Stagecraft with Gordon Cox

Stars Shine at Variety's Business of Broadway

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:09:00 -0000

In this final, super-sized episode of Stagecraft: Listen in on insightful conversations with Broadway's biggest talents, recorded during Variety's annual Business of Broadway breakfast presented by City National Bank. We've got Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter talking "Waiting for Godot"; Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher on "Chess"; Kristin Chenoweth, Stephen Schwartz, F. Murray Abraham, Lindsey Ferrentino and Michael Arden on "Queen of Versailles"; and John Clay III, Lear deBessonet, Caissie Levy and Brandon Uranowitz on "Ragtime."This is the final episode of Stagecraft as a regularly scheduled podcast, but host Gordon Cox will be contributing theater segments to Variety's daily news briefing, Daily Variety. And stay subscribed to this feed for occasional, standalone episodes of theater talk in the coming months.

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Meet Lincoln Center Theater's New Leader

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:34:00 -0000

Now kicking off her first season as artistic director of New York's influential Lincoln Center Theater with a revival of "Ragtime," Lear deBessonet talks spectacle, sacred space, community, the value of theater, her season line-up, and what she sees when she looks ahead to the future of LCT.

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'Hamilton' at 10

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In a panel discussion recorded outdoors as part of the Backyard at Hudson Yards series, four actors who have starred in "Hamilton" over the years — Thayne Jasperson, Miguel Cervantes, Hannah Cruz, and Edred Utomi — celebrate the show's 10th birthday by sharing their experience of the show's legacy, telling backstage tales from their time in the show, and revealing their most embarrassing on-stage screw-ups.

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Adam Lambert Was Always a Musical Theater Kid

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 11:00:00 -0000

The recording artist and "American Idol" alum discusses his upcoming appearance as Judas opposite Cynthia Erivo in "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the Hollywood Bowl, and shares stories of his early years as a musical theater kid before "American Idol" made him a rock star.

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‘Viola’s Room,' Videogames and the Future of Punchdrunk

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Felix Barrett, the artistic director of Punchdrunk and the creator of “Sleep No More,” takes listeners behind the scenes of “Viola’s Room,” the company’s latest genre-defying piece, and explains why the future of immersive theater might look a lot like videogames.

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How the Muny in St. Louis Celebrated Its Tony Win

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Mike Isaacson, the artistic director of the Muny in St. Louis, on celebrating the 107-year-old institution's Tony win, how to survive St. Louis summer heat, and what shocked Heather Headley the last time she was there.

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'Purpose' Was a Race to the Finish

Tue, 27 May 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Three Tony-nominated actors from the cast of the Pulitzer Prize-winning best play nominee "Purpose" — LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Glenn Davis, and Jon Michael Hill — share the story of the show's development and reveal the challenges and joys of working with a playwright who can't help but rewrite up to very, very last minute.

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Bob Odenkirk's 30-Year Road to 'Glengarry Glen Ross'

Tue, 13 May 2025 11:00:00 -0000

The Emmy-winning actor and writer ("Better Call Saul") discusses his Tony-nominated Broadway debut in "Glengarry Glen Ross" — and shares his 30-year-old pitch to playwright David Mamet to do the play with a cast full of comedians.

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'Real Women' Have Songs by Joy Huerta

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Huerta, one half of the Grammy winning band Jesse & Joy, and her co-songwriter Benjamin Velez discussing bringing the new musical "Real Women Have Curves" to Broadway — and share the surprising details of how the two of them wrote songs together, while apart, during lockdown.

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Climbing ‘Redwood’ With Idina Menzel

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0000

The Tony-winning Broadway favorite takes listeners on a tour of

her dressing room, reveals her favorite part of her new musical “Redwood,” and

reflects on “Rent,” “Wicked,” and what she’s most proud of.

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The Stage Frights of Broadway's 'Stranger Things'

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Two of the creators of "Stranger Things: The First

Shadow," writer Kate Trefry and co-director Justin Martin, talk through

the complicated puzzle of making theater scary — and making good TV that’s also

good theater.

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Bringing Broadway's 'Boop' to Life

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Breakout newcomer Jasmine Amy Rogers and Tony-winning favorite Faith Prince talk Broadway nerves, the enduring legacy of Betty Boop, and how their new musical 'Boop' brings the iconic character to life in three dimensions and full color.

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From Real Housewife to Broadway Producer

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Kandi Burruss, the former Real Housewife of Atlanta, is now a regular

Broadway producer of shows including “The Piano Lesson” and the current

“Othello” starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. Here’s how she hopes

her work is helping to make a new Broadway for everyone.

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This Olivier-Winning Musical is Stranger Than Fiction

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Get to know the complete cast of the West End hit "Operation

Mincemeat" — David

Cumming, Claire-Marie

Hall, Natasha Hodgson, Jak Malone, and Zoë

Roberts — all now on Broadway in the New York transfer of the award-winning

musical comedy.

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Speaking 'English' With Sanaz Toossi and Marjan Neshat

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 12:00:00 -0000

With Toossi's Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy "English" now on Broadway, the playwright and her lead actor, Neshat, talk translation, Trump, representation, the power of comedy, and the one audience reaction that makes Toossi really, really mad.

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Sins and Star Wars with Leslye Headland

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Join the playwright, screenwriter and director for a wide-ranging conversation about her Broadway debut “Cult of Love,” the “gift” of her Seven Deadly Plays cycle, her thoughts on character vs. genre, her Star Wars series “The Acolyte,” the fans’ reaction to it, the seismic upheaval of motherhood, and more.

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How Joy Woods Became a "Gypsy" Superfan

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Woods, a rising star of the New York stage, never thought much about "Gypsy" because she never thought there'd be a role for her in the landmark 1959 musical. Now she's appearing opposite Audra McDonald in the new Broadway revival — and finding ways to make the role of Louise her own.

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Branagh, Sondheim and Fiennes, All Under One Roof

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 12:00:00 -0000

The Shed, a relatively new multidisciplinary arts institution in Manhattan, has already made a habit of presenting buzzy theater productions — including the current, sold-run of "King Lear" starring Kenneth Branagh. Artistic director Alex Poots talks about how that show grew out of a years-along rapport with Branagh, and how the Shed's theater work fits into the broader landscape of Broadway and New York theater.

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How to Sing Like Louis Armstrong

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 12:00:00 -0000

The Tony-winning actor James Monroe Iglehart on how he nails the legendary voice of Louis Armstrong in the new Broadway bio-musical “A Wonderful World” – and why he hopes his involvement as co-director of the show leads to more directing gigs in the future.

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Megan Hilty & Jennifer Simard: Death Becomes Them

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 12:00:00 -0000

The stars of the new Broadway musical adaptation of "Death Becomes Her" talk comic timing, macabre special effects, and why Hilty always knew "Death Becomes Her" would make a great musical.

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Playing Robots, Being Human

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen, the stars of the new Broadway musical "Maybe Happy Ending," on cross-cultural storytelling, navigating their show's technologically complex set, and why robots are uniquely suited to telling a very human story.

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Nicole Scherzinger, Jim Parsons and More From the Business of Broadway 2024

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In this supersized episode of Stagecraft, we bring you three conversations from Variety's Business of Broadway breakfast, featuring the stars, creators and producers behind some of the biggest shows on Broadway this fall.

In our first conversation, Erik Piecuch of City National Bank moderates a discussion with the producers Hunter Arnold ("Maybe Happy Ending," "Othello"), Caroline Kaplan ("Redwood"), Mara Isaacs ("Gypsy," "Hadestown"), and Sammy Lopez ("How to Dance in Ohio," "JOB").

In our second talk, Variety's Rebecca Rubin talks with four of the stars of the new Broadway revival of "Our Town": Zoey Deutch, Jim Parsons, Ephraim Sykes and Michelle Wilson.

And in our final interview, Variety's Brent Lang talks to two of the creative forces behind the buzzy new revival of "Sunset Boulevard," star Nicole Scherzinger and director Jamie Lloyd.

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Jez Butterworth & Sam Mendes Hike ‘The Hills of California’

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0000

The Tony-winning playwright and Oscar and Tony-winning director talk memory, loss and making “The Hills of California,” their latest Broadway play. Plus: the joys and pitfalls of franchise moviemaking.

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Daniel Dae Kim Wants to Make You Laugh

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 11:00:00 -0000

The "Lost" and "Hawaii Five-0" actor takes listeners behind the scenes of his return to Broadway, portraying a flawed, fictionalized version of the playwright David Henry Hwang in Hwang's comedy of mistaken racial identities, "Yellow Face."

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How a Theatermaker Makes Opera

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Jeanine Tesori, the Tony winning composer of “Kimberly Akimbo” and “Fun Home,”

talks about her upcoming Metropolitan Opera debut, “Grounded,” and what it’s like when a musical theater composer finds herself working with an 80-piece orchestra and 60-voice ensemble. Also discussed: the launch of the “Kimberly Akimbo” national tour, the revisions she and David Lindsay-Abaire made to “Shrek,” and why “Soft Power,” the musical she wrote with David Henry Hwang, is like the Renaissance Faire.

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My Reading With the Hirschfeld Broadway Tarot

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0000

There's a new tarot deck that brings Broadway to the tarot through the work of legendary caricaturist Al Hirschfeld — and I got a taste of the deck in action with a reading from its creator, Emily McGill, in a conversation about the spirituality of theater, the "casting" of theatrical icons as specific tarot cards, and how theater fans might use the deck for insight and self-reflection.

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Sutton Foster Gets Unhinged

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Talking with Tony-winning Broadway star, who says she’s playing “an unhinged version of myself” in the new Broadway revival of “Once Upon a Mattress.”

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'Cats' Meets Drag Ball Culture

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Behind the scenes with three of the creators of "Cats: The Jellicle Ball," the colorful, queer reimagining of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that's become a breakout hit of the summer.

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Tony Awards Telecast Producers Promise to Wow You

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, the directing-producing duo behind the Tony Awards telecast, talk wowing the audience, innovating the staging, and why the Tonys always have the best acceptance speeches.

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Sarah Paulson Gets Real About Tony Season

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:00:00 -0000

The Tony-nominated star of "Appropriate," Sarah Paulson, and its nominated playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins share some real talk about Tony season, reveal how the extended run of "Appropriate" has changed things both for the actors on onstage and for the audiences in the house, and banter about why Paulson should maybe play Prince in "Purple Rain."

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Backstage With Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin

Tue, 28 May 2024 11:00:00 -0000

The Tony-nominated stars of "Cabaret" take listeners backstage for a peek at the "synchronized chaos" behind the scenes, and talk rowdy crowds, critics, and Redmayne's fourth go-round in the role of the Emcee.

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Jessica Lange Feels 'Wild and Liberated' in 'Mother Play'

Tue, 14 May 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Oscar, Emmy and Tony winning actress Lange, now on Broadway in a Tony-nominated performance in "Mother Play," discusses premiering a new play on Broadway, explains why she could do without Wednesday matinees, and reveals why her recent work has her feeling "wild and liberated."

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Talking 'Lempicka' With Tony Nominees Eden Espinosa and Amber Iman

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 14:07:00 -0000

In a conversation recorded before the announcement of the Tony nominations, actors Espinosa and Iman talk criticism discourse, the irresistible allure of Lempicka, and the Broadway community that’s rallied around their show.

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For Grant Gustin, The Hard Parts Are His Favorite Parts

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Now starring on Broadway in the critically acclaimed "Water for Elephants," Gustin shares what's most challenging — and most rewarding — about his first return to musical theater after nine years as the star of the long-running CW series "The Flash."

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Bernadette Peters Wants to Play Sweeney Todd

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Recorded live on the Broadway Cruise, musical theater icon Peters recalls the moment she fell in love with Sondheim's work, shares the biggest lessons she's learned in her career, and reveals the one Sondheim role she'd still love to play.

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From 'Succession' to 'Stereophonic' With Juliana Canfield

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 18:56:00 -0000

Soon to make her Broadway debut in the buzzy play “Stereophonic,” Canfield talks learning all those overlapping lines, telling an accidental lie on the way to winning her part in the show, the “Succession” diaspora on stage, and that one time the “Stereophonic” cast became a real band in Brooklyn.

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Love, Loss, Time, and Lots of Onstage Rain

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 12:00:00 -0000

How the creators of the new Broadway musical adaptation of "The Notebook," Ingrid Michaelson and Bekah Brunstetter, aim to both satisfy and surprise—and why the show's theatricality makes the popular story even more universal.

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How To Be A Theater Influencer

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Two theater influencers, Kristin Hopkins and Ashley Hufford, reveal the secrets of becoming a theater influencer. The first thing to know: There's not much money in it, but there's a lot of free theater. "If I wanted this to be my day job, I should have done beauty influencing," Hufford jokes.

Kristin Hopkins: @kristin_bria on Instagram, @kristinbhopkins on TikTok

Ashely Hufford: @ashley_hufford on Instagram, @ashleyhufford on TikTok

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How 'Ilinoise' Takes a Page From 'A Chorus Line'

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Director-choreographer Justin Peck and Pulitzer winning playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury talk about making a nontraditional dance musical based on Sufjan Stevens’ “genre-defying” album “Illinoise.” The show is now having its world premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and will run at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan in March.

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The ‘Reservation Dogs’ Creators Wrote a Play

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Just as the acclaimed FX series "Reservation Dogs" was being developed, five of the writers involved in the show were premiering their first play. "Reservation Dogs" co-creator Sterlin Harjo and series writer Bobby Wilson, both members of the sketch comedy troupe The 1491s, reveal the backstory of their play "Between Two Knees" as the show makes its New York premiere in Feb. 2024.

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The 21 Year Backstory of 'Days of Wine and Roses'

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Stars Kelli O'Hara and Brian D'Arcy James on the joyous challenges of Adam Guettel's new Broadway musical.

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Stephen Schwartz is a Busy Guy

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 12:00:00 -0000

The storied Broadway composer shares his latest updates on the "Wicked" movie, the VOD release of "The Prince of Egypt," and the songs he's writing for Kristin Chenoweth in "Queen of Versailles."

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'Waitress' Changed How Sara Bareilles Writes Songs

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 12:00:00 -0000

With a filmed version of the Broadway production of "Waitress" hitting theatres, the singer-songwriter-actor reveals all the ways that her involvement in the musical changed her work — and her life.

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The 'Spamalot' Cast Can't Keep a Straight Face

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 12:00:00 -0000

Actors James Monroe Iglehart, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer and Michael Urie detail the onstage (and backstage!) shenanigans in "Spamalot."

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Sierra Boggess and Warren Carlyle Make 'Harmony'

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 12:00:00 -0000

The actress and the director-choreographer talk working with Barry Manilow, the cast addition that changed the whole show, and how rare it is to hear a duet for a soprano and a belter.

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How Patrick Page Summons Shakespeare's Devils

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 11:00:00 -0000

The "Hadestown" Tony nominee on his new solo show "All the Devils Are Here," working with hearing loss, and when he grew into that deep, deep voice.

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Stars Come Out for Variety's Business of Broadway

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Presenting two lively discussions from Variety's 2023 Business of Broadway breakfast: In the keynote conversation, Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez reveal the reasons they work so well together in the buzzy revival of "Merrily We Roll Along"—and give each other a healthy dose of ribbing along the way. Before that, five producers behind some of this season's biggest shows share timely insights into the state of business. Sponsored by City National Bank, Variety's 2023 Business of Broadway breakfast was held Oct. 2 at the Pool in midtown Manhattan.

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Leslie Odom, Jr. is the Happiest He's Ever Been

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Generous comedy, divine inspiration and life lessons with the "Hamilton" Tony winner who is now the star and producer of "Purlie Victorious."

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Rachel Bloom's Death-Defying Act

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Bloom talks trunk songs, cut jokes, demo derbies and wrestling with mortality in "Death, Let Me Do My Show."

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The Hidden Art and Craft of Broadway Video Design

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Finn Ross and Nina Dunn, two designers responsible for the most striking video work now on Broadway, take us behind the scenes -- and behind the screens -- of "Back to the Future" and "The Shark is Broken."

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This Musical is a Videogame

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 11:00:00 -0000

And now for something completely different: I talk with three of the creators behind Stray Gods, the new videogame that describes itself as a "Roleplaying Musical." Taking us behind the scenes (behind the code?) of this unusual genre mashup are Summerfall Studios creative director David Gaider, composer Austin Wintory and actor Anjali Bhimani.

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Theater Is (Not) Doomed

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:00:00 -0000

In the trenches with three theater leaders from organizations around the US and in the UK as they battle the economic crisis facing theaters everywhere.

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Jason Alexander Has So Much Theater in the Works

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Alexander, the “Seinfeld” star who directed the new Broadway comedy “The Cottage,” talks the choreography of comedy and spills details on all the theater projects he’s developing for Broadway and beyond.

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How Theater Kids Improvised an Entire Movie

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 15:41:00 -0000

"Theater Camp" co-creator and star Molly Gordon talks kissing gay boys at camp, improv comedy with kids, and crushing on Ben Platt.

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Conrad Ricamora Hates to Break Up the Party

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 11:00:00 -0000

The "Here Lies Love" actor on queer characters, Filipino pride and the cognitive dissonance of singing about the Marcos regime in a karaoke dance party.

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Busy in Theater, On Strike in TV

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Writer Tori Sampson, whose play “This Land Was Made” is now running off Broadway, shares her POV as one of the many writers who love the theater but make most of their living in TV.

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Jessica Chastain is Trapped in 'A Doll's House'

Tue, 30 May 2023 11:00:00 -0000

The Tony-nominated actress offers a deep-dive into her performance's signature moments – and why one of them made her think of “Evil Dead.”

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Ben Platt Had Tony Advice for Micaela Diamond

Tue, 23 May 2023 11:00:00 -0000

The Tony-nominated duo on the urgency of "Parade," owning their Jewish identities and living in the awards-season moment.

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Corey Hawkins Chose Fearlessness

Mon, 15 May 2023 11:00:00 -0000

The actor talks Tony nominations, “Topdog/Underdog,” a surprise dinner with Patti LuPone and an inspiration from Mark Rylance.

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“The Thanksgiving Play” is Just the Beginning

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 11:00:00 -0000

It's the year of Larissa FastHorse, Broadway’s first known Native American female playwright, with six(!) plays coming up in 2023.

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The Secrets and Tricks of Broadway's 'Life of Pi'

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Three of the Olivier Award-winning play's creators reveal the techniques, the illusions and the cheats that make a puppet feel alive.

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Tom Stoppard's Wine of Life

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 11:00:00 -0000

The celebrated playwright talks the Broadway success of "Leopoldstadt," plays vs. politics, and how you too can drink the "wine of life."

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Nathan Lane Shares His Acting Secrets

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0000

The Tony-winning actor, now starring in “Pictures From Home,” reveals how he crafted performances in “Angels in America” and “The Iceman Cometh.”

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‘Rent,’ ‘Star Trek’ and the Art of Reliving Loss

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0000

Original “Rent” cast member and current “Star Trek” trailblazer Anthony Rapp talks bringing his stage memoir “Without You” to New York, and along the way pinpoints what “Rent” and “Star Trek” have in common and shares the reasons behind his ongoing advocacy for survivors of Hollywood abuse.

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National Black Theater and the Antidote We All Needed

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0000

Leaders of the 55-year-old Harlem institution on stepping up to Broadway for the first time with "Fat Ham," community, care and creating a home.

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How Stephen McKinley Henderson Hears the Music in a Playwright

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 12:00:00 -0000

The celebrated actor and August Wilson regular on finding the rhythms of "Between Riverside and Crazy."

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How Audra McDonald's Art and Activism Came Together for 'Ohio State Murders'

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 12:00:00 -0000

The six-time Tony winner on Adrienne Kennedy, Black Theatre United and her fancy new dressing rooms at the James Earl Jones Theater.

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Why Deirdre O'Connell's Tony Award Hasn't Changed Her Life

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 12:00:00 -0000

The actor ("Dana H."), now starring in "Becky Nurse of Salem," on making a career off Broadway and her search for un-self-consciousness.

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How Joshua Dela Cruz Brought Broadway to 'Blue's Clues'

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 12:00:00 -0000

The host and star of 'Blue's Big City Adventure' on Broadway role models, backstage 'Aladdin' antics, and Times Square dance numbers.

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How to Produce a Museum of Broadway

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 12:00:00 -0000

The co-founders of the new museum on the story it's telling, the philosophy behind it, and why it's like Switzerland.

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‘The Lion King’ Turns 25

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 16:19:00 -0000

Director Julie Taymor celebrates the Disney musical’s Broadway birthday, revealing how she did it, what she learned and what’s next.

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The Business of Broadway with Samuel L. Jackson, LaChanze, Lee Daniels and Many More

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 16:42:00 -0000

In this supersized episode, we present three of the panels and keynote conversations from Variety's 2022 Business of Broadway breakfast:

3:25: A conversation with producers LaChanze ("Topdog/Underdog," "Kimberly Akimbo"), Lee Daniels ("Ain't No' Mo'"), Cindy Tolan ("Death of a Salesman") and Ken Davenport ("A Beautiful Noise"), moderated by Eric Piecuch of City National Bank.

29:00: A panel discussion with three Broadway creatives, featuring Jordan E. Cooper ("Ain't No' Mo'"), Crystal Lucas-Perry ("1776") and Chris Wood ("Almost Famous") and moderated by Stagecraft host Gordon Cox.

51:13: The breakfast's keynote conversation with Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson ("The Piano Lesson"), interviewed by Variety executive editor Brent Lang.

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'Topdog/Underdog' Has a Superpower

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 11:00:00 -0000

Writer Suzan-Lori Parks and director Kenny Leon on spiritual inspiration, making work that matters and why this Pulitzer-winning play is like 'Doctor Strange.'

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Getting Intimate in ‘Cost of Living’

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 11:00:00 -0000

Actors Gregg Mozgala and Kara Young talk care and connection in the award-winning Broadway play.

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How Patina Miller Made ‘Into the Woods’ Her Own

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 11:00:00 -0000

The Tony winner and star of TV’s “Raising Kanan” talks Sondheim, motherhood and getting the Witch’s Rap right.

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Meaner, Funnier, Even More Revealing

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 11:00:00 -0000

How writer Jesse Green worked with Mary Rodgers to make her memoir "Shy" as lively, candid and cutting as she wanted it to be.

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How Cornelius Smith Jr. Sings Frederick Douglass to Life

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 11:00:00 -0000

The “Scandal” actor on “American Prophet,” Douglass and the often-overlooked woman behind the man.

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How Amir Arison Learned to Love "The Kite Runner"

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 11:00:00 -0000

“The Black List” actor on living in the moment, exiting a successful TV show and how his life was changed by "My Robot Buddy."

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The Bestselling Novelist Who's Now a Prolific Musical Theater Writer

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 11:00:00 -0000

Jodi Picoult on her full-steam-ahead theater career with "Between the Lines," "The Book Thief" and "Austenland."

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Winning the Pulitzer Made James Ijames Braver

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 11:00:00 -0000

The "Fat Ham" playwright on queering "Hamlet," decentralizing artistic leadership and writing prolifically.

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How Joaquina Kalukango Celebrated Her Tony Win

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 11:00:00 -0000

The "Paradise Square" actor explains how her role in the Broadway musical came along at exactly the moment she needed it most.

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‘How I Learned to Drive’ in the Rearview

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 11:00:00 -0000

Actor David Morse and playwright Paula Vogel on what they’ve learned revisiting the Pulitzer-winning, Tony-nominated play.

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Jesse Williams is a Theater Guy Now

Tue, 31 May 2022 11:00:00 -0000

The former "Grey's Anatomy" star on "Take Me Out," his Tony nomination and why theater is like baseball.

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'A Strange Loop' is Tony-Nominated and We Have Thoughts. All Six of Them.

Tue, 17 May 2022 11:00:00 -0000

Meet the dynamic ensemble of actors who play the Thoughts of a young queer Black man in the Tony-nominated Broadway musical "A Strange Loop": Antwayn Hopper, James Jackson Jr., John-Michael Lyles, Jason Veasey and Tony nominees L Morgan Lee and John-Andrew Morrison.

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Debra Messing Will Always Defend Her 'Smash' Scarves

Tue, 03 May 2022 15:45:00 -0000

Now on Broadway in 'Birthday Candles,' the actor talks aging 90 years in 90 minutes, live studio audiences and what she knows about what's next for 'Smash.'

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Why ‘Suffs’ is More Than Just ‘Hermilton’

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 11:00:00 -0000

Actors Phillipa Soo and Jenn Colella on singing American history, filming musicals and acting in the moment.

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Meet the Musician Breaking Broadway Barriers With ‘Macbeth’

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 11:00:00 -0000

Singer-songwriter and disability advocate Gaelynn Lea on accessibility, growing up in a theater and making moody tunes for Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga.

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How New Science Can Keep Broadway Voices Healthier

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 12:00:00 -0000

Two experts hope a “vocal Fitbit” can change Broadway’s voice health practices. With Professors Ana Flavia Zuim and Celia Stewart.

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From Understudy to History Maker

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 12:00:00 -0000

Broadway's first Black Glinda on her landmark first show, her advice for young performers and what she learned from being a swing.

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Lynn Nottage Wants to Replace Judgment With Curiosity

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 12:00:00 -0000

The "MJ" and "Intimate Apparel" writer talks operas vs. musicals, artistic legacy vs. personal legacy, and why she's not reading reviews right now.

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Dominique Morisseau Always Has Nine Irons in the Fire

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 16:41:00 -0000

The “Skeleton Crew” writer on lifting up Detroit, the influence of August Wilson, the closing of “Ain’t Too Proud” and the advice she got from Chadwick Boseman.

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Robin de Jesús Was Always Playing The Long Game

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 12:00:00 -0000

The Tony-nominated actor, now in “Tick, Tick… Boom!,” talks honoring his ancestors and shares the setbacks that kept him humble.

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Why Peter Dinklage Didn’t Want a Fake Nose for ‘Cyrano’

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 15:34:00 -0000

The “Game of Thrones” actor talks singing, Cyrano, great theater roles and filming on the side of an active volcano.

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How The Cast of 'Company' Learned of Stephen Sondheim's Death

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0000

Director Marianne Elliott and actor Matt Doyle on hearing the news backstage, paying tribute to the composer's talent, and singing "Getting Married Today."

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Uzo Aduba's New Broadway Role Reminds Her of Jaws

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 12:00:00 -0000

The star of Lynn Nottage's 'Clyde's' talks second chances, sandwich nirvana, and why Clyde is like Jaws.

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How Edie Falco's Handprint Inspired Her New Play

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 12:00:00 -0000

Falco, Blair Brown and Marin Ireland reveal the Easter eggs and secrets behind the new play "Morning Sun."

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'Caroline, or Change,' Then and Now, with Anika Noni Rose and Samantha Williams

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Two actors with a shared connection to the Broadway musical discuss the timely return of the show.

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Andrew Lloyd Webber Talks Industry Advocacy, Taylor Swift and Trans Performers

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 13:48:00 -0000

A keynote conversation with Webber and a panel featuring on-the-rise producers, both recorded live at Variety's Legit! The Return to Broadway.

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Norm Lewis' New Rhythms

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 11:00:00 -0000

The Broadway fan favorite on "Phantom of the Opera," the freedom of starring in a play, and... mushroom coffee?

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The 'Playwriting Sisters' Bringing Shows Back After the Shutdown

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Playwrights Jocelyn Bioh ("Nollywood Dreams") and Martyna Majok ("Sanctuary City") discuss returning, 18 months later, to plays the pandemic had paused.

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'Broadway Will Not Look The Same'

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Gennean Scott, the Broadway League's first Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, on the initiatives she's leading to ensure the industry's evolution.

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Inside Disney Theatrical’s Global Restart

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Producer Thomas Schumacher and Anne Quart on opening 23 shows in 7 months, from Broadway to London to Mexico City to Tokyo.

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Broadway's COVID Expert on Returning to Theater Safely

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Broadway's leading COVID advisor, Dr. Blythe Adamson, talks epidemiology, economics, safety and the delta variant.

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What Theater Needs Now

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 16:00:00 -0000

Jesse Cameron Alick’s new Sundance Institute study reveals how influential artists and leaders imagine the future of theater and live performance.

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How 'Pass Over' is Making 'Precedent-Level Changes' to Broadway

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Playwright-producer Antoinette Nwandu and director Danya Taymor on how they're doing things differently -- both onstage and behind the scenes.

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Blurring the Lines Between Theater and Ritual

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 11:00:00 -0000

How playwright Aleshea Harris and director Whitney White conduct an orchestra of Black experience in "What to Send Up When It Goes Down."

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Why 'Rent' is Still a Revolution

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Talking with Andy Señor Jr., the former Angel behind the new documentary "Revolution Rent."

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'In the Heights': The Cuts, The Changes, The Ropa Vieja

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 11:00:00 -0000

Writer Quiara Alegría Hudes on going big, and getting intimate, with the movie version of 'In the Heights.'

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Launching Broadway's Future Black Leaders

Tue, 25 May 2021 17:22:52 -0000

How the new Theatre Leadership Project aims to welcome emerging Black professionals to the theater industry.

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The Theater Tour That Became a Movie

Tue, 11 May 2021 08:00:00 -0000

Behind the transformation of Heather Christian's 'Animal Wisdom' into a boundary-blurring new film.

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Making Digital Theater is Like Shooting 'Star Wars'

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 08:00:00 -0000

Director Lileana Blain-Cruz and producer Jim Glaub on “The Baltimore Waltz” and why virtual theater is a lot more complicated than it looks.

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How Theater Makers Have Mobilized to Stop Asian Hate

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 08:00:00 -0000

Artist-activists Christine Toy Johnson and Leslie Ishii on how theater can be an important part of the movement.

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BONUS: Meet the Squabbling Producers of 'Avvatar: The Musical'

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 20:44:00 -0000

Lillias White and James Monroe Iglehart play the bickering backers of a massive, controversial, and entirely fictional Broadway musical version of "Avatar." Recorded in collaboration with the audio comedy As The Curtain Rises.

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The Gonzo Journalism Preserving Broadway History

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 08:00:00 -0000

Historian and producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper on the latest volume of her theater-by-theater chronicle, The Untold Stories of Broadway.

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How Blair Underwood Found New Colors in ‘Paradise Blue’

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 19:23:00 -0000

Behind the scenes of the new audio adaptation of Dominique Morisseau’s play, with Underwood and Mandy Greenfield, the artistic director of Williamstown Theatre Festival.

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The Case for a New Federal Theater Project

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 09:00:00 -0000

Nataki Garrett, the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, on getting the theater industry the support it deserves during the pandemic.

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Broadway Gave Mike Nichols His Juiciest Backstage Stories

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 18:49:00 -0000

The author of "Mike Nichols: A Life," Mark Harris, on the director's life and influential work -- and the dramas behind the scenes.

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The Oscar Winner Helping Off Broadway Find Life on Screen

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 20:29:00 -0000

How John Ridley ("12 Years a Slave," "American Crime") and theater veteran Scott Elliott got together for the starry "grand experiment" of The New Group Off Stage.

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From 'Slave Play' to Marvel Superhero

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 18:14:00 -0000

"WandaVision" actor Teyonah Parris on moving from an Off Broadway buzzmagnet into one of the biggest franchises in Hollywood.

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The New York Native Who Found Playwriting Success in L.A.

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 17:14:00 -0000

Writer Kemp Powers on adapting his play "One Night in Miami" into a buzzy new film, and why L.A. was more welcoming to his work than New York.

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The August Wilson Expert Who Brought 'Ma Rainey' to the Screen

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 09:00:00 -0000

One of the foremost interpreters of Wilson's work, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, on how he crafted his screenplay for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."

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Ariana DeBose Has a Date With "The Prom"

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 18:58:00 -0000

The Tony-nominated actor ("Hamilton," "West Side Story") is having a screen moment with stage musicals.

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The Legacy Black Theater Transforming to Meet the Times

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 09:00:00 -0000

Sarah Bellamy, the artistic director of Penumbra in St. Paul, Minn., on making theater the centerpiece of a new center for racial healing.

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This Dramatic Thriller Stars Half of Broadway

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 09:00:00 -0000

Writer-director-actor Arian Moayed on how the theater community turned out for his starry screen thriller, “The Accidental Wolf.”

"The Accidental Wolf” on Topic: http://go.topic.com/varietytaw

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Baz Luhrmann & His Broadway Team on Making 'Moulin Rouge'

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Luhrmann and the creators of the stage musical talk putting the show together, shutting it all down, and why its message feels more relevant than ever.

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Why Ashley Park Calls Darren Star the Sondheim of TV

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 08:00:00 -0000

The "Mean Girls" Tony nominee talks "Emily in Paris" and how she'll help make "Thoroughly Modern Millie" a musical for everyone.

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The New Voices of Broadway

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 08:00:00 -0000

How playwrights Katori Hall, Jeremy O. Harris and Matthew López think about shaping the future of Broadway.

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How One Entrepreneur is Making the Change She Wants to See

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 08:00:00 -0000

ChiChi Anyanwu braved the pandemic to launch a management company focused on diverse talent.

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Theater Laid the Foundation for Kenny Ortega’s Hollywood Success

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 08:00:00 -0000

How to craft dances for screens, with the director of “High School Musical” and Netflix’s upcoming “Julie and the Phantoms.”

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How One London Theater is Thriving During the Pandemic

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Lynette Linton, artistic director of the Bush Theatre, on reopening, responding and why now is the time for new work.

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Harvey Fierstein on the Timely Lessons of AIDS, Gay Rights and Bella Abzug

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 08:00:00 -0000

The Broadway favorite reveals how his work, including new Audible release “Bella Bella,” speaks to the current moment.

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How Theater Meets Activism With the Broadway Advocacy Coalition

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Co-founders Adrienne Warren and Zhailon Levingston on BAC's work at the intersection of arts and activism.

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Sarah Jones' New Theater is Instagram

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 08:00:00 -0000

The writer-performer gets both personal and political on her new Instagram Live show.

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How One Theater Leader Practices Anti-Racism

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Baltimore Center Stage artistic director Stephanie Ybarra on her ongoing anti-racism work, at her own theater and in the industry at large.

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The Overlooked Composer Who Inspired Broadway's Rising Stars

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Shaina Taub and Kris Kukul on "The Liz Swados Project," the starry new album celebrating Swados' work and influence.

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What Does Anti-Racist Theater Look Like?

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 08:00:00 -0000

What Broadway and the theater industry can do to work toward anti-racism, with artist, educator and activist Nicole Brewer.

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Swerving to Serve a Theater Community in Lockdown

Tue, 02 Jun 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Playwright Sarah Ruhl on how the new theater site 3Views changed its mission after the pandemic hit.

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Michael R. Jackson Has Finally Accepted He’s a Composer

Tue, 26 May 2020 17:59:00 -0000

The Pulitzer-winning creator of “A Strange Loop” on how he celebrated in lockdown, why he used to balk at being called a composer, and how “A Chorus Line” made him cry at his office temp job.

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Lockdown Theater’s Most In-Demand Director

Tue, 19 May 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Broadway’s go-to livestream director Paul Wontorek on what works, what doesn’t, and what’s next.

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Brian Stokes Mitchell's Fight to Help the Whole Industry Get Better

Tue, 12 May 2020 08:00:00 -0000

The Tony-winning Broadway favorite on his coronavirus recovery, the Actors Fund, and why “Impossible Dream” is the perfect song for right now.

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'Moulin Rouge!,' 'King Kong' and the View from Down Under

Tue, 05 May 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Global Creatures CEO Carmen Pavlovic on what it's like producing theater around the world right now, and what comes next.

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Alex Newell is Destined for Effie

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 08:00:00 -0000

The Broadway alum, now on “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist," talks genderfluidity, Barbara Streisand and their “Dreamgirls” goals.

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What Pandemic Theater Can Sound Like

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Audible's Kate Navin on the Williamstown Theater Festival and one way to sustain theater in the coming months.

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Binge-Watching Broadway

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 08:00:00 -0000

How fans are devouring theater in the time of social distancing, with the co-founders of BroadwayHD.

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Broadway's Always Been Edgy

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Set during the Golden Age of Broadway, Emily Neuberger's new novel "A Tender Thing" reminds us musicals were made to push boundaries.

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How Off Broadway Copes With the Coronavirus Shutdown

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Playwright Martyna Majok and theater executive Jeremy Blocker on "Sanctuary City" and surviving the shutdown.

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Karen Olivo on 'Moulin Rouge!' and Life in the Broadway Shutdown

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 08:00:00 -0000

The "Moulin Rouge!" star talks shaping Satine, 'In the Heights' anticipation and the felting on her to-do list.

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What Lois Smith Learned From the Greats

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 08:00:00 -0000

The actress, now in "The Inheritance," on the lessons of Elia Kazan, Lee Strasberg, and more.

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How 'Six' Conquered the World

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 09:00:00 -0000

"Six" creators Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage on Tudor queens, pop icons and conference rooms in Edinburgh.

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Katori Hall's 'Quiet Revolution'

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 17:53:00 -0000

The playwright talks hot wings, Tina Turner, and Lil Bad Cousin, her rapping alter ego.

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How 'Cambodian Rock Band' Became One of the Most Produced Plays in the U.S.

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 19:32:00 -0000

Bending genres, confronting history and rocking out, with playwright Lauren Yee and director Chay Yew.

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Duncan Sheik Created a Monster

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 09:00:00 -0000

The Tony-winning composer, whose latest musical "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" is now playing Off Broadway, talks the Buddhist mafia, his controversial thoughts about songs forwarding plot, and the trend he helped launch with "Spring Awakening."

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Vampires, Cowboys and Stealth Diversity

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 09:00:00 -0000

Writer Qui Nguyen, the co-founder of Vampire Cowboys Theater Company, talks stage superheroes, Comic-Con and his new play "Revenge Song," about historical badass Julie d'Aubigny.

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"Mrs. Doubtfire," Live From BroadwayCon

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 09:00:00 -0000

Gender politics, quick changes and honoring Robin Williams: a live conversation with Rob McClure, Jerry Zaks and more, recorded at BroadwayCon 2020.

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Why Not Do The Crazy Thing?

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 09:00:00 -0000

Why playwright Bess Wohl, now making her Broadway debut with “Grand Horizons,” keeps asking for the impossible.

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What Laura Linney Learns From Bad Shows

Tue, 14 Jan 2020 09:00:00 -0000

The "Ozark" actress, now on Broadway in "My Name is Lucy Barton," on the lessons of failure, her favorite costars and why solo shows are "bonkers."

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Sometimes Theater Is Just Like Football

Tue, 07 Jan 2020 09:00:00 -0000

Actor-producer Nnamdi Asomugha traded in pro football for Broadway, where he’s now starring in “A Soldier’s Play.”

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The Surreal Spectacle of ‘Cats,’ Explained

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 09:00:00 -0000

Director Tom Hooper talks digital fur, trailer reactions and the reason that only some cats wear shoes.

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Lucas Hnath's Own Play Gave Him Nightmares

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 09:00:00 -0000

The playwright behind "The Thin Place" and "Dana H." talks mental remapping, performing trauma and why in ghost stories, less is more.

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Let's Talk About Sex Onstage

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 09:00:00 -0000

How Broadway's first intimacy director, Claire Warden, is helping to revolutionize how actors get intimate.

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How To Be The Most-Produced Playwright in America

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 09:00:00 -0000

Writer Lauren Gunderson reveals the secrets to her success. Step 1: Write. A lot.

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Jonathan Groff Knows He’s a Spitter

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 12:00:00 -0000

The star of "Mindhunter" and "Frozen 2" gets wet for his current gig in "Little Shop of Horrors."

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Brian Cox on Shakespeare, 'Succession' and the Crisis We're In

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 12:00:00 -0000

Why the actor, now on Broadway in 'The Great Society,' chases 'scripts of the now.'

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How 'The Lightning Thief' Hopes to Open Up Broadway

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 12:00:00 -0000

The musical's creative team talks pushing boundaries and sea changes.

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The Impact of 'For Colored Girls,' Then and Now

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 18:15:00 -0000

Actress Adrienne C. Moore on Ntozake Shange, "Wonder Woman" and life after "Orange is the New Black."

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The 'Soft Power' of Musicals to Change Minds

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 19:54:00 -0000

Composer Jeanine Tesori on how musicals can spur change, and how her latest changed her.

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How 'Jagged Little Pill' Will Rock Broadway

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Meet the creators and producers bringing Alanis to Broadway. Recorded at Variety's Business of Broadway breakfast.

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Kristin Chenoweth Wants to Write a Broadway Musical

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 23:00:00 -0000

The Broadway favorite dishes on her new album, her worst flub, and the bucket-list musical she wants to write.

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The Broadway Controversies and Coups of Two Acting Greats

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 20:20:00 -0000

Eileen Atkins and Jonathan Pryce, now in “The Height of the Storm,” reveal favorite roles, Broadway memories and the “Phantom” casting that never was.

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Why Tom Hiddleston Thinks Everyone Should Play Hamlet

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Hiddleston and his co-stars in "Betrayal," Zawe Ashton and Charlie Cox, talk Pinter, dick-swinging and superheroes.

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Derren Brown Spills His Broadway 'Secret'

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The mentalist and illusionist on the magic of theater, the theatrics of magic, and why he's banned from casinos all across the U.K.

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How Joel Grey Made 'Fiddler' New Again

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 21:41:00 -0000

The actor, director and photographer talks directing in a language he doesn't know, memories of Hal Prince, and sexy flowers.

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Jake Gyllenhaal is his 'Best Self' in the Theater

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Behind the scenes at Broadway's "Sea Wall/A Life,' with Gyllenhaal and director Carrie Cracknell.

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What Rita Rudner Learned From Broadway Greats

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The comic, now starring in musical "Two's a Crowd," started out in some legendary Broadway shows.

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The Special Sauce in Broadway's 'Moulin Rouge!'

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Writer John Logan and director Alex Timbers bring elephants, windmills, Baz and Beyoncé to Broadway.

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Plays for Your Ears

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0000

How Jeremy McCarter acts locally but thinks globally with podcast series Make-Believe.

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New List, New Leaders for The Kilroys

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Playwrights Hilary Bettis and Caroline V. McGraw on how the collective will expand its push for parity.

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Audra McDonald Faces Her Fear in 'Frankie and Johnny'

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The Tony-winning actress talks intimacy onstage, Broadway diversity and why she calls Michael Shannon "The Rev."

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How Disney Taught a Generation to Love Musicals

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0000

From early Broadway days to Marvel and Star Wars, with Disney Theatrical president Thomas Schumacher.

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Why Tony Rehearsals Make James Corden Cry

Fri, 07 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Get a backstage glimpse at the Tony Awards from this year's host.

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Rosemary Harris' Tony Has a Typo

Tue, 28 May 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Tales from the actress’ storied career, including that time she got discovered walking a gay dog.

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Bryan Cranston on the Exhausting Joys of Broadway

Tue, 21 May 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The award-winning actor spills backstage secrets behind his Tony-nominated turn in “Network.”

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Santino Fontana's 'Tootsie' For Our Time

Tue, 14 May 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The Tony-nominated actor on fighting the good fight, and why it’s “like a war movie” backstage.

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Why Aaron Sorkin Cut His Favorite Scene From 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

Tue, 07 May 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The "West Wing" writer killed his darlings to make his Broadway "Mockingbird" work.

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How John Cameron Mitchell's 'Anthem' Fits Into the Mitchellverse

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The 'Hedwig' creator explains how his new musical podcast series nods to his previous work.

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Kelli O'Hara Brings #MeToo to 'Kiss Me, Kate'

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The Broadway favorite talks vocal honesty and what her Tony win means to her.

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The 'Dumb Joke' Hidden in 'White Noise'

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 17:41:00 -0000

Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks and director Oskar Eustis talk race, art, slavery and... bowling?

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'Beetlejuice' and the Biggest Taboo

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The new musical's creators reveal how the show has changed since its DC tryout.

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Kidding Around in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 08:00:00 -0000

How not to act your age, with Broadway favorites Celia Keenan-Bolger and Gideon Glick.

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How Phoebe Waller-Bridge Shocked Herself

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The "Fleabag" and "Killing Eve" creator revisits her breakout stage role.

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The Balls-Out Theatricality of Sam Mendes

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The Oscar winner on “The Ferryman” and how James Bond made him a writer.

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Secrets of Sound Design

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Sound designer Gareth Owen gives theatergoers a few pointers on understanding an esoteric art.

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Bringing 'Oklahoma!' and Alanis to Broadway

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 09:00:00 -0000

Producer Eva Price talks taking risks with her two big Broadway projects.

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Building 'Hadestown'

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 09:00:00 -0000

How Anaïs Mitchell and Rachel Chavkin created their buzzy, Broadway-bound musical.

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Laura Benanti

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 18:54:00 -0000

The Tony winner reveals her most challenging role.

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Adam Shankman

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 19:15:00 -0000

A top director of Hollywood musicals spills his secrets.

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Jeremy Pope

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 09:00:00 -0000

The fast-rising Broadway star on what he wishes he knew as a young actor.

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Making 'The Prom'

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0000

Bob Martin and Beth Leavel get political with their critically acclaimed new musical comedy.

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Ethan Hawke

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 20:14:00 -0000

The actor talks 'True West' and the ghost of Philip Seymour Hoffman.

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Heidi Schreck

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0000

The writer-performer on her scary-topical hit "What The Constitution Means To Me."

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Jason Robert Brown

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 09:00:00 -0000

The Broadway composer on writing for Ariana Grande -- and for himself.

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Tyne Daly & Tim Daly

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0000

The real-life siblings on playing brother and sister onstage

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Daniel Radcliffe

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0000

The former Harry Potter on how Broadway made him a better actor.

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The Cher Show

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0000

Creators take you backstage with 635 costumes, 6 million feathers and one pioneering superstar.

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Ep53 - Joan Allen

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 09:00:00 -0000

The Tony winner talks Broadway, her favorite film and women's roles in Hollywood.

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Michael C. Hall

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 09:00:00 -0000

The actor talks "Thom Pain," queer roles and more "Dexter."

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Glenn Close

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 09:00:00 -0000

Her new play, her recent movie and what "Fatal Attraction" means in the #MeToo era.

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Sasson Gabay

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 18:06:00 -0000

How "the DeNiro of Israel" stole tricks from a Tony winner in "The Band's Visit."

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Stockard Channing

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 18:30:00 -0000

The veteran stage and screen actress doesn't love "Grease" as much as you do.

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'Dear Evan Hansen': The Novel

Tue, 23 Oct 2018 08:00:00 -0000

A YA adaptation reveals new secrets of the fan-favorite Tony winner.

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Aasif Mandvi

Tue, 16 Oct 2018 08:00:00 -0000

Why Mandvi's 20-year-old play "Sakina's Restaurant" is suddenly a political statement.

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Power of Broadway

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 08:00:00 -0000

Top execs talk the business of Broadway at Variety's power breakfast.

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Conor McPherson

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 08:00:00 -0000

He wrote a play with Bob Dylan tunes -- but don't call it a jukebox musica

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Theresa Rebeck & Janet McTeer

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 21:48:00 -0000

The writer and star of “Bernhardt/Hamlet” on their timely play about a powerful woman

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Andy Karl

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 20:00:00 -0000

The "Pretty Woman" star on nostalgia, reviews, and that injured knee.

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Joe Iconis

Tue, 21 Aug 2018 08:00:00 -0000

How to make your musical go viral, according to the fan-fave composer.

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Michael Mayer & Spencer Liff

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 08:00:00 -0000

Why the Go-Go's and 16th century literature make a perfect match in "Head Over Heels."

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Zachary Quinto

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 08:00:00 -0000

The "Star Trek" actor talks Broadway, gay rights and his dream role.

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Tatiana Maslany

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 08:00:00 -0000

The Emmy winner on an “Orphan Black” reunion and her timely new stage role.

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'Once On This Island' Producer on His Surprising Tony Win

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 08:00:00 -0000

Producer Ken Davenport dissects his unexpected Tony triumph and blurs the lines with "Gettin' The Band Back Together."

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BD Wong

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 08:00:00 -0000

The Tony-winning actor, now returning to the New York stage in "The Great Leap," talks basketball in Beijing, dinosaurs, mad scientists, Whiterose, and the secret origin of his name.

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Ep36 - Matt Bomer and Andrew Rannells / The Boys in the Band

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 16:00:00 -0000

Two stars of the big-name revival of the landmark gay drama "The Boys in the Band" talk Broadway debuts, Tony parties, Rannells' new book and why Bomer's next Broadway show should be a musical.

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Ep35 - Basil Twist

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 08:00:00 -0000

The puppeteer, a MacArthur genius grant winner, explains the difference between working downtown and working on Broadway, and spills the secrets behind the new revival of his 20-year-old breakout show, "Symphonie Fantastique."

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Ep34 - Andrew Garfield

Wed, 30 May 2018 00:44:00 -0000

The actor, nominated for a Tony Award for his leading role in "Angels in America," compares the Tonys and the Oscars, talks up the timeliness of "Angels" and reveals what is, for him, "the greatest privilege in playing this part."

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Ep33 - Tina Fey, Jeff Richmond & Nell Benjamin

Wed, 23 May 2018 17:38:00 -0000

The writers of the Tony-nominated "Mean Girls" -- book writer Tina Fey, composer Jeff Richmond and lyricist Nell Benjamin -- take us behind the scenes of their fetch new musical.

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Ep32 - LaChanze

Tue, 15 May 2018 16:47:00 -0000

Tony Award winner and current nominee LaChanze dishes on the Tonys, shares what it means to her to play Donna Summer in the bio-musical "Summer," and reveals why she started going by just one name.

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Ep31 - Lauren Ambrose & Harry Hadden-Paton

Tue, 08 May 2018 08:00:00 -0000

The Tony-nominated stars of Lincoln Center Theater's "My Fair Lady" talk about performing the classic musical in the era of Time's Up and reveal how Adele helped Ambrose pick up Eliza Doolittle's accent.

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Ep30 - Lynn Nottage

Tue, 01 May 2018 08:00:00 -0000

The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner of "Ruined" and "Sweat" reveals the secret origins of her new play "Mlima's Tale" -- including its surprising link to Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow.

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Ep29 - Tom Hiddleston & William Shakespeare

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 21:21:00 -0000

The "Avengers: Infinity War" star reveals how he first got hooked on The Bard and details his recent production of "Hamlet."

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Ep28 - Chris Evans

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 08:00:00 -0000

Evans, now on Broadway in "Lobby Hero" and soon to reprise his signature role as Captain America in "Avengers: Infinity War," reveals his theater-kid roots, details the difficulties of spit management and ponders his future with -- or without -- Captain America.

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Ep27 - Jamie Parker

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 08:00:00 -0000

The Olivier-winning star of Broadway's "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" reveals how he got cast as the boy wizard, why he's re-read the books five or six times, and what it's like interacting with the show's international audience of superfans.

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Ep26 - Joshua Jackson & Lauren Ridloff

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 08:00:00 -0000

Joshua Jackson ("Dawson's Creek," "Fringe") and newcomer Lauren Ridloff, the stars of the new Broadway revival of "Children of a Lesser God," sound off on accessibility, representation, communication and why "Children" is still so relevant today.

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Ep25 - Billie Piper

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 08:00:00 -0000

The "Doctor Who" star talks about reprising her Olivier Award-winning role in "Yerma," along the way touching on her pop-star past, the film she's directing and the musical that might be in her future.

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Ep24 - Billy Crudup

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 08:00:00 -0000

There are several characters in the Off Broadway thriller "Harry Clarke." But they're all played by Billy Crudup -- who sure does get lonely up there sometimes.

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Ep23 - Robert Greenblatt

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 08:00:00 -0000

The chairman of NBC Entertainment is the man responsible for the network's embrace of theater, performance and live programming, from the new "Rise" to the upcoming "Jesus Christ Superstar" to "Smash" -- and he's also a theater fan and producer.

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Ep22 - Lee Pace

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 08:00:00 -0000

Pace, the "Halt and Catch Fire" star who's now appearing on Broadway in "Angels in America," takes listeners behind the scenes of the "massive" Tony Kushner play -- and explains why he'd love it if Donald Trump came to see the show.

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Ep21 - Casey Nicholaw

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 09:00:00 -0000

Director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw, Broadway's go-to guy for musical comedy, gives the scoop on his buzzy upcoming production of "Mean Girls," and along the way talks getting "Aladdin" right, why "The Prom" is so timely and what it was like working with the "South Park" creators on "The Book of Mormon."

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Ep20 - Gillian Jacobs & Thomas Kail

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 09:00:00 -0000

The star of "Love" and "Community," Gillian Jacobs, and "Hamilton" director Thomas Kail talk politics, margaritas and their new Off Broadway show, "Kings."

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Ep19 - The Stars and Creators of Broadway's "Frozen"

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 09:00:00 -0000

Actresses Caissie Levy and Patti Murin, director Michael Grandage and designer Christopher Oram, four of the leading players behind Disney's Broadway adaptation of "Frozen," talk deeper characters, new songs and high expectations -- especially from the audience members who show up in costume.

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Ep18 - Jake Shears & Kirstin Maldonado

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 09:00:00 -0000

Two pop musicans, Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters and Kirstin Maldonado of Pentatonix, talk about their starring roles in Broadway's "Kinky Boots" -- and why doing theater is like "slamming heroin and jumping out of an airplane, but in front of an audience."

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Ep17 - Lea Salonga

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 09:00:00 -0000

Lea Salonga, the fan favorite who was the original star of "Miss Saigon" and is currently in "Once On This Island," talks Broadway diversity, her new album and finding musicals that "rock me to my core."

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Ep16 - Victor Garber

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 09:00:00 -0000

Garber, back on Broadway opposite Bernadette Peters in "Hello, Dolly!," shares his thoughts on the theater, the Arrowverse and the idea of an "Alias" reunion -- and reveals the "weird thing" he used to have about singing, and how he got over it.

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Ep15 - John Lithgow

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 09:00:00 -0000

The film, TV and stage veteran talks about his new Broadway show, "Stories By Heart" -- and reveals that even he feels like a fraud sometimes.

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Ep14 - Keegan-Michael Key

Tue, 16 Jan 2018 09:00:00 -0000

The former "Key and Peele" star talks about his stage gigs in Broadway's "Meteor Shower" (opposite Amy Schumer), Off Broadways' "Hamlet" (opposite Oscar Isaac), his theater background, his "19-year detour into sketch comedy" and why he just can't stop craving the green lights.

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Ep13 - Stephen Adly Guirgis

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 09:00:00 -0000

The Pulitzer-winning playwright ("Jesus Hopped the A Train," "Between Riverside and Crazy") talks about writing (and not writing), his recent forays into acting and why his current retrospective and residency at Signature Theater at first made him think, "Uh, oh. I'm old. It's done."

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Ep12 - Rachel Bloom / Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 09:00:00 -0000

The creator of the CW musical comedy series "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," Rachel Bloom is a theater geek at heart. She spills on her favorite musicals, the stage roles she'd like to play and recent events on "Crazy Ex" -- and sings a tune from the unproduced full-length musical she wrote, "Broadway Crazy."

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Ep11 - John Leguizamo / Latin History for Morons

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 09:00:00 -0000

The writer-performer learned a lot in preparation for his new Broadway solo outing -- but his biggest takeaway is that he's "a true ghetto nerd."

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Ep10 - Julie Taymor & David Henry Hwang / M. Butterfly

Tue, 05 Dec 2017 09:00:00 -0000

The director and playwright behind the Broadway revival of "M. Butterfly," starring Clive Owen, talk casting, stage pictures, gender in 2017, and why you can't have Borscht belt humor show up in Shanghai.

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Ep9 - Creators and Stars of "SpongeBob Squarepants"

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 09:00:00 -0000

Director Tina Landau and writer Kyle Jarrow peel back the curtain to explain how they took "SpongeBob Squarepants" from screen to stage, and actors Ethan Slater and Lilli Cooper reveal how they bring two iconic animated characters to life.

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Ep8 - Beau Willimon

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 09:00:00 -0000

The playwright and creator of TV shows "House of Cards" and the upcoming "The First" talks about his new Broadway play, "The Parisian Woman," starring Uma Thurman, and reveals why he's drawn to writing about politics, what it's like to write in the age of Trump, and why his TV career is still a surprise to him.

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Ep7 - Ayad Akhtar

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 09:00:00 -0000

The Pulitzer-winning playwright of "Disgraced" talks about his new Broadway show "Junk," revealing how his father taught him about the stock market, the ways his experience with faith has affected his writing, and how he ended up as the skinny, serious young man in the background of the movie "Vanya on 42 Street."

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Ep6 - Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 09:00:00 -0000

The songwriters behind "Ragtime" and "Anastasia" talk about the new revival of their 1990 musical "Once On This Island," its found-object orchestra, diversity and authenticity on Broadway, and their "not particularly good" first song together.

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Ep5 - Jonathan Groff

Tue, 31 Oct 2017 08:00:00 -0000

The Broadway favorite ("Hamilton," "Spring Awakening") talks about working with the famously meticulous director David Fincher in Netflix series "Mindhunter" -- and also spills the truth about the rap that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote for Kelli O'Hara, explains why he's not on social media and reveals with Miranda calls him "the Snowden of Broadway."

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Ep4 - Harvey Fierstein & Michael Urie of "Torch Song"

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 08:00:00 -0000

Playwright Harvey Fierstein and actor Michael Urie discuss "Torch Song," their newly revised version of Fierstein's breakout work "Torch Song Trilogy." Along the way they talk auditions, bus and truck tours, the legacy of gay history plays, and Estelle Getty.

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Ep3 - Tracy Letts

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 08:00:00 -0000

Pulitzer and Tony-winning writer and actor Tracy Letts talks about his new, politically charged play "The Minutes," as well as his latest film, buzzmagnet November release "Lady Bird." He reveals why he's never written a part for himself, why he's happy not to have acted in a play lately, and how an act of blackmail led him to discover acting as a teenager.

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Ep2 - Tony Shalhoub, Katrina Lenk & the Creators of "The Band's Visit"

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 08:00:00 -0000

Stars and creators of the buzzy, award-winning musical talk about bringing the Off Broadway hit to Broadway. Actress Katrina Lenk looks back on a breakout year, writer Itamar Moses explains adapting unlikely source material, composer David Yazbek encourages improvisation and Tony Shalhoub reveals what he finds "terrifying."

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Ep1 - Harold Prince / "Prince of Broadway" & "Sense of Occasion"

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 08:00:00 -0000

Legendary Broadway producer-director Harold Prince, recipient of 21 Tony Awards, talks turkey about his storied career, his current projects, the recent revivals of his work -- and why he never wanted to be producer at all.

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