BROADWAY NATION
Broadway Nation is a lively and opinionated cultural history of the Broadway Musical that tells the extraordinary story of how Immigrants, Jews, Queers, African-Americans and other outcasts invented the Broadway Musical, and how they changed America in the process.
All Episodes
Ep 198: FIVE DECADES OF SHOW BIZ with MARC SHAIMAN
My guest today on Broadway Nation is the Tony Award-winning composer, lyricist, arranger, and music producer, MARC SHAIMAN, who has found spectacular success in nearly every aspect of the entertainment industry, including film, television, and theater, but is probably best known to fans of this podcast as the composer and co-lyricist of the Broadway smash hit musical HAIRSPRAY.
Ep 197: Matching Minds With Sondheim with author Barry Joseph
My guest this week is Barry Joseph, the author of the recent book, Matching Minds with Sondheim. Since his death, there have been so many books about Stephen Sondheim and various aspects of his life and his career, including an amazing number of really terrific books, and I have had the honor of having many of the authors of those books as guests on this podcast.
Ep 196 The Last Waltz — In Search of Lost Broadway, part 4
This is the fourth and final episode in which Albert Evans and I go in search of the 1934 smash-hit musical The Great Waltz, one of the longest-running shows of the 1930s.
Ep 195: 40 Years of CHESS
Because this is a Broadway history podcast, I don’t usually comment on recently opened productions, since we can’t know yet whether they will be historically significant. The exceptions, of course, are major revivals of Broadway musicals from the past.
Ep 194: The Great Waltz on Radio & TV
On this week’s Broadway Nation podcast, Albert Evans and I once again go “In Search of Lost Broadway,” as part of our occasional podcast series in which we try to rediscover significant hit Broadway musicals from the past that today are almost entirely unknown and forgotten.
Irving Berlin, Bing Crosby and the Story of "White Christmas," America's Most Popular Song, part 2
This is the second of two special holiday episodes of Broadway Nation. Just like the first, this is an audio version of a Broadway Nation Live! performance that was given in December of 2019 at the Vashon Center For The Performing Arts on Vashon Island, WA.
Encore Episode: The Story Behind the Song, WHITE CHRISTMAS
This is a special holiday reprise of one of Broadway Nation's most popular episodes: It's an audio version of a Broadway Nation Live! performance that was presented in December of 2019 at the Vashon Center For The Performing Arts on Vashon Island just outside of Seattle, WA.
Ep 193: BY STRAUSS! In Search of THE GREAT WALTZ, part 2
This week Albert Evans joins me once again as we go “In Search of Lost Broadway.” Specifically, the 1934 smash-hit musical The Great Waltz, conceived, directed, and lighted by Hassard.
A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM BROADWAY NATION!
You are invited to join me on December 11 at 5:00 PM at The Museum of Broadway where Tony and Olivier Award-winning lyricist , David Zippel, will be interview me about my new book, Broadway Nation: How Immigrant, Jewish, Queer, and Black Artists Invented the Broadway Musical.
EP 192: IN SEARCH OF LOST BROADWAY — THE GREAT WALTZ
This is the second in our occasional series of episodes that I'm calling "In Search of Lost Broadway,” in which my longtime colleague Albert Evans and I try to unearth and rediscover musicals that were very significant and influential Broadway hits in their day but now have disappeared from almost all discussion of Broadway's past and receive only the briefest mentions in the history books.
Encore Episode: MY FIRST SONDHEIM
This episode was recorded in 2021 just five days after it was announced that Stephen Sondheim had died and as it happened my friend, colleague and frequent co-host and contributor to Broadway Nation, Albert Evans, was spending the Thanksgiving weekend with me, and so we were together when this news began to break and during the incredible reaction and response this loss over the days that followed.
Ep 191: HOW A SONDHEIM REJECTION INSPIRED A BROADWAY NOVEL!
My guest this week is DAN ELISH, author of a new novel called KING OF BROADWAY. As you will hear, the plot of this novel was inspired by a real life interaction that Dan had with the legendary Broadway songwriter Stephen Sondheim.
QUEER MUSICALS 3 — FUN HOME, THE PROM, & JAGGED LITTLE PILL
This is the third and final part of my conversation with author Rob Schneider, who returns to tell us more about his new book, Queer Musicals — Boy Meets Boy to Jagged Little Pill. On this episode, Fun Home, The Prom, and Jagged Little Pill. Robert W.
Ep 189: Queer Musicals 2 — Falsettos, Hedwig, Bare, & Kinky Boots
This is the second part of my conversation with author Rob Schneider, who returns to tell us more about his new book, Queer Musicals — Boy Meets Boy to Jagged Little Pill. On this episode, Falsettos, Hedwig And the Angry Inch, BARE, and Kinky Boots.
Ep 188: QUEER MUSICALS — From Boy Meets Boy to Jagged Little Pill
On this episode my guest is Rob Schneider, who returns to the podcast to talk about his new book, Queer Musicals — Boy Meets Boy to Jagged Little Pill. Robert W. Schneider is a historian, director, producer, author, educator, and podcast host, and the Artistic Director of the J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company in New York.
Ep 187: 20 YEARS of THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE
Amazingly, this year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. In 2005, after an incredibly short development period, opened first off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater, and quickly moved to Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway.
Ep 6: Lorenz Hart & The Queer Artists Who Invented Broadway!
To a great extent the Broadway Musical has been a queer creation -- and for more than 125 years the musical theater world has been filled with brilliant and creative LGBTQ people, including many in the highest positions of power and influence.
COME FROM AWAY — The Most Produced Play of the Year, part 2
This is the second part of this Encore Episode from 2021 featuring a conversation with Irene Sankoff & David Hein — the dynamic writing team and married couple that created the international smash hit musical Come From Away which recently topped American Theatre magazine's list of the most produced plays in America in 2025/26.
The Most Produced Play in America: Come From Away
My guests today are Irene Sankoff & David Hein – the dynamic writing team and married couple that created the giant international smash hit musical Come From Away. Five productions of Come From Away have recently reopened around the world: Broadway, Toronto, London, Sydney and on tour across America.
Ep 186: GOING HOLLYWOOD — THE OXFORD GUIDES TO FILM MUSICALS
On this special video and audio episode of Broadway Nation my guests are Dominic Broomfield—McHugh, editor of The Oxford Guides to Film Musicals, along with the authors of the first three books in this new series: Geoffrey Block (Love Me Tonight), Andrew Buchman (Singin' in the Rain), Hannah Lewis (La La Land).
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