I chat with Michael John LaChiusa, the American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for musically esoteric shows such as Hello Again, Marie Christine, and The Wild Party. We talk, primarily, about The Gardens of Anuncia, where he wrote music, lyrics, and book. The show is based on the life of Graciela Dani…

I speak with Kate Navin, Head of Audible Theater. They just celebrated their 5th year anniversary producing works at the Minetta Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village.

In this episode, I interview Kevin Winkler, the author of On Bette Midler: An Opinionated Guide. Kevin chronicles her career from the New York City Continental Baths through her recording, stage and movie careers.By Stuart Brown

This week’s podcast episode is a conversation with Susan Dormady Eisenberg, the author of the historical fiction novel, One More Seat at the Round Table. Here’s a description of the book: Jane Conroy, tries to juggle her first theater job and her unexpected passion for a gifted singer in the chorus, Bryce Christmas. Part coming of age novel, part l…

The 19th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we feature the musical Off-Broadway revue, Marry Me a Little. The show is a musical composed of outtakes from Stephen Sondheim's early musicals.…

I chat with Robert W. Schneider, an award-winning Director, Producer, Author, Educator, Podcast Host, and Artistic Director of The J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company, about his new podcast – BROADWAY BOUND: THE MUSICALS THAT NEVER CAME TO BROADWAY. It features musicals that had set their sights on Broadway but missed the mark. The first season is…

This week I chat with Patrick Pacheco who helped the late Chita Rivera write her autobiography - Chita: A Memoir. Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero – Chita – created some of Broadway’s most iconic roles, including Anita in West Side Story‚ Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, Velma in Chicago, Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Claire in The Visit. Pat…

I speak with Matt Gould, composer and co-librettist, of the new Broadway musical Lempicka. We chat about the show and his approaching to writing music.

Author Stephen Cole talks about his fictional, time-traveling novel, MARY & ETHEL…and Mikey Who?, which has taken the real-life friendship with Ethel Merman and Mary Martin, tossed them into a blender and come up with a fantasy about a nerdy super-fan.

I chat with Martin Fitzgibbon, who was a young drummer in the band during the creation of the The Rocky Horror Show in 1973. In his memoir, Behind the Curtain: My Life and Rocky Horror, he discusses the show, giving his unique insight into how the musical and its participants became an overnight success and created a cultural phenomenon still going…

SoundsofBroadway's Stuart Brown talks about our current Bracket Challenge - Favorite Musical From the Golden Age (Oklahoma! in 1943 through the year 1964). Each week, listeners pick the winners in head-to-head matchups – just like ‘March Madness’ – until we narrow down the field of 64 to just one ultimate favorite. Vote now! Just go to SoundsofBroa…

I chat with Van Dean, a Grammy and Tony-winning producer who has just launched a new record label, Center Stage Records. Previously, he ran Broadway Records. We talk about, among other topics, his new record company and the art of producing a cast recording.

The 18th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we feature the musical The Frogs. The show is a musical "freely adapted" by Stephen Sondheim and Burt Shevelove from The Frogs, an Ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes. The…

I chat with Brian Stoll, an uber Broadway fan who has seen over 285 shows in the past decade, all at under $60 a ticket. He has developed a presentation, “Broadway on a Budget,” that he has presented at libraries and other venues, where he shares his money-saving tips on how to see Broadway shows, his love for Broadway, and even the history of the …

I chat with the composer, lyricist, and librettist Douglas J. Cohen about his book, How to Survive a Killer Musical: Agony and Ecstasy on the Road to Broadway. The book chronicles his decade-long quest to bring his musical, No Way to Treat a Lady, to the stage—writing, re-writing, and shepherding it across the US and Europe amidst all manner of adv…

The 17th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we feature the musical Saturday Night. This was supposed to be Sondheim's first Broadway show in 1955 until the untimely death of the lead producer scuttled the work.…

I interview theater journalist Eddie Shapiro about his new book, “Here’s to the Ladies: Conversations with More of the Great Women of Musical Theater.” In the book, a follow-up to his work, “Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater,” he sits down for intimate, career-encompassing conversations with yet more of Broa…

I chat with Danny Kornfeld, one of the stars of the new Barry Manilow/Bruce Sussman musical Harmony. We talk about the show and his life in the theater.By Stuart Brown

The 16th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we feature the musical Road Show (also known as Bounce and Wiseguy). Rick will talk about how Sondheim worked with a number of collaborators to create the show that never m…

The 15th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we feature the original production of 1994’s Passion. Rick will talk about how writer/director James Lapine and Sondheim collaborated on the show to create one of the compo…

For the Halloween season, an interview with Robert Viagas on his book Good Morning, Olive. The book is about the ghosts that haunt Many of Broadway's busiest theatres and around the world. Robert Viagas, was the editor-in-chief of Encore Monthly, the national theatre magazine. He has more than thirty-five years' experience, much of it working on Br…

I chat with Laurence Maslon, the author of the book, I'll Drink to That!: Broadway's Legendary Stars, Classic Shows, and the Cocktails They Inspired. “The book expertly mixes clever cocktails that pay homage to unforgettable Broadway shows with authentic recipes for drinks that played supporting roles in beloved shows. Mason provides a history of t…

The 14th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we feature the original production of the 1987 Stephen Sondheim musical, Into the Woods, which ran for 765 performances on Broadway.…

Interview with Michael Urie (Professor Robert Langdon) and Hannah Cruz (Cryptologist Sophie Neveu) who are starring in the American premiere of play based on the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code. The show is playing at the Ogunquit Playhouse (http://www.ogunquitplayhouse.org/) through September 23.…

An interview with Greg Dassonville (https://www.dassonvogue.com/), a stylist who has revolutionized how people approach shopping and wearing clothing for all occasions. Since his start, Greg has provided styling for The Tony Awards, The Emmy Awards, Broadway Opening Nights, Concerts, Editorials, and various Red Carpets for Movie premieres. For the …

On our podcast this week, I chat with Seth Bisen-Hersh, composer/lyricist whose musical, Love Quirks, ran Off-Broadway last summer. We talk about the show and issues trying to mount a musical in New York City. We also discuss his new film project and his hobby of creating crossword puzzles.

The 13th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we feature the 1965 Stephen Sondheim/Richard Rodgers musical, Do I Hear a Waltz, his last Broadway show where he only wrote lyrics.…

The 12th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we feature the 1962 Stephen Sondheim musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, his first Broadway show where he wrote both music and lyrics.…

For this week’s On Broadway podcast, I chat with author and critic Elysa Gardner on her book, “Magic To Do: Pippin's Fantastic, Fraught Journey to Broadway and Beyond,” which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Stephen Schwartz musical.

My interview with Kristin Stultz Pressly on her book, I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby: Dorothy Fields and Her Life in the American Musical Theater. Dorothy Fields was America's most brilliant and successful female lyricist. Working with thirteen different composers, Fields wrote the lyrics and/or librettos for unforgettable masterpieces, s…

The 11th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we feature the 1971 Stephen Sondheim musical, Follies.By Stuart Brown

On this episode, I chat with Tony Award–winning designer Derek McLane and fashion and entertainment writer Eila Mell on their book, Designing Broadway: How Derek McLane and Other Acclaimed Set Designers Create the Visual World of Theatre. It is a richly illustrated and information-packed celebration of Broadway set design reflecting on some of the …

We chat with Jack O’Brien, the former long-serving Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California (1981 – 2007) and multi-Tony Award winning Director, including the original production of Hairspray. We discuss his latest book, Jack in the Box: or, How to Goddamn Direct, where he talks about directing essentials as well as stori…

The 10th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we feature the 1959 Stephen Sondheim-Jule Styne collaboration, Gypsy, which starred Ethel Merman.By Stuart Brown

I chat with Ted Chapin, the author of the book - Everything was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies. Visit the show page at https://broadwayradioprograms.com/2023/01/interview-with-ted-chapin/.By Stuart Brown

I chat with Musical Director Andrea Grody who has helmed such Broadway productions as The Band's Visit and Tootsie. She also worked on the Off-Broadway musical SUFFS. In addition, Ms. Grody has written a musical about individuals on the autism spectrum, Strange Faces.

I chat with Jesse Green, chief theater critic for The New York Times and co-author of the Mary Rodgers memoir -- Shy: The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers. Visit the show page at https://broadwayradioprograms.com/2023/01/interview-with-jesse-green/.By Stuart Brown

The 9th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we discuss the 1984 Pulitzer Prize winning musical, Sunday in the Park with George.By Stuart Brown

We chat with Peter Filichia, the author of the book - "The Book of Broadway Musical Debates, Disputes, and Disagreements." Peter is the former New York-based theater critic for The Star-Ledger newspaper in Newark, NJ and the author of six books on the musical theater.By Stuart Brown

We chat with Patrick Pacheco and Erik Forrest Jackson, the bookwriters for the world premiere musical, "Christmas in Connecticut," playing at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT through December 30, 2022.By Stuart Brown

An interview with Professor Dominic McHugh on his book examining the works of Meredith Willson - "The Big Parade: Meredith Willson's Musicals from The Music Man to 1491."By Stuart Brown

We talk with Robert W. Schneider, co-Editor of the book, Fifty Key Stage Musicals.The book provides a round-up of the fifty musicals whose creations were seminal in altering the landscape of musical theater discourse in the English-speaking world. Some of the choices are obvious – Oklahoma!, West Side Story, Hair, Company, A Chorus Line. Others, in…

The 8th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we discuss the 1964 musical Anyone Can Whistle.By Stuart Brown

I chat with Brian Gillet and Huck Walton of Accidental Jacket Entertainment, which produced the cast recording of the Broadway revival of The Music Man, starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. Plus a healthy dose of music from the show.By Stuart Brown

My interview with the multi-Tony Award nominated actress, Kate Baldwin. She is currently starring as Dorothy Brock in the Goodspeed Opera House’s 2022 production of 42nd Street. We talk about the musical and her appearances in the Broadway shows, Finian’s Rainbow, Big Fish, and the starry revival of Hello, Dolly! that starred Bette Midler. Musical …

Chat with Klea Blackhurst, actress, singer and comedienne. Most recently she appeared as Miss Lemon in The Nutty Professor in the summer of 2022 at the Ogunquit Playhouse. We talk about that production, her career, and play songs from her past shows.By Stuart Brown

Interview with Tom Moore, the original Broadway Director of Grease and Ken Waissman, the original Producer of the long-running musical, on their book, “Grease, Tell Me More, Tell Me More: Stories from the Broadway Phenomenon That Started It All.” ​ The book is a collection of memories and stories from over one hundred actors and musicians, includin…

The 7th episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we discuss the 1970 landmark musical Company.By Stuart Brown

The sixth episode in a series on the complete works of Stephen Sondheim. Rick Pender, the author of the The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is our musical guide. For this episode, we discuss 1979 musical Sweeney Todd.By Stuart Brown

Interview with Stefan van de Graaff (Book) and Denning Burton (Book, Music, Lyrics), creators of Sherlock – the Musical (https://sherlockmusical.com/).By Stuart Brown