Backstage Babble cbroadwaypodcast

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my interview with legendary lyricist Susan Birkenhead. Tune in to hear the stories of her great career, including how Shirley Bernstein introduced her to Mary Rodgers, the song of hers that was cut from WORKING, the Patti LaBelle-led project that led to JELLY’S LAST JAM, the show she gets recognized for the most, the hardest role to cast in THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, how she became involved in BOOP, the lyric that Frank Sinatra loved, how Jule Styne became her mentor, the advice she got from Stephen Sondheim, workshopping the music of Cole Porter with Carolee Carmello, why she ultimately pulled out of FANNY HACKABOUT JONES, the musical she initiated, how she ended up in Lehman Engel’s workshop, adapting MOONSTRUCK, working with Cy Coleman on SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this in-depth conversation with one of theater’s most fascinating figures.

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my interview with 2024 Tony nominee for Best Actress in a Play, Betsy Aidem. She was nominated for her staggering performance in Prayer for the French Republic, and you can tune in today to hear more about that process as well as some of the great stories of her legendary career, including the advice she got from Tom Stoppard, crashing auditions with John Malkovich and Des McAnuff, making her Broadway debut at the age of 57, meeting Lucille Ball and Elizabeth Taylor backstage at Steel Magnolias, originating the role of Toni in Appropriate, working with David Cromer on Prayer for the French Republic and other plays, the joy of collaborating with Marian Seldes, what it’s like being nominated for a Tony, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this interview.

Today, I’m thrilled to announce the release of my episode with legendary comedian and Broadway performer Rita Rudner. Tune in to hear her talk about all the facets of her career, including learning wings for Gower Champion, the show she calls “the first feel-bad musical,” the advantages of working with her husband, the difficult transition from musical theater into comedy, why she doesn’t do topical material, the ins and outs of making jokes about your family, why Bob Fosse would never hire her, how she almost did a musical with Gary Beach, running into Robert Morse at Starbucks, adapting her novel into a play, the ageism she’s faced in the comedy business, why she was never in A Chorus Line, the word she’s removed from her act, forming a close friendship during Follies, the skills she learned in The Magic Show, opening a new theater with So Long, 174th Street, and so much more.

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my interview with Tony-winning director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell. Tune in for a conversation about his three current projects, Boop!, The Devil Wears Prada, and Becoming Nancy, as well as some fantastic stories and insights from his legendary career, including how Broadway Bares led to his Broadway debut, what it was like being fought over by Lauren Bacall and Ann Miller, why Michael Bennett’s musical Scandal never came to fruition, the inspiration for the conga line in On Your Feet!, how he cast Jasmine Amy Rogers in Boop! and Laura Bell Bundy in Legally Blonde, the direct line from Jack O’Brien to him to Sergio Trujillo, his earliest musical Aesop’s Fallibles, using treadmills onstage in Kinky Boots, why he doesn’t like doing revivals, creating dances for non-dancers in The Full Monty, the ins and outs of the 2-year rehearsal process for Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this in-depth interview with one of the most influential figures in theater today.

Ticket Link for Backstage Babble Celebrates Joe Allen Restaurant: https://54below.org/events/backstage-babble-celebrates-joe-allen-restaurant/
Today, I’m thrilled to announce my episode with legendary theater critic Frank Rich, who served as the chief theater critic of the New York Times from 1980-1993. Tune in today to hear some of the stories of his great career, including championing August Wilson, making up with Robert Brustein, watching Jerome Robbins stage the second act of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, the changes made to the second act of THE ODD COUPLE out of town, his thoughts on the decreasing power of theater criticism in affecting the success of a show, working with Boris Aronson on a book about his work, why he tried not to think about the influence he had on shows, what he learned from Walter Kerr and Kenneth Tynan, what musicals he chooses to see today, working with theater actors on SUCCESSION, the giveaway that a critic didn’t personally like a show, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this conversation with a greatly influential figure in so many fields. 

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my episode with Broadway star Elena Shaddow. Elena will be appearing in my next concert at 54 Below, Backstage Babble Celebrates Joe Allen Restaurant, singing from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, along with a fantastic lineup including Tony nominees Anita Gillette, Michael Korie, Amanda Green, and Willy Falk, plus Jim Walton, Robert Creighton, Heather MacRae, and more. The link to in-person and livestream tickets is here:
https://54below.org/events/backstage-babble-celebrates-joe-allen-restaurant/
Tune in today to hear some of the stories of her legendary career, including why she smoked a cigarette in NINE, the difficulty of performing in DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES every night, the insight she got from Chita Rivera, working with Joanne Akalaitis on THE BACCHAE, getting close to the title role in MARY POPPINS, Trevor Nunn’s specific way of working, working with Audra McDonald on TV, how she decided to stop understudying, telling Harvey Fierstein she was pregnant, the joys of starring in FANNY, going on at the last minute in NINE, the freeing nature of finding her own technique, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this episode.