My guest this week is Jack Viertel who joins us to talk about his delightful new novel, Broadway Melody. This is one of a fascinating wave of novels that explore the history of Broadway though a combination of fictional characters and real-life Broadway figures.

Jack Viertel began his theatrical career as a drama critic for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and then worked as a dramaturg at the Mark Taper Forum. This led to him serving three decades as Creative Director and Senior Vice President of Jujamcin Theaters where he oversaw the production of 50 Broadway plays and musicals. Simultaneously, during two of those decades, he also served as the Artistic Director of the New York City Center’s Encores! series, producing 65 musical revivals. And he was a creative force behind a string of blockbuster musicals including Smokey Joe’s Café, Dear Evan Hanson, and Hairspray. He taught musical theater at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Secret Life of The American Musical.

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