Theater Talk - Page 2

Director Julie Taymor joins Susan Haskins-Doloff and guest co-host Donna Hanover of Arts in the City to look back at creating her masterpiece of musical theater, The Lion King (the most lucrative production in history), and reflect on how she herself responds to the work now, 20 years after it opened. The three are then joined by writer David Henry Hwang to discuss Taymor's new production of Hwang's Tony Award-winning play, M. Butterfly, which he has significantly rewritten for this Broadway revival. Also on the show, Jelani Remy, now playing the adult Simba in the The Lion King on Broadway, performs Endless Night, a song from the show with lyrics by Taymor.

'Tiny Beautiful Things' writer/actor Nia Vardalos and co-conceiver Marshall Heyman discuss their theatrical adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's bestselling book, with co-hosts Susan Haskins and Tony-winning playwright Warren Leight. Next, Scott Alan Evans, executive artistic director of The Actors Company Theatre (TACT), Trustee at The No l Coward Foundation Geoffrey Johnson, and actress Kristine Nielsen discuss the never-produced No l Coward play 'Salute to the Brave,' with co-hosts Susan Haskins and Donna Hanover.

This episode of Theater Talk focuses on the world premiere of No l Coward's SALUTE TO THE BRAVE at The TACT Theatre Company. The guests are The Actor's Company Theatre's Executive Director, Scott Alan Evans who is directing and producing the play; Geoffrey Johnson, a former colleague of Coward's and now a Trustee of the No l Coward Foundation; and actor Kristine Nielsen, who appears in the production, as well as in the recent Broadway revival of Coward's PRESENT LAUGHTER.

Cabaret favorites Murray Hill, Bridget Everett with producer Daniel Nardicio of Club Cumming talk about developing and bringing their style of entertainment to audiences in NYC, as well as around the world, as they prepare for Musto Duets Deux, a benefit for Gays Against Guns starring guest co-host Michael Musto at the popular new hot spot that Nardicio owns with actor Alan Cumming.

In this episode of THEATER TALK, preview the 2017 fall theater season with Michael Musto (NewNowNext.com), Patrick Pacheco (L.A. Times), Elisabeth Vincentelli (The New York Times, The New Yorker, Newsday), guest co-host Jesse Green (The New York Times) and executive producer/co-host Susan Haskins-Doloff. The productions they discuss include 'SpongeBob SquarePants,' 'The Band's Visit,' 'Once on this Island,' 'M. Butterfly,' Junk,' 'Meteor Shower,' 'The Parisian Woman,' 'Farinelli and the King, John Leguizamo's Latin History For Morons, Time and the Conways, Torch Song, The Wolves, Oedipus el Rey and more.

In this episode of THEATER TALK, the late Thomas Meehan (1929-2017) and Gary Beach chat about THE PRODUCERS (taped in 2001).

In this episode of THEATER TALK, Barbara Cook (1927-2017) discusses her break-out starring role as Marian, the Librarian, in the original 1957 Broadway production of THE MUSIC MAN (taped April 21, 2000).

This week on Theater Talk, artist/illustrator Ken Fallin. Fallin discusses how he went from being a young aspiring actor to one of the most sought after caricaturists working today with celebrity caricatures appearing in many periodicals including The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker and BroadwayWorld.com. He also shows us a number of his best works, including some wonderful new drawings of the 2017 Broadway season.

This week THEATER TALK presents the Season's-End Critics panel - with Peter Marks of The Washington Post, Terry Teachout of THE WALL Street Journal, Elisabeth Vincentelli of The New York Times & The New Yorker, and Linda Winer of Newsday - discussing the notable plays of Spring 2017 on Broadway. Then, Tony winner Joel Grey joins co-hosts Michael Riedel of the New York Post and Susan Haskins to talk about his revealing memoir, 'Master of Ceremonies' (Flatiron Books). The episode also features a surprise Michael Musto Roast featurette.

This week Theater Talk focuses on on 'Sweat,' Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning/TONY-nominated play about the lives of factory workers in Reading, Pennsylvania as their lives are devastated by dehumanizing corporate decisions, following the enactment of NAFTA. Guests include playwright Nottage, the play's director Kate Whoriskey and two members of its company, TONY-nominated actors Johanna Day and Michelle Wilson.

This week Theater Talk focuses on the TONY-nominated play A Doll's House, Part 2 in a conversation with playwright Lucas Hnath along with its TONY-nominated lead actors Laurie Metcalf and Chris Cooper. The play picks up 15 years after the end of the classic Ibsen drama A Doll's House. Nora returns to the home she once shared with Torvald and events take an unexpected turn, in a theatrical work that also surprises audiences in both its style and tone.

This week Theater Talk welcomes back two all-time favorite guests, composer/lyricist Marc Shaiman and lyricist Scott Wittman whose new show Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has just opened on Broadway. Along with them was Tony-winning director Jack O'Brien, making his first appearance on our show. The trio whose collaboration on Hairspray won them all Tony Awards and massive acclaim in 2002, have returned to Broadway with this stage adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic 1964 children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The musical also includes an infusion of some key songs from the 1971 film of the story, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In addition to some snappy conversation between them, Shaiman performs several of his compositions for the new show and a delightful time is had by all.

This week's guests include Oslo playwright J.T. Rogers, director Bartlett Sher, and actors Jennifer Ehle and Jefferson Mays, who portray real-life Norwegian diplomats Mona Juul and Terje Rod-Larsen. All the members of our panel are 2017 Tony nominees for Oslo, which received a total of 7 Tony Award nominations.

Dear Evan Hansen's composer/lyricists Justin Paul and Benj Pasek, along with librettist Steven Levenson, join Susan Haskins and guest co-host Jesse Green around Theater Talk's grand piano to discuss and perform key songs from their blockbuster new show, now on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre.