Emanuel Azenberg Guest Stars on American Theatre Wings' 'Downstage Center;' Now Available Via Podcast

The American Theatre Wing has announced that Producer Emanuel Azenberg is the next guest on their popular interview show, "Downstage Center." Hosted by American Theatre Wing Executive Director Howard Sherman, "Downstage Center" features weekly in-depth interviews with the leading artists and professionals working on stage today. Azenberg's interview is available online and as a podcast through iTunes or an RSS feed. Click http://americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter to listen or subscribe.

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 being revised for the tandem run, and why he thinks they'll make audiences think of these plays -- and Neil Simon himself -- in a whole new way. He also discusses how he began his career as part of a group of softball and poker playing buddies that included Robert Redford, James and William Goldman, and on occasion Carl Reiner; how he came to be Neil Simon's exclusive producer on every play since 1972's The Sunshine Boys; how's he's handled the challenge of dealing with shows that haven't succeeded, including Fools, Division Street and Einstein and the Polar Bear; why he has dared to produce the supposedly cursed "Scottish Play" on Broadway not just once, but twice; what he sought to impart to his students at Yale and later Duke University about theatre over some 25 years and how he feels that students have changed over that time; shows he's done for love and shows he's done for money; what has drawn him to be involved in the upcoming revival of Ragtime; and why he thinks the much-admired Side Show didn't succeed on Broadway, and possibly never will.

Azenberg boasts seventy-one productions on Broadway including: The Lion in Winter, Mark Twain Tonight, Ain't Misbehavin', Children of a Lesser God, Master Harold...and the boys, Stoppard's The Real Thing, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Sunday in the Park With George, Whoopi Goldberg, Long Day's Journey into Night, Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Side Show, The Iceman Cometh, Stones in His Pockets, Private Lives and Movin' Out. He has produced Neil Simon's work since 1972, including The Odd Couple,The Sunshine Boys, Chapter Two, They're Playing Our Song, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, Broadway Bound, Lost in Yonkers. Those productions have received 134 Tony Award nominations and won 41 Tony Awards. Film: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Sunday in the Park With George, Master Harold...and the boys, Broadway Bound. Professor at Duke University since 1985.

The American Theatre Wing (Theodore S. Chapin, Chairman of the Board of Directors; Howard Sherman, Executive Director) is best known as the creator of the Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards®, which it presents annually with The Broadway League. In addition to "Downstage Center," The Wing sponsors many activities, all dedicated to recognizing excellence and supporting education in theatre. These programs include "Working in the Theatre," a weekly television program on CUNY TV which gathers panels of theater artists to discuss their crafts; "Guides to Careers in the Theatre," a video series developed for schools and libraries; a grants program for New York City not-for-profit theatre companies, which has awarded nearly $3 million since its inception; the Theatre Intern Group, a career development program for young professionals; SpringboardNYC, a two-week college-to-career boot camp for young performers moving to NYC; and the Jonathan Larson® Grants, given annually to honor emerging composers, lyricists and book writers. Visitors to americantheatrewing.org can listen to archive episodes of "Downstage Center," all as free, on-demand streaming audio and podcast and can view or download an archive of "Working in the Theatre" episodes.

For additional information about "Downstage Center" and all American Theatre Wing programs, go to americantheatrewing.org. You can also find the American Theatre Wing on Twitter (www.twitter.com/TheWing).