This week, Jamie and Rob continue exploring the mission of the podcast by speaking with sound designer Jessica Paz. Together, they discuss this newest, most mysterious, and oft-overlooked and under-appreciated field of stagecraft, diving into the challenges and secrets of Jessica’s Tony Award-winning work on “Hadestown”. What do Scuba diving, raccoons, magical iPads, and pizza have to do with sound design? Tune in to find out!

This week’s music: “Hittin’” from “Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk”, “Any Way the Wind Blows” and “Livin’ it Up On Top” from “Hadestown, Original Broadway Cast” and “The Sweetest Sounds/I Can Feel It” from “Sibling Revery”.

On this week’s show, Jamie and Rob talk through Jamie’s personal top ten list of showstopping production numbers, celebrating some of the greatest moments in Broadway musical theatre history. They take a look at the extraordinary work of choreographers like Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett, Tommy Tune, Onna White, Jerome Robbins, Gower Champion, and Agnes DeMille, and dig into some of the more unheralded contributions from composer/lyricists, orchestrators, dance arrangers, and designers that combined with top-notch performers to make the best showstoppers. What’s number one? Tune in to find out.

 This week’s music: “Glory” from “Pippin”, “Overture”, and “Mame” from “Mame”.  “42nd Street” from “42nd Street (Original Recording)”, “Wedding Dance” from “Fiddler on the Roof (New Broadway Cast Recording)”.  “Steam Heat” from “The Pajama Game”, “Dance at the Gym: Bass, and Jump” from “Bernstein: West Side Story”, “Ballet” from “Oklahoma! (1998 Royal National Theatre Cast Recording)”, “Turkey Lurkey Time” from “Promise, Promises”.  “The Rich Man’s Frug” from “Sweet Charity (Original Cast Recording)”, “H-A-P-P-Y / We’ll Take A Glass” from “Grand Hotel” and “The Music and the Mirror” from “A Chorus Line”.

For a special, two-part show, Jamie and Rob take an in depth look at the life, work, and legacy of Broadway composer and lyricist Jerry Herman—“the poet of the showtune”.  They chat with performers Joel Grey, Florence Lacey, Lee Roy Reams, and Alix Korey, music director Andy Einhorn, producer Barry Brown, and actress and cabaret star Molly Pope.  Part one focuses on “Hello, Dolly!” and “Mame”, two of Jerry’s biggest hits, and “The Grand Tour”, one of his biggest flops.  Tune in to discover why there really is no tune like a showtune! 

This week’s music: “Overture”, “Mame, Original Cast Recording”. “I Wanna Make the World Laugh”, “Mack & Mabel, Original Cast Recording”, “Dancing”, and “Put on Your Sunday Clothes”, from “Hello, Dolly! New Broadway Cast (2017)”, “Mame”, “Mame, Original Cast Recording”. “It’s Today” from “An Evening with Jerry Herman”, and “It’s Today”, from “Mame, Original Cast Recording”. “Showtune”, from “Parade”. “We Need A Little Christmas”, from “Mame, Original Cast Recording”. “Just Leave Everything to Me” and “Before the Parade Passes By”, from “Hello, Dolly! Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”. “If He Walked Into My Life” from “The Best of Eydie Gormé”. “Hello, Dolly! from “Hello, Dolly! New Broadway Cast (2017)”. “I’ll Be Here Tomorrow”, “Mrs. S L Jacobowsky”, “I Belong Here”, and “Marianne”, all from “The Grand Tour Original Broadway Cast”.

Jamie and Rob kick off season three with 11-time Grammy Award nominated recording artist and Tony Award nominated star of stage and screen Vanessa Williams, one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in the entertainment industry. Together, they discuss Vanessa’s work as a founder of Black Theatre United, her 1994 Broadway debut in “Kiss of the Spiderwoman”, her West End debut in “City of Angels”, the current shut down, her reflections on the work of Stephen Sondheim, and what she hopes to see when live performance returns.

 This week’s music: “Save the Best for Last”, “And the Moon Grows Dimmer”, “I Do Miracles”, “Where You Are”, “Gimmie Love”, “Kiss of the Spiderwoman” all from the 1994 cast recording of “Kiss of the Spiderwoman”.  “Good Thing Going”, “Losing My Mind/Not A Day Goes By”, and “Good Thing Going”, from “Sondheim on Sondheim”.  “Children Will Listen” from “Into the Woods”.  “Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home”, from “St. Louis Woman” and “Happy Days Are Here Again”

For their first “quarantine edition” episode, Jamie, Rob, and Jennifer chat remotely with Tony Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin.  As we navigate through this difficult moment, Rachel reflects on what artists can do to help, talks about her latest work, and shares information on some organizations that are doing great things to support artists, theater-makers, and just about everyone else. To close, Rob talks about what you can do to support your favorite non-profit theatre company.

