Wise Guys". Original air date ? November 2, 2007. - Christopher Ashley (#173) October, 2007 (16mb)
Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:04:30 -0400
The new artistic director of California's La Jolla Playhouse, Christopher Ashley, talks about his plans for the theatre, including whether he sees himself continuing or departing from the repertoire of his predecessor, Des McAnuff; explains how he found himself with an agent by age 22; describes his long-standing working relationships with playwrights Douglas Carter Beane and Paul Rudnick; considers the process of creating new musicals out of existing songs and how audience expectations are heightened for that music; and describes the evolution of of "Xanadu" the musical from social commentary to comic love story. Original air date ? October 26, 2007. - F. Murray Abraham (#172) October, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:04:11 -0400
F. Murray Abraham talks about his role as a dangerous yet avid stamp collector in Theresa Rebeck's "Mauritius", a role he compares to Shakespeare's Mercutio; describes his transition from gang punk to aspiring actor in his Texas youth -- including the accent he had to lose; remembers his audition for Harold Pinter for what became his Broadway debut; clarifies his unique connection to a famous ad campaign; considers his experiences playing countless classical roles; and recalls his appearances in many early works by Terrence McNally, including creating the role of Chris in the original production of "The Ritz". Original air date ? October 19, 2007. - Kristen Johnston (#171) October, 2007 (15mb)
Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:03:29 -0400
Kristen Johnston talks about her nightly mantra that prepares her to go on stage in the current Atlantic Theatre Company production of Lucy Thurber's "Scarcity"; recalls her early years as drama student and how teachers tried to steer her out of the profession, as well as her joy at becoming a student at the Atlantic with teachers like William H. Macy and David Mamet; shares which of her performances she feels were not successful -- as well as the role where she thinks she finally found the ideal blend of herself and her character; and talks about her enthusiasm for teaching and why for one of her very next projects, we'll likely see her as a director. Original air date ? October 12, 2007. - James Houghton (#170) October, 2007 (18mb)
Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:19:30 -0400
James Houghton, the founding artistic director of New York's Signature Theater Company discusses the impulse that began the acclaimed Off-Broadway theater, which each season produces the work of a single playwright, and how that mission is still being played out 17 years later, and also describes the start of his tenure as director of the Drama Division at the famed Juilliard School -- including how it feels to fill the shoes of the esteemed John Houseman, who had given Houghton one of his first acting jobs more than 20 years ago. Original air date ? October 5, 2007. - Horton Foote (#169) September, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:41:01 -0400
Playwright Horton Foote reflects on his long career, including the traveling tent shows that first inspired his love of theatre; the contrast between his Texas neighbors' responses to his winning the Oscar and the Pulitzer; Brooks Atkinson and Ben Brantley's differing opinions on "The Trip To Bountiful"; his appreciation for theatres like Signature and Primary Stages, for giving him homes for his work; the experience of returning to Broadway with "The Young Man From Atlanta" after a hiatus of forty years; and how closely his characters model on some of their real-life inspirations. Original air date ? September 28, 2007. - Carole Shelley (#168) September, 2007 (15mb)
Mon, 17 Sep 2007 10:19:32 -0400
Upon her return to the Broadway production, "Wicked"'s original Madame Morrible, Carole Shelley, talks about whether she's hissed as a villain by fans on the street; explains how a childhood incident almost kept her off the musical stage; recalls her "trifecta of success" in "The Odd Couple", appearing in the Broadway, film and TV versions; remembers an agent who wanted to steer her away from appearing in "The Elephant Man"; and reflects on her only two appearances on the English stage since she emigrated to New York over forty years ago. Original air date ? September 14, 2007. - Kerry Butler (#167) September, 2007 (13mb)
Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:47:44 -0400
"Xanadu" star Kerry Butler talks about her childhood performances of Olivia Newton-John songs and how they've informed her Broadway role as Kira, as well as the ins and outs of roller-skating on stage; her deep affection for the musical "Blood Brothers" and her experience in the Broadway production; her separate appearances in two somewhat blood-thirsty musicals, "Bat Boy" and "Little Shop Of Horrors"; why she took the originally underdeveloped role of Penny in the original "Hairspray"; and which of her roles fans most frequently mention when she meets them at the stage door. Original air date ? September 7, 2007. - Michele Pawk (#166) August, 2007 (15mb)
Mon, 03 Sep 2007 18:10:04 -0400
Days after joining the "Hairspray" cast as Velma von Tussle, Michele Pawk talks about the experience of being "put into" a long-running show and how one finds their character in that situation; shares her journey from a "Broadway-style" revue at Disney World to her first Broadway appearance in "Mail"; describes how she turned down an offer to appear in "Crazy For You", only to get a second offer months later for a more prominent role; recalls her experiences working on the new musicals "Seussical" and "Bounce"; reveals some guidance she received from Carol Burnett while playing Burnett's mother in "Hollywood Arms", and offers a special message to those who see try-outs and early previews of new shows and write about them on the Internet. Original air date ? August 31, 2007. - Terry Teachout (#165) August, 2007 (16mb)
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 11:24:15 -0400
"Wall Street Journal" drama critic Terry Teachout talks about his theatergoing experiences over the four years he's held that position, including what he's learned and what has surprised him; reveals the results of focus group research on arts coverage at the "Journal", and how it has influenced his reviewing; explains why he is an inveterate blogger and how he compares bloggers to old media arts critics; shares the story of how he came to be commissioned by Santa Fe Opera to write the libretto for a new work to premiere in 2009 -- as well as why we won't be seeing his one playwriting effort on stage anytime soon; and declares his opinion on the role of enthusiasm in arts criticism. Original air date ? August 24, 2007. - Anthony Rapp (#164) August, 2007 (15mb)
Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:06:57 -0400
Stage and film actor Anthony Rapp, upon his return to the long-running show "Rent", talks about working with the show's composer Jonathan Larson; the longevity and impact of "Rent"; getting his first professional audition for "Mr. Scrooge" at age 8; previewing "The Little Prince and The Aviator" on Broadway; meeting and later auditioning for director John Guare for "Six Degrees of Separation"; acting opposite Stockard Channing; how his mother was supportive, and how he'd like to work again with his brother, playwright/director Adam Rapp; playing the title role in "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" alongside Roger Bart (Snoopy) in a short 5-month Broadway run; the long process of writing his book "Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent"; and his future plans. Original air date ? August 17, 2007. - Debra Monk (#163) August, 2007 (15mb)
Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:17:57 -0400
Actress Debra Monk talks about her six year journey through the development of the musical "Curtains", and passionately reflects on the things she learned from the legendary team of Kander and Ebb on both "Curtains" and "Steel Pier"; recalls how she came to create both "Pump Boys And Dinettes" and "Oil City Symphony", and why she worried that she'd never be seen as anything but a country singer after the success of the first show; ponders what prompted Lanford Wilson to write a role specifically for her in the drama "Redwood Curtain"; and discusses her experiences on two Sondheim shows -- the first Broadway revival of "Company" and the original Off-Broadway premiere of "Assassins". Original air date ? August 10, 2007. - John P. Connolly (#162) August, 2007 (16mb)
Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:46:02 -0400
John P. Connolly, the new executive director of Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers, talks about the challenges and concerns facing the union and its members, chronicles his own professional career as an actor and how he became increasingly involved with union activities, recounts his own transition from being the elected head of AFTRA to the number one staff position at AEA, and explains why we won't be seeing him on stage or screen anytime soon. Original air date ? August 3, 2007. - Stephen Lang (#161) July, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:32:38 -0400
Actor Stephen Lang describes his process developing the book "Beyond Glory" for the stage, why he was drawn to portray eight recipients of the Medal of Honor, and how his tribute is perceived amidst present-day war politics; considers why, with no military background of his own, many of his major roles have been playing military men of varying stripes; reviews his performances in varying roles in multiple productions of "Hamlet", and why he's learned more about the title role in the fifteen years since he's played it himself than in all the years leading up to it; and declares playwright Aaron Sorkin to be today's George Bernard Shaw. Original air date ? July 27, 2007. - Dori Berinstein (#160) July, 2007 (13mb)
Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:04:47 -0400
Producer Dori Berinstein discusses the process behind creating the film "ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway", her unprecedented chronicle of the 2003-2004 theatrical season, including how she winnowed 250 hours of film down to less than two and why the film's narrator Alan Cumming largely ended up on the cutting room floor; talks about how she got in theatre by way of film producing, including her role as a production executive on "Dirty Dancing"; and surveys her theatrical credits from Bill Irwin and David Shiner in "Fool Moon" to her current project, "Legally Blonde". Original air date ? July 20, 2007. - Michael Wilson (#159) July, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:39:34 -0400
Director Michael Wilson discusses his work on the first Broadway revival of John Van Druten's "Old Acquaintance" at the Roundabout and why the play is so different than the Bette Davis film; describes his theatrical education while working as house manager and company manager at Cambridge's American Repertory Theatre; recalls his hiring as artistic director of the Hartford Stage Company after many years of seeing the company's productions from the audience; explains his affinity for the work of Tennessee Williams and the ongoing Williams marathon in Hartford; and describes his ongoing professional relationships with actresses Annalee Jeffries and Elizabeth Ashley and the playwright Horton Foote. Original air date ? July 13, 2007. - Vanessa Redgrave (#158) July, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 09 Jul 2007 09:39:34 -0400
Actress Vanessa Redgrave explains why, despite the character name in the program, she's not specifically playing "Joan Didion" in Broadway's "The Year Of Magical Thinking"; explores the transformation of Wallace Shawn's "The Fever" from stage monologue to multi-character film; considers the experience of working with the many members of her acclaimed multi-generational family of actors and directors; discusses why she has tackled Shakespeare's "Antony And Cleopatra", as both actor and director in five different productions; declares that theatre should really performed outdoors in the blazing sun; and recalls childhood memories of her earliest experiences in the theatre -- as well as idyllic moments in her youth gathered with her parents and siblings around a piano singing Broadway show tunes. Original air date ? July 6, 2007. - Catherine Zuber (#157) June, 2007 (15mb)
Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:39:34 -0400
Three-time Tony Award-winning costume designer Catherine Zuber talks about the process of costume design and the nature of the collaboration between designers and a director; explains how she chooses her projects -- and how many she takes on each year; recounts the challenge of creating 600 costumes for the Lincoln Center Theatre production of "The Coast Of Utopia"; describes the development of the costumes for the multiple incarnations (and changing cast members) of "The Light In The Piazza"; shares how she made the career transition from photographer to designer; and dispenses some tips to aspiring designers about how to develop their skills. Original air date ? June 29, 2007. - Douglas Carter Beane (#156) June, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:13:57 -0400
Playwright Douglas Carter Beane talks about how his fascination with Greek myths dovetailed with a producer's overture to adapt a famously bad movie, resulting in the new musical "Xanadu"; describes his years of making ends meet by staffing the hearing device booths at Broadway theatres, and manning the stage door at the Neil Simon Theatre; recalls his break-through year as a writer with "Advice From A Caterpiller" and "The Country Club"; chronicles the origin of his influential Off-Broadway company The Drama Department; and considers why he's managed to write roles with specific actresses in mind in both "As Bees In Honey Drown" and "The Little Dog Laughed", only to have those shows play to great success with entirely different women in the leads. Original air date ? June 22, 2007. - Marian Seldes (#155) June, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:18:47 -0400
Revered stage veteran Marian Seldes touches upon a few of the highlights of her storied career, from her current role on Broadway opposite Angela Lansbury in "Deuce" (a role written specifically for Ms. Seldes by Terrence McNally) to her earliest Broadway appearances with luminaries like Judith Anderson and John Gielgud; her longstanding association with the works of Edward Albee, including her Tony-winning turn in "A Delicate Balance"; her long run in "Equus" and her record-setting run in "Deathtrap"; and her ongoing passion for the stage, from childhood to today. Original air date ? June 15, 2007. - Joe Dowling (#154) June, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:42:28 -0400
Guthrie Theatre Artistic Director Joe Dowling talks about the company's move from its historic home into a brand new facility, including the reaction of the Minneapolis audiences to the shift; his own training as an actor at Ireland's Abbey School of Acting and his swift rise to the position of artistic director at the Abbey at age 29 -- only to depart seven years later; why his post-Ireland career took him to America instead of England; his first New York productions -- an acclaimed "Translations" for Manhattan Theatre Club and a panned "Playboy of the Western World" for Roundabout; why he particularly enjoyed working with American actors when he arrived -- even more than with their Irish counterparts; and why he believes there will never be an American national theatre on the European model. Original air date ? June 8, 2007. - Mary Louise Wilson (#153) June, 2007 (14mb)
Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:20:54 -0400
Tony nominee Mary Louise Wilson discusses her journey from workshop to Broadway with the musical "Grey Gardens"; recalls her Broadway debut in the troubled Judy Holliday vehicle "Hot Spot"; describes working with legendary stage figures George Abbott, Ellis Rabb and Eva LeGallienne in works as diverse as "Flora The Red Menace" and "Alice In Wonderland"; reflects on appearing in two productions of "The Women" thirty years apart; and considers the extraordinary impact of the Roundabout reinvention of the classic "Cabaret". Original air date ? June 1, 2007. - David Hyde Pierce (#152) May, 2007 (12mb)
Mon, 28 May 2007 12:00:53 -0400
David Hyde Pierce talks about joining in the development of the long-aborning "Curtains" and how he faced the challenge of a full-fledged character-driven musical on Broadway; recalls the circumstances that led him in very short order from his rejection by the Yale School of Drama to his Broadway debut in "Beyond Therapy"; considers his "on-the-job training" in theatre with such esteemed directors as Peter Brook and Mike Nichols; shares how working with Uta Hagen really opened up new horizons for him as a stage actor; and recaps the experience of translating the humor of Monty Python into the musical comedy format of "Spamalot". Original air date ? May 25, 2007. - Frank Langella (#151) May, 2007 (14mb)
Thu, 17 May 2007 09:36:58 -0400
Frank Langella talks about the challenge of making the character of Richard Nixon in "Frost/Nixon" more than just a caricature, and whether it was easier to develop his performance as such a pivotal American figure for English audiences than it would have been in the U.S.; remembers a man unknown to him (who turned out to be Edward Albee) approaching him at a bar and asking to take on what became his Tony-winning role in "Seascape"; explains how he was determined to escape the typecasting the plagued Bela Lugosi when he played "Dracula"; reflects why he's been drawn multiple times to the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Cyrano de Bergerac; recalls how he worked with Arthur Miller to make significant cuts in "After The Fall"; declares that he's looking forward to directing more in the future, but will never again be a producer; and asks for someone to write him a role in a Broadway musical. Original air date ? May 18, 2007. - Jerry Mitchell (#150) May, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 14 May 2007 10:34:32 -0400
Tony Award-winning choreographer Jerry Mitchell talks about taking on the dual roles of director and choreographer for the first time with "Legally Blonde" and charts the development of the musical from the selection of the writing team to its San Francisco tryout to its Broadway debut. He also shares his experience of becoming a professional dancer while still in college, when he was chosen by the legendary Agnes DeMille for the 1980 revival of "Brigadoon", his work with two other legends -- Michael Bennett on "Scandal" and Jerome Robbins on "Jerome Robbins' Broadway"; how he develops a dance vocabulary for each of his shows according to the needs of the material, with sources as diverse as 60s dances (for "Hairspray") and basketball (for "The Full Monty"); and how dancing nearly naked on a drum for Tommy Tune in "The Will Rogers Follies" led to "Broadway Bares", which has raised millions of dollars for Broadway Cares. Original air date ? May 11, 2007. - Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Sch?rg (#149) May, 2007 (15mb)
Mon, 07 May 2007 11:02:34 -0400
The team of Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil talk about why they broke from their usual practice of originating their own projects and took on writing "The Pirate Queen"; how they first began to collaborate in the wake of "Jesus Christ Superstar"; the immediate success of the concept album and stage version of their first musical, "La Révolution Française"; what happened in the five year gap between "Les Misérables"? Paris and London debuts; and why they continue to tweak their "Martin Guerre", 11 years after its London debut. Original air date ? May 4, 2007. - Richard M. Sherman and George Stiles (#148) April, 2007 (18mb)
Mon, 30 Apr 2007 12:33:14 -0400
Richard M. Sherman and George Stiles, the film and stage composers of "Mary Poppins", come together for a special program that explores the creation of the original film score and how it was adapted and supplemented for the stage musical. Sharing a piano, they play and sing snippets of a variety of "Poppins" songs - including songs that were cut from both versions, some of which ended up in other familiar scores. Separately, Sherman and Stiles also provide quick overviews of their respective careers, with Sherman recalling how he and his brother Robert became the house composers for Disney and later wrote the stage musicals "Over Here" and "Busker Alley", and Stiles reviewing his partnership with Anthony Drewe and how they spent seven years writing "Just So", only to win the Olivier Award for their more swiftly created "Honk!" Original air date ? April 27, 2007. - Jeff Daniels (#147) April, 2007 (17mb)
Mon, 23 Apr 2007 19:47:44 -0400
Jeff Daniels talks about his return to the New York stage after a 14 year absence in David Harrower's Olivier Award-winning "Blackbird" at Manhattan Theatre Club, including how he works himself up to a performance level of fear and anger for the very first moment in the play; recalls being taken out for a drink while still in college by director Marshall Mason and invited to join the Circle Repertory Company as an apprentice, and the extraordinary ensemble feeling fostered at Circle Rep; discusses his lengthy relationship with playwright Lanford Wilson and how it has influenced his own playwriting for his Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea Michigan; and describes how he has built the Purple Rose as both an arts resource and economic engine for his community. Original air date ? April 20, 2007. - Judith Ivey (#146) April, 2007 (15mb)
Mon, 16 Apr 2007 10:18:44 -0400
Two-time Tony-winning actress Judith Ivey talks about her transition to directing; why she was drawn to direct Lee Thuna's "Fugue" at the Cherry Lane Theatre rather than play the leading role; what she's learned from directors she's worked with, including Mike Nichols and Daniel Sullivan; why she moved from Chicago to New York in order to get better roles in Chicago -- only to find great success in New York once casting directors realized she wasn't British; her extraordinary year with "Hurlyburly"; and why she's willing to direct musicals, but won't ever act in them again. Original air date ? April 13, 2007. - John Mahoney (#145) April, 2007 (19mb)
Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:59:07 -0400
John Mahoney talks about returning to Broadway after a 20-year hiatus in the Roundabout Theatre production of "Prelude to a Kiss", including why he had to be conscious of not making his stage role of The Old Man reminiscent of his long-running TV role as "Frasier"'s father; recounts the story of his emigration to America from Manchester, England and how, at age 37, he suddenly decided to take up acting; recalls his early stage work with the St. Nicholas Theatre and being invited by John Malkovich to join the now-celebrated Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble; explains why he declined to travel to New York with Steppenwolf's productions of "And a Nightingale Sang" and "Balm in Gilead"; and remembers his breakthrough performances in "Orphans" and "The House of Blue Leaves", the latter his first major show outside of his Chicago theatre family. Original air date ? April 6, 2007. - Eric Bogosian (#144) March, 2007 (15mb)
Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:53:13 -0400
Author and actor Eric Bogosian explains why he left the text of "Talk Radio" essentially unchanged for its current Broadway revival, but made more significant rewrites in "subUrbia" for its revival at Second Stage last fall; shares why he was perfectly happy to pass the role of "Talk Radio"'s radio host Barry Champlain on to Liev Schreiber; recalls the genesis of his acclaimed solo shows, including "Sex Drugs Rock and Roll" and "Drinking in America" in the 1980s and 90s; and frankly declares why, after a lifelong passion for theatre, he has turned to writing novels. Original air date ? March 30, 2007. - Walter Bobbie (#143) March, 2007 (16mb)
Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:15:40 -0400
Director and actor Walter Bobbie talks about returning to the acting stage in the "Encores!" production of "Face The Music", and how he feels preparing to act in the famously brief "Encores" rehearsal period that he helped to create; recalls his experiences in the original cast of "Grease", and shares his thoughts about the revivals and the current TV competition; remembers when Jerry Zaks asked him to don a "fat suit" to play Nicely-Nicely in the 1992 "Guys and Dolls" revival; explains how he became a director without the usual years of apprenticeship; describes the origins of the long-running revival of "Chicago"; and explains why he wants his next production to involve three actors and two folding chairs. Original air date ? March 23, 2007. - Neil Pepe (#142) March, 2007 (13mb)
Mon, 19 Mar 2007 10:07:43 -0400
Neil Pepe, artistic director of New York's Atlantic Theater Company, discusses the development of the company as an outgrowth of acting classes led by playwright David Mamet and actor William H. Macy; his own introduction to the company as both carpenter and actor; the Atlantic's acclaimed work with playwright Martin McDonagh on his American debut, "The Beauty Queen of Leenane", and -- almost a decade later -- "The Lieutenant of Inishmore"; and how the Atlantic came to produce its most expensive production and first-ever musical, "Spring Awakening". Original air date ? March 16, 2007. - Amy Irving (#141) March, 2007 (13mb)
Mon, 12 Mar 2007 11:34:50 -0400
Amy Irving talks about her experience seeing part two of "The Coast of Utopia" when it premiered in England, and her response when director Jack O'Brien asked her to play two roles in the trilogy's U.S. premiere; her homecoming to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, where she spent her teenage years as her parents led the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center; her good fortune of working Arthur Miller on the premiere of "Broken Glass" and both acting with and being directed by Athol Fugard in his "The Road to Mecca"; and the experience of having a play, "Celadine", written expressly for her. Original air date ? March 9, 2007. - Billy Crudup (#140) March, 2007 (15mb)
Mon, 05 Mar 2007 10:37:25 -0500
Billy Crudup recalls how he messed up his first audition but still managed to be cast in his Broadway debut, "Arcadia"; describes the communal spirit that guided the 2002 production of "The Elephant Man", and how it differed from his work with director Simon McBurney in "The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui"; relates the thrill of manipulating audiences in Martin McDonagh's "The Pillowman"; and reflects on whether we -- and he -- should be reading up on Russian history to prepare for "The Coast Of Utopia". Original air date ? March 2, 2007. - Kristin Chenoweth (#139) February, 2007 (16mb)
Mon, 26 Feb 2007 10:45:36 -0500
Kristin Chenoweth reminisces about her move from Oklahoma to Manhattan and how she was discovered after an all-day wait for an audition; tells how she was cast as Patty in the revival of "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown", but ultimately won a Tony as Sally; charts the evolution of her role as Glinda in "Wicked"; explains why she was drawn to "The Apple Tree" and what she hopes she's achieved with her multiple roles; describes how she constructed the song list for her solo concert debut at the Metropolitan Opera -- including what she had to leave out; and shares her thoughts about her upcoming Met Opera debut in "The Ghosts Of Versailles". Original air date ? February 23, 2007. - Kevin McCollum (#138) February, 2007 (18mb)
Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:02:55 -0500
Kevin McCollum talks about how his "contrarian" nature applies to his work as a producer, including mounting the 22-actor musical "In The Heights" Off-Broadway when many say even small musicals can't succeed off the Great White Way, deciding to send "Avenue Q" to Las Vegas rather than on a standard national tour, and creating a multi-city model for "Irving Berlin's White Christmas". Original air date ? February 16, 2007. - Len Cariou (#137) February, 2007 (14mb)
Mon, 05 Feb 2007 10:24:38 -0500
Len Cariou looks back over his career on stage, from his days with his own cabaret act in his native Canada to his immersion into classical theatre at the Manitoba Theatre Center and the Stratford Festival to his triumphs on Broadway in two Sondheim premieres. Along the way, he tells the stories of his first meeting with director Harold Prince, his "A Little Night Music" audition -- for the role of Carl-Magnus, which he was prepared to turn down -- and why he actually did turn down the role of Frederik when it was offered; and the experience of the very first preview of "Sweeney Todd" -- which took place with the show not having completed a full tech rehearsal. Original air date - February 2, 2007. - Rita Moreno (#136) January, 2007 (16mb)
Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:52:42 -0500
Rita Moreno reflects on her career, from her Broadway debut at age 13; her efforts to break out of being constantly cast as a Latin spitfire; her arduous preparation for her audition for "West Side Story"; her experience working on the debut of Lorraine Hansberry's second Broadway play; her London appearances in "She Loves Me" and "Sunset Boulevard"; and how she came to find herself only five feet from Dr. Martin Luther King as he delivered his legendary "I Have A Dream" speech. Original air date - January 26, 2007. - Margot Harley (#135) January, 2007 (10mb)
Mon, 22 Jan 2007 10:19:24 -0500
Margot Harley, co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of The Acting Company, talks about the troupe's origins as an outgrowth of the acting program at The Juilliard School in the early 70s, the challenges of touring serious drama as an ongoing series of one-night-stands around the country, and the state of actor training today; she also provides some insight into how her co-founder John Houseman made his professional acting debut so late in his illustrious life in the theatre. Original air date - January 19, 2007. - Barbara Walsh (#134) January, 2007 (13mb)
Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:10:26 -0500
Barbara Walsh, Joanne in the John Doyle revival of "Company", talks about taking on a role so indelibly associated with Elaine Stritch, explains why her character doesn't really "join the band" in this production and offers her own suggestion of how "Forbidden Broadway" should spoof her; reflects on shows she appeared in first at regional theatres that made it to Broadway ("Company" at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and "Falsettos" at Hartford Stage) and those that didn't ("The Rhythm Club" at Signature and "Houdini" at Goodspeed); and the recalls her Broadway debut playing Grace Slick and Joan Baez in the briefly seen "Rock 'N Roll!: The First 5,000 Years". Original air date - January 12, 2007. - Rebecca Luker (#133) January, 2007 (13mb)
Mon, 8 Jan 2007 11:10:00 -0500
Rebecca Luker confesses to not reading the original "Mary Poppins" books despite her role as Mrs. Banks in the current Broadway musical version; recalls her Broadway debut understudying and then assuming the role of Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera"; talks about her great experience appearing in a (almost completely) non-singing role in A.R. Gurney's "Indian Blood"; and explains why she's exploring singing in a register lower than her pristine and acclaimed soprano voice. Original air date - January 5, 2007.