In the name of "Merry Christmas" and the holiday season, welcome to Israel! In 1961, MILK AND HONEY premiered on Broadway and brought with it the first major musical theatre representation of Jewish life as well as an introduction to a little, off-Broadway composer named Jerry Herman. Musical theatre creator, educator, and podcast host David Armstrong joins us to discuss this lesser known show with a giant sized cultural footprint. Enjoy your holidays everyone, and thank you for a beautiful 2022...
Dec 25, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 96
THE SECRET GARDEN is a timeless story with a lot of layers, just like our two guests who were gracious enough to discuss it with us this week. Tony-winning Daisy Eagan ("Mary Lennox," herself) and John Cameron Mitchell (do you think of him as "Hedwig" first, or Dickon?) enjoy a mini reunion in this episode that has a bit of everything, including "earth." Come to the garden, and stay for the "T!" Daisy's podcast Strange and Unexplained with Daisy Eagan is available wherever you listen to podcasts...
Dec 18, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 95
While it may have flopped on Broadway, DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES was a winner in Europe and our recent poll on PATREON! So if you're thinking you're too sophisticated for this episode, get ready to realize all the fun you've been missing while you've been rolling your eyes. Talented performer and podcast host Jake Saenz (Fear the Talking Queers) joins us this week for an irreverent discussion on the joys of treasure in trash, learning from mistakes, and singing goth pop at the top of your lungs. Lea...
Nov 20, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 94
THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS ran for only two months on Broadway at the end of 2010, but in that short time it managed to spark controversy that not only brought protestors outside the theatre, but 12 Tony nominations the following Spring. Luckily our special guest this week is able to provide us with some context. Original off-Broadway and Broadway cast member Josh Breckenridge (COME FROM AWAY, THE BOOK OF MORMON) joins us to jump into some very difficult conversations with one intention in mind: to hel...
Nov 13, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 93
No need for cute introductory copy here. This week we are simply honored that Tony Award winning composing team Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (RAGTIME, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, ANASTASIA) stopped by to discuss their beautiful musical A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE. Don't miss this fun and poignant conversation about the power of theatre, community, and Terrence McNally's Bloomingdale visits. Also, feel free to weigh in on whether you pronounce it "Salomay" or "Salohmee." ;) Classic Stage Company's curren...
Oct 23, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 92
The only thing more challenging than securing a big hit on Broadway is figuring out how to follow it up with another big hit. For the team of the juggernaut musical HAIRSPRAY, that follow up was a musical adaptation of Stephen Spielberg's hit film CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. And while this story of America's famed juvenile conman may not have been the resounding success they'd hoped for, there is still plenty to sing about. This week we welcome original Broadway cast member Jay Armstrong Johnson (HAIR,...
Oct 16, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Never has a child changed the world so much by asking for seconds. The musical OLIVER! is somewhat of an outlier in 1960s musical theatre that's as dark as it is joyful and filled to the brim with wonderful characters. Here to discuss it this week is another wonderful character: historical chef, author and YouTube sensation Max Miller! Max dives into his love of musicals as he and Jeff discuss Charles Dickens, gruel, and how one could sing the catchiest tunes amidst the most impoverished conditi...
Sep 25, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 90
How on earth do you name a brand new musical SOMETHING ROTTEN, open it cold on Broadway and somehow still have a hit? Short answer: magic. Long answer: listen to this week's episode with original Tony-nominated Nostradamus, Brad Oscar! Brad dusts off his soothsayer powers to tell us everything about this show that loves musicals as much as it "hates" Shakespeare. Follow Brad on Instagram @bradoscar64 and don't miss him this week at 54 Below in Charles Kirsch's Backstage Babble LIVE on September ...
Sep 04, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 89
Here's a little something to help you through the end of your week! Jeff brings you a mini episode spotlighting the latest offering on PATREON! in which author Adam Abraham drops by to talk about the release of his new book exploring the Cultural History of the musical Little Shop of Horrors . "Attack of the Monster Musical" is a must read, and this conversation is a must listen. Listen to the full episode and all other exclusive offerings on PATREON! for only $1 a month by subscribing to patreo...
Aug 31, 2022•10 min
Well, it didn't take 100 years, but today is finally the day BRIGADOON comes to life on the podcast! Here to discuss the magical beauty of this 1947 musical is a Tony nominee from the 1980 revival, actor and educator Meg Bussert (BRIGADOON, CAMELOT, DAMN YANKEES). Tune in to hear Meg's first hand accounts of working alongside true musical theatre legends (including Alan Jay Lerner and Agnes de Mille), and learn what a legend like this story can teach us about the time in which it was written. On...
