Broadway Podcast Network Debuts THE DRAMA BOOK SHOW! Podcast

The Broadway Podcast Network has announced the debut of The Drama Book Show!, a gateway to the world of theater. Each episode is recorded before a live audience at the Drama Book Shop.

Hosts Mark-Eugene Garcia and David Rigano, both seasoned playwrights and close friends, engage in dynamic interviews with a diverse array of guests spanning from Broadway to Off-Broadway and even Off Off-Broadway. 

Episodes air weekly, with the latest episode celebrating Women's History Month and leading ladies on Broadway with a two-part feature starring Kelli O'Hara, Tonya Pinkins, Mary Beth Piel, and Faith Prince.

“At the Drama Book Shop, our team, authors, and guests share a love for theater and love to talk about it. Our in-store events have been a wonderful opportunity to create vibrant dialogues within this theater community,” Mark-Eugene said. “The enthusiasm surrounding these events over the past few years has inspired us to partner with the Broadway Podcast Network to help extend the event beyond our physical space, ensuring that all guests, regardless of location, can partake in the theatrical discourse.”

Previous guests and moderators include Rick Pender, Matthew Mclachlan with a performance from David Zayas, Joe Trazc and Rob Rokicki, Bernie Ardia, and Patrick Page with Elma Linz Kanefield. Upcoming guests and moderators this season include Charles Busch, Cynthia Santos DeCure and Micha Espinosa, Kelly Cervantes and Miguel Cervantes, Joe Iconis, Emily Mann and Alexis Greene, Nora Brigid Monahan, Alexander Sage Oyen and Charles Kirsh, Theresa Rebeck, Carol Rocamora, Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz, Julian Schossberg and Susan Stroman, and Robert Viagas.

About the Hosts

Mark-Eugene Garcia, is a Mexican/Honduran playwright and member of the Dramatists Guild. He graduated from the City College of New York and studied libretto and lyric writing with the Academy of New Musical Theatre and the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. Some of his productions include Eight Tales of Pedro (Queens Theatre, Secret Theatre), Standby (NYC Fringe, Fringe Encores, NYMF), Shining in Misery: A King-Size Parody (Capital City Theatre, 54 Below) The Holy Cows of Credence South Dakota, Facing East: A New Musical, and (Un)missed Connections. Other works include With Bated Breath, and What Friends Are For. His plays are published with Theatrical Rights Worldwide and Next Stage Press and can be found at the Drama Book Shop. Some of his achievements include the 2021 Jerry Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Musical Theatre, the 2018 UnFringed Festival Best of Festival Award, a 2016 Vancouver Ovation Award nomination, a 2013 Planet Connections Outstanding Book of a New Musical nomination, and the 2012 Jacob Weiser Playwriting Award for a Fully Realized Drama. His song, Hold Tight, written with Jaime Lozano and performed by Grammy Nominee Raul Midon, is part of the Songs by an Immigrant album and was called “heartbreaking” by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who contributed to the liner notes. He is also known for reliving his high school theater production of Into the Woods on ABC TV's reality show Encore! hosted by Kristen Bell. 

David Rigano is an award-winning musical theater writer and director. With his brother and collaborator Paul Rigano, he has written book, music, and lyrics to You Heard It Here (NY Winterfest 2017 Award for Best Score), We Were Wild, Get the Duchess, and Awaken: a Sleeping Beauty musical. Together they also wrote the score for The Holy Cows of Credence South Dakota with book writer Mark-Eugene Garcia and created the long running Ides of March Extravaganza. David and Paul were awarded a 2018 Town Stages Fellowship to produce their musical talk show "Broadway On Deck," and their 2020 music video, “Screen to Screen,” won the Rave Theatre Social Distancing Festival. David's plays include Life Lessons with Susan Gail, What We Deserve, Not the Same Old Story, and Opposite Attraction. As a director David has helmed new musicals through workshops and initial productions, such as Nutcracker! the Musical, Wild Women of Planet Wongo, All Star: the Best Broadway Musical, and his own award-winning You Heard It Here. When not directing or writing, David can be found cooking and binging murder mysteries with his cat. 

To listen to The Drama Book Show!, visit bpn.fm/DramaBookShow or wherever you get your podcasts.