エピソード

  • Episode 171: MALTBY & SHIRE, part 2.
    2025/04/01
    The second part of my conversation with author Joshua Rosenblum about his new book CLOSER THAN EVER — THE UNIQUE SIX-DECADE SONGWRITING PARTNERSHIP of RICHARD MALTBY, JR, and DAVID SHIRE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    55 分
  • Episode 170: The Six-Decade Songwriting Partnership of MALTBY & SHIRE
    2025/03/20
    My guest today is Joshua Rosenblum, author of Closer than Ever — The Unique Six-Decade Songwriting Partnership of Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire. This remarkable new book chronicles the sixty-six-year (and counting) partnership of two of the most gifted songwriters of our time and provides us with full behind-the-scenes accounts of their musicals interspersed with deep-dive analyses of some of their standout individual songs. To tell their story, Rosenblum draws on his extensive experience as a composer, Broadway conductor, music journalist, and professor of musical theater composition at Yale. Maltby and Shire are quoted liberally throughout the book in exclusive interviews that create the impression that one is spending time with two inspiring creative artists who happen to be great company. In part one of our conversation, Maltby & Shire’s origin story, the challenges of their early musicals, their association with Barbra Streisand, their long friendship and rivalry with Stephen Sondheim, and the surprising success of their first hit revue, Starting Here, Starting Now, and its influential Grammy-nominated original cast album. Among the well-known Broadway figures who feature prominently in the Maltby/Shire story are Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Barbra Streisand, Michael Stewart, Francis Ford Coppola, Susan Stroman, John Weidman, Charles Strouse, Garth Drabinsky, Jason Robert Brown, and Jonathan Tunick. Joshua Rosenblum teaches Composing for Musical Theater at Yale University and Conducting at New York University. As a composer/lyricist, he wrote the scores to the off-Broadway musicals Fermat's Last Tango, Bush is Bad, and Einstein's Dreams (four Drama Desk Nominations). He has conducted fourteen Broadway and off-Broadway shows and has performed as pianist with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the City Center Encores! Orchestra, and the American Symphony. A longtime contributor of reviews and features to Opera News, Rosenblum is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale College and holds a master's degree in Piano from the Yale School of Music. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club Members such as John Schroeder. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $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
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    49 分
  • Encore Episode: TRUDE RITMANN & THE WOMEN WHO INVENTED BROADWAY
    2025/03/13
    You may not know Trude Rittmann's name, but you have heard her music. During the "Golden Age of Broadway" (and beyond), she composed music for 33 Broadway musicals, including Carousel, Brigadoon, South Pacific, Fininan’s Rainbow, The King and I, My Fair Lady, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, and Camelot. In this episode, Albert Evans and I tell the story of one of the least known, but most significant, women who invented the musical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 分
  • Episode 169: If They Asked Me I Could Write A Book
    2025/03/06
     On this episode, I have a big announcement, so I asked my buddy, friend, colleague, and Broadway Nation’s favorite co-host and guest host, ALBERT EVANS, to join me today to turn the tables on me and ask me the questions rather than me being the interviewer. As you may have guessed from the episode title, the announcement is that I have a book coming out called BROADWAY NATION (sound familiar?) and the subtitle will be similar to what you've heard before as well: HOW IMMIGRANT JEWISH, QUEER AND BLACK ARTISTS INVENTED THE BROADWAY MUSICAL. It's coming out on July 24th, 2025 from Metheun Drama which is an imprint of Bloomsbury, which is a renowned publishing company with a 100-year history of publishing plays and books about drama books, theater, and musical theater. Many of the authors and books that I have featured on this podcast over the past few years have been published by Metheun Drama/Bloomsbury. If you are inclined to want to make sure you get this book at the earliest possible moment it is on presale right now on Amazon everywhere you might buy a book. However, you can get a discount on the Bloomsbury website as follows: Paperback: $34.95, but you can buy it for $32.45 on the Bloomsbury site. Hardback: $100.00 but you can get it for $90.00 on the Bloomsbury site. Ebook: $31:45. Here is the link!: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/broadway-nation-9781350428317/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 分
