Best Heather Jefferson Podcasts (2024)

1
Susan Stroman 1:24:29

2h ago1:24:29

1:24:29

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my interview with legendary director and choreographer Susan Stroman. Tune in to hear all about her upcoming projects LEFT ON TENTH, ANGEL OF ARKANSAS, and SMASH, as well as some of the stories of her great career, including the lessons she learned from John Kander and Fred Ebb, the choreographic journey of THE MUSIC…

1
Martin Short: A “BEST OF” 42:08

1h ago42:08

42:08

As we enter the Fall season of the Presidential campaign, we are taking a break for Labor Day. So we're replaying this interview with comedian and actor Martin Short! The fourth season of Only Murderers in the Building just debuted on Hulu, and in this conversation from 2022, he discusses his role on the show and his 50+ years in showbiz. He also e…

1
Molly Jong-Fast and Mark Leibovich on The Democratic Convention 33:00

3d ago33:00

33:00

We're joined once again by Mark Leibovich from The Atlantic and Molly Jong-Fast, host of the Fast Politics Podcast! The Democrats just wrapped up their National Convention and nominated Kamala Harris to be the nominee for President. Can she carry this momentum all the way to Election Day? Meanwhile, Republicans were caught flat-footed when Joe Bide…

1
Jefferson Mays 1:36:59

3h ago1:36:59

1:36:59

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my episode with the brilliant, Tony winning actor Jefferson Mays. Tune in to hear some of the stories of his legendary career, including how three 5-minute plays at the Sundance Theater Festival evolved into I AM MY OWN WIFE, his experience performing that play in Poland, Brazil, and Australia, the backstage game he …

1
YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen on his new book Shameless 36:44

1h ago36:44

36:44

Content creator Brian Tyler Cohen joins the podcast for the first time to talk about his new book Shameless: Republicans’ Deliberate Dysfunction and the Battle to Preserve Democracy. In the book, he discusses the many ways that the Republican Party uses confusion, artificial slogans and, of course, flat out lies to remain in power. We also discuss …

1
Alyson Reed 1:08:37

10d ago1:08:37

1:08:37

Today, I am thrilled to announce my interview with star of stage and screen Alyson Reed. Tune in to hear some of the stories of Alyson’s legendary career, including her difficult decision to leave A CHORUS LINE on the road, making amends with Michael Bennett, how “Let Me Dance For You” was restored to the film of A CHORUS LINE, a meaningful note fr…

1
PART 2: Sub-Mission | State Sen. Julie Mayfield, Retired Dr. Bruce Kelly, Chaplain Missy Harris of Reclaim Healthcare WNC 32:27

13d ago32:27

32:27

In the second half of this two-part conversation, founders of the coalition Reclaim Healthcare WNC talk about their pressure campaign with HCA Healthcare to dramatically and demonstrably improve conditions for patients and staff at Mission Hospital. My guests are State Senator Julie Mayfield, retired physician Bruce Kelly and Missy Harris, who rece…

1
PART 1: Sub-Mission | State Sen. Julie Mayfield, Retired Dr. Bruce Kelly, Chaplain Missy Harris of Reclaim Healthcare WNC 37:43

3d ago37:43

37:43

So much has been written and said in the five years since the corporation HCA Healthcare purchased Asheville’s nonprofit Mission Hospital. Doctors, nurses and other staff have fled amid what many see as the company’s push for profits over people. North Carolina’s attorney general has filed lawsuits. Nobody involved in the original deal has spoken c…

1
Scott Galloway - Professor, Podcast Host, Author 37:45

13d ago37:45

37:45

Professor Scott Galloway joins the podcast for the first time! He has thoughts on the current political climate and how extreme most of the Republican agenda is these days. He also speaks about how modern politics and policies have left our young people disaffected and feeling left out of the political process. From minimum wage to college admissio…

