Why is a conversation with Jordan Schildcrout always a good time? Because in the course of just 30 minutes chatting about the relatively obscure play “Cactus Flower,” you’ll hear about additionally fascinating plays like “Two for the Seesaw” and “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window.” Jordan and I dig into both the weird and wonderful aspects of “Cactus Flower,” the show that brought Lauren Bacall back to Broadway. The movie version would win Goldie Hawn her only Oscar and feature a decent comic turn by the legendary Ingrid Bergman and a befuddling romantic lead performance by Walter Matthau.

Jordan wrote an essential book of Broadway history, “In the Long Run: A Cultural History of Broadway’s Hit Plays,” so not only knows about specific shows, but has a broader perspective on where “Cactus Flower” fits in among the pantheon of long-running plays. We touch on the history of the manic pixie dream girl stereotype, the resonance of Bacall and Vaccaro’s voices, and do our due diligence in talking about “Just Go With It,” the Adam Sandler / Jennifer Aniston modern-day retelling of the “Cactus Flower” story.

Why does a seemingly outdated show like “Boeing Boeing” succeed but something like “Cactus Flower” seems relegated to the dust bin of history? Find out in this episode!

As always, check out ChasingPhantom.net for some great video clips related to the show and to listen to past episodes.

Easter is this weekend and, while you might think I'm featuring the show "Sugar Babies" to make an allusion toward those sweet treats found in children's Easter baskets, well, you're right! BUT, thanks to my always incredibly knowledgeable guest, Phil Crosby, it came to light that this throwback vaudeville revue would also make sense to highlight because of Ann Miller's star turn in the movie "Easter Parade." Phil makes the astute point that Miller, who was the co-headliner of "Sugar Babies" with Mickey Rooney, was not often given her due as an excellent light comic actor. In "Easter Parade," he says that she holds her own in a packed cast replete with stars light Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, and more.

Miller was clearly a good foil and formidable match against Rooney and a large part of why "Sugar Babies," which now seems outdated and a bit of an anachronism, was so popular. It's a show that gives Phil and I the opportunity to dig into what vaudeville was, why it was so popular as a form early in the 20th century, why there was such a large audience eager to check out a show featuring it, and to explore the throughline from shows like "Sugar Babies" to variety shows like "The Carol Burnette Show."

As always, Phil brings an amazing backlog of Broadway scuttlebutt to the conversation and we even touch on a very direct connection between "Sugar Babies" and place both Phil and I call home, Richmond, VA.

Also as always, you'll want to check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more information and video clips from or related to "Sugar Babies." You'll be glad you did!

In the first ever bonus episode of Chasing Phantom, Phil Crosby and I talk about the ending of "The King and I," one that was a surprise to me so don't listen if you want it to be a surprise to you! We also get back into some of the history of the real life King of Siam and Anna Leonowens.

This bonus is also an opportunity to drop a couple more sound bites in from the show's score which is a real treat. Happy holidays everyone!

Please check out my website ChasingPhantom.net for more information and fun video clips related to "The King and I." 

We are hurtling towards the holidays and so, for this episode, I make the case for "The King and I" to be considered among your holiday viewing options. Even though it's a 70+ year show, it's a smart and sophisticated musical with interesting cross-cultural dynamics. And so, of course, I turned to the smart and sophisticated Phil Crosby, most knowledgeable of all humans on the subject of older musicals, to help me explicate and praise this wonderful show.

Phil provides some vital context on Gertrude Lawrence, who originated the role of Anna and who is a Broadway diva largely forgotten or overlooked today. We also give only the briefest recap of the fascinating emergence of Yul Brynner as a star, a former circus performer who first arrived on Broadway at 21 having already lived a remarkable life spending time in Russia, China and Paris.

"The King and I" is the fifth Rogers and Hammerstein collaboration and full of amazing music, gorgeous sets and costumes, and compelling leading characters. Though Deborah Kerr isn't singing in the movie adaptation, she makes for a fine Anna. This isn't a show that gets staged that often any more, but we are lucky that the movie version is pretty remarkable. So go ahead and dial it up during some holiday downtime - you'll be glad you did!

You're definitely going to want to check out my website at ChasingPhantom.net if, for nothing else, YouTube clips of Gertrude Lawrence so you can get a sense of what a dynamic performer she is!

For this pre-Thanksgiving episode, we hurtle up the list of long-running productions to give everyone something to celebrate and lift our spirits. "Mamma Mia!" may be the longest-running jukebox musical ever to run on Broadway (so far) but it's story transcends that reductive label. As expertly elucidated by Grey Garrett, who won a Best Supporting Actress in a Musical award for her performance as Tanya, this is a show that foregrounds female life experience and friendship in a somewhat revolutionary way for a show created in 1999.

Drawing from the experience of playing Tanya twice, Grey highlights the cycles of life that the show touches on, relates her own experiences of "falling in friend" with cast members, and the vital enjoyment of communal effervescence that the show fosters. In the meantime, I uncross my grumpy old arms and, at least in this one case, learn to love a jukebox musical.

