DEAR EVAN HANSENCOMPOSER: Benj Pasek &amp; Justin PaulLYRICIST: Benj Pasek &amp; Justin PaulBOOK: Steven LevensonDIRECTOR: Michael GreifCHOREOGRAPHER: Danny MeffordPRINCIPLE CAST: Rachel Bay Jones (Heidi), Laura Dreyfuss (Zoe), Ben Platt (Evan), OPENING DATE: Nov 14, 2016CLOSING DATE: Still running as of publicationPERFORMANCES: Still running as of publicationSYNOPSIS: Evan Hansen is a high schooler struggling with both peer and self-acceptance. When a fellow student takes his own life, Evan begins to create a fictional friendship with the dead student, tricking not only the student’s family but the whole world. Producer Stacey Mindich revolutionized the relationship between Broadway musicals and their young fans, making recordings available to the public alongside the announcement of the show’s first tryout, attempting to reflect their experiences on stage without parodying or satirizing them, and even leading a video campaign which includes fan videos in the show’s projection design. Frederick D. Miller explores the ways Dear Evan Hansen comments on a societal reliance on social media while existing in an industry increasingly dependent upon social media to profit and survive. Young writers Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Steven Levenson provided nuanced observations on the budding culture around social media without moralizing or criticizing. It was this musical that then fostered the growth of such musicals as Joe Iconis’ Be More Chill.Frederick D. Miller is an undergraduate theatre major at the Pennsylvania State University. A dramaturg, Miller’s work focuses on twentieth- and twenty-first-century American theatre. His work has informed productions of Angels in America, A Little Night Music, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Caroline, or Change. He is the regional recipient and national semi-finalist for the 2020 KC/ACTF Award for Outstanding Dramaturgy, and a project associate for the #HereToo Project, which amplifies youth activists’ voices through performance. An advocate for theatre education, Miller is a frequent teaching artist with high schools and theaters in the Central Pennsylvania region.SOURCES﻿Dear Evan Hansen by Steven Levenson, Benj Paek, Justin Paul, published by Theatre Communications Group (2017)Dear Evan Hansen, Original Broadway Cast Recording. Atlantic Records (2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DEAR EVAN HANSENCOMPOSER: Benj Pasek &amp; Justin PaulLYRICIST: Benj Pasek &amp; Justin PaulBOOK: Steven Levenson DIRECTOR: Michael GreifCHOREOGRAPHER: Danny MeffordPRINCIPLE CAST: Rachel Bay Jones (Heidi), Laura Dreyfuss (Zoe), Ben Platt (Evan),  OPENING DATE: Nov 14, 2016CLOSING DATE: Still running as of publicationPERFORMANCES: Still running as of publication SYNOPSIS: Evan Hansen is a high schooler struggling with both peer and self-acceptance. When a fellow student takes his own life, Evan begins to create a fictional friendship with the dead student, tricking not only the student’s family but the whole world.  Producer Stacey Mindich revolutionized the relationship between Broadway musicals and their young fans, making recordings available to the public alongside the announcement of the show’s first tryout, attempting to reflect their experiences on stage without parodying or satirizing them, and even leading a video campaign which includes fan videos in the show’s projection design. Frederick D. Miller explores the ways Dear Evan Hansen comments on a societal reliance on social media while existing in an industry increasingly dependent upon social media to profit and survive. Young writers Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Steven Levenson provided nuanced observations on the budding culture around social media without moralizing or criticizing. It was this musical that then fostered the growth of such musicals as Joe Iconis’ Be More Chill. Frederick D. Miller is an undergraduate theatre major at the Pennsylvania State University. A dramaturg, Miller’s work focuses on twentieth- and twenty-first-century American theatre. His work has informed productions of Angels in America, A Little Night Music, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Caroline, or Change. He is the regional recipient and national semi-finalist for the 2020 KC/ACTF Award for Outstanding Dramaturgy, and a project associate for the #HereToo Project, which amplifies youth activists’ voices through performance. An advocate for theatre education, Miller is a frequent teaching artist with high schools and theaters in the Central Pennsylvania region. SOURCES﻿Dear Evan Hansen by Steven Levenson, Benj Paek, Justin Paul, published by Theatre Communications Group (2017) Dear Evan Hansen, Original Broadway Cast Recording. Atlantic Records (2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 50- DEAR EVAN HANSEN

HAMILTONCOMPOSER: Lin-Manuel MirandaLYRICIST: Lin-Manuel MirandaBOOK: Lin-Manuel MirandaDIRECTOR: Thomas KailCHOREOGRAPHER: Andy Blankenbuehler PRINCIPLE CAST: Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Leslie Odom Jr. (Burr), Phillipa Soo (Eliza)OPENING DATE: August 6th, 2015CLOSING DATE: Still Playing as of this writingPERFORMANCES: +1900SYNOPSIS: The life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton is explored from his immigration to the United States through his murder by political rival Aaron Burr. W. Jerome Stevenson argues Hamilton’s significance as a twenty-first century musical which was able to maintain mass appeal to the public amid a flurry of tourist-oriented Broadway productions. Hamilton’s original score and historical storyline update the structure of a traditional book musical by fusing the narrative with rap and hip hop and reimagining white figures as people of color. The Lin Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, and Andy Blankenbuehler production set off a global revolution with its contemporary score but was later brought under scrutiny for its lack of accurate representation of Afro-Caribbean and African-American voices.W. Jerome Stevenson is an Instructor of Performance for the Helmerich School of Drama at the University of Oklahoma and served as the Producing Artistic Director of the Pollard Theatre Company in Oklahoma until 2020. Stevenson is an accomplished director and a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and serves as adjunct theatre faculty at Oklahoma City and Oklahoma Universities. Stevenson’s numerous directing credits include Hairspray, Green Day’s American Idiot, Crowns, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. In addition to a variety of work in radio, television, and film, Jerome was the recipient of a 2018 Oklahoma Governor Arts Award for Community Service.SOURCES﻿Hamilton, Original Broadway Cast Recording. Atlantic (2016)Hamilton, starring Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr., directed by Thomas Kail. Walt Disney Pictures (2020)Hamilton: One Shot to Broadway, starring Lin Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom, Jr., directed by Elio Espana. Symettrica Entertainment (2017)Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, published by Grand Central Publishing (2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HAMILTONCOMPOSER: Lin-Manuel MirandaLYRICIST: Lin-Manuel MirandaBOOK: Lin-Manuel Miranda DIRECTOR: Thomas KailCHOREOGRAPHER: Andy Blankenbuehler PRINCIPLE CAST: Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Leslie Odom Jr. (Burr), Phillipa Soo (Eliza) OPENING DATE: August 6th, 2015CLOSING DATE: Still Playing as of this writingPERFORMANCES: +1900 SYNOPSIS: The life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton is explored from his immigration to the United States through his murder by political rival Aaron Burr.  W. Jerome Stevenson argues Hamilton’s significance as a twenty-first century musical which was able to maintain mass appeal to the public amid a flurry of tourist-oriented Broadway productions. Hamilton’s original score and historical storyline update the structure of a traditional book musical by fusing the narrative with rap and hip hop and reimagining white figures as people of color. The Lin Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, and Andy Blankenbuehler production set off a global revolution with its contemporary score but was later brought under scrutiny for its lack of accurate representation of Afro-Caribbean and African-American voices. W. Jerome Stevenson is an Instructor of Performance for the Helmerich School of Drama at the University of Oklahoma and served as the Producing Artistic Director of the Pollard Theatre Company in Oklahoma until 2020. Stevenson is an accomplished director and a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and serves as adjunct theatre faculty at Oklahoma City and Oklahoma Universities. Stevenson’s numerous directing credits include Hairspray, Green Day’s American Idiot, Crowns, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. In addition to a variety of work in radio, television, and film, Jerome was the recipient of a 2018 Oklahoma Governor Arts Award for Community Service. SOURCES﻿Hamilton, Original Broadway Cast Recording. Atlantic (2016) Hamilton, starring Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr., directed by Thomas Kail. Walt Disney Pictures (2020) Hamilton: One Shot to Broadway, starring Lin Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom, Jr., directed by Elio Espana. Symettrica Entertainment (2017) Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, published by Grand Central Publishing (2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 49- HAMILTON

FUN HOMECOMPOSER: Jeanine TesoriLYRICIST: Lisa KronBOOK: Lisa KronSOURCE: Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel Fun Home (2006)DIRECTOR: Sam GoldCHOREOGRAPHER: Danny MeffordPRINCIPLE CAST: Michael Cerveris (Bruce), Sydney Lucas (Young Alison) Beth Malone (Old Alison)OPENING DATE: Apr 19, 2015CLOSING DATE: Sep 10, 2016PERFORMANCES: 583SYNOPSIS: Alison is a lesbian author and illustrator who looks back not only on her own evolution in discovering her sexuality but her father’s tragic journey as a closeted gay man. Courtney Laine-Self, who directed the regional premiere of Fun Home, examines the difficulties critics and audiences had categorizing this musical from its premiere as a musical based on an autobiographical graphic novel by Alison Bechdel while addressing the historical significance of its lesbian protagonist. The musical’s address of queer womanhood in a coming of age narrative is widely embraced by queer women who feel the show represents their own experiences authentically. The marketing for the production initially avoided tying ticket sales to the subject matter in the plot, but after establishing the piece as a success, the campaign shifted to appeal to an increasingly vocal LGBTQ+ public. Opening in a time of significant political change for the LGBTQ+ community, the show’s significance seems easier to highlight in hindsight. After surveying the response to Fun Home’s mainstream lesbian representation, as written by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, this chapter argues that The Color Purple is overlooked as a Broadway musical which centers a female protagonist’s queerness. The continued representation of lesbians on Broadway and the future of representation in the theatrical landscape as a whole is explored.Courtney Laine Self is a director and choreographer interested in creating new work in the musical theatre genre that incorporates non-realistic and abstract theatrical techniques as well as developing methods on how to responsibly and with innovation revive Broadway-style musicals. Recent credits: Assistant Director, Proof of Love, Audible Theater/New York Theatre Workshop, co-created dance musicals Making Bkjkt and RPT with 92Y, directed the world premiere of Sheila and Moby for Flying V Theatre Company in DC, and the regional theatre premiere of Fun Home at Millbrook Playhouse. MFA: Directing, Southern Illinois Univ., BFA: Music Theatre, The Hartt School. www.courtneylaineself.comSOURCES﻿Fun Home, Original Broadway Cast Recording. PS Classics (2015) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FUN HOMECOMPOSER: Jeanine TesoriLYRICIST: Lisa KronBOOK: Lisa KronSOURCE: Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel Fun Home (2006) DIRECTOR: Sam GoldCHOREOGRAPHER: Danny MeffordPRINCIPLE CAST: Michael Cerveris (Bruce), Sydney Lucas (Young Alison) Beth Malone (Old Alison) OPENING DATE: Apr 19, 2015CLOSING DATE: Sep 10, 2016PERFORMANCES: 583 SYNOPSIS: Alison is a lesbian author and illustrator who looks back not only on her own evolution in discovering her sexuality but her father’s tragic journey as a closeted gay man.  Courtney Laine-Self, who directed the regional premiere of Fun Home, examines the difficulties critics and audiences had categorizing this musical from its premiere as a musical based on an autobiographical graphic novel by Alison Bechdel while addressing the historical significance of its lesbian protagonist. The musical’s address of queer womanhood in a coming of age narrative is widely embraced by queer women who feel the show represents their own experiences authentically. The marketing for the production initially avoided tying ticket sales to the subject matter in the plot, but after establishing the piece as a success, the campaign shifted to appeal to an increasingly vocal LGBTQ+ public. Opening in a time of significant political change for the LGBTQ+ community, the show’s significance seems easier to highlight in hindsight. After surveying the response to Fun Home’s mainstream lesbian representation, as written by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, this chapter argues that The Color Purple is overlooked as a Broadway musical which centers a female protagonist’s queerness. The continued representation of lesbians on Broadway and the future of representation in the theatrical landscape as a whole is explored. Courtney Laine Self is a director and choreographer interested in creating new work in the musical theatre genre that incorporates non-realistic and abstract theatrical techniques as well as developing methods on how to responsibly and with innovation revive Broadway-style musicals. Recent credits: Assistant Director, Proof of Love, Audible Theater/New York Theatre Workshop, co-created dance musicals Making Bkjkt and RPT with 92Y, directed the world premiere of Sheila and Moby for Flying V Theatre Company in DC, and the regional theatre premiere of Fun Home at Millbrook Playhouse. MFA: Directing, Southern Illinois Univ., BFA: Music Theatre, The Hartt School. <a href="http://www.courtneylaineself.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.courtneylaineself.com</a> SOURCES﻿Fun Home, Original Broadway Cast Recording. PS Classics (2015) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 48- FUN HOME

NEXT TO NORMALCOMPOSER: Tom KittLYRICIST: Brian YorkeyBOOK: Brian YorkeyDIRECTOR: Michael GreifCHOREOGRAPHER: Sergio TrujilloPRINCIPLE CAST: Alice Ripley (Diana), J. Robert Spencer (Dan), Aaron Tveit (Gabe)OPENING DATE: Apr 15, 2009CLOSING DATE: Jan 16, 2011PERFORMANCES: 733SYNOPSIS: Diana, a suburban wife and mother, is so devoted to her teenage son Gabe that she has neglected her other family members. What makes matters even more complicated is that Gabe died when he was two years old. As Diana slips further and further away from reality her family must try to save her.Lyricist and book writer Brian Yorkey discusses his collaboration with composer Tom Kitt and director Michael Greif and the challenges in musicalizing a mental health crises in Next to Normal. Yorkey reflects on the delicate balancing act between presenting heavy subject matter and introducing levity to a narrative through humor without belittling mental illness. The development process of the musical helped the creative team realize the themes they were most invested in exploring. Controversial subject matter studied through a rock musical earned the surprise attention from the Pulitzer Prize committee and expanded the potential thematic focus of future Broadway musicals.Brian Yorkey received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, as well as the 2009 Tony Award for Best Score, for Next to Normal. He was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical for Next to Normal, and his work on the show earned him the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Score. He's a graduate of Columbia University, an alum of the BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and the WGA.SOURCENext to Normal, Original Cast Recording, Ghostlight Records (2009)Next to Normal by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, published by Theatre Communications Group (2010) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NEXT TO NORMALCOMPOSER: Tom KittLYRICIST: Brian YorkeyBOOK: Brian Yorkey DIRECTOR: Michael GreifCHOREOGRAPHER: Sergio TrujilloPRINCIPLE CAST: Alice Ripley (Diana), J. Robert Spencer (Dan), Aaron Tveit (Gabe) OPENING DATE: Apr 15, 2009CLOSING DATE: Jan 16, 2011PERFORMANCES: 733 SYNOPSIS: Diana, a suburban wife and mother, is so devoted to her teenage son Gabe that she has neglected her other family members. What makes matters even more complicated is that Gabe died when he was two years old. As Diana slips further and further away from reality her family must try to save her. Lyricist and book writer Brian Yorkey discusses his collaboration with composer Tom Kitt and director Michael Greif and the challenges in musicalizing a mental health crises in Next to Normal. Yorkey reflects on the delicate balancing act between presenting heavy subject matter and introducing levity to a narrative through humor without belittling mental illness. The development process of the musical helped the creative team realize the themes they were most invested in exploring. Controversial subject matter studied through a rock musical earned the surprise attention from the Pulitzer Prize committee and expanded the potential thematic focus of future Broadway musicals. Brian Yorkey received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, as well as the 2009 Tony Award for Best Score, for Next to Normal. He was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical for Next to Normal, and his work on the show earned him the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Score. He's a graduate of Columbia University, an alum of the BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and the WGA. SOURCENext to Normal, Original Cast Recording, Ghostlight Records (2009) Next to Normal by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, published by Theatre Communications Group (2010) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 47- NEXT TO NORMAL

IN THE HEIGHTSCOMPOSER: Lin-Manuel MirandaLYRICIST: Lin-Manuel MirandaBOOK: Quiara Alegria HudesDIRECTOR: Thomas KailCHOREOGRAPHER: Andy BlankenbuehlerPRINCIPLE CAST: Robin De Jesus (Sonny), Mandy Gonzalez (Nina), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Usnavi), OPENING DATE: Mar 09, 2008CLOSING DATE: Jan 09, 2011PERFORMANCES: 1,184SYNOPSIS: Washington Heights, New York is the diverse environment that holds an eclectic group of citizens. Usnavi, the show’s narrator and bodega manager, observes the lives of his neighbors as they begin to forge new paths in and out of the barrio.  In the Heights was the first Broadway musical to rely on rap as its primary mode of storytelling. Composer Lin Manuel Miranda first began developing the show while a student at Wesleyan University with a desire to share his perspective as a child of immigrants and emphasize a universal desire to find belonging. Devon Hunt traces In the Heights’ seven year development process, collaborators Thomas Kail and Quiara Alegría Hudes, and outlines the significant cultural influences which informed the work. The musical is significant as a Latinx-authored, authentic telling of Latinx immigrant stories and its success laid the groundwork for Miranda’s later artistic accomplishments.Devon Hunt is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Oklahoma State University. His areas of research include secondary musical theatre educator training and Black contributions to early 20th-century musical theatre. Selected regional acting credits: She Loves Me (SDSU), A Chorus Line (Welk Resorts Theatre), The Producers (Moonlight Amphitheatre), and the world premiere of The Tale of Despereaux (The Old Globe/PigPen Theatre). Devon holds an MFA in Musical Theatre from SDSU and an MM in piano performance from the University of Maryland. He is an Equity Membership Candidate and a proud member of the Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance.SOURCES﻿In The Heights by Quiara Alegria Hudes and Lin Manuel Miranda, published by Applause Libretto Library (2013)In The Heights, Original Cast Recording. Ghostlight Records (2008) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

IN THE HEIGHTSCOMPOSER: Lin-Manuel MirandaLYRICIST: Lin-Manuel MirandaBOOK: Quiara Alegria Hudes DIRECTOR: Thomas KailCHOREOGRAPHER: Andy BlankenbuehlerPRINCIPLE CAST: Robin De Jesus (Sonny), Mandy Gonzalez (Nina), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Usnavi),  OPENING DATE: Mar 09, 2008CLOSING DATE: Jan 09, 2011PERFORMANCES: 1,184 SYNOPSIS: Washington Heights, New York is the diverse environment that holds an eclectic group of citizens. Usnavi, the show’s narrator and bodega manager, observes the lives of his neighbors as they begin to forge new paths in and out of the barrio.   In the Heights was the first Broadway musical to rely on rap as its primary mode of storytelling. Composer Lin Manuel Miranda first began developing the show while a student at Wesleyan University with a desire to share his perspective as a child of immigrants and emphasize a universal desire to find belonging. Devon Hunt traces In the Heights’ seven year development process, collaborators Thomas Kail and Quiara Alegría Hudes, and outlines the significant cultural influences which informed the work. The musical is significant as a Latinx-authored, authentic telling of Latinx immigrant stories and its success laid the groundwork for Miranda’s later artistic accomplishments. Devon Hunt is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Oklahoma State University. His areas of research include secondary musical theatre educator training and Black contributions to early 20th-century musical theatre. Selected regional acting credits: She Loves Me (SDSU), A Chorus Line (Welk Resorts Theatre), The Producers (Moonlight Amphitheatre), and the world premiere of The Tale of Despereaux (The Old Globe/PigPen Theatre). Devon holds an MFA in Musical Theatre from SDSU and an MM in piano performance from the University of Maryland. He is an Equity Membership Candidate and a proud member of the Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance. SOURCES﻿In The Heights by Quiara Alegria Hudes and Lin Manuel Miranda, published by Applause Libretto Library (2013) In The Heights, Original Cast Recording. Ghostlight Records (2008) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 46- IN THE HEIGHTS

JERSEY BOYSCOMPOSER: Bob GaudioLYRICIST: Bob CreweBOOK: Marshall Brickman, Rick EliceDIRECTOR: Des McAnuffCHOREOGRAPHER: Sergio TrujilloPRINCIPLE CAST: Christian Hoff (Tommy), Daniel Reichard (Bob), John Lloyd Young (Frankie)OPENING DATE: Nov 06, 2005CLOSING DATE: Jan 15, 2017PERFORMANCES: 4,642SYNOPSIS: The rise and fall of The Four Seasons, a real-life band that dominated the 1960s music scene, is told through rotating narrators, who all offer their own theories as to why the band succeeded and subsequently dissolved. The early 2000s saw an onslaught of failed jukebox musicals which aimed to capitalize on the disposable income of former rock fans by luring them to the theatre with familiar songs. Jersey Boys was successful because it tells the true, engrossing story of the Four Seasons and juxtaposes the violence of the narrative against the sterile, cherry tunes for which the band was known. Rick Elice examines how contradicting stories from the three living band members lent the show a multi-perspective narrative frame. The show set the standard for jukebox musicals which tell the story of the artists behind the music and led a fleet of such shows to Broadway for decades such as Beautiful and Tina.Rick Elice co-wrote Jersey Boys (winner 2006 Tony Award, 2007 Grammy Award and 2009 Olivier Award for Best Musical) with Marshall Brickman. His play, Peter and the Starcatcher, received nine 2012 Tony Award nominations (including two for Rick) and won five, more than any play of the season. It’s currently playing in New York and on tour across North America. Also on Broadway, Elice wrote The Addams Family (with Marshall Brickman, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa), currently touring North America, with productions in Europe and South America. In 2014, the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego presented the world premiere of his new musical, Dog and Pony (music and lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker). Rick is currently writing a musical for Disney Theatricals with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, based on the film Make Believe, and Super Fly (co-written with Seth Zvi Rosenfeld), directed and choreographed by modern dance legend, Bill T. Jones. Heartfelt thanks to those whose work in the theatre makes him grateful for the day he was born: Sondheim, Stoppard, Bennett, Prince, Fosse, Robbins, Nichols, Tune, Nunn, Laurents, Stone, Kushner, Taymor, Papp, Schumacher, Schneider, Coyne, Brickman, Timbers and Rees. Rick thinks about them a lot. He never thought about Jersey much. He does now.SOURCES﻿Jersey Boys, Original Cast Recording. Decca Records (2005)Jersey Boys starring Erich Bergen and John Lloyd Young, directed by Clint Eastwood. Warner Brothers (2014)Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli &amp; The Four Seasons by David Cote, published by Broadway (2007) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JERSEY BOYSCOMPOSER: Bob GaudioLYRICIST: Bob CreweBOOK: Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice DIRECTOR: Des McAnuffCHOREOGRAPHER: Sergio TrujilloPRINCIPLE CAST: Christian Hoff (Tommy), Daniel Reichard (Bob), John Lloyd Young (Frankie) OPENING DATE: Nov 06, 2005CLOSING DATE: Jan 15, 2017PERFORMANCES: 4,642 SYNOPSIS: The rise and fall of The Four Seasons, a real-life band that dominated the 1960s music scene, is told through rotating narrators, who all offer their own theories as to why the band succeeded and subsequently dissolved.  The early 2000s saw an onslaught of failed jukebox musicals which aimed to capitalize on the disposable income of former rock fans by luring them to the theatre with familiar songs. Jersey Boys was successful because it tells the true, engrossing story of the Four Seasons and juxtaposes the violence of the narrative against the sterile, cherry tunes for which the band was known. Rick Elice examines how contradicting stories from the three living band members lent the show a multi-perspective narrative frame. The show set the standard for jukebox musicals which tell the story of the artists behind the music and led a fleet of such shows to Broadway for decades such as Beautiful and Tina. Rick Elice co-wrote Jersey Boys (winner 2006 Tony Award, 2007 Grammy Award and 2009 Olivier Award for Best Musical) with Marshall Brickman. His play, Peter and the Starcatcher, received nine 2012 Tony Award nominations (including two for Rick) and won five, more than any play of the season. It’s currently playing in New York and on tour across North America. Also on Broadway, Elice wrote The Addams Family (with Marshall Brickman, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa), currently touring North America, with productions in Europe and South America. In 2014, the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego presented the world premiere of his new musical, Dog and Pony (music and lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker). Rick is currently writing a musical for Disney Theatricals with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, based on the film Make Believe, and Super Fly (co-written with Seth Zvi Rosenfeld), directed and choreographed by modern dance legend, Bill T. Jones. Heartfelt thanks to those whose work in the theatre makes him grateful for the day he was born: Sondheim, Stoppard, Bennett, Prince, Fosse, Robbins, Nichols, Tune, Nunn, Laurents, Stone, Kushner, Taymor, Papp, Schumacher, Schneider, Coyne, Brickman, Timbers and Rees. Rick thinks about them a lot. He never thought about Jersey much. He does now. SOURCES﻿Jersey Boys, Original Cast Recording. Decca Records (2005) Jersey Boys starring Erich Bergen and John Lloyd Young, directed by Clint Eastwood. Warner Brothers (2014) Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli &amp; The Four Seasons by David Cote, published by Broadway (2007) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 45- JERSEY BOYS

WICKEDCOMPOSER: Stephen SchwartzLYRICIST: Stephen SchwartzBOOK: Winnie HolzmanSOURCE: Gregory Maguire’s book Wicked: The Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of The West (1995)DIRECTOR: Joe MantelloCHOREOGRAPHER: Wayne CilentoPRINCIPLE CAST: Norbert Leo Butz (Fiyero), Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda), Idina Menzel (Elphaba), OPENING DATE: Oct 30, 2003CLOSING DATE: Still running as of this publicationPERFORMANCES: +6000SYNOPSIS: Elphaba is a guarded young lady who is inflicted with green skin. Her roommate Glinda is an outgoing, popular student. Together, they navigate life at Oz's Shiz University. Their rocky partnership is made even more tumultuous when they discover they are both in love with Fiyero, a fellow classmate. Though its tryouts and opening were met with mixed reviews, Wicked has maintained international popularity. Beginning with composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz’s first encounter with Gregory Maguire’s book, Wicked’s path to Broadway included some of the American theatre industry’s most notable talents, including Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Joe Mantello, and Wayne Cilento. Lauren Haughton makes the argument that the inclusion of screenwriter Winnie Holzman as the librettist for Wicked allowed the show to examine the relationships of adolescent girls in a uniquely authentic way, positing the musical as a pioneering exploration of feminine friendship. The musical’s employment and subversion of standard musical theatre conventions is outlined through a feminist lens and broad ideologies of mainstream feminist movements are applied to the show’s storyline.Winnie Holzman is an American dramatist, screenwriter, and poet. She is known for having created the ABC television series My So Called Life which led to a nomination for a scriptwriting Emmy Award in 1995, as well as her work writing for thirtysomething and Once and Again Holzman has garnered fame for her work on Broadway, most notably for co-writing the smash stage musical Wicked. Lauren Haughton Gillis is currently an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at Indiana University. She has served on faculty at Northwestern University and San Diego State University. As a director/choreographer she recently finished a fellowship at the La Jolla Playhouse on their production of Fly. Earlier this season she choreographed She Loves Me at San Diego Musical Theatre, was the associate director on Jesca Prudencio's PDA at the La Jolla Playhouse Without Walls Festival and directed and choreographed the world premiere of The Magic Hummingbird. As a performer, Lauren appeared on Broadway in Wicked, at the Goodman Theatre in Turn of the Century (with Tommy Tune), at The Old Globe in Sammy (with Leslie Bricusse), and at Maine State Music Theatre in Hans Christian Anderson (with Maury Yeston) Lauren holds an MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University and a BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University. SOURCESWicked, Original Cast Recording, Decca (2003)Wicked: The Grimmerie, a Behind the Scenes Look at the Hit Broadway Musical by David Cote and Joan Marcus, published by Hachette Books (2005)Unnaturally Green: One Girl’s Journey Along a Yellow Brick Road Less Traveled by Felicia Ricci, published by Felicia/Ricci (2011)A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages by Kristin Chenoweth, published by Touchstone (2010)How Wicked Made It to the Stage by Jeri Freedman, published by Cavendish Square Publishing (2018)Wicked: A Musical Biography by Paul R. Laird, published by Scarecrow Press (2011)Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked by Carol de Giere, published by Applause (2018) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WICKEDCOMPOSER: Stephen SchwartzLYRICIST: Stephen SchwartzBOOK: Winnie HolzmanSOURCE: Gregory Maguire’s book Wicked: The Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of The West (1995) DIRECTOR: Joe MantelloCHOREOGRAPHER: Wayne CilentoPRINCIPLE CAST: Norbert Leo Butz (Fiyero), Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda), Idina Menzel (Elphaba),  OPENING DATE: Oct 30, 2003CLOSING DATE: Still running as of this publicationPERFORMANCES: +6000 SYNOPSIS: Elphaba is a guarded young lady who is inflicted with green skin. Her roommate Glinda is an outgoing, popular student. Together, they navigate life at Oz's Shiz University. Their rocky partnership is made even more tumultuous when they discover they are both in love with Fiyero, a fellow classmate.  Though its tryouts and opening were met with mixed reviews, Wicked has maintained international popularity. Beginning with composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz’s first encounter with Gregory Maguire’s book, Wicked’s path to Broadway included some of the American theatre industry’s most notable talents, including Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Joe Mantello, and Wayne Cilento. Lauren Haughton makes the argument that the inclusion of screenwriter Winnie Holzman as the librettist for Wicked allowed the show to examine the relationships of adolescent girls in a uniquely authentic way, positing the musical as a pioneering exploration of feminine friendship. The musical’s employment and subversion of standard musical theatre conventions is outlined through a feminist lens and broad ideologies of mainstream feminist movements are applied to the show’s storyline.Winnie Holzman is an American dramatist, screenwriter, and poet. She is known for having created the ABC television series My So Called Life which led to a nomination for a scriptwriting Emmy Award in 1995, as well as her work writing for thirtysomething and Once and Again Holzman has garnered fame for her work on Broadway, most notably for co-writing the smash stage musical Wicked. Lauren Haughton Gillis is currently an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at Indiana University. She has served on faculty at Northwestern University and San Diego State University. As a director/choreographer she recently finished a fellowship at the La Jolla Playhouse on their production of Fly. Earlier this season she choreographed She Loves Me at San Diego Musical Theatre, was the associate director on Jesca Prudencio's PDA at the La Jolla Playhouse Without Walls Festival and directed and choreographed the world premiere of The Magic Hummingbird. As a performer, Lauren appeared on Broadway in Wicked, at the Goodman Theatre in Turn of the Century (with Tommy Tune), at The Old Globe in Sammy (with Leslie Bricusse), and at Maine State Music Theatre in Hans Christian Anderson (with Maury Yeston) Lauren holds an MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University and a BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University.  SOURCESWicked, Original Cast Recording, Decca (2003) Wicked: The Grimmerie, a Behind the Scenes Look at the Hit Broadway Musical by David Cote and Joan Marcus, published by Hachette Books (2005) Unnaturally Green: One Girl’s Journey Along a Yellow Brick Road Less Traveled by Felicia Ricci, published by Felicia/Ricci (2011) A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages by Kristin Chenoweth, published by Touchstone (2010) How Wicked Made It to the Stage by Jeri Freedman, published by Cavendish Square Publishing (2018) Wicked: A Musical Biography by Paul R. Laird, published by Scarecrow Press (2011) Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked by Carol de Giere, published by Applause (2018) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 44- WICKED

MAMMA MIACOMPOSER: Benny Andersson, Bjorn UlvaeusLYRICIST: Benny Andersson, Bjorn UlvaeusBOOK: Catherine JohnsonDIRECTOR: Phyllida LloydCHOREOGRAPHER: Anthony Van LaastPRINCIPLE CAST: Judy Kaye (Rosie), Karen Mason (Tanya), Louise Pitre (Donna)OPENING DATE: Oct 18, 2001CLOSING DATE: Sep 12, 2015PERFORMANCES: 5,758SYNOPSIS: Sophie is about to be married and wants her father at the wedding except she doesn’t know who that might be. Limiting it to three men that her mother knew intimately, she invites them all to her wedding to see if she can figure out which one is her real dad. Using the hits of Swedish pop group ABBA to tell a fictional story, Mamma Mia! was heralded as Broadway’s first mega-hit jukebox musical. After the rocky reception of their first Broadway endeavor, Chess, band members Benny Andersson and Björn Alvaeus gave complete freedom to book writer Catherine Johnson, believing the plot of the musical was the key to its success, not the music. Upon opening, though the show was mocked by critics and ultimately overlooked by awards shows, the musical was a major commercial success. Malcolm Womack explores how its financial successes encouraged producers to mine the discographies of successful artists to guarantee Broadway hits with such musicals as All Shook Up, Lennon, Come Fly Away, and Movin’ Out. Malcolm Womack is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the Penn State School of Theatre. He has been published in the academic journals Film &amp; Theatre and the Journal of Popular Culture, and has contributed several entries to the African American National Biography. Malcolm has written about Mamma Mia! previously twice, providing an article for the journal Studies in Musical Theatre and a chapter for the edited collection Mamma Mia! The Movie: Exploring a Cultural Phenomenon. He received his doctorate from the University of Washington with a dissertation on Harlem’s Cotton Club.SOURCES﻿Mamma Mia, Original Cast Recording, Decca Records (1999)Mamma Mia! How Can I Resist You: The Inside Story of Mamma Mia And The Songs Of ABBA by Judy Craymer, Benny Anderson, and Bjorn Ulvaeus, published by WN (2006)Mamma Mia starring Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep, directed by Phyllida Lloyd, NBC Universal (2008) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MAMMA MIACOMPOSER: Benny Andersson, Bjorn UlvaeusLYRICIST: Benny Andersson, Bjorn UlvaeusBOOK: Catherine Johnson DIRECTOR: Phyllida LloydCHOREOGRAPHER: Anthony Van LaastPRINCIPLE CAST: Judy Kaye (Rosie), Karen Mason (Tanya), Louise Pitre (Donna) OPENING DATE: Oct 18, 2001CLOSING DATE: Sep 12, 2015PERFORMANCES: 5,758 SYNOPSIS: Sophie is about to be married and wants her father at the wedding except she doesn’t know who that might be. Limiting it to three men that her mother knew intimately, she invites them all to her wedding to see if she can figure out which one is her real dad.  Using the hits of Swedish pop group ABBA to tell a fictional story, Mamma Mia! was heralded as Broadway’s first mega-hit jukebox musical. After the rocky reception of their first Broadway endeavor, Chess, band members Benny Andersson and Björn Alvaeus gave complete freedom to book writer Catherine Johnson, believing the plot of the musical was the key to its success, not the music. Upon opening, though the show was mocked by critics and ultimately overlooked by awards shows, the musical was a major commercial success. Malcolm Womack explores how its financial successes encouraged producers to mine the discographies of successful artists to guarantee Broadway hits with such musicals as All Shook Up, Lennon, Come Fly Away, and Movin’ Out. Malcolm Womack is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the Penn State School of Theatre. He has been published in the academic journals Film &amp; Theatre and the Journal of Popular Culture, and has contributed several entries to the African American National Biography. Malcolm has written about Mamma Mia! previously twice, providing an article for the journal Studies in Musical Theatre and a chapter for the edited collection Mamma Mia! The Movie: Exploring a Cultural Phenomenon. He received his doctorate from the University of Washington with a dissertation on Harlem’s Cotton Club. SOURCES﻿Mamma Mia, Original Cast Recording, Decca Records (1999) Mamma Mia! How Can I Resist You: The Inside Story of Mamma Mia And The Songs Of ABBA by Judy Craymer, Benny Anderson, and Bjorn Ulvaeus, published by WN (2006) Mamma Mia starring Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep, directed by Phyllida Lloyd, NBC Universal (2008) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 43- MAMMA MIA

THE PRODUCERSCOMPOSER: Mel BrooksLYRICIST: Mel BrooksBOOK: Mel Brooks, Thomas MeehanSOURCE: Mel Brooks’ film The Producers (1967)DIRECTOR: Susan StromanCHOREOGRAPHER: Susan StromanPRINCIPLE CAST: Matthew Broderick (Leo), Cady Huffman (Ulla), Nathan Lane (Max)OPENING DATE: Apr 19, 2001CLOSING DATE: Apr 22, 2007PERFORMANCES: 2,502SYNOPSIS: Broke Broadway producer Max Bialystock meets accountant Leo Bloom who offhandedly mentions that under the right circumstances a Broadway show that fails could make more money than one that succeeds. Seeing a way out of his current financial situation, Max decided to produce a musical that is guaranteed to flop: Springtime for Hitler. Finding waning success in Hollywood, Mel Brooks was eventually convinced to adapt his Academy Award winning screenplay, The Producers, into a musical. Kasey RT Graham follows the ways Brooks, director Susan Stroman, and co-writer Thomas Meehan reinterpreted the cult classic film into a two act Broadway musical. Additionally, analysis of The Producers as a uniquely comic piece among the weightier subject matters of other popular Broadway musicals in the early 2000s and a look at how the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center affected attendance at Broadway shows is provided. The musical’s record-breaking success at the Tony Awards, including for Nathan Lane, heralded a wave of musical comedies based on Hollywood films such as Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hairspray, and Shrek. Kasey RT Graham is a director, music director, writer, and educator. Associate and resident director credits include the Broadway revival of On the 20th Century, the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera, and the US and Australian tours of Dirty Dancing. Conducting credits include the national tours of Oklahoma, The Producers, The Wizard of Oz, and Spring Awakening. Kasey is head of the Musical Theatre department at the University of Nevada - Reno. His book Small Talk is available on Amazon.SOURCES﻿The Producers, Original Cast Recording, Sony (2001)The Producers: The Book, Lyrics, and Story Behind the Greatest Hit on Broadway by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, published by Miramax (2001)The Producers, starring Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, directed by Susan Stroman, Universal Pictures (2005)Recording The Producers, starring Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, directed by Susan Froemke, Rhombus International (2001)A Year With The Producers: One Actor’s Exhausting (But Worth It) Journey From Cats to Mel Brooks’ Mega-Hit by Jeffry Denman, published by Routledge (2002) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE PRODUCERSCOMPOSER: Mel BrooksLYRICIST: Mel BrooksBOOK: Mel Brooks, Thomas MeehanSOURCE: Mel Brooks’ film The Producers (1967) DIRECTOR: Susan StromanCHOREOGRAPHER: Susan StromanPRINCIPLE CAST: Matthew Broderick (Leo), Cady Huffman (Ulla), Nathan Lane (Max) OPENING DATE: Apr 19, 2001CLOSING DATE: Apr 22, 2007PERFORMANCES: 2,502 SYNOPSIS: Broke Broadway producer Max Bialystock meets accountant Leo Bloom who offhandedly mentions that under the right circumstances a Broadway show that fails could make more money than one that succeeds. Seeing a way out of his current financial situation, Max decided to produce a musical that is guaranteed to flop: Springtime for Hitler.  Finding waning success in Hollywood, Mel Brooks was eventually convinced to adapt his Academy Award winning screenplay, The Producers, into a musical. Kasey RT Graham follows the ways Brooks, director Susan Stroman, and co-writer Thomas Meehan reinterpreted the cult classic film into a two act Broadway musical. Additionally, analysis of The Producers as a uniquely comic piece among the weightier subject matters of other popular Broadway musicals in the early 2000s and a look at how the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center affected attendance at Broadway shows is provided. The musical’s record-breaking success at the Tony Awards, including for Nathan Lane, heralded a wave of musical comedies based on Hollywood films such as Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hairspray, and Shrek.  Kasey RT Graham is a director, music director, writer, and educator. Associate and resident director credits include the Broadway revival of On the 20th Century, the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera, and the US and Australian tours of Dirty Dancing. Conducting credits include the national tours of Oklahoma, The Producers, The Wizard of Oz, and Spring Awakening. Kasey is head of the Musical Theatre department at the University of Nevada - Reno. His book Small Talk is available on Amazon. SOURCES﻿The Producers, Original Cast Recording, Sony (2001) The Producers: The Book, Lyrics, and Story Behind the Greatest Hit on Broadway by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, published by Miramax (2001) The Producers, starring Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, directed by Susan Stroman, Universal Pictures (2005) Recording The Producers, starring Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, directed by Susan Froemke, Rhombus International (2001) A Year With The Producers: One Actor’s Exhausting (But Worth It) Journey From Cats to Mel Brooks’ Mega-Hit by Jeffry Denman, published by Routledge (2002) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 42- THE PRODUCERS

SEUSSICALCOMPOSER: Stephen FlahertyLYRICIST: Lynn AhrensBOOK: Lynn Ahrens and Stephen FlahertySOURCE: The stories of Dr. Seuss (c. 1950s)DIRECTOR: Rob MarshallCHOREOGRAPHER: Kathleen MarshallPRINCIPLE CAST: Kevin Chamberlain (Horton), Janine LaManna (Gertrude), David Shiner (The Cat in the Hat)OPENING DATE: Nov 30, 2000CLOSING DATE: May 20, 2001PERFORMANCES: 198SYNOPSIS: The wild world of Dr. Seuss comes to life as Seuss’ various characters come together to tell the story of Horton, a lonely elephant, and Gertrude McFuzz, a shy bird, as they fall in love with one another. Nathan Brewer argues for Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s Seussical as a significant show that, despite lackluster reviews and box office sales, went on to find financial success as a staple within community theatre and educational institutions, especially through the work of director Marcia Milgrom Dodge. Seussical’s ability to redefine theatrical financial success, and public exposure, after its failure on Broadway, offered shows that were not commercially viable to become regionally successful such as Little Women, The Addams Family, and Be More Chill.Nathan Brewer is a director of theatre, opera, concerts, film, and events.  Directing credits include Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Washington National Opera, Park Avenue Armory, Theatreworks/USA, New York Musical Theatre Festival, numerous symphonic and pops concerts, and televised award shows.  Nathan is on the musical theatre faculty at The New Studio on Broadway at NYU/Tisch, and The College of New Jersey.  He has previously taught at Penn State and Westminster Choir College.   Assisting credits include Aladdin (Broadway), and Relatively Speaking (Broadway).  Nathan is the Founder &amp; Artistic Director of Recreational Arts, a performing arts educational organization, with programs in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.   Stephen Flaherty is the composer of the Broadway musicals Ragtime (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC Awards, two Grammy nominations), Seussical (Grammy, Drama Desk nominations), Once on This Island (Tony nomination, Olivier Award, Best Musical) and Rocky. Additional Broadway includes Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life (original songs) and Neil Simon's Proposals (incidental music). Stephen has also written four musicals at Lincoln Center Theatre: The Glorious Ones (OCC, Drama Desk nominations), Dessa Rose (OCC, Drama Desk nominations), A Man of No Importance (OCC, Best Musical, Drama Desk nomination) and My Favorite Year. Other theater includes In Your Arms (Old Globe), Little Dancer (Kennedy Center), Lucky Stiff (Playwrights Horizons) and Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein (Chicago's Jefferson Award, Best New Musical.) Film includes Anastasia (two Academy Award and two Golden Globe nominations), the documentary After The Storm and Lucky Stiff. Mr. Flaherty's concert music has premiered at the Hollywood Bowl, Boston's Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Guggenheim Museum and Symphony Space. This year celebrates Stephen's 32-year collaboration with lyricist-librettist Lynn Ahrens. Stephen and Lynn are members of the Dramatists Guild Council and co- founders of the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program. In 2015 they were inducted into the Theater Hall Of Fame. Upcoming: the stage adaptation of Anastasia. AhrensAndFlaherty.com.SOURCESSeussical, Original Cast Recording, Decca Records (2000) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SEUSSICALCOMPOSER: Stephen FlahertyLYRICIST: Lynn AhrensBOOK: Lynn Ahrens and Stephen FlahertySOURCE: The stories of Dr. Seuss (c. 1950s) DIRECTOR: Rob MarshallCHOREOGRAPHER: Kathleen MarshallPRINCIPLE CAST: Kevin Chamberlain (Horton), Janine LaManna (Gertrude), David Shiner (The Cat in the Hat) OPENING DATE: Nov 30, 2000CLOSING DATE: May 20, 2001PERFORMANCES: 198 SYNOPSIS: The wild world of Dr. Seuss comes to life as Seuss’ various characters come together to tell the story of Horton, a lonely elephant, and Gertrude McFuzz, a shy bird, as they fall in love with one another.  Nathan Brewer argues for Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s Seussical as a significant show that, despite lackluster reviews and box office sales, went on to find financial success as a staple within community theatre and educational institutions, especially through the work of director Marcia Milgrom Dodge. Seussical’s ability to redefine theatrical financial success, and public exposure, after its failure on Broadway, offered shows that were not commercially viable to become regionally successful such as Little Women, The Addams Family, and Be More Chill. Nathan Brewer is a director of theatre, opera, concerts, film, and events.  Directing credits include Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Washington National Opera, Park Avenue Armory, Theatreworks/USA, New York Musical Theatre Festival, numerous symphonic and pops concerts, and televised award shows.  Nathan is on the musical theatre faculty at The New Studio on Broadway at NYU/Tisch, and The College of New Jersey.  He has previously taught at Penn State and Westminster Choir College.   Assisting credits include Aladdin (Broadway), and Relatively Speaking (Broadway).  Nathan is the Founder &amp; Artistic Director of Recreational Arts, a performing arts educational organization, with programs in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.   Stephen Flaherty is the composer of the Broadway musicals Ragtime (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC Awards, two Grammy nominations), Seussical (Grammy, Drama Desk nominations), Once on This Island (Tony nomination, Olivier Award, Best Musical) and Rocky. Additional Broadway includes Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life (original songs) and Neil Simon's Proposals (incidental music). Stephen has also written four musicals at Lincoln Center Theatre: The Glorious Ones (OCC, Drama Desk nominations), Dessa Rose (OCC, Drama Desk nominations), A Man of No Importance (OCC, Best Musical, Drama Desk nomination) and My Favorite Year. Other theater includes In Your Arms (Old Globe), Little Dancer (Kennedy Center), Lucky Stiff (Playwrights Horizons) and Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein (Chicago's Jefferson Award, Best New Musical.) Film includes Anastasia (two Academy Award and two Golden Globe nominations), the documentary After The Storm and Lucky Stiff. Mr. Flaherty's concert music has premiered at the Hollywood Bowl, Boston's Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Guggenheim Museum and Symphony Space. This year celebrates Stephen's 32-year collaboration with lyricist-librettist Lynn Ahrens. Stephen and Lynn are members of the Dramatists Guild Council and co- founders of the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program. In 2015 they were inducted into the Theater Hall Of Fame. Upcoming: the stage adaptation of Anastasia. <a href="http://AhrensAndFlaherty.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AhrensAndFlaherty.com</a>.SOURCESSeussical, Original Cast Recording, Decca Records (2000) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 41- SEUSSICAL

Fifty Key Stage Musicals: The Podcast is a supplement to the Routledge Press publication Fifty Key Stage Musicals. Each episode focuses on an iconic musical that altered the landscape of the genre and features interviews with theatre professionals and scholars. Hosts: Andrew Child and Robert W. Schneider.

