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He is famous for playing the Frankenstein monster and voicing the Grinch but people often forget that Boris Karloff also made a big impact on the stage starting with "Arsenic and Old Lace." Not only did he steal the show as the murderous Jonathan Brewster, he was also a major investor in the Broadway production, meaning he made money on the movie version even though he wasn't able to appear in it.

The legacy of Karloff is only one fascinating item of "Arsenic and Old Lace" lore that I explore with my good friend - and a fan of all things related to classic movie monsters - Dr. Jesse Rabinowitz. 

In the more than 80 years since "Arsenic" debuted on Broadway, it has remained a favorite play for regional, community and educational theater to produce. It's a favorite because of its dark humor, humor that originally didn't hit for me at all based on the movie adaptation starring Cary Grant. It wasn't until I watched recordings of a staged version that I understood what was funny about the show.

The social / historical commentary of the play probably goes right over the head of most folks (it did for me!) which is another reason to have conversations with erudite people like Jesse.

Check out ChasingPhantom.net for more information and links to relevant video clips. 

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Don't cry for me, Chasing Phantom fans! I have brought back yet another one of your favorite guests, the diva-tastic Melissa Chase, host of the lifestyle television show, "Showcase." We discuss the diva-centric "Evita," a show solidly in Ms. Chase's wheelhouse thanks to her love of all things Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Don't expect a lot of dissecting of historical accuracy here; I mean, we gloss by that so quickly I even mispronounce Argentina and "Argentinia" in the episode! What we do dig into, though, is the musical legacy of this show, one that has always involved an explicit connection to popular music. From its beginning as a concept album, pop stars and rock musicians have played important roles in the development and success of this show.

And, of course, we can't help but spend a fair amount of time discussing Madonna's intense interest in this show and her commitment to appearing in the movie adaptation. Melissa has a fresh perspective that I loved talking through.

Please check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more information and links to related video clips.

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Happy April Fool's Day! Sure, "The Music Man" included some incredible songs, featured one of the most career-defining performances in Broadway history, and captured a unique clash of squeaky-clean Midwestern living with the machinations of a cynical con-man. But it also has what I would call the only April Fool's style prank at the core of its plot: Prof. Howard Hill's "Think Method" leading a whole town to believe they could simply think their way into musical proficiency.

When it comes to proficiency in musical history, there are few people I'd rather talk to than "Dr. Broadway," Kristin Stultz Pressley, Ph.D., who is literally writing the book on Golden Age musicals. "The Music Man" is arguably the shiniest of those celebrated stalwarts as it's been produced on stages from elementary schools to colleges, by regional and community theater companies around the country for decades. 

If you've been involved in theater in any way, you've seen, worked on or been in "The Music Man."

I'm sure you'll love this in-depth conversation thanks to Dr. Broadway's extensive knowledge and lively way of translating history into digestible info. Speaking of info, please check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more of that stuff, plus a bunch of relevant video clips.

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Who could have known that this near-forgotten play from the 1940s would be so relevant in the 2020s?

The title is from the Bible, a verse in the Song of Solomon that actually references a turtledove, not the shelled amphibian: "The time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land." Playwright John Van Druten of "I Am A Camera" fame, turned it into a Broadway comedy that was one of the few shows opening during World War II that captured and reflected life during wartime.

"The Voice of the Turtle" may have become infamous for the movie version that starred Ronald Reagan and sanitized its themes around sexual autonomy. But this story about a single actress who doesn't want to fall in love is actually a relatively ground-breaking play. My guest, as is often the case when obscure plays are featured, is Jordan Schildcrout, Ph.D., author of "In the Long Run: A Cultural History of Broadway's Hit Plays," and we go pretty deep in this discussion, one of the geekiest and therefore, fun for me, conversations I've had in a long time!

Our chat includes short digressions like a review of the life of Virginia-born Margaret Sullavan (who some may know thanks to the TV movie "Haywire" written by her daughter), the surprising amount of attention given the cast having only 3 people, and the key symbolic role of the show's set. Enjoy!

And please check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more info, video clips, and access to previous episodes.

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With this episode, we reach an important milestone in "Chasing Phantom" history: this 64th episode marks the moment we pass the halfway point on the way up the list toward "Phantom of the Opera," still the longest running show in Broadway history. In honor of that moment, the episode features one of my favorite shows, "The Sound of Music," and a conversation with one of my favorite actors, Stacey Cabaj.

There was a run starting in 2010 when almost every significant female role cast in a musical in central Virginia went to Stacey. She was talented, sure, but she was also a magnetic personality, charming, smart, spunky, and delightful to be around. She had (and has) that gentle, soft-spoken but still emphatic wit that I associate with Canadians. She was the perfect choice to play Maria in "The Sound of Music."

The production in Richmond included a powerhouse of talent both young and old, and my son's appearance as Karl was a highlight of his young career. His participation in the production only cemented the show's place in my heart, the movie version already becoming the most-played VCR tape in our library by a huge margin.

In our conversation, Cabaj and I talk about the show's legacy, her personal journey in becoming a Maria, the longstanding impact of the show in her life even before appearing in it, and we broach the topics of faith and fascism that both feature prominently in the context of this show. Those deeper and darker themes reinforce how it's not just a fun story of found family and kids learning how to sing.

Given that this episode is light on deep lore or history on the original Broadway production, you'll definitely want to check out my website, Chasing Phantom.net, for more information and relevant videos clips. The website even includes a picture of my son in the production with Stacey - very cute!

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Think "Blazing Saddles" but on Broadway and with 1930s era sensibilities. That's what "Hellzapoppin'" was and, honestly, for the times it was pretty cutting-edge stuff. Weird running gags, satirical songs lampooning contemporary issues, risqué and ribald jokes, and even fourth-wall breaking hilarity. Sure, it was silly but it was smart silly, not stupid silly. At least most of the time.

While it was impossible to find an extant expert who could give me the low-down on this crazy show, I found something much better. The talented young actor August Hundley starred as Louise in a stage play set in the 1930s, "Dear Jack, Dear Louise," before he transitioned. His character was an actress who auditions for, and ultimately lands, a role in the "Hellzapoppin'." While it didn't make him an expert, it made him much more familiar with the show than any other human in my theater circle and perhaps on the planet.

"Dear Jack, Dear Louise" was August's last role as a female-presenting character and the show stands as a landmark for him in his journey of self-discovery. It's a somewhat mind-bending conversation, zigzagging between talking about his heartfelt personal journey and the bonkers nature of "Hellzapoppin'" but that's part of what makes it fun.

Be sure and check out ChasingPhantom.net for more information and some fun video clips related to the show, including a link to the entire movie version. And you can always reach out to me at [email protected] with questions, comments, or cries of outrage!

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Valentine's Day is coming up, a time when the warmth of love takes our minds off the cold weather. So it's the perfect time for an episode about a show I love without reservation: "Dreamgirls." I'm not alone - critic Frank Rich called it "the most exciting staging of a Broadway musical in this decade." Others have labeled it "one of the most iconic, influential, and straight-up thrilling musicals ever written." For me, it was the first musical I ever saw on Broadway and there's always a special place in your heart for your first, particularly when it's this good.

Joining me in raving about his show is Katrinah Carol Lewis, an exceptionally accomplished performer, director and actor who played the "replacement" Dream, Michelle, in a smashing 2016 production. I would have a blast talking about just about any show with Katrinah, but it's a particular pleasure delving into this one with her. 

In addition to lifting up the music in the show, we touch on some of the issues masterfully explored in the musical, including the appropriation of black music by white artists and the exploitation of young women in the music business. We even sneak in a reference to Richmond home town star, Emily Skinner, who played one of the backup singers in the appropriating Dave and the Sweathearts group, in the 2001 Actors Fund of America concert version of the show. It was a recording of that performance that was the vehicle for Katrinah's discovery of this amazing musical.

Please check out the my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more information on "Dreamgirls" and some essential video clips.

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It's weird how prescience can come from such unexpected places. When I recorded this episode about "Matilda the Musical" with the delightful Shannon Schilstra, I had no idea how relevant the show's themes about the bad behavior of bullies would be. It's a good thing that cloud wasn't hanging over our conversation, allowing Shannon and I to have a fun and carefree conversation about the unexpected rapturous praise this wonderfully weird show, developed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, would receive.

While certainly popular on Broadway, the show was and is an absolute smash in London, still running there for more than 14 years. Though my entree into the story was via the 1996 movie directed by Danny DeVito. Shockingly, Shannon has still not seen the original movie; she found Matilda through the musical first and has loved it ever since. We talk about how playing Miss Honey was a dream come true, both for her and her husband.

Be sure and check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more information about "Matilda the Musical" and some great video clips related to the show. And here's hoping the world's real-life bullies suffer the fate of Miss Trunchbull and get their just rewards in the years to come.

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For this first episode of 2026, I expose perhaps the most embarrassing gap in my theater knowledge. I often say I'm not as devoted a theater nerd as you might expect from someone who's written about theater for more than 25 years and has a theater history podcast but this episode is the proof. 

I am ashamed to say I have never in my life seen what may be the ultimate Broadway lover's Broadway show, "42nd Street." This Broadway show about putting on a Broadway show includes all of the benchmarks of a Golden Age musical, even though the original idea for adapting the movie into a show only came to fruition in 1980.

Even though this show exposed a huge gap in my theater knowledge, my guest is possibly the best person to talk about it: the podcast's most frequent guest, Phil Crosby. In this, his 8th appearance, Phil once again brings his extensive knowledge base to bear in our conversation about this classic "small town girl becomes a star" story.

Phil was itching to dig deeper into the original production - and we couldn't help but dig into it a little - but in our consideration of the revival, we talk about why this show plays so well with certain generations, why it doesn't necessarily require big name stars, and what changed (for the better but arguably for the worse) between the original and the revival.

Be sure and check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more information related to the 2001 revival of "42nd Street" and, most importantly, some relevant video clips. Happy 2026! Let's hope this one's better than last year!

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In the midst of your "Merry, Merry Christmas," let me interest you in a little "Mary, Mary" Broadway! Don't feel bad if you've never heard of this play -- I certainly hadn't -- but like so many other shows I've covered, there are SO many crazy and interesting stories related to this surprising entry in the pantheon of long running productions that reveal fascinating aspects of Broadway history.

And the perfect person to bring a near-bottomless depth of knowledge to the subject of plays on Broadway is, of course, Jordan Schildcrout, author of "In the Long Run: A Cultural History of Broadway's Hit Plays." As we get to talking about this play, Jordan lays out the context for its unexpected success and we explicate how it ends up being weirdly both pro- and anti-feminist. We also spend some time ruminating on the career of Barbara Bel Geddes, known to most from "Dallas," but actually rose to fame initially for originating Maggie in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," a role Elizabeth Taylor would go on to own thanks to the movie adaptation.

This "Mary, Mary" isn't so contrary a subject for the holidays as, in its own oddly traditional way, it reinforces conservative values and the sanctity of marriage. But at the same time, we can look back at it and be thankful that we truly have moved on past when women weren't "allowed" to be both pretty and witty.

Be sure to check out our website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more information and related video clips. For "Mary, Mary," the whole movie is actually out there on YouTube. Happy holidays and see you in the new year!