Best Rope Nation Podcasts (2024)

1
AEW Dynasty: Did We See The Match of The Decade? 1:12:28

2d ago1:12:28

1:12:28

We review our live experience attending AEW Dynasty in St. Louis, MO this past weekend. Was Will Ospreay vs. Bryan Danielson the match of the decade? Plus, thoughts on Swerve Strickland's AEW title win over Samoa Joe, the return of Jack Perry, and much more. For bonus content from Top Rope Nation, as well as Patreon-exclusive reviews of classic wre…

1
Episode: 138: The Evolution of the American Musical 51:04

4d ago51:04

51:04

My guest this week is author BEN WEST, who joins me to discuss his exceptional new book: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL — EVOLUTION OF AN ART FORM. This book is a comprehensive history of the American Musical that traces the form’s creative journey from its 19th Century beginnings through its 20th Century maturation, and on to the turn of the 21st century. A…

1
AEW Dynasty Preview, WrestleMania 41 Location Update 1:15:29

8d ago1:15:29

1:15:29

This Sunday's AEW Dynasty card looks like an all-timer and we are here to preview it! We give our full AEW Dynasty predictions and match by match thoughts. Plus, an update on WWE's plans for WrestleMania 41's location and what we know as of now. For bonus content from Top Rope Nation, as well as Patreon-exclusive reviews of classic wrestling shows …

1
Classics: WWF WrestleMania 18 15:30

11d ago15:30

15:30

This is your monthly free preview of the latest edition of 'Top Rope Nation Classics,' our monthly deep-dive retro show for our supporters on Patreon. We discuss WWF WrestleMania 18 this month - Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock, Triple H vs. Chris Jericho, Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Scott Hall, and much more. The full podcast includes deep dives on every m…

1
Episode 137: Broadway Melody — A Novel Approach to Broadway History 50:50

15d ago50:50

50:50

My guest this week is Jack Viertel who joins us to talk about his delightful new novel, Broadway Melody. This is one of a fascinating wave of novels that explore the history of Broadway though a combination of fictional characters and real-life Broadway figures. Jack Viertel began his theatrical career as a drama critic for the Los Angeles Herald E…

1
WWE WrestleMania 40, Night Two Review: Cody Rhodes Has His Moment 1:19:17

18d ago1:19:17

1:19:17

Join us as Ryan and Jesse review night two of WrestleMania 40. Cody Rhodes finished the story, defeating Roman Reigns in the main event to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship. Plus, we got a Money In The Bank cash-in, a solid women's match, and a lot more. For bonus content from Top Rope Nation, as well as Patreon-exclusive reviews of classic w…

1
WWE WrestleMania 40, Night One Review: Did The Show Under-Deliver? 1:01:32

19d ago1:01:32

1:01:32

Join us as Ryan and Justin review night one of WrestleMania 40. Our biggest question: Did the main event under-deliver? We talk Roman Reigns and The Rock vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn vs. Gunther, Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley, and more. Plus, the problem with cold weather outdoor stadiums! Lastly, we close with a bonus discussion on th…

1
WWE WrestleMania 40 Preview! Will Cody Rhodes Finish The Story? 1:12:35

22d ago1:12:35

1:12:35

Join us as we preview and predict every match on this weekend's WWE WrestleMania 40 (XL) event! Will Cody Rhodes finally finish the story and defeat Roman Reigns? How will The Rock and Seth Rollins factor in? Plus, much more. Thanks to Ryan Huffman for joining us on the show. For bonus content from Top Rope Nation, as well as Patreon-exclusive revi…

1
Carolyn, Dorothy, David, and More: Cy Coleman's Lyricists with special guest David Zippel 47:36

24d ago47:36

47:36

During an incredible Broadway career that stretched from 1953 to 1998, composer Cy Coleman created the music for 12 Broadway musicals. Unlike most Broadway composers, however, he was never part of an ongoing songwriting team but instead worked with seven very talented but very different collaborators. My guest today is one of those esteemed lyricis…

1
The Rock Destroys Cody Rhodes, CM Punk Gets Rattled? 1:14:53

1M ago1:14:53

1:14:53

We're discussing a very good edition of WWE Raw this week, including The Rock calling it back to the Attitude Era with a very violent segment with Cody Rhodes. Plus, CM Punk seemed to get a bit rattled during his much-talked about segment with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins — we explain. Then, we discuss this week's AEW Dynamite and the build to AE…

1
Encore Episode: Patricia Zipprodt and the Women Who Invented Broadway 29:44

1M ago29:44

29:44

This is the second part of my discussion with Tony Award-winning Costume Designer Ann Hould-Ward in which we trace the legacy chain of Broadway costume design expertise that was handed down directly over a 100-year period from Aileen Bernstein to Irene Shariff to Patricia Zipprodt to Ann Hould-Ward, herself. If you missed the previous episode you m…

1
Has The Rock Stolen Roman Reigns' Thunder? 1:12:49

1M ago1:12:49

1:12:49

Join us as we discuss The Rock, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and WWE's top storyline heading into WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia. Plus, thoughts on AEW's build to Dynasty, Mercedes Mone's run so far, Kazuchika Okada, should Swerve Strickland win the world title at Dynasty, and much more! For bonus content from Top Rope Nation, as well as Patreon-exc…

1
Special Encore Episode: Irene Sharaff And The Women That Invented Broadway 31:10

1M ago31:10

31:10

To celebrate Women's History Month he is the first of two episodes recorded during the pandemic about the history of Broadway Costume design with special guest Ann Hould-Ward. Irene Sharraff is the legendary Broadway costume designer whose incredible 56-year career spanned from 1933 to 1989. She designed the costumes for more than 52 Broadway music…

1
Classics: WWF In Your House Final Four 15:17

1M ago15:17

15:17

This is your monthly free preview of the latest edition of 'Top Rope Nation Classics,' our monthly deep-dive retro show for our supporters on Patreon. We discuss WWF's In Your House Final Four event, which included one of the best multi-man matches of all time: Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Vader vs. The Undertaker, as well as the first…

1
Episode 136: THE MUSICALS THAT NEVER CAME TO BROADWAY 44:49

2M ago44:49

44:49

My guest this week is Robert W. Schneider who joins me to talk about his new podcast, Broadway Bound — The Musicals That Never Came To Broadway. Each of the ten episodes in the first season of this wonderfully researched new series focuses on a high-profile musical that was on its way to Broadway but for various reasons never made it. Analyzing and…

1
Episode 135: GO INTO YOUR DANCE: The Queer Backstage Novels of Bradford Ropes, part 3 44:52

2M ago44:52

44:52

My guest again this week is author Maya Cantu who returns for the third and final part of our conversation about her fascinating book: Greasepaint Puritan — Boston to 42nd Street in the Queer Backstage Novels of Bradford Ropes. In this episode we focus on Ropes’ 1934 novel, Go Into Your Dance, the third in his evocative backstage trilogy which also…

1
Sting's Final Match and AEW Revolution Delivered Big Time 1:05:21

2M ago1:05:21

1:05:21

We discuss AEW Revolution 2024, Sting's final match, Will Ospreay and Takeshita's eye-popping bout, Bryan Danielson and Eddie Kingston's masterpiece, and why Revolution was likely AEW's best PPV event yet. For bonus content from Top Rope Nation, as well as Patreon-exclusive reviews of classic wrestling shows and ad-free versions of all our shows, c…

1
AEW Revolution Preview, Booking Sting's Last Match 1:12:55

2M ago1:12:55

1:12:55

Justin and Jesse preview Sunday night's AEW Revolution card and give their thoughts on Sting's last few days in the wrestling business. Should the Young Bucks win, or should Sting and Darby Allin walk out on top? And will Samoa Joe actually lose the AEW world title?! For bonus content from Top Rope Nation, as well as Patreon-exclusive reviews of cl…

1
Episode 134: Before GYPSY there was STAGE MOTHER — The Queer Backstage Novels of Bradford Ropes, part 2 26:50

2M ago26:50

26:50

My guest again today is author Maya Cantu who returns to discuss her book, Greasepaint Puritan — Boston to 42nd Street in the Queer Backstage Novels of Bradford Ropes. In this terrific new book Maya reclaims the life and work of vaudeville, nightclub and Broadway dancer turned novelist and screenwriter Bradford Ropes, with a central focus on his th…

1
WWE Elimination Chamber Predictions, Sting's Best Promo Ever? 1:16:20

2M ago1:16:20

1:16:20

Join us as we preview this Saturday's WWE Elimination Chamber event in Perth, Australia. We predict all of the winners and the impact that the event will have on WrestleMania 40. Who will go on to face Seth Rollins at WrestleMania? Who will face Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania? Plus, thoughts on this week's AEW Dynamite and what might have been the bes…

1
Episode 133: 42nd STREET & the Queer Backstage Novels of Bradford Ropes 55:58

2M ago55:58

55:58

My guest this week is author Maya Cantu who joins me to discuss her new book, Greasepaint Puritan — Boston to 42nd Street in the Queer Backstage Novels of Bradford Ropes. In this book Maya reclaims the life and work of Bradford Ropes, the author of the naughty, bawdy, gaudy, sporty, and very gay novel, 42nd Street, on which both the classic film an…

1
AEW Revolution's Build, Seth Rollins Outshines Cody Rhodes? 1:07:41

2M ago1:07:41

1:07:41

We cover a lot of topics this week, starting with the Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins segment from this past Monday night on Raw. Did Rollins outshine Cody? And what does this say about WrestleMania XL? Plus, we talk about the build to AEW Revolution and what looks to be an excellent card on paper. We discuss the Young Bucks' new characters, our shift…

1
Special Encore Episode: The Black Musical Returns! 26:59

2M ago26:59

26:59

This is a special encore episode of Broadway Nation. 1970s Broadway experienced another blast from the past with the return of the Black Musical. More than a dozen hit black musicals opened during the decade, and three of them won the Tony Award for BEST MUSICAL. About half of these were new, original musical plays – mostly adaptations of popular p…

1
WrestleMania Kickoff Reaction, AEW Dynamite Nailed It 1:12:09

3M ago1:12:09

1:12:09

Join us for this week's flagship show as we discuss the WWE WrestleMania kickoff event in Las Vegas, Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes, The Rock and Seth Rollins' involvement, and one completely convoluted storyline. Plus, thoughts on this week's AEW Dynamite, Sting capturing gold, Mercedes Mone's pending arrival, Swerve, Hangman Page, The Young Bucks, …

1
Episode 132: MARY & ETHEL & STEPHEN COLE 45:04

3M ago45:04

45:04

My guest today is the prolific and award-winning book writer and lyricist Stephen Cole who joins me today to talk about his new novel: Mary & Ethel…and Mikey Who? I found it to be a terrific book, both wildly funny and very moving. And as you will hear, at times it feels like Stephen wrote this novel especially for me, and for the fans of this podc…

1
Will Allday Talks 'The Iron Claw,' Booker T's ROW (TRN Unplugged Freebie!) 54:05

3M ago54:05

54:05

A special treat for you this week. Due to some illness with the TRN hosts, we had to reschedule this week's 'TRN Classics' episode on Royal Rumble '91. So next week, we will be putting out 'TRN Classics' for our Patreon supporters, as well as a new flagship next Thursday for all. In the meantime, we're putting out this week's edition of 'TRN Unplug…

1
Special Encore Episode: Tails Of Broadway - with theatrical animal trainer Bill Berloni 48:31

3M ago48:31

48:31

My guest today is theatrical animal trainer Bill Berloni. Beginning with the original production of ANNIE in 1977, Bill has provided and trained animals of all species and sizes for 27 Broadway musicals and plays, as well as for countless Off-Broadway shows, National Tours, regional theaters, movies, television shows, commercials and the NYC Ballet…

1
WWE Royal Rumble Review: Was Cody Rhodes The Right Decision? 1:40:46

3M ago1:40:46

1:40:46

Cody Rhodes won the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble on Saturday night in St. Petersburg, Florida to setup a showdown with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL (40) in Philadelphia. Will Cody actually finish the story this time? Plus, we cover the rest of the matches in our WWE Royal Rumble review. Both the men's and women's Rumble matches, as well as Roman Reigns…

1
Protecting Your Company and Your Data in the Wake of a Cyber Incident 20:27

3M ago20:27

20:27

Tune in to Ropes & Gray's podcast series, The Data Day, brought to you by the firm’s data, privacy & cybersecurity practice. This series focuses on the day-to-day effects that data has on all of our lives as well as other exciting and interesting legal and regulatory developments in the world of data, and features a range of guests, including clien…

1
Horrific Vince McMahon Allegations, Netflix & Royal Rumble Impact 1:10:44

3M ago1:10:44

1:10:44

Vince McMahon was accused of horrific acts in a new lawsuit stemming from a relationship with former WWE employee Janel Grant. WWE just signed a new multi-billion dollar deal with Netflix to stream Monday Night Raw in 2025 and beyond this week. The Royal Rumble is this Saturday night, which we planned on previewing. What will be the fallout from th…

1
Special Encore Episode: Inside The Creation of FOLLIES 48:52

3M ago48:52

48:52

My guest this week is Ted Chapin whose captivating 2003 book Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical “Follies,” has recently been reissued in a revised and updated edition. As you may know, this book is based on Ted’s first-hand experience as the production assistant on the original Broadway production of the Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince,…

1
Okada Leaving NJPW, WWE/AEW Trade Possibilities 1:19:12

3M ago1:19:12

1:19:12

Kazuchika Okada and New Japan Pro Wrestling have announced that Okada is leaving NJPW. Where will he end up? We talk about the possibilities of the Rainmaker in both AEW and WWE, as well as where we think he ends up. Then, our main topic takes a look at what it would be like if WWE and AEW could engage in trades for talent like major sports franchi…

1
Special Encore Episode: Robbins, Fosse, Bennett & Gennaro! — The Craft and Art of Broadway Choreography 39:16

3M ago39:16

39:16

This is the second half of my conversation with author Liza Gennaro, whose fascinating book is titled: Making Broadway Dance. If you missed part one you may want to catch up on that episode before listening to this one. Liza is currently the Dean of Musical Theater at the Manhattan School of Music and she also has had a very active and successful c…

1
Pro Wrestling's Best of 2023 (Fantasy Draft Style) 1:43:55

4M ago1:43:55

1:43:55

Join us as we countdown the best matches, wrestlers, events, and tag teams of 2023. We're talking Match of the Year. Male and Female Wrestler of the Year. Wrestling Event of the Year. Tag Team of the Year. Both WWE and AEW get a lot of discussion here, with some ROH, Impact, and NJPW thrown in as well. We do the awards a little bit differently this…

1
Special Encore Episode: Katherine Dunham, Agnes de Mille & The Craft and Art of Broadway Choreography 30:18

4M ago30:18

30:18

This is the first half of my recent conversation with author Liza Gennaro, whose fascinating new book is titled: Making Broadway Dance. Liza is currently the Dean of Musical Theater at the Manhattan School of Music and prior to that she had a very active and successful career as a dancer and choreographer on Broadway and with prominent theater comp…

1
The Rock to Steal Cody's Story? WrestleKingdom 18, Dynamite Thoughts 1:02:59

4M ago1:02:59

1:02:59

We discuss The Rock's return during this past Monday's WWE Raw show and what that means for Roman Reigns, and most notably, Cody Rhodes heading into WrestleMania season. Is a match at Elimination Chamber between Rock and Roman more likely than WrestleMania 40? Plus, we discuss this week's edition of AEW Dynamite and have some thoughts on NJPW's Wre…

1
Special Encore Episode: "Sensory Abundance!": or, Why We Are Hooked On Musicals 31:27

4M ago31:27

31:27

Why are the great Musicals so unforgettable? Why do musicals have so much power and impact? How is it that they are able to live in our hearts and memories for a lifetime? Musicals are experiences that get embedded in our psyche. We remember them forever -- vividly and in often in great and specific detail. And they get embedded in our emotional an…

1
A Special Encore Episode: "White Christmas" — The Story Behind The World's Most Popular Song, part 2 43:05

4M ago43:05

43:05

This is the second of two special holiday bonus episodes of Broadway Nation. Just like the first, this is an audio version of a Broadway Nation Live! performance that was given in December of 2019 at the Vashon Center For The Performing Arts on Vashon Island, WA. If you prefer to watch a video of this performance you can stream it on their website …

1
AEW Worlds End Review and Reaction 1:37:44

4M ago1:37:44

1:37:44

Jesse and Ryan review Saturday night's AEW Worlds End show. We're joined by Frank Peteani, who was in attendance at the Nassau Coliseum and gives us the live perspective. Samoa Joe wins the world title. The Devil is revealed. Christian Cage and Adam Copeland tear it down. Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley have a classic. And so much more! For bonus con…

1
AEW Worlds End Preview, 'The Iron Claw' Full Review 1:40:40

4M ago1:40:40

1:40:40

Join us for a really fun show this week. First, friend of the pod Gabe Benson (who lived in Dallas during the heyday of the Von Erichs and World Class Championship Wrestling) joins us to review The Iron Claw. Did the movie capture the spirit of the Sportatorium? What were the major positives and negatives of the film? Then, we go on to preview this…

