Jena Tesse Fox, James Marino, and Michael Portantiere talk with Doug Besterman.

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Panel:

Peter Filichia | [email protected] | Facebook
PETER FILICHIA is a playwright, journalist, and historian with a number of books. Peter’s new day-by-day desk calendar – A SHOW TUNE FOR TODAY – 366 Songs to Brighten Your Year – has been released! Peter also has columns at Masterworks Broadway, Broadway Select, and many other places.

Showtune for Today: Sitting Watching Jason Play Baseball (Falsettos)

Peter Filichia & Friends: Broadway Tales and Tunes, Monday August 4 @ 54 Below

Jena Tesse Fox | Twitter | Instagram
JENA TESSE FOX has written about theater for many publications, including Playbill Magazine, BroadwayWorld, Time Out New York and HowlRound. She is a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women and the Drama Desk, and is a contributor to BroadwayRadio

Michael Portantiere | [email protected] | Facebook
MICHAEL PORTANTIERE is a theater reviewer and essayist. He is the founder and editor of CastAlbumReviews.com. He is also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in The New York Times and other major publications. You can see his photography work at FollowSpotPhoto.com.

Celebration: The Songs of Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt @ Laurie Beechman, September 9, 2025

James Marino | [email protected] | Facebook
BroadwayStars

Note: This week we had listeners join us while recording. These listeners are Patreon members who support BroadwayRadio. If you would like to join us in the future, become a supporter at Patreon.com/BroadwayRadio.

Doug Besterman:
IBDB | IMDB | DougBesterman.com | Arrival Arts Initiative and Studio Origin

Doug Besterman is a three-time Tony Award-winning orchestrator, arranger, and composer who has helped shape the sound of modern musical theater. With six Tony nominations and multiple Drama Desk honors, his orchestrations have brought to life some of Broadway’s most celebrated productions. His credits include The Producers, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Fosse, Young Frankenstein, Sister Act, Elf, Bullets Over Broadway, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, A Bronx Tale, It Shoulda Been You, SMASH, BOOP!, and the current hit Death Becomes Her.

Internationally, Doug’s orchestrations have been featured in productions of Anastasia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Rocky, and Tarzan. In film and television, his work includes Mary Poppins Returns, Frozen, and the Emmy-winning Apple TV+ musical series Schmigadoon. He has collaborated with artists such as Barbra Streisand, Beyoncé, Hugh Jackman, and Kristin Chenoweth.

As a composer, Doug has contributed original music to the musicals Breathe, Little Did I Know, The Big One-Oh, and Crumbs, continuing his commitment to character-driven musical storytelling.

He is the founder of the Arrival Arts Initiative and Studio Origin, a creative hub for music-driven projects in theater, film, and television. Through these ventures, Doug is dedicated to supporting the next generation of composers, orchestrators, and storytellers, and to advancing the craft of musical storytelling across disciplines. Learn more at www.arrivalartsinitiative.org.

https://dougbesterman.com

James Raitt, 41, Musical Director

House Phone on Spotify

Little Dancer concert in London (27 July 2025)

Reviews:

JTF: Duke & Roya @ Lucille Lortel Theatre, through August 23, 2025

MP: Movies Cabaret and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes @ Paris (movie) Theater (4 West 58th Street)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Part of “The Wonders of Technicolor”

Cabaret
Part of “The Wonders of Technicolor”

News:

Next Week:

Peter’s Brainteaser:

A leading male character in a Thornton Wilder three-act classic would certainly take to the opening songs of two 1960s musicals each produced by David Merrick but five years and two months apart.

Who’s the Wilder character and what’s the play?
What are the two musicals and what are the songs?

Michael’s Musical Moments

Music Opener:

OPENER: “Where I Wanna Be” from BOOP! THE MUSICAL, sung by Jasmine Amy Rogers, orchestrations by Doug Besterman

Music Closer:

CLOSER: “Who’s Sorry Now?” from JUST IN TIME, sung by Gracie Lawrence

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