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.
This week’s episode is a special live taping from the mainstage at BroadwayCon! Jamie, Rob, and Jennifer are joined by stars of the critically acclaimed, Tony Award-winning best musical “Hadestown”: Reeve Carney, Eva Noblezada, Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Nacer Gonzalaz, and Kay Trinidad. Together, they talk all things “Hadestown” and take questions from Twitter and Instagram, including how the show came together, stage mishaps, and what it’s like settling into a hit run. A bit later, Rob gives us a deeper look into BroadwayCon itself, and at the top of the episode, Jennifer shares an update on rehearsals for “Company”.
This week’s music: “Road to Hell”, “When the Chips are Down”, “Come Home with Me”, “Hey Little Songbird”, “Wait for Me” all from “Hadestown, Original Broadway Cast Recording”.
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”.
On this week’s special in-depth package show, Rob and Jamie sit down with a cross section of theatre critics to talk about who they are, what they do, why they do it, and how they do it, in addition to their thoughts on the state of theatre criticism and the future of the form. You’ll hear from Ben Brantley, Helen Shaw, Jose Solís, Nicole Serratore, and Christian Lewis. Tune in and find out why “everyone is a critic”.
On this week’s episode, Jamie and Rob are back at Orso where they are joined by Tom Schumacher, President of the Disney Theatrical Group and Chairman of the Board of the Broadway League. Over the past twenty years, Tom has created and overseen the Broadway productions of “The Lion King”, “Mary Poppins”, “Peter and the Starcatcher”, “Newsies”, and “Aladdin”, to name only a few. Together, they discuss his incredible career, the impact of Disney on Broadway, and Tom’s spectacular book, “How Does The Show Go On”, now in its third edition. A bit later, Rob gives us a look into The Center Theatre Group, the storied Los Angeles nonprofit theatre where Tom got his start, and before all that, Rob and Jamie address a little show called “Hamilton”..
This Week’s Music: “Helpless” from “Hamilton”, “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” from “The Lion King”, “Arabian Nights” and “High Adventure” from “Aladdin”, “For The First Time” from “Frozen” and “She’s In Love” from “The Little Mermaid”
On this week’s show, Jamie, Rob, and Jennifer are joined by Tony and Academy Award nominated star of stage and screen, Barbara Barrie, who originated the role of Sarah in Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s landmark musical “Company” in 1970. We discuss that iconic show, including her experience working with Harold Prince and Elaine Stritch, and the legendary eighteen hour recording session of the original cast album. Later on, Rob gives more background on the famous documentary about that recording session.
This week’s music: “The Little Things You Do Together”, “Barcelona”, “Getting Married Today”, “Poor Baby”, “Company”, “Side By Side”, “Finale”, all from “Company”.
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”.
We love a list! On this week’s show, Rob and Jamie discuss Rob’s top ten favorite shows from 2019 (plus a few of his honorable mentions) as reviewed on Stage Left. Tweet us your top ten @fabulousInvalid!
This week’s music: “Burning Down The House”, “American Utopia”, “Election Night”, from “Soft Power”, “Prologue”, and “Who’s That Woman” from “Follies: 2018 National Theater Recording”, “Road To Hell”and “Road To Hell, reprise”, from “Hadestown”and “Today” from “A Strange Loop”.
On this week’s show, Rob and Jamie are back at Orso Restaurant. They sit down with composer, lyricist, and playwright Michael R. Jackson, creator of "A Strange Loop”, a fantastic new musical that played Off-Broadway last summer. “A Strange Loop” is a “self-referential” musical by and about “a black, queer man writing a musical about a black, queer man who’s writing a musical about a black queer man”. Together, they talk about the fascinating development and construction of the show. A bit later, Rob gives a closer look at other landmark black theatre artists whose work has shaped and expanded the American theatre.
This week’s music: “Intermission Song”, “Inner White Girl”, “We Wanna Know”, “Memory Song”, “Writing A Gospel Play”, “Periodically,” and “A Strange Loop”, all from “A Strange Loop”. “One Life To Live Theme”, by Peabo Bryson.
On this week’s show, Jamie, Rob, and Jennifer are joined by the delightful Kate Reinders. Kate has starred on Broadway in the 2003 revival of “Gypsy”, “Something Rotten”, “Beautiful”, and as Glinda in "Wicked”. She can currently be seen on the new Disney+ show, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”. Before Kate joins the group, they talk about theatre etiquette; following the interview, Rob counts down the top 10 most produced high school musicals.
This week’s music: “Anything You Can Do”, “Annie Get Your Gun”, “If Momma Was Married”, “Broadway” from “Gypsy, The 2003 Cast Recording Starring Bernadette Peters”, and the “Golden Girls Theme”.
On this week’s show, Jamie and Rob are back at Orso Restaurant with legendary actor Len Cariou. With a career spanning over five decades, Len created roles in “Applause” and “A Little Night Music” before his Tony and Drama Desk Award winning turn as the title character in “Sweeney Todd”. Len is currently starring Off-Broadway in “Harry Townsend’s Last Stand”, and can also be seen on CBS’s hit drama, “Bluebloods”. Following the interview, Rob gives us a bit more information on the legend of “Sweeney Todd”, and before we sit with Len, Jamie and Rob talk about winter, sweaters, and Rob’s swan-like neck.
This week’s music: “But Alive”, and “Think How It’s Gonna Be”, from “Applause”, “Now, Later, Soon” and “A Weekend In The Country” from “A Little Night Music”, and “Act 1 Prologue”, “Prelude”, “The Barber And His Wife”, “Pretty Women”, “Johanna”, and “Epilogue: The Ballad Of Sweeney Todd”, from “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street”.
On this week’s show, Jamie, Rob, and Jennifer chat with playwright Theresa Rebeck about her smashing new play, “Seared” at MCC Theater. Theresa was also the creator of the television show “Smash”, and is the award winning playwright of “Mauritius”, “Bernhardt / Hamlet”, “Seminar”, and “Dead Accounts” on Broadway, and “Omnium Gatherum”, “A View of the Dome” Off-Broadway. We discuss all things food, the challenges of cooking on stage, the secrets of mac & cheese and butter, and get some insight into her writing process. A bit later, Rob gives a look into other shows that feature cooking on stage.
This week’s music: “Overture” from “Company, 2018 London Cast Recording”, and “Food Glorious Food”, from “Oliver!, 1994 London Palladium Cast Recording”.
On this week’s show, Rob and Jamie spotlight “Soft Power”, the innovative new “musical-within-a-play” currently playing at the Public Theater. They are joined by playwright and lyricist David Henry Hwang, director Leigh Silverman, and two of the show’s stars: Francis Jue and Alyse Alan Louis. Together, they discuss the unique structure of the piece, its inception and content, changes made from California to New York, what it’s like playing living figures as characters on stage, and the current state of American democracy. Rob closes with some reflections on seeing his boss, Secretary Clinton, reflected back on stage.
This week’s music: selections from “Soft Power” and “The March of the Siamese Children” from “The King And I, 2015 Broadway Cast”.
Part two of a special, two-part episode of “The Fabulous Invalid”, Jamie and Rob take an in depth look at the life, work, and legacies of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon by talking with actors and dancers who knew and worked with them.
From their first auditions to memorable experiences in the rehearsal room and in performance, Mimi Quillin, Jane Lanier, Chet Walker, and John Rubenstein—along with Betty Buckley and Donna McKechnie—pull back the curtain to reveal the Bob and Gwen they knew. This podcast offers a unique look at one of the most famous, successful, and fascinating show-business duos in history.
This Week’s Music: “Overture” from “Chicago”, “A Little Brains, A Little Talent”, from “Damn Yankees”, “Who’s Got The Pain”, from “Damn Yankees”, “Bye, Bye Love”, from “All That Jazz”, “Steam Heat”, from “Fosse”, “Life’s A Bowl Of Cherries” from “Fosse”, “I’m A Brass Band”, from “Sweet Charity”, “Hot Honey Rag” from “ Chicago”, “South Mount Sinai Parade”, from “All That Jazz”.