1
Celebrating 200 Episodes with Brandon Maggart and Lee Roy Reams 1:29:17

19d ago1:29:17

1:29:17

Today, I’m thrilled to announce the second part of Backstage Babble’s 200th episode celebration—a conversation with two of my favorite former guests, two friends, two mentors, two veteran performers, two Tony nominees--Lee Roy Reams and Brandon Maggart. Tune in to hear some of the stories of their parallel lives in the theater, including what it wa…

1
Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Anne Applebaum on Autocracies and Comedian Trae Crowder on JD Vance 52:54

24d ago52:54

52:54

Our friend Anne Applebaum has written a new book called Autocracy Inc. She chronicles the rise of authoritarianism around the world and how those autocracies work together to keep themselves in power. With Donald Trump running for President of the United States, could we be heading for a similar fate? We've seen other countries thwart autocracies i…

1
Jack O'Brien 1:16:55

18d ago1:16:55

1:16:55

The first part of Backstage Babble’s 200th episode celebration is here, and it is an honor to be talking theater legend Jack O’Brien, who recently received the lifetime achievement award at the 2024 Tonys. Tune in to hear some of the stories of his expansive career, including the genesis of his newest show THE ROOMMATE, his advice for young directo…

1
State of the City | Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer 41:27

13d ago41:27

41:27

Esther Manheimer is serving her third term as Asheville’s mayor. The challenges this city faces today—and the strategies deployed to tackle them—have evolved a lot during her time in office. Today, we check in with Mayor Manheimer around a variety of issues—homelessness, affordable housing, enforcing the city’s policy on short-term rentals and prop…

1
S3, E40: People Over Profit, with Jay Newman 54:31

18d ago54:31

54:31

Today's guest, Jay Newman, left the tech world to advance holistic approaches to health and healing and is now busy influencing the use of wealth for doing good while spreading highly advanced antimicrobial ionic silver for immune support. He tells us about why academia wasn't right for him, his connection to Steve Jobs, and much more. To hear more…

1
Fighting the War at Home | Asheville chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace 52:40

15d ago52:40

52:40

Jewish Voice for Peace is a nonprofit with chapters in Asheville and around the U.S. and beyond. Except for the name of the organization, you won’t find much about Judaism on their website or in their talking points.** They're focused on peace in the Middle East and, to JVP, that means the liberation of Palestinians. My guests are Anne Craig, Rebec…

1
The Atlantic's Frank Foer and Elaina Plott Calabro on Harris and Biden 39:37

16d ago39:37

39:37

This past week, we saw President Joe Biden drop out of the Presidential race and VP Kamala Harris emerge as the new nominee for the Democratic Party. The Atlantic's Frank Foer wrote the book "The Last Politician" about Joe Biden's consequential first term and Elaina Plott Calabro, also from The Atlantic, has interviewed Kamala Harris multiple times…

1
David Adjmi 1:34:32

20d ago1:34:32

1:34:32

Today, I am thrilled to announce my interview with 2024 Tony award winning playwright David Adjmi, whose play Stereophonic has quickly become Broadway’s newest sensation. Tune in today for a deep dive into the making of that play, including its Reagan-focused political undercurrent, the plane trip that gave him inspiration, why he views his plays l…

1
A Building Block of Community | Jefferson Ellison 37:25

22d ago37:25

37:25

Jefferson Ellison is the first to say he grew up with privilege. His father was Asheville’s vice mayor and ran his own law firm for 40 years, and his mother holds two master’s degrees. Still at 31, Jefferson isn’t taking shortcuts with his own career or place in the city. He sits on the boards of the Asheville Downtown Association and the Downtown …

1
Molly Jong-Fast and Mark Leibovich on the RNC 43:36

1M ago43:36

43:36

The Republican National Convention concluded last week. We heard from Trump's VP nominee, JD Vance, and we heard from Donald Trump for the first time since the assassination attempt. Trump pushed lie after lie during his speech. No surprise. The real question is whether or not Joe Biden can beat him. Mark Leibovich from The Atlantic and Molly Jong …

