Few musicals have captured the hearts of audiences quite like Disney's ALADDIN. But did you know the beloved stage adaptation of the classic animation almost never came to be? This podcast pulls back the curtain on the untold story of ALADDIN's journey from conception to Broadway triumph. Join 11-time Emmy Award winning entertainment journalist for NY1 and NY1OnStage host Frank DiLella on an in-depth exploration that begins with the initial spark of a stage adaptation. We'll delve into the challenges faced during out-of-town tryouts, the unwavering determination to overcome them, and the celebration of reaching over a decade on Broadway – a remarkable feat in the world of musical theatre. This captivating series features exclusive conversations with the original cast and creative team behind ALADDIN including Alan Menken, Casey Nicholaw, James Monroe Iglehart, Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed, Sonya Balsara, Adi Roy and more as they recount their experiences with the show. Whether you're a lifelong Disney fan, a theatre enthusiast, or simply captivated by the magic of storytelling, this series is a must-listen. Unveil the untold story of ALADDIN and discover the passion, resilience, and drive that created a Broadway sensation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for an extraordinary deep dive inside the most transformative decade on Broadway through gripping behind-the-scenes accounts of shows such as Sunset Boulevard, Rent, Angels in America, Chicago, The Lion King, and The Producers - shows that changed the history of the American theater. Host Michael Riedel, author of the best-selling book Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway, has created a companion podcast featuring his never-before-heard, taped audio interviews with legendary artists from Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, Patti LuPone, and so many more. Michael presents the drama behind the decade’s mega-hits and shocking flops, bringing readers into high-stakes premieres, fraught rehearsals, tough contract negotiations, intense Tony Award battles, and more. From the bitter feuds to the surprising collaborations, all the intrigue of a revolutionary era in the Theater District is packed into Singular Sensation. Broadway has triumphs and disasters, but the show always goes on. Enjoy Singular Sensation: The Podcast everywhere you get your podcasts or use http://bpn.fm/singularsensation to listen and learn more, and be sure to get the book here: https://amzn.to/4cNdfO3. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She’s defied gravity as an Elphaba standby, “werked!” as Angelica Schuyler, and controlled minds as Allison Hargreeves on Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy. But before taking on these roles, Emmy Raver-Lampman had the unique experience of performing in the ensemble of the 2010 national tour of Hair, which ending up playing a Broadway theatre the following summer. Emmy joined me in the studio to chat all about making her Broadway debut and how her experiences as an ensemblist shaped her later work as a principal. Here’s our conversation... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 47th Annual Tony Awards were hosted by Liza Minnelli on June 6, 1993. Presented at the Gershwin Theatre, the theme of the ceremony was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of theatre in Times Square. Heading into the ceremony, Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Who’s Tommy led the pack with 11 nominations each, followed by Blood Brothers with six and The Goodbye Girl with five. This season there were no musicals nominated for Best Revival. Well, Mo, the 1992-93 season saw the inauguration of the US’s 42nd president, President Bill Jefferson Clinton and the installation of the nation’s first female attorney general, Janet Reno. Outside of those momentous occasions, the country was mainly dealing with ongoing issues, both abroad and domestically: The United States was still dealing with the aftermath of the Gulf War, waged by the previous administration, and with the nation finally acknowledging HIV/AIDS within the last few years as a nationwide epidemic, the US found itself playing catch-up to dealing with a plague that was ravaging its citizens. In New York, the Broadway industry and community were heavily laden by the effects of the AIDS epidemic, as we see in the telecast. Red ribbons everywhere; emotion overtaking hosts, presenters, and recipients alike; a nominated performance directly addressing the disease AND its stigma; and even an honorary Tony being given to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for its leadership in the industry’s fight against the disease... we ultimately find a community in mourning, even in this celebratory ceremony of the last hundred years of Broadway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month, we are collaborating with Broadway performer Shaye B. Hopkins and her new creation: Podcast Portraits. In this new podcast, Hopkins invites guests to share some of life's hairy and hilarious moments and thoughtfully reflect on how those experiences shaped who they are today. This Spring, we will share some of our favorite moments from her interviews, as well as speaking to Shaye herself about the creation of Podcast Portraits. On today’s episode, Shaye chats with Andre Jordan, her colleague on the upcoming Broadway mounting of Diana: A True Musical Story, Andre shares his audition process for the show, the experience of first preview and staying creative in a pandemic. Here’s their conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all heard the age old question when a new revival is announced is…why now? Why this show? The revival of Oklahoma in 2019 took a show that so many people know and truly opened eyes to new themes and new thoughts through a really unique production “sans the frills”. Cast member Will Mann shared about how it was created and why some major choices were made. Here’s our conversation! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Broadway shutdown due to the Coronovirus outbreak passes its catastrophic year anniversary, Megan Ort reflects on being one of the world’s few employed Ensemblists in 2020. As the female swing and Christine Daaé understudy in the World Tour of The Phantom of the Opera, Ort had the distinctly rare experience of being on stage in 2020, navigating international travel, and abiding by strenuous health-code practices in order to perform for sold-out audiences throughout Asia. An experience unlike any other, Ort explains what it was like to perform amidst pandemic fears while watching her home country become devastated by the disease from afar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I got to speak to one of my favorite people in the theatre industry. Historian Jennifer Ashley Tepper wrote the book of the history of Broadway theatres. In fact, she’s written four of them: her fourth volume of The Untold Stories of Broadway comes out this week. She joined me recently to tell me about why choosing a theatre is as important as casting your leading lady, to talk through some her favorite stories of the book and about writing a book in a pandemic when the artform she is writing about is on pause. Here’s our conversation... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month, we are collaborating with Broadway performer Shaye B. Hopkins and her new creation: Podcast Portraits. In this new podcast, Hopkins invites guests to share some of life's hairy and hilarious moments and thoughtfully reflect on how those experiences shaped who they are today. This Spring, we will share some of our favorite moments from her interviews, as well as speaking to Shaye herself about the creation of Podcast Portraits. On today’s episode, Shaye chats with Austen Danielle Bohmer. Her colleague on the upcoming Broadway mounting of Diana: A True Musical Story, Austen shares her education, both formal through university, and experiential teaching in India. Here’s their conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 61st Annual Tony Awards was presented at Radio City Music Hall on June 10, 2007. Just like the last ceremony, the 2007 Tonys had no host but instead a score of celebrity duos as presenters. Heading into the ceremony, two musicals were virtually tied for the most nominations: Spring Awakening with 11 nominations and Grey Gardens with 10. Also with a respectable set of 7 or 8 nominations were Curtains, Legally Blonde and Mary Poppins. Nominated for Best Revival were productions of Company, 110 in the Shade, The Apple Tree and A Chorus Line.  The 2006-2007 Broadway season found itself amidst many cultural highs and lows. Right in the middle of President George W. Bush’s second presidential term and his international “War on Terror,” the season witnessed the inauguration of the nation’s first female speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. On a more sober note, 2007 also saw the school shooting at Virginia Tech, which remains the deadliest school shooting in the history of the United States. Culturally, the season also saw the inauguration of the very first version of Apple’s iPhone, propelling the world solidly into the age of the smartphone, allowing all the actors in New York to be able to check their rehearsal schedules, and text their stage managers with they’re calling out, RIGHT from the comfort of their cell phone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a line in Come From Away that reads “Thank you shopping at Walmart - would like to come to my house for a shower?”Creepy out of context, but in show, it is example of people being helpful and open to other people in a way that feels unfathomable right now. Host Michael Fatica spoke with Alex Finke, a former cast member of Come From Away on Broadway about how this show has a whole new to ring to it in the midst of the events of this past year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Mo Brady talks with Aiko Nakasone - One of the 15 original cast members of Rent. In the conversation, Aiko shares how her experience creating theatre families has influenced her work as both a yoga instructor and financial educator.  Rent is celebrating it’s 25th anniversary this year, and a virtual celebration is streaming through Friday March 6th, 8pm Eastern as a part of New York Theatre Workshops 2021 Gala. Enjoy!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 61st Annual Tony Awards was presented at Radio City Music Hall on June 10, 2007. Just like the last ceremony, the 2007 Tonys had no host but instead a score of celebrity duos as presenters. Heading into the ceremony, two musicals were virtually tied for the most nominations: Spring Awakening with 11 nominations and Grey Gardens with 10. Also with a respectable set of 7 or 8 nominations were Curtains, Legally Blonde and Mary Poppins. Nominated for Best Revival were productions of Company, 110 in the Shade, The Apple Tree and A Chorus Line.  The 2006-2007 Broadway season found itself amidst many cultural highs and lows. Right in the middle of President George W. Bush’s second presidential term and his international “War on Terror,” the season witnessed the inauguration of the nation’s first female speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. On a more sober note, 2007 also saw the school shooting at Virginia Tech, which remains the deadliest school shooting in the history of the United States. Culturally, the season also saw the inauguration of the very first version of Apple’s iPhone, propelling the world solidly into the age of the smartphone, allowing all the actors in New York to be able to check their rehearsal schedules, and text their stage managers with they’re calling out, RIGHT from the comfort of their cell phone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashley Park's portrayal of the hilarious but lovable Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls earned Park nominations for seven separate theatre awards last season. But as I found out when I sat down to speak with her, those are qualities that she also portrayed in her first Broadway outing five years earlier, is an ensemble member in Mamma Mia! during the show's 12th year on Broadway. Here’s a conversation... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, host Kerstin Anderson talks with Daniel Goldstein, the associate director of Come From Away. He was one of the first theatre practitioners in the world to reopen theatre following the shutdown. He talks with Kerstin about traveling to Melbourne Australia to reopen the show, how the theatremaking experience was modified to keep people safe, as well as both the joy and trauma he believes theatregoers will experience as they are allowed to watch live performances once again Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor and playwright Rodney Hicks’ RENT journey began 25 years ago at New York Theatre Workshop, when he was just 21 years old. In 2007, Rodney would return to the Nederlander and take on the role of Benny, a part he once understudied a decade prior. Rodney can be seen as Benny in 2008’s RENT: Filmed Live on Broadway, a pro-shot of RENT’s final performance of the original Broadway production. Please enjoy our one-on-one with Rodney Hicks as he memorializes his early memories in the show, his personal journey of self growth and discovery, and what RENT means to him.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Choreographer and performer Charlie Williams is no stranger to The Ensemblist, nor is he a stranger to Disney’s mega musical, Frozen, which closed on Broadway last May, but has sparked new life internationally. Charlie has played a critical role in Frozen’s legacy, as both an ensemble performer and Associate Choreographer. When it came to mounting the show in Sydney, Australia, where audiences and performers can finally return to in-door gatherings and performance spaces, Charlie was the obvious choice to step in and train the show’s newest crop of ensemblists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disney’s Aladdin, beloved animated classic turned hit musical, opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam theater in March of 2014, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw with score by Alan Menkin, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin. Featuring both iconic songs originally written for the animated movie as well as some brand new tunes, it received five Tony nominations, and gave James Monroe Iglehart his first Tony win. Ho  Audiences have been dazzled, not only by 100,000’s of swarovski crystals, but the timeless story of street-rat to prince, and trapped princess turned independent woman. Since then the magic of Agrabah has been brought all over the world and to every corner of North America!  On today’s episode, we share some of our favorite stories from members of the Broadway and national tour casts of Aladdin, originally shared on the podcast or on our blog.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 38th Annual Tony Awards was hosted by Julie Andrews and Robert Preston on June 3, 1984. Presented at the Gershwin Theatre, current home of the long-running Wicked, the show featured three medleys dedicated to composers: John Kander and Fred Ebb, Jerry Herman and Stephen Sondheim. Heading into the ceremony, two musicals were virtually tied for the most nominations: Sunday in the Park with George with 10 nominations and La Cage aux Folles with nine. Baby and The Tap Dance Kid followed behind with seven nominations each. This season there were no musicals nominated for Best Revival. The 1983-84 Broadway season spanned a time with many notable events. Marking the final year of President Ronald Reagan’s first term, 1984 found itself a leap year, an election year, and a Summer Olympics year, which the US hosted in Los Angeles, CA; in an internationally petty move, our long-time Cold War rivals, The Soviet Union, boycotted those games. This season also saw the creation of the federal holiday to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with Reagan having signed its originating bill the previous November. This year also would see the founding of Canada’s famed entertainment company, Cirque du Soleil. In New York, one of the largest events to take place, and it is mentioned in the telecast, is that A Chorus Line makes history as the longest running musical on Broadway; after eight years, and 3,389 performances, A Chorus Line broke the record on September 29th, 1983. It would continue to hold that record until 1997, when it was overtaken by Cats. Today it holds the Number 7 spot on the list of longest running Broadway musicals, surpassed only by Phantom, the Chicago revival, The Lion King, the original production of Cats, Wicked, and the original production of Les Miserables. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following the journey of The Addams Family has been surprising. Before I started, I wasn’t even sure the original creative team would want to go on record with me about the show’s tumultuous development. And yet, their gracious excitement to jump back into the world of The Addams Family showed me something that I hadn’t experienced as a member of the Broadway cast: many people like this show. First and foremost on that list was book co-author Rick Elice, who enjoyed getting his hands dirty as he wrote and rewrote the book to uncover clearer and more specific obstacles for his characters. Also on that list were Dontee Kiehn and Steve Bebout who, after closing the Broadway and national tours, went on to stage many, many well-received productions of the musical around the globe. And then there were those who are mounting the show now: the teachers and students creating little Addams Families of their own all across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 38th Annual Tony Awards was hosted by Julie Andrews and Robert Preston on June 3, 1984. Presented at the Gershwin Theatre, current home of the long-running Wicked, the show featured three medleys dedicated to composers: John Kander and Fred Ebb, Jerry Herman and Stephen Sondheim. Heading into the ceremony, two musicals were virtually tied for the most nominations: Sunday in the Park with George with 10 nominations and La Cage aux Folles with nine. Baby and The Tap Dance Kid followed behind with seven nominations each. This season there were no musicals nominated for Best Revival. The 1983-84 Broadway season spanned a time with many notable events. Marking the final year of President Ronald Reagan’s first term, 1984 found itself a leap year, an election year, and a Summer Olympics year, which the US hosted in Los Angeles, CA; in an internationally petty move, our long-time Cold War rivals, The Soviet Union, boycotted those games. This season also saw the creation of the federal holiday to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with Reagan having signed its originating bill the previous November. This year also would see the founding of Canada’s famed entertainment company, Cirque du Soleil. In New York, one of the largest events to take place, and it is mentioned in the telecast, is that A Chorus Line makes history as the longest running musical on Broadway; after eight years, and 3,389 performances, A Chorus Line broke the record on September 29th, 1983. It would continue to hold that record until 1997, when it was overtaken by Cats. Today it holds the Number 7 spot on the list of longest running Broadway musicals, surpassed only by Phantom, the Chicago revival, The Lion King, the original production of Cats, Wicked, and the original production of Les Miserables. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bradley Gibson made his Broadway debut as a swing on the 2014 musical adaptation of Rocky. Since then, he created the role of Tyrone in A Bronx Tale The Musical and is currently storming the Pridelines as Simba in Broadway’s The Lion King. He joined me in the studio for a candid conversation about how race has played into his career thus far, and where he sees opportunities for better representation on Broadway stages. Here’s our conversation... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re talking about a musical that host Michael Fatica's middle school self would have loved - Spongebob Squarepants. I bet you’re thinking that it's just a musical for kids, but in his conversation with Oneika Phillips, she turns that misconception upside down. We chat about fake news, racism against squirrels, and so much more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly one year ago, Broadway went dark, leading to the longest emergency shutdown in Broadway’s 150 year legacy. Born out of this extended intermission have been a handful of grassroots movements to support those impacted within the theatre community. “When The Lights Are Bright Again,” by and for Broadway professionals, is a creative response to the shutdown, with 90% of proceeds benefiting The Actors Fund. We are privileged to present six touching letters to be featured in “When The Lights Are Bright Again,” immortalizing this unprecedented time in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the next five weeks, you’ll hear one at a time from the complete ensemble of the newest Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Hadestown, about the characters they’ve created and the careers that got them there. Afra Hines joined the company of Hadestown fresh off of her performance in the ensemble of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical where she also received the Legacy Robe. She was previously in the original companies Soul Doctor, Motown, Ghost and In the Heights. Afra has toured the country in one of the nation’s companies of Hamilton and was also featured as the show artwork for Shuffle Along: or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. In Hadestown, she plays Worker #2 and covers the role of Persephone. Here’s our conversation… (Note: We're aware that the audio from this interview is more "echoey" than our typical episode due to our recording location. However, we think that conversation is still great and hope that you'll enjoy!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In learning about how The Addams Family found popularity after its initial professional mountings, I wanted to dig one level deeper. Thanks to Jim Hoare at Theatrical Rights Worldwide, I had learned why the show was a popular choice for amateur and student groups. Beyond all of the reasons a school would choose The Addams Family, I wanted to know about their experience producing the show: How did their mountings vary from the professional production I had heard about, both those in the U.S. and around the world? And were these students able to experience a kind of joy working on the show that I didn’t experience in the Broadway company? Luckily, Jim himself was able and willing to connect me with one of the first high schools to produce an amateur production of The Addams Family: Rock Ridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia. A thriving theatre program with not one, but two full time theatre teachers, Rock Ridge produced the show as its fall musical in the 2017-2018 school year. And lucky for me, I was able to speak to both of those theatre teachers about how their students experienced the show... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Aisha Jackson has been a constant presence on Broadway stages for the last five years. Starting as a swing on Beautiful and then creating one of the ensemble tracks in Waitress, this month she finishes her run as the Anna standby in Frozen on Broadway. She joined me in the studio to talk about her experiences as an actress of color, particularly in taking on characters created by her cauasian counterparts. Here’s our conversation... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 53rd Annual Tony Awards were held at the Gershwin Theatre on June 6, 1999. Unlike every other award ceremony we’ve discussed in this miniseries, the show did not have a formal host. Heading into the ceremony, the closed Lincoln Center Theatre production of Parade led the pack with nine nominations. Following closely behind was the eventual winner for Best Musical: Fosse. Also in the running for Best Musical were It Ain’t Nothin But The Blues and The Civil War with four and two nominations, respectively. In the race for Best Revival of a Musical were You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Little Me with four nominations, and Annie Get Your Gun with three nominations, followed by Peter Pan with a singular nomination, for Best Revival. The 1998-1999 Broadway season found itself in a very tumultuous time in US history. Smack-dab in the middle of President Bill Clinton’s second term in office, domestically the country was facing a multitude of newsworthy events: among them were the impeachment and acquittal of said president in the scandal involving Monica Lewinsky, the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, WY, and the mass school shooting in Columbine, CO that would sadly become the first of a number of school shootings in the nation, in what the Washington Post would eventually refer to as a “uniquely American crisis” in 2018. Abroad the world was embroiled in the Kosovo War, which permeated the American zeitgeist as well.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Black History Month… let’s do it. Today I do not want to go on and on and saturate you with more sad news. Key word of the day is celebrate, so we shall do such. The rest of this episode is a party, so go grab your drinks and relax. After a moment of silence for all those we’ve lost, please enjoy the stylings of DJ Malcolm Flex featuring the work of up-and-coming Black artists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In my conversations with the original creative team of The Addams Family, I was learning how the show was refined and restructured to become a success on tour and around the world. But this wasn’t bridging the gap between these professional productions and the success the show has seen in schools and non-professional settings. So I reached out to the folx who were in charge of sharing The Addams Family with legions of schools across North America: Theatrical Rights Worldwide.  With a mission to cultivate and extend the production life of musicals to all theatrical marketplaces, TRW is responsible for licensing amateur productions of theatrical properties to student and amateur producers across the country and (in fact, as their name suggests) the world. I spoke with Jim Hoare, their Executive Vice President of Education and Community Initiatives about how the show became a part of the TRW catalogue. A former high school theatre teacher himself, he has directed over one hundred shows and musicals, including the first high school production of Once On This Island and the world’s first production of Les Miserables, School Edition. Over the phone, Jim shared expert knowledge of what has made The Addams Family such a popular choice for amateur licensing. Here’s our conversation... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 53rd Annual Tony Awards were held at the Gershwin Theatre on June 6, 1999. Unlike every other award ceremony we’ve discussed in this miniseries, the show did not have a formal host. Heading into the ceremony, the closed Lincoln Center Theatre production of Parade led the pack with nine nominations. Following closely behind was the eventual winner for Best Musical: Fosse. Also in the running for Best Musical were It Ain’t Nothin But The Blues and The Civil War with four and two nominations, respectively. In the race for Best Revival of a Musical were You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Little Me with four nominations, and Annie Get Your Gun with three nominations, followed by Peter Pan with a singular nomination, for Best Revival. The 1998-1999 Broadway season found itself in a very tumultuous time in US history. Smack-dab in the middle of President Bill Clinton’s second term in office, domestically the country was facing a multitude of newsworthy events: among them were the impeachment and acquittal of said president in the scandal involving Monica Lewinsky, the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, WY, and the mass school shooting in Columbine, CO that would sadly become the first of a number of school shootings in the nation, in what the Washington Post would eventually refer to as a “uniquely American crisis” in 2018. Abroad the world was embroiled in the Kosovo War, which permeated the American zeitgeist as well.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Clubhouse? Leroy Church, associate producer on the Clubhouse production of Dreamgirls, gives us an inside look at creating theatre on an emerging app with some on Broadway's greatest performers. What has brought Sheryl Lee Ralph, Marisha Wallace, Gerald Caesar, Amber Riley, Kayla Davion, Raena White, Jelani Remy, Nick Rashad Burroughs and more to this show? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, actor Raymond J. Lee talks about the Grammy nominated off Broadway show Soft Power.  Host Michael Fatica was blown away by how cleverly it deals with super touchy topics about race, democracy, traditional theatre and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In my journey to chronicle the transformation of The Addams Family musical through its many incarnations, I was starting to understand what made the show so unique. Most first national tours are essential replicas of the Broadway production, but The Addams Family’s was not. Launching in the fall of 2011, the touring version of the show turned the focus onto the family, including a wedding in the curtain call. It changed the primary conflict from between Wednesday and her parents to between the parents themselves, as I learned from the show’s co-writer Rick Ellis.. It included a lot of new music and musical staging for both Gomez and Morticia that highlighted that conflict, as I heard from associate choreographer Dontee Kiehn. And it doubled down on the humor, adding as many jokes as could fit into the script and staging said associate director Steve Bebout.  And those changes worked. All three of those original creative members - Rick, Dontee and Steve - said that the continued clarification of the script, score and staging made the national tour an unequivocal success. Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune wrote, “It’s hard to think of another show that has been revised so heavily and, for the most part, successfully, by its admirably indefatigable original authors and composer.” But I started to wonder… was all that success a fluke? Was the tour just a success in comparison to what had come before? So I delved into the show’s next professional stagings, international productions with the same design, staging and style as the show’ national tour. Lovingly referred to as “replica productions,” the first international production opened in Sao Paulo Brazil in 2012, transferring to Rio de Janeiro the following year. Also in 2013, two replica productions were mounted in Australia and Argentina. The final replica production opened in Mexico City the following year. And luckily for my research, both original associate choreographer Dontee Kiehn and original associate director Steve Bebout were involved in mounting many of them... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're celebrating the birthday of one of our favorite leading ladies, Celia Keenan-Bolger. She is a four-time Tony Award nominee, winning for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 2019 for To Kill A Mockingbird. Beloved in the New York theatre community for almost twenty years, her first theatrical award was in 2005 for Outstanding Ensemble Performing in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Celia joined me in the studio to talk about her experience - both winning and not winning awards - and how a Best Ensemble Award is the closest to what made her love theatre in the first place. Here’s our conversation... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the next five weeks, you’ll hear one at a time from the complete ensemble of the newest Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Hadestown, about the characters they’ve created and the careers that got them there. Timothy Hughes made his Broadway debut in the 2012 production of Chaplin. However, he is probably best known for his role of Strong Man in the film The Greatest Showman and creating the role of Pabbie in the Broadway musical Frozen. In Hadestown, he plays Worker #5 and covers the role of Hades. Here's our conversation... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, we’re celebrating the 33rd anniversary of Broadway’s longest-running show, The Phantom of the Opera. Although the Majestic Theatre remains dark because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve dug deep into our archives to revisit some of our favorite stories from Phantom ensemblists.  First, we’ll hear from Jacob Keith Watson about performing in three Broadway shows over the course of one season. Then, Polly Baird will chat about joining the cast as a replacement and later putting replacements into the show herself as dance captain. Finally, Jackson Cline reads a 2018 interview with long-running cast members Satomi Hofmann & Janet Saia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 73rd Annual Tony Awards were held June 9, 2019 at Radio City Music Hall with James Corden hosting for his second time. Heading into the ceremony, Hadestown led with 14 nominations, followed by Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations with 12, Tootsie with 11, Beetlejuice with 8 and The Prom with 7. In the running for Best Revival of a Musical were just a pair of shows: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! and the Roundabout Theatre revival of Kiss Me, Kate. The 2018-2019 season was the last complete season on Broadway, since the 2019-2020 season was cut short this past March for two weeks...er, for two months...just kidding, we’re still here, due to the coronavirus pandemic, but I digress. 2019 marked the 3rd year of President Donald Trump’s term in office, and while he was rarely -- if not ever -- mentioned by name, his presence definitely loomed in the broadcast; from poignant speeches speaking out against demagoguery and systemic discrimination, to other beautiful speeches uplifting representation and opportunity for immigrants and the disabled, and even in the content of the work being celebrated itself, this telecast -- and this season as a whole -- seemed to stand against all the hate and intolerance being shepherded by the recent administration… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the years, The Ensemblist has had the sublime opportunity to speak with four performers from a variety of Hamilton companies, each with their own unique memories and takeaways from the experience. Special thanks extend to performers Antuan Magic Raimone, Alexia Sky, Rebecca Covington Webber, and Kim Taylor for recalling their experiences with us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the not-so secret secrets in this show about secrets is that The Addams Family went through massive structural changes multiple times on its way to becoming the most popular musical in America. Many of the changes were noted in my previous discussions with Rick Elice and Dontee Kiehn: solidifying the focus on the family, the addition of the wedding curtain call. But both Rick and Dontee had been with the show since before rehearsals for its pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago. I wanted to speak to someone who was a part of the changes made on the show’s journey to Broadway. So I called up Steve Bebout. Steve Bebout has worked as the associate director on four massive Broadway musicals, including Something Rotten!, The Book of Mormon and Sister Act. But, like me, The Addams Family was Steve’s Broadway debut. We both initially were outsiders entering the world of this lumbering imperfect production. So I wanted to get his take on what made the show work from when he first joined the team in late 2009. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 73rd Annual Tony Awards were held June 9, 2019 at Radio City Music Hall with James Corden hosting for his second time. Heading into the ceremony, Hadestown led with 14 nominations, followed by Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations with 12, Tootsie with 11, Beetlejuice with 8 and The Prom with 7. In the running for Best Revival of a Musical were just a pair of shows: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! and the Roundabout Theatre revival of Kiss Me, Kate. The 2018-2019 season was the last complete season on Broadway, since the 2019-2020 season was cut short this past March for two weeks...er, for two months...just kidding, we’re still here, due to the coronavirus pandemic, but I digress. 2019 marked the 3rd year of President Donald Trump’s term in office, and while he was rarely -- if not ever -- mentioned by name, his presence definitely loomed in the broadcast; from poignant speeches speaking out against demagoguery and systemic discrimination, to other beautiful speeches uplifting representation and opportunity for immigrants and the disabled, and even in the content of the work being celebrated itself, this telecast -- and this season as a whole -- seemed to stand against all the hate and intolerance being shepherded by the recent administration… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s 2021, and the theatre industry is still shut down. In this new series, “The Shows We Need”, Michael Fatica will try to identify pieces that we as a community need to come back when the theatre world resurfaces. We begin with Jagged Little Pill, which deals with many big social issues and starts new conversations. Guests Kei Tsuruharatani and Marc Kimelman chat about the creation of the show, how it has affected them, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The original production of The Addams Family was choreographed by Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo. Once a Broadway ensemblist himself, The Addams Family came along when Sergio had four productions running simultaneously on Broadway: our show, the long-running Jersey Boys, the sparse but beautiful musical staging in Next to Normal, and the Tony-Award winning production of Memphis. With this many shows under his purview, Sergio employed a team of talented associate choreographers to maintain his vision and keep the staging clean. And at The Addams Family, Sergio’s associate was the highly kind and highly capable Dontee Keihn. Also a former ensemblist, Dontee had been in the original Broadway ensemble of the famed 42nd Street revival, as well as the Bernadette Peters-led revival of Gypsy. Her journey with The Addams Family began as the associate choreographer for the show’s pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago. She maintained that position for the show’s Broadway run, as well as the national tour and stagings in both Brazil and Australia. She then took over the dual roles of associate director and associate choreographer for two more “replica” productions in Argentina and Mexico City. She was with the show as long as anybody, so she knows the staging of The Addams Family intimately and thoroughly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time to start 2021 with some joy. And what better way than to share something that’s been bringing me joy over the last few months: Let’s Hear It For The Choice. Created by Jimmy Larkin, Let’s Hear It For The Choice is a celebration of great musical theatre performances large and small. Jimmy has been sharing compilations of these bold statements, or “choices,” on his Instagram channel along with a heavy dose of dry but loving humor. He joined me recently to share what he thinks makes a great “choice” and some of his favorite ensemble choices of all time. Here’s our conversation… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 41st Annual Tony Awards were held June 6, 1987 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre with Angela Lansbury hosting for her third time. Heading into the ceremony, Me and My Girl and Les Miserables were neck in neck leading the pack for most nominations (with 13 and 12, respectively.) Behind them were Starlight Express with seven nominations and Rags with five. Although the category is titled “Best Revival of a Play or a Musical,” this season there were no musicals nominated. The 1986-87 season was smack-dab in the middle of a volatile time, but not particularly bombastic itself. We found ourselves in the middle of President Ronald Reagan’s second term, with both the Cold War, the War on Drugs, and the AIDS epidemic raging. (Interestingly enough, a week after this telecast is when Reagan makes his famous speech in Berlin where he asks Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.”) Also, this season occurred during the end of the Iran-Contra affair -- a political scandal that embroiled the country for about a year and a half, where the Reagan administration was found to be bartering arms for seven US hostages in the middle east...gotta love a quid pro quo… On Broadway, the British invasion was HERE. With three out of four of the Best Musical nominees being British imports, Cats alive and well at the Winter Garden, and Phantom opening in the West End and waiting in the wings for their Broadway house, it seemed like Cameron Mackintosh, the RSC, and all their contemporaries were taking over the Great White Way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So many of us experienced the unexpected in 2020. When the world stopped, we were forced to reckon with who we are without busy lives to distract us. That reckoning was most uncomfortable for the busiest among us, who were moving so fast they never took the time to stop. Paloma Garcia-Lee was one of the busiest of those artists. A verteran of six Broadway shows, she spent 2019 as an original company member of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, as well as playing a featured role in F/X’s Fosse/Verdon and playing Graziella in the upcoming Stephen Speilberg helmed feature film of West Side Story. She was running on all cylinders until March 12. Here, with what happened next, is Paloma Garcia-Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the next five weeks, you’ll hear one at a time from the complete ensemble of the newest Tony Award winner for Best Musical about the characters they’ve created and the careers that got them there.  Ahmad Simmons has performed in three original Broadway companies in the last four years: Cats, Carousel and now Hadestown. In addition to performing choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and Justin Peck, he was also featured this spring playing Ben Vereen on the F/X miniseries Fosse/Verdon. In Hadestown, he plays Worker #4 as well as understudying the roles of Hermes and Orpheus. Here’s our conversation... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My first stop on this journey was reaching out to an old colleague, Rick Elice. Along with Marshall Brickman, Rick wrote the book for the musical adaptation of The Addams Family. Rick and I’s path crossed a handful of times during my tenure with the original Broadway production: he was in the room when I had my final audition, he was in the building to put in new leads or when the show closed on New Year’s Eve 2011. But I mostly knew Rick from being the husband of our leading man, Roger Rees, who took over the role of Gomez Addams two months into my run. Last month, I sent an email to Rick for the first time in more than nine years. Imagine when he replied within 24 hours, excited about the opportunity to discuss the show. In the years since, Rick wrote the script for Peter and the Starcatcher, The Cher Show, and has maintained the multiple companies of his show Jersey Boys, currently the 12th longest running show in Broadway history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 41st Annual Tony Awards were held June 6, 1987 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre with Angela Lansbury hosting for her third time. Heading into the ceremony, Me and My Girl and Les Miserables were neck in neck leading the pack for most nominations (with 13 and 12, respectively.) Behind them were Starlight Express with seven nominations and Rags with five. Although the category is titled “Best Revival of a Play or a Musical,” this season there were no musicals nominated. The 1986-87 season was smack-dab in the middle of a volatile time, but not particularly bombastic itself. We found ourselves in the middle of President Ronald Reagan’s second term, with both the Cold War, the War on Drugs, and the AIDS epidemic raging. (Interestingly enough, a week after this telecast is when Reagan makes his famous speech in Berlin where he asks Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.”) Also, this season occurred during the end of the Iran-Contra affair -- a political scandal that embroiled the country for about a year and a half, where the Reagan administration was found to be bartering arms for seven US hostages in the middle east...gotta love a quid pro quo… On Broadway, the British invasion was HERE. With three out of four of the Best Musical nominees being British imports, Cats alive and well at the Winter Garden, and Phantom opening in the West End and waiting in the wings for their Broadway house, it seemed like Cameron Mackintosh, the RSC, and all their contemporaries were taking over the Great White Way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was supposed to be the biggest Broadway show of the season. Two theatre titans taking on two of the most familiar roles in popular culture. The combination of wildly successful source material and innovative theatremakers were sure to create a theatrical juggernaut. And the public agreed: advanced ticket sales for the show were the largest of any Broadway production to date. And then… it opened.  Many jeered the production, but none said it as succinctly as The New York Times’ Ben Brantley, when began his review with the following quote: “Imagine, if you dare, the agonies of the talented people trapped inside the collapsing tomb called The Addams Family. Being in this genuinely ghastly musical must feel like going to a Halloween party in a strait-jacket. A strangled voice inside you keeps gasping, ‘He-e-e-lp! Get me out of here!’” And then, in early 2016 the Educational Theatre Association had released their annual survey of the most-produced musicals in high schools across the country in the 2014-2015 school year, and The Addams Family was the most popular high school musical in the country. How was this possible? I thought high schools performed musical theatre canon - Broadway megahits like Oklahoma! and Les Miserables. How did our unloved little musical become so popular? Sure, we are only talking about high schools but it means something that for half a decade more future theatremakers and theatrelovers have learned the lyrics to “When You’re An Addams” than any other song in the musical theatre canon.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices