The BSB Podcast

Who doesn't love the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber? As the composer of some of the greatest musicals to ever hit Broadway or the West End, Webber has cemented his place in theater history forevermore. Acclaimed Countertenor, Terry Barber, is bringing this composer's works, as well as a few other iconic Broadway shows, to The Brighton Center of the Performing Arts with his The Best of Broadway: The...

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction, and those stories typically make the best shows. Operation Mincemeat is a musical that burst onto Broadway last season after transferring from the West End, based on a true story about how the Allied powers turned the tide of World War II. The story is so wild that the only way to do it justice is to put it to music, which somehow works! We recently ha...

There are some Broadway plays that seem impossible to describe, and Oh, Mary! is absolutely one of those shows. While it is most definitely a historical comedy, this show uses history more as a guiding aspiration than a hard-and-fast rule to operate by. It relishes the wicked delight of looking at the life and times of Mary Todd Lincoln through a lens that isn't often used in history: comedy. Ther...

The Algonquin senior living facility is in desperate need of some fun, and there are a few individuals living in the walls who have a plan to achieve that. A jukebox would definitely liven up the place, so a plan develops that ultimately explores themes of friendship, loneliness, and finding your tribe regardless of what stage of life you're in. St. Dunstan's Theatre's production of A Jukebox for...

Welcome to the family cottage, a quaint little house secluded in the English countryside, and immensely proud of it. For many, it promises rest and relaxation, either with the aforementioned family or a romantic getaway with your lover. It's in the latter that Sandy Rustin's play, The Cottage, exists, although not quite in the way you may think. Guests arrive here with suitcases full of hope, and...

In the bustling streets of New York City, at the turn of the 20th century, where ambition collides with prejudice and desire hides beneath layers of fabric, Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage tells a deeply human story about longing, love, and survival. What begins as a story about corsets and letters soon unravels into a powerful exploration of emotional, physical, and social intimacy. Rosedale Com...

Good evening, detectives, distinguished guests, and board game enthusiasts alike. Tonight, we’re gathered at Boddy Manor not just to solve a crime, but to investigate a mystery. Something's afoot, and it's up to us to figure out what's going on before the bodies pile up, but thankfully, we're not alone in this endeavor! No one knows what's going on in the manor more than Wadsworth, the trusty butl...

While theater has come a long way in the types of stories we're telling, there's always room for improvement. Representation in musicals and plays still has a long way to go, so it's important to shine a light on narratives that are often overlooked. The Chocolate Box Theatre Company is bringing Ntozake Shange's groundbreaking choreopoem, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Ra...

We're traveling one last time to Cobb County, to see what else the North American touring production of Broadway's Shucked the musical has to offer! Having previously spoken about the story and characters from this chuckle-fest of a musical, it's time to look at everything else that makes up this show! From the stage magic to the vocal gymnastics performed in so many of the songs, everything else...

Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf is not just a work to be read; it is an experience meant to be felt in the body, the heart, and the collective memory of Black womanhood. Through a sisterhood of voices, the author gives language to pain that has too often been silenced: abandonment, sexual violence, racism, self-doubt, and despair. Yet the w...

What better way to celebrate the new year than with a musical featuring the King of Rock and Roll's songs? Meadow Brook Theatre, in collaboration with Oakland University's School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, is ready to slip on their blue suede shoes and grease their hair back, with their latest production, All Shook Up! We spoke with two of the leads of this Meadow Brook Theatre production, Nick...

What exactly is Shucked the musical about? Simple...it's a show about corn! Well, perhaps that's too simple; however, the marketing for this Broadway musical has focused on the fact that it's a show about corn and has not disclosed much else. Part of the show's appeal was the mystery surrounding it, leaving many to wonder exactly what Shucked was about. So, naturally, when it was announced that th...

It's time to grab your ultra clutch and get ready to make your hair as big as possible, as Hairspray is coming to Rose Above Theatre! For one weekend only, the cast and crew of Rose Above are looking to bring the fun-loving and free-wheeling musical to the Village Theatre at Cherry Hill! Hairspray delivers some incredibly important messages; however, it is packaged in one of the grooviest, most fu...

There's no better way to kick off a new year than with a musical, and so many local theaters are gearing up for an exciting second half of their current season! Birmingham Village Players is ready to hit the ground running in 2026 with another classic musical, Once Upon A Mattress. This 1959 musical is based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Princess and the Pea, though with a healthy do...

Even in moments of sadness, it's important that we highlight the happiness that comes from the aftermath. For every storm, there is a rainbow, as the saying goes, meaning that even when something doesn't work out, we want to make sure we appreciate all the positives we can. So while the holiday season is over and we're firmly moving into 2026, we want to take a moment to look back at the incredibl...

The World of Oz has exploded since L. Frank Baum's original novel, The Wizard of Oz, was published back in 1900, as the franchise continues to find new life across all forms of media. From a plethora of novels to quite a few films, from MGM's Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz to the more recent Broadway musical (and subsequent films from Universal), Wicked, there seems to be a never-ending journey...

Tina Turner is truly an icon in every meaning of the word. She paved a way in the music industry not only for herself, but for all women. She was the Queen of Rock and Roll, a title that she earned with both her music and her actions. She was a trailblazer whose life and legacy are now taking on a life of their own as a Broadway musical, TINA- The Tina Turner Musical. This show is rich with the wo...

Where would the world of music be with the Queen of Rock and Roll? Tina Turner changed music forever with her iconic sound that spanned multiple decades, with a career that stood the test of time. There's no denying that Turner is simply the best, which is why creating a jukebox musical that features not only her music but also deep dives into her life is an absolute no-brainer. The Broadway show...

The holiday season is all about spending time with those we love and cherish. Family, friends, your grandma, who thinks you're perpetually a child, no matter how old you actually get? It's about holding them close, celebrating the passing of another year, and looking towards what's coming next. It's the idea of family that is at the core of The Ringwald's most recent production, the holiday-center...

Reimagined stories are quite popular at the moment, as audiences love to revisit some of their favorite shows or movies through a new lens. Think of Wicked, a retelling of the classic Frank Baum novel (and the MGM film for that matter), The Wizard of Oz, from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is currently thriving in the cinema. It's in that same vein that the Inspired Acting...

We're only about halfway to Christmas, which means that there's still plenty of time to soak in more of that holiday cheer this season! With snow on the ground and bright lights twinkling both on our trees and trimming our homes, there's so much to love and appreciate about the most wonderful time of the year. So what better way to celebrate the holiday season than seeing a show with your loved on...

When you think of Alicia Keys, which songs from her discography come to mind? There are so many incredible pieces to choose from that it might feel like an impossible task to pick a favorite. Personally, as someone who visits New York City frequently, "Empire State of Mind" will always hold a special place in my heart, as it's synonymous with Times Square. Keys is prolific with the songs she's wri...

What exactly do you get when you blend William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth with some festive holiday cheer? Well, you get Mackers the Elf, of course! This dark comedy stage production is premiering at Planet Ant Theatre this weekend, with visions of holiday hijinks dancing in the cast and creatives' heads! While Christmas (and Mackers the Elf, for that matter) haven't arrived quite yet, w...

If you like your theater hot, your choreography sizzling, and your plot seasoned with just enough emotional spice to make your eyes water, then pull up a chair, because this girl, and the touring production of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Hell’s Kitchen, is on fire! Inspired by Alicia Keys’ life growing up in the hustle and bustle of New York City, this musical isn’t just a show; it’s...

There's something special about visiting New York City for the first time. Even after visiting NYC as much as I have, there's something intoxicating about the bright lights and hustle and bustle of the big city. So what if those immaculate vibes were to make their way to Detroit? That's just what Detroiters are getting, as the Tony Award-winning musical, Hell's Kitchen, is arriving at The Fisher T...