This week’s music: “Doubt Comes In” and “We Raise Our Cups” both from “Hadestown”, and “Megamix: Take Me To The World”, from “Losing My Mind: A Sondheim Disco Fever Dream”.

On this week’s episode, Jamie and Rob are joined by Ben Brantley, co-chief theater critic for The New York Times.  A consummate journalist and celebrated writer, Ben talks about how he came to the Times, his tenure there since 1993, his writing process, what theater criticism means to him, and why he loves the theater.  A bit later in the show, Rob gives a look into the career of experimental playwright and director Richard Maxwell through the lens of a Ben Brantley review.

On this week’s show, Jamie and Rob speak with Peter Lawrence, the man who literally wrote the book on stage management. With a career spanning four decades, Peter has worked as a production stage manager on over thirty Broadway shows, including “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, “Sunset Boulevard”, and “Spamalot”— often collaborating with legendary greats like Mike Nichols, Neil Simon, Gene Saks, and Manny Azenburg. Before we get to the interview, though, Rob shares something he needs to get off his chest.

This week’s music: “Just Go To The Movies", from “Jerry’s Girls”, “In the Beginning, Woman” from “Timbuktu” and “Borderline” from “Madonna”.

Happy New Year & Happy New Decade! On this week’s show, Rob and Jamie discuss their top ten favorite plays and musicals from the past decade, tweet us yours @fabulousInvalid!

This week’s music: “It Means Beautiful”, from “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie”, “Nothin'”, from “The Scottsboro Boys”, “Hey, Boys”, from “Love’s Labour’s Lost”, “Here Lies Love”, from “Here Lies Love”,

“Hello, Dolly!” from “Hello, Dolly! The 2017 Broadway Cast”, and “Out of the Darkness”, from “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie”.

On this week’s show, Rob, Jamie, and Jennifer are back at their usual table for the final Orso Restaurant episode of the decade! They’re joined by director Sammi Cannold, who just directed a stunning new production of “Evita” at New York City Center and will present Celine Song's “Endlings” at New York Theatre Workshop Off-Broadway this winter. Together, they discuss Sammi’s impressive career to-date, what’s next, and the importance of female mentorship in the theatre.

This week’s music: “Another Suitcase In Another Hall” and “Art Of The Possible” from the "Evita” Original Cast Album, “Prologue” from “Ragtime” and “Magic To Do” from “Pippin; New Cast Recording”.

This week’s show we continue our conversation with "Jersey Boys” and "The Cher Show" book writer Rick Elice.  This time we dip back to the late 70’s and early 80’s to discuss New York theater at that time and what it was like being at the start of what became one of the most powerful advertising agencies on Broadway.  

This week’s music: “A Little Priest” from “Sweeney Todd,” “I Hope I Get It,” “I Can Do That,” “The Music and the Mirror” from “A Chorus Line,” “Broadway Baby” from “Follies,” Carol Burnett singing, “Let Me Entertain You” and Lauren Bacall singing “Welcome to the Theater,” from “Applause."

On this episode, Jamie, Rob, and Jennifer chat with actor, author, and activist Eric Ulloa about Muppets and mass gun violence.  As we mark the sixth anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting, we discuss “26 Pebbles”, a documentary play Eric created from the voices of the residents of Newton, Connecticut in the aftermath of that tragedy, and the ways in which theatre can inspire activism, breed empathy, and remind us of our common humanity.  Later, Rob discusses some things you can do to help.  

 This week’s music: "The Muppet Show Theme," Philip Glass, “Blood Oath,” Jason Robert Brown singing, “A Song About Your Gun,”  “The Gun Song” from “Assassins,” “21 Guns” from “American Idiot.”  Carole King’s “Smackwater Jack,” “Fame” from the film “Fame” and “The Country’s In The Very Best Of Hands” from Lil’ Abner."

On this episode, Jamie, Rob, and Jennifer chat with Tony Award-winning playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and activist David Henry Hwang. We discuss David’s very early start as a playwright, his complicated relationship with “The King And I” and how the 2016 election changed the course of his newest work, “Soft Power.” David also discusses his role as Chair of the American Theater Wing, his lifelong activism, including his views on color conscious casting, and his brief stint in a punk band.

This week’s music: We hear a brief clip from David’s punk band days with John Vomit and the Leather Scabs, “I Suck,” a small sample of the score from “Soft Power” and “One Hundred Million Miracles” from the 2001 Revival of “Flower Drum Song."

On this episode, Jamie, Rob and Jennifer chat with actor, writer, director and “theater maker” Arian Moayed. We discuss his short form thriller, “The Accidental Wolf,” playing a wonderful yet terrible character on HBO’s “Succession,” the obstacles we all face day to day, making a nonprofit from scratch, and the incredible work his company, Waterwell, is doing every day. Jennifer, Jamie, and Rob have a big “Take Two” to discuss, and Rob walks us through the Vomitorium (which probably isn’t what you think it is).

This week’s music: Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke,” “Big Easy” from “The Accidental Wolf,” Liz Callaway’s rendition of Frank Losser’s “My Heart Is So Full Of You,” and “Kindness” from “Bright Lights Big City."

This week, we’re coming to you from Orso Restaurant! Rob and Jamie (Jennifer is busy on stage) discuss London theater and sit down with Tony Award-winning designer and architect David Rockwell. David discusses getting his start and how he prepares for designing his shows, which include “Hairspray,” “She Loves Me,” “Tootsie,” “Kiss Me Kate” and “The Rocky Horror Show.” Rob digs a little deeper into The Rockwell Group’s latest project, The Shed, which will be a new arts complex opening in 2019. And, as always, “Fiddler On The Roof” comes up.

This week’s music: “Road To Hell (Live)” from, “Hadestown, The Myth, The Musical.”  “Family” from “Dreamgirls,” “Company” from “Company” and “Floor Show” from “The Rocky Horror Show."

On this episode, Jamie, Rob and Jennifer chat with Jackie Hoffman about offending everyone, neurosis, Ambien vs. Unisom, Fiddler on the Roof, and that Jessica Lange is a very nice lady.  Rob gives a look into the wonderful character actress, Molly Picon.

 This week’s music: Molly Picon singing, “Do You Love Me” from a London studio cast recording of Fiddler On The Roof where she plays Golde.  Two excerpts from “Jackie Hoffman: Live at Joe’s Pub” and Jackie and Mary Testa singing, “Evil Woman” from Xanadu.

On this episode Rob and Jamie chat with legendary theatre, dance, and opera lighting designer Natasha Katz, whose roster of over 60 Broadway credits include Tony Award-winning designs for Aida, The Coast of Utopia, Once, The Glass Menagerie, An American in Paris, and Long Day’s Journey Into Night. A New York native and American Theatre Wing Trustee, Natasha is joining us on her dinner break from the Longacre Theatre where her latest project, the new musical The Prom, is playing.

This week’s music: “Expressing Yourself” from Billy Elliot, “Land of Hopes and Dreams,” from Bruce Springsteen on Broadway, “You Happened,” from The Prom and Ethel Merman’s notorious disco version of “There’s No Business Like Show Business."

On this week’s show, we talk with two time Olivier Award winner and Tony Award nominee Tracie Bennett. Tracie is best known for her roles in the West End stage at Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray, Laura Henderson in Mrs. Henderson Presents, and Carlotta Campion in Follies. Tracie discusses playing Judy Garland, working with Stephen Sondheim, training to be a stunt woman, getting her start on the popular British Soap Opera, “Coronation Street,” and why the show must always go on. Rob, Jamie and Jennifer discuss what you can do to help in the Midterm Elections (VOTE) and what Halloween looks like backstage on Broadway.

This week’s music:  “The Theme From Halloween,” “Freedom” from “Shenandoah.” Our very own Jennifer Simard singing “Never Can Say Goodbye” from Disaster, The Musical.  Judy Garland, singing “After You’ve Gone,” and Tracie Bennett singing “Smile” from End of the Rainbow.

On this episode, we chat with actress and playwright Jocelyn Bioh, whose play, School Girls: Or, the African Mean Girls Play, is currently running off-Broadway. We discuss her brilliant play, colorism, taking chances, working the Shrek lottery, and reality television.  Rob, Jamie and Jennifer discuss hugs (not Jamie’s favorite thing), making art, revivals and death (a podcast favorite).  Rob gives us a look inside New York’s incredible MCC Theater, where School Girls is currently playing.

On this week’s show, we talk to legendary theater photographer Joan Marcus about what production photography means today, her favorite photos and just how tough it is to get those iconic shots. Jamie, Rob and Jennifer also discuss "My Favorite Murder," twice, the lack of musical revivals this season, confess a few sins and give a special shout-out to our very own Leslie Kritzer.

Coming to you live from Orso restaurant, we talk to the incredible Marsha Mason about Neil Simon, organic farming, race car driving, dancing with Clint Eastwood and how she saved A Chorus Line (seriously).  Join us while we eat some great food, chat with Marsha, learn about Joe Allen, bitch about the Kavanaugh confirmation and Jamie confesses his creepy obsession with Upper West Side filming locations.