Today, I am so excited to announce my episode with artistic director of the Gingold Group David Staller. The Gingold Group is the only one in the world to have presented all 65 of George Bernard Shaw’s plays, and today is your last day to see their mounting of MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION staring Karen Ziemba and Robert Cuccioli. Upcoming is a reading of Jay O. Sanders and MaryAnn Plunkett in VILLAGE WOOING. Tickets can be purchased here:

Village Wooing

Mrs. Warren's Profession

Tune in to hear David tell some of the stories of his legendary career, including: an early shaw reading with Olivier, Fairbanks, Loos, and more, how he became friends with Pearl Bailey, turning down Hal Prince, the majesty of Rebecca Luker, why George Bernard Shaw was a pistol at 94, why he longs for the day when Shaw is no longer relevant, growing up around Hermoine Gingold, the art of editing Shaw, interviewing Rex Harrison, casting over Zoom, his advice to young performers and so much more.

I am so honored today to announce my episode with one of Broadway’s best leading men, Howard McGillin. In addition to being the longest running Phantom, his starring roles include Anything Goes, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, She Loves Me, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, and more. Tune in today to hear some of the stories of his career including auditioning for Stephen Sondheim, why the phantom’s mask is more comfortable than you might think, singing through Mack and Mabel with Jerry Herman, doing a dress rehearsal with a broken rib, why The Secret Garden resonated personally with him, the many changes of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, a fateful email from Charles Busch, learning to play piano, a backstage conversation with James Lapine, and so much more.

Today, I am so thrilled to announce my episode with Emmy Award Winner Sherman Yellen. On TV, his projects include Beauty and the Beast, An Early Frost, and The Adams Chronicles, and on stage he has written the book for Rex, The Rothschilds, and more. Tune in today to hear the many stories of his long career, including sitting under a piano with Marilyn Monroe, why he thought he caught tuberculosis from Harold Pinter, hiring Nicol Williamson, revising The Rothschilds, how he thinks theater has changed, his hit sketch for Oh, Calcutta!, analyzing Richard Rodgers, why he related to Sinclair Lewis, the antisemitism of Maureen O’Hara, why he thinks his newest plays are the best yet, and reflects on the world of opportunity in which he grew up. Mr. Yellen’s new book, Absent Friends, will be available soon.

Today on Backstage Babble, I am so thrilled to present my celebration of the 2020 Tony Awards. The four-hour ceremony can still be viewed on Paramount+ and the CBS App. The evening begins with a few photos and video interviews from the red carpet. I was also invited to be part of the virtual press room for this year’s ceremony, and you can see the questions I got to ask to the night’s winners including Lois Smith, Alex Timbers, and Anthony Veneziale. You can also see longer interview clips that include my questions with director Kenny Leon and playwright Matthew Lopez, because what they said was so powerful it had to be shared. Following this, my extended 40-minute interview with legendary Broadway press agent and producer Irene Gandy, who shares many stories of her career, including learning from Douglas Turner Ward, walking into the New York Times office wearing hot pants, why attitudes about press have changed, the magic of August: Osage County, and the way in which she saw racism in the publicity industry.

This program is best viewed in a video format, which is available here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p91K_oSS9U/

You can watch Ms. Gandy’s Tonys speech here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffx2MRRCzPY&t=81s/

Today, I am so honored to announce my episode with the amazing Meg Bussert. Meg transitioned from being one of the most active ingenues on Broadway in the 1980s to one of the most sought-after character actresses today. Hear her tell some of the stories of her amazing career on our interview, including a suggestion she got from Meredith Willson, the direction from Michael Kidd that left her speechless, how she made Debbie Reynolds nervous, why John Raitt wasn’t right for Petruchio, figuring out an accent for South Pacific, her go-to audition song, the magic of Tessie O’Shea and Gemze De Lappe, how she set off a fire alarm at the Westchester Broadway Theater, a telegram from Mary Martin, plus Edward Gorey, Barbara Cook, Alan Jay Lerner, and more!! You can also see her in a celebration of Jonathan Tunick happening October 2 at the Sharon Playhouse. Tickets are available here: https://www.sharonplayhouse.org/2021spotlight

Today, I am so excited to bring you the audio version of my recent reunion of the 1970 hit show APPLAUSE, which is available in full video with photos included here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex5cr3T7ASc

Participants include Tony Winner and Broadway Legend Len Cariou, Previous Guests Penny Fuller, Lee Roy Reams, Brandon Maggart, and Susan L. Schulman, 9-Time Tony nominated Lighting Designer Ken Billington, Arranger and Orchestrator Mel Marvin, and dancers Michael Misita, Marilyn D'Honau, and Patti D'Beck.

Wonderful stories abound about the creation of this legendary musical.

Today, I am so thrilled to announce my episode with the fabulous Julie Budd! She started at the age of 11 in the Catskills, and since then has performed at the Kennedy Center, Caesar’s Palace, Birdland, and many other illustrious venues. She also has made many notable appearances on Broadway and in Hollywood. And today, she joins me on Backstage Babble to tell some of the stories of her legendary career, including: conversing with a pantsless George Burns, the advice Frank Sinatra gave her, doing homework in Ed Sullivan’s apartment, the philosophy of Bob Hope, why she thought everyone on Broadway was crazy, getting discovered by Herb Bernstein, Marvin Hamlisch’s odd sleeping habits, why working for Disney was the highlight of her life, and so much more.

Today, I am so excited to announce my episode with one of the foremost theater historians and one of my personal heroes, the great Ethan Mordden. You may know his legendary decades series or his myriad other books, but today we are here to talk about his newest release, Pick a Pocket or Two: A History of British Musical Theatre. The book is a must-read and can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Pick-Pocket-Two-History-British/dp/0190877952/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Mr. Mordden tells quite a few tales on today’s episode, including watching a sedentary Elaine Stritch, a brilliant change by Alan Jay Lerner, a shocking fact about Eva LeGallienne, how Oliver revitalized the British musical as a form, performing his own songs for Richard Rodgers, the differences between Gilbert and Sullivan, how a Madame Tussaud’s wax dummy opened a musical, why he doesn’t conduct interviews for his books, and the shows he classifies as pop operas (some may surprise you). Plus Ivor Novello, Susan Johnson, Charlie Stemp, and more!

I am so happy to release today Part 2 of my episode with the amazing Nancy Dussault, where she talks about the latter half of her career, including Into the Woods and Side By Side By Sondheim, plus Too Close For Comfort, Good Morning America, and more. The stories abound once again: her quintessential New York experience, hectic times on the sets of Barney Miller and Mad About You, how doing the weather on TV turned into an unplanned comedy routine, why Ted Knight could be very controlling, how she found the character of the Witch, why she forgot where she was one night on the stage of the Martin Beck Theater, her involvement with the show Cabaret, plus Dick Van Dyke, Hermoine Gingold, Stephen Sondheim, and more!

Find PICK A POCKET OR TWO: https://www.amazon.com/Pick-Pocket-Two-History-British/dp/0190877952

I am so thrilled today to announce Part 1 of my episode with Broadway star and Tony Nominee Nancy Dussault. She’s done it all: from starring on Broadway in Do Re Mi, The Sound of Music, and Bajour, to her memorable appearances on screen in Too Close for Comfort, The In-Laws, and more. In this candid and funny conversation, she shares just some of the stories of her amazing career. Those include a quip from Judy Garland, how Garson Kanin made her cry, why she felt uncomfortable around Richard Rodgers, why it’s so rare to be a Broadway star, the art of putting together a cabaret act, watching her name go up on a marquee, the brilliance of Joseph Papp and John Kenley, the kindness of Lady Bird Johnson, the one project of hers she would love to see a video of, her signature audition songs, compliments from Lena Horne and Jule Styne, plus Liza Minnelli, Marc Blitzstein, Burton Lane, and more!