Backstage Babble

Today, I’m so excited to announce my episode with legendary Broadway and ballet choreographer Lar Lubovitch. Tune in to hear some of the stories of his legendary career, including how he got involved in the musical theater world, founding his own dance company, Stephen Sondheim’s resistance to too much movement in Into the Woods, why Stanley Donen’s vision for The Red Shoes was unsuccessful, how s...

Today, I’m so excited to announce my interview with three-time Tony nominee Terrence Mann. Tune in to hear some of the stories of his legendary career, including a private notes session with Jerome Robbins, where he drew inspiration from for the Rum Tum Tugger, the audience response at The Rocky Horror Picture Show, making his Broadway debut two weeks after moving to New York, the challenges of fi...

I’m so happy to announce the release of my episode with theater writer Douglas J. Cohen, whose book How to Survive a Killer Musical just came out, and can be purchased at this link: Buy Here A studio recording of his musical The Big Time, starring Jackie Hoffman and Santino Fontana, is also out now. Tune in today to hear him tell the stories of his life and career, including his friendship with Fr...

Today, I’m thriilled to announce my episode with one of Broadway’s best directors, Kenny Leon, who’s producttion of Purlie Victorious began previews this week. Tune in today to hear him discuss his process and career, including his collaboration with Adrienne Kennedy in Ohio State Murders, his upcoming projects Our Town and The Help, the project he feels should’ve transferred to Broadway, what he...

Today, I’m so happy to announce my interview with Tony nominee Josie De Guzman, whose solo show Back Where I Started will be playing at The Green Room 42 on September 8th and 10th. Tickets are available here:   Buy Now!   Tune in today to hear the stories of her legendary career, including getting shot out of a cannon into Guys and Dolls, the show that Elizabeth Swados wrote for her, her experienc...

Today, I’m so honored to announce the release of my interview with the brilliant author and playwright Paul Rudnick, writer of the newly released novel Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style. Tune in today to hear some of the stories of his career, including what it was like experiencing a seance with Celeste Holm, working with Bette Midler on Sister Act, the advice he got from William Finn, tu...

Today, I’m so excited to announce the release of my episode with Broadway legend Stephen Schwartz. Tune in to hear fascinating stories from his life and career, including how he came to make his Broadway debut with Butterflies are Free, drawing inspiration from politics in writing Wicked, the songwriter he wishes had been included in Working, the genesis of his new show The Queen of Versailles, fa...

Today, I’m so excited to announce the release of an exclusive, in-depth career interview with two-time Tony nominee Leland Palmer. Tune in today to hear the fascinating stories of Leland’s career, including why Bob Fosse dubbed her his “Yellow Towel Lady,” participating in the recent Pippin concert at 54 Below, the gift she got from Lauren Bacall, two hilarious onstage mishaps, her unique audition...

Today, I’m so excited to announce my episode with distinguished playwright and libretttist David Henry Hwang. Tune in to hear some of the stories of his legendary career, including being discovered by Joseph Papp, training with Sam Shepard, reading M. Butterfly with John Dexter, collaborating with Philip Glass, revising the book for Aida, why Face Value couldn’t achieve success on Broadway, the ad...

Today, I’m so honored to announce the release of my interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, winner of two Tonys for his book and lyrics for Kimberly Akimbo. He joins me to talk all about Kimberly Akimbo, including the changes that were made between Broadway and off-Broadway, as well as telling other stories including why Marylouise Burke is his muse, the process of g...

On the opening night of The Cottage, I’m excited to announce the release of my episode with its playwright Sandy Rustin. Tune in today to hear about the play’s long path to Broadway, and other stories of her career including rewriting I Married an Angel for Encores!, her extensive research process, her useful advice for young writers, being directed by James Lapine, where her sense of humor comes...

Today, I’m so honored to announce my episode with Broadway actress D’Jamin Bartlett, who will be performing “The Miller’s Son” at Backstage Babble Live on July 17. Tune in today to this interview from July 2022 to hear some of the stories of her legendary career, including coming in out of town on A Little Night Music, auditioning for Stephen Sondheim, raising children as an actress, being upstage...

Today, I’m so excited to announce my episode with star of stage and screen Leslie Uggams. Leslie’s new movie Dotty & Soul is now out on all streaming platforms. Tune in today to hear her talk about how meaningful the part of Dotty is to, as well as tell stories about her Broadway career, including taking acting lessons with Stella Adler and Sal Mineo, her early friendship with Ethel Waters, ta...

Today, I am so happy to announce my interview with star of stage and screen Michael Urie. Tune in for a funny, fascinating conversation about his varied career, including the type of work he wanted to do coming out of college, being on stage when Patti LuPone took an audience member’s cellphone, the genius of Jane Alexander and Mercedes Ruehl, how he won, lost, and won the role of Bud Frump, readi...

Today, I’m so happy to annoounce my episode with Broadway star Janine LaManna. Janine’s solo show Black and Gold plays tomorrow night, June 26 at the Green Room 42, and tickets are available here. Tune in today to hear some of the stories of her incredible career, including her appearances in Seussical, Sweet Charity, and Kiss Me, Kate. You won’t want to miss this in-depth conversation.

Today, I am beyond thrilled to announce the 150th episode of Backstage Babble with the iconic, legendary, Carol Burnett. Fresh off of her 90th birthday celebration, Ms. Burnett joins us to discuss her career, including; the advice she got from John Huston, why she dreamed of working with George Abbott, the celebrities who she Wordles with every day, the current progress of her campaign to rename a...

Today, I am thrilled to announce my episode with double-EGOT winning songwriter Robert Lopez. Tune in to hear some of the stories of his incredible career, including how he first met Stephen Sondheim, giving William Finn a backrub, staging a show in the Yale swimming pool, why he decided not to write the book for Avenue Q, the rushed process behind Frozen 2, the inspiration for his new show Up Her...

Today, I am so thrilled to announce my episode with one of the theater’s most influential minds, the New York Times’s chief theater critic Jesse Green. Tune in today for an in-depth interview as Jesse discusses his varied career. Highlights include: working with Hal Prince on A Doll’s Life, why he decided to stop working on Broadway, his view of the role of a critic, covering the “Tear Beat,” the...

Today, I’m so thrilled to announce my episode with veteran theater and cabaret performer Lorna Dallas, whose new show Glamorous Nights and Rainy Days is playing on May 17 at the Laurie Beechman Theater. You can find seats here: Glamorous Nights and Rainy Days Meanwhile, tune in to hear some of the stories of her legendary career including the advice Molly Picon’s husband gave her about converting...

Today, I am thrilled to announce my episode with the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Auburn, whose play Summer, 1976 is currently running at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater on Broadway. Tune in to hear some of the stories of David’s career, including the method of putting replacement casts into Proof, the play idea he abandoned about Harry Houdini, the original intention for Summer, 1976, w...

Today, I am thrilled to announce my episode with the great Paulo Szot, who is currently starring as Lance DuBois in Broadway’s smash hit & Juliet—a joyous show which I highly recommend! Tune in today to hear Paulo tell some of the stories of his fantastic career in the opera and Broadway worlds: growing up in Brazil in a family that encouraged the arts over all else, the musical movie that inspire...

Today, I am so thrilled to announce my episode with Sharr White, playwright of Pictures from Home which is currently playing at Studio 54 starring Nathan Lane and Danny Burstein. Tune in today to hear some of the stories of Sharr’s career, including the plays of his that have been based on New York Times article, basing Annapurna on a former teacher, the process of pitching Halston, why war used t...

Today, I am so thrilled to announce my episode with Douglas Lyons, who is currently starring in Parade at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre. Tune in to hear some of the other stories of his great career, including the experience of opening a Broadway play right after the Covid-19 pandemic, writing a musical about Five Points, the play of his that never got off the ground, the genius of Beautiful, why The...

On April 16, The Phantom of the Opera will take its final Broadway bow. And today, I am so honored to be joined by Ben Crawford, the last man to wear the iconic mask before the show closes. Tune in today to hear Ben talk about funniest audience reactions, onstage mishaps, the physical challenges of singing through a mask, the unique feedback he got from Hal Prince, and his long audition process fo...

Today, I am so excited to announce the release of my episode with Tony-winner BD Wong. BD is currently the director of Yes, I Can Say That! at 59e59 Theaters, the hilarious new solo show starring Judy Gold about the intersection between comedy and cancel culture. You can find tickets to that here:   https://www.59e59.org/shows/show-detail/yes-i-can-say-that/   Tune in to hear some of the stories o...