Episodes

Dec. 30, 2021

SPECIAL ENCORE EPISODE: "WHITE CHRISTMAS" -- THE STORY OF AMERICA'S M…

The second of two special holiday bonus episodes of Broadway Nation. In Part One we looked at how the Jewish-Russian immigrant songwriter, Irving Berlin -- in addition to being one of the prime inventors of the Broadway Musical -- also created an entirely new category of popular song: “the Christm…

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Dec. 22, 2021

SPECIAL ENCORE EPISODE: "WHITE CHRISTMAS": THE STORY BEHIND THE WORLD…

This holiday special is an encore of one of our most popular episodes which tells the story of how the great Jewish-Russian immigrant songwriter, Irving Berlin, not only played a huge role in the invention the Broadway Musical, but also invented an entirely new category of popular song – the Christ…

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Dec. 16, 2021

Episode 50: 100 YEARS OF SHUFFLE ALONG, part 4

With RICHARD CARLIN & KEN BLOOM, the authors of EUBIE BLAKE: RAGS, RHYTHM, AND RACE

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Dec. 9, 2021

Episode 49: 100 YEARS OF SHUFFLE ALONG!, part 3

With RICHARD CARLIN & KEN BLOOM, the authors of EUBIE BLAKE: RAGS, RHYTHM, AND RACE

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Dec. 2, 2021

Episode 48: MY FIRST SONDHEIM with special guest Albert Evans

Experiencing The Artistry of Stephen Sondheim For The Very First Time

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Nov. 25, 2021

Episode 47: "Listening To The Audience"

The Making of COME FOM AWAY, part 2, with authors IRENE SANKOFF & DAVID HEIN

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Nov. 18, 2021

Episode 46: "ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS"

Inside the creation of COME FOM AWAY with authors IRENE SANKOFF & DAVID HEIN

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Nov. 11, 2021

Episode 45: CHILDREN WILL LISTEN, part 2

Going Beyond Broadway with author Stacy Wolf

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Nov. 4, 2021

Episode 44: Children Will Listen

Going Beyond Broadway with author Stacy Wolf

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Oct. 28, 2021

Episode 43: TAILS OF BROADWAY! with theatrical animal trainer BILL BE…

Go behind the scenes of ANNIE, LEGALLY BLONDE and more with Broadway's legendary animal trainer BILL BERLONI!

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Oct. 21, 2021

Episode 42: Fifty Years On Broadway with Lee Roy Reams!, Part 3

Lee Roy Remembers Hello, Dolly!, 42nd Street & the Genius of Gower Champion!

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Oct. 14, 2021

Episode 41: Fifty Years On Broadway -- with Lee Roy Reams!

On Richard Rodgers, Agnes DeMille & Making Gay History in Applause

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Oct. 7, 2021

Episode 40: FIFTY YEARS ON BROADWAY! with LEE ROY REAMS

Lee Roy Reams remembers Fosse, Verdon, Gennaro and more!

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Sept. 30, 2021

Episode 39: Carolyn, Dorothy, David and More: Cy Coleman's Lyricists

With special guest -- Tony Award winner David Zippel

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Sept. 23, 2021

Episode 38: 100 Years of Shuffle Along, Part 2

Part two of my conversation with Caseen Gaines, author of the new book, FOOTNOTES: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way

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Sept. 16, 2021

Episode 37: 100 Years of SHUFFLE ALONG!, Part 1

A conversation with Caseen Gaines, author of FOOTNOTES: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way

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Sept. 9, 2021

Episode 36: Everything Sondheim: Inside the Creation of The Stephen S…

Today my guest is Rick Pender, author of The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, the new and extraordinarily comprehensive guide to everything Sondheim.

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Jan. 22, 2021

Episode 35: "Sensory Abundance!": or, Why We Are Hooked On Musicals

Why are the great Musicals so unforgettable? Why do musicals have so much power and impact? How is it that they are able to live in our hearts and memories for a lifetime? In this Season One finale Episode Albert Evans and I tell our own stories of when, how, and why we fell in love with Broadway…

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Jan. 14, 2021

Episode 34: Community: The Major Themes Of The Broadway Musical, part…

Musical theater is a very effective form for dramatizing entire communities of people – and often the community itself becomes a major character in the drama. Because of this natural ability, dozens of Broadway musicals - including many of the most popular, acclaimed and influential - focus nearl…

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Jan. 7, 2021

Episode 33: Equity, Justice & Inclusion: The Major Themes of the Broa…

At least 30 popular and successful Broadway musicals have stories, plots and themes that explicitly deal with Equity, Justice, and Inclusion in regard to Race, Ethnicity and Culture. The great musicals that I profile today include The Red Moon, As Thousands Cheer, Show Boat, South Pacific, The Ki…

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Dec. 30, 2020

Special Bonus Episode: "White Christmas": The Story Behind The World'…

This is the second of two special holiday bonus episodes of Broadway Nation. In Part One we looked at how the Jewish-Russian immigrant songwriter, Irving Berlin -- in addition to being one of the prime inventors of the Broadway Musical -- also created an entirely new category of popular song: “the…

Listen to the Episode
Dec. 24, 2020

Special Bonus Episode: "White Christmas": The Story Behind The World'…

This week’s special holiday episode tells the story of how the great Jewish-Russian immigrant songwriter, Irving Berlin, not only played a huge role in the invention the Broadway Musical, but also invented an entirely new category of popular song – the Christmas standard. This episode is an audio …

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Dec. 16, 2020

Episode 32: Transgressive Women: Major Themes of the Broadway Musical…

This is the first of three episodes highlighting the principal themes of the Broadway Musical. Today I look at the single most ubiquitous and pervasive theme: “Transgressive Women”. From “Laurey” in Oklahoma! to “Elphaba” in Wicked. From “Annie Oakley” to “Tracy Turnblad”. From “Maria” in The S…

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Dec. 9, 2020

Episode 31:"Defying Gravity" - The Broadway Musical in the 21st Centu…

Perhaps surprisingly, the current generation of Broadway creators has re-embraced and reinvigorated both the “Musical Comedy” and the “Musical Play” in ways that I think would make Rodgers & Hammerstein very proud, with shows such as Hairspray and Wicked, At the same time they have introduced some…

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