Chasing Phantom

David Timberline
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Broadway's longest running shows

  1. #66: Barefoot in the Park with director Jan Guarino

    Jun 10

    #66: Barefoot in the Park with director Jan Guarino

    My first guess for Neil Simon’s longest running show on Broadway would have been “The Odd Couple,” maybe followed by “Brighton Beach Memoirs” or “The Sunshine Boys.” But nope – the breezy romantic comedy “Barefoot in the Park” ran for nearly 4 full years. It was an auspicious production for many other reasons as well: it marked director Mike Nichols’ arrival on Broadway and Robert Redford’s departure for bigger fame and fortune on the silver screen. While a frivolous and frothy confection with characters that barely seem real, “Barefoot” had a special alchemy, giving theater-goers across different spectrums characters they could relate to, root for or against. No one I know has a more intimate knowledge of “Barefoot” than multi-hyphenate theater pro Jan Guarino, who has directed the show twice over a couple decades. She has the compelling perspective of a true lover of Simon’s work and our conversation covers all aspects of how the show works…and could be one of those rare older shows that continues to be a viable show to produce into the future. Definitely check out ChasingPhantom.net to see relevant video clips, specifically clips of Elizabeth Ashley in 1964 and then again in 1982. There's also a link to an episode of the short-lived TV show adaptation of "Barefoot in the Park." Very much worth checking out!

    34 min
  2. #74: Me and My Girl with RVA's Bill Snibson, Larry Cook

    May 27

    #74: Me and My Girl with RVA's Bill Snibson, Larry Cook

    As has been chronicled extensively on this podcast already, many older Broadway shows do NOT hold up very well over time. The ones that do - your "Guys and Dolls" or "Oklahomas" - still regularly get produced. But "Me and My Girl" is a bit of an anomaly. I personally think it totally holds up at least as well as many of the oft-produced Golden Age musicals, even though it's set in the 1930s. But it hardly ever gets staged these days.  One of central Virginia's long-time stars, Larry Cook, played Bill Snibson, the roguish and rough-and-tumble south Londoner who discovers he's actually an English lord, way back in 1991. Larry and I talk about our mutual admiration for this show and ponder why it isn't popping up on stages still today. In the podcast, I mistakenly say that the show was still running on Broadway when it was produced here in Richmond. However, it was still touring and regional theaters all over the country were having long-running hits with the fun and frivolous romp. Don't you think modern audiences would enjoy the class conscious conflicts spurring the low-stakes tension in this show? I sure do! If you are a Richmond, VA, theater fan, you definitely want to check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, because the post for this show has some classic videos clips from the 1991 staging of "Me and My Girl" at Swift Creek Mill. Check 'em out!

    34 min
  3. #71: "& Juliet" with national tour star Crystal Kellogg

    May 12

    #71: "& Juliet" with national tour star Crystal Kellogg

    You may think that a person in the midst of performing a role is too close to it to have insightful things to say about it. That's certainly not the case about Crystal Kellogg who at the time of this conversation was smack-dab in the middle of the national tour for "& Juliet," playing the catalyst to the musical's action, Anne Hathaway. She has many astute things to say among her character's journey amidst this smash hit show.  This show famously utilizes the catalog of megaproducer Max Martin who has a record breaking number of number 1 Billboard hits (29 at the time of this conversation). He's worked with a wide range of artists but the bulk of his hits were performed by boy bands like the Backstreet Boys and female icons like Britney Spears and Pink. What would have happened if Juliet had not killed herself at the end of the Shakespeare story? It's hard to know what the Bard himself would have come up with but book writer David West Read came up with a jaunty romp complete with a girl's trip to Paris and new love interests for all concerned. It's been the toast of Broadway in the post-pandemic era and seems poised to keep climbing the chart of longest-running Broadway hits for years to come. Please check out ChasingPhantom.net for more information and links to fun video clips. Tickets for the national tour of the show available at AndJuliet.com.

    30 min
  4. No Juliet...yet!

    May 6

    No Juliet...yet!

    Just a quick scheduling note to let listeners know that the episode I had suggested (threatened?) might come out today will not actually come out until NEXT week, on Tuesday rather than Wednesday.  In the meantime, be sure and get your tickets for the National Tour of "& Juliet" so you know exactly what we're talking about. And you can always go to ChasingPhantom.net to listen to previous episodes you may have missed!

    1 min
  5. #72: Arsenic and Old Lace with monster-meister Dr. Jesse Rabinowitz

    Apr 29

    #72: Arsenic and Old Lace with monster-meister Dr. Jesse Rabinowitz

    He is famous for playing the Frankenstein monster and voicing the Grinch but people often forget that Boris Karloff also made a big impact on the stage starting with "Arsenic and Old Lace." Not only did he steal the show as the murderous Jonathan Brewster, he was also a major investor in the Broadway production, meaning he made money on the movie version even though he wasn't able to appear in it. The legacy of Karloff is only one fascinating item of "Arsenic and Old Lace" lore that I explore with my good friend - and a fan of all things related to classic movie monsters - Dr. Jesse Rabinowitz.  In the more than 80 years since "Arsenic" debuted on Broadway, it has remained a favorite play for regional, community and educational theater to produce. It's a favorite because of its dark humor, humor that originally didn't hit for me at all based on the movie adaptation starring Cary Grant. It wasn't until I watched recordings of a staged version that I understood what was funny about the show. The social / historical commentary of the play probably goes right over the head of most folks (it did for me!) which is another reason to have conversations with erudite people like Jesse. Check out ChasingPhantom.net for more information and links to relevant video clips.

    36 min
  6. #61: Evita, exploring diva energy with the divine Melissa Chase

    Apr 15

    #61: Evita, exploring diva energy with the divine Melissa Chase

    Don't cry for me, Chasing Phantom fans! I have brought back yet another one of your favorite guests, the diva-tastic Melissa Chase, host of the lifestyle television show, "Showcase." We discuss the diva-centric "Evita," a show solidly in Ms. Chase's wheelhouse thanks to her love of all things Andrew Lloyd Webber. Don't expect a lot of dissecting of historical accuracy here; I mean, we gloss by that so quickly I even mispronounce Argentina and "Argentinia" in the episode! What we do dig into, though, is the musical legacy of this show, one that has always involved an explicit connection to popular music. From its beginning as a concept album, pop stars and rock musicians have played important roles in the development and success of this show. And, of course, we can't help but spend a fair amount of time discussing Madonna's intense interest in this show and her commitment to appearing in the movie adaptation. Melissa has a fresh perspective that I loved talking through. Please check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more information and links to related video clips.

    37 min
  7. #78: The Music Man, the shiniest of the Golden Age with Dr. Kristin Stultz Pressley

    Apr 1

    #78: The Music Man, the shiniest of the Golden Age with Dr. Kristin Stultz Pressley

    Happy April Fool's Day! Sure, "The Music Man" included some incredible songs, featured one of the most career-defining performances in Broadway history, and captured a unique clash of squeaky-clean Midwestern living with the machinations of a cynical con-man. But it also has what I would call the only April Fool's style prank at the core of its plot: Prof. Howard Hill's "Think Method" leading a whole town to believe they could simply think their way into musical proficiency. When it comes to proficiency in musical history, there are few people I'd rather talk to than "Dr. Broadway," Kristin Stultz Pressley, Ph.D., who is literally writing the book on Golden Age musicals. "The Music Man" is arguably the shiniest of those celebrated stalwarts as it's been produced on stages from elementary schools to colleges, by regional and community theater companies around the country for decades.  If you've been involved in theater in any way, you've seen, worked on or been in "The Music Man." I'm sure you'll love this in-depth conversation thanks to Dr. Broadway's extensive knowledge and lively way of translating history into digestible info. Speaking of info, please check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more of that stuff, plus a bunch of relevant video clips.

    42 min
  8. #62: The Voice of the Turtle and its surprising relevance with Jordan Schildcrout, Ph.D.

    Mar 18

    #62: The Voice of the Turtle and its surprising relevance with Jordan Schildcrout, Ph.D.

    Who could have known that this near-forgotten play from the 1940s would be so relevant in the 2020s? The title is from the Bible, a verse in the Song of Solomon that actually references a turtledove, not the shelled amphibian: "The time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land." Playwright John Van Druten of "I Am A Camera" fame, turned it into a Broadway comedy that was one of the few shows opening during World War II that captured and reflected life during wartime. "The Voice of the Turtle" may have become infamous for the movie version that starred Ronald Reagan and sanitized its themes around sexual autonomy. But this story about a single actress who doesn't want to fall in love is actually a relatively ground-breaking play. My guest, as is often the case when obscure plays are featured, is Jordan Schildcrout, Ph.D., author of "In the Long Run: A Cultural History of Broadway's Hit Plays," and we go pretty deep in this discussion, one of the geekiest and therefore, fun for me, conversations I've had in a long time! Our chat includes short digressions like a review of the life of Virginia-born Margaret Sullavan (who some may know thanks to the TV movie "Haywire" written by her daughter), the surprising amount of attention given the cast having only 3 people, and the key symbolic role of the show's set. Enjoy! And please check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more info, video clips, and access to previous episodes.

    44 min
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About

Broadway's longest running shows

Information

  • Creator
    David Timberline
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    78
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Chasing Phantom
  • Show Website
    Chasing Phantom

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