Aug 28, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 88
RAISIN was named the Best Musical of 1974. Have you seen it? Can you sing a song from it? Here to argue why our answers to both of these questions should be "yes" is director, puppeteer, historian, and archivist Jerrell L Henderson. Tune in to hear how this musical adaptation of A RAISIN IN THE SUN is filled with integrity, history, and legendary star power. It's the next best thing to experiencing it live! Take advantage of Jerrell's incredible work by following either his professional Instagra...
Aug 21, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 87
It might be the oldest title we cover on "A Musical Theatre Podcast" thanks to some well written listener requests! THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE found incredible success on Broadway over a century after it premiered there in 1879. Here to discuss composing team Gilbert & Sullivan and how PIRATES and their other iconic works changed everything is teacher and performer Gina Morgano. Join Jeff and Gina for this copyright free episode, and "boy oh boy" do they hope you break into song. Learn more abo...
Jul 31, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 86
It's been a rough month, so we're taking a Christmas in July vacation this week to discuss one of the very few holiday musicals to be nominated for Best Musical at the Tony Awards: A CHRISTMAS STORY. Joining us for a conversation about this wild and nostalgic look at the Christmas season is a guest who was with this show from version 1.0 to Broadway to the Live TV special and everything in between. It's Grammy-nominated musical director, Ian Eisendrath! Together Jeff and Ian talk presents, winte...
Jul 17, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 85
It's Pride month, and we're celebrating with the drag mother of musicals: LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. Joining us to explore this traditional yet groundbreaking milestone is original Broadway cast member David Engel (FOREVER PLAID, SEUSSICAL, PUTTING IT TOGETHER). Please enjoy all the charming first hand accounts you could ever wish for plus a crash course in French and a beautiful reminder that 1983 was both the best of times and not. Guaranteed you'll be ready to "face life with a little guts and lots ...
Jun 19, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 84
Recently we chose five musicals from our listener request list that had all won the "Best Musical Tony Award" and allowed our social media followers to vote on which we should cover to celebrate next week's 2022 Tony Ceremony. The winner? Kander & Ebb's "darksical" KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. Not only was this musical groundbreaking when it opened on Broadway in 1993, but it also has one of the most unique journeys to the Best Musical trophy in Tony history! Joining us to discuss this complex ...
Jun 05, 2022•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 83
A wisecracking sound designer once said, "The audience doesn't leave humming the lights." Whoever said it, they have a point. That's why this week's episode dedicated to the rock musical THE WHO'S TOMMY features a guest with one of the most important jobs in musical theatre! But Cricket Myers is no ordinary sound designer. She was also the first woman to ever be Tony nominated for "Best Sound Design of a Play." Together, Cricket and Jeff begin our official Tony Award festivities by discussing he...
May 22, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 82
In 1951, THE KING AND I changed musical theatre, and now in 2022, the modern world has changed THE KING AND I. While everyone can (and should) have an opinion on this work of art, this week’s episode provides context for those opinions thanks to some incredible guests. Historian from the Library of Congress, Mark Eden Horowitz, joins us after spending an entire year studying the correspondence of Oscar Hammerstein II, and Broadway star Joan Almedilla (MISS SAIGON) guides us through the show afte...
May 08, 2022•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 81
Whether you've already met or have yet to meet the genius creativity that is PASSING STRANGE, this episode invites you to truly come as you are. Chita Rivera Award Winner, Todd Underwood (director/choreographer of the current SLAC production) joins us for a very personal conversation about musical poetry, artistic journeys and, of course, "the real." You're gonna want to watch this musical after the episode, so we're gonna go ahead and place the Prime Video link here "Hallelujah." For tickets or...
Apr 24, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Major masterwork SWEENEY TODD has made us all wince, laugh, and think since its bloody premiere in 1979. Joining us this week to discuss what makes this killer musical simmer and explode is Tony nominee ( SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical ), Sondheim star (the off Broadway Assassins ), and all around "Sweeney Fan," the very smart and talented Ethan Slater! Don't miss this episode full of laughs and "epiphanies" like, but not limited to, Jeff realizing in real time just how complex the ...
Apr 17, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 79
The closest we've been to a new-old school "star vehicle" in modern musical theatre is unquestionably THE BOY FROM OZ which tells the story of the divinely flamboyant Peter Allen and probably wouldn't have been on Broadway, let alone a big hit, without the star wattage of Allen's Aussie countryman, Hugh Jackman. Here this week to discuss this musical and other important Australian exports (like actors and tim tams) is both a "boy from Oz" and podcaster, Justin Clarke! Please enjoy this conversat...
Mar 27, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 78
"Giving the nation a new syncopation" requires many things, maybe most important... a conductor. Here this week to discuss the musical masterpiece RAGTIME (that's right, masterpiece!) is the musical director and conductor for the show's entire original Broadway run, David Loud. Who better to discuss the inner workings of this complex look at America than the guy with the best seat in the house and the heartbeat of the show in his hand? This is a musical that was epic both onstage and off. You're...
Mar 13, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Today we're "crossing the line" and exploring the mega fun listener request BRING IT ON: THE MUSICAL. Joining us to discuss this show's reach, ambition, and experimentation (not kidding) is someone who understands all three of those words very well. Becky Birdsong has been a major gifts officer at some of the most prestigious regional theatres in the country, and we can't wait for you to learn what that means! Also be sure to stick around for intermission where you'll hear original Broadway cast...
Feb 27, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 76
This week we're celebrating Black History Month with a musical so groundbreaking, it has a tornado! Broadway legend (AIN'T MISBEHAVIN, CATS), and Cowardly Lion, Ken Page joins us to discuss the history, artistry, and sheer belief that brought about the musical THE WIZ. Join us to hear how these familiar characters from Oz provided musical theatre with insight into the Black experience that has entertained audiences ever since. And if that's not enough, you'll also hear about the time Ken met Str...
Feb 20, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 75
Time for a deep dive into the most groundbreaking show most of us will never see. Thanks to listener Colden, this week we're covering LADY IN THE DARK with lifelong super fan (and director, writer, and actor) Michael Van Duzer! We also get a mini session with Dr Alisa Hurwitz (Dr Drama herself) to bring context to mental health in both 1941 and 2022. These more historical musicals can be a bit of risk to cover, so let us know if you enjoy this episode! Michael Van Duzer is on the board of Theatr...
Jan 30, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 74
The moment you think you may know everything about musical theatre is the moment you should talk to Klea Blackhurst about ANNIE GET YOUR GUN. This week we sit down with this amazing singer, actress, and "Merman-ologist" to laugh, warble, and explore the all time greatest musical theatre star (Ethel Merman) in one of her all time greatest roles (Annie Oakley). We can't wait for you to hear about these real life characters from both on and off the stage. Please check out Native Voices at the Autry...
Jan 23, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Today we're celebrating "Women Power" with the 2005 musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's groundbreaking novel LITTLE WOMEN. Joining us to discuss this holiday worthy listener request is the hilarious and heartwarming "March sister veteran" Gwen Hollander, and Stage Manager turned CEO Jen Kahn stops by to discuss her powerful journey as creator of the highly successful company Scenery Bags! No matter who you are or where you're from, these two women will leave you inspired to be "astonishing...
Dec 19, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 72
The 1962 musical LITTLE ME has one of the great comedic scores of all time, and it just so happens our incredible guest Mary Gordon Murray was Tony nominated for singing it! Join us as this Broadway pro reflects on belly laughs, boob jokes, and her memories with legends like Cy Coleman, Bob Fosse, and yes, Stephen Sondheim. If you don't know LITTLE ME, you're about to! Be sure to like, subscribe, and leave us a nice review! You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram . To support the show, b...
Dec 12, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 71
The controversial musical THE BOOK OF MORMON has been a popular listener request for quite some time, and in this episode, we finally get to share those "mission stories" you've been craving. Longtime "Nabalungi" Candace Quarrels joins Jeff to talk faith, biting satire, and "being right vs getting it right." This is definitely your not so typical episode about a not so typical musical. Follow Candace on Instagram @candacequarrels and while you're at it, follow her amazing band Mermaid @mermaid.b...
Nov 28, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 70
After almost 20 years, it's time to look back with fresh eyes at the Boy George musical TABOO and realize how pioneering it was. Guest J Bailey Burcham joins us as we evoke the New Romantic Era, discuss queer identities in musical theatre, and express our undying love for Rosie O'Donnell. And if that's not enough, original cast member Sarah Uriarte Berry stops by to share quite possibly the best audition story you've ever heard. Follow Bailey on Instagram at @j.bailey.b and while you're there yo...
Nov 14, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 69
In the genre of horror musicals, there's nothing quite like CARRIE. In fact, to quote the original Broadway poster, "There's never been a musical like her." Here to celebrate Halloween 2021 and discuss the evolution of this flop turned cult classic turned high school musical is one of the stars of "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" Julia Lester! Be sure to follow Julia on Instagram @julialester If you can't get enough CARRIE, check out Out For Blood . Don't forget to subscribe, rate,...
Oct 31, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 68