This may not be the only time we talk about "Mamma Mia!" but it's a lively start to the consideration of a show that has broken a crazy number of records and continues to bring joy to "Dancing Queens" across the world.

You'll definitely want to check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for links to ABBA-tastic videos associated with this show. As always, please reach out to me at davidhintztimberline@gmail.com if you have cries of complaint or cheers of praise, or anything in between. And go see Mamma Mia! on tour - check out the website for upcoming performances!

On the week after Veteran's Day, my friend Jesse and I dig into "Mister Roberts," a play about sailors during World War II and humble hero who was an example of (mostly) passive resistance to a petty tyrant. When we recorded this episode, I had no idea how appropriate it would be to air during this week. Don't get me wrong - as a 1940s era comedy, it's not a great show by any means. But still, in these times in particular, it does offer some intriguing ideas about what service and leadership look like.

Jesse and I have a good time comparing and contrasting the play and movie versions of "Mister Roberts" as well as the not-really-surprisingly despicable depiction of women (or really just "woman" in the play). And how in the hell did Jack Lemon get an Oscar for his work in the movie? So many mysteries to talk about when it comes to "Mister Roberts" - we hope you enjoy the ride!

Check out ChasingPhantom.net for more information and YouTube clips related to this show. And hit me up at davidhintztimberline@gmail.com with questions, complaints or suggestions.

What could be more terrifying than to think you’re going insane? That basic horror makes “Angel Street” the perfect show to talk about during spooky season. Originally produced in London as “Gas Light” and adapted for the screen (twice) as “Gaslight,” this tale of a husband psychologically abusing his wife in order to access hidden riches was a surprise hit on Broadway in the 1940s. It was so popular, it overcame the monumentally bad timing of opening just days before the Pearl Harbor bombing to ultimately run for more than 3 years.

My guest, Lindsey Zelli, made her debut in the Virginia theater scene with her starring role in “Gaslight” and it was a local smash. Both Zelli and her costar, Axle Burtness, ended up winning Richmond Theatre Community Circle awards for their performances. Zelli and I talk about the challenge of building suspense on stage, finding the emotional beats in such an intense work, and making friends through theater. I lay out Vincent Price’s surprisingly robust early stage career also relate a bonkers story about his Broadway costar Judith Evelyn. There are no jump scares, but it’s still a conversation right in line with the horrifying aesthetic of Halloween.

Be sure and check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for essential video clips related to this show, a link to the full radio play and other fun facts. For more on Lindsey Zelli, check out her website. She's going to be in a show coming but she wouldn't / couldn't tell me what it is!

When you want to know about a production, there's no better source than talking to someone who was in it. I never thought that would be possible with the original Broadway run of "Annie Get Your Gun" - I mean, it closed in 1949! But Mary Ellen Ashley, who had a marquee role as the Girl in the Lampshade Hat in the show, is still alive and very much kicking. Though only 8 years old when the show opened, she was already a child star, having been in 2 other major productions and even appearing in a promotional film produced by the Navy, shot in Virginia Beach.

My conversation with Mary Ellen starts with her first public performance at the age of 4 and then quickly moves to her time in "Annie Get Your Gun." It's full of anecdotes and memories, all delivered with a playful attitude that Mary Ellen still maintains at the spry young age of 86.

Please check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for previous podcast episodes, links to videos related to the productions I talk about, and additional fun facts and stories. For more on Mary Ellen Ashley, check out her website. 

"Torch Song Trilogy" was a ground-breaking production and opened many doors for openly gay artists. It launched the career of Harvey Fierstein who would go on to write and perform in some additionally landmark shows on Broadway. In my hometown, it also was a landmark of sorts for one local actor, Keegan Ferrell. The recent college graduate was slated to be the understudy of the lead role, Arnold Beckoff, but ended up performing the opening weekend of the show due to an illness in the cast.

In our fun conversation, Keegan talks about that experience as well as providing some sense of what the "youths" these days might know about this seminal play in theater history.  And man, what a load of interesting theater history this show captures - incubating at La MaMa first as three separate plays before being combined, launching Matthew Broderick as well as Fierstein, gaining the support of the Glines who heroically raised money for the move to Broadway, becoming a sensation just as the AIDS crisis was emerging -- there's just so much!

That's one of many reasons you should pick up the book "In the Long Run" by Jordan Schildcrout that has a chapter all about "TST" and go to my website, ChasingPhantom.net, to see clips and find out more fun facts about the show!

We all know that sex sells, but is that the only thing that drove thousands of people to see "Equus" back in the mid-1970s? Listen in on my discussion with McLean Fletcher  as we discuss the explosive intersection of sex, religion and psychology that playwright Peter Schaffer squeezes into this sometimes disturbing tale.

McLean starred in the Cadence Theatre production of the play in 2015 as Jill Mason, one of two characters who spend an extended scene naked on stage. McLean argues that the nudity wasn't really the point but also, in many ways, really was the point. She's smart, insightful and absolutely delightful in her analysis of the show, as well as a big fan of the Daniel Radcliffe starring revival in 2008.

And the episode provides a very specific reason to check out the related post on our website, ChasingPhantom.net. The short post is largely devotes to Frances Sternhagen, a Tony Award nominee for "Equus," that we tragically did not get a chance to talk about in the podcast. 

