On this week's episode, the brilliant Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez gave us a peek into the family ties and subversive joy that fuel their amazingly successful musical collaborations. We covered the rough and tumble development history of “Frozen,” the surprising emotional power of “WandaVision,” the enduring flop appeal of “Dude,” and how “making it up as we go along” became a mantra for both pandemic survival and catchy TV theme song gold.

On this week’s episode of “Cocktails at Table 7,” we celebrate our one- year anniversary the only way we know how… by posting the episode two weeks late! We think it was worth the wait though, because we got to interview not one, but TWO spectacular guests. First, Christina D’Angelo, bar regular and graphic designer extraordinaire, offered her insights on what makes Joe Allen her spiritual home away from home, and how she incorporated elements from the iconic flop wall into her brilliant logo for our podcast. Next, we enjoyed a chat with James Rubio, our co-worker as well as a brilliant composer, who shared with us the eclectic musical influences he drew upon to create our amazingly catchy theme song. Christina and James were integral to the launch of “Cocktails at Table 7,” and it was a joy to have them on the show! Also sprinkled throughout this episode are a few memorable snippets of warmth and wisdom courtesy of past guests F. Murray Abraham, Lauren Graham, Betty Buckley, John Glover, Marilu Henner, Kilty Reidy, and Jeffrey Whitty. It’s a fitting tribute to a delightful year of community and conversation, and the first of what we hope are many anniversaries to come. Cheers!

Peter Gallagher has been a favorite of stage, film and television audiences for over 40 years. On Broadway, he’s excelled in everything from splashy, feel good musicals to the devastating masterworks of Eugene O’ Neill and Clifford Odets. He’s shared the screen with everyone from Adam Sandler to James Cagney, and on this week’s episode of Cocktails at Table 7, we got to spend a hugely enjoyable hour with this seriously entertaining and talented man. Peter shared memories of the icons of old Hollywood he was lucky enough to cross paths with early in his career, the amazing resilience of New York and the theatrical community, his love of Joe Allen and the LaScala salad, and the time Bob Fosse complimented his unique and “interesting” sense of rhythm. You don’t want to miss this!

From Broadway, to classic sitcoms, to the biggest horror, action, and comedy hits of the 1980’s, Adrienne Barbeau is an iconic part of American pop culture. Before all of that, however, she worked at Joe Allen! We were so lucky to spend some time with this gracious lady, discussing the late night, party vibe of New York in the late 1960’s, the close knit ties forged among the up and coming casts of “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Grease,” her brisk transition from Broadway Rizzo to TV stardom, the ass kicking Howard Hawks inspired horror heroines she popularized, and the fascinating world of “Carnivale." It took us a while to get this “wishlist” guest, and it was well worth it. Cheers!

As an actor, writer, producer, and teacher, the brilliant Austin Pendleton has worked with everyone from Jerome Robbins to Miss Piggy. Understandably, with a resume that eclectic, he’s collected more than a few terrific tales to share over Cocktails! We discussed Austin’s long association with the seminal HB Studios, the rocky out of town trials of Fiddler on the Roof, the focus and intensity required to make great film comedies like What’s Up, Doc? and My Cousin Vinny, and, most interestingly, playing referee between the legendary Ethel Merman and a Bad News Bear.

Long before Lauren Graham charmed audiences on the fan favorites Gilmore Girls, Parenthood, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, she spent years in New York, working odd jobs while trodding the boards at off-off Broadway theaters across the city. It was a pleasure for us to enjoy a round with Lauren and hear about her early dreams of rep company “stardom,” her stint as a waitress at the legendary Improv, her failed attempts to channel her inner llama, and the cozy camaraderie that has always made Joe Allen a special place to her.

The brilliant, Tony Award winning Len Cariou joins us for this week’s round of cocktails. As an up-and-coming actor gaining prominence on Broadway in the late 60’s, Len quickly became a familiar face at Joe Allen Restaurant, as well as a close friend of the man, himself (spoiler; they were gym rats together!) We touched upon the highly impractical version of the restaurant portrayed in “Applause,” Len’s memories of collaborating with the great Hal Prince, and the unconventional way Stephen Sondheim served Len his very first helping of “A Little Priest.”

Liz Callaway has one of the most beautiful singing voices we’ve ever heard, and this week we got to chat with this Tony Award nominated singer and actress about just how singularly qualified she is to be a guest on this podcast! We also touched upon the connection Liz forged with Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim during the tumultuous run of “Merrily We Roll Along," the fun you can have with your kid backstage while dressed as a cat, her imminent return to live performances, and the immensity of, intensity of...two people in love.

This week we enjoyed a “second round” with the wonderful Jonathan Groff and finally got around to discussing his contributions to two of the biggest entertainment phenomena of the past decade, “Frozen” and “Hamilton.” We explored his childhood love for all things Disney, the honesty of “Looking,” the intensity of David Fincher and “Mindhunter,” and perhaps the greatest professional challenge of Jonathan’s career; surviving kitchen issues during a Sunday Brunch shift in Hell’s Kitchen.

Jonathan Groff burst onto the scene in the Tony Award winning “Spring Awakening” in 2006 and has captivated audiences on the stage and screen ever since. We were lucky enough to spend a hugely entertaining spell with this incredibly funny and talented actor, and in this first part of a two-part episode, he fills us in on his stint as a waiter at the Chelsea Grill in Hell’s Kitchen, his fortuitous Broadway debut in the legendary lemon, “In My Life,” and the life changing moment during a matinee of “Beauty and the Beast” when he realized he belonged on the stage not in the orchestra pit.