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BROADWAY NATION
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BROADWAY NATION

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

SONDHEIM, PRINCE, and GEMIGNANI

SONDHEIM, PRINCE, and GEMIGNANI

This is the second part of my recent conversation with author Margaret Hall, the remarkable young theater historian whose new book is titled Gemignani – Life And Lessons From Broadway And Beyond. If you missed part one, you may want to catch up on that episode before listening to this one.

38 mins
Aug 19
SONDHEIM'S FIRST CHOICE — PAUL GEMIGNANI with author MARGARET HALL

SONDHEIM'S FIRST CHOICE — PAUL GEMIGNANI with author MARGARET HALL

My guest this week is Margaret Hall, a remarkable young theater historian who is the author of the celebrated new book Gemignani – Life And Lessons From Broadway And Beyond.

33 mins
Aug 11
HOW SONDHEIM EXTENDED THE RANGE OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL with BEN FRANCIS, part 3

HOW SONDHEIM EXTENDED THE RANGE OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL with BEN FRANCIS, part 3

This is the third and final part of my conversation with Ben Francis whose amazingly compelling new book is titled Careful the Spell You Cast — How Stephen Sondheim Extended the Range of the American Musical.

42 mins
Aug 3
CAREFUL THE SPELL YOU CAST  with author BEN FRANCIS

CAREFUL THE SPELL YOU CAST with author BEN FRANCIS

My guest on this episode is Ben Francis, author of the very compelling book titled Careful the Spell You Cast — How Stephen Sondheim Extended the Range of the American Musical. Sondheim is without a doubt one of the most studied, examined, and analyzed Broadway creators of all time.

42 mins
Jul 17
Everything Sondheim: Inside the Creation of the Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia

Everything Sondheim: Inside the Creation of the Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia

In this Encore Episode from 2021, author Rick Pender takes us inside the creation of The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia. Rick Pender is a longtime member and former chair of the American Theater Critics Association.

43 mins
Jul 11
GEORGE M. COHAN —THE MAN WHO OWNED BROADWAY

GEORGE M. COHAN —THE MAN WHO OWNED BROADWAY

This is the second of a three-part conversation with author Elizabeth T. Craft regarding her recent book, Yankee Doodle Dandy — George M. Cohan and the Broadway Stage, which is the first book about Cohan in fifty years.

33 mins
Jul 6
GEORGE M. COHAN and the BROADWAY STAGE

GEORGE M. COHAN and the BROADWAY STAGE

My guest today is author Elizabeth T. Craft, whose terrific book, Yankee Doodle Dandy — George M. Cohan and the Broadway Stage, is the first book about Cohan in fifty years.

45 mins
Jul 3
42nd Street and the Queer Backstage Novels of Bradford Ropes

42nd Street and the Queer Backstage Novels of Bradford Ropes

My guest on this Pride Encore edition of Broadway Nation is author Maya Cantu who joins me to discuss her book, Greasepaint Puritan — Boston to 42nd Street in the Queer Backstage Novels of Bradford Ropes.

55 mins
Jun 28
Encore Episode: The Musical Theater of Julian Eltinge

Encore Episode: The Musical Theater of Julian Eltinge

My guest again this week is Andrew Erdman, author of the captivating book, Beautiful—The Story of Julian Eltinge, America's Greatest Female Impersonator.

42 mins
Jun 18
America's First Drag Superstar: Julian Eltinge, part 1

America's First Drag Superstar: Julian Eltinge, part 1

My guest on this episode is Andrew L. Erdman, who is the author of the new book: Beautiful — The Story of Julian Eltinge, America's Greatest Female Impersonator.

41 mins
Jun 13
Encore Episode: My Friend Sandy, part 2 — The Boy Friend, London Theatre and Gay Culture

Encore Episode: My Friend Sandy, part 2 — The Boy Friend, London Theatre and Gay Culture

This is the second half of my conversation with Deborah Phillips author of the fascinating book, AND THIS IS MY FRIEND SANDY — SANDY WILSON’S THE BOY FRIEND, LONDON THEATRE AND GAY CULTURE. If you missed the previous episode you may want to catch up with that before listening to this one.

43 mins
Jun 8
Encore Episode: SANDY WILSON’S THE BOY FRIEND, LONDON THEATRE AND GAY CULTURE.

Encore Episode: SANDY WILSON’S THE BOY FRIEND, LONDON THEATRE AND GAY CULTURE.

My guest this week is author Deborah Phillips whose new book is titled: AND THIS IS MY FRIEND SANDY — SANDY WILSON’S THE BOY FRIEND, LONDON THEATRE AND GAY CULTURE. Sandy Wilson's The Boyfriend — for which he wrote the book, music, & lyrics — is one of the most successful British musicals of all time.

46 mins
Jun 4
Encore Episode: Round in Circles, part 2

Encore Episode: Round in Circles, part 2

This is the second part of my conversation with author Barry Kester whose fascinating new book is titled: Round In Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL.

27 mins
May 31
Encore Episode: Round in Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CAROUSEL, part 1

Encore Episode: Round in Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CAROUSEL, part 1

My guest on Broadway Nation this week is Barry Kester, author of the fascinating new book: Round In Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL. I thought I knew a lot about Carousel — and in fact Albert Evans and I have previously devoted several previous episodes to that show and its truly groundbreaking innovations.

43 mins
May 26
Ep 16: The Golden Age of Broadway, Part 2

Ep 16: The Golden Age of Broadway, Part 2

The Golden Age of Broadway’s new revolutionary way of writing musicals did not just apply to Musical Plays like those of Rodgers & Hammerstein and Lerner & Loewe. It also transformed the Musical Comedy.

28 mins
May 20
Ep 200: Feminist Approaches to Musical Theatre

Ep 200: Feminist Approaches to Musical Theatre

I am very pleased to share with you part one of my recent conversation with authors Paige Allan and Stacy Wolf about their fascinating new book, Feminist Approaches to Musical Theater. Paige Allen is a writer, researcher, and storyteller.

40 mins
Apr 13
Ep 199: MARC SHAIMAN ON BROADWAY

Ep 199: MARC SHAIMAN ON BROADWAY

This is the second half of my recent conversation with Tony Award-winning composer, lyricist, arranger, and music producer MARC SHAIMAN about his new, New York Times bestselling book, NEVER MIND THE HAPPY.

47 mins
Mar 5

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