The OnStage Blog Theatre Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Was George Washington America's first theatre nerd? As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, we're taking a look at a side of George Washington that rarely makes it into history books: his lifelong love of theatre. From attending performances throughout his life to supporting the arts during the nation's earliest days, Washington's passion for the st...

Send us Fan Mail OnStage Blog's Chris Peterson and Utah Theater Lovers' Megan Gutierrez join Rachel and Jax to recap the 2026 Tony Awards. They discuss the night's biggest winners, most shocking surprises, standout performances, and the moments everyone is still talking about. Plus, they take a closer look at the telecast itself—what worked, what didn't, and how this year'...

Send us Fan Mail Theatre Critic Rachel Wagner recently watched her 700th theatre production since COVID-19 began, and she shares her favorite 20 shows, along with thoughts on many of the others. onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog https://www.youtube.com/@onstageblog8213

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the OnStage Blog Theatre Podcast, Rachel Wagner and Jacklyn Collier explore the growing movement of “Silver Haired Editions” — productions that cast senior citizens in roles traditionally played by younger performers — and why these shows are creating such meaningful theatrical experiences. In the first half of the episode, they are joined by Alan Ornsby, State...

Send us Fan Mail Rachel Wagner and Jacklyn Collier welcome back Marc Bonanni to react to the announced 2026 Tony Nominations! Subscribe today to never miss an episode or watch the complete episode on YouTube! onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog https://www.youtube.com/@onstageblog8213

Send us Fan Mail Rachel, Jacklyn, and special guest Tanner Tate take a deep dive into the shows that schools across the country are producing the most this year—and they give their honest, no-filter opinions on where they actually belong. Whether you’re a theatre teacher, student, or just love musical theatre, this one’s for you. onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog ins...

Send us Fan Mail Rachel and Jax sit down with high school theatre director Jordan Long of Liahona Preparatory Academy (Utah) to talk high school theatre and how he brought Hadestown: Teen Edition to life on stage. Together, they dive into the creative process, the unique challenges of adapting a Broadway hit for teen performers, and what it takes to make ambitious productions work in a school sett...

Send us Fan Mail OnStage Blog's Hannah Crawford makes her grand debut on the podcast, sharing her thoughts with Rachel and Jax on how to successfully manage youth theatre, teach acting, and explain the basics of theatre to kids age 6-18. You won't want to miss this episode if you work with kids! onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog ht...

Send us Fan Mail Rachel Wagner and Jacklyn Collier break down the best shows for community theatres to produce, whether your company leans more toward strong vocalists or talented dancers. They also discuss the riskier musicals that can be difficult for community theatres to pull off—and why some titles might be better left off your season lineup. onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.c...

Send us Fan Mail Veteran Theatre Fight Choreographer Carlo Rivieccio joins Rachel and Jacklyn to take them behind the scenes of what makes fight choreography great on stage. Carlo discusses the nuances of setting up comedic fights vs serious fights, what makes certain fight scenes challenging, how to choreograph antagonists vs protagonists, and so much more. Podcast includes 10 minutes of bonus fo...

Send us Fan Mail Rachel and Jacklyn continue to share their picks for the best and worst songs from today's most popular Broadway musicals.  Watch Part 1 here: https://youtu.be/8S1e8MwVHvw  Check out more song breakdowns and thoughts on all Broadway musicals on onstageblog.com! onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog https://www.youtube.com/@...

Send us Fan Mail Rachel and Jacklyn brainstorm and finalize how they would put together their dream Broadway Revue, from song selection to cast and theme, and much more. Let us know your thoughts on social media platforms @onstageblog! onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog https://www.youtube.com/@onstageblog8213

Send us Fan Mail In the season 3 debut episode, Rachel and Jax examine the show selections community theatres nationwide for 2026 and grade each theatre's announced season based on show quality, diversity, entertainment factor, and more! Listen to the episode here or watch on YouTube @onstageblog8213.  onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog...

Send us Fan Mail Rachel and Jacklyn look back at the big news stories out of Broadway in 2025 and share their individual highlights at the theater for the year. Visit onstageblog.com for more Theatre and Broadway News in 2026 and beyond! onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog https://www.youtube.com/@onstageblog8213

Send us Fan Mail Rachel and Jax dive into the Merrily We Roll Along pro shot, breaking down what worked for them, what didn’t, and how this filmed version compares to the stage experience. onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog https://www.youtube.com/@onstageblog8213

Send us Fan Mail Rachel, Jax, and special guest Marc Bonanni break down all of the Broadway spotlights in the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Find Marc Bonnani on Instagram @bwayghostlight and on YouTube @broadwaybyghostlight‬ . onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog https://www.youtube.com/@onstageblog8213

Send us Fan Mail  Rachel and Jax sit down with OnStage Blog’s Greg Ehrhardt to break down the highs and lows of Wicked: For Good —and to debate the big question: is it actually a good movie? It's an hour breaking down one of the biggest movies of 2025; read all of OnStage Blog's coverage of "Wicked: For Good" on onstageblog.com! onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter....

Send us Fan Mail Rachel and Jacklyn make their picks for the best Broadway (and off-Broadway) shows that debuted during every year that they have been alive (since 1981). Subscribe today to never miss an episode and visit onstageblog.com for all your Broadway content needs! onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog https://www.youtube.com/@onstagebl...

Send us Fan Mail Rachel and Jax react after watching Ethan Hawke's incredible performance as Broadway Lyricist Lorenz Hart on the opening night of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma". Subscribe to the podcast today and visit onstageblog.com for more Broadway and Theatre content! onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog https://...

Send us Fan Mail Rachel, Jax, and special guest Marc Bonanni each develop 5 ideas for new or revived Broadway Shows that they think would be worth the producer's investment. Subscribe to the podcast today to never miss an episode! onstageblog.com onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog https://www.youtube.com/@onstageblog8213

Send us Fan Mail Rachel and Jax reveal their rankings of the best Broadway musicals based on true stories. Where does Hamilton fit in? Listen to find out! onstageblog.com facebook.com/onstageblog twitter.com/onstageblog instagram.com/onstageblog https://www.youtube.com/@onstageblog8213

Send us Fan Mail Rachel and Jax weigh in on High School shows that schools should stop performing and give their recommendations for what should be performed instead. For more on this topic, check out Rachel and Jax's thoughts on the 11 most performed school musicals and what under-performed musicals should be given a chance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyA79z3G41o.  Read more at onstageb...

Send us Fan Mail On the latest episode of The OnStage Blog Theatre Podcast, Rachel and Jacklyn recap the festival, including the Shakespeare shows they saw (Macbeth, As You Like It, Antony, and Cleopatra). They also discuss Shakespeare's most popular plays, why he remains relevant in 2025, and more. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or YouTube for all the latest episodes! onstageblo...

Send us Fan Mail Rachel and Jacklyn preview and rate their excitement for the new slate of Broadway shows and revivals coming in Fall 2025! Shows discussed include Mamma Mia, Waiting For Godot, Chess, Ragtime, and more. Subscribe to The OnStage Blog Theatre Podcast today for all our episodes and visit onstageblog.com for all of our editorials on Broadway-related! onstageblog.com facebook.com/onsta...

Send us Fan Mail Rachel and Jax go back to school, evaluating the musicals currently most performed in High schools for the 2024-2025 season and rank them from 11 to 1 of what high schools should perform based on cast, quality of music, fun for the kids, and more with high school music director and vocal coach Tanner Tate! Follow @OnStageblog on social media or visit onstageblog.com for more conte...