Podcasts by ATW - Downstage Center
The American Theatre Wing presents Downstage Center a weekly theatrical interview show, featuring the top artists working in theatre, both on and Off-Broadway and around the country.
Further podcasts by American Theatre Wing
Podcast on the topic Darstellende Kunst
All episodes
Bernadette Peters (#1) April, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.487267
On Downstage Center's debut program from April 2004, Bernadette Peters surveys her career from childhood performer to her role as the ultimate stage mother in Sam Mendes' revival of "Gypsy". Origin...
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Bebe Neuwirth (#2) April, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.483920
Bebe Neuwirth discusses creating the musical "Here Lies Jenny" with her "Chicago" co-star Ann Reinking and "Cheers" co-star Roger Rees, as well as her work on stage in "Sweet Charity" and "Damn Yan...
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Roger Bart and Brad Oscar (#3) May, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.480687
Brad Oscar and Roger Bart, stalwarts from the original cast of "The Producers", talk about their parts in the creation of the hit musical and the experience of then shifting to new roles, with Osca...
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Neil Patrick Harris and Marc Kudisch (#5) May, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.475502
Co-conspirators Neil Patrick Harris and Marc Kudisch consider their roles in the oft-delayed Broadway premiere of Stephen Sondheim's "Assassins" and the expectations and challenges of bringing that...
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Tonya Pinkins (#6) May, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.472259
Tonya Pinkins takes listeners from the triumph of "Jelly's Last Jam" to the extraordinary personal challenges that faced her on her return to Broadway as the title character in Tony Kushner and Jea...
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Kathleen Marshall (#7) June, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.468949
Director-choreographer Kathleen Marshall discusses remounting "Wonderful Town" for Broadway following its resounding success at Encores! two seasons earlier, growing up in Pittsburgh with her direc...
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Phylicia Rashad (#11) July, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.459796
Phylicia Rashad discusses her rededication to theatre in the wake of her television success with Bill Cosby, and the honor of appearing in the first Broadway revival of "A Raisin in the Sun". Origi...
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Donna Murphy (#16) August, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.448475
Donna Murphy discusses the great roles sheís played, from Fosca in "Passion" to Anna in "The King and I" to Ruth in "Wonderful Town" and emphatically responds to being portrayed in the media as a d...
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Michael McKean (#19) August, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.441092
Film comedy veteran Michael McKean talks about his return to his stage roots, and the challenge of filling Harvey Fierstein's shoes (and girdle), in "Hairspray", in an interview which preceded McKe...
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Joe DiPietro (#22) September, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.433404
In advance of his "new Elvis" musical "All Shook Up", author Joe DiPietro talks about the process of incorporating pop songs into musical theatre, and reflects on the never-ending success of his sh...
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Richard Thomas (#26) October, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.407504
During the Broadway run of Michael Frayn's "Democracy", Emmy winner Richard Thomas talks about his decision to move back to his hometown of New York after 30 years on the west coast, his acclaimed ...
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Paula Vogel (#31) November, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.395211
In the midst of a retrospective season at Signature Theatre in New York in 2004-2005, Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel talks about her "overnight success" with "How I Learned to Drive" after two d...
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Michael Ritchie (#34) December, 2004 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.387042
Michael Ritchie, artistic director of Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group, talks about taking the reins of the city's largest theatre organization and considers his tenure as head of the acclaimed Wi...
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Dana Ivey (#37) January, 2005 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.381421
During limited engagement at Lincoln Center Theater as Mrs. Malaprop in the classic comedy "The Rivals", stage veteran and multiple Tony Award nominee Dana Ivey recalls creating the title role in "...
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Donald Margulies (#44) March, 2005 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.368633
Donald Margulies talks about his Broadway experiences during the run of "Brooklyn Boy" in 2005, as well as the experience of revisiting "Sight Unseen" with Manhattan Theatre Club more than a decade...
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Jane Alexander (#48) April, 2005 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.361381
During the run of her one-woman show "What Of The Night", Jane Alexander discusses the challenges of portraying the life and words of Djuna Barnes, and talks about the effect of her years as head o...
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Terrence Mann (#64) July, 2005 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.334552
Terrence Mann talks about the development of the musical "Lennon", including what it's like to speak the words of John Lennon with Yoko Ono only 20 feet away, as well as his experience creating rol...
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Robyn Goodman (#65) August, 2005 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.315975
Producer Robyn Goodman discusses her role in the creation of the musicals "Avenue Q" and "Altar Boyz", talks about her transition from running the not-for-profit Second Stage Theatre to the commerc...
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Charles Strouse (#68) August, 2005 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.308771
Charles Strouse takes listeners back to the creation of "Bye Bye Birdie", including the behind the scenes challenges of retooling the musical for Chita Rivera and figuring out how to make Dick Van ...
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Chris Sarandon (#70) September, 2005 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.303507
Returning to the New York stage for the first time in more than a decade, Chris Sarandon talks about joining the company of "A Light In The Piazza" and reflects on his early stage work in regional ...
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David Rockwell (#72) October, 2005 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.298746
Noted architect David Rockwell talks about branching into scenic design ("Hairspray", "All Shook Up") as an extension of his childhood love of theatre, which included working on amateur productions...
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John Simon (#73) October, 2005 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.295330
Veteran critic John Simon reflects on decades of theatregoing, including 38 years with New York Magazine, as he marks the publication of "John Simon On Theatre," a comprehensive anthology of his re...
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Lea Salonga (#75) November, 2005 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.291583
On the eve of her solo concert at Carnegie Hall, Lea Salonga chronicles her journey from the Philippines to the West End to Broadway with "Miss Saigon", the experience of being in a "new" Rodgers&H...
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Judy Kaye (#78) November, 2005 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.285896
Judy Kaye talks about recreating the spirit and decidedly unique voice of 1940s-era vocal phenomenon Florence Foster Jenkins in "Souvenir", and talks about her star-making experience taking over th...
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Sarah Jones (#86) January, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.268300
Sarah Jones talks about the shift from slam poet to Broadway star, performing at United Nations, the melting pot of Queens, NY, and what its like to have Meryl Streep as your number one fan. And sh...
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LaChanze (#90) February, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.258737
"The Color Purple"'s LaChanze talks about The Oprah Effect on that show, as well as her personal identification with the challenges faced by her character Celie; reflects on her fruitful artistic p...
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Michael John LaChiusa (#94) March, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.249312
Composer Michael John LaChiusa explains his longtime fascination with the works of Lorca, which led to his new musical work "Bernarda Alba"; how he transformed a trio of Japanese stories into "See ...
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Cynthia Nixon (#95) March, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.245605
Nearing the end of her run in David Lindsay Abaire's "Rabbit Hole", Cynthia Nixon discusses the experience of listening to audiences at every performance of this emotional play, how she chose this ...
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Maria Friedman (#103) May, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.213334
During the run of her solo gig at the Cafe Carlyle in New York, Maria Friedman talks about her extensive relationship with the work of Stephen Sondheim, including English productions of "Merrily We...
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Bob Martin (#104) June, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.209659
Actor and author Bob Martin chronicles the journey of "The Drowsy Chaperone" from sophisticated bachelor party entertainment to success on the Toronto fringe to its current berth as a full-scale Br...
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Martha Plimpton (#108) June, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.200127
Martha Plimpton talks about her acting journey from "The Goonies" to "Hedda Gable", exploring her experience growing up in the theatre, with childhood performances at The Public; the importance of ...
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Harry Groener (#112) July, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.190891
"Spamalot"'s newest king, Harry Groener, talks about the process of slipping into the cast (and the chain-mail costume) of the hit musical, recalls his Broadway debut in "Oklahoma" - including some...
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Garry Hynes (#113) August, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.186968
With the "DruidSynge" circle of plays visiting briefly in the United States, director Garry Hynes describes the process of melding six works by John Millington Synge into a marathon theatrical even...
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Eric Schaeffer (#117) September, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.177185
Eric Schaeffer, founder and artistic director of Virginia's Signature Theatre, discusses the company's growth and acclaim as a home for musical theatre in the Washington DC area; the company's impe...
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Simon Callow (#120) September, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.169394
Renaissance man Simon Callow talks about "Hello Americans", the second book in his multi-volume biography of Orson Welles and his ongoing inquiry into Welles' life; explains how writing was his fir...
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William Finn (#128) December, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.151751
Composer William Finn explains how he became involved in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and what drew him to the show's quirky characters; charts the development of the "Marvin" trilo...
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Blair Brown (#132) December, 2006 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.141952
Blair Brown discusses her role on stage in the Lincoln Center Theatre production of Sarah Ruhl's "The Clean House", and her part in the play winning the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Award; exp...
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Rebecca Luker (#133) January, 2007 from 2023-12-14T06:37:22.138210
Rebecca Luker confesses to not reading the original "Mary Poppins" books despite her role as Mrs. Banks in the current Broadway musical version; recalls her Broadway debut understudying and then as...
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Lynne Meadow (#222) - October, 2008 from 2023-12-14T06:37:21.937661
Just after returning from a year-long sabbatical, Manhattan Theatre Club artistic director Lynne Meadow talks about what she did and didn't do during her hiatus and explains how she shared planning...
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SDCF Masters of the Stage also available - November, 2008 from 2023-12-14T06:37:21.914721
If you enjoy Downstage Center you might be interested in our new program, SDCF Masters of the Stage.
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Elizabeth Marvel and Stacy Keach (#338) - May, 2012 from 2023-12-14T06:37:21.577286
Being in "the moment" is every good actor's mantra. In the latest Downstage Center Stacy Keach and Elizabeth Marvel talk about that moment, professional training, and Shakepeare, among other topics...
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Jeremy Shamos and Annie Parisse (#340) - June, 2012 from 2023-12-14T06:37:21.566977
This week Downstage Center gets ready for the Tonys with the 2012 Tony nominated, Pulitzer Prize winning play "Clybourne Park". Stars Jeremy Shamos (also nominated for Best Performance by an Actor ...
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Andrew and Celia Keenan-Bolger (#341) - June, 2012 from 2023-12-14T06:37:21.561260
The latest Downstage Center features a Broadway sibling rivalry as Andrew Keenan-Bolger from the Tony-nominated musical "Newsies" takes on his sister, Tony-nominated actress Celia Keenan-Bolger fro...
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Donna Hanover and Jefferson Mays (#342) - July, 2012 from 2023-12-14T06:37:21.555389
Originally performed on Broadway in 1960, Gore Vidal’s "The Best Man" returns to Broadway with an all star cast and a Tony-nomination for Best Revival of a Play. In the latest Downstage Center, two...
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Martin Pakledinaz -Encore (#343) - July, 2012 from 2023-12-14T06:37:21.548616
Martin Pakledinaz passed away on July 8th, 2012. This edition of Downstage Center was recorded in 2010. Costume designer Martin Pakledinaz talks about creating the clothes for the recent Broadway r...
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Patrick Page and Isabel Keating (#344) - August, 2012 from 2023-12-14T06:37:21.541467
"Spider Man: Turn Off The Dark's" Patrick Page and Isabel Keating go one-on-one about Broadway's favorite super hero and his nemesis, Page's Green Goblin. The actors talk dialects, quick changes, ...
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Bill Berloni -Encore (#355) - January, 2013 from 2023-12-14T06:37:21.499233
(A Special encore edition) Broadway’s premier animal trainer Bill Berloni got his foot in the door in 1976 as a teenager when he rescued and trained the original Sandy for the Goodspeed Opera House...
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Katie Finneran and Anthony Warlow (#356) - January, 2013 from 2013-01-30T09:01:07
In the latest Downstage Center, "Annie" stars Katie Finneran (Miss Hannigan) and Anthony Warlow (Daddy Warbucks) discuss the current revival, James Lapine, past roles, the audition process, reputat...
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Beth Leavel, Adam Heller, and Mark Jacoby - (#354) - December, 2012 from 2012-12-19T09:12:29
Downstage Center celebrates the season with cast members from the hit holiday musical, "Elf." Cast members Beth Leavel, Adam Heller, and Mark Jacoby discuss the play, the adaptation from the film, ...
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Pia Lindstrom and Phyllis Jeanne Creore - (#353) - December, 2012 from 2012-12-12T09:12:29
In this special Downstage Center, we celebrate the legendary Stage Door Canteen (a war relief effort founded by early members of the American Theatre Wing). Opened on March 2, 1942 in the 44th Stre...
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Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen - (#352) - November, 2012 from 2012-11-28T09:12:29
"Ten years after its New York premiere, The Exonerated still has the power to unsettle." - NY Times. Celebrating the ten year anniversary of their ground-breaking and thought-provoking docu-play, i...
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David Henry Hwang - Encore (#351) - November, 2012 from 2012-11-14T09:12:29
Currently in residence at the Signature Theatre, playwright (and Wing board member) David Henry Hwang is a recent winner of the Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award. This edition of Downstage C...
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Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti (#350) - October, 2012 from 2012-10-31T09:12:29
Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti from "Once" talk about their Tony Award-winning musical and the successful run its enjoyed since its beginnings at the New York Theatre Workshop, their favorite song...
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Rob McClure and Christiane Noll (#349) - October, 2012 from 2012-10-17T09:12:29
In the latest Downstage Center, actors Rob McClure and Christiane Noll discuss "Chaplin", from the research they put into their roles (Mr. McClure as the legendary silent film actor and Ms. Noll as...
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David Cromer and Jeff Still (#348) - September, 2012 from 2012-09-26T09:12:29
The latest edition of Downstage Center goes backstage with "Tribes", the provocative new play written by Nina Raine. Director David Cromer and actor Jeff Still discuss the play and the challenges t...
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Hunter Bell and Jenn Harris (#347) - September, 2012 from 2012-09-12T09:12:29
In the latest Downstage Center, "Silence! The Musical" writer Hunter Bell and actress Jenn Harris discuss the show The NY Post called "Gleefully submissive" and The NY Times "a hilarious take down....
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Hallie Foote and Andrew Leynse (#346) - August, 2012 from 2012-08-29T09:12:29
Downstage Center goes to Texas. Listen as Primary Stages Artistic Director Andrew Leynse talks with actress Hallie Foote about her father Horton's work, world, and new Primary Stages production "Ha...
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William Ivey Long - Encore (#345) - August, 2012 from 2012-08-15T09:12:29
Five time Tony-winner and new ATW Chairman William Ivey Long talks about his extensive career as one of Broadway's top costume designers, from his earliest days on stage -- living in a dressing roo...
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Christian Borle and Will Chase (#339) - May, 2012 from 2012-05-23T09:01:07
The "Smash" season may be over but in the latest Downstage Center two of its stars talk about its cast, plots, and everything else you want to know about the hit show. Christian Borle and Will Cha...
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Bruce Dow and Josh Young (#337) - April, 2012 from 2012-04-25T09:01:07
Where do the stars from Broadway’s biggest shows stop before the curtain? The Wing’s Downstage Center. From the Stratford Shakespeare Festival to the La Jolla Playhouse to Broadway, the current rev...
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David Zayas and Stephen Adly Guirgis (#336) - April, 2012 from 2012-04-11T09:01:07
From NYC police officer to Broadway, actor David Zayas has had an interesting journey from the street to the stage. In the latest Downstage Center, the accomplished actor joins his fellow LAByrint...
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Bobby Lopez (#335) - March, 2012 from 2012-03-28T09:01:07
Where are Broadway's biggest talents? Downstage Center. The latest sits down with Tony Award winner ("Avenue Q", "The Book of Mormon") Bobby Lopez. The composer and lyricist talks to Ted Chapin (Am...
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Bill Berloni (#334) - March, 2012 from 2012-03-14T09:01:07
Broadway’s premier animal trainer Bill Berloni got his foot in the door in 1976 as a teenager when he rescued and trained the original Sandy for the Goodspeed Opera House original production of "An...
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Montego Glover and Adam Pascal (#333) - February, 2012 from 2012-02-29T09:01:07
Where are Broadway’s hottest stars? Downstage Center. The latest episode heads down south as Memphis’ Montego Glover plays the role as interviewer to her co-star Adam Pascal. The versatile duo expo...
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Nina Arianda (#332) - February, 2012 from 2012-02-15T09:01:07
Nina Arianda’s star has never shone brighter. Recreating the off-Broadway role that her made a name to watch, the actress returns to Broadway in "Venus in Fur" in what the New York Times called "th...
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Andrew Rannells (#331) - February, 2012 from 2012-02-01T09:01:07
Go backstage with one of Broadway's hottest actors from Broadway's biggest show. NY1's Frank DiLella interviews "The Book of Mormon" star Andrew Rannells in the latest "Downstage Center". From "Ha...
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Marlo Thomas and Lisa Emery (#330) - January, 2012 from 2012-01-18T09:58:34
Marlo Thomas and Lisa Emery share the stage in Broadway's "Relatively Speaking" (an evening of one-acts written by Elaine May, Woody Allen, and Ethan Coen). In the Wing's latest "Downstage Center" ...
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Elaine Paige and Ron Raines (#329) - January, 2012 from 2012-01-04T09:01:18
What happens when "Follies" star Elaine Paige sits down to interview her co-star Ron Raines? Listen now to the lively discussion about everything "Follies" and Sondheim: his lyrics, Sondheim as tea...
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Eugene Lee (#328) - July, 2011 from 2011-07-27T10:44:02
Eugene Lee, resident designer for Rhode Island's Trinity Rep since 1967, set designer for "Saturday Night Live (SNL)" since its inception, and three-time TONY Award winner, talks about the realist...
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Lois Smith (#327) - July, 2011 from 2011-07-13T08:25:20
American actress Lois Smith, whose career in theatre, film, and television spans five decades, talks about her experience of playing the originally male role, Alcandre, in the Signature Theatre pr...
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Angela Lansbury (#326) - June, 2011 from 2011-06-29T08:25:12
Returning to Downstage Center five years after a 2006 conversation, the legendary Angela Lansbury talks about her most recent Broadway roles, in Terrence McNally's "Deuce", Noel Coward's "Blithe Sp...
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John Guare (#325) - June, 2011 from 2011-06-22T10:12:37
John Guare talks about his two Broadway plays of the past season: considering how the world has caught up with and changed audience responses to "The House of Blue Leaves" and which portion of the ...
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Jenny Gersten (#324) - June, 2011 from 2011-06-15T10:39:52
Just as she departed for Massachusetts and her first season as the Williamstown Theatre Festival's first female artistic director Jenny Gersten discussed her plans for the company under her leaders...
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Tony Sheldon (#323) - June, 2011 from 2011-06-08T08:28:30
"Priscilla Queen of the Desert"'s Tony Sheldon talks about his six year journey with the show, from his dislike of the original film on which it's based to his transcontinental success as Bernadett...
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John Weidman (#322) - June, 2011 from 2011-06-01T09:51:54
Bookwriter John Weidman talks about creating a new book in the 1980s with Timothy Crouse for the 1930s musical "Anything Goes", now playing in revival at Roundabout Theatre Company in New York, and...
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Marc Kudisch (#321) - May, 2011 from 2011-05-25T09:23:08
Marc Kudisch, currently appearing in "A Minister's Wife" at Lincoln Center Theater, talks about performing in a musical where the transitions between speaking and singing are instant and fluid, how...
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Joe Mantello (#320) - May, 2011 from 2011-05-18T08:52:35
Joe Mantello talks about returning to the Broadway stage as an actor after a 17-year hiatus to play the role of Ned Weeks in Larry Kramer's "The Normal Heart" -- and what it's like to play a role t...
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Jason Robert Brown (#319) - May, 2011 from 2011-05-11T08:26:34
Jason Robert Brown, who prefers the title "songwriter" over "composer," talks about why he spends so much time performing his own material and engaging directly with his fans. He discusses writing...
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David Lindsay-Abaire (#318) - May, 2011 from 2011-05-04T07:39:19
Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire talks about returning to his South Boston roots with the play "Good People", how the characters are amalgams of the people he grew up with in that private neighborho...
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Laurie Metcalf (#317) - April, 2011 from 2011-04-27T08:14:22
Laurie Metcalf talks about her role in Sharr White's play "The Other Place" at MCC Theater, and the challenge of playing someone whose mental faculties are diminishing in a non-linear play, requiri...
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Casey Nicholaw (#316) - April, 2011 from 2011-04-20T07:51:59
Co-director and choreographer of Broadway's "The Book of Mormon", Casey Nicholaw, talks about his initial reaction on reading the irreverent new musical and how it was to work with Matt Parker and ...
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Nicholas Hytner (#315) - April, 2011 from 2011-04-13T09:38:46
From London, National Theatre artistic director Nicholas Hytner talks about his tenure leading that influential institution, including whether, as some have said, it was always his career goal; why...
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Margaret Colin (#314) - April, 2011 from 2011-04-06T07:13
"Arcadia"'s Lady Croom, Margaret Colin, discusses grappling with the intellectuals concepts in the play, the experience of spending several days having Tom Stoppard explain them, and what it's like...
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Janet Suzman (#313) - March, 2011 from 2011-03-30T07:13:07
Royal Shakespeare Company veteran Janet Suzman discusses her early years with the company, including her daunting audition for for Peter Hall, John Barton and Peter Brook; her repertory roles of Po...
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Michael Frayn (#312) - March, 2011 from 2011-03-23T08:33:29
Acclaimed for his works of fiction, non-fiction, philosophy, and theatre, Michael Frayn discusses how he determines when an idea is right for the stage when he has multiple forms to choose from. He...
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Austin Pendleton (#311) - March, 2011 from 2011-03-16T08:03:03
Austin Pendleton, director of the recent production of "The Three Sisters" at Classic Stage Company in New York, talks about the many Chekhov productions he's appeared in and directed over the year...
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Barry Grove (#310) - March, 2011 from 2011-03-09T08:04:58
Barry Grove, Executive Producer of the Manhattan Theatre Club, talks about his three-and-half decades of partnership with Lynne Meadow at the top of one of New York's largest not-for-profit theatre...
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Elizabeth Marvel (#309) - March, 2011 from 2011-03-02T08:32:22
Elizabeth Marvel talks about whether being "a bad kid" has influenced her more daring stage performances, and discusses the challenges of remaining alienated from her on stage family in Jon Robin B...
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Stephen Schwartz (#308) - February, 2011 from 2011-02-23T07:11:26
Interviewed at the keyboard, composer Stephen Schwartz chronicles his career from college to "Wicked" and beyond. He explains how "Pippin" began as a college musical based on one paragraph in a his...
