Notes With Jack

Episode 23: The guys kick off this episode talking about Taylor Swift (obviously…) before diving into Jack’s second week of rehearsals for THE SOUND OF MUSIC. This leads to a discussion about where Jack “puts the pin in ten years later,” balancing themes, and how art gives us a reason to push forward… 

This new North American tour of THE SOUND OF THE MUSIC is set to launch in the Fall of 2025, starting at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. from September 9 - October 5, and will visit 55 cities across the continent. 

Episode 22: Jack is back after his week away, and after discussing his his 2018 production of CAROUSEL, the guys dive into week one on THE SOUND OF MUSIC. They touch on how the iconic musical came to be, the task of re-branding an American classic, and why he starts with his child performers a week earlier than the adults are called to rehearsals. This new North American tour of THE SOUND OF THE MUSIC is set to launch in the Fall of 2025, starting at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. from September 9 - October 5, and will visit 55 cities across the continent.

Episode 21: Jack is in LA working on a new (secret) project. So, in this special episode of NWJ, Alan talks to Jason Berman (BIRTH OF A NATION, AIR) the producer behind Alan's new movie HIGHEST 2 LOWEST. They guys talk about how Jason secured the rights to the original Akira Kurasowa film HIGH AND LOW, what he learned most through producing the film, and Alan talks about how advice from Jack shaped how he wrote the script. HIGHEST 2 LOWEST hits theaters on August 15th, and will be available streaming on Apple TV on September 5th.

Episode 20: In the second part of the guy's discussion about Jack and his mentors, they discuss what John Houseman and Craig Noel added to Jack's education in the theater, the tension that outgrowing a mentor can cause, and Jack tells the story about the time he made Queen Elizabeth laugh...

Episode 19: On this (longer than usual...) episode, the guys focus on the idea of mentors. This leads to a conversation about the generational differences in imagination, how you learn more from watching your mentors fail, and Jack tells a devastating story about the time he had to fire his first mentor, theater legend Ellis Raab, from a production at The Old Globe.

Episode 18: Jack is well rested and ready for this week's episode of Notes With Jack. His iconic 2002 production of Hairspray serves as the jumping off point for a conversation that touches on Jack's hesitation with re-booting iconic productions, our current culture of greed, and then the guys end the podcast with our first ever cliffhanger...

Episode 17: Jack's 2002 production of Nora Ephron's play Imaginary Friends is the catalyst for today's episode that focuses on Jack's relationship with both Nora and Mike Nichols. This leads the guys into a conversation about the benefits (and difficulties) of being in the room with legends, developing friendships after a failed production, and the synchronistic (sorry for the ooga booga...) connections between Jack, Mike, and Alan...

Episode 16: It's a big day on Notes With Jack. This was recorded yesterday, June 18th, which was Jack's 86th birthday. The guys start by discussing Jack's two night club act (yes, he sang, danced, and told stories...) at 54 below in 2014. This leads to a discussion about survivor's guilt, the way time feels subjective, then at the 23 minute mark, the guys are interrupted when Jack gets birthday flowers delivered... but bare with us... they finish up strong.

Episode 15: This week the guys kick off their conversation with a look back at Jack's career as an adaptor and director in the opera. This leads them into a conversation on why Jack learned French, how the opera helped him with big productions in the theater, and the guys discuss the "thrum" of projects...

Episode 14: After a little break (and a trip to Europe for the SHUCKED premiere), Jack is back in Connecticut for the summer. The guys kick off the episode talking about Jack's 2017 Broadway production of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. This leads them into a discussion about why certain projects don't quite work, the process of putting Broadway productions on the road, and Jack talks about his brief "career" as a museum tour guide in Europe...