The Playbill Podcast: A Show on Broadway

The musical "Death Becomes Her" has become a Broadway mainstay, thrilling packed houses each night and building an impressive audience. For those of you who haven’t seen it, you may have heard a clip of it before, especially if you have a TikTok, as a sound from the song "Hit Me" has gone viral, heard by millions ("That. Was. Rude....").Broadway star Jennifer Simard plays Helen Shaw, the friend/rival of Madeline Ashton, the over-the-hill stage and screen actress played by Broadway powerhouse Megan Hilty. They both have eyes for fame, acclaim, and love interest Ernest, played by Christopher Sieber. Both women attempt to stay forever young thanks to the magic provided by Viola Van Horn (Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child). This, of course, has its unintended consequences. In this episode, host Alex Birsh talks with a theatre friend who’s seen the show, and they’ll go into why "Death Becomes Her" might be for you if you’re heading to Broadway. Following the interview, Alex brings on stars Jennifer Simard and Christopher Sieber, who go into everything it took to create this show and what it's like to put it on night after night. 00:23 -- Sneak peek of Death Becomes Her02:27 -- Interview with theatre friend Diep Tran, Editor-In-Chief of Playbill11:35 -- Interview with Jennifer Simard and Christopher Sieber Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Playbill Podcast, host Alex Birsh talks with "Roastmaster General" Jeff Ross about his new solo show, Take a Banana for the Ride. On Broadway through the end of September. Ross shines the spotlight on himself and his journey, which includes his upbringing in New Jersey and even his bouts with multiple conditions and illnesses, including alopecia. Birsh and Ross chatted on the rooftop of the Hard Rock Hotel in Times Square before Jeff's press day got fully underway. They discussed what it means to Jeff to make it to Broadway, what he’s most looking forward to, what he thinks opening night is going to be like, and how he’ll be thinking often of his good friends and family who will be with him in person and spirit, such as his late friends Gilbert Gottfried, Norm Macdonald, and Bob Saget.For tickets and more information, visit jeffrossbroadway.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We here at Playbill hope you are having a great summer. It was a whirlwind, wonderful season on Broadway, capped by the Tony Awards in early June. We have slowed down a bit on podcast episode production to take a little break to catch our breath, but fear not -- we will be back with more Broadway show-focused Playbill Podcast episodes later this summer.This episode is a special one, focused on a 2025 Tony Award winner: the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis, more commonly known as The MUNY, which received the Regional Theatre Tony Award as it celebrates its 107th season. It is the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater venue, seating a whopping 11,000 at a time, which helps the theater give away 100,000 free seats each season. But even more impressive is just how wild it is to put on a show there, where they need to make a high-quality, larger-than-life version of a Broadway show in only a matter of days.In this episode, I talk with the creative director of the MUNY, Mike Isaacson, as well as husband and wife actor duo Rob McClure and Maggie Lakis, who are set to play stage married couple Larry and Cynthia Murphy in the MUNY’s Dear Evan Hansen. We talk about the magic of the Muny, what it’s like to put on a show so quickly, and how Dear Evan Hansen is a perfect story for today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi Playbill Podcast listeners! We make a lot of content here at Playbill: for the Playbill programs, our website, and our social media/YouTube pages. While we’re working on future podcast episodes to be released later this summer, we thought you’d enjoy an audio version of an episode from My Life in the Theatre, our video series where a theatre legend walks us through their career on the stage, one Playbill at a time. This episode is our most recent, featuring the star of Just In Time on Broadway, Jonathan Groff. We’ll set the scene: it’s Jonathan Groff at a table with a microphone and a big binder, filled with a lot of Playbills and a lot of memories.01:41 - In My Life05:21 - Spring Awakening09:52 - Hair13:55 - Prayer for My Enemy16:07 - The Singing Forest17:15 - The Bacchae20:08 - The Submission20:51 - Red22:53 - The Pirates of Penzance25:16 - A New Brain28:09 - Hamilton30:41 - Little Shop of Horrors33:08 - Merrily We Roll Along35:21 - Just In TimeIf you’d like to watch this episode on our YouTube page, visit this link:https://youtu.be/W5JIgY52ozA?si=9L6PA-8Rh8zCLAmT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tony Awards are on Sunday, June 8, and what better way to prepare for the big night than by talking about what could happen! As a Tony Awards partner, Playbill and host Alex Birsh (Playbill’s C.O.O.) can’t disclose too many opinions…but that’s why we brought on two people who CAN share their thoughts and are Tony Awards voters themselves. Adam Feldman (Time Out) and Elysa Gardner (The New York Sun, The New York Times, Broadway Direct) are theatre critics and have plenty of thoughts on who and what they’ll vote for, and who they think will walk away with trophies. And, of course, don’t forget to tune in on June 8 to PlutoTV at 6:40 PM for Tony Awards: Act 1, and CBS for the main broadcast at 8 PM.If you’d like to jump to specific awards categories, here’s a timecode guide:05:40 - Best Orchestrations09:20 - Best Choreography13:16 - Best Direction of a Musical17:05 - Best Direction of a Play20:55 - Best Sound Design of a Musical23:11 - Best Sound Design of a Play24:45 - Best Lighting Design of a Musical26:09 - Best Lighting Design of a Play27:34 - Best Costume Design of a Musical29:20 - Best Costume Design of a Play30:50 - Best Scenic Design of a Musical31:48 - Best Scenic Design of a Play33:11 - Best Original Score34:48 - Best Book of a Musical37:22 - Best Performance by an Actress in Featured Role in a Musical39:19 - Best Performance by an Actor in Featured Role in a Musical41:43 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play44:42 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play47:39 - Best Performance by an Actress in Leading Role in a Musical52:51 - Best Performance by an Actor in Leading Role in a Musical56:39 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play58:10 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play59:31 - Best Revival of a Musical1:01:01 - Best Revival of a Play1:03:01 - Best Play1:06:04 - Best Musical Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early 1990s, college students Adam Guettel and Tina Landau embarked on a wild idea: writing a musical based on the strange-but-true story of Floyd Collins, the Kentucky man who got stuck in a cave in 1925 trying to turn the cave into a tourist attraction. The topic was so intriguing because of what happened after he got stuck: the news story became one of the country's first "viral stories," reaching far and wide and creating such pandemonium that thousands would gather atop the entrance to the cave, hoping he would get rescued. After making it to an Off-Broadway theatre in 1996, the musical circled the Broadway industry for decades thanks to the clever concept by Landau and beautiful score by Adam Guettel, now a two-time Tony Award winner (and Landau is now a Tony-nominated director). The musical has finally made it to Broadway and received six Tony Award nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Jeremy Jordan, our guest for the episode. We talk about what it's like to be nominated again, his path to the show, and his thoughts on why Floyd represents the best of him. Before the interview, host Alex Birsh (Playbill's C.O.O.) brings on a theatre friend to go into why the show resonated with him so much.00:23 - Sneak Peek01:47 - Interview with theatre friend Logan Culwell-Block11:08 - Interview with Jeremy Jordan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few shows on Broadway get to be considered a "breakout hit," but the original play Oh, Mary! at the Lyceum Theatre has officially hit the mainstream, hosting sold-out crowds and major celebrities like few other Broadway shows this season. Most surprising of all: it is a farce, a smash hit comedic play based on the mostly untrue story of Mary Todd Lincoln and her husband, former US President Abraham, during his final weeks. In this episode, host Alex Birsh brings on the creator and star of the show, Cole Escola, and the director, Sam Pinkleton, to discuss how this show came to be and what it's like bringing it to audiences every day. Before the interview, Alex brings on the theatre friend of the episode, Logan Culwell-Block, to chat about why this show resonates with him so much.00:23 - Sneak peek02:47 - Interview with Logan12:50 - Interview with Cole and Sam Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would happen next if Shakespeare's Juliet decided not to take her own life? The story told each night at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre is an answer to that question.&Juliet came to Broadway in 2023 and has captivated the hearts of theatergoers with its infectious story and pop music hits, all produced by one person: Max Martin, the five-time Grammy Award winner who has worked with the likes of The Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, and more. Each of these artists, plus a host of others, has songs in the show that help tell the story of the continuation of the most famous romance in history.As we do each episode, host Alex Birsh brings on members of the production: Maya Boyd, who plays Juliet, and Alison Luff, who plays the narrator of the show, Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare's real wife's name....it's true). Before the interview, he brings on a theatre friend who will tell us why the show resonated with him so much, to the tune of seeing the show 11 times(!). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we talk to Idina Menzel, one of Broadway's brightest stars, about her musical Redwood. Co-created by Menzel and writer/director Tina Landau, Redwood the Musical is about finding inner peace within the beautiful Redwood Forest. Menzel talks about what it's meant to her to bring Redwood to the Nederlander Theatre, as well as how surreal it is to be back in that specific theatre, in her old dressing room, from her days in RENT. Before the interview with Idina, host Alex Birsh brings on Ethan Treiman, Playbill's videographer and editor, who discusses why Redwood resonated with him.0:39 - Peek into the show2:09 - Interview with our theater friend, Ethan Treiman10:06 - Interview with Idina MenzelIf you want to see Redwood, head to RedwoodMusical.com or visit Playbill.com for more information about every show on Broadway. Redwood is set to close on May 18, 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode highlights one of the most captivating new Broadway shows today: Operation Mincemeat! Winner of London's Olivier Award for Best Musical in 2024, the show tackles the complex but exhilarating story of British intelligence officers in WWII fooling the most dangerous man in the world.Playbill Podcast host Alex Birsh brings on Natasha Hodson and Jak Malone, two stars of the show. Natasha is also one of the creators, first thinking about this concept thanks to a podcast episode. Before their interview, Alex brings on Bryan Campione of the Playbill staff to chat about why this musical is his favorite of the season.:28 - A quick summary of Operation Mincemeat2:21 - Bryan and Alex's thoughts on the show9:37 - Alex's interview with Natasha and Jak of Operation Mincemeat Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Broadway returned from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, it needed a jolt, a bolt of lightning. Happily, we did not just get one. We got SIX.In this episode, host Alex Birsh talks with Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, the creators of SIX: The Musical, to discuss how an idea developed in a university dorm room turned into a smash-hit musical that has played over 1,400 performances on Broadway and around the world. Before the interview, Birsh chats with Meredith Ammons, Playbill's Social Media Coordinator, about why she suggests SIX to her friends and family who ask her, "What Broadway show should I see?" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could a show about robots be Broadway's best new love story?On this episode, we talk with Golden Globe winner Darren Criss (American Crime Story, Glee) who stars in Maybe Happy Ending, one of the buzziest new musicals on Broadway. He chats with Playbill's Alex Birsh about what the show means to him and what it's like bringing it to audiences each week. The episode also features an interview with the theater friend of the week, Diep Tran (Playbill's Editor-In-Chief), who talks about why this show resonated with her so much. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Playbill Podcast! Join us for our inaugural episode as we chat about Hadestown, the fan-favorite Broadway show that won the 2019 Best Musical Tony Award. Alex Birsh hosts the episode with guests Merle Dandridge (The Last of Us, Station 19) and Carlos Valdes (The Flash, Up Here) who currently play Persephone and Orpheus on Broadway. Our theater friend of the week is Margaret Hall, a member of Playbill's writing staff, who talks about why Hadestown is one of her favorite shows. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Playbill Podcast! There are always so many choices of what to see on Broadway, and it's always hard to know if you're not...in the know. The Playbill Podcast is here to help. Hosted by Playbill's vice president, Alex Birsh, whose family has operated Playbill since the 1960's, each episode will focus on a currently running Broadway show and help you with the question: would this show be for me? And if you've seen the show discussed, the second part of the episodes feature an interview with current cast members or creative forces that helped make the show what it is today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.