The chase is back on! Welcome to season 2 of the podcast dedicated to exploring...and sometimes explaining...Broadway's longest running shows!

Today's episode features a true Broadway history whiz: author, dramaturg & professor Jordan Schildcrout has studied long-running plays in more depth than perhaps anyone else on the planet. In his book, "In the Long Run: A Cultural History of Broadway's Hit Plays," Dr. Schildcrout looks at the Broadway landscape over more than 100 years, going deep on the longest running plays in each decade. It's a fascinating and super fun read filled with unexpected facts and interesting context. You can find out more about it at broadwayinthelongrun.com.

I asked Jordan to come on the podcast to talk about a show that has completely fallen off the radar of theater fans but that still stands as a breakthrough in history. "Lightnin'" was the first production to ever run more than 1,000 consecutive performances on Broadway after it opened back in 1918.

Though you may not know the play, you'll still want to listen in on our conversation exploring what the play's success said about the changes in professional theater at the time and what has happened to the long-running play since.

For links to video and some additional info on "Lightnin'," check out this episode's post on ChasingPhantom.net. You can also access previous episodes of the podcast and find more fun facts and information. Be sure to check out ChasingPhantom.net. We'll be back in 2 weeks!

We're back - better than ever! The second season of "Chasing Phantom" will feature celebrity guests, unexpectedly popular productions, and a cavalcade of trivia, insights and lively conversation about the longest running shows on Broadway. Be sure and check out the first episode where I chat with an author, professor and dramaturg who has written perhaps THE definitive book on long running plays.

That episode drops Sept. 4th and new episodes will follow every other week. Follow on Spotify now so you won't miss a single episode!

And be sure and check out our website, ChasingPhantom.net, for past episodes, additional information, photos and video clips.

"Promises, Promises" had a dream team of talent, both backstage and onstage. Neil Simon, Hal David, and Burt Bacharach are the big three, but it was also directed by Robert Moore ("The Boys in the Band" off-Broadway, "Woman of the Year") and choreographed by Michael Bennett. It was also based on an incredible movie, "The Apartment." What could go wrong?

Nothing did go wrong, really: the show was very popular and its best song, "Never Fall in Love Again," was a big radio hit. But it's another one of those shows that doesn't really age well, the gender dynamics and workplace ethics being wildly out of step with modern sensibilities. The movie came out at 1960, at the tail end of the 50s, a decade where the story makes more sense. By the end of the 60s, with shows like "Hair" getting a lot of attention, this one seems like a dinosaur just on the edge of extinction. 

I had one of the captains of my dream team of guests in the studio talking to me about "Promises, Promises" - Dr. Jesse Rabinowitz, who actually saw the original production on Broadway when he was a pre-teen. He brings his usual mix of savvy analysis and rampant good humor to our lively conversation.

Wanna see just how odd of a routine "Turkey Lurkey Time" is? Check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for video clips from "Promises, Promises" as well as links to previous episodes.

For this very special episode, we welcome Barbra Streisand to "Chasing Phantom" to help us explore a show that was a monster hit in the 1930s. OK, it's more the spirit and definitely the Voice of Babs that highlights this exploration of "Pins and Needles," more than the actual person (though if someone wants to send me a Cease and Desist in such a way that my podcast blows up, I'm not above benefitting from the Streisand Effect!)

"Pins and Needles" foregrounded politics - union politics, no less - in a peppy, funny musical review that had all the powerful libs at the time happy as clams. The show leveraged the progressive humor of composer Harold Rome and a cast of actual union workers to draw consistently full houses for almost 4 years.

After thoroughly investigating the many rabbit holes the history of this production presents, I also give a little summary of the first season of Chasing Phantom and a little preview of the second season that will kick off in the fall.

And I couldn't have done any of it without Babs!

Check out the vintage clips and songs linked to at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the whole first season of conversation about Broadway's longest running shows. Have a question, complaint or suggestion? Please email me at davidhintztimberline@gmail.com.

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is responsible for Mark Zuckerberg. Don't believe me? Listen as accomplished actor, director and video wizard Matt Polson and I wander around in nerd culture for a while, discussing this seminal musical. More than any show before or since, "Spelling Bee" demonstrated the unique attractions of live theater: with intense audience interaction and ad-libs aplenty, every performance was truly unique and you never knew what would unfold on any given night.

In this penultimate episode of season 1 of this podcast, Matt shares behind-the-scenes remembrances of how this show challenged him as an actor and makes the case that, in terms of audience response, this may be one of the best musicals ever.

There is plenty of video of the original cast of "Spelling Bee" that you can see at ChasingPhantom.net. Please drop me a line at davidhintztimberline@gmail.com with comments, questions and suggestions.

Once again, the joy of this podcast for me is getting schooled on stuff I don't know about. In talking about "Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk," Dr. Julinda Lewis introduces me to a flurry of tap dance masters from the past that were influences on young Savion Glover. Glover first broke into the public consciousness in "The Tap Dance Kid," but with "Bring in 'da Noise," he solidified his standing as one of the most accomplished dancer / choreographers in Broadway's history. And he was only 22!

