Giants in the Sky - podcast cover

Giants in the Sky

Broadway Podcast Networkbroadwaypodcastnetwork.com
This is an unparalleled look behind the scenes and between the lines of the landmark musical Into the Woods. Ben Rimalower produces and hosts candid conversations with the original stars and creatives of Into the Woods offering their unique perspectives on the development process of its iconic original production. Guests include writer-director director James Lapine, dramaturg Ira Weitzman, and original stars Bernadette Peters, Phylicia Rashad, Chip Zien and Joanna Gleason.
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

#37 - Ben Wright, the Original Jack

Ben Wright confesses how he struggled with the high notes and explains why he had thought Betty Buckley wasn't taken to Broadway. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 06, 202347 minSeason 1Ep. 37

#36 - Steve Saklad, Assistant to the Set Designer

Steve Saklad shares his experience assisting Set Designer Tony Straiges, with fascinating tidbits on color and light and Rapunzel's tower. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 29, 202344 minSeason 1Ep. 36

#35 - Nancy Dussault, Replacement Witch

Nancy Dussault opens up about her work with Stephen Sondheim and other legends across a career that straddles several eras from following Mary Martin in the original Sound of Music to following Bernadette Peters in Into The Woods. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 22, 20231 hr 8 minSeason 1Ep. 35

#34 - Joshua Ellis, Broadway Press Agent

Joshua Ellis shares the secret to good press photos and confesses to his nightmare typo in the opening night Playbill. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 15, 20231 hr 19 minSeason 1Ep. 34

#33 - Colleen Fitzpatrick, Broadway Understudy

Colleen Fitzpatrick shares why Sondheim is like Mozart and how Paul Gemignani graded all singers on a scale of A to F. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 08, 202356 minSeason 1Ep. 33

#32 - Stephen Dolginoff, Jack in James Lapine's Blocking Exercises

Stephen Dolginoff "played" Jack at the Westbeth Theater so James Lapine could experiment with staging ideas before starting rehearsals for the Old Globe premiere and he remembers every moment of this seminal experience from his time studying theater at NYU. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 01, 202348 minSeason 1Ep. 32

#31 - Terry Burrell, Original Understudy and Replacement Lucinda

Terry Burrell talks about her trepidations over "non-traditional casting" when she got the offer to understudy both stepsisters, how proud she was when Phylicia Rashad took over as the Witch (and later when Vanessa Williams starred in the revival). Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 25, 202349 minSeason 1Ep. 31

#30 - Maureen Moore, the Witch on the Demos

Maureen Moore makes light of having to memorize "Boom Crunch" in order to keep up with her more musically literate costars on the demo recording and even how she had to quit Falsettos to convince to producers to let her out for Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 18, 20231 hr 10 minSeason 1Ep. 30

#29 - John Bell, Sondheim's Intern at the Old Globe

As Sondheim's intern at the Old Globe, John Bell has fascinating insights into the lesbian subtext between the Witch and Rapunzel, why Ellen Foley was really replaced, and when Bernadette Peters first saw the show. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 11, 20231 hr 23 minSeason 1Ep. 29

#28 - Johnna Murray, the Original Stage Manager

Original Broadway Stage Manager Johnna Murray was in the trenches from the earliest readings and workshops and still has the scripts and scores to prove it, finally filling in some big holes about who did what and when! Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 04, 20231 hr 12 minSeason 1Ep. 28

#27 - Pamela Winslow Kashani, the original Rapunzel

Original Broadway Rapunzel Pamela Winslow Kashani shares how she came up with the idea to sing the "ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah" obligado up the octave. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 27, 202353 minSeason 1Ep. 27

#26 - Burke Moses, the Prince in the Final Workshop

For the first time ever, Burke Moses tells his harrowing (and hilarious) tale of getting hired for--and then promptly fired from--the original production of Into the Woods, just weeks before it was set to begin its Broadway production. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 20, 202359 minSeason 1Ep. 26

#25 - Mary Gordon Murray, the Baker's Wife on Tour and Broadway Replacement

Mary Gordon Murray muses on the challenges of following in Joanna Gleason's footsteps and offers some insight into how the failure to move to Broadway by James Lapine's 1985 La Jolla Playhouse Merrily We Roll Along led to the birth of Into the Woods. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 13, 202337 minSeason 1Ep. 25

#24 - Philip Hoffman, the Original Steward and Understudy

Philip Hoffman gives the inside scoop on Joanna Gleason's Baker's Wife backstory and what Betty Buckley was like as the Witch. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 06, 20231 hr 8 minSeason 1Ep. 24

#23 - Betsy Joslyn, Replacement Witch on Broadway and on Tour

Betsy Joslyn has played more performances as the Witch in Into the Woods than anyone else in history. She opens up about how she got there and why Bernadette Peters was so amazing to stand by for. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 30, 202355 minSeason 1Ep. 23

#22 - Scott Frankel, Assistant Conductor on Broadway

Tony nominated composer Scott Frankel dishes on Betty Buckley's arriving late and James Lapine's playing favorites--not to mention testy reed players--from his time on the final workshop and original Broadway productions. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 23, 20231 hr 8 minSeason 1Ep. 22

#21 - Carolyn Marlow, Understudy in the Original Cast and Final Workshop

Original understudy Carolyn Marlow spills the TEA on what it was like to go on with Chip Zien, why she thinks Betty Buckley didn't make it to Broadway, and who her favorite replacement Witch was. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 16, 202353 minSeason 1Ep. 22

#20 - Michael David, the Original Producer

Producer Michael David talks candidly about how the upside of Sondheim's art is the downside of the commercial theater and explains why Into the Woods was given one more final workshop on the eve of Broadway rehearsals. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 09, 202355 minSeason 1Ep. 20

#19 - Ellen Foley, the Witch at the Old Globe

Ellen Foley opens up about why she thinks she was replaced as the Witch when Into the Woods opened on Broadway and how the show had changed by the time she joined its final company. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 02, 202337 minSeason 1Ep. 19

#18 - Lar Lubovitch, the Original Choreographer

Choreographer Lar Lubovitch explains why his credit on Into the Woods was "Musical Staging by" and offers a vivid description of Betty Buckley's powerful performance as the Witch in the final workshop. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 26, 202327 minSeason 1Ep. 18

#17 - John Cameron Mitchell, Jack on the Demo Tracks

John Cameron Mitchell gives a rare deep dive into his career in musical theater before Hedwig, including his gig recording Into the Woods demos for an aborted CD-ROM project and auditioning for James Lapine. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 19, 202331 minSeason 1Ep. 17

#16 - Lauren Mitchell, the Original Lucinda

Lauren Mitchell lets us in on what it was like producing two different revivals of the show she originally acted in and why returning to the stage in the City Center Encores production didn't whet her appetite to perform more. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 12, 20231 hr 3 minSeason 1Ep. 16

#15 - Chuck Wagner, the Original Rapunzel's Prince

Chuck Wagner chats about what he turned down to create the role of Rapunzel’s Prince and why he was unavailable for the pre-Broadway workshop. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 05, 202338 minSeason 1Ep. 15

#14 - Joy Franz, the Original Stepmother

Broadway veteran Joy Franz explains where the Stepmother's song was supposed to happen and gives the gory details on the development of fan favorite moments like her stabbing her daughter's prosthetic heel. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 28, 20231 hr 17 minSeason 1Ep. 14

#13 - Kim Crosby & Robert Westenberg, the Original Cinderella and Cinderella's Prince/The Wolf

Married couple Kim Crosby and Robert Westenberg tell their real life fairy tale of meeting as actors in Into the Woods, how the show brought them together, and what's it's been like to live as part of its legacy. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 21, 20231 hr 8 minSeason 1Ep. 13

#11 - Joanna Merlin & John Lyons, the Original Casting Directors

Joanna Merlin and John Lyons reunite for the first time in years to talk about the challenges of replacing Bernadette Peters and how quickly old fashioned gatekeepers got over their preconceived notions about "non-traditional casting" when television star Phylicia Rashad triumphed on Broadway. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 07, 202353 minSeason 1Ep. 11

#10 - Paul Ford, the Original Pianist

Paul Ford spills the tea on everything from the songs that that got away to the auditioned stars who didn't make the cut. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 31, 20231 hr 16 minSeason 1Ep. 10

#9 - Ann Hould-Ward, the Original Costume Designer

Ann Hould-Ward offers a fascinating peak into her process designing the iconic costumes for Into the Woods, from the Witch's transformation to her many attempts to get the Wolf's genitals just right. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 24, 202354 minSeason 1Ep. 9
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android