Behind the Awards with Eila Mell & Bruce Gotlieb

Kenny Leon and his victorious revival! Director Kenny Leon opens up about the hit revival of Ossie Davis’s Purlie Victorious starring Leslie Odom Jr and Kara Young. Kenny gives us the scoop on his busy upcoming season including Home at the Roundabout Theater, Our Town lead by Jim Parsons & Katie Holmes, and Othello with Denzel Washington & Jake Gyllenhaal. Kenny gives listeners a glimpse into his...

Jessica Lang is the “Mother” to beat this Tony season? Feature Friday! Eila & Bruce bring you the fifth installment of their Tony deep dive. They are joined by expert Matt Stashin and share who will win and who they want to win in the following categories. Director of a Musical, Costume Design of a Musical, Lead Actress of a Play, Lead Actor of a Play Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along, Michael...

Take a sharp left at Avenue Q and that’s how you get to Sesame Street! John Tartaglia’s journey from a 16 year old puppeteer on Sesame Street to originating the first ever puppet sex scene on Broadway. John talks about the new season of Fraggle Rock on Apple TV and his full circle experience with Jim Henson. Also in this episode - Jackee Harry’s historic Emmy win in 1987 when she became the first...

Is it “Appropriate” for Lila Neugebauer to win the Tony? Feature Friday! Eila & Bruce bring you the fourth installment of their Tony deep dive. They are joined by expert Matt Stashin and share who will win and who they want to win in the following categories. Director of a Play, Sound Design of a Musical, Lighting Design of a Play, Revival of a Musical. Cabaret, Gutenberg! The Musical!, Merrily We...

Water for Elephants swings into Tony season! Shana Carroll and Jesse Robb discuss combining dance and circus choreography to thrill Broadway audiences. We learn how learn how Grant Guston jumps from a train, Isabelle McCalla flies from a trapeze and performers give life to horses and elephants that steal our hearts. Listen to find out how this show operates differently than any other show on Broad...

Will Lindsay Mendez Merrily Roll Along to her second Tony win? Magnificent Monday! Eila & Bruce bring you the third installment of their Tony deep dive. They are joined by expert Matt Stashin and share who will win and who they want to win in the following categories. Featured Actress in a Musical, Book of a Musical, Scenic Design of a Play, Best Revival of a Play. Shoshana Bean, Amber Iman, Nikki...

Tom Kitt’s got something cooking in Hell's Kitchen with Alicia Keys. The Pulitzer Prize winning composer of Next to Normal discusses working with everyone from Alanis Morrissette (Jagged Little Pill), The Go Go’s (Head Over Heel), Green Day (American Idiot), and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Bigger). Tom shares the journey of Next to Normal from its infancy as a 10 minute musical class assignment with Brian...

Is there a clear winner this Tony Season…Doubt it? Magnificent Monday! Eila & Bruce bring you the second installment of their Tony deep dive. They are joined by expert Matt Stashin and share who will win and who they want to win in the following categories. Featured Actress in a Play, Lighting Design of a Musical, Costume Design of a Play and Best Original Score.. Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Juliana C...

How do you get Clint Eastwood’s attention…Ask a Jersey Boy with a great falsetto John Lloyd Young told us how to succeed in show business. From seeing Big River as a kid- produced by Dodger Theatricals and directed by Des McAnuff to interning with the production firm and later making his Broadway debut in Jersey Boys helmed by the same director and producers. John Lloyd Young shared what it took t...

Will Harry Potter cast a spell on Tony voters? Magnificent Monday! Eila & Bruce bring you the first installment of their Tony deep dive. They are joined by expert Matt Stashin and share who will win and who they want to win in the following categories. Featured Actor in a Play, Featured Actor in a Musical, Sound Design of a Play, Choreography and Orchestrations. Daniel Radcliff, Roger Bart, Brando...

Who’s The Witch next door…The Baker gives us the scoop on who he thinks it might be. In this special live episode from The Museum of Broadway, Chip Zien talks about 50 years on Broadway and his Sardi’s caricature as well as Harmony, Into The Woods, Falsettos, Stephen Sondheim and a film her won’t name with Katharine Hepburn. Also in this episode - Amber Riley wins Best Actress in a Musical at the...

It’s nomination day!! Eila and Bruce dissect the 2024 Tony Award nominations. Everything from who they’re happy about, who was snubbed! Back to the Future. Cabaret. Days of Wine and Roses. The Great Gatsby. Gutenberg. Harmony. Heart of Rock and Roll. Hell’s Kitchen. Here Lies Love. How to Dance in Ohio. Illinoise. Lempicka. Merrily We Roll Along. Spamalot. The Notebook. Once Upin a One More Time....

Spring Awakening and American Psycho composer and rock star Duncan Sheik recounts how it feels to win two Tony Awards in one night. Ducan give us the scoop on all things Spring Awakening including some advise from Liev Schreiber and the healing effect of the reunion concert. Duncan describes what it’s like to embody American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman while composing the score and future projects. A...

A pair of high heels and jumping over Jesse L. Martin’s head helped win Wilson Jermaine Heredia the Tony for playing Angel in Rent. His journey with the show started Off-Broadway and led him to eventually starring in the film version. He gives Behind the Awards a deep dive into the creation of this iconic show. Who would have thought this Tony winner would have to be convinced to even audition for...

From Blue Jeans to corsets to Smash…and is there really a Cassie curse. Robyn Hurder opens her heart and gives us the scoop on career highs such as sharing the stage Donna McKechnie to recreate The Music and the Mirror from A Chorus Line, being nominated for a Tony, and the dancer’s dream of winning the Chita Rivera Award. Robyn discusses the joy and demands of stepping into the role of Velma in C...

What’s your diner order? Ours is a full dish of awards! Hosts Eila Mell & Bruce Gotlieb bring you behind the scene stories with guests who have won; Tony Awards, Oscars, Emmys, Grammy Awards, Golden Globes, SAG Awards and more. Listen to this first episode to learn how they met and why we're even here today! Eila Mell is the author of Designing Broadway, as well as the official guide to the hit te...