It's particularly timely to talk about "Bring in 'da Noise" this year because of the most recent Oscars awards. A still-young Jeffrey Wright was one of the stars of "Noise" and the show was developed and directed by George Wolfe. Wright was nominated for an Oscar this year for "American Fiction" and Wolfe was the producer/director of "Rustin" that garnered a nom for Colman Domingo (and that also featured Wright).

You will definitely want to check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for video of two of the tap masters that Julinda mentions, Peg Leg Bates and Sandman Sims. And please drop me a line at davidhintztimberline@gmail.com with comments, questions and suggestions.

Before the iconic picture of Marilyn Monroe with her white dress billowing over a subway grate obliterated any other reference point, "The Seven Year Itch" was a long-running Broadway show. In fact, it was the longest running show of the 1950s and cemented the star power of the actor Tom Ewell who is not regularly remembered today (even though he would later star in the American premiere of "Waiting for Godot").

Just those facts alone make talking about this show interesting. Add in that my guest is psychologist / old movie superfan Jesse Rabinowitz, PhD, who calls "Itch" the "anti-Blue Velvet" and you have all the ingredients for a fascinating -- and occasionally spicy -- conversation about yet another "classic" that perhaps should be relegated to the dust bin of theatrical history.

Please be sure and check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for bonus material, links to videos, and additional facts and figures related to Broadway's longest running shows.  And please drop me a line at davidhintztimberline@gmail.com -- I'd love to hear from you!

Leapin' Lizards, what is going on here? Chasing Phantom has been methodically working through the list of 1,000+ performances on Broadway from the bottom up but, this week, we take a radical leap into the higher realms of theater success with an exploration of the much-heralded, often-rejiggered, musically-rich smash that is "Annie."

And I know no one better to dig into the history and lore of this Broadway classic than "Annie" superfan, Holly Timberline. Given that she was a working musical theater actress when we met, it wasn't long into our relationship that I found out about her deep-seated, abiding love of this orphan-palooza. After we were married and had children of our own, "Annie" quickly became part of our family lexicon. The kids sand "It's the Hard Knock Life" when they were happy, "Castle on a Cloud" from "Les Mis" when they were sad.

Not only does Holly know a lot of early days "Annie" facts that only real fans know, she went to the original production multiple times when she was a teenager so saw different actors in various roles and met many of the youngsters playing orphans. We both relate our experiences seeing subsequent revivals and the most recent touring production that is currently appearing in cities across the country.

Be sure and check out the Chasing Phantom website for links to supplemental videos and other content related to this all-time favorite show. And please email davidhintztimberline@gmail.com with questions, comments, complaints or suggestions for future episodes!

If you're reading this, I expect either you or someone you know has been in a production of "Guys and Dolls." There are so many reasons this show is a classic, from the colorful supporting characters to the silly romantic misadventures to the unbelievably catchy songs. The show has been revived 5 times but the 1992 production really set the template for how to successfully dust off a classic and breathe new life into it. It also was haled as a savior of American musicals at the time and proved the first of 3 key steps in the elevation of Nathan Lane from steady Broadway regular to superstar.

There's no one better suited to analyze the arrival of this singular hit back in 1992 than Phil Crosby, the executive director of Richmond Triangle Players. This is Phil's fourth appearance on the pod and, as per usual, he supplements his first-hand knowledge of the production with behind-the-scenes background on several of the key players in the show. Listen to hear why Phil considers this show "practically perfect."

And more than ever, you are going to want to check out our website, ChasingPhantom.net, for links to two priceless resources: 1) a two-hour opening night special covering "Guys and Dolls" highly-anticipated first official performance on Broadway and 2) the YouTube copy of the DVD "Guys and Dolls: Off The Record," the behind-the-scenes look at the recording of the production's cast album. Check it out!

It's both a relief and a delight when a show that premiered on Broadway more than 50 years ago isn't a challenge or a slog to get through. "Butterflies Are Free" is a play about a young blind man out on his own for the first time but, thanks to its breezy good humor, is also a fun and satisfying romantic comedy. For an older show, it has a wonderfully progressive non-ableist message but, instead of clobbering the audience with it, it lets some fairly realistic characters convey the lessons in a believable way. And as a nice bonus, all of the leads in the movie version are fabulous so you can enjoy this story anytime, oh like maybe on Valentine's Day!

Speaking of fabulous, my guest for the episode is Matt Bloch, an accomplished actor who played the lead character in "Butterflies" back in 2010. Just a college student at the time, he had the challenge of playing a person with a visual disability as one of his first professional gigs. Matt has a lot of insightful and fun things to say about the production he was in and about a more recent show he just appeared in that also prompts interesting thoughts about the portrayal of characters with disabilities on stage.

It's a great conversation that you're going to love! And if you like it, check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for previous episodes and more clips and commentary! Also, write me at davidhintztimberline@gmail.com with questions, comments, or concerns, OR if you'd like to be a guest talking about one of Broadway's longest running productions. See you back here in two weeks!