  • Episode 168: ACADEMY AWARD WINNING MUSICALS — The Movie Musicals That Won the Oscar for Best Picture
    2025/02/27
     On this episode, Albert Evans returns to Broadway Nation to discuss a topic we don't often broach on this podcast: Movie Musicals. Of course, movie musicals go hand in glove with Broadway musicals and many film musicals originated as Broadway musicals including several we talk about here because our principal topic is Movie Musicals that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Coming up this weekend we, of course, have the possibility of the blockbuster Wicked becoming another Broadway musical to win Best Picture. It will be fascinating to see what happens. There are a lot more nominees for Best Picture today than there were when West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Oliver! or Chicago won the Oscar. It's an interesting topic, and I knew that Albert was the perfect person to discuss it with me. Like me, he's seen all of these movies, most of them multiple times, and we both did do a bit of reviewing of some of the films we have seen less recently. Let us know if you agree with our assessments! Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Patron Club Members. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $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
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    1 時間 19 分
  • Episode 167: HELEN MORGAN, part 3
    2025/02/20
    My guest again this week is Christopher S. Connelly, author of the fascinating new book HELEN MORGAN — THE ORIGINAL TORCH SINGER AND ZIEGFELD'S LAST STAR. Christopher S. Connelly is a film and theater historian. His work has appeared in Etcetera magazine and the Kino Lorber DVD release of Mamoulian's Applause. He is also an actor, Roman Catholic cantor, and chorister for the Atlanta Opera. When he is not writing or performing, he works IT for the Georgia Institute of Technology. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Mark Stanton. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $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
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    36 分
  • Episode 166: HELEN MORGAN, part 2.
    2025/02/13
    My guest again this week is Christopher S. Connelly, author of the fascinating new book HELEN MORGAN — THE ORIGINAL TORCH SINGER AND ZIEGFELD'S LAST STAR.  The topics discussed in this episode include: Morgan's follow up to Show Boat, the 1929 hit musical Sweet Adeline — a star vehicle created especially for her by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II. The 1932 revival of Show Boat and subsequent tour. Morgan's career as a nightclub hostess and entertainer at a series of night spots named for her including Chez Morgan, Helen Morgan's Summer House, and The House of Morgan. The Ziegfeld Follies of 1931. And Helen Morgan as a Gay Icon and the "Pansy Craze" stars who imitated her. Christopher S. Connelly is a film and theater historian. His work has appeared in Etcetera magazine and the Kino Lorber DVD release of Mamoulian's Applause. He is also an actor, Roman Catholic cantor, and chorister for the Atlanta Opera. When he is not writing or performing, he works IT for the Georgia Institute of Technology. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Ann Welsh. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $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
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    36 分
  • Episode 165: HELEN MORGAN — THE ORIGINAL TORCH SINGER & ZIEGFELD'S LAST STAR
    2025/02/06
    This week my, guest is Christopher T. Connelly, the author of the fascinating new book HELEN MORGAN — THE ORIGINAL TORCH SINGER AND ZIEGFELD'S LAST STAR.  There are a number of individuals who were very big Broadway stars back in what I call the Silver Age of Broadway (the 1920s and 30s), But who today are mostly overlooked and left out of the conversation. Performers who were on a level with Jolson and Cantor and Fanny Bryce, but whose fame has almost entirely faded. Of course most musical theater fans will know the name Helen Morgan, and know that she originated the role of "Julie" in Show Boat. But if you are like me, you will be largely unaware, of the incredible range of her talents, the depth and breadth of her career, and the level of her stardom. And I have no doubt that you'll be as fascinated by this book and by this conversation as I was. Christopher S. Connelly is a film and theater historian. His work has appeared in Etcetera magazine and the Kino Lorber DVD release of Mamoulian's Applause. He is also an actor, Roman Catholic cantor, and chorister for the Atlanta Opera. When he is not writing or performing, he works IT for the Georgia Institute of Technology. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member MARK STANTON. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $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
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    46 分