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Everett Quinton (#307) - February, 2011 from 2011-02-16T09:08:20
While playing both a farmer and his wife in Red Bull Theatre Company's "The Witch of Edmonton", Everett Quinton talks about appearing in Jacobean drama and getting to watch the rest of the company ...
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Fiona Shaw (#306) - February, 2011 from 2011-02-09T09:48:32
During her visit to the Brooklyn Academy of Music with the Abbey Theatre's production of Ibsen's "John Gabriel Borkman", Fiona Shaw discusses taking on one point of this lesser-known play's unroman...
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Stockard Channing (#305) - February, 2011 from 2011-02-02T09:43:39
Stockard Channing discusses her work in Jon Robin Baitz's new play "Other Desert Cities", acknowledging the ambiguity of the character for the audience and explaining whether she has defined her ch...
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Molly Smith (#304) - January, 2011 from 2011-01-26T08:13:06
From Arena Stage's newly opened Mead Center for American Theater, artistic director Molly Smith discusses the development and construction of the new building, which encompasses the company's origi...
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George C. Wolfe (#303) - January, 2011 from 2011-01-19T07:13:37
Playwright/director Geroge C. Wolfe discusses the seven year development of John Guare's "A Free Man of Color", from approaching Guare with the idea of merging Restoration comedies and life in New ...
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Natasha Katz (#302) - January, 2011 from 2011-01-12T08:41:32
"The Addams Family" and "Elf"'s lighting designer Natasha Katz talks about the path of her career, beginning with a high school community service requirement that saw her volunteering at a (now-def...
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Sir Alan Ayckbourn (#301) - January, 2011 from 2011-01-05T07:55:50
From his home base in Scarborough, England, playwright and director Sir Alan Ayckbourn makes a return visit to "Downstage Center" during the run of his 74th play, "Life of Riley". He discusses why ...
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John Kander (#300) - December, 2010 from 2010-12-29T09:14:14
Composer John Kander talks about his decades-long collaboration with Fred Ebb, with particular focus on the four projects that were not fully completed before Ebb's death in 2004: "The Scottsboro B...
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David Esbjornson (#299) - December, 2010 from 2010-12-22T08:37:34
Having recently steered "Driving Miss Daisy" to Broadway, director David Esbjornson discusses what it's like to direct a "brand," why he thinks older actors can play younger much more easily than t...
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Robert Brustein (#298) - December, 2010 from 2010-12-15T08:22:11
Founding artistic director of both the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven and the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Robert Brustein discusses how each of those organizations came into being...
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Stephen Ouimette (#297) - December, 2010 from 2010-12-08T09:20:11
Stephen Ouimette, who plays Bejart in the current Broadway revival of "La Bête", talks about what it takes to hold the stage, with little dialogue, throughout the show's fabled 30 minute opening mo...
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Teresa Eyring (#296) - December, 2010 from 2010-12-01T09:21:45
Executive Director of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), Teresa Eyring, talks about the work of the 50 year old service organization which boasts membership if some 500 of the country's profes...
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Judith Light (#295) - November, 2010 from 2010-11-24T09:19:15
"Lombardi"'s leading lady Judith Light talks about her research into both the role and the real-life Marie Lombardi, and whether she thinks "Lombardi" is a "football play." She also talks about her...
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Alison Fraser (#294) - November, 2010 from 2010-11-17T08:36:45
"The Divine Sister"'s Teutonic nun Alison Fraser talks about her role, her prior work -- and sharing a dressing room -- with playwright/actor Charles Busch. She also discusses her musical theatre r...
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Howard Panter (#293) - November, 2010 from 2010-11-10T07:26:32
Called "the most powerful man in English theatre" by "The Stage", co-CEO (with his wife, Rosemary Squire) and creative director of the Ambassador Theatre Group, Howard Panter, talks about the impac...
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Jim Simpson (#292) - November, 2010 from 2010-11-03T08:18:09
Jim Simpson, artistic director of New York's Off-Off-Broadway The Flea Theater, charts the company's 15 year journey from a collective meant to last for only five years to an ongoing institution on...
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Athol Fugard (#291) - October, 2010 from 2010-10-27T08:54:45
South African playwright Athol Fugard discusses his newest work, "The Train Driver", during rehearsals at the Long Wharf Theatre, and explains why this play marks the end of a stage in his writing ...
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Sir Ian McKellen (#290) - October, 2010 from 2010-10-20T09:47:53
One of the greatest classical actors of his generation, Sir Ian McKellen reflects on his more than 50 years on stage, explaining that he's really only qualified to voice his opinion on two topics: ...
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Alfred Uhry (#289) - October, 2010 from 2010-10-13T07:17
Playwright Alfred Uhry recalls the original production of "Driving Miss Daisy" in 1987 at Playwrights Horizons, lists the actresses he's had the opportunity to see play the title role - based direc...
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Jules Feiffer (#288) - October, 2010 from 2010-10-06T08:52:29
Playwright Jules Feiffer, perhaps best known as a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, explains why he sees little difference between his comic work, screen work and stage work, as well as why he has...
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Daniel Sullivan (#287) - September, 2010 from 2010-09-29T09:11:52
Veteran director Daniel Sullivan talks about his suddenly busy 2010-11 Broadway season, which will see transfers of his productions of "Time Stands Still" from Manhattan Theatre Club, "The Merchant...
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Elaine Paige (#286) - September, 2010 from 2010-09-22T10:04
West End musical theatre star Elaine Paige discusses her three month sojourn in New York, including the recording of a new album of duets with artists ranging from Paul Anka to Sinead O'Connor, as ...
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Moisés Kaufman (#285) - September, 2010 from 2010-09-15T08:28:39
Director, artistic director and playwright Moisés Kaufman discusses his newest project, the U.S. premiere of the 1940s opera "El Gato con Botas (Puss in Boots)", a collaboration between his Tectoni...
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Marin Mazzie (#284) - September, 2010 from 2010-09-08T09:28:39
Marin Mazzie talks about taking on the role of Diana Goodman in Broadway's "Next to Normal" and whether she and her co-star/husband Jason Danieley take their work home with them after the show. She...
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Cora Cahan (#283) - September, 2010 from 2010-09-01T08:34:36
Cora Cahan, president of The New 42nd Street in New York, discusses her 20 years in the role of recapturing what was once the epicenter of Manhattan sleaze for theatre and family audiences. She tal...
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Kate Mulgrew (#282) - August, 2010 from 2010-08-25T08:39:13
Downstage Center welcomes its second starship captain as actress Kate Mulgrew visits during her stint in the Off-Broadway comedy "Love, Loss, and What I Wore". She talks about being raised in an I...
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Martin Pakledinaz (#281) - August, 2010 from 2010-08-18T10:03:49
Costume designer Martin Pakledinaz talks about creating the clothes for the recent Broadway revival of "Lend Me A Tenor", the commencement of planning for the spring 2011 production of "Anything Go...
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Lucie Arnaz (#280) - August, 2010 from 2010-08-11T10:35:20
Lucie Arnaz, the daughter of television legends Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, talks about how Angela Lansbury and Vivian Vance prompted her towards a career on the stage. She recalls her earliest ap...
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Jerry Zaks (#279) - July, 2010 from 2010-07-28T09:46:12
Veteran director Jerry Zaks talks about his role as Creative Consultant on "The Addams Family" since joining the production after its opening in Chicago and the work he has planned for "Sister Act"...
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Penny Fuller (#278) - July, 2010 from 2010-07-21T08:41:31
While playing the "anchor role" in Off-Broadway's "Love, Loss and What I Wore", actress Penny Fuller talked about her wide-ranging career, noting (even to her own surprise) how many times she got r...
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Charles Busch (#277) - July, 2010 from 2010-07-14T08:37:33
As his play "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" marks the 25th anniversary of its opening at the Provincetown Playhouse, playwright and actor Charles Busch recalls the circumstances surrounding the play's ...
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Katie Finneran (#276) - July, 2010 from 2010-07-07T08:45:04
"Promises, Promises" scene stealer Katie Finneran talks about creating the character of Marge McDougall for only two scenes and why she had to be "the anti-Kristin," what it's like having so much f...
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Ruthie Henshall (#275) - June, 2010 from 2010-06-30T09:30:07
Trans-Atlantic star of "Chicago" Ruthie Henshall discusses her 14 year history with the show, from creating the role of Roxie in the original London company (opposite Ute Lemper) to subsequently pl...
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Tony Shalhoub (#274) - June, 2010 from 2010-06-23T09:53:27
"Lend Me a Tenor"'s Tony Shalhoub talks about the challenge of playing farce, including the shifts from rehearsal room to theatre to playing in front of a live audience, how you can suddenly "lose"...
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Sarah Ruhl (#273) - June, 2010 from 2010-06-16T08:54:13
Playwright Sarah Ruhl, whose "Passion Play" made its New York City debut with the Epic Theater Center, talks about the roots of that play during her graduate work at Brown University, what initiall...
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Douglas Hodge (#272) - June, 2010 from 2010-06-09T10:35:31
Douglas Hodge, who appears as Albin in the current Broadway revival of the musical "La Cage aux Folles", explains what appealed to him about the story and character, which he did not know, when he ...
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Christine Jones (#271) - June, 2010 from 2010-06-02T08:11:49
Scenic designer Christine Jones, a Tony nominee for "American Idiot", discusses the development of the project from album to Broadway musical, including when she came into the creative process and ...
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Kenny Leon (#270) - May, 2010 from 2010-05-26T08:32:14
"Fences" director Kenny Leon discusses his long association with August Wilson, both personally and professionally, dating back to Leon's 1987 NEA Directing Fellowship which first introduced him to...
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Linda Lavin (#269) - May, 2010 from 2010-05-19T09:28:37
"Collected Stories" star Linda Lavin discusses why she's playing the role of Ruth Steiner in Donald Margulies' play for a fourth time, likens the two-character play to a duet that changes with each...
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B.H. Barry (#268) - May, 2010 from 2010-05-12T10:23:02
Progenitor of fight direction in America and 2010 Tony Honor recipient B.H. Barry talks about his decades of developing and staging fights across the country, starting with "Hamlet" in 1978 at Aren...
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Betty Buckley (#267) - May, 2010 from 2010-05-05T08:05:24
While appearing the new comedy "White's Lies", Betty Buckley talks about the career that has taken her from Texas to New York to London and back many times over. She discusses why she chose to pla...
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Shirley Knight (#266) - April, 2010 from 2010-04-28T09:10:07
During her month in the cast of the Off-Broadway comedy "Love, Loss and What I Wore", Shirley Knight discusses the appeal of the "stool and music stand" style of presentation while pointing out tha...
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Janet McTeer (#265) - April, 2010 from 2010-04-21T09:42:42
Janet McTeer talks about her experiences in "God of Carnage", having starred in the play's London premiere (where the characters were still French) and now playing it on Broadway (as an American) a...
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David Cromer (#264) - April, 2010 from 2010-04-14T10:42:14
Director David Cromer discusses his most recent New York project, Andrew Bovell's "When The Rain Stops Falling" at Lincoln Center Theater, and how even he had to be reassured that the play's intert...
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Hallie Foote (#263) - April, 2010 from 2010-04-07T09:15:50
Hallie Foote, perhaps the leading interpreter of the works of her father, the late Horton Foote, talks about her past year of work on "The Orphans' Home Cycle", the epic compilation of nine of her ...
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Marsha Mason (#262) - March, 2010 from 2010-03-31T08:41:34
During rehearsals for Keen Company's revival of "I Never Sang For My Father", Marsha Mason talks about the differences between playing in a Broadway house and a small Theatre Row venue. She also ta...
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Jordan Roth (#261) - March, 2010 from 2010-03-24T09:14:45
Jordan Roth, President of New York's Jujamcyn Theatres, discusses his ascension to the top spot running a quintet of Broadway houses, which makes him one of the handful of people who can decide wha...
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Jessica Hecht (#260) - March, 2010 from 2010-03-17T08:18:55
Jessica Hecht, now on Broadway as Eddie Carbone's long-suffering but cleared-eyed wife Beatrice in the Broadway revival of "A View From The Bridge", talks about her role in the play's tragic love t...
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Rondi Reed (#259) - March, 2010 from 2010-03-10T08:58:45
The "resident character woman" of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Rondi Reed, talks about her current stint as Madame Morrible in the Broadway juggernaut "Wicked", a role she originated in ...
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Howard Sherman (#258) - March, 2010 from 2010-03-03T08:51:14
Turnabout is fair play, as actor Richard Thomas is the guest host for a conversation with Howard Sherman, Executive Director of the American Theatre Wing. The longtime friends discuss the changes i...
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Gregory Mosher (#257) - February, 2010 from 2010-02-24T07:42:16
Gregory Mosher, director of the current Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge", talks about how he initiated the production himself, personally approached Liev Schreiber and S...
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John Lee Beatty (#256) - February, 2010 from 2010-02-17T07:56:40
Veteran scenic designer John Lee Beatty, currently represented in New York by "Time Stands Still", "A View from the Bridge" and "Venus in Fur", talks about why he thinks all American drama is about...
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Christine Lahti (#255) - February, 2010 from 2010-02-10T09:19:27
One of "God of Carnage"'s current combatants on Broadway, Christine Lahti, talks about playing the range of emotions that consume her character over the course of the play's mere 80 minutes, and ho...
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Andre De Shields (#254) - February, 2010 from 2010-02-01T10:54:31
The multi-talented Andre De Shields describes the development of his new one-man show, "Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory: From Douglass to Deliverance", and why it may be a work-in-progress for severa...
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Doug Wright (#253) - January, 2010 from 2010-01-25T09:04:58
Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award honored playwright Doug Wright discusses his virtually genetic passion for theatre and how that matched up with his conservative Texas childhood; his escape to New Hav...
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Emily Mann (#252) - January, 2010 from 2010-01-18T11:10:30
As she celebrates her 20th season as artistic director of Princeton's McCarter Theatre, Emily Mann recalls the factors she considered when taking on the job; counsel she received at the time from d...
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Scott Ellis (#251) - January, 2010 from 2010-01-11T09:43:46
With Theresa Rebeck's "The Understudy" soon to close at the Roundabout and Douglas Carter Beane's "Mr. and Mrs. Fitch" beginning rehearsals at Second Stage, director Scott Ellis discusses his attra...
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Stephen Sondheim (#250) - January, 2010 from 2010-01-04T08:50:59
Legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim is the guest for the 250th "Downstage Center" interview. He discusses a wide range of topics, including whether, as many have asserted, he actually...
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Beth Leavel (#249) - December, 2009 from 2009-12-28T10:49:21
"Mamma Mia!"'s newest leading lady, Beth Leavel, talks about slipping into the polyester disco gear of Donna Sheridan, describing the rare opportunity of joining a long-running production and still...
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Bernard Gersten (#248) - December, 2009 from 2009-12-21T09:25:50
Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer of Lincoln Center Theater, takes listeners on a highly condensed tour of his 60-year career in the theatre, including his joining Maurice Evans' US Army Special ...
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Jim Norton (#247) - December, 2009 from 2009-12-14T07:52:47
Actor Jim Norton, Tony and Olivier Award winner for "The Seafarer" and now on Broadway in the notably sunnier current revival of "Finian's Rainbow", discusses how the Irish view that Irish-inflecte...
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Hunter Foster (#246) - December, 2009 from 2009-12-07T09:25:29
"Ordinary Days"' Hunter Foster talks about performing a musical in such an intimate space (Roundabout Underground's black box) and why the unusually close proximity makes the audience into the fift...
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Anna Deavere Smith (#245) - November, 2009 from 2009-11-30T09:20:19
America's leading practitioner of "documentary theatre," Anna Deavere Smith, discusses her newest work, "Let Me Down Easy", and how it developed from its original commission by the Yale Medical Sch...
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Robert Longbottom (#244) - November, 2009 from 2009-11-23T09:08:38
Guest host Ted Chapin, chairman of the board of the American Theatre Wing, talks with director Robert Longbottom about his current Broadway production of "Bye Bye Birdie" at The Roundabout, includi...
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Jayne Houdyshell (#243) - November, 2009 from 2009-11-16T10:09:13
"Bye Bye Birdie"'s domineering mom, Jayne Houdyshell, talks about finding the good in meddling Mae Peterson, who she calls "Archie Bunker in a mink coat" and whether she'd ever appeared in "Birdie"...
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Rosemary Harris (#242) - November, 2009 from 2009-11-09T09:44:52
"The Royal Family"'s own theatre royalty Rosemary Harris talks about her current role as Fanny Cavendish at Manhattan Theatre Club and her 1975 performance as Julie Cavendish with such costars as S...
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Tracy Letts (#241) - November, 2009 from 2009-11-02T08:22:20
"Superior Donuts" and "August: Osage County" playwright Tracy Letts. talks about writing "Donuts" as his first "Chicago" play in homage to his adopted home city. He also discusses his childhood wit...
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Anne Bogart (#240) - October, 2009 from 2009-10-26T10:31:16
Director Anne Bogart discusses the formation of her SITI Company and why, after 16 years of existence, they're only now staging their first New York season at Dance Theatre Workshop. She also talk...
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Emanuel Azenberg (#239) - October, 2009 from 2009-10-19T08:12:13
Producer Emanuel Azenberg talks about the upcoming repertory production of "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "Broadway Bound", including the choice of David Cromer as director, whether the plays are bei...
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Charlayne Woodard (#238) - October, 2009 from 2009-10-12T09:48:39
Actress Charlayne Woodard (who declines to call herself a playwright) talks about the creation of her one-actor shows "Pretty Fire", "Neat", "In Real Life" and her newest, "The Night Watcher", curr...
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Daryl Roth (#237) - October, 2009 from 2009-10-05T07:07:43
Producer Daryl Roth, talks about her current and upcoming projects, including the Off-Broadway plays "Vigil", "The Temperamentals" and "Love, Loss and What I Wore". She also discusses how she plun...
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Adrian Bryan-Brown (#236) - September, 2009 from 2009-09-28T09:39:27
Veteran Broadway press agent Adrian Bryan-Brown ranges over his 30 year career as one of theatre's most successful "drumbeaters," from his first Broadway show, the 1979 "A Taste of Honey" through ...
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Sergio Trujillo (#235) - September, 2009 from 2009-09-21T10:26:41
Choreographer Sergio Trujillo talks about the development of the new Broadway musical "Memphis" and how the dance styles he employs in it draw upon research he'd already done for several other musi...
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Victoria Bailey (#234) - September, 2009 from 2009-09-14T10:32:09
Theatre Development Fund executive director Victoria Bailey talks about the newest icon of Broadway, the red steps of the redesigned TKTS Booth in Times Square, and talks about both how the lines a...
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Susan Hilferty (#233) - September, 2009 from 2009-09-08T10:33
With her Tony-winning costume designs for the hit musical "Wicked" virtually circling the globe, costume designer Susan Hilferty describes the detailed process by which the show's creative team con...
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Ken Davenport (#232) - August, 2009 from 2009-08-31T11:51:25
Multi-tasking multi-hyphenate producer (and more) Ken Davenport talks about his varied projects, from stage to computer screen. He recalls his childhood years performing in community theatre and h...
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Douglas Aibel (#231) - August, 2009 from 2009-08-24T10:32:49
Douglas Aibel, artistic director of New York's Vineyard Theatre, reflects upon the six year run and impending closing of the Broadway musical "Avenue Q", which made its Off-Broadway debut at the Vi...
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Allison Janney (#230) - August, 2009 from 2009-08-17T11:10:53
"9 to 5" star Allison Janney talks about her transformation into a musical comedy performer, and why the dancing didn't worry her but the singing did. She also discusses her theatrical education a...
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Brian d'Arcy James (#229) - August, 2009 from 2009-08-10T09:24:36
"Shrek"'s big green hero, Brian d'Arcy James, talks about the opportunities and limitations of creating the title character in the Broadway musical drawn from the first of the blockbuster animated ...
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Gregory Jbara (#228) - August, 2009 from 2009-08-03T08:35:20
Gregory Jbara traces his stage career from his first grade appearance as the title role in "Frosty the Snowman" all the way to his Tony Award-winning turn in the current Broadway musical "Billy Ell...
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Jan Maxwell (#227) - November, 2008 from 2008-11-10T19:57:36
Two-time Tony nominee Jan Maxwell talks about whether she's been influenced by Carole Lombard and Anne Bancroft, her film predecessors as the leading ladies of "To Be or Not To Be", as well as the ...
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Tom Viertel (#226) - October, 2008 from 2008-11-03T19:17:11
Prolific producer Tom Viertel, who with his partners Richard Frankel, Steve Baruch and Marc Routh have been responsible for such shows as "The Producers", "Hairspray", and the John Doyle-directed ...
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James Naughton (#225) - October, 2008 from 2008-10-27T15:47:23
Two-time Tony Award-winner James Naughton explains why he's at home in the Irish Repertory Theatre's "The Master Builder" and why it's his three Broadway musical appearances which are really the an...
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Lanford Wilson (#224) - October, 2008 from 2008-10-20T14:12:03
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson discusses the creation of his famed "Talley trilogy," including "Fifth of July", which stemmed in part from his equating an Eskimo folk tale with th...
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Gregg Edelman (#223) - October, 2008 from 2008-10-13T12:08:53
Multiple Tony nominee Gregg Edelman describes about the creation of the new Broadway musical "A Tale of Two Cities", including a song that was cut and that he misses terribly, and explains to Dicke...
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B.D. Wong (#221) - September, 2008 from 2008-09-30T15:32:52
Tony-winner B.D. Wong talks about his ongoing fascination with the 11-character, one-actor musical "Herringbone", from seeing the original production in 1981 through appearing in it for the third t...
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Bernard Telsey (#220) - September, 2008 from 2008-09-22T17:19:56
Prolific Broadway casting director (and recent reality TV judge) Bernard Telsey discusses his parallel careers as the head of Telsey + Company and the artistic director of Off-Broadway's MCC Theate...
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Estelle Parsons (#219) - September, 2008 from 2008-09-15T15:39:31
Oscar-winner Estelle Parsons talks about taking on the role of the pill-popping Violet Weston in Broadway's "August: Osage County", noting that she's played many drinkers in her career but this is ...
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Diane Paulus (#218) - September, 2008 from 2008-09-08T17:36:02
Diane Paulus, director of the acclaimed 40th anniversary revival of the musical "Hair" in Central Park, talks about her long-standing love of the musical -- despite the fact that she'd never actual...
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Michael Berresse (#217) - August, 2008 from 2008-09-02T10:45:10
Michael Berresse, director of the musical "[title of show]", talks about the show's journey from speed-writing exercise to Broadway hit and whether the self-referential story ever included the char...
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William Ivey Long (#216) - August, 2008 from 2008-08-25T09:12:29
Five time Tony-winner William Ivey Long talks about his extensive career as one of Broadway's top costume designers, from his earliest days on stage -- living in a dressing room at the Raleigh Litt...
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David Stone (#215) - August, 2008 from 2008-08-18T18:02:03
As "Wicked" approaches its fifth anniversary on Broadway, producer David Stone talks about the ever-expanding life of the international hit musical, including how the show first came into being, ho...
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Tony Meola (#214) - August, 2008 from 2008-08-11T17:32:29
Veteran sound designer Tony Meola talks about the many issues involved in designing such musicals as "Wicked" and "The Lion King" on Broadway and around the world, dissecting such issues as changes...
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John Glover (#213) - August, 2008 from 2008-08-04T19:27:32
Tony-winning actor John Glover talks about the revival of Christopher Durang's "The Marriage of Bette and Boo" at the Roundabout, and how he grappled with the distinctly unpleasant aspects of his c...
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Randy Graff (#212) - July, 2008 from 2008-07-28T17:46:03
Tony Award winning actress Randy Graff talks about her role as Meg Boyd in the current Encores! revival of "Damn Yankees", including what she learned from reading the novel on which the show is bas...
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Todd Haimes (#211) - July, 2008 from 2008-07-21T11:32:57
25 years after coming to New York's Roundabout Theatre Company, artistic director Todd Haimes talks about the company's growth from a financially troubled Off-Broadway group into one of the country...
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Michael Yeargan (#210) - July, 2008 from 2008-07-15T09:31:14
"South Pacific"'s Tony Award-winning set designer Michael Yeargan discusses the visual approach taken for the first Broadway revival of this classic musical, including the negotiation behind the dr...
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Michael Boyd (#209) - July, 2008 from 2008-07-07T15:04:56
Royal Shakespeare Company artistic director Michael Boyd gives an overview of the company's work, including its acclaimed "Complete Works" Festival and the recent two-year journey of the "Histories...
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Boyd Gaines (#208) - June, 2008 from 2008-06-30T14:11:24
On the eve of his fourth Tony Award win, actor Boyd Gaines talks about his busy year, including "Journey's End", "Pygmalion" and both the Encores and Broadway runs of "Gypsy". He also describes hi...
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Barbara Gaines (#207) - June, 2008 from 2008-06-23T15:49:57
Barbara Gaines, founder and artistic director of the newly Tony-recognized Chicago Shakespeare Theater, talks about the company's evolution from a classical acting workshop to a major institution w...
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Priscilla Lopez (#206) - June, 2008 from 2008-06-16T15:36:02
Tony-winner Priscilla Lopez talks about what drew her to the new musical "In The Heights" and talks about her patience and faith that by the time it reached Broadway, she'd have her own song in the...
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Harriet Harris (#205) - June, 2008 from 2008-06-09T17:26:23
Tony-winner Harriet Harris talks about being "the adult" in a company of kids in the Broadway musical "Cry-Baby" and reveals which of the musical numbers in the show convinced her that she needed t...
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Laura Benanti (#204) - May, 2008 from 2008-06-02T15:14
Broadway's newest Gypsy Rose Lee, Laura Benanti, talks about playing the title role in "Gypsy" both last summer at City Center and again this year on Broadway, including her thoughts on formidable ...
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Laura Linney (#203) - May, 2008 from 2008-05-27T12:36:22
Actress Laura Linney talks about returning to Broadway as the Marquise de Merteuil in the Roundabout production of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" and whether she thinks her character is truly evil. Sh...
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Sherie Rene Scott (#202) - May, 2008 from 2008-05-19T14:08:30
"The Little Mermaid"'s Sherie Rene Scott talks about creating the role of Ursula in the stage version of the beloved animated film, including what she believes the character thinks of herself. She...
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Patrick Stewart (#201) - May, 2008 from 2008-05-12T17:27:12
Shakespeare veteran Patrick Stewart talks about finally having the opportunity to play the title role in "Macbeth", some 50 years after he first memorized the play's great speeches, and chronicles ...
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Harold Prince (#200) - May, 2008 from 2008-05-05T16:23:16
Legendary producer and director Harold Prince surveys his career from his start in 1948 working for another legendary theatrical figure, George Abbott, to his newest project, the musical "Paradise ...
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David Zippel (#199) - April, 2008 from 2008-04-28T12:32:29
Lyricist David Zippel discusses the development of "Pamela's First Musical", the challenges posed by the untimely passing of two of his collaborators on the project -- composer Cy Coleman and autho...
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Paul Rudnick (#198) - April, 2008 from 2008-04-21T17:07:58
Playwright Paul Rudnick discusses his evening of one-act plays, "The New Century", currently playing at Lincoln Center Theatre, including how he came to combine characters originally written for se...
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James Earl Jones (#197) - April, 2008 from 2008-04-15T10:04:41
In a startlingly candid interview, actor James Earl Jones talks about what drew him to playing the role of Big Daddy in the current revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and his views on the play bein...
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Ken Billington (#196) - April, 2008 from 2008-04-07T15:55:28
Lighting designer Ken Billington, veteran of more than 80 Broadway productions ranging from the original "Sweeney Todd" to the current "Sunday in the Park with George", discusses the art of lightin...
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David Ives (#195) - March, 2008 from 2008-04-02T15:25:53
Playwright David Ives talks about his many acts of "literary ventriloquism," channeling the voices of the authors of classic musicals for City Center's Encores series, including the current "Juno" ...
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Leigh Silverman (#194) - March, 2008 from 2008-03-24T21:05:47
Director Leigh Silverman talks about the development of the Off-Broadway "Beebo Brinker Chronicles" and its transition from an Off-Off-Broadway space to a larger venue; how she juggles so many proj...
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Michael Cumpsty (#193) - March, 2008 from 2008-03-17T16:12:23
"Sunday in the Park with George"'s Michael Cumpsty talks about the challenges of performing in the Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical, how the script and score match the pointillism of George Se...
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Kathleen Chalfant (#192) - March, 2008 from 2008-03-10T16:40:21
Tony Award nominee Kathleen Chalfant talks about doing double duty on New York stages right now: as the mother of the title character in "Dead Man's Cell Phone" at Playwrights Horizons and as the l...
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Alice Ripley (#191) - February, 2008 from 2008-03-03T16:36:06
Alice Ripley, star of the new musical "Next To Normal" at New York's Second Stage Theatre, talks about the challenge of playing the emotionally disturbed mother of a "typical" American family and d...
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Nathan Lane (#190) - February, 2008 from 2008-02-25T14:33
Tony Award-winning actor Nathan Lane charts the course of his career, from touring New Jersey schools in the historical musical "Jerz" to starring on Broadway as the President of the United States ...
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Michael Rupert (#189) - February, 2008 from 2008-02-20T10:20:07
"Legally Blonde"'s resident legal shark Michael Rupert talks about why his role as that musical's unsavory Professor Callahan is consistent with other roles he often plays and talks about being the...
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Edward Albee (#188) - February, 2008 from 2008-02-11T15:49:16
Multiple Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Albee talks about the "inadvertent festival" of his works in the New York area, explaining why he declined to allow any synopsis of "Me, Myself ...
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Richard Easton (#187) - February, 2008 from 2008-02-04T16:10:13
Tony Award-winning actor Richard Easton talks about his role in David Ives' play "New Jerusalem" and why he didn't spend much time trying to parse Spinoza's philosophy in preparation for the show (...
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Tom Stoppard (#186) - January, 2008 from 2008-01-28T21:24:23
Multiple Tony Award-winning playwright Sir Tom Stoppard talks about his latest work to appear on Broadway, "Rock 'n' Roll", including why he feels the play's love story, not its intellectual themes...
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Frances Sternhagen (#185) - January, 2008 from 2008-01-23T13:54:01
Two-time Tony-winner Frances Sternhagen surveys her six-decade career in the theatre, ranging from her decision to stop teaching "dramatics" to schoolchildren to her most recent Broadway appearance...
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Norbert Leo Butz (#184) - January, 2008 from 2008-01-14T15:44:26
Tony Award-winner Norbert Leo Butz talks about his first reaction on being approached about appearing in a "new" Mark Twain play, "Is He Dead?", and about the construction of farce and how David I...
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Tony Walton (#183) - January, 2008 from 2008-01-07T13:53:47
Designer turned director Tony Walton talks about his work directing the plays of George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward for New York's Irish Repertory Theatre; considers how his work as a...
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John Cullum (#182) - December, 2007 from 2007-12-31T16:13:35
Actor John Cullum, currently appearing in the title role of Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" at Lincoln Center Theater, but better known for his musical performances, talks about his experiences in classi...
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Alan Menken (#181) - December, 2007 from 2007-12-24T12:14:10
Alan Menken, composer of both the film and Broadway musical versions of "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty And The Beast", talks about going "under the sea" with Ariel so many years after writing the...
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Jack O'Brien (#180) - December, 2007 from 2007-12-17T14:19:30
Director Jack O'Brien announces his new title as Artistic Director Emeritus at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre and charts his quarter-century tenure as Artistic Director from his hiring in 1981; reve...
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David Henry Hwang (#179) - December, 2007 from 2007-12-10T13:56:52
Playwright David Henry Hwang talks about putting a version of himself -- and his father -- onstage in his new play "Yellowface" and why he doesn't want to reveal what in the play is fact and what i...
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AndréBishop (#178) - November, 2007 from 2007-12-03T14:05:11
Lincoln Center Theater artistic director AndréBishop talks about the selection of "Cymbeline" and "South Pacific" for the current season and the thread that unifies the work on the company's two st...
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Shuler Hensley (#177) - November, 2007 from 2007-11-26T16:45:37
Shuler Hensley, the creature from "Young Frankenstein", talks about the development of his character in the new Mel Brooks musical, as well as his seeming affinity for playing monsters; sings a bit...
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Terrence McNally (#176) - November, 2007 from 2007-11-19T13:09:21
Terrence McNally talks about "The Ritz" then (1975) and now (the current Roundabout revival) and reveals his own cameo performance at the show's first opening night; describes his emergence as a pl...
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Judy Kuhn (#175) - November, 2007 from 2007-11-12T14:06:11
Judy Kuhn reflects on returning to the cast of "Les Misérables" 20 years after appearing in the original Broadway cast and how her perspective has changed now that she's playing Fantine, the mother...
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Kevin Chamberlin (#174) - November, 2007 from 2007-11-05T13:56:52
Kevin Chamberlin talks about his role in the Roundabout Theatre revival of Terrence McNally's "The Ritz", including whether his "midwestern" looks match up to his character of Gaetano Proclo; how h...
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Christopher Ashley (#173) - October, 2007 from 2007-10-29T13:04:30
The new artistic director of California's La Jolla Playhouse, Christopher Ashley, talks about his plans for the theatre, including whether he sees himself continuing or departing from the repertoir...
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F. Murray Abraham (#172) - October, 2007 from 2007-10-22T14:04:11
F. Murray Abraham talks about his role as a dangerous yet avid stamp collector in Theresa Rebeck's "Mauritius", a role he compares to Shakespeare's Mercutio; describes his transition from gang punk...
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Kristen Johnston (#171) - October, 2007 from 2007-10-15T13:03:29
Kristen Johnston talks about her nightly mantra that prepares her to go on stage in the current Atlantic Theatre Company production of Lucy Thurber's "Scarcity"; recalls her early years as drama st...
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James Houghton (#170) October, 2007 from 2007-10-10T09:19:30
James Houghton, the founding artistic director of New York's Signature Theater Company discusses the impulse that began the acclaimed Off-Broadway theater, which each season produces the work of a ...
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Horton Foote (#169) September, 2007 from 2007-10-01T16:41:01
Playwright Horton Foote reflects on his long career, including the traveling tent shows that first inspired his love of theatre; the contrast between his Texas neighbors' responses to his winning t...
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Carole Shelley (#168) September, 2007 from 2007-09-17T10:19:32
Upon her return to the Broadway production, "Wicked"'s original Madame Morrible, Carole Shelley, talks about whether she's hissed as a villain by fans on the street; explains how a childhood incide...
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Kerry Butler (#167) September, 2007 from 2007-09-10T15:47:44
"Xanadu" star Kerry Butler talks about her childhood performances of Olivia Newton-John songs and how they've informed her Broadway role as Kira, as well as the ins and outs of roller-skating on st...
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Michele Pawk (#166) August, 2007 from 2007-09-03T18:10:04
Days after joining the "Hairspray" cast as Velma von Tussle, Michele Pawk talks about the experience of being "put into" a long-running show and how one finds their character in that situation; sha...
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Terry Teachout (#165) August, 2007 from 2007-08-27T11:24:15
"Wall Street Journal" drama critic Terry Teachout talks about his theatergoing experiences over the four years he's held that position, including what he's learned and what has surprised him; revea...
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Anthony Rapp (#164) August, 2007 from 2007-08-20T11:06:57
Stage and film actor Anthony Rapp, upon his return to the long-running show "Rent", talks about working with the show's composer Jonathan Larson; the longevity and impact of "Rent"; getting his fir...
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Debra Monk (#163) August, 2007 from 2007-08-13T13:17:57
Actress Debra Monk talks about her six year journey through the development of the musical "Curtains", and passionately reflects on the things she learned from the legendary team of Kander and Ebb ...
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John P. Connolly (#162) August, 2007 from 2007-08-06T11:46:02
John P. Connolly, the new executive director of Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers, talks about the challenges and concerns facing the union and its memb...
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Stephen Lang (#161) July, 2007 from 2007-07-30T10:32:38
Actor Stephen Lang describes his process developing the book "Beyond Glory" for the stage, why he was drawn to portray eight recipients of the Medal of Honor, and how his tribute is perceived amids...
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Dori Berinstein (#160) July, 2007 from 2007-07-23T12:04:47
Producer Dori Berinstein discusses the process behind creating the film "ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway", her unprecedented chronicle of the 2003-2004 theatrical season, including how she winno...
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Michael Wilson (#159) July, 2007 from 2007-07-16T09:39:34
Director Michael Wilson discusses his work on the first Broadway revival of John Van Druten's "Old Acquaintance" at the Roundabout and why the play is so different than the Bette Davis film; descri...
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Vanessa Redgrave (#158) July, 2007 from 2007-07-09T09:39:34
Actress Vanessa Redgrave explains why, despite the character name in the program, she's not specifically playing "Joan Didion" in Broadway's "The Year Of Magical Thinking"; explores the transformat...
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Catherine Zuber (#157) June, 2007 from 2007-07-02T12:39:34
Three-time Tony Award-winning costume designer Catherine Zuber talks about the process of costume design and the nature of the collaboration between designers and a director; explains how she choos...
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Douglas Carter Beane (#156) June, 2007 from 2007-06-25T12:13:57
Playwright Douglas Carter Beane talks about how his fascination with Greek myths dovetailed with a producer's overture to adapt a famously bad movie, resulting in the new musical "Xanadu"; describe...
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Marian Seldes (#155) June, 2007 from 2007-06-18T14:18:47
Revered stage veteran Marian Seldes touches upon a few of the highlights of her storied career, from her current role on Broadway opposite Angela Lansbury in "Deuce" (a role written specifically fo...
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Joe Dowling (#154) June, 2007 from 2007-06-11T12:42:28
Guthrie Theatre Artistic Director Joe Dowling talks about the company's move from its historic home into a brand new facility, including the reaction of the Minneapolis audiences to the shift; his ...
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Mary Louise Wilson (#153) June, 2007 from 2007-06-04T13:20:54
Tony nominee Mary Louise Wilson discusses her journey from workshop to Broadway with the musical "Grey Gardens"; recalls her Broadway debut in the troubled Judy Holliday vehicle "Hot Spot"; describ...
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David Hyde Pierce (#152) May, 2007 from 2007-05-28T12:00:53
David Hyde Pierce talks about joining in the development of the long-aborning "Curtains" and how he faced the challenge of a full-fledged character-driven musical on Broadway; recalls the circumsta...
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Frank Langella (#151) May, 2007 from 2007-05-17T09:36:58
Frank Langella talks about the challenge of making the character of Richard Nixon in "Frost/Nixon" more than just a caricature, and whether it was easier to develop his performance as such a pivota...
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Jerry Mitchell (#150) May, 2007 from 2007-05-14T10:34:32
Tony Award-winning choreographer Jerry Mitchell talks about taking on the dual roles of director and choreographer for the first time with "Legally Blonde" and charts the development of the musical...
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Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg (#149) May, 2007 from 2007-05-07T11:02:34
The team of Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil talk about why they broke from their usual practice of originating their own projects and took on writing "The Pirate Queen"; how they first be...
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Richard M. Sherman and George Stiles (#148) April, 2007 from 2007-04-30T12:33:14
Richard M. Sherman and George Stiles, the film and stage composers of "Mary Poppins", come together for a special program that explores the creation of the original film score and how it was adapte...
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Jeff Daniels (#147) April, 2007 from 2007-04-23T19:47:44
Jeff Daniels talks about his return to the New York stage after a 14 year absence in David Harrower's Olivier Award-winning "Blackbird" at Manhattan Theatre Club, including how he works himself up ...
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Lee Blessing (#47) April, 2005 from 2007-04-20T09:54:26
Playwright Lee Blessing talks about his play "Going to St. Ives" with its theme, of politics, women, and motherhood, and its similarities to his best-known play "A Walk In The Woods". Blessing exp...
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Judith Ivey (#146) April, 2007 from 2007-04-16T10:18:44
Two-time Tony-winning actress Judith Ivey talks about her transition to directing; why she was drawn to direct Lee Thuna's "Fugue" at the Cherry Lane Theatre rather than play the leading role; what...
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Michael Blakemore (#42) February, 2005 from 2007-04-13T16:39:24
Acclaimed director Michael Blakemore discusses his ongoing collaboration with playwright Michael Frayn during the Broadway run of "Democracy" and explores his famed virtuosity staging both plays an...
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John Mahoney (#145) April, 2007 from 2007-04-09T15:59:07
John Mahoney talks about returning to Broadway after a 20-year hiatus in the Roundabout Theatre production of "Prelude to a Kiss", including why he had to be conscious of not making his stage role ...
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Dominic Chianese (#36) December, 2004 from 2007-04-06T08:45:27
Dominic Chianese, who plays Lou Wolf in Woody Allen's play "A Second Hand Memory", discusses Allen's style of directing, his character's anger and family conflicts, and compares Lou Wolf to Uncle J...
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Eric Bogosian (#144) March, 2007 from 2007-04-02T10:53:13
Author and actor Eric Bogosian explains why he left the text of "Talk Radio" essentially unchanged for its current Broadway revival, but made more significant rewrites in "subUrbia" for its revival...
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Jeffrey Hatcher (#25) October, 2004 from 2007-03-30T09:18:07
Prolific playwright Jeffrey Hatcher talks about seeing one of his recent plays "Compleat Female Stage Beauty" come to the screen as "Stage Beauty"; his years developing plays at Connecticut's O'Nei...
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Walter Bobbie (#143) March, 2007 from 2007-03-26T12:15:40
Director and actor Walter Bobbie talks about returning to the acting stage in the "Encores!" production of "Face The Music", and how he feels preparing to act in the famously brief "Encores" rehear...
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Tovah Feldshuh (#12) July, 2004 from 2007-03-23T10:53:33
Tovah Feldshuh discusses her role in William Gibson's one-woman play "Golda's Balcony", including her research into the life of Israeli premier Golda Meir and her passion in presenting 100 years o...
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Neil Pepe (#142) March, 2007 from 2007-03-19T10:07:43
Neil Pepe, artistic director of New York's Atlantic Theater Company, discusses the development of the company as an outgrowth of acting classes led by playwright David Mamet and actor William H. Ma...
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Amy Irving (#141) March, 2007 from 2007-03-12T11:34:50
Amy Irving talks about her experience seeing part two of "The Coast of Utopia" when it premiered in England, and her response when director Jack O'Brien asked her to play two roles in the trilogy's...
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Patrick Cassidy (#9) June, 2004 from 2007-03-09T08:46:22
During his run in the revival of "42nd Street", Patrick Cassidy talks about life in a performing family, including the legacy of his late father Jack and performing with his mother Shirley Jones; h...
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Billy Crudup (#140) March, 2007 from 2007-03-05T10:37:25
Billy Crudup recalls how he messed up his first audition but still managed to be cast in his Broadway debut, "Arcadia"; describes the communal spirit that guided the 2002 production of "The Elephan...
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Kristin Chenoweth (#139) February, 2007 from 2007-02-26T10:45:36
Kristin Chenoweth reminisces about her move from Oklahoma to Manhattan and how she was discovered after an all-day wait for an audition; tells how she was cast as Patty in the revival of "You're A ...
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Mercedes Ruehl (#45) March, 2005 from 2007-02-23T08:54:30
Mercedes Ruehl shares her passion for art and for playing art patron Peggy Guggenheim in "Woman Before A Glass" talks about her early training and her roles in regional theatre, her Off-Broadway su...
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Kevin McCollum (#138) February, 2007 from 2007-02-20T12:02:55
Kevin McCollum talks about how his "contrarian" nature applies to his work as a producer, including mounting the 22-actor musical "In The Heights" Off-Broadway when many say even small musicals can...
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Jack Viertel (#39) January, 2005 from 2007-02-16T08:35:40
Jack Viertel, artistic director of the "Encores!" series at New York City Center, traces the evolution of the acclaimed concert stagings of little-seen musicals and offers a glimpse into how their ...
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Joanne Bogart and Eric Rockwell (#13) July, 2004 from 2007-02-12T10:29:35
Joanne Bogart and Eric Rockwell discuss the genesis of "The Musical of MusicalsóThe Musical!" and whether they'll get to quit their day jobs as a result of its success. Original air date - July 16,...
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Alfred Molina (#30) November, 2004 from 2007-02-07T08:38:07
Late in the run of his Broadway turn as Tevye in "Fiddler On The Roof", Alfred Molina discusses his role in that much-discussed production, recalls meeting his wife-to-be in the musical "Destry Rid...
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Len Cariou (#137) February, 2007 from 2007-02-05T10:24:38
Len Cariou looks back over his career on stage, from his days with his own cabaret act in his native Canada to his immersion into classical theatre at the Manitoba Theatre Center and the Stratford ...
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Ted Chapin (#15) July, 2004 from 2007-01-31T10:49:13
Ted Chapin wears two hats during this interview, one as he discusses his position as head of the Rodgers&Hammerstein Organization, explaining his role in both promoting and defending the work of th...
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Rita Moreno (#136) January, 2007 from 2007-01-29T11:52:42
Rita Moreno reflects on her career, from her Broadway debut at age 13; her efforts to break out of being constantly cast as a Latin spitfire; her arduous preparation for her audition for "West Side...
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Melissa Errico and Tom Hewitt (#27) October, 2004 from 2007-01-25T14:01:42
Melissa Errico and Tom Hewitt discuss their roles in Frank Wildhorn's "Dracula", and separately review their careers -- Errico's as a leading lady in numerous high profile revivals and Hewitt's as ...
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Margot Harley (#135) January, 2007 from 2007-01-22T10:19:24
Margot Harley, co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of The Acting Company, talks about the troupe's origins as an outgrowth of the acting program at The Juilliard School in the early 70s, the...
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Barbara Walsh (#134) January, 2007 from 2007-01-16T09:10:26
Barbara Walsh, Joanne in the John Doyle revival of "Company", talks about taking on a role so indelibly associated with Elaine Stritch, explains why her character doesn't really "join the band" in ...
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John McDaniel (#29) November, 2004 from 2007-01-11T16:41:39
Music Director John McDaniel talks about his first producing project, "Brooklyn The Musical"; reflects on his time working with Rosie O'Donnell on her talk show, and gives some insight into the wor...
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The Actors' Fund and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids (#131) December, 2006 from 2006-12-22T12:35
The leaders of the two best known theatre-based charitable group, Joe Benincasa of The Actors' Fund and Tom Viola of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, talk about the wide range of work done by the...
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Daphne Rubin-Vega (#130) December, 2006 from 2006-12-19T11:55
"Rent" veteran Daphne Rubin Vega talks about the challenge of tackling the "classic" music of "Les Miserables" after being known for rock-oriented show music, and why she feels a bit lonely as Fant...
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Ayesha Dharker and Manu Narayan (#8) June, 2004 from 2006-12-15T12:30
"Bombay Dreams" stars Manu Narayan and Ayesha Dharker discuss bringing Bollywood to Broadway in Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of "Bombay Dreams" during the show's original New York run. Original...
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Stephen Spinella (#129) December, 2006 from 2006-12-11T12:35
Two-time Tony winner Stephen Spinella talks about joining the youthful cast of "Spring Awakening" as the only male adult in the show, and why he's spent so much time reading the original Wedekind p...
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John Doyle (#127) November, 2006 from 2006-11-29T11:45
Director John Doyle talks about the development of his unique actor-musician approach to classic musicals, including the current production of "Company" and the recent "Sweeney Todd"; why he's not ...
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Martha Banta and Carolee Carmello (#38) January, 2005 from 2006-11-24T09:10
"Mamma Mia!" star Carolee Carmello talks about her performances in "Parade", "Falsettos" and "Kiss Me Kate", among others, and along with "Mamma Mia!"'s resident director Martha Banta, talks about ...
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Sheldon Harnick (#126) November, 2006 from 2006-11-20T12:45
Lyricist Sheldon Harnick explains the genesis of "The Apple Tree" as he prepares for its first Broadway revival, recalls his days as a writer of revue songs and his early encouragement from famed b...
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Barry and Fran Weissler (#125) November, 2006 from 2006-11-13T11:45
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of their Broadway production of "Chicago", producers Fran and Barry Weissler reflect on 10 years with "Chicago" not just in the U.S., but internationally; re...
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Swoosie Kurtz (#124) October, 2006 from 2006-10-31T11:10
Swoosie Kurtz talks about tackling her first role in a play by George Bernard Shaw in "Heartbreak House"; how she went from Air Force brat to the only American student at the London Academy of Musi...
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Jefferson Mays (#10) June, 2004 from 2006-10-27T16:10
Although Jefferson Mays continues his international appearances in his Tony-winning role in Doug Wright's "I Am My Own Wife", this edition of "Downstage Center" finds him reflecting on his one-man ...
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Marsha Norman (#123) October, 2006 from 2006-10-23T09:30
Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman compares the gathering and rituals shared by theatre and houses of worship; explains why she could never have written "'night Mother" now that she's had children...
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Donna McKechnie (#122) October, 2006 from 2006-10-17T14:00
With her autobiography "Time Step" now in bookstores, Donna McKechnie reminisces about coming to New York in the late 50s with dreams of being a ballet star; her first Broadway show, "How To Succee...
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Eve Ensler (#121) October, 2006 from 2006-10-10T12:00
Activist-author-actress Eve Ensler discusses her newest work, "The Treatment", part of the Impact Festival at The Culture Project in New York, and the place of political theatre in today's America;...
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Philip Bosco and Boyd Gaines (#40) January, 2005 from 2006-09-29T15:00
With a national tour of the classic jury room drama "12 Angry Men" about to embark on a national tour, stars from the original company -- Boyd Gaines and Philip Bosco -- talk about recreating the o...
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Recording Cast Albums (#35) December, 2004 from 2006-09-26T11:30
The challenging business decisions that decide whether you get to hear your favorite musicals on CD is the topic of a roundtable discussion with three experts in the field of cast album recording: ...
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Isaac Robert Hurwitz and Kris Stewart (#119) September, 2006 from 2006-09-26T11:30
New York Musical Theatre Festival founders Kris Stewart and Isaac Robert Hurwitz talk about the original impulse to start the festival and place it in the context of New York City's other theatrica...
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Tom Jones (#118) September, 2006 from 2006-09-13T16:30
With the world's longest-running musical, "The Fantasticks", back on stage in New York after a short hiatus, author Tom Jones recounts the time-honored tale of how he and Harvey Schmidt created thi...
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Ruben Santiago-Hudson (#116) August, 2006 from 2006-08-28T11:30
Tony Award-winning actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson talks about his responsibility as part of the fraternity of "August Wilson actors"; his desire to direct the complete 10-play Wilson cycle of plays, h...
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Hinton Battle (#115) August, 2006 from 2006-08-21T16:00
Hinton Battle, a three-time Tony winner for "Sophisticated Ladies", "The Tap Dance Kid" and "Miss Saigon", surveys his career from his Broadway debut at age 15 in "The Wiz" to a trio of new project...
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Charles Isherwood and Michael Kuchwara (#20) September, 2004 from 2006-08-18T11:00
he work of a theatre critic is explored with two of America's most-read theatre journalists: Michael Kuchwara> of the Associated Press and Charles Isherwood of Variety -- the latter just as it was ...
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John Selya and Ashley Tuttle (#14) July, 2004 from 2006-08-16T11:30
John Selya and Ashley Tuttle, original cast members of the dance musical "Movin' Out", discuss the development of Twyla Tharp's unique show, the difference between classical dance and the requireme...
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Mark Lamos (#114) August, 2006 from 2006-08-14T11:30
Director Mark Lamos explores his affinity for the W.A.S.P. world portrayed by playwright A.R. Gurney as he directs the world premiere of "Indian Blood" at New York's Primary Stages, and talks about...
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Stephanie D'Abruzzo and John Tartaglia (#4) May, 2004 from 2006-08-11T14:30
Before "Avenue Q"'s Tony Awards triumph, original cast members Stephanie D'Abruzzo and John Tartaglia chronicle the show's journey from workshop to Broadway, share their own paths to leading roles ...
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Bartlett Sher (#111) July, 2006 from 2006-07-24T15:00
As "The Light In The Piazza" prepares for its national tour, director Bartlett Sher talks about the experience of living with and working on the show for more than three years, explains his approac...
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Thomas Schumacher (#17) August, 2004 from 2006-07-21T09:00
Late in the run of Disney's "Aida" and two years before "Tarzan" began swinging on 46th Street, Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical Productions, discusses the Disney approach to theat...
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Elena K. Holy (#18) August, 2004 from 2006-07-19T16:00
Elena K. Holy, artistic director of New York's International Fringe Festival, discusses the genesis of the Fringe as part of the Off-Off-Broadway Present Company, and its explosive growth as a vehi...
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Brian Stokes Mitchell (#110) July, 2006 from 2006-07-17T15:00
With his debut solo CD now on sale, Brian Stokes Mitchell ranges over his career, from his first performances with a youth theatre in San Diego to seven years on television's "Trapper John M.D." to...
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Des McAnuff (#33) December, 2004 from 2006-07-14T15:00
With Des McAnuff the toast of Broadway for "Jersey Boys" and set to join the artistic leadership at Canada's Stratford Festival, this Downstage Center interview from late 2004 captures the acclaime...
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John Barrowman (#21) September, 2004 from 2006-07-14T15:00
American-raised but acclaimed in England for his work in musicals, John Barrowman visited Downstage Center in 2004 to talk about his trans-Atlantic career, his new solo album, and the experience of...
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Michael Mayer (#109) July, 2006 from 2006-07-11T11:30
Director Michael Mayer explains the juxtaposition of turn of the 20th century German teenage angst with modern rock and roll in "Spring Awakening", recounts his first meeting with master playwright...
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Liev Schreiber (#107) June, 2006 from 2006-06-23T10:21
Liev Schreiber takes time out from The Public Theatre's production of "Macbeth" to reflect on the humanity of that villainous role, his love for the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, how directing...
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Kate Burton (#106) June, 2006 from 2006-06-19T10:52
Three-time Tony nominee Kate Burton discusses her newest show, the family drama "The Water's Edge" by Theresa Rebeck, and why she's drawn to characters who are once dark and witty, and she talks ab...
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Angela Lansbury (#105) June, 2006 from 2006-06-16T22:12
Stage and screen legend Angela Lansbury surveys her theatre career, from her wartime drama school scholarship (courtesy of the American Theatre Wing) to her acclaimed work in the musicals of Stephe...
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Richard Greenberg (#102) May, 2006 from 2006-05-27T17:10
One of America's most prolific playwrights, Richard Greenberg discusses the wave of media attention that has accompanied the current Broadway revival of "Three Days of Rain", and its effect on him ...
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Zoe Wanamaker (#101) May, 2006 from 2006-05-25T11:50
Zoe Wanamaker reflects on her personal connection to the drama of "Awake And Sing", remembers her journey from Chichester to London to Princeton to Broadway in "Electra", describes her experience b...
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Alan Cumming (#100) May, 2006 from 2006-05-19T11:53
Broadway's current Macheath, Alan Cumming, talks about the political relevance of "The Threepenny Opera" in America today, chronicles his experiences after drama school as part of a comedy duo in S...
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Andrea Martin (#43) February, 2005 from 2006-05-16T23:32
Andrea Martin talks about her great successes in shows she was originally inclined to turn down, including "Oklahoma", "Candide" and "Fiddler on the Roof", as well as her start in the legendary Tor...
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Joel Grey (#24) October, 2004 from 2006-05-16T23:32
Joel Grey recalls creating the role of the Master of Ceremonies both and stage and in the film of "Cabaret", along with his performances in musicals as varied as "George M!", "The Grand Tour" and t...
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Kelli O'Hara (#99) April, 2006 from 2006-05-11T19:43
Kelli O'Hara discusses her transition from ingenue toleading lady in "The Pajama Game", the personal and professional challenge of taking over the role of Clara in "The Light in the Piazza" after s...
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Tony Roberts (#98) April, 2006 from 2006-04-28T10:50
A veteran of the original Broadway production of "Barefoot in the Park" and now appearing in the current revival, Tony Roberts reflects on the nature of Neil Simon's play both then and now, talks a...
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John Patrick Shanley (#97) April, 2006 from 2006-04-12T11:02
With his newest play Defiance premiering at Manhattan Theatre Club and the award-winning Doubt entering its second year on Broadway, John Patrick Shanley talks about the evolution of his trilogy in...
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Richard Maltby, Jr. (#96) April, 2006 from 2006-04-12T11:02
Lyricist and director Richard Maltby, Jr. talks about how he grew to be fond of Johnny Cash (who he never met) as he developed the musical "Ring of Fire", recalls creating "Ain't Misbehavin'" in th...
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Jonathan Pryce (#93) March, 2006 from 2006-03-24T16:55
Two-time Tony winner Jonathan Pryce describes his journey from a small political theatre company in England to being the star of such musicals as "My Fair Lady" in London, "Miss Saigon" in London a...
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Graciela Daniele (#92) March, 2006 from 2006-03-17T11:09
During previews for the new musical "Bernarda Alba", director-choreographer Graciela Daniele recalls being compelled to explore American musical theatre after encountering "West Side Story" while s...
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Malcolm Gets (#91) March, 2006 from 2006-03-10T10:25
Malcolm Gets talks about being groomed for musical comedy from his very earliest years, his sudden transition from Radio City Christmas Spectacular dancer to Yale School of Drama graduate student, ...
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Martha Lavey (#89) February, 2006 from 2006-02-23T11:01
With Adam Rapp's "Red Light Winter" marking another export from Chicago to New York for the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Steppenwolf's artistic director Martha Lavey talks about the company's 30th ...
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Patti LuPone (#88) February, 2006 from 2006-02-17T17:16
While Mrs. Lovett playing the tuba may seem strange to some, "Sweeney Todd"'s Patti LuPone explains that she's no stranger to the tuba, as she recalls her years in the high school band, as well her...
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Broadway Advertising (#87) February, 2006 from 2006-02-16T15:25
When theatre fans peruse the Sunday New York Times, the vast majority of Broadway ads they see are the work of the dominant theatre agencies: Serino Coyne and SpotCo. The CEOs of each company, Nanc...
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Michael Cerveris (#85) January, 2006 from 2006-01-20T14:45
Straddling the worlds of musical comedy and rock and roll, "Sweeney Todd"'s Michael Cerveris talks about how his extensive work with Stephen Sondheim makes it hard to sing more conventional musical...
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Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (#46) March, 2005 from 2006-01-17T09:15
With the cast album of "Dessa Rose" now in stores, here's the "Downstage Center" March 2005 interview with Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty in which they survey their career from jingle writing to ...
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Jerry Herman (#28) November, 2004 from 2006-01-17T09:15
Legendary composer Jerry Herman plays and sings snippets of some of his most famous compositions as he recalls the creation of such seminal musicals as "Hello Dolly", "Mame" and "La Cage aux Folles...
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Doug Hughes (#84) January, 2006 from 2006-01-12T11:42
One of the busiest directors in New York, Tony-winner Doug Hughes, talks about revisiting "Doubt" with a new cast; how he handles the heightened expectations for "Defiance", his next collaboration ...
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John Cullum and Rosemary Harris (#83) December, 2005 from 2006-01-12T11:42
Stage veterans Rosemary Harris and John Cullum talk about meeting for the very first time to play husband and wife in Ariel Dorfman's "The Other Side", discuss their feelings about seeing their chi...
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Audra McDonald (#82) December, 2005 from 2005-12-29T12:20
Audra McDonald recounts her start in theatre as an alternative to therapy for childhood hyperactivity, her teenage years at small theatres in northern California (including her performance as Eva i...
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Oskar Eustis (#81) December, 2005 from 2005-12-27T14:34
Early in his first season at the helm, Oskar Eustis, the new artistic director of The Public Theater, talks about his plans for that seminal theatrical institution, both on stage and off, lets slip...
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Michael Ball (#80) December, 2005 from 2005-12-27T14:34
Michael Ball discusses straddling the worlds of musical theatre and pop music in his native England, as well as the irony of returning to the Broadway stage after 15 years to gain greater recogniti...
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Gary Beach (#41) February, 2005 from 2005-12-15T09:38
Gary Beach takes off his "La Cage aux Folles" feathers to discuss playing Zaza in the musical's first Broadway revival, his Tony-winning success in "The Producers" and even his lesser known history...
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Matthew Broderick (#32) December, 2004 from 2005-12-15T09:38
During the Off-Broadway run of "The Foreigner", Matthew Broderick addresses whether he's really as shy as news reports would portray him, talks about his early years growing up in New York and on b...
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Susan Stroman (#23) October, 2004 from 2005-12-15T09:38
Director-choreographer Susan Stroman charts her career from her early days as a chorus member in regional theatre to her triumph with "The Producers" to her work with Nathan Lane bringing Stephen S...
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Christopher Durang (#79) December, 2005 from 2005-12-13T13:31
Playwright Christopher Durang contemplates issues of faith, family, humor and falling space debris during the concurrent runs of his new play "Miss Witherspoon" in New York and his new musical "Adr...
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Jill Clayburgh (#77) November, 2005 from 2005-11-22T09:05
Jill Clayburgh talks about the joys of returning to the Broadway stage for the first time in two decades in Richard Greeenberg's "A Naked Girl on the Appian Way", her anticipation of her immediate ...
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Craig Lucas (#76) November, 2005 from 2005-11-17T12:54
On the eve of his debut as a film director, Craig Lucas discusses transforming "The Dying Gaul" from play to screenplay and talks about his journey from a narrow-minded Philadelphia suburb to the c...
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Carol Channing (#74) October, 2005 from 2005-10-19T10:57
Stage legend Carol Channing reminisces about her extraordinary career, ranging from her naive yet successful audition for the William Morris Agency (which she briefly recreates) to her early succes...
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Gerard Alessandrini (#71) September, 2005 from 2005-10-11T11:40
Gerard Alessandrini shares the process of turning Broadway into "Forbidden Broadway" and why after all these years of skewering stage stars and shows, he's still an optimistic fan of the theatre. O...
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Galt MacDermot (#69) September, 2005 from 2005-09-14T10:12
With "Two Gentlemen of Verona" back on stage at The Public Theater's Delacorte in Central Park, Galt MacDermot reminisces about the great successes of "Hair" and "Two Gents", as well as the brief r...
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Joanna Gleason (#67) August, 2005 from 2005-08-31T14:30
Joanna Gleason talks about signing on to "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" before her part was fully written, recalls her Broadway debut in "I Love My Wife" and the thrill of premiering "Into The Woods", a...
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John Lithgow (#49) April, 2005 from 2005-08-29T10:30
John Lithgow talks about his plunge back into theatre after years of absence from the New York stage, with a succession of acclaimed performance in "Sweet Smell of Success", "The Retreat from Mosco...
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Raúl Esparza (#50) April, 2005 from 2005-08-18T15:00
Versatile leading man Raúl Esparza explains why he's taken on a light musical like "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" after a strong of dark and tormented roles, and recalls earlier performances, including ...
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Dan Fogler and Sarah Saltzberg (#66) August, 2005 from 2005-08-16T10:00
Tony Award-winner Dan Fogler and castmate Sarah Saltzberg track the creation of the hit musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", and the many fortunate meetings that made the musical p...
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A.R. Gurney (#63) July, 2005 from 2005-07-28T15:00
Prolific playwright A.R. Gurney discusses his recent turn into political playwriting ("O Jerusalem", "Mrs. Farnsworth", "Screen Play"), how he developed his career while keeping a "day job" for mor...
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Lynn Redgrave (#62) July, 2005 from 2005-07-21T11:00
Lynn Redgrave talks about life as part of one of the great theatrical dynasties -- including the challenging experience of acting with one's relatives, her drive to commemorate her family through h...
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Arielle Tepper (#61) July, 2005 from 2005-07-21T11:00
Broadway Producer Arielle Tepper ("Spamalot", "The Pillowman") talks about complexity of mounting her labor of love, New York's Summer Play Festival, now in its second season of introducing new pla...
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Bill Irwin (#60) July, 2005 from 2005-07-19T18:00
Bill Irwin, details his journey from being a clown in a San Francisco troupe to winning a Tony Award for starring opposite Kathleen Turner in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". Original airdate - J...
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Denis O'Hare (#59) June, 2005 from 2005-07-19T18:00
Denis O'Hare, Tony Award winning actor from "Take Me Out", and currently starring in the Broadway revival of "Sweet Charity", shares his thoughts on working in both plays and musicals - and what dr...
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Roger Rees (#58) June, 2005 from 2005-07-19T18:00
Tony Award winning actor ("The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby"), Roger Rees, joins "Downstage Center" to talk acting in the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as on Broadway, and about hi...
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Alan Ayckbourn (#57) June, 2005 from 2005-07-19T18:00
Alan Ayckbourn, who is back in the United States for the US premiere of his newest play, "Private Fears in Public Places", joins the hosts of "Downstage Center" to talk about how he approaches bein...
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Cherry Jones (#56) June, 2005 from 2005-07-19T18:00
Yet another Tony Award winner (Best Performance by an Actress in a Play, "The Heiress") who is nominated again this year (Best Performance by an Actress in a Play, "Doubt"), Cherry Jones, talks wit...
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Victoria Clark (#55) May, 2005 from 2005-07-19T18:00
The Tony Award nominee (Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, "The Light in the Piazza") Victoria Clark, describes the trip that she took with "A Light In The Piazza" from a small wor...
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Sutton Foster (#54) May, 2005 from 2005-07-19T18:00
The Tony Award winning actress (Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, "Thoroughly Modern Millie") and current nominee (same category, "Little Women"), Sutton Foster, talks about many ...
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Tim Curry (#53) May, 2005 from 2005-07-19T18:00
Tony Award nominated actor (Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, "Spamalot"), Tim Curry, discusses his wide-ranging career; from "Hair" on the West End to King Arthur in "Spamalot" on ...
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Barbara Cook (#52) May, 2005 from 2005-07-19T18:00
This week Barbara Cook (currently in "Tribute" at the Cafe Carlyle), visits "Downstage Center" to talk about her five decade career - from intimate cabarets to the Broadway stage; the people she ha...
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Leslie Uggams (#51) April, 2005 from 2005-07-19T18:00
New blog offering Downstage Center podcasts. The American Theatre Wing, in association with XM Satellite Radio, presents "Downstage Center" a weekly theatrical interview show, featuring the top art...
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