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Musical Theatre Radio presents "Be Our Guest"

Musical Theatre Radio presents "Be Our Guest"
Author: Jean Paul Yovanoff
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© Jean Paul Yovanoff
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A mystery guest or guests joins Jean-Paul Yovanoff to share their love of musical theatre. Some one famous or just a lover of showtunes, you never know who's going to be on the air each week.
Produced in conjunction with the internet radio station www.musicaltheatreradio.com
Produced in conjunction with the internet radio station www.musicaltheatreradio.com
417 Episodes
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Romero + JulietThe Cutting Room44 E 32nd St, New York, NY 10016, USATicket InfoA cast of Broadway names and up and coming talent will be taking the Cutting Room stage for the New York City concert premiere of the new zombie rock musical ROMERO & JULIET.Yup. Zombies! Shakespeare! 80s inspired music!It’s September, Friday the 13th, 1985. Zombies are trying to go mainstream and find acceptance. They despise the filmmaker George Romero for revealing their existence. Public sentiment is running high against Zombies.When Regional Guardsman Romero George (a distant relative of the filmmaker) meets Juliet (a Zombie) at a music festival called Deadstock, what could possibly go wrong?Starring as the star-crossed lovers are Chad Marge as Romero and Delilah Jane Dunn as Juliet.Tony nominee Steven Skybell (CABARET, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, WICKED, Yiddish FIDDLER) will be one of several Broadway vets joining them. Also in the cast are Caren Lyn Manuel (Tackett,) whose Broadway credits include RENT, HAIR, BROOKLYN and HIGH FIDELITY; Robert DuSold (LES MIS, JEKYLL & HYDE, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN;) Natalie Joy Johnson (LEMPICKA, LEGALLY BLONDE, KINKY BOOTS;) and Chani Maisonet (SIX National tour, Off Broadway LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, TITANIQUE.) Rounding out the principal cast are Tristan Smith, Max Suwarno, and Vince Tresco. The cast also includes Tyler Evick, Sharon Lita, Andrew McNamara, Emily Lynne Miller, Ray Robinson, and Ava Tyson as the Vocal Majority.This new musical blends Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, ROMEO & JULIET with elements of the horror classic “Night of the Living Dead,” and features an all new 80s score inspired by Madonna, Bon Jovi, Heart, Laura Brannigan, George Michael, Boy George, Blondie and more. The show features book and lyrics by Scott Logsdon and music by Aaron Gandy, the creators of THE CRINOLYNNS.
Michael Finke is a New York based musical theater writer. He’s written the book, music, and lyrics for full-length musicals such as Reporting Live, Caroline and George, Surrounded By the Water, and Powerline Road which recently completed a developmental Off-Broadway production at the A.R.T./New York Gural Theater. His work has been developed at regional theatres across the country including Merrimack Repertory Company (Lowell, MA), New Musicals Inc. (Los Angeles), Musical Theatre Heritage (Kansas City), and OutVisible Theatre (Detroit), as well as collegiate institutions like New York University, Pace University, Long Island University, and Columbia College of Chicago. Other projects include the musical short Dead Flowers, which is licensed by Music Theatre International in both English and Spanish. He also wrote the one-act musical comedy Movies Are Not Dead as well as music and lyrics for the solo musicals Christmas in Afghanistan and A Single Vibration, both of which were commissioned for the Veteran’s Project with New Musicals Inc. Upcoming projects include the Untitled Kansas Project (developed by Theatre Now) and the Broadway-bound 161st Street, written with Andrew David Sotomayor (developed and produced by Holey Shirts Productions). Michael’s had songs and concerts of his work performed at the Lincoln Center Library, Signature Theatre, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in Prague, 54 Below, Joe’s Pub, the Green Room 42, the Laurie Beechman Theatre, and many more. His original Christmas song “Hope is Born” was broadcast nationwide on the Christmas Day telecast on ABC. For the past two decades Michael has been on the artistic staff of Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts, having led over 40 musical theatre writing workshops in Ohio, Florida, New York, Kansas, Nevada, Sweden, and Italy. Michael is a current and original member of the Theatre Now Musical Theatre Writer’s Lab. He’s a winner of the 2015 New Voices Project with Walt Disney Imagineering and New Musicals Inc., a Dramatists Guild Fellowship and Jonathan Larson Grant finalist, a Creative Capital Grant finalist and is a proud member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild.
MOSAIC is a vibrant, London-based vocal ensemble, made up of a collection of 10 singers. Founded in 2023, MOSAIC was born out of a desire to explore a diverse repertoire of music and challenge the conventions of a typical choral performance.From collaborating with emerging composers to workshop and premiere new works, to performing narrative song cycles, our work is rich in creativity and celebrates the varied and exciting landscape of contemporary choral music.
Nietzsche unveils the cast of characters who shaped the life and legacy of the controversial philosopher—Friedrich (“Fritz”) Nietzsche. His mother wanted him to be a pastor. His musical mentor wanted him to defend antisemitism. His sister wanted power. His love interest wanted freedom. And Fritz wanted to love life—all of it. But how? What do you do when you adore people whose values you abhor? The musical unfolds as a series of flashbacks leading to an explosive conclusion: Fritz goes insane; his sister, Elisabeth, allies with the Nazis; and his love, Lou Salomé, vows to honor their bond and write a book that will set the record straight.Book, lyrics, and music by Kimerer LaMotheMusic and orchestrations by Geoffrey Gee
1816 : The Year Without A SummerTrapped indoors by torrential rain, legendary writers Byron, Percy and Mary Shelley and their friends, Polidori and Claire, search for inspiration by the gloomy Lake Geneva. But things fall apart the longer they are stuck together... Polidori’s diary is brought to life in the 1816: The Year Without a Summer musical.Nat Riches + Natasha Atkinson; Co-writers
In 1865, Mary Surratt became the first woman hanged by the United States government. Was she capable of aiding in the murder of a president? Was her conviction a rational legal process, or the result of deception brought on by a public hungry for revenge?The events of her life are dramatized in a surreal montage of sight and sound that questions her role in the Lincoln conspiracy and her relationship with John Wilkes Booth.Tom Swimm - Music, Lyrics & Book
The Turn of the Screw received its world premiere at Creative Cauldron in 2015, as part of the “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages” initiative. This musical adaptation of the Henry James classic ghost story was hailed by critics as “hypnotic and unnerving.” The story follows a governess who takes a position caring for two children on a remote country estate. She soon has eerie encounters...Told through the musical genius of Conner and Smith, Creative Cauldron’s revival of this chilling psychological thriller will keep audiences on the edge of their seats!Music by Matt ConnerLibretto & Lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith
Inspired by historical events surrounding Raquel Liberman, Bordello is the immigrant story of one heroic Polish woman who is forced into prostitution and risks everything to bring an international Jewish sex-trafficking ring to justice. With a musical palette that includes tango and klezmer, this never-been-told-before tale of love and bravery is set in the colorful world of Buenos Aires in 1920.Barbara Bellman - Co-Book and LyricsEmiliano Messiez - MusicJoan Ross Sorkin - Co-Book and Additional Lyrics
Freedom Riders: The Civil Rights Musical dramatizes the story of the 1961 Freedom Rides — a series of integrated bus rides through the American South designed to test and defy segregation laws. Facing violent mobs, unjust arrests, and a federal government slow to intervene, these college-age activists changed the course of American history through nonviolent protest and unwavering resolve. With a dynamic original score that blends gospel, folk, and contemporary musical theatre, the show elevates both the pain and the power of that moment — making it essential viewing for audiences today.Music and Lyrics by Richard Allen and Taran GrayBook by Richard Allen
Set in the basement of a Brooklyn church, SOBER SONGS is a darkly comedic musical that follows six young adults in recovery at a local AA meeting founded by the gruff but loving “Cap.” Blending biting humor, emotional ballads, and sharp dialogue, the show evolves from light and charming to deeply emotional, offering a raw, character-driven, and emotionally authentic look at addiction, love, identity, and the complicated, messy road to sobriety. With heart, heartbreak, and cathartic honesty, SOBER SONGS offers a deeply human—and at times hilarious—glimpse into recovery culture.
Lalit Sritara is the first Thai wordsperson in the NYU Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program and a recipient of the Horace W. Goldsmith Fellowship, the Summer Song Theater Festival Artist Development Grant, the TYA/USA Festival and Conference Access for All Support Grant and the Maestra Musical Writers Festival Scholarship.Born in Bangkok, emotionally raised by musicals and softly indoctrinated in England, she writes songs that turn real life into musical theatre (because it should be), made for whimsical souls with too many feelings who need to giggle through the mess. She has a soft spot for psychological adventures.She and Taylor Wendell Lozano recently released "Feral," a theatre-pop song sung by a princess and a feral creature. Based on a true story, the song is full of chaos, cheekiness and unresolved trust issues. Is it about a man-child or an actual animal? You decide! The song has been added to Musical Theatre Radio's rotation and featured on Earmilk. You can find this and her other works on Instagram, YouTube and Spotify. 🙂Her works have been featured at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, MTF Summer Roundtable Concert (Musical Theatre Factory), the Cutting Room, the Musical Writers Festival, the Summer Song Theater Festival, Songwriters Night in NYC (Society of Composers & Lyricists), Ourboroughs (ACN NYC), Bangkok Theatre Festival, Bangkok Design Week, Samyan Mitrtown, TIMELINE the Musical, BANGKOKIAN: A Concept Musical (FahFun Production), BREAKOUT: a Family Drama Zoomsical (New Musicals Inc) and more. She co-wrote the book for a Rachadalai musical, Thailand’s largest theatrical production company, and wrote lyrics for an LA-based musical film, a semi-finalist in Sundance’s Development Track.Taylor Wendell Lozano is an actor, composer, playwright, and lyricist based in Jersey City, New Jersey invested in bringing science fiction into staged theatrical spaces while unconventional family dynamics and mental health issues. Taylor holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and an MFA in Musical Theater Composition from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Musical Theatre Playwriting Program. He is also a trained singer, has been in over 40 staged plays and musicals, and has both stage managed and designed throughout his career. From his teens to late 20s, Taylor was heavily involved in community theater in his hometown of Bakersfield, CA. It was there he practiced standup, which led to his original one man comedy show, “Taylor Lozano Showcases His Self.”In 2023, Taylor was a winner of the KCATCF Region VIII 10 minute playwriting competition for his one act, "Horizons." His musical, "Andy, the Creator" was mounted by his classmates at the Cal Poly Theatre and Dance department in May of 2023, and has a staged development at the Empty Space Theatre in Bakersfield, CA, slated for August of this year. In February 2024, a puppetry one act (co-written by Tia Deshazor and Susan Li, with music by Taylor), was presented at the African Grove Theatre in Manhattan, New York, as was a standalone musical piece “Gravity” (book and lyrics by Maiga Vidal) was also presented a year later. His one act musical, "The Giant Child," was performed at Frigid Theatre NYC in October. In April of 2025, he was involved as a composer for the piece, “Can You Let Go?” at Montclair State as a part of Opera On Tap (with Harrison Lee as Lyricist), in collaboration with the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU Tisch. Selections from Taylor’s original score for "Humanity the Musical", was featured at the Cutting Room in Manhattan, New York in May 2025, with a table reading of the show in the same month. His original albums, "Let's Be Human" and "Doody on the Dance Floor" can be found on Spotify and Apple Music.
The Sustain is an intimate musical about love, sex and connection in a senior living facility told through an indie rock score and interwoven stories of its elderly residents, the staff who takes care of them, and the lives they leave behind outside as they start a new chapter in this Encores!-style concert staging.
Jon Bruschke is a former college debate coach turned musical theatre obsessive. What makes his perspective unique is how he approaches a show, like a debate topic.Every week for over a decade, Jon had to prep 150–200 page files analyzing complex political, legal, and economic issues from every angle, then coach students to defend or refute them in high-stakes national tournaments. Now, he’s applying that same analytical rigor to musicals.He covers topics like: Unpacking the French Revolution in Les MisérablesTracing the roots of Cats back to T.S. Eliot and post-war surrealismComparing Chicago to real legal publicity casesExamining the Cold War backdrop of Chess through the lens of the Nixon–JFK debatesJon’s approach goes deep, blending history, politics, pop culture, and production backstories. It’s like listening to a theatre professor and a political analyst in the same conversation, except it's all in plain English and 100% enthusiastic. musicals we all love.
What do you get when you cross the LP Swing Orchestra with Gary Williams, Julia Sullivan and Joe Stilgoe? An absolutely jam-packed, and unmissable afternoon of swinging Broadway classics, that's what! Join us at the very lovely Cadogan Hall on Sunday 7th September 3pm and spend a glorious afternoon in the company of Joe Stilgoe, Gary Williams and Julia Sullivan as they 'Razzle Dazzle' you with hits from Chicago, Cabaret, West Side Story, Top Hat, Anything Goes and Showboat.With iconic tunes from the world of musical theatre and classic arrangements from Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Ted Heath and Benny Goodman, alongside our own specially commissioned arrangements, you know you are in for an afternoon of LP Swing Orchestra magic!
Little Women follows the adventures of sisters, Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March. Jo is trying to sell her stories for publication, but the publishers are not interested - her friend, Professor Bhaer, tells her that she has to do better and write more from herself. Begrudgingly taking this advice, Jo weaves the story of herself and her sisters and their experience growing up in Civil War America.Starcatcher Productions is a non-profit community theatre company aimed at promoting English dramatic arts within the Kahnawá:ke, Chateauguay and Montréal communities. We ensure that our productions, volunteer work, and outreach events can be accessed by everyone regardless of artistic experience, training, or background.
Double Olivier-Nominated actress, Marisha Wallace hails from North Carolina, USA where her love of singing began in her local church with her family. She made her Broadway debut in Aladdin directed by Casey Nicholaw and, following that, went into the Original Broadway Cast of Something Rotten. A last-minute request to go to London to take over the role of Effie White in Dreamgirls in the West End, a role she was only supposed to do for three weeks, turned into eight years in the role!Marisha went onto star in the Original West End Cast of Waitress playing Becky and the revival of Hairspray at the Coliseum playing Motormouth Maybelle. Her formidable performances led to Director Daniel Fish asking her to play Ado Annie in his ground-breaking production of Oklahoma! at the Young Vic Theatre, for which she was nominated for the WhatsOnStage, Evening Standard and Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. It was quickly followed by another smash-hit revival, Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre directed by Sir Nicholas Hytner, for which she was nominated for the WhatsOnStage, Evening Standard and Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.On screen Marisha has appeared in the most recent series of Feel Good and Jingle Jangle for Netflix, Almost Never on CBBC, and Aladdin for Disney. Alongside her acting career, she is an international singer-songwriter. She frequently collaborates on new music with songwriting legends Toby Gad (Beyoncé, John Legend) and Steve Anderson (Kylie Minogue). Last year Marisha performed live for HRH King Charles and Queen Camilla on two occasions, as well as at the D-Day at 80 on the BBC, the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall on ITV1, and on Dancing On Ice.Marisha’s performance as ‘Sally Bowles’ in Rebecca Frecknall’s production of Cabaret in the West End, received critical acclaim.
Twelve Maids takes you behind-the-scenes of life in Ithaca during Odysseus’s journey in The Odyssey, from the never-before-heard point of view of a palace maid. Often silenced or glossed over, Penelope’s maids are given a voice for the very first time in this dynamic new musical. Our stellar cast will transport you to Bronze Age Greece, where love, loyalty, and laughs await. Featuring breathtaking ballads, dazzling duets, and electric ensemble numbers, Twelve Maids is sure to excite lovers of myth and musical theater alike.
Exorcistic is a self-aware parody that creates a chaotic, over-the-top rock musical. This original work promises to deliver a thrilling combination of horror and hilarity, accompanied by some of the most powerhouse rock tunes.In true Rock and Roll fashion, Exorcistic features a rotating cast of Celebrity Guests each week, creating an incentive for audiences to return again and again. This unique aspect sets the musical apart in the crowded horror-comedy genre, promising fresh surprises at every performance. The storyline follows a theater company planning to put on a parody of “the exorcist”. The exorcist? “Because it will sell!” a direct quote from the writer!The audience will follow this theater company from stage reading to Broadway as their quest for fame and money supersedes their art and humanity, ensuring that their lead actress, Emma Hunton, becomes actually possessed in the process.With iconic imagery and an explosive live band, the show comes to life with energy and flair that will keep audiences captivated from start to finish by a sensational theatrical experience that not only pays homage to the classic film but reimagines it in a truly electrifying way.
Echolocation is a road trip musical in the dark. A teenage love story without a map. Echolocation is a musical performed in pitch blackness.Ethan and Sadie are best friends, but they have little else in common. He’s serious, she’s goofy. He works after-school jobs, she has a rooftop hot tub. He’s sighted, and she’s completely blind. One thing they share is that they’re totally sick of life in safe, suburban Las Vegas. And so, to enjoy a last gasp of freedom before their SAT scores come back, they lie to their parents and set off on a secret road trip up to Yellowstone National Park – going on some unexpected misadventures along the way. Featuring skinny-dipping, wacky science, an environmentalist twist and a fizzing score, Echolocation is a podcast musical about Gen Z friendship, love, and disability. Eliza Randall is a composer, pianist, and music director from Boulder City, NV, currently based in New York City. She began playing the piano and composing music when she was six years old and has been hooked ever since!Her short musical THE YELLOW WALLPAPER, written with Sam Norman, was a finalist for the Mazumdar Short Play Prize and has been performed all over the country by Harp Theatricals, Irvington Theatre, Alleyway Theatre, and Blank Conversations. Her new musical THE DEBUTANTES was recently workshopped and performed at the 2022 Leeds Conservatoire Musical Workshop. Eliza's various other stand-alone compositions have been showcased at the Broadway Future Songbook at Lincoln Center, the Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre off-Broadway, and the Hackney Empire (nominated for the 2021 Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Prize). As a music director, Eliza especially loves directing new works, and most recently she has been MD/Keys 1 for multiple shows at Pace University, NYU's New Studio on Broadway, Dixon Place, the Scranton Fringe, and the Two Rivers Theatre with Joe Iconis and Sara Schlesinger. Education: BM in Piano Performance from BYU, MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU Tisch.Hi, I’m Sam — an award-winning (but more often award-losing) rhymester who bounces between the UK and US.I mostly write lyrics and libretti for musicals and operas. Sometimes I write screenplays and light verse.Recently… Echolocation (winner of the 2025 MTI Stiles & Drewe Mentorship Award), The Shadow, Come Dine With Me: The Musical.You might have seen my work produced and/or developed off-West End, off-Broadway and regionally, at venues including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Turbine Theatre, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, and the Edinburgh Fringe.I’m currently a Resident Artist at the American Lyric Theater. In the past I’ve been a Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriter, an American Opera Initiative Fellow, a winner of the Stephen Spender Prize for Poetry in Translation, a Lincoln Center Broadway Future Songbook writer and a three-time finalist for the Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Prize. I’m a proud member of Mercury Musical Developments, the BMI Musical Theatre Librettists Workshop and the Dramatists Guild.
Beyond Perfection is Be More Chill meets Urinetown, it is an original story so timely, we’ve been warned to stop writing before more of it becomes true. Ryan and his wife Kate are the flawless faces of Perfection LLC’s government-run marriage program: an algorithmically crafted romance, broadcast for all to see. Their love is scripted, their happiness engineered…until a glitch breaks the illusion. As Ryan spirals, he stumbles into the No-See-Ums encampment, a hidden rebel society in Central Park where outcasts unveil a world: unscripted. Boisterous, funny, and surprising, Beyond Perfection is a zany dystopian musical adventure perfect for our current age.Kenady Sean (lyricist, composer, bookwriter and producer)Kenadyis currently working on three musical projects other than The Scarlet Letter Musical. The Birthmark was recently featured in Theatre Now’s Soundbites Festival. We Can Do It! was an award-winning festival participant of the 2023 National Women’s Theatre Festival. The Scarlet Letter Musical was a SheNYC Festival semi-finalist in 2022 and a Moxie Incubator Finalist in 2023. Beyond Perfection and The Scarlet Letter Musical have both had a workshop produced by or in conjunction with The Table Co/lab, now SheDFW. Kenady graduated with an MBA and a BS in Music Business from Dallas Baptist University where she received the Texas Business Hall of Fame Scholarship. She currently is the regional moderator of Texas for Maestra Music, and hopes to improve gender parity in the musical theatre business. She is also a member of Theatre Resource Unlimited’s Producer Mentor Program.Kaylee Killingsworth (bookwriter, and lyricist)Kaylee Killingsworth is a playwright, librettist, teacher and performer. She holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theatre focused on Theatre Studies from UT Arlington. Recent productions include: “The Birthmark” via Theatre Now New York’s SOUNDBITES festival, “The One Who Drew Cats” via Ugly Radio Podcast, “Beyond Perfection (Now titled A Brave New York)” Developmental workshop via SheDFW, “Secular” via The Guinea Pig Festival. Kaylee is currently working as a Librettist for the musical “A Brave New York”. In addition to teaching and writing, Kaylee works at the intersection of holistic therapy and theater as a medical clown with The Laughter League. Her original clown character Dr. Hashtag is a cast member of Telly-Award winning show, On The Nose. In her collegiate career she contributed research to the Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference at Collin College. At UTA, Kaylee contributed to the University’s 2016