Backstage Babble

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my interview with 2024 Tony nominee for Best Actress in a Play, Betsy Aidem. She was nominated for her staggering performance in Prayer for the French Republic, and you can tune in today to hear more about that process as well as some of the great stories of her legendary career, including the advice she got from Tom Stoppard, crashing auditions with John Malkovich and Des McAnuff, making her Broadway debut at the age of 57, meeting Lucille Ball and Elizabeth Taylor backstage at Steel Magnolias, originating the role of Toni in Appropriate, working with David Cromer on Prayer for the French Republic and other plays, the joy of collaborating with Marian Seldes, what it’s like being nominated for a Tony, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this interview.

Today, I’m thrilled to announce the release of my episode with legendary comedian and Broadway performer Rita Rudner. Tune in to hear her talk about all the facets of her career, including learning wings for Gower Champion, the show she calls “the first feel-bad musical,” the advantages of working with her husband, the difficult transition from musical theater into comedy, why she doesn’t do topical material, the ins and outs of making jokes about your family, why Bob Fosse would never hire her, how she almost did a musical with Gary Beach, running into Robert Morse at Starbucks, adapting her novel into a play, the ageism she’s faced in the comedy business, why she was never in A Chorus Line, the word she’s removed from her act, forming a close friendship during Follies, the skills she learned in The Magic Show, opening a new theater with So Long, 174th Street, and so much more.

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my interview with Tony-winning director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell. Tune in for a conversation about his three current projects, Boop!, The Devil Wears Prada, and Becoming Nancy, as well as some fantastic stories and insights from his legendary career, including how Broadway Bares led to his Broadway debut, what it was like being fought over by Lauren Bacall and Ann Miller, why Michael Bennett’s musical Scandal never came to fruition, the inspiration for the conga line in On Your Feet!, how he cast Jasmine Amy Rogers in Boop! and Laura Bell Bundy in Legally Blonde, the direct line from Jack O’Brien to him to Sergio Trujillo, his earliest musical Aesop’s Fallibles, using treadmills onstage in Kinky Boots, why he doesn’t like doing revivals, creating dances for non-dancers in The Full Monty, the ins and outs of the 2-year rehearsal process for Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this in-depth interview with one of the most influential figures in theater today.

Ticket Link for Backstage Babble Celebrates Joe Allen Restaurant: https://54below.org/events/backstage-babble-celebrates-joe-allen-restaurant/

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my episode with legendary theater critic Frank Rich, who served as the chief theater critic of the New York Times from 1980-1993. Tune in today to hear some of the stories of his great career, including championing August Wilson, making up with Robert Brustein, watching Jerome Robbins stage the second act of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, the changes made to the second act of THE ODD COUPLE out of town, his thoughts on the decreasing power of theater criticism in affecting the success of a show, working with Boris Aronson on a book about his work, why he tried not to think about the influence he had on shows, what he learned from Walter Kerr and Kenneth Tynan, what musicals he chooses to see today, working with theater actors on SUCCESSION, the giveaway that a critic didn’t personally like a show, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this conversation with a greatly influential figure in so many fields. 

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my episode with Broadway star Elena Shaddow. Elena will be appearing in my next concert at 54 Below, Backstage Babble Celebrates Joe Allen Restaurant, singing from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, along with a fantastic lineup including Tony nominees Anita Gillette, Michael Korie, Amanda Green, and Willy Falk, plus Jim Walton, Robert Creighton, Heather MacRae, and more. The link to in-person and livestream tickets is here:

https://54below.org/events/backstage-babble-celebrates-joe-allen-restaurant/

Tune in today to hear some of the stories of her legendary career, including why she smoked a cigarette in NINE, the difficulty of performing in DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES every night, the insight she got from Chita Rivera, working with Joanne Akalaitis on THE BACCHAE, getting close to the title role in MARY POPPINS, Trevor Nunn’s specific way of working, working with Audra McDonald on TV, how she decided to stop understudying, telling Harvey Fierstein she was pregnant, the joys of starring in FANNY, going on at the last minute in NINE, the freeing nature of finding her own technique, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this episode.

Today, I’m thrilled to announce the release of my episode with Tony winning actress Celia Keenan- Bolger, who is currently starring in Mother Play at the Helen Hayes Theater. Tune in to hear some of the stories of her legendary career, including what it was like working with Sondheim on her first major job, her long journey with THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, how she got William FInn to write a song for her, how she made the transition between performing in musicals and plays, balancing being a mother with being an actress, what she learned from working with Bartlett Sher and his wife, the role she always wanted to play, the ins and outs of being nominated for a Tony, having Paula Vogel write a play for her, how THE GLASS MENAGERIE overcame her initial skepticism, the joy of performing in PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this conversation with one of theater’s brightest lights.

Today, I’m thrilled to announce my interview with Sara Gettelfinger, who is currently returning to Broadway after a 10-year hiatus to star as Barbara in Water for Elephants. Tune in today to hear some of the stories of her legendary career, including how her persistence got her into CCM, why Michele Pawk was an early hero of hers, rehearsing with Gwen Verdon, a special audition for Jack O’Brien, working with Jerry Zaks on The Addams Family, the shows she’d like to see done at Encores!, the importance of Rick Elice’s work in her return to acting, the thrills and challenges of working with George C. Wolfe, how she created the character of Little Edie Beale, the process of being let go from Grey Gardens, and so much more. She also shares the moving and inspiring details of her hard-won journey back to Broadway. You won’t want to miss this intimate conversation with one of Broadway’s best.

I’m thrilled to announce the release of my episode with Tony-nominated librettist Rick Elice, whose musical Water for Elephants is currently playing at Broadway’s Imperial Theater. Tune in to find out about all the facets of his varied career, which he describes as being a “pinball in a pinball machine,” including how a forbidden experience with Follies got him hooked on theater, late-night calls from Elaine May, how Annie led to being hired by Serino-Coyne, crashing a lunch with Stanley Donen, when Cher quoted “Hello, Dolly!” to him, what intrigued him about the Smash musical, the trick he used for marketing The Lion King, the advice he got from Neil Simon and Mike Nichols, why Tom Stoppard is responsible for his career as a playwright, and more. He also shares a beautiful tribute to the late, great Chita Rivera, who worked with Rick’s husband Roger Rees on their mutual last project, The Visit. You won’t want to miss this episode!

Today, I’m honored to announce my interview with Tony winning director Doug Hughes. Tune in to hear some of the stories of his legendary career, including the simple mantra that dictates what kind of work he wants to direct, a very important review he received early in his career, creating tension in DOUBT, what he loves about directing Shaw plays, the anxiety of the rehearsal process for OLEANNA, why he prefers intimate rehearsal spaces, transferring FROZEN to Broadway, the unique talent of Cherry Jones, what appealed to him about directing Ayad Akhtar’s JUNK, why ELLING couldn’t succeed on Broadway, the opportunities Lynne Meadow gave him, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this conversation with one of Broadway’s best directors.

Today, I’m so excited to announce my episode with Maryann Plunkett, who is currently starring as Older Allie in Broadway’s The Notebook. Tune in to hear some of the stories of her legendary career, including the significance of the first line she said on a Broadway stage, performing on the night of the 2016 election, her numerous costars in Sunday in the Park with George, the power of Me and My Girl, how she met her husband Jay O. Sanders and the play she’d love to do with him, the joy of performing in rep at National Actors’ Theater, how acting cured her shyness, early stages of Zoom theater, an upcoming play with Marie Mullen, the new take on Macbeth she workshopped, what singing means to her character in The Notebook, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this insightful conversation with a veteran actress.