1
Special Encore Episode: The Story Behind White Christmas, part 1 33:25

4M ago33:25

33:25

This is a special holiday reprise of one of Broadway Nation's most popular episodes: It's an audio version of a Broadway Nation Live! performance that was presented in December of 2019 at the Vashon Center For The Performing Arts on Vashon Island just outside of Seattle, WA. Several previous episodes of Broadway Nation have explored the crucial rol…

1
Classics: How the Von Erich vs. Freebirds Feud Began in World Class 15:33

4M ago15:33

15:33

This is your monthly free preview of the latest edition of 'Top Rope Nation Classics,' our monthly deep-dive retro show for our supporters on Patreon. We discuss World Class Championship Wrestling's 'Christmas Star Wars 1982' event from Reunion Arena. This show featured Ric Flair vs. Kerry Von Erich for the NWA World Title, as well as the Freebirds…

1
Episode 131: The Last NOEL! 49:42

4M ago49:42

49:42

This is the seventh and final episode in my series of conversations with author OLIVER SODEN regarding his recent book: MASQUERADE: THE LIVES OF NOEL COWARD This week we explore the final chapters of both Coward's life and this brilliant biography. Remarkably, during the final decade of his life Coward wrote the book, music & lyrics for two Broadwa…

1
WWE & AEW Stars Who Should Join The Competition 1:25:16

5M ago1:25:16

1:25:16

A fun episode this week as Ryan and Jesse discuss the WWE and Warner Bros. Discovery rumors, as well as some thoughts on WWE Monday Night Raw (Drew McIntyre, that CM Punk & Seth Rollins promo), AEW Dynamite, the Continental Classic, and more. Then, we settle in on our main topic: who are some names in both the WWE and AEW who should consider jumpin…

1
Episode 130: NOEL COWARD in LAS VEGAS 35:16

5M ago35:16

35:16

This week marks the 124th birthday Noel Coward who was born on December 16, 1899, just in time to become, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th Century. And yes, his parents named him Noel because his birth came so close to Christmas! So it couldn’t be more appropriate that today’s episode is the sixth in series of discuss…

1
Unplugged: Rey Mysterio Salute, Wrestler of the Year Thoughts 10:11

5M ago10:11

10:11

Here is a free teaser of the latest edition of 'TRN Unplugged' from Jesse Velasquez, one of three bonus shows that are part of our Patreon-only rotation. On this episode, Jesse discusses a Patron Q & A, Wrestler of the Year criteria, and a salute to Rey Mysterio on his 49th birthday. Head to ⁠https://www.patreon.com/topropenation⁠ to hear the entir…

1
CM Punk Losing His Edge, AEW Continental Classic Gets It Right 1:13:27

5M ago1:13:27

1:13:27

On this week's show, our trio discusses CM Punk in WWE so far. Has he already started to lose his edge despite just arriving? Are we still looking forward to this run? What are the issues coming off that disappointing Raw promo? Plus, thoughts on Randy Orton, Kazuchika Okada's contract, the AEW Continental Classic so far, and more! For bonus conten…

1
Episode 129: Noel Coward In A Changing World, part 5 29:50

5M ago29:50

29:50

My guest again this week is Oliver Soden whose recent book is titled Masquerade – The Lives of Noel Coward. I am devoting more episodes to this book than I have to any previous books, but I found the writing and research to be so exceptional, and this conversation with Soden to be so captivating that I don’t want you to miss any of it. Today Oliver…

1
Classics: WWF Survivor Series 1995 15:00

5M ago15:00

15:00

This is your monthly free preview of the latest edition of 'Top Rope Nation Classics,' our monthly deep-dive retro show for our supporters on Patreon. We discuss WWF Survivor Series 1995. This show featured Diesel vs. Bret Hart. The Wild Card Match. The return of The Undertaker. And much more. The full podcast includes deep dives on every match on …

1
Episode 128: The Lives of NOEL COWARD, part 4 43:25

5M ago43:25

43:25

This is the fourth part of my interview with Oliver Soden author of the truly extraordinary new book MASQUERADE — THE LIVES OF NOEL COWARD. In this episode we discuss Noel Coward’s life and career during the late 1930s including his amazingly provocative play DESIGN FOR LIVING and the bisexual love triangle at the center of it, as well as dazzling …

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