BROADWAY NATION

Broadway Podcast Network

A lively and opinionated cultural history of the Broadway Musical that tells the extraordinary story of how Immigrants, Jews, Queers, African-Americans and other outcasts invented the Broadway Musical, and how they changed America in the process.In Season One, host David Armstrong traces the evolution of American Musical Theater from its birth at the dawn of the 20th Century, through its mid-century “Golden Age”, and right up to its current 21st Century renaissance; and also explore how musicals have reflected and shaped our world -- especially in regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, and equality.

  1. 42nd Street and the Queer Backstage Novels of Bradford Ropes

    hace 5 d

    42nd Street and the Queer Backstage Novels of Bradford Ropes

    My guest on this Pride Encore edition of Broadway Nation is author Maya Cantu who joins me to discuss her book, Greasepaint Puritan — Boston to 42nd Street in the Queer Backstage Novels of Bradford Ropes. In this book Maya reclaims the life and work of Bradford Ropes, the author of the naughty, bawdy, gaudy, sporty, and very gay novel, 42nd Street, on which both the classic film and stage adaptation are based. That’s just the first of his three long-forgotten novels that include Stage Mother and Go Into Your Dance, all of which were inspired by Rope’s own experiences as a performer, and all three of which give us a chance to go backstage on Broadway during the 1920s and experience the lives of gay men in show business. As you will hear Maya Cantu has done a miraculous job of uncovering all of this Cantu is a dramaturg and interdisciplinary scholar who teaches on the Drama Faculty of Bennington College. She is also the author of American Cinderella on the Broadway Musical Stage: Imagining the Working Gril from “Irene” to “Gypsy”. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! I want to thank our Broadway Nation Patron Club members, such as our newest member Cheryl Hodges-Selden whose generous support helps to make it possible for me to bring this podcast to you each week. If you would like to support the creation of Broadway Nation, here is the information about how you too can become a patron. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast.  All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: ⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    57 min
  2. Julian Eltinge in Hollywood, part 3 (Encore)

    23 jun

    Julian Eltinge in Hollywood, part 3 (Encore)

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    36 min
  3. The Musical Theater of Julian Eltinge

    18 jun

    The Musical Theater of Julian Eltinge

    My guest again this week is Andrew Erdman, author of the captivating book, Beautiful—The Story of Julian Eltinge, America's Greatest Female Impersonator. In this episode, Andrew continues the story of Eltinge’s rise to the absolute highest realms of show business — and we especially focus on three musicals that were created especially for him by top Broadway talents such as Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern, and Irving Berlin: That Fascinating Widow (1911), The Crinoline Girl (1914), and Cousin Lucy (1915). Along the way, you will have a chance to hear some of the songs that they created for Eltinge, as performed by a friend of the pod David Sabella (aka Amanda Reckonwith) including “Those Come Hither Eyes” – from the musical Cousin Lucy (lyrics by Schuler Green; music by Jerome Kern), and "Don't Take Your Beau to the Seashore," (music by Irving Berlin; lyrics by E. Ray Goetz). If you missed the first episode in this series, you may want to catch up with that before listening to this one. Author Andrew Erdman has immersed himself in this remarkable era of show biz history; his previous book was the equally fascinating Queen of Vaudeville: The Story of Eva Tanquay Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including our newest member Alan Teasley. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: ⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    44 min
  4. Julian Eltinge: America's Frist Drag Superstar, part 1

    13 jun

    Julian Eltinge: America's Frist Drag Superstar, part 1

    My guest on this episode is Andrew L. Erdman, who is the author of the new book: Beautiful — The Story of Julian Eltinge, America's Greatest Female Impersonator. In the late 19th and early 20th Century — long before the fierce television Drag stars of today — a specific style of drag performance known as Female Impersonation was wildly popular on stage and screen — in America and around the world. And no female impersonator was more famous, successful, or highly regarded than Julian Eltinge. Although barely remembered today, in his time, Eltinge was on a par with Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, and Fanny Brice, and was so popular and renowned that he even had a Broadway theater named after him! That theater still exists, and you can still go there and see Julian Eltinge — but you will have to listen to the episode(s) to find out where and how. Author Andrew Erdman has immersed himself in this remarkable era of show biz history; his previous book was the equally fascinating Queen of Vaudeville: The Story of Eva Tanquay Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including members John Schroeder and Alan Brodie. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: ⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    43 min
  5. My Friend Sandy, part 2 —The Boy Friend, London Theatre and Gay Culture

    8 jun

    My Friend Sandy, part 2 —The Boy Friend, London Theatre and Gay Culture

    This is the second half of my conversation with Deborah Phillips author of the fascinating book, AND THIS IS MY FRIEND SANDY — SANDY WILSON’S THE BOY FRIEND, LONDON THEATRE AND GAY CULTURE. If you missed the previous episode you may want to catch up with that before listening to this one. The Boyfriend is one of the most popular and successful British musicals of all time. On the previous episode Deborah Phillips shared with us how its creator Sandy Wilson grew up as a musical theater obsessed kid whose idols were Noel Coward, Ivor Novello, and Binky Beaumont — the three dynamic gay theater artists who dominated London’s West End in the 1930s and 40s. She also described London’s vibrant but clandestine gay theatrical subculture of the early 1950s out of which Sandy Wilson and The Boyfriend emerged. And we even heard a bit about the secret gay language of chorus boys and sailors called “Polari,” and the hilarious BBC radio series, Round The Horne, that introduced Polari to millions of listeners in the mid-1960s, even though most of those listeners had no idea what is was, or understood its connections to gay culture. All of that was, of course, happening at a time when you could be sent to prison for being homosexual. Deborah and I pick up our conversation just as Sandy Wilson is about to launch the first production of The Boyfriend at the private theater club, The Players Theatre, where it became a major hit and quickly moved to the West End.   We then go on to discuss London’s other major hit musical of 1952, Julian Slade’s SALAD DAYS. Those two shows — both set in the 1920s — created nearly as much excitement as Queen Elizabeth’s coronation that same year. In this episode you will hear a clip from Round the Horne featuring two very camp characters named “Julian & Sandy” (inspired by the two songwriters) who pepper their dialogue with Polari words and phrases, and whose catch phrase inspired the title of Deborah Phillip’s book. That original West End production of The Boyfriend ran for five years. Meanwhile, an American production opened on Broadway in 1954 and became a major hit in spite of Wilson’s objections to how it was redirected for Broadway. 18 years later, in 1972, a film version of The Boyfriend was released, directed by Ken Russell, that Wilson loathed. Wilson went on to create several highly anticipated subsequent musicals including The Buccaneer, Valmouth, and the sequel to The Boyfriend — Divorce Me Darling. None of them, however, were able to achieve the same kind acclaim and popularity as The Boyfriend. Phillips also shares some fascinating stories of several other high-profile projects that got away from Sandy Wilson and went on to legendary success with other songwriters.  Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part by the generous support of Producer Level Patrons: Gary Fuller & Randy Everett.   If you would like to help support the work of Broadway Nation I will information at the end of the podcast about how you too can become a Patron. If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you too to become a PATRON! For a just $7.00 a month you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: ⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    44 min

  6. 4 jun

    SANDY WILSON’S THE BOY FRIEND, LONDON THEATRE AND GAY CULTURE.

    My guest this week is author Deborah Phillips whose new book is titled: AND THIS IS MY FRIEND SANDY — SANDY WILSON’S THE BOY FRIEND, LONDON THEATRE AND GAY CULTURE. Sandy Wilson's The Boyfriend — for which he wrote the book, music, & lyrics — is one of the most successful British musicals of all time. It emerged in 1952 out of London’s secretive but vibrant gay theatrical subculture, at a time when you could be sent to prison for being homosexual.  By the following year both The Boyfriend and Sandy Wilson were the toast of London’s West End, and created nearly as much excitement as Queen Elizabeth’s coronation that same year. That original West End production ran for five years. Meanwhile, a hit American version of The Boyfriend opened on Broadway in 1954 and made a star out of Julie Andrews. The show was revived on Broadway in 1970 and made a star of Sandy Duncan, and two years later an ill-conceived film version was released, starring Twiggy and Tommy Tune and directed by Ken Russell. Despite all of this, prior to this book, very little has been written about Sandy Wilson. Deborah Phillips, who is Professor of Literature and Cultural History at the University of Brighton, is the first researcher to delve into Wilson’s extensive archives out of which she has created an captivating portrait of Wilson as a both a key figure in post-war British theatre and the era's gay culture. This book and interview introduced me to a number of fascinating subjects I had never encountered before including the hilarious BBC radio series, Round The Horne, that inspired the book’s title; the history of London's Players Theatre; and the secret gay language, Polari. Exploring all that sent me into several amazing internet rabbit holes and I will be posting articles and video clips that I found there in the Broadway Nation FaceBook Group. This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of Broadway Nation Patron Club members Anne Welsh, Chris Moad, and Bob Braun. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of Broadway Nation Patron Club members Anne Welsh, Chris Moad, and Bob Braun. If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you too to become a PATRON! For a just $7.00 a month you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: ⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    49 min
  7. Round in Circles, part 2

    31 may

    Round in Circles, part 2

    This is the second part of my conversation with author Barry Kester whose fascinating new book is titled: Round In Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL. Last week we focused on the three people most responsible for the creation of CAROUSEL — Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers, and the dynamic producer Theresa Helburn, whose vision and obsession it was to turn Ferenc Molnar’s play Liliom into a musical.   This week Barry takes us behind the scenes of CAROUSEL’s rehearsal period and it’s rocky out-of-town tryout including its very first performance in New Haven where the show ran more than four hours long! Along the way we have the opportunity to focus on the other key members of Carousel’s creative team — choreographer Agnes De Mille, director Rouben Mamoulian, dance arranger Trude Rittmann, and orchestrator Don Walker — all of whom were crucial in helping Rodgers & Hammerstein turn what could have been a disaster into one of the landmark musicals of the “Golden Age of Broadway.”  If you missed part one you may want to catch up with that episode before listening to this one. This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of Patron Club Members: Roger Kloresse, Elizabeth Troxler and Chris Moad.  Thank you all! How to become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For a just $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: ⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    30 min
  8. Encore Episode: Round in Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CAROUSEL, part 1

    26 may

    Encore Episode: Round in Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CAROUSEL, part 1

    My guest on Broadway Nation this week is Barry Kester, author of the fascinating new book: Round In Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL. I thought I knew a lot about Carousel — and in fact Albert Evans and I have previously devoted several previous episodes to that show and its truly groundbreaking innovations. However, we both found this book to be filled with new information, new discoveries, and new insights.    Based on his exemplary research, Barry Kester takes us deep inside Rodgers & Hammerstein’s creative process as they endeavor to transform Ferenc Molnar’s dark, fantastical play, Liliom, into their second Broadway musical collaboration, which they know will be compared to their first show, Oklahoma!, which had become the most successful Broadway Musical of all time and was still going strong! So, they consciously set out to do something very different.   At the center of this story is a dynamic woman, producer Theresa Helborn, who was the inspiring, driving force behind the show. In fact, without Helborn there would have been no Carousel or Oklahoma! This is the first of three episodes in which Barry will share with us not only these fascinating stories but also his own unlikely and surprising tale of how he came to write this book. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For a just $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: ⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    45 min
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Información

A lively and opinionated cultural history of the Broadway Musical that tells the extraordinary story of how Immigrants, Jews, Queers, African-Americans and other outcasts invented the Broadway Musical, and how they changed America in the process.In Season One, host David Armstrong traces the evolution of American Musical Theater from its birth at the dawn of the 20th Century, through its mid-century “Golden Age”, and right up to its current 21st Century renaissance; and also explore how musicals have reflected and shaped our world -- especially in regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, and equality.

Ficha técnica

  • Canal
    Broadway Podcast Network
  • Creado por
    Broadway Podcast Network
  • Años en activo
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodios
    269
  • Clasificación
    Apto
  • Derechos de autor
    © Broadway Podcast Network
  • Sitio web del podcast
    BROADWAY NATION
  • Proveedor

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