We start off 2024 with an old show that has surprising relevance today because of a very recent -- and somewhat confounding -- revival. "Plaza Suite" first premiered back in Neil Simon's imperial period when his shows were selling out before people even knew what they were about. Three vignettes that share a setting -- the same suite at the Plaza Hotel in NYC -- and a jaded view of American coupledom. It's a lot of dark stuff...when it's not downright uncomfortable.

Rich Griset once again joins the podcast to try to figure out what about this show might compel Matthew Broderick and Sara Jessica Parker to commit to it. It seems one motivation was clearly financial: the production ended up making nearly $30 million on Broadway. Is it just star power that is bringing people in or something more about this very (VERY) dated material? Listen to get our thoughts.

Also, please check out the recently updated website, ChasingPhantom.net, to review the movement of your favorite shows on the big list of Broadway's longest running productions. And see you back here in two weeks!

What a perfect way to end the year in quintessential Broadway fashion! For this episode I'm talking about "Fosse," the 1999 musical dance revue that featured what may be considered the "greatest hits" of choreographer Bob Fosse's career. The show was a smash hit at the turn of the century and was one of several dance-centric shows (e.g., Contact) that were drawing audiences at the time.

And I couldn't be more excited to be talking about Fosse with someone who has danced Fosse routines and studied Fosse techniques at Broadway Dance Center, the dancer / choreographer Kayla Xavier. She edifies me on a number of technical aspects of Fosse's style as we dig into the depiction of his singular talent as featured in this show.

As mentioned, a full broadcast version of "Fosse" is available on YouTube. After you listen to this conversation, I'd recommend checking it out -- it's worth a rewatch.

And of course, please check out previous episodes of the podcast and other write-ups related to Broadway's longest running shows at my website, Chasing Phantom. 

For the first of several Neil Simon creations that this series will consider, we start off with one that may be a "meh" to listen to but is still fun to talk about if only for the speculation about what could have possibly motivated to keep this show running for 3 years.

"They're Playing Our Song" is a fictionalization of the relationship between composer Marvin Hamlisch and the lyricist Carole Bayer Sager. Apologies to those who may love this show but it just doesn't hold up to modern scrutiny. And luckily I've invited a first-class scrutinizer to talk to about the show: Rich Griset, freelance writer and theater critic extraordinaire.

It's about music, it's about race relations, but it's NOT about how to be a good radio disc jockey. In giving a very loose account of the rise and fall of true-life music pioneer Dewey Phillips, the musical "Memphis" amps up the conflicts - which you would expect - in part by making the Phillips surrogate, Huey Calhoun, kind of an asshole. Still, the story of a DJ breaking conventions of the 1950s by playing "race records" on white radio stations is very compelling, has great songs and downright electrifying choreography. So how did I not even know about this show?

I explore that question, and many much more interesting ones, in my conversation with true-life radio DJ and amazing human, Melissa Chase. While Huey Calhoun becomes a sensation in "Memphis" by breaking into the DJ booth at a radio station and locking everyone else out, Melissa became a star by being really good at her job. A lot of being a good radio DJ comes down to a person's voice and I am a big fan of Melissa's as it was a near-constant refrain during the mid-2000s in my life running kids to and from school. She has that wonderful quality of always having a smile in voice.

One of the best things related to this show is that a very high-quality filmed version of the Broadway show is available to stream. I highly recommend it for what is about as close to a live theater experience as you can get.

You're going to want to check out the video clips from this show at my website, Chasing Phantom.net. And if you want to stream "Memphis," here's a link to the YouTube version. 

With this episode, Chasing Phantom inaugurates an intermittent series on shows that haven't technically made it over the 1,000 performance mark but are on the fast track to getting there.

SIX was the answer to Broadway fans' pent up demand when the theater world emerged from the pandemic and it's still packing theaters in NYC as well as in houses across the country thanks to its first national tour. While only at 850+ performances at this recording, there's no reason to think that it'll cross the 1,000 performance threshold early next year and start shooting up the longest running shows list.

Given that SIX is a fan-driven show / phenomenon,  we brought on a Chasing Phantom fan on to talk about the show, Kathy Kreutzer. Not only is she a long-time fan of theater, she has many insightful and articulate things to say about it. Is SIX theater or a glorified concert? How close does the show get to the historical facts, and does it really matter. We dig into those questions and more, interspersed as always with some choice sonic nuggets from the production. Enjoy!

Find out more about "SIX" at ChasingPhantom.net.

Look, everyone knows this show was bonkers and, even after running more than 1,000 performances, was possibly the biggest money loser in Broadway's history. It'd be easy to just rag on "Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark" -- and it certainly deserves to be made fun of -- but I wanted to talk a little bit more about why it failed and also, what little sparks of goodness it might have sparked in its wake.

For that kind of conversation, I couldn't bring in an expert -- few people I know saw this show. So I take on the task myself since I did see it and still have vivid memories of the experience. This will be a different kind of "Chasing Phantom" episode but one I think (hope) you'll enjoy.

Read more about "Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark" and Broadway's other longest running shows at ChasingPhantom.net.

Marrying slices of Shakespeare with perhaps Cole Porter's finest score, "Kiss Me Kate" is one of the ultimate old Broadway hits. Fashioned as a response to "Oklahoma" and built with sturdy story beats that have allowed it to be revived as recently as 3 years ago, "Kate" has lore and legend to explicate for days.

So OF COURSE we had to bring back in Phil Crosby, Executive Director of Richmond Triangle Players, for another chat. Not only does Phil have plenty to say about "Kate," he adds related background on why the Barter Theatre is called that and what motivated certain casting choices, while also confirming a rumor related to Broadway star Alfred Drake based on his own experience working with him.

Read more about "Kiss Me Kate" and check out related videos at ChasingPhantom.net.

"It transformed my life." That's the kind of statement you want from someone talking about a cultural experience. "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" broke all sorts of barriers on Broadway in 1972 but it is not well known today. Even so, its impact is felt in the people it influenced like my guest, Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, or as she is affectionately known as, Dr. T.

The celebrated playwright, actor, director, and activist saw "Don't Bother Me" when she was in high school and it was a foundational experience, setting her on the path she's followed in her career. Even if you don't know this show, you'll want to listen to Dr. T talk about how she came to it and what she took away from it.

Find out more about "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com.

For better or worse, the song "Freedom" is one of the most persistent earworms around but what do we think about the show that spawned such a tenacious tune? "Shenandoah" used to be a regional favorite but hardly ever gets produced these days, despite family-friendly themes, an even balance of comedy and tragedy, and a generally tuneful score.

Tom Width, esteemed producing artistic director at Swift Creek Mill Theatre in Colonial Heights has acted in the show and directed it so knows both its history and its appeal. Our conversation not only parses "Shenandoah" but provides insight into the behind-the-scenes  dynamics in producing such a show and why it might not be the first choice for revival these days.

Find out more about "Shenandoah" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com.

Watch out -- it's the 50s! The romantic dynamics, not to mention the workplace politics and the capitalistic shenanigans, might seem like artifacts from ancient history in the plucky musical, "The Pajama Game." The show jump-started careers left and right, from folks like Bob Fosse and Shirley MacLaine, to more theater insider famous people like Hal Prince. It also enchanted many a theater-goer with its central love story between too hard-chargers, Babe and Sid, whose professional conflicts threaten their budding relationship.

Luckily, Phil Crosby is back to help my parse it all. Plus he relates truly fascinating anecdotes from his first-hand experience working with John Raitt (Bonnie's father) and Mister George Abbott.

Hm, come to think of it, the capitalistic shenanigans seem pretty darn modern so that, in addition to a damn fine score, makes "The Pajama Game" worthy of a look and definitely makes this conversation worth a listen.

Find out more about "The Pajama Game" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com.

It's a show that you wish was just about the songs -- "There's No Business Like Show Business," "I've Got the Sun in the Morning," etc. -- but, for better or worse, it's set in a time (late 19th century) and place (the Wild West, still somewhat populated by Native Americans), that requires contextualization. The 1999 revival tried and also brought in blockbuster star, Bernadette Peters, to add star power. Ironically, Reba McEntire ended up being the breakout personality when she took over the role.

I talk through all of this with the delightful Robyn O'Neill who starred in a 2005 production of the show that was modeled in part after the 1999 revival. Learn about Robyn's past as a stalker, how her production picked and chose which aspects of the show to use, and about a special someone she started dating during the production's run.

Find out more about "Annie Get Your Gun (1999 revival)" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com.

Hey there, Chasing Phantom phans! We're taking a little break this week from chasing after all that theater-related historical yumminess in order to introduce you to a brand spanking new podcast, Didn't Read It! Grace Todd, our podcast partner for Convince Me I Care, has embarked on this new adventure and we're very excited to get her expert's perspective on books you should have read but haven't.

Come back in two weeks for more phantastic Phantom phun!

Welcome back to the wacky 1950s! It may be a little mind-boggling that a show so prominently featuring an actor in yellowface ran longer on Broadway than beloved classics like "Grand Hotel" and "Damn Yankees!" But the 50s were an ... "interesting" ... time and, for all its downsides, this is a show that had some surprisingly progressive elements.

The movie version starred none other than Marlon Brando which necessitated bringing back my buffest of movie buff friends, Dr. Jesse Rabinowitz, to dig into this fascinating history. And our old friend from (yikes) "Never Too Late," Paul Ford, also makes a jump-scare appearance.

Find out more about "The Teahouse of the August Moon" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com. 

The first revival on the list also happens to be my personal favorite show of all time. In honor of the occasion, I have invited a panel of Les Mis experts to talk about the differences between the stage production and the movie, how perceptions of Les Miserables can change over a fan's life, and how children take in (or don't) the complex moral framework of the show.

This is a panel of experts unlike any other including an occupational therapist, a doctor, and a social worker. You want a range of perspective? You've got it!

Find out more about "Les Miserables (2014 revival)" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com. 

Am I too on the nose here? Pretty much any time seems like a good time to reflect on the founding of the United States of America, but boy howdy, does this current time we're in seem like a specifically good time to do so. The musical "1776" is a not-quite-historically-correct dramatization of the drafting and ratification of the Declaration of Independence. It focuses on John Adams as the instigator, the leader who pushes a reluctant Continental Congress toward making a historic decision.

This is a show focused nearly-exclusively on men so it was fascinating and unexpected when Debra Clinton directed the 2016 Virginia Repertory Theatre production of the musical. Deb is an exceptional director (and actor and original show developer) and has some great insight into her experience of herding an oversized cast of alpha males toward a single artistic goal.

As always, please check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for video clips and more information related to "1776." This will be particularly useful if you want a push to consider watching (or rewatching) the movie version of this musical. Please reach out to me at davidhintztimberline@gmail.com with suggestions, questions or feedback of any kind. Also, not that it will impact much of anything, this podcast stands with Ukraine.

In honor of Independence Day, we talk about a show that is as All-American as apple pie, featuring America's favorite pastime: selling your soul to the devil. No, no, no -- I mean, baseball!

Through the magic of Zoom, the amazing and talented actress, director and producer Dawn Westbrook joins the pod to talk about bringing Lola to life, a role that some folks still remember her for.

Find out more about "Damn Yankees" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com. 

It is classic, quintessential Broadway: the Tommy Tune directed musical, "Grand Hotel." Strangers intersect in a hotel in 1930s Berlin with passion, crime and redemption the natural results, not to mention some snappy tunes and crowds of dancers choreographed to within an inch of their lives.

And as the perfect companion on the voyage, my guest is classic and quintessential as well: Phil Crosby, executive director of Richmond Triangle Players. We talk about one of the lesser known composer teams in the Broadway cannon, the delight generated by Michael Jeter, and the incredibly long road that "Grand Hotel" had to travel to finally land on Broadway.

Find out more about "Contact" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com. 

"Contact" was such an anomaly on Broadway that it inspired a new Tony Award category: Best Special Theatrical Event. It was a musical with pre-recorded music and a play with almost no dialogue. The producers called it a "dance play" and there's really been nothing like it since.

I explore the history and ramifications of this fascinating one-off with Julinda Lewis, Ed.D,, who has forgotten more about dance than I'll ever know. We discuss how dancers deal with pre-recorded music, how gestures can mean different things in different countries and many other fun tangents.

Find out more about "Contact" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com. 

How do you avoid talking about a dreadful show? You invite on a delightful guest! The so-called comedy, "Never Too Late," was a play that ran for an unbelievable 1,007 performances back in the early 1960s, remarkable given the lack of any discernible jokes. My pal, Jesse Rabinowitz, Ph.D., who has forgotten more about old movies than I will ever know, takes what could have been a relentless bashing of this show and expands it into a broader consideration of the evolution of comedy. It's a fast and fun discussion you don't need to be a theater fan to enjoy.

Find out more about "Never Too Late" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com. 

How the hell did they get away with this? Join me with a only slightly legalistic consideration of what they were thinking when they made "Beatlemania." It opened in 1977 when sadness about the supergroup's breakup was still running high. Not really a musical, the tribute concert was more a multimedia trip through the 1960s. My not-a-lawyer best pal, Randy Evans, chat about the relatively short winding road that this Broadway oddity went down before the real Beatles stopped feuding long enough to take action.

Find out more about "Big River" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com. 

Join Chasing Phantom for a rollicking ride down "Big River," the 1985 musical based on Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" that ran for 1,005 performances. My buddy, Christopher Haushalter, and I rave about Roger Miller's score, consider whether it's a show that requires racial recontextualization, and remember when John Goodman was just a curly-haired young lunk railing against the "Guv'ment." Chris saw the original production back in the day and recounts his first trip to Broadway back when NYC was a scary den of iniquity instead of a glitzy overpriced tourist destination.

Find out more about "Big River" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com. 

In the inaugural episode of "Chasing Phantom," I review and reflect on "Newsies," the Disney screen-to-stage adaptation that ran for 1,004 performances. I am joined by Dr. Caroline Weist, a professor at University of Richmond, who augments her "Newsies" fandom with insightful commentary on the differences between the movie and stage versions of the story, while I mostly geek out on how talented Jeremy Jordan is.

Find out more about "Newsies" at ChasingPhantom.net and check out the other podcasts in the TimberTodd Pods family at timbertoddpods.com. 

On April 16th, 2023, the historic run of "Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway will end just shy of 14,000 performances. While the next closest show will need to run at least 9 more years to catch it, the door is now open for some other production to eventually surpass this incredible number. "Chasing Phantom" will look at those contenders, in addition to the more than 100 other Broadway productions that have run for more than 1,000 performances. Join your host, David Timberline, theater critic and arts feature writer for Style Weekly, as he invites experts, friends and theater fans to weigh in on some of Broadway's best...or at least most popular. 

Episodes drop every 2 weeks starting April 12th, 2023.

Nope - I am definitely NOT making any kind of political statement by doing an episode on "Cabaret" at this specific moment. Nope, not at all. My delightful conversation with actor and director Doug Schneider steers clear of any chatter about what's happening in politics in America right now. But, that said, this is certainly a good show to revisit if you want a dramatic window into the insidious effects of the rise of right-wing political power.

Doug played Herr Schultz in two different productions and yet never got to sing his favorite song from the show, Meeskite. We talk about that and the fact that the so-called B Plot of the love story between Schultz and Frau Schneider, excised from the movie, is really the heart of the story.

Doug also offers a story about where the song "Maybe This Time" came from (added to the movie, not in the original show). Since recording the episode, I've found out that the song was originally written for a musical called "Golden Gate" that was never produced. 

I will talk about "Cabaret" again in the future because the 1998 revival ran even longer than the original. So this is just the beginning of the conversation about this fascinating show. 

Be sure and check out ChasingPhantom.net for more Fun Facts related to this show and relevant video clips.

Valentine's Day has been commercialized to such an outrageous degree, pushing models of hetero-normative romantic commitment so hard that any other kind of love can end up seeming marginal or even invisible. That's one of the reasons why "Once" is such a fascinating story: a man and a woman fall into a certain kind of love but it's less romantic and more of a beautiful bridge that helps each of them get to a different place in their lives.

Another, more specifically theatrical reason to talk about "Once" is its weird journey from a small, scruffy movie into a bold, joyful and singular stage experience.

Lucky for me, and for you listeners, Nathaniel Shaw has firsthand knowledge of "Once" on Broadway thanks to his work with choreographer Steven Hoggett on the show. Nathaniel also staged an amazing production of "Once" himself back in 2019. He brings his insight and perspective on the show, plus an ornery take on the state of the American musical, to bear in our expansive conversation, all in smooth dulcet tones that will practically melt your eardrums.

As always, please check out ChasingPhantom.net for more information and video clips of the show - this is definitely the kind of show where you want to see the movement and the energy. Reach out at any time with comments, complaints or just to say 'hi' to davidhintztimberline@gmail.com. 

When you want to hear about Michael Jackson, it's best to talk to the man himself...or, given the impossibility of that, the man who's playing him. As of New Year's Eve 2024, the actor playing the title role in "MJ: The Musical" on the show's first national tour has been Jordan Markus. Markus worked his way up into the role, starting as an understudy, moving into the alternate role, and then finally hitting the top of the marquee after more than a year with the tour.

Markus lends me some insight into the workings of "MJ: The Musical" and talks about his process for inhabiting such a challenging show. Since this show is relative newcomer to the Broadway scene - it opened in 2022 - it doesn't have some of the rich lore of other long-running hits but I cover the background it does have in my introduction.

If you are a theater snob (like me...) you might write off a production like "MJ" as another one of those "spectacle" shows engineered to keep the tourists entertained on Broadway. Maybe...but it's worth looking at how exactly this show has managed to become so crazily popular so quickly, already approaching the Top 20 as one of the most lucrative shows ever.

More than ever, you are going to want to check out our website, ChasingPhantom.net, that includes more information and, especially, videos related to the show. This is a show that's all about how it looks and how it moves so you're going to want to watch some videos!

Happy New Year to all! During these cold winter months, there's nothing as cozy as an old-timey murder mystery and "Sleuth" is one of the twisty-est. Helping me navigate the plot -- not to mention the embedded commentary on class, race and misogyny -- is Grace Todd. As a literature doyenne with the fabulously entertaining podcast, Didn't Read It, Grace has a perfectly tuned perspective on what playwright Anthony Shaffer is playing at with this complex, tete-a-tete between two British gentlemen.

Bolstered by a fantastic movie adaptation, "Sleuth" was a supremely popular play, both on Broadway and then in regional theaters the world over. It has been surpassed in the years since by other murdery stage stories, but it's definitely worth a fresh look. The opportunities for two gifted actors to chew the hell out of some scenery are rampant and the double and triple blinds that unfold are satisfying even to the modern viewer already jaded by more modern plot machinations.

Grace and I have a great time pulling apart the various components of "Sleuth" and Grace, always the dutiful reader, shares some insights from her reading of play that will be intriguing to folks like me who have only seen the movie.

As always, please check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more fun facts related to "Sleuth" and video clips of or related to the show. I'll be back in your feed in two weeks!

Happy Hanukkah! Oh, and Merry Christmas, but to be honest, this is more of a Hanukkah-forward episode, only because "Brighton Breach Memoirs" is very succinctly the story of a Jewish American family, the challenges, foibles and laughs shared amongst the family members as they struggle through tough economic times in the 1940s.

For this episode, the holidays arrived just a little early because I got to reconnect with Jill Bari Steinberg, the amazing actress and wonderful mensh of a human being. JB played Kate Jerome, the matriarch of the Jerome family, in two productions at Virginia Repertory Theatre, first in "Brighton Beach," and then later in "Broadway Bound." Her insight and reflections on the show and its depiction of the Jewish experience are illuminating and the short trip down memory lane was a true treat for me, and I hope for you to listen to.

The result (I think) of my first interview with Jill Bari Steinberg can still be found out there on the Interwebs. And here's the announcement of her being recognized as one of Richmond's Top 40 Under 40.

And, as always, please be sure to check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for video clips and other fun background on "Brighton Beach." Happy holidays, everyone! I'll see you in 2025!