RENTCOMPOSER: Jonathan LarsonLYRICIST: Jonathan LarsonBOOK: Jonathan LarsonSOURCE: La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini (1896)DIRECTOR: Michael GreifCHOREOGRAPHER: Marlies YearbyPRINCIPLE CAST: Adam Pascal (Roger), Anthony Rapp (Mark), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Mimi)OPENING DATE: Apr 29, 1996CLOSING DATE: Sep 07, 2008PERFORMANCES: 5,123SYNOPSIS: Mark and Roger are two bohemian artists living in New York’s lower East Side at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Mark is a documentary filmmaker and Roger is an HIV positive songwriter. When Roger meets Mimi, a drug addict, he falls madly in love but is unsure if he should tell her of his impending mortality.  Composer Jonathon Larson set out to bring musical theatre to a new generation with Rent, a rock opera based on Puccini’s La Boheme and set in Lower Manhattan’s East Village. The musical helped break taboos and stigma around queerness, trans liberation, and AIDs. Jordan Dragutsky chronicles Larson’s quest for giving his generation a voice that sounded like the popular music of the time with the sophistication of musical theatre composition, the advocacy of Rent by New York Theatre Works, the unique casting and design process that was helmed by director Michael Greif, and how the unexpected death of Larson catapulted Rent, and its stars, to global popularity. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jordan Dragutsky grew up surrounded by the entertainment industry and relocated to New York in 2010 after graduating from UCIrvine (BA Drama/Minor Queer Studies). Jordan has assisted in press offices and production/merchandising for over 30 Broadway, Off-Broadway, dance, and touring productions including: Harry Potter &amp; The Cursed Child, Hair, Wicked, and Book of Mormon. He joined the administrative staff at the New York Film Academy in 2012, and from 2015-2020 he served as Senior Dept. Coordinator for the Musical Theatre department. Jordan is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA with experience working on over 100 TV/Film sets. Featured credits include The Cobbler (Goth Guy), Only Murders In The Building (Hulu), and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Ocarina Player). SOURCES﻿Rent, Original Cast Recording, Dreamworks Records (1996)Rent by Jonathan Larson, published by It Books (1997)Rent starring Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, directed by Chris Columbus, Columbia Pictures (2005)Rent Filmed Live on Broadway starring Will Chase and Adam Kantor, directed by Michael John Warren, Radical Media (2008)Rent Live starring Jordan Fisher and Brennin Hunt directed by Michael Grief, 20th Century Fox Television (2019)Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, And The Musical Rent by Anthony Rapp, Simon &amp; Schuster (2006)Rent FAQs: All That’s Left To Know About Broadway’s Blaze of Glory by Tom Rowan, published by Applause (2007)On Broadway: From Rent to Revolution by Drew Hodges, published by Rizzoli (2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RENTCOMPOSER: Jonathan LarsonLYRICIST: Jonathan LarsonBOOK: Jonathan LarsonSOURCE: La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini (1896) DIRECTOR: Michael GreifCHOREOGRAPHER: Marlies YearbyPRINCIPLE CAST: Adam Pascal (Roger), Anthony Rapp (Mark), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Mimi) OPENING DATE: Apr 29, 1996CLOSING DATE: Sep 07, 2008PERFORMANCES: 5,123 SYNOPSIS: Mark and Roger are two bohemian artists living in New York’s lower East Side at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Mark is a documentary filmmaker and Roger is an HIV positive songwriter. When Roger meets Mimi, a drug addict, he falls madly in love but is unsure if he should tell her of his impending mortality.   Composer Jonathon Larson set out to bring musical theatre to a new generation with Rent, a rock opera based on Puccini’s La Boheme and set in Lower Manhattan’s East Village. The musical helped break taboos and stigma around queerness, trans liberation, and AIDs. Jordan Dragutsky chronicles Larson’s quest for giving his generation a voice that sounded like the popular music of the time with the sophistication of musical theatre composition, the advocacy of Rent by New York Theatre Works, the unique casting and design process that was helmed by director Michael Greif, and how the unexpected death of Larson catapulted Rent, and its stars, to global popularity.  Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jordan Dragutsky grew up surrounded by the entertainment industry and relocated to New York in 2010 after graduating from UCIrvine (BA Drama/Minor Queer Studies). Jordan has assisted in press offices and production/merchandising for over 30 Broadway, Off-Broadway, dance, and touring productions including: Harry Potter &amp; The Cursed Child, Hair, Wicked, and Book of Mormon. He joined the administrative staff at the New York Film Academy in 2012, and from 2015-2020 he served as Senior Dept. Coordinator for the Musical Theatre department. Jordan is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA with experience working on over 100 TV/Film sets. Featured credits include The Cobbler (Goth Guy), Only Murders In The Building (Hulu), and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Ocarina Player).  SOURCES﻿Rent, Original Cast Recording, Dreamworks Records (1996) Rent by Jonathan Larson, published by It Books (1997) Rent starring Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, directed by Chris Columbus, Columbia Pictures (2005) Rent Filmed Live on Broadway starring Will Chase and Adam Kantor, directed by Michael John Warren, Radical Media (2008) Rent Live starring Jordan Fisher and Brennin Hunt directed by Michael Grief, 20th Century Fox Television (2019) Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, And The Musical Rent by Anthony Rapp, Simon &amp; Schuster (2006) Rent FAQs: All That’s Left To Know About Broadway’s Blaze of Glory by Tom Rowan, published by Applause (2007) On Broadway: From Rent to Revolution by Drew Hodges, published by Rizzoli (2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 40- RENT

GREASE (1994)COMPOSER: Jim Jacobs, Warren CaseyLYRICIST: Jim Jacobs, Warren CaseyBOOK: Jim Jacobs, Warren CaseyDIRECTOR: Jeff CalhounCHOREOGRAPHER: Jeff CalhounPRINCIPLE CAST: Ricky Paull Goldin (Danny), Rosie O’Donnell (Rizzo), Susan Wood (Sandy)OPENING DATE: May 11, 1994CLOSING DATE: Jan 25, 1998PERFORMANCES: 1505SYNOPSIS: At Rydell High greaser Danny falls in love with good-girl Sandy. Throughout their high school days, they, and their friends, try to figure out life and love.Casting Director Stuart Howard details the way producers Fran and Barry Weissler changed the Broadway landscape by employing “Stunt Casting”-- the hiring of celebrities who will draw audiences to a show after the box office inevitably slows-- in the 1994 Broadway revival of Grease. Differences between “Star Casting”-- in which a celebrity with significant stage experience or training replaces a previous performer in a run-- and “Stunt Casting”-- in which no regard is paid to a performer’s experience but their notoriety is instead exploited-- are outlined. Though the stars brought to the show elicited a range of responses from the theatre community, audiences, and critics, ultimately, the choices aided by rigorous and inventive advertising campaigns, kept the show running with fresh audiences buying tickets. Some of the celebrities that rotated through the production included Linda Blair, Joe Piscipo, Jon Secada, and Brooke Shields. Following their success with Grease, the Weisslers have continued their infamous casting practices with their revival of Chicago and other productions have taken note and followed suit. Stuart Howard taught at The Juilliard School for ten years and gave Master Classes and lectured at S.U.N.Y. Purchase, the Stella Adler Academy of Acting, Carnegie Mellon University, Purdue University, NYU’s CAP21, and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Stuart, Janet Hayes Walker and John Newton founded The York Theatre Company in New York City. Stuart has had his own casting company, Stuart Howard Associates, since 1980. They have cast scores of productions for Broadway, off Broadway, National Tours and London’s West End. Recently, they cast the Broadway revival and National tour of West Side Story, Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning August: Osage County, and the original production of La Cage Aux Folles. He is currently involved in the casting of the world premiere of The Heir Apparent by David Ives, Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away, The Maids by Jean Genet and two new musicals based on the life of Josephine Baker.SOURCESGreat Rock Musicals by Stanley Richards, published by Stein &amp; Day Publishing (1979)Grease, Revival Cast Recording. Masterworks Records (1994)Grease starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, directed by Randal Kleiser. Paramount Pictures (1978)Grease: You’re The One That I Want starring Max Crumm and Laura Osnes, directed by Nick Murray. NBC Television (2006) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GREASE (1994)COMPOSER: Jim Jacobs, Warren CaseyLYRICIST: Jim Jacobs, Warren CaseyBOOK: Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey DIRECTOR: Jeff CalhounCHOREOGRAPHER: Jeff CalhounPRINCIPLE CAST: Ricky Paull Goldin (Danny), Rosie O’Donnell (Rizzo), Susan Wood (Sandy) OPENING DATE: May 11, 1994CLOSING DATE: Jan 25, 1998PERFORMANCES: 1505 SYNOPSIS: At Rydell High greaser Danny falls in love with good-girl Sandy. Throughout their high school days, they, and their friends, try to figure out life and love. Casting Director Stuart Howard details the way producers Fran and Barry Weissler changed the Broadway landscape by employing “Stunt Casting”-- the hiring of celebrities who will draw audiences to a show after the box office inevitably slows-- in the 1994 Broadway revival of Grease. Differences between “Star Casting”-- in which a celebrity with significant stage experience or training replaces a previous performer in a run-- and “Stunt Casting”-- in which no regard is paid to a performer’s experience but their notoriety is instead exploited-- are outlined. Though the stars brought to the show elicited a range of responses from the theatre community, audiences, and critics, ultimately, the choices aided by rigorous and inventive advertising campaigns, kept the show running with fresh audiences buying tickets. Some of the celebrities that rotated through the production included Linda Blair, Joe Piscipo, Jon Secada, and Brooke Shields. Following their success with Grease, the Weisslers have continued their infamous casting practices with their revival of Chicago and other productions have taken note and followed suit.  Stuart Howard taught at The Juilliard School for ten years and gave Master Classes and lectured at S.U.N.Y. Purchase, the Stella Adler Academy of Acting, Carnegie Mellon University, Purdue University, NYU’s CAP21, and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Stuart, Janet Hayes Walker and John Newton founded The York Theatre Company in New York City. Stuart has had his own casting company, Stuart Howard Associates, since 1980. They have cast scores of productions for Broadway, off Broadway, National Tours and London’s West End. Recently, they cast the Broadway revival and National tour of West Side Story, Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning August: Osage County, and the original production of La Cage Aux Folles. He is currently involved in the casting of the world premiere of The Heir Apparent by David Ives, Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away, The Maids by Jean Genet and two new musicals based on the life of Josephine Baker. SOURCESGreat Rock Musicals by Stanley Richards, published by Stein &amp; Day Publishing (1979) Grease, Revival Cast Recording. Masterworks Records (1994) Grease starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, directed by Randal Kleiser. Paramount Pictures (1978) Grease: You’re The One That I Want starring Max Crumm and Laura Osnes, directed by Nick Murray. NBC Television (2006) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 39- GREASE (1994)

BEAUTY AND THE BEASTCOMPOSER: Alan MenkenLYRICIST: Howard Ashman, Tim RiceBOOK: Linda WoolvertonSOURCE: Disney’s animated film Beauty and The Beast (1991)DIRECTOR: Robert Jess RothCHOREOGRAPHER: Matt WestPRINCIPLE CAST: Gary Beach (Lumiere), Susan Egan (Belle), Terrence Mann (Beast)OPENING DATE: Apr 18, 1994CLOSING DATE: Jul 29, 2007PERFORMANCES: 5,462SYNOPSIS: Belle is a young girl who stumbles into a castle and is kept captive by its owner, a monster who was once a prince. Along with his staff, once humans now physical objects due to a witch’s curse, Belle will try to teach the Beast to love again before the Prince permanently stays as a monster.This episode traces the way musical theatre artists Alan Menken and Howard Ashman reinvigorated the mass-appeal of Disney’s animated films, which in turn lead to a profitable pipeline between the children’s media conglomerate and New York City, beginning with a stage adaptation of the animated box office hit, Beauty and the Beast. The planned 1994 opening of Beauty and the Beast at the Palace Theatre directly influenced Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s prioritization of the commercial cleansing of Times Square, Disney’s exclusive access to the newly-renovated New Amsterdam Theatre, and the creation of Disney Theatrical Productions, which continues to adapt Disney films for the stage. Though critically panned, Eden Hildebrand demonstrates how the musical signaled a new age for Broadway’s reliance on spectacle, a future for family-friendly tourist entertainment, and a new definition of robust merchandising presence in the commercial theatre.Eden Hildebrand is a Canadian performer, choreographer, director, and pedagogue. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University, and both a Bachelor of Arts in Dance (with a concentration in Choreography and Performance) and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Calgary.MARCIA MILGROM DODGE’s work as a director &amp; choreographer has been seen throughout the United States, in Canada, England, Asia, Denmark and the Middle East, in theatres on Broadway, Off-Broadway, at acclaimed regional theatres such as the New York City Opera, John F. Kennedy Center of The Performing Arts, Arena Stage, Goodman Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Glimmerglass Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Huntington Theatre, Bay Street Theatre, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, Music Circus, Flat Rock Playhouse and abroad at the Nanta Theatre-Seoul, S. Korea, Fredericia Teater-Denmark, Royal Opera House-Muskat, Oman, Wintergardens Theatre-Blackpool, England.Evan Ruggiero began dancing at the age of five in his hometown studio and by age ten, he was accepted into the famed New Jersey Tap Ensemble. Upon entering his sophomore year at Montclair State University while pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre, Evan was suddenly diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer of the right leg. Enduring nine surgeries in a six-month period in an effort to save the leg, the cancer returned more aggressively than the original diagnosis. He was faced with the ultimate decision of amputation in order to stop the cancer and save his life, as well as undergoing chemotherapy for sixteen months. Eighteen months after the amputation, and only two days after receiving his “peg-leg”, Evan was tapping again.SOURCESBeauty and the Beast: The Broadway Musical, Original Cast Recording. Walt Disney Records (1994)Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, directed by Bill Condon. Walt Disney Pictures (2017)Disney’s Beauty and The Beast: A Celebration of the Broadway Musical by Don Frantz, published by Disney Editions (1995) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BEAUTY AND THE BEASTCOMPOSER: Alan MenkenLYRICIST: Howard Ashman, Tim RiceBOOK: Linda WoolvertonSOURCE: Disney’s animated film Beauty and The Beast (1991) DIRECTOR: Robert Jess RothCHOREOGRAPHER: Matt WestPRINCIPLE CAST: Gary Beach (Lumiere), Susan Egan (Belle), Terrence Mann (Beast) OPENING DATE: Apr 18, 1994CLOSING DATE: Jul 29, 2007PERFORMANCES: 5,462 SYNOPSIS: Belle is a young girl who stumbles into a castle and is kept captive by its owner, a monster who was once a prince. Along with his staff, once humans now physical objects due to a witch’s curse, Belle will try to teach the Beast to love again before the Prince permanently stays as a monster. This episode traces the way musical theatre artists Alan Menken and Howard Ashman reinvigorated the mass-appeal of Disney’s animated films, which in turn lead to a profitable pipeline between the children’s media conglomerate and New York City, beginning with a stage adaptation of the animated box office hit, Beauty and the Beast. The planned 1994 opening of Beauty and the Beast at the Palace Theatre directly influenced Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s prioritization of the commercial cleansing of Times Square, Disney’s exclusive access to the newly-renovated New Amsterdam Theatre, and the creation of Disney Theatrical Productions, which continues to adapt Disney films for the stage. Though critically panned, Eden Hildebrand demonstrates how the musical signaled a new age for Broadway’s reliance on spectacle, a future for family-friendly tourist entertainment, and a new definition of robust merchandising presence in the commercial theatre. Eden Hildebrand is a Canadian performer, choreographer, director, and pedagogue. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University, and both a Bachelor of Arts in Dance (with a concentration in Choreography and Performance) and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Calgary. MARCIA MILGROM DODGE’s work as a director &amp; choreographer has been seen throughout the United States, in Canada, England, Asia, Denmark and the Middle East, in theatres on Broadway, Off-Broadway, at acclaimed regional theatres such as the New York City Opera, John F. Kennedy Center of The Performing Arts, Arena Stage, Goodman Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Glimmerglass Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Huntington Theatre, Bay Street Theatre, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, Music Circus, Flat Rock Playhouse and abroad at the Nanta Theatre-Seoul, S. Korea, Fredericia Teater-Denmark, Royal Opera House-Muskat, Oman, Wintergardens Theatre-Blackpool, England. Evan Ruggiero began dancing at the age of five in his hometown studio and by age ten, he was accepted into the famed New Jersey Tap Ensemble. Upon entering his sophomore year at Montclair State University while pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre, Evan was suddenly diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer of the right leg. Enduring nine surgeries in a six-month period in an effort to save the leg, the cancer returned more aggressively than the original diagnosis. He was faced with the ultimate decision of amputation in order to stop the cancer and save his life, as well as undergoing chemotherapy for sixteen months. Eighteen months after the amputation, and only two days after receiving his “peg-leg”, Evan was tapping again. SOURCESBeauty and the Beast: The Broadway Musical, Original Cast Recording. Walt Disney Records (1994) Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, directed by Bill Condon. Walt Disney Pictures (2017) Disney’s Beauty and The Beast: A Celebration of the Broadway Musical by Don Frantz, published by Disney Editions (1995) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 38- BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

FALSETTOSCOMPOSER: William FinnLYRICIST: William FinnBOOK: William Finn and James LapineDIRECTOR: James LapinePRINCIPLE CAST: Stephen Bogardus (Whizzer), Michael Rupert (Marvin), Barbara Walsh (Trina)OPENING DATE: Apr 29, 1992CLOSING DATE: Jun 27, 1993PERFORMANCES: 486SYNOPSIS: In the early 1980s, Marvin is married to Trina but is having an affair with Whizzer. Deciding to live his life as a gay man, Marvin leaves Trina and begins a rocky relationship with Whizzer, whose life is put in peril when he is diagnosed with AIDS. Falsettos is the fusion of two William Finn musicals exploring the trajectory of gay male relationships during the AIDS epidemic, Falsettoland and March of the Falsettos. Jack Lechner highlights the reasons that, although Falsettos wasn’t the first musical to tackle same-sex relationships or even the first musical to tackle the AIDS crisis, the show had a lasting emotional affect on audiences and influenced later works dealing with similar subject matter. Finn’s libretto, with James Lapine’s direction, lives in authentic ignorance of impending doom through all of Act I, and the familiar character development alongside witty lyrics set the audience up for a jolt when one of the main characters contracts a mysterious illness in Act II. Despite inherent controversies, producers Barry and Fran Weissler attempted to keep the marketing for the show broad to appeal to a wide range of audiences. Though the musical has blazed a trail which can be traced through later works, this chapter notes the equally significant influence Finn has had as an educator of young musical theatre writers and how he continued to develop his unique voice in musicals A New Brain and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.Jack Lechner wrote the lyrics for the 2010 off-Broadway musical The Kid. His producing credits in film and TV include The Fog Of War, Blue Valentine, The New Yorker Presents, and the pilot of Mad Men. As an executive at Miramax and Film Four, he was involved in the production and development of dozens of movies, including The Crying Game, Good Will Hunting, and The Full Monty. His book Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You was published in 2000, and his picture book Mary Had A Little Lamp in 2008. Jack Lechner is chair of the graduate film program at the Columbia University School of the Arts.SOURCES﻿March of the Falsettos/Falsettoland, Original Broadway Cast Recording. DRG Records (1992)Falsettos, starring Christian Borle and Andrew Rannells, directed by James Lapine and Matthew Diamond. Live From Lincoln Center (2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FALSETTOSCOMPOSER: William FinnLYRICIST: William FinnBOOK: William Finn and James Lapine DIRECTOR: James LapinePRINCIPLE CAST: Stephen Bogardus (Whizzer), Michael Rupert (Marvin), Barbara Walsh (Trina) OPENING DATE: Apr 29, 1992CLOSING DATE: Jun 27, 1993PERFORMANCES: 486 SYNOPSIS: In the early 1980s, Marvin is married to Trina but is having an affair with Whizzer. Deciding to live his life as a gay man, Marvin leaves Trina and begins a rocky relationship with Whizzer, whose life is put in peril when he is diagnosed with AIDS.  Falsettos is the fusion of two William Finn musicals exploring the trajectory of gay male relationships during the AIDS epidemic, Falsettoland and March of the Falsettos. Jack Lechner highlights the reasons that, although Falsettos wasn’t the first musical to tackle same-sex relationships or even the first musical to tackle the AIDS crisis, the show had a lasting emotional affect on audiences and influenced later works dealing with similar subject matter. Finn’s libretto, with James Lapine’s direction, lives in authentic ignorance of impending doom through all of Act I, and the familiar character development alongside witty lyrics set the audience up for a jolt when one of the main characters contracts a mysterious illness in Act II. Despite inherent controversies, producers Barry and Fran Weissler attempted to keep the marketing for the show broad to appeal to a wide range of audiences. Though the musical has blazed a trail which can be traced through later works, this chapter notes the equally significant influence Finn has had as an educator of young musical theatre writers and how he continued to develop his unique voice in musicals A New Brain and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Jack Lechner wrote the lyrics for the 2010 off-Broadway musical The Kid. His producing credits in film and TV include The Fog Of War, Blue Valentine, The New Yorker Presents, and the pilot of Mad Men. As an executive at Miramax and Film Four, he was involved in the production and development of dozens of movies, including The Crying Game, Good Will Hunting, and The Full Monty. His book Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You was published in 2000, and his picture book Mary Had A Little Lamp in 2008. Jack Lechner is chair of the graduate film program at the Columbia University School of the Arts. SOURCES﻿March of the Falsettos/Falsettoland, Original Broadway Cast Recording. DRG Records (1992) Falsettos, starring Christian Borle and Andrew Rannells, directed by James Lapine and Matthew Diamond. Live From Lincoln Center (2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch, 37- FALSETTOS

THE SECRET GARDENCOMPOSER: Lucy SimonLYRICIST: Marsha NormanBOOK: Marsha NormanSOURCE: Frances Hodgson Burnett’s book The Secret Garden (1911)DIRECTOR: Susan H. SchulmanCHOREOGRAPHER: Michael LichtefeldPRINCIPLE CAST: Daisy Egan (Mary), Alison Fraser (Martha), Mandy Patinkin (Archibald) OPENING DATE: Apr 25, 1991CLOSING DATE: Jan 03, 1993PERFORMANCES: 709SYNOPSIS: After her family dies of cholera, young Mary Lennox is sent to live with her austere, widowed Uncle Archibald. At night she is convinced that she hears the sounds of crying and discovers that Archibald’s bed ridden son, Colin, has been locked up out of sight for many years. Determined to bring sunshine to the boy, Mary begins to discover the other secrets the house protects.Director Susan H. Schulman traces the development of The Secret Garden as the first collaboration between an all-female creative team in a Broadway musical. Amongst a female writing team (Marsha Norman/Lucy Simon), producer (Heidi Landesman), and design team (Florence Klotz/Tharon Musser), there are noted recurring instances of significant memories reading Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel about a little girl struggling with life in a new home. By broadly describing the educational and professional obstacles overcome by three women involved in the premiere of the musical in their studies at Yale School of Drama, a bleak case is outlined for gender parity within commercial American theatre. Despite mixed reviews, audience responses to The Secret Garden were collectively positive and led the show to international success. This chapter examines the ways later female-helmed Broadway productions, such as Waitress, have benefited from or even overshadowed The Secret Garden. Susan H. Schulman: Broadway credits: the Tony Award-winning musical The Secret Garden as well as its highly-successful U.S./Canadian national tour (Drama Desk nomination), the revival of Sweeney Todd†at Circle in the Square (Tony Award, Drama Desk nomination), the revival of The Sound of Music (Tony nomination Outstanding Revival) and Little Women and its successful national tour. For her direction of the premiere of Violet at Playwrights Horizons (New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical), Susan received a Drama Desk nomination for Best Director. She received an Obie Award for directing Sondheim and Furth's musical Merrily We Roll Along at the York Theatre. Susan also directed the national tour of Sunset Boulevard with Petula Clarke as well as three productions for City Center Encores. She has directed for regional theatres throughout U.S.A., Canada and Australia, and most recently a new musical in Denmark. Susan is a graduate of Yale Drama School, Hofstra University and New York's famed High School of Performing Arts. Susan holds a full professorship at Penn State University where she heads the Graduate Program in Directing for the musical theater stage.SOURCES﻿The Secret Garden, Original Cast Recording, Columbia (1991)The Secret Garden by Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon, published by Samuel French Inc (2010) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE SECRET GARDENCOMPOSER: Lucy SimonLYRICIST: Marsha NormanBOOK: Marsha NormanSOURCE: Frances Hodgson Burnett’s book The Secret Garden (1911) DIRECTOR: Susan H. SchulmanCHOREOGRAPHER: Michael LichtefeldPRINCIPLE CAST: Daisy Egan (Mary), Alison Fraser (Martha), Mandy Patinkin (Archibald)  OPENING DATE: Apr 25, 1991CLOSING DATE: Jan 03, 1993PERFORMANCES: 709 SYNOPSIS: After her family dies of cholera, young Mary Lennox is sent to live with her austere, widowed Uncle Archibald. At night she is convinced that she hears the sounds of crying and discovers that Archibald’s bed ridden son, Colin, has been locked up out of sight for many years. Determined to bring sunshine to the boy, Mary begins to discover the other secrets the house protects. Director Susan H. Schulman traces the development of The Secret Garden as the first collaboration between an all-female creative team in a Broadway musical. Amongst a female writing team (Marsha Norman/Lucy Simon), producer (Heidi Landesman), and design team (Florence Klotz/Tharon Musser), there are noted recurring instances of significant memories reading Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel about a little girl struggling with life in a new home. By broadly describing the educational and professional obstacles overcome by three women involved in the premiere of the musical in their studies at Yale School of Drama, a bleak case is outlined for gender parity within commercial American theatre. Despite mixed reviews, audience responses to The Secret Garden were collectively positive and led the show to international success. This chapter examines the ways later female-helmed Broadway productions, such as Waitress, have benefited from or even overshadowed The Secret Garden.  Susan H. Schulman: Broadway credits: the Tony Award-winning musical The Secret Garden as well as its highly-successful U.S./Canadian national tour (Drama Desk nomination), the revival of Sweeney Todd†at Circle in the Square (Tony Award, Drama Desk nomination), the revival of The Sound of Music (Tony nomination Outstanding Revival) and Little Women and its successful national tour. For her direction of the premiere of Violet at Playwrights Horizons (New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical), Susan received a Drama Desk nomination for Best Director. She received an Obie Award for directing Sondheim and Furth's musical Merrily We Roll Along at the York Theatre. Susan also directed the national tour of Sunset Boulevard with Petula Clarke as well as three productions for City Center Encores. She has directed for regional theatres throughout U.S.A., Canada and Australia, and most recently a new musical in Denmark. Susan is a graduate of Yale Drama School, Hofstra University and New York's famed High School of Performing Arts. Susan holds a full professorship at Penn State University where she heads the Graduate Program in Directing for the musical theater stage. SOURCES﻿The Secret Garden, Original Cast Recording, Columbia (1991) The Secret Garden by Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon, published by Samuel French Inc (2010) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 36- THE SECRET GARDEN

MISS SAIGONCOMPOSER: Claude-Michel SchonbergLYRICIST: Richard Maltby Jr &amp; Alain BoublilBOOK: Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel SchonbergSOURCE: Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly (1904)DIRECTOR: Nicholas HytnerCHOREOGRAPHER: Bob AvianPRINCIPLE CAST: Willy Falk (Chris), Jonathan Pryce (Engineer), Lea Salonga (Kim)OPENING DATE: Apr 11, 1991CLOSING DATE: Jan 28, 2001PERFORMANCES: 4,092SYNOPSIS: In war torn Saigon, Chris, an American soldier, meets Kim, a sex worker lorded over by The Engineer, and begins a romance that produces a child. When Chris returns to America, Kim, dutifully and tragically, awaits his return to rescue her and his son.  A discussion of the impact of Miss Saigon on the casting industry and on the AAPI community. A film documenting the casting of Lea Salonga in the leading role sheds light on the racist and patriarchal process facing the young actors auditioning for the protagonist and a survey of public correspondence from Actors Equity representatives, critics, and artists illustrates the racism present in the casting of white actor, Jonathan Pryce in the role of a Eurasian character. Postcolonial theorists have written extensively about the troubling implications of the show’s commercial success. This chapter seeks to outline the shortcomings in the Asian and Eurasian representation in Miss Saigon while envisioning possible futures for racially-charged stories on the commercial stage.Jeanmarie Higgins is an associate professor in the Pennsylvania State University School of Theatre. A new works dramaturg, she publishes widely on the intersection of theory and practice. Jeanmarie is the editor of Teaching Critical Performance Theory in Today’s Theatre Classroom, Studio, and Communities (Routledge 2020), and her performance criticism is published in Theatre Journal, PARtake: Journal of Performance as Research and Theatre and the Macabre (University of Wales Press 2021).Micah Rosegrant- Micah (they/them) is a twink poet who carves queer divinity through breath, word, and movement. They are cousin and learner with all life, glitching their myriad selves to shape change as a spirit guided by relation, a Co-Director at Arts Connect International, and an online avatar @micah_pdf. Previous A.R.T. collaborations include: Creating Equal (Steering Committee); Making Democracy Work with the Harvard Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (Co-Creative Ensemble); Dragon Cycle (Assistant Director); and Clairvoyance (Love Nurse).Sarah Shin (she/her/hers) is a Schwenksville-raised Boston-trained, Brooklyn-based Korean American theatre artist. She co-founded and still runs Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston (AATAB) to empower and connect Asian American student and working artists in Boston, is on the steering committee of API Arts Network, and serves as a Board Member for StageSource and Advisory Board Member for Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. She is a member of National Queer Theatre’s Artistic Collective, an Artistic Associate of Sanguine Theatre Company, and a 2020-2021 Asian American Arts Alliance Artist-in-Virtual-Residence, where she developed her solo work exploring Asian identity and Whiteness in musical theatre. She’s passionate about more diverse representation, community and family, music, and gifting love in all ways possible. BFA Theatre Arts Boston University.Lianah Sta. Ana-  Broadway: Miss Saigon, YoungArts Theatre alumna and Apollo Amateur Night winner. Has trained at FPAC in HHS. SOURCESMiss Saigon, Original Cast Recording, Geffen Records (1990)The Story of Miss Saigon by Edward Behr and Mark Steyn, published by Arcade Publishing (1991)The Heat Is On: The Making of Miss Saigon starring Jonathan Pryce and Lea Salonga, directed by David Wright, Freemantle Home Entertainment (1989)Miss Saigon 25th Anniversary starring Jon Jon Briones and Eva Noblezada, directed by Brett Sullivan, Cameron Mackintosh International (2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MISS SAIGONCOMPOSER: Claude-Michel SchonbergLYRICIST: Richard Maltby Jr &amp; Alain BoublilBOOK: Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel SchonbergSOURCE: Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly (1904) DIRECTOR: Nicholas HytnerCHOREOGRAPHER: Bob AvianPRINCIPLE CAST: Willy Falk (Chris), Jonathan Pryce (Engineer), Lea Salonga (Kim) OPENING DATE: Apr 11, 1991CLOSING DATE: Jan 28, 2001PERFORMANCES: 4,092 SYNOPSIS: In war torn Saigon, Chris, an American soldier, meets Kim, a sex worker lorded over by The Engineer, and begins a romance that produces a child. When Chris returns to America, Kim, dutifully and tragically, awaits his return to rescue her and his son.   A discussion of the impact of Miss Saigon on the casting industry and on the AAPI community. A film documenting the casting of Lea Salonga in the leading role sheds light on the racist and patriarchal process facing the young actors auditioning for the protagonist and a survey of public correspondence from Actors Equity representatives, critics, and artists illustrates the racism present in the casting of white actor, Jonathan Pryce in the role of a Eurasian character. Postcolonial theorists have written extensively about the troubling implications of the show’s commercial success. This chapter seeks to outline the shortcomings in the Asian and Eurasian representation in Miss Saigon while envisioning possible futures for racially-charged stories on the commercial stage. Jeanmarie Higgins is an associate professor in the Pennsylvania State University School of Theatre. A new works dramaturg, she publishes widely on the intersection of theory and practice. Jeanmarie is the editor of Teaching Critical Performance Theory in Today’s Theatre Classroom, Studio, and Communities (Routledge 2020), and her performance criticism is published in Theatre Journal, PARtake: Journal of Performance as Research and Theatre and the Macabre (University of Wales Press 2021). Micah Rosegrant- Micah (they/them) is a twink poet who carves queer divinity through breath, word, and movement. They are cousin and learner with all life, glitching their myriad selves to shape change as a spirit guided by relation, a Co-Director at Arts Connect International, and an online avatar @micah_pdf. Previous A.R.T. collaborations include: Creating Equal (Steering Committee); Making Democracy Work with the Harvard Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (Co-Creative Ensemble); Dragon Cycle (Assistant Director); and Clairvoyance (Love Nurse).Sarah Shin (she/her/hers) is a Schwenksville-raised Boston-trained, Brooklyn-based Korean American theatre artist. She co-founded and still runs <a href="http://www.aataboston.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston (AATAB) </a>to empower and connect Asian American student and working artists in Boston, is on the steering committee of <a href="https://www.paoartscenter.org/artists#api-arts-network" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">API Arts</a> <a href="https://www.paoartscenter.org/artists#api-arts-network" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Network</a>, and serves as a Board Member for <a href="http://www.stagesource.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">StageSource</a> and Advisory Board Member for <a href="https://www.bu.edu/bpt/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Boston Playwrights’ Theatre</a>. She is a member of <a href="https://www.nationalqueertheater.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">National Queer Theatre’</a>s Artistic Collective, an Artistic Associate of <a href="https://sanguinenyc.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sanguine Theatre Company</a>, and a 2020-2021 <a href="https://www.aaartsalliance.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Asian American Arts Alliance</a> Artist-in-Virtual-Residence, where she developed her solo work exploring Asian identity and Whiteness in musical theatre. She’s passionate about more diverse representation, community and family, music, and gifting love in all ways possible. BFA Theatre Arts Boston University.Lianah Sta. Ana-  Broadway: Miss Saigon, YoungArts Theatre alumna and Apollo Amateur Night winner. Has trained at FPAC in HHS. SOURCESMiss Saigon, Original Cast Recording, Geffen Records (1990) The Story of Miss Saigon by Edward Behr and Mark Steyn, published by Arcade Publishing (1991) The Heat Is On: The Making of Miss Saigon starring Jonathan Pryce and Lea Salonga, directed by David Wright, Freemantle Home Entertainment (1989) Miss Saigon 25th Anniversary starring Jon Jon Briones and Eva Noblezada, directed by Brett Sullivan, Cameron Mackintosh International (2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 35- MISS SAIGON

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERACOMPOSER: Andrew Lloyd WebberLYRICIST: Charles HartBOOK: Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd WebberSOURCE: The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (1909)DIRECTOR: Hal PrinceCHOREOGRAPHER: Gillian LynnePRINCIPLE CAST: Steve Barton (Raoul), Sarah Brightman (Christine), Michael Crawford (The Phantom)OPENING DATE: January 26th, 1988CLOSING DATE: Still Running as of this writingPERFORMANCES: +13,370SYNOPSIS: Lurking deep in the bowels of the celebrated Paris Opera House lives a disfigured man, The Phantom, whose passion for soprano Christine Daae turns into a dangerous obsession. The Phantom of the Opera held audiences captive since its Broadway premiere. The rock-infused score and traditional stage technology helped set a standard for British imports to the New York stage which would become mega-successful international sensations. Cast member Susan B. Russell introduces audiences to the corporate world of Phantom, as dictated by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, the producer, specifically creation under the confines of recreation and the effect this philosophy had on performers in a post-Phantom world, with a first hand account of how the corporation handled the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. Susan Russell is an Associate Professor in the School of Theatre at The Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate literature/criticism, and Playwriting. She received her PhD in Theatre Studies from Florida State University’s School of Theatre in 2007, her Master of Arts degree from Florida State University in 2003, and her BA in Theatre from St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, NC in 1979. She experienced a twenty-five-year career as a professional actor on and off-Broadway, and her plays have been produced by Emerging Artists Theatre, Lincoln Center, and Penn State University. Dr. Russell is co-founder and co-Director of The Center for Pedagogy in Arts and Design, cpad.psu.edu which is a unique place where information and the arts collaborate in extraordinary ways.RESOURCES:Hal Prince Reflections on The Phantom of the OperaRehearsal Footage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERACOMPOSER: Andrew Lloyd WebberLYRICIST: Charles HartBOOK: Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd WebberSOURCE: The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (1909) DIRECTOR: Hal PrinceCHOREOGRAPHER: Gillian LynnePRINCIPLE CAST: Steve Barton (Raoul), Sarah Brightman (Christine), Michael Crawford (The Phantom) OPENING DATE: January 26th, 1988CLOSING DATE: Still Running as of this writingPERFORMANCES: +13,370 SYNOPSIS: Lurking deep in the bowels of the celebrated Paris Opera House lives a disfigured man, The Phantom, whose passion for soprano Christine Daae turns into a dangerous obsession.  The Phantom of the Opera held audiences captive since its Broadway premiere. The rock-infused score and traditional stage technology helped set a standard for British imports to the New York stage which would become mega-successful international sensations. Cast member Susan B. Russell introduces audiences to the corporate world of Phantom, as dictated by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, the producer, specifically creation under the confines of recreation and the effect this philosophy had on performers in a post-Phantom world, with a first hand account of how the corporation handled the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001.  Susan Russell is an Associate Professor in the School of Theatre at The Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate literature/criticism, and Playwriting. She received her PhD in Theatre Studies from Florida State University’s School of Theatre in 2007, her Master of Arts degree from Florida State University in 2003, and her BA in Theatre from St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, NC in 1979. She experienced a twenty-five-year career as a professional actor on and off-Broadway, and her plays have been produced by Emerging Artists Theatre, Lincoln Center, and Penn State University. Dr. Russell is co-founder and co-Director of The Center for Pedagogy in Arts and Design, <a href="https://cpad.psu.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cpad.psu.edu</a> which is a unique place where information and the arts collaborate in extraordinary ways. RESOURCES:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0wlgb3zy0A" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hal Prince Reflections on The Phantom of the Opera</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq5-fMy03mg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rehearsal Footage</a> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 34- THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

LES MISERABLESCOMPOSER: Claude-Michel SchonbergLYRICIST: Herbert KretzmerBOOK: Alain Boublil, Claude-Michele Schonberg, Jean-Marc NatelSOURCE: Victor Hugo’s novel Les Miserables (1862)DIRECTOR: Trevor Nunn and John CairdCHOREOGRAPHER: Trevor Nunn and John CairdPRINCIPLE CAST: Randy Graff (Fantine), Terrence Mann (Javert), Colm Wilkinson (Jean Valjean)OPENING DATE: Mar 12, 1987CLOSING DATE: May 18, 2003PERFORMANCES: 6,680SYNOPSIS: Jean Valjean is a convicted thief who attempts to rebuild his life with a new family while being mercilessly hunted by the pious Inspector Javert. As these two men battle for their souls, the Paris streets are littered with a political revolution that will forever alter the lives of these two men. Robert Meffe traces the development of Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, and Herbert Kretzmer’s epic mega-musical, Les Misérables through inception and how it created the template for musicals that would successfully fuse their scores with popular musical forms. Significantly, the creative team of Trevor Nunn and John Napier struggled to adapt the French novel’s storyline in a way that would resonate with a contemporary British audience both in pacing and the application of universal themes. The show’s success inspired a fleet of musicals whose plots waxed epic including The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, and Titanic.Robert Meffe- Broadway: Associate Conductor of Little Women and the last six years of Les Misérables, keyboards for Evita (2012 revival), Newsies, The Phantom of the Opera, Avenue Q, Spelling Bee, Grey Gardens and Bombay Dreams.  National Tours: Music Director of Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, Associate Conductor of Les Misérables, Sunday in the Park with George. Off-Broadway: Myths &amp; Hymns, Violet, The Prince and the Pauper, and Gutenberg! The Musical!.  TV: Encore! (Disney+), Earth to America (TBS), Renee Fleming-Live at Lincoln Center (PBS). Mr. Meffe is currently the Head of the MFA Musical Theatre Program at San Diego State University.  SOURCESLes Miserables, Original London Cast Recording. First Night Records (1985)Les Miserables starring Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe, directed by Tom Hooper, NBC Universal (2012)Les Miserables: The Dream Cast In Concert starring Lea Salonga and Colm Wilkinson, directed by Gavin Taylor, Sony Pictures (1998)The Complete Book of Les Miserables by Edward Behr, published by Arcade (2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LES MISERABLESCOMPOSER: Claude-Michel SchonbergLYRICIST: Herbert KretzmerBOOK: Alain Boublil, Claude-Michele Schonberg, Jean-Marc NatelSOURCE: Victor Hugo’s novel Les Miserables (1862) DIRECTOR: Trevor Nunn and John CairdCHOREOGRAPHER: Trevor Nunn and John CairdPRINCIPLE CAST: Randy Graff (Fantine), Terrence Mann (Javert), Colm Wilkinson (Jean Valjean) OPENING DATE: Mar 12, 1987CLOSING DATE: May 18, 2003PERFORMANCES: 6,680 SYNOPSIS: Jean Valjean is a convicted thief who attempts to rebuild his life with a new family while being mercilessly hunted by the pious Inspector Javert. As these two men battle for their souls, the Paris streets are littered with a political revolution that will forever alter the lives of these two men.  Robert Meffe traces the development of Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, and Herbert Kretzmer’s epic mega-musical, Les Misérables through inception and how it created the template for musicals that would successfully fuse their scores with popular musical forms. Significantly, the creative team of Trevor Nunn and John Napier struggled to adapt the French novel’s storyline in a way that would resonate with a contemporary British audience both in pacing and the application of universal themes. The show’s success inspired a fleet of musicals whose plots waxed epic including The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, and Titanic. Robert Meffe- Broadway: Associate Conductor of Little Women and the last six years of Les Misérables, keyboards for Evita (2012 revival), Newsies, The Phantom of the Opera, Avenue Q, Spelling Bee, Grey Gardens and Bombay Dreams.  National Tours: Music Director of Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, Associate Conductor of Les Misérables, Sunday in the Park with George. Off-Broadway: Myths &amp; Hymns, Violet, The Prince and the Pauper, and Gutenberg! The Musical!.  TV: Encore! (Disney+), Earth to America (TBS), Renee Fleming-Live at Lincoln Center (PBS). Mr. Meffe is currently the Head of the MFA Musical Theatre Program at San Diego State University.   SOURCESLes Miserables, Original London Cast Recording. First Night Records (1985) Les Miserables starring Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe, directed by Tom Hooper, NBC Universal (2012) Les Miserables: The Dream Cast In Concert starring Lea Salonga and Colm Wilkinson, directed by Gavin Taylor, Sony Pictures (1998) The Complete Book of Les Miserables by Edward Behr, published by Arcade (2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 33- LES MISERABLES

LA CAGE AUX FOLLESCOMPOSER: Jerry HermanLYRICIST: Jerry HermanBOOK: Harvey FiersteinSOURCE: Jean Poriot’s play La Cage Aux Folles (1973)DIRECTOR: Arthur LaurentsCHOREOGRAPHER: Scott SalmonPRINCIPLE CAST: Gene Barry (Georges), George Hearn (Albin), John Weiner (Jean-Michel)OPENING DATE: Aug 21, 1983CLOSING DATE: Nov 15, 1987PERFORMANCES: 1,761SYNOPSIS: La Cage Aux Folles is a drag club owned by George and Albin, two men who have been together for twenty years. When Georges’ son Jean-Michel arrives and announces he is engaged to the daughter of a homophobic politician, Georges and Albin must try to decide how they will deal with their son’s intolerance. Comparing early responses to Queer representation in film and cinema from French and American audiences, Robert W. Schneider sets the scene for the opening of La Cage Aux Folles, Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein’s musical adaptation of a French farce featuring the first leading homosexual couple for the Broadway musical. Director Arthur Laurents was staunch in his desire that the show refrain from seeming overtly political, desiring instead to present an old-fashioned musical which featured a gay love story. This chapter details the positive impact La Cage Aux Folles had on LGBTQIA+ representation worldwide, it also touches on how the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s dampered the optimistic tone set by the musical.Robert W. Schneider holds academic appointments at Penn State University, New York Film Academy, and Mount Union University, as well as serving as the Artistic Director for The J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company and as an original programming producer at Feinstein’s/54 Below in New York City. He is the host of the podcasts Behind The Curtain: Broadway’s Living Legends, Gay Card Revoked, and This Was A Thing. For the past fifteen years Robert has been one of the most prolific leaders of online education in the arts. He is a proud member of SDC, AEA, and AGVA. SOURCESLa Cage Aux Folles by Harvey Fierstein and Jerry Herman, published by Samuel French (2014)La Cage Aux Folles, Original Cast Recording. RCA Records (1983)Showtune: A Memoir by Jerry Herman, published by Dutton (1996)Mainly on Directing by Arthur Laurents, Published by Knopf (2009) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LA CAGE AUX FOLLESCOMPOSER: Jerry HermanLYRICIST: Jerry HermanBOOK: Harvey FiersteinSOURCE: Jean Poriot’s play La Cage Aux Folles (1973) DIRECTOR: Arthur LaurentsCHOREOGRAPHER: Scott SalmonPRINCIPLE CAST: Gene Barry (Georges), George Hearn (Albin), John Weiner (Jean-Michel) OPENING DATE: Aug 21, 1983CLOSING DATE: Nov 15, 1987PERFORMANCES: 1,761 SYNOPSIS: La Cage Aux Folles is a drag club owned by George and Albin, two men who have been together for twenty years. When Georges’ son Jean-Michel arrives and announces he is engaged to the daughter of a homophobic politician, Georges and Albin must try to decide how they will deal with their son’s intolerance.  Comparing early responses to Queer representation in film and cinema from French and American audiences, Robert W. Schneider sets the scene for the opening of La Cage Aux Folles, Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein’s musical adaptation of a French farce featuring the first leading homosexual couple for the Broadway musical. Director Arthur Laurents was staunch in his desire that the show refrain from seeming overtly political, desiring instead to present an old-fashioned musical which featured a gay love story. This chapter details the positive impact La Cage Aux Folles had on LGBTQIA+ representation worldwide, it also touches on how the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s dampered the optimistic tone set by the musical. Robert W. Schneider holds academic appointments at Penn State University, New York Film Academy, and Mount Union University, as well as serving as the Artistic Director for The J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company and as an original programming producer at Feinstein’s/54 Below in New York City. He is the host of the podcasts Behind The Curtain: Broadway’s Living Legends, Gay Card Revoked, and This Was A Thing. For the past fifteen years Robert has been one of the most prolific leaders of online education in the arts. He is a proud member of SDC, AEA, and AGVA.  SOURCESLa Cage Aux Folles by Harvey Fierstein and Jerry Herman, published by Samuel French (2014) La Cage Aux Folles, Original Cast Recording. RCA Records (1983) Showtune: A Memoir by Jerry Herman, published by Dutton (1996) Mainly on Directing by Arthur Laurents, Published by Knopf (2009) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 32- LA CAGE AUX FOLLES

CATSCOMPOSER: Andrew Lloyd WebberLYRICIST: TS EliotBOOK: N/ASOURCE: T.S. Eliot’s book of poetry Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (1939)DIRECTOR: Trevor NunnCHOREOGRAPHER: Gillian LynnePRINCIPLE CAST: Betty Buckley (Grizabella), Terrence Mann (Rum Tum Tugger), Ken Page (Old Deuteronomy), OPENING DATE: Oct 07, 1982CLOSING DATE: Sept 10, 2000PERFORMANCES: 7,485SYNOPSIS: This evening is the momentous occasion when one Jellicle Cats will be selected to go to the “heavyside layer,” where they will be given a new body and be returned to Earth. In this episode, member of the original Broadway cast, Stephen Hanan, analyzes the marketing genius of Sir Cameron Macintosh, the artistic originality of Trevor Nunn, and the indelible literary capability of T.S. Eliot which led to the lasting success of Cats. A breakdown of branding and merchandising efforts highlights the ways Cats created a market for the international mega-musical. Hanan details the rigors of the unconventional process the actors and designers engaged in as the musical transferred from London’s West End to Broadway, including his collaboration with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.Stephen Mo Hanan has worked in theater as both a performer and playwright. For creating Asparagus/Growltiger in CATS he was a Tony Award nominee, and his account of rehearsing that original production was published as A CAT’S DIARY. His Broadway debut was opposite Linda Ronstadt and Kevin Kline in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, and he later starred as Captain Hook opposite Cathy Rigby. He was co-author and starred as Al Jolson in two off-Broadway productions of JOLSON &amp; COMPANY. Between engagements, he wrote and published the novel SCARPIA’S KISS  SOURCESCats: The Book Of Musical by T.S. Eliot, published by Harvest Books (1983)Cats, Original Cast Recording, Polydor (1981)Cats starring John Mills and Elaine Paige, directed by David Mallet. Universal Pictures (1972)Cats starring James Corden and Judi Dench, directed by Tom Hooper. Working Title Pictures (2019) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CATSCOMPOSER: Andrew Lloyd WebberLYRICIST: TS EliotBOOK: N/ASOURCE: T.S. Eliot’s book of poetry Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (1939)DIRECTOR: Trevor NunnCHOREOGRAPHER: Gillian LynnePRINCIPLE CAST: Betty Buckley (Grizabella), Terrence Mann (Rum Tum Tugger), Ken Page (Old Deuteronomy),  OPENING DATE: Oct 07, 1982CLOSING DATE: Sept 10, 2000PERFORMANCES: 7,485 SYNOPSIS: This evening is the momentous occasion when one Jellicle Cats will be selected to go to the “heavyside layer,” where they will be given a new body and be returned to Earth.  In this episode, member of the original Broadway cast, Stephen Hanan, analyzes the marketing genius of Sir Cameron Macintosh, the artistic originality of Trevor Nunn, and the indelible literary capability of T.S. Eliot which led to the lasting success of Cats. A breakdown of branding and merchandising efforts highlights the ways Cats created a market for the international mega-musical. Hanan details the rigors of the unconventional process the actors and designers engaged in as the musical transferred from London’s West End to Broadway, including his collaboration with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. Stephen Mo Hanan has worked in theater as both a performer and playwright. For creating Asparagus/Growltiger in CATS he was a Tony Award nominee, and his account of rehearsing that original production was published as A CAT’S DIARY. His Broadway debut was opposite Linda Ronstadt and Kevin Kline in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, and he later starred as Captain Hook opposite Cathy Rigby. He was co-author and starred as Al Jolson in two off-Broadway productions of JOLSON &amp; COMPANY. Between engagements, he wrote and published the novel SCARPIA’S KISS   SOURCESCats: The Book Of Musical by T.S. Eliot, published by Harvest Books (1983) Cats, Original Cast Recording, Polydor (1981) Cats starring John Mills and Elaine Paige, directed by David Mallet. Universal Pictures (1972) Cats starring James Corden and Judi Dench, directed by Tom Hooper. Working Title Pictures (2019) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Ch. 31- CATS

Fifty Key Stage Musicals: The Podcast

The best podcast episodes on Startups. For anyone working in a startup, or anyone interested in the incredible stories behind how people built companies like Instagram, and Facebook. Offering both practical advice and insights, as well as the stories for how many of the biggest startups got to where they are today. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

OwlTail

Best Startups Podcasts

The best podcast episodes on parenting. Interviewing experts and talking through common issues surrounding parenting. This topic is filled with important lessons and insights for anyone listening. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!