For a special, two-part episode of “The Fabulous Invalid”, Jamie and Rob take an in depth look at the life, work, and legacies of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon by talking with actors and dancers who knew and worked with them.
From their first auditions to memorable experiences in the rehearsal room and in performance, Mimi Quillin, Jane Lanier, Chet Walker, and John Rubenstein—along with Betty Buckley and Donna McKechnie—pull back the curtain to reveal the Bob and Gwen they knew. This podcast offers a unique look at one of the most famous, successful, and fascinating show-business duos in history.
This Week’s Music: “Main Title” from “All That Jazz”, “Corner Of The Sky”, from “Pippin”, “On Broadway”, from “All That Jazz”, “Rich Man’s Frug”, from “Sweet Charity”, “On the Right Track” from “Pippin”, “If They Could See Me Now”, from “Sweet Charity”, “Take Off With Us” from “All That Jazz”, “I Gotcha”, from “Liza With A Z”, “Big Spender”, from “Sweet Charity”.
On this week’s show Jennifer, Jamie and Rob sit down with legendary dancer, singer, actor, choreographer, and all around show stopper, Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie. The group discusses Donna’s amazing career, from “How to Succeed” to Paper Mill’s “Follies”, including the creation of her signature numbers: “Turkey Lurkey Time”, “Tick Tock”, and “The Music and the Mirror”. Finally, Rob gives us a bit more background on the television variety show “Hullabaloo”, where Donna first met Michael Bennett.
This week’s music: “I Want It All”, from “Baby”, “Turkey Lurkey Time”, from "Promises, Promises”, “Montage, Part 1 - Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love”, “The Music and the Mirror”, “One”, and “One, reprise” all from “A Chorus Line”. And “Losing My Mind” from “Follies”.
This week, Jamie and Rob travel to California to visit Pasadena Playhouse and chat with Danny Feldman, Producing Artistic Director. Together, they discuss Danny’s time with the Playhouse and their current production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” A bit later, cast member George Salazar chats about his take on playing Seymour in “Little Shop”, working at the Playhouse, and what life is like post-“Be More Chill”. And, finally, Rob gives us a look into the rich one-hundred-plus-year history of the Pasadena Playhouse, one of America’s earliest and greatest regional theatres.
This week’s music: Jan & Dean’s, “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena”, “I Am What I Am”, “The Juan Mix”, “The Light Of The World”, “Godspell: New Broadway Cast Recording”, “Suddenly, Seymour” and “Little Shop Of Horrors,” from “Little Shop Of Horrors”.
On this week’s episode, Jennifer, Jamie, and Rob sit down with one of the American theatre’s greatest leading men: Norm Lewis. A veteran of twelve Broadway shows, Norm talks about his versatile career, the controversy around “Porgy and Bess”, making history in “The Phantom of the Opera”, and his latest concert with The New York Pops. Before Norm joins the group, they discuss BCEFA’s annual Flea Market and, at the end of the episode, Rob gives more background on the history of color-conscious casting in “The Phantom of the Opera”.
This Week’s Music: Chita Rivera singing, “I’ve Got Plenty of Nothing”, Norm Lewis singing, “I’ve Got Plenty of Nothing”, “The Music of the Night”, and “Bring Him Home”.
Episode 44: William Ivey Long: The Master
Jamie and Rob are back at Orso Restaurant with six-time Tony Award winning costume designer William Ivey Long. Together, they discuss William’s long and illustrious career on Broadway, with over seventy-five shows to his credit including: “Nine”, “Chicago”, “Hairspray”, and last season’s “Beetlejuice” and “Tootsie”. William shares his inspiration and process, and the secrets of a good fitting!
This week’s music: Anita Morris singing, “A Call From The Vatican” from “Nine”, “Roxie”, “When Velma Takes The Stand”, “Mr. Cellophane”, from the 1996 revival of “Chicago”.
