The BSB Podcast

Do you hear that sound coming down the road? Faint at first but gaining volume with each passing moment, as something comes into focus. A parade of red plumes and shiny brass, indicating the approach of a marching band! It must be the North American touring production of The Music Man, coming to a city near you! This classic show recently came to the Fox Theatre in Detroit, MI, with a production t...

When's the last time you hitched a ride on the Wells Fargo wagon and hightailed it out of the big city for life in a small town? No, we're not talking literally, but more so about when the last time you've seen The Music Man! With the recent Broadway revival a few seasons ago, there's been renewed interest in the show, with a North American touring production kicking off recently! The tale of Haro...

Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore Art Thou Romeo? A simple question some might be asking themselves, as we just found the young man from Verona on Broadway with his beautiful Juliet, in the recent revival of Romeo + Juliet. While the story itself is largely intact, as is the language in which it is spoken, there's a new life in this classic William Shakespeare tale of love and woe. Featuring music from Jack...

In this episode of the BSB Podcast, hosts Brian Kitson and RJ Miller-Zelinko break down all the excitement (and perhaps a bit of disappointment) from the 79th Tony Awards! From the shows that swept their categories to the wins that shocked everyone, there's so much to discuss from this year's Tony Awards! Did your favorite show take home the gold? Which of the shows had devastating losses? Which p...

There's nothing quite like standing on a theater stage, or at least I would assume so. The bright lights blaze down on you, as a shadowed audience is waiting with bated breath, hanging on your every word. And so you begin your number, giving it everything you got, making those present in the auditorium gasp with every impressive high note you hit, making it look as easy as saying hello. Now imagin...

Nashville: a city where every street corner seems to echo with the promise of a hit song. The Off-Broadway show, Music City, brings the heart and soul of Nashville to St. Luke's Theatre in the heart of NYC. Blending original country music with a story of ambition, love, and resilience, the play (with music) follows a group of aspiring artists as they chase their dreams in one of the world's most c...

In an era crowded with crime dramas and police procedurals, Scarpetta distinguishes itself through its unique atmosphere and psychological complexity. Rather than treating forensic science as a collection of laboratory tricks, this Prime Video series presents it as a meticulous search for truth, where every detail has the potential to unlock a mystery. Visually, Scarpetta embraces a dark, polished...

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) was an unexpected hit from our most recent trip to New York City. There's just something about the story of Dougal and Robin discovering fundamental truths about themselves because of their adventures together. Two Strangers is deeply moving and unbelievably real in almost every way, giving Broadway the heart that it desperately needs at this time. Whil...

Head Over Heels is one of the most delightfully unconventional musicals to reach Broadway in recent years. Set to the infectious hits of The Go-Go’s, the show transforms a 16th-century pastoral romance into a vibrant, contemporary celebration of love, identity, and self-discovery. What could have been a simple jukebox musical becomes something far more inventive: a witty, fast-paced comedy that em...

When was the last time you revisited a theatrical classic? A story that is timeless and continues to live on long past its time on stage. Since we've begun our journey here at BSB Insider, we've seen quite a few revivals come across the stages of Broadway, but none so striking as the most recent take on the William Shakespeare classic, Romeo + Juliet! In this episode of the BSB Podcast, hosts Bria...

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) is a sparkling, sharply observed musical that proves how much emotional weight can be carried by the lightest of premises. What begins as a whimsical mission to transport a wedding cake across Manhattan unfolds into a richly textured exploration of identity, family, and the unexpected connections that shape our lives. Set against the restless energy of...

They Will Kill You is the kind of horror-action film that kicks down the door, splashes blood across the walls, and dares you not to have fun. Director Kirill Sokolov's vision is crystal clear, as audiences follow Asia Reaves, a former convict who takes a housekeeping job in a creepy New York apartment building. However, it isn't long until she discovers that its residents are hiding a deadly secr...

There are friendships, there are wedding parties, and then there are the women of Always a Bridesmaid, a group so committed to their friendship that they seem permanently trapped in a cycle of bouquets, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding cake. This show from Jones Hope Wooten proves that while fashions change, hairstyles evolve, and romantic relationships come and go, true friends will always be ther...

If musical theatre is a game of strategy, then Chess is the intermezzo move. It is the rare musical whose score is so dazzling that it has survived productions that often struggled to match its energy. While directors, producers, and dramaturgs have spent decades trying to solve this puzzle, the music itself has never been the problem. From its thunderous opening chords to its soaring power ballad...

Few musicals have enjoyed a reputation as gloriously complicated as Chess. For decades, it has occupied a peculiar place in Broadway lore: too beloved to be forgotten, too messy to be universally embraced. Its long-awaited Broadway revival finally gives audiences another chance to witness a show that has spent nearly forty years trying to win a match against its own reputation. Set amid the geopol...

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder proves that murder can be surprisingly charming when wrapped in wit, elegance, and a perfectly tailored Edwardian suit. The musical follows Monty Navarro, an ambitious young man who discovers he is ninth in line to a noble title and decides that waiting for fate to do its work is simply inefficient. What follows is a delightfully absurd parade of accidents,...

Life seems full of What-ifs, which is something I think about constantly. Not in a way that I'm regretting the decisions I've made up to this moment, but looking more with a fascination of what could have been, if something small had been changed. I know I'm not alone in this, as the idea of what could be is enchanting to think about, since life could look vastly different because of a choice that...

BSB Insider sat down with writer, director, and performer Cece King to discuss her new original play, Redemption Song, premiering at The Broadwater Second Stage as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Set in rural Kentucky, the play follows Joe Malone, a gifted musician returning home after serving time in prison, as he attempts to reconnect with the family he left behind. Through emotionally dr...

I vividly remember reading the novel Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow in college. It was during an English course focused on the American Dream, with a series of books to show us what that really meant throughout the decades. I'm sure plenty of us grew up with the promise that we'd graduate from school, get a job, have a family, and that damn picket fence. This was the idea that our parents were sold, and...

There are some musicals that stay with you long after the curtain closes, haunting you in the best way possible. The music floats in and out of your mind, the story playing in your head repeatedly. The message at the center sticks with you, prompting you to reflect both on the show itself and on what it says about the society you live in. Ragtime at the Lincoln Center is one of those stories that...

It's not every day that you get to see a classic in the theater world. No, I'm not talking about productions of The Sound of Music, West Side Story, or Oklahoma; I'm talking about those plays that have stood the test of time, even if they're rarely produced in today's theater landscape. Take Anton Chekhov, for example. A prolific Russian playwright whose works don't often make it to the stage. Or,...

Much like the rest of the world, we can't seem to stop talking about the Broadway sensation, Hamilton! This iconic musical tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, the American Revolution, and the impact he continues to have on this country. Blending traditional sets and costumes with hip-hop and rap, history (or at least a version of it) unfolds right in front of your eyes! This Lin-Manuel Miranda...

Who doesn't love a date with a brand new show, right? There's something about entering into a show that you know nothing about and being pleasantly surprised by what happens on stage. Here in this part of Michigan, we have so many incredibly talented individuals who are bringing remarkable pieces of art to life on and off the stage. Take Jim Territo, the mind behind the upcoming cabaret show, Be N...

History class rarely includes rap battles, dramatic dance numbers, or a crowd singing about tax policy, but Hamilton somehow makes all three wildly entertaining. Created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the musical takes the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton and turns it into a fast-paced Broadway phenomenon packed with hip-hop, humor, heartbreak, and enough lyrical speed to make subtitles feel ne...

As someone who began an outlet with my best friend because of our shared love of Broadway and Theatre, I understand the strength of the bonds we form over the course of our lives. Whether it be with family who prove that blood is thicker than water, or the chosen family we gather, there are some relationships that can't be broken, even when life tries to do so. It's a friendship like that that is...