1
The Brunt of Ballet | Heather Maloy of Terpsicorps 37:16

1M ago37:16

37:16

Like most leaders in the arts, Heather Maloy spends far more time raising money, hunting for rehearsal spaces and recruiting dancers than she does immersed in the work she’s so committed to—cultivating the ideas and creating the dances that are the signature of her Asheville-based company, Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance. For 21 summers, Terpsicorps h…

1
Dahlia Lithwick on SCOTUS 52:12

1M ago52:12

52:12

The Supreme Court term has ended after a series of punishing decisions that break years of precedent. While there were many horrible decisions made in this term, two stand out: The cases on Presidential Immunity and the Chevron Doctrine. Why are these so important? We're joined by our Supreme Court expert and host of the Amicus podcast, Dahlia Lith…

1
Sammi Cannold 1:08:02

2M ago1:08:02

1:08:02

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my interview with one of Broadway’s best young directors, Sammi Cannold. Tune in to this interview to hear stories and insights from her amazing career, including how a DM led to her Broadway debut, the ins and outs of being an assistant director, how she first contacted Diane Paulus, putting Ingrid Michaelson into N…

1
Telling it Like it is | Storyteller Carolina Quiroga 34:05

1M ago34:05

34:05

Carolina Quiroga moved to Asheville only about a year ago, but she’s already a distinctive storyteller here, blending folk tales and her own experiences from her native Colombia with newer stories born from observations of her newly adopted home. On July 11, she begins a residency of three weekly performances at Story Parlor in West Asheville. Toda…

1
Passing the Torch | New Asheville Fire Chief Michael Cayse 32:21

1M ago32:21

32:21

Michael Cayse has only been Asheville’s Fire Chief since the start of the year, but he came here with more than three decades of experience in Cincinnati and, as part of that, working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Asheville firefighters received a pay raise in the new fiscal year budget of nearly 9 percent, but that still puts them …

1
Best Of: Heather Cox Richardson on Our Democracy 56:13

1M ago56:13

56:13

One of my favorite episodes from this year (so far). The historian on her bestseller "Democracy Awakening" and how America's democracy is on a knife's edge. Perfect for July 4th weekend! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

1
4th of July Special: Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence 7:01

1M ago7:01

7:01

Jefferson reflects on the glaring error he made 248 years ago. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1
Norm Ornstein on The Debate & SCOTUS 42:04

1M ago42:04

42:04

Donald Trump lied over and over again at the debate. But it's been overshadowed by President Biden's terrible performance. Political scientist and an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute Norm Ornstein joins us to recap Thursday evening's debacle. Is there a plan forward for the Democratic Party if Biden drops out? How can Biden pro…

1
Michael Greif 1:25:54

2M ago1:25:54

1:25:54

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my interview with the brilliant director Michael Greif, who completed a rare trifecta this season, directing the Broadway productions of Hell’s Kitchen, Days of Wine and Roses, and The Notebook. Tune in today to hear him share insights from his storied career, including the personal significance of directing at the S…

1
Hear Here | Detective Blind in performance and conversation 41:48

2M ago41:48

41:48

Who says rock music is dying out? A trio of sisters from Asheville are doing their part to bring rock to a new generation. Detective Blind takes the spotlight in the second episode of The Overlook drawn from our May 28 evening of Hear Here, a performance and podcasting series co-presented with Citizen Vinyl. The series is designed to elevate conver…

1
Never-Trumpers Sarah Longwell and Tim Miller on the Presidential Debate 37:26

2M ago37:26

37:26

Bulwark Founder Sarah Longwell and former Republican operative and host of the Bulwark podcast Tim Miller are worried about a dangerous potential second term of Donald Trump. The first step for Joe Biden defeating Trump? Have a good showing in this week's coming debate. Tim has prepped Presidential candidates to face Trump and shares his insight. A…

1
PART 2: The RAD's Uneven Flow | Hedy Fischer, Gail McCarthy, Stephanie Monson Dahl 33:00

2M ago33:00

33:00

This is the second half of my conversation with Hedy Fischer and Gail McCarthy, who along with their artist husbands bought buildings in the River Arts District early on and are committed to keeping those buildings open and affordable for other artists. They’re joined here by Stephanie Monson Dahl, the city’s manager of Urban Design, Place Strategi…

1
PART 1: The RAD's Uneven Flow | Hedy Fischer, Gail McCarthy, Stephanie Monson Dahl 34:55

2M ago34:55

34:55

Hedy Fischer and Gail McCarthy have been in Asheville since the late 1970s and, along with their artist husbands, played critical roles in the evolution of the River Arts District from a neglected, polluted wasteland of warehouses into the thriving arts and commerce destination it is today. They also have thoughts on whether the scales of progress …

1
WaPo Op-Ed Columnist Catherine Rampell 39:12

2M ago39:12

39:12

One of the biggest issues in the coming election will be the economy. So how has President Biden done on that front? We talk to Catherine Rampell about Bidenomics and how the President should tout his economic record. His opponent, Donald Trump could be a disaster for the economy if his previous term is any indication. Catherine discusses what a se…

1
Celebrating the Tony Awards with Heather Hitchens and Eila Mell 53:24

2M ago53:24

53:24

The Tonys are coming up! And Backstage Babble is giving you the perfect way to celebrate. On this episode, I am joined by Eila Mell, the author of the wonderful new book “The Tony Awards: Celebrating Excellence in the Theater,” a must-have for any theater fan, and Heather Hitchens, the CEO of the American Theater Wing, which presents the Tonys ever…

1
In Remembrance of Howard Fineman 54:03

2M ago54:03

54:03

My friend Howard Fineman died this week. He had a long career as one of Washington's most respected political reporters and began his career at the Louisville Courier Journal. There, he was able to witness the rise of Mitch McConnell and learn what kind of politician he was. In this episode from 2019, we discuss what makes McConnell tick and Howard…

1
Hear Here | O•VAD•YA in Performance and Conversation 49:24

2M ago49:24

49:24

Hear Here is a performance and podcast series designed to elevate conversation around local rock and indie music. I invited two all-female bands to the May 28 evening of Hear Here at Citizen Vinyl. The bands Detective Blind and O•VAD•YA come from different generations. Detective Blind are three sisters—the eldest is only 17—while most of the member…

1
The Queen Bee of Pollination | Phyllis Stiles of Bee City Asheville 37:26

2M ago37:26

37:26

There are about 400 Bee City USA programs across 47 states, all with a mission to sustain pollinators by increasing native plants and nest sites while reducing the use of pesticides. The entire Bee City movement started in Asheville 12 years ago with the efforts of Phyllis Stiles. During the thick of a month of pollination celebration here, I talk …

1
Frank Foer of The Atlantic and David Rothkopf of The Daily Beast 51:44

2M ago51:44

51:44

The war in the Middle East continues, but is a ceasefire in sight? The Biden administration has an outline of a plan. Two of our leading foreign policy experts join us to discuss. Plus, now that Donald Trump is a convicted felon, what could that mean for this election? And how does the Biden administration sell the undeniable success of the economy…

1
Susan Birkenhead 1:38:42

3M ago1:38:42

1:38:42

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my interview with legendary lyricist Susan Birkenhead. Tune in to hear the stories of her great career, including how Shirley Bernstein introduced her to Mary Rodgers, the song of hers that was cut from WORKING, the Patti LaBelle-led project that led to JELLY’S LAST JAM, the show she gets recognized for the most, the…

1
Dan Balz - Washington Post Chief Correspondent and Former US Attorney Harry Litman 53:01

2M ago53:01

53:01

Donald Trump has been convicted on all 34 charges in his NYC hush money trial. What does that mean for his future? We get the latest from our legal expert Harry Litman. Plus, longtime political reporter Dan Balz from the Washington Post joins for a wide ranging political discussion! Will these convictions help or hurt Trump? We also discuss the sta…

1
The Lens of Reflection | Pete Candler, Author, Photographer and Filmmaker 28:28

2M ago28:28

28:28

Pete Candler wears many creative hats. He’s a photographer and maker of short films—all of it self-taught—and he’s also an author and recovering academic. His new book, titled “A Deeper South," is both an internal and external travelogue over 25 years of road trips through the American South. We’ll also talk about leaving a tenured professorship at…

1
Authoring Mid-Life Shifts | Madison Brightwell and Don Silver 41:36

3M ago41:36

41:36

Madison Brightwell and Don Silver are local novelists who don’t know each other but have similar creative trajectories. Both spent early years behind the scenes—Brightwell in film production, Silver working for music mogul Clive Davis—before turning to more conventional careers. It wasn’t until their 40s that both leaned into writing fiction. Silve…

1
In Remembrance of My Friend Bill Walton 40:40

3M ago40:40

40:40

My friend, basketball legend Bill Walton died this week after a private battle with cancer, I wanted to share our interview with Bill from March of 2022, You will hear the unbounded life force of his generous spirit. RIP Bill. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-i…

1
Reading the Room | Literacy Together 37:25

3M ago37:25

37:25

Most people reading or listening to this likely take their literacy for granted. But for thousands of youth and adults throughout Buncombe County, literacy is a hurdle impacting nearly every element of life. My guests are executive director Amanda Wrubleski and program directors Rebecca Massey and Erin Sebelius with Literacy Together. It’s an Ashev…

1
Harry Litman on the Trump Trial 37:43

3M ago37:43

37:43

Former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman joins to discuss the Trump hush money trial. Both sides have rested. Harry has been in the courtroom watching the trial. With closing arguments coming next week, we break down what has transpired and all the possible outcomes Trump could expect as his verdict looms. Harry has b…

1
Betsy Aidem 1:16:00

3M ago1:16:00

1:16:00

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my interview with 2024 Tony nominee for Best Actress in a Play, Betsy Aidem. She was nominated for her staggering performance in Prayer for the French Republic, and you can tune in today to hear more about that process as well as some of the great stories of her legendary career, including the advice she got from Tom…

1
Rita Rudner 55:18

3M ago55:18

55:18

Today, I’m thrilled to announce the release of my episode with legendary comedian and Broadway performer Rita Rudner. Tune in to hear her talk about all the facets of her career, including learning wings for Gower Champion, the show she calls “the first feel-bad musical,” the advantages of working with her husband, the difficult transition from mus…

1
Comedian Trae Crowder – The Liberal Redneck 42:47

3M ago42:47

42:47

Trae Crowder, the viral Tennessean comedian joins to discuss his upbringing in a red state, why rednecks are Trumpies and what happens to a community when the jobs leave. Learn why he understands Trump's appeal to rednecks, and how and why they transitioned from not liking Trump to supporting his every move. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/…

1
Hear Here | Caged Affair in Performance and Conversation 40:47

3M ago40:47

40:47

April 27 marked the debut of "Hear Here," a series presented in tandem with Citizen Vinyl to elevate conversation around local rock and indie music. The premiere featured talk and performances with the bands Pink Beds and Caged Affair. This episode is all about Caged Affair, a vocalist-guitarist son and his drumming father from Waynesville, whose m…

1
Spaced Out | ArtsAVL Town Hall on Affordable Arts Workspaces 43:09

3M ago43:09

43:09

We all know the impact of Asheville’s skyrocketing housing costs. What we don’t hear nearly as much about is how artists and arts organizations are finding it more challenging to do their work in Asheville. Affordable workspaces was the topic of the latest ArtsAVL Creative Space Town Hall. Matt Peiken moderated a May 10 panel at Asheville Community…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Heather Jefferson Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide