Closing Night

One of the most enduring and iconic tales of the Christmas season comes from famed British writer Charles Dickens. His 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol, would become his most famous work, and the character of Scrooge is part of our lexicon now, being synonymous with someone who doesn’t enjoy the holidays. With many so stage and screen adaptations of this story, it surprised me to find out that its first appearance on Broadway wasn’t until 1981—a musical by Michael Legrand and Sheldon Harnick. Famed British actor and Star Trek captain, Patrick Stewart, would bring a one-man version of the Dickens classic to Broadway four different times at four different theaters, with the last time being in 2001 at the Marquis Theater. Follow on Instagram and listen to Closing Night on your favorite podcast app. --- Closing Night is a production of WINMI Media with Patrick Oliver Jones as host and executive producer. Dan Delgado is the editor and co-producer, not only for this podcast but also for his own movie podcast called The Industry. Maria Clara Ribeiro is co-producer. Click here to find the transcript for this episode and a full list of links and resources used. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In January 1952, playwright Arthur Miller sat across from his closest collaborator, director Elia Kazan, and watched their partnership fall apart. Kazan had just agreed to name names before the House Un-American Activities Committee, and Miller cut off all contact with him. Out of that betrayal came The Crucible, a play about the Salem witch trials that Miller wrote as a direct answer to the fear gripping his own country. But bringing it to the stage of the Martin Beck Theatre would test him almost as much as the trials themselves. And then there was director Jed Harris, one of Broadway's most brilliant but feared men, whose volatile temper and staging choices nearly derailed the production before it ever opened, which was its own disaster. Critics were divided, audiences were stunned, and Miller himself could barely watch. The play closed within seven months, seemingly destined to become a footnote in Miller's career. But then, Arthur Miller's own life became as dramatic as the one he put on paper., and eventually The Crucible would become one of the most performed plays in American history. Senator Joe episode, Season 2 (listen on podcast apps) Orpheus Descending episode, Season 3 (starring Maureen Stapleton) Andrew Angus Dalrymple - ‘Act Two Is Spattered With Ted's Tears’ (NY Times) Transcript with photos, videos, and a list of sources used --- Produced by Patrick Oliver Jones and WINMI Media with Dan Delgado as co-producer and editor. Theme music created by Blake Stadnik. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before she became known as the Queen of Country Music, beloved by young and old alike, Dolly Parton was a barefoot kid from a two-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains, singing along to her mother's old ballads. With her passing on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80, we're revisiting one of the most joyful chapters of her remarkable career: turning one of her biggest hits, "9 to 5," into a Tony-nominated musical. This episode is taken from our first season, now with a new introduction, new soundbites, enhanced audio, and some final thoughts honoring Dolly's legacy and her influence on us all, especially on Broadway. We trace the show's journey from Jane Fonda's idea for a workplace revenge comedy to one of the most iconic movies of the 1980s, and finally to the stage. It's a story worth remembering: how Dolly carried her own voice, and her own songs, all the way to Broadway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What began as research for an episode on Cabin in the Sky quickly expanded into a much larger story about the Black artists who transformed Broadway long before that musical ever opened. Along the way, it was linguist, author, commentator, and Columbia University professor John McWhorter who put these past events in a more contemporary perspective. His writings and insights on language, race, and American culture shed new light on this remarkable era. And so in this companion episode, John and I go beyond Cabin in the Sky to explore the rise of Black musical theater through the groundbreaking work of artists like Will Marion Cook, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Eubie Blake, Langston Hughes, Ethel Waters, and Katherine Dunham. No snippets or soundbits here, this is the full conversation. We discuss the complicated legacy of productions such as Porgy and Bess, the creative tension between Black performers and white producers, and how these artists reshaped Broadway while navigating an industry that rarely gave them creative control. We even get into his own project of saving a forgotten musical by jazz musician Fats Waller. Whether you've already listened to the Cabin in the Sky episode or simply want a deeper understanding of this pivotal period in American theater history, our conversation offers more historical context, cultural perspective, and fascinating stories that reveal how Black artists fundamentally changed Broadway. --- Follow John McWhorter: Website | NY Times | X/Twitter Check out his upcoming book: Broadway in Black and White Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1940, Martin Beck took a risk. At 71 years old, after financial setbacks and personal betrayal, the Broadway impresario invested his own money into Cabin in the Sky—an ambitious new musical featuring an all-Black cast at a time when opportunities for Black performers on Broadway were severely limited. Starring Ethel Waters and featuring the choreography of George Balanchine, Cabin in the Sky was billed as a “parable of Southern Negro Life” and became the final production Martin Beck ever brought to his namesake theater. But to understand why this musical mattered, we have to look back at the artists who paved the way—from Will Marion Cook and the groundbreaking Shuffle Along to Langston Hughes, Ethel Waters, and the generations of performers who challenged Broadway’s expectations. With linguist and writer John McWhorter, this episode explores the complicated legacy of Cabin in the Sky—a show shaped by ambition, limitations, stereotypes, and the undeniable impact of Black artists on American musical theater. Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a transcript with photos, videos, and a list of all resources used. Produced by Patrick Oliver Jones and WINMI Media with Dan Delgado as co-producer and editor. Theme music created by Blake Stadnik. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices