Backstage Babble

I am so happy to be joined for the latest installment in Backstage Babble’s Pride Month series by international musical theater star Tony Sheldon. His immense body of work in Australia including starring roles in productions of TORCH SONG TRILOGY, I HATE HAMLET, INTO THE WOODS, PRIVATE LIVES, FALSETTOS, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, COMPANY, THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG, NOISES OFF, ONCE IN A LIFETIME, and mor...

For the second episode of Pride Month, I welcome the designer of the original production of one of the most seminal gay works, The Boys in the Band. Among his numerous other credits include Dames At Sea, The Mad Show, Johnny Johnson, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, and more. Tune in to hear him talk about why Lotte Lenya wouldn’t fire Jose Quintero, how Joe Papp ruined a sho...

Today, I am honored to present to you the interview I did with Rob W. Schneider and Kevin David Thomas, hosts of the hit theater podcast Behind the Curtain ( https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/podcast/behind-the-curtain/ ) to celebrate their amazing accomplishment of having over 500 episodes now available for listening. They are certainly masters in the field of podcasting, so I was a little intim...

This is the first episode of Backstage Babble’s Pride Month, a series of enlightening conversations with LGBT artists whose careers span over 60 years of gay Broadway history. And what better way to kick it off than an interview with a legend like dancer/choreographer Grover Dale. He has lent his talents to such shows as West Side Story, Sail Away, The Magic Show, Li’l Abner, Rachael Lily Rosenblo...

The icon that is Brenda Braxton joins Backstage Babble today to discuss her legendary career from replacing in the 1976 revival of Guys and Dolls all the way up to the pandamndemic (as she refers to it). Hear her talk about mass fainting during the filming of The Wiz, learning valuable lessons from Vinnette Carroll, spending her birthday with Tom Hanks, serenading Peter Allen, the moment when she...

I am so thrilled to announce Part 2 of my episode with the amazing Broadway legend Karen Morrow. Tune in to hear her talk about a cryptic conversation with Michael Bennett, singing a love song with Gordon MacRae, how Ed Kleban begged her not to quit a show, being thrown a birthday party by Joseph Papp, watching Howard Keel flub an important line, last-minute fixes in The Selling of the President,...

Today, I am thrilled to be joined by Broadway legend Karen Morrow, star of I Had a Ball, The Grass Harp, I’m Solomon, A Joyful Noise, The Selling of the President, Edwin Drood, and more. Tune in to hear her talk about holding hands with Nat King Cole, dating John Davidson, how Buddy Hackett broke her up onstage, having Frank Loesser as her agent, why she blames herself for Lloyd Richards’ firing,...

Today, I am honored to be joined once again by the luminous Christine Andreas. In Part 2 of our conversation, she discusses her much-lauded cabaret career as well as her stage performances in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Fields of Ambrosia, La Cage Aux Folles, and more. Hear her talk about collaborating with Frank Wildhorn, overestimating the British, sharing a dressing room with Veanne Cox, embodying J...

Today, I am honored to be joined by the radiant Christine Andreas. In Part 1 of our in-depth interview, hear her discuss her legendary career as a Broadway star—you’re sure to fall under her spell and see why she was one of the pre-eminent stars of the 1970s and 1980s, leading the revival movement with such shows as My Fair Lady, Oklahoma!, and On Your Toes. She tells never before heard stories ab...

Today, I am honored to welcome to the podcast as the second installment in our Memoirs and Rising Stars week, the fabulous Martin Milnes! Martin is the author of the new memoir Wild Card: How I Learned to Have a Friend, Be a Friend, and Finally Love My Birthday, which can be purchased here: https://www.martinmilnes.com/product-page/wild-card-signed-copy . Tune in today to hear many of the stories...

Today, I am honored to be joined by Samantha Hahn, author of On The Roof, the recent book about Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish. In addition to playing Beylke in that production, she has also appeared in Nella the Princess Knight, and the virtual Mystery of Edwin Drood. Tune in today to hear her talk about all things Fiddler, why Joel Grey was very smart, the most exciting celebrity visit she had,...

Today, Backstage Babble is not crazy for YOU but crazy for the wonderful Karen Ziemba, today's guest! Tune in to hear her talk about her legendary career including her long professional collaboration with Susan Stroman, how Jerome Robbins made her cry, the compliment Woody Allen gave her, playing a nun, being directed by Hal Prince, the off-Broadway show she wishes could have transferred, plus sto...

Today, Backstage Babble is excited to welcome Robert Viagas, the editor of the newest theater magazine Encore Monthly. Created specifically as the premiere lifestyle magazine for theatre lovers nationwide, Encore Monthly will connect readers to the stage and to each other, with features covering what happens onstage and in the wings as well as all the places theatre fans come together - in the ais...

Today, I am honored to welcome legendary artist and illustrator Hilary Knight to the podcast. Tune in to hear about designing a costume for Elaine Stritch, why he had to fly to Rome for Kay Thompson, the children’s book series he didn’t enjoy working on, his three exotic influences, where the design for Eloise really came from, painting a mural for Tommy Hilfiger, Eloise’s real life room at the Pl...

The legendary and groundbreaking musical FOLLIES is celebrating its 50th Anniversary Tonight. Catch the reunion only on Backstage Babble. Featuring: Ted Chapin (Production Assistant/Historian), Kurt Peterson (Young Ben), Marti Rolph (Young Sally), Susan L. Schulman (Press Agent), Mary Jane Houdina (Assistant to Michael Bennett, Young Hattie), and Michael Misita (Young Vincent).   Tune in to hear t...

What better way to celebrate Backstage Babble's 50th Episode than an in-depth conversation with Broadway icon Chita Rivera, who discussed creating her leading roles in such shows as West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, and more. The stories abound: why she thought "The Telephone Hour" would never work, how Jerome Robbins stopped a standing ovation, sitting on the floor with Judy Garland, why...

Today, Backstage Babble is honored to sit down with Broadway actor James Dybas, star of Pacific Overtures and Do I Hear a Waltz? In this episode, hear about his friendship with Elaine Paige, why he got tripped up onstage by a guillotine, how Betty Grable insulted Ann Miller, how he ended up creating the iconic song “Someone in a Tree,” speaking Spanish with Rod Steiger, teasing Herbert Berghof, an...

Today, Backstage Babble is honored to sit down with Broadway actor James Dybas, star of Pacific Overtures and Do I Hear a Waltz? In this episode, hear about the fib he told to land Do I Hear a Waltz?, how he ended up fearing for his life on a hanging platform above the Uris Theater, what went wrong during his Victor/Victoria audition, why Sergio Franchi stopped him from eating garlic, why his role...

Today, my guest is Broadway dancer Carolyn Kirsch. Tune in to hear her talk about how Elaine Stritch gave her a hotel room, why she didn't like Hal Prince, why she wouldn't dance with Bob Fosse, Jerry Orbach's poker game, how she ended up playing two roles in A Chorus Line on the same night and more stories of Michael Bennett, Gwen Verdon, Katharine Hepburn, and just about every musical theater st...

Tune in today for Part 2 of Barry Kleinbort. Today, we focus on his career as a cabaret writer and director, in addition to his many upcoming projects. Hear him talk about why a tape was called a “Hamlisch,” how he avoided a potential trap when working with Len Cariou, what he discovered about Irving Berlin, why he ended up writing a song about Martin Charnin, why the Barry Sisters should be more...

Today, I am joined by Ed Kleban Award Winner Barry Kleinbort. In Part 1 of our conversation, Barry discusses the many musicals he’s penned including 13 Things About Ed Carpolotti, Was, Angelina, The Rat Race, Metropolita(i)n, Second Avenue Rag, Big City Rhythm, and more. Hear him talk about what he learned from Harold Rome, how he decides a property should be musicalized, why you should never assu...

Today, I am delighted to announce my episode with one of Broadway’s best comedians, Brad Oscar. Tune in to hear him talk about running through the Lyceum with a lit pumpkin, why Mike Nichols made an example of him, crying on the closing of Big Fish, how he developed “A Musical,” and more stories about Mel Brooks, Trevor Nunn, Casey Nicholaw, and everyone in between!

Today, my guest is Broadway star Cass Morgan, writer and star of Pump Boys and Dinettes. Tune in to hear her talk about re-staging a show in a day, the dangers of doing Mary Poppins, how a cathartic trip to Ireland was the basis for her solo show, and more stories about Paul Simon, Debra Monk, Kelli O'Hara, and more.    Also, hear her discuss what it was like being part of the original productions...

Broadway's sheet music expert, Michael Lavine, is on the podcast today! Tune in to hear Michael talk about his friendships with Stephen Sondheim, Adolph Green, Hugh Martin, and more, as well as preparing Patrick Page for his Spiderman audition, helping Kristin Chenoweth prepare for Rosie O’Donnell, and what makes the perfect audition song. THEN, stick around to hear a 6-song concert which will inc...

Today I am joined once again by Broadway's biggest raconteur Bob Fitch. Tune in to hear him talk about catching a pregnant Carol Burnett, how he wrote the plot of Annie, the role that was cut from 42nd Street, triumphing over David Merrick, defending Katharine Hepburn (from an angry truck driver), and more stories about Mike Nichols, Steve Martin, Whoopi Goldberg, Don Ameche, and more!