Jack Viertel News

Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel today announced casting for the Encores! production of Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the Tony Award-winning musical based on Mark Twain's classic American novel.

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and under appreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This week: Broadway gets down & Bette clams up.

Richard Malby Jr., Tony Award winning director of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN and lyricist of such musicals as BABY and MISS SAIGON, drops by Shetler Studios to speak with Rob and Kevin about his remarkable career, a career that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and under appreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This week: Updating Hans Christian Anderson & inventing the nostalgia musical!

She's back and better than ever! In Part 2 of Rob and Kevin's interview with famed press agent Susan L Schulman, Susan details her clash with producer David Merrick on his last Broadway musical! Plus, Susan opens up about her experiences working with Zero Mostel, what it was like to be a woman in a man's business, and how she promoted America's first reality show!

Dress Circle Publishing will celebrate their new book THE UNTOLD STORIES OF BROADWAY, VOLUME 3 - the latest in a series by acclaimed historian and producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper - with a special event at The Drama Book Shop (250 West 4oth Street in Manhattan) today, December 1 at 5:30 PM.

In part one of Behind the Curtain's most fascinating interviews to date, Rob and Kevin sat down with famed press agent Susan L. Schulman to discuss her life and career, including such projects as Applause, State Fair, Dancin' and the infamous Dream. Susan pulls back the curtain on working side by side with such legends as Lauren Bacall, Zero Mostel, Bob Fosse,  and the abominable showman himself, David Merrick. 

Dress Circle Publishing will celebrate their new book THE UNTOLD STORIES OF BROADWAY, VOLUME 3 - the latest in a series by acclaimed historian and producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper - with a special event at The Drama Book Shop (250 West 4oth Street in Manhattan) on Thursday, December 1 at 5:30 PM.

The 12th Annual Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals, produced by Goodspeed Musicals' Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre, kicks off its much-anticipated three-day festival of brand-new works on Friday, January 13, 2017 at The Goodspeed with a staged reading of the intriguing new musical Picnic at Hanging Rock by Daniel Zaitchik based on the cherished novel by Joan Lindsay.

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and under appreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This week: The brilliance of Marvin Hamlisch and Neil Simon!

Everyone's favorite tenor, Eddie Korbich, is this week's guest on Behind the Curtain: Broadway's Living Legends. From starring in the original production of ASSASSINS, to playing Mr. Snow against newcomer Audra ANN McDonald, to surviving SEUSSICAL, Eddie Korbich has proven time and time again that he is not only one of Broadway's best, he is also one of its nicest.

Over the weekend Jordan Roth, president of Jujamcyn Theaters, mobilized the Broadway community to help remind Americans to vote. Reaching out to members of the Broadway community, including numerous national tours, Roth compiled a music video using over 200 images that were sent in.

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and under appreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This week: Witches, goblins, ghouls, turntables, and disco babies!

Martin Charnin is back with Rob and Kevin to discuss the second part of his career which includes collaborations with Richard Rodgers, Charles Strouse, Dorothy Loudon, and Danny Kaye.  In part two of his interview, Martin discusses Streisand's audition for HOT SPOT, the 'joys' of working with Danny Kaye, and the advice he would like to share with all people performing ANNIE. Plus, Martin discusses the most bizarre production of ANNIE he has ever seen. 

Every week director Robert W Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas pull back the curtain on neglected, forgotten, and under appreciated musicals, as well as bizarre performances, endearing television appearances, and all things show business. This week: Tyler Mount from Broadway's The Tyler Mount Vlog stops by to share his favorite thing, which is divine....literally!

It's a THEATER TALK triple header – three stories in one show.

He created the role of Big Deal in the original WEST SIDE STORY. He changed the face of musical theatre, and pop culture, when he wrote ANNIE. And, now, Martin Charnin is sitting down for a two part interview with Rob and Kevin to talk about how he went from being an actor, to a lyricist, to a director.

Great Grandpa Roland was a bandleader. Grandpa Roland was a trumpet player. Dad, Steve Roland, was in SOUTH PACIFIC. Mom, Liz Roland, was in MR. PRESIDENT. Their son, Richard Roland, was in THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, TITANIC, FOLLIES, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, and countless others.

BROADWAY: THE GOLDEN AGE (2004) is the greatest documentary ever made about the pleasures and pitfalls of working in the arts. Directed by Rick McKay, Broadway: The Golden Age received countless awards from over 17 different film festivals. In this in depth interview, Rick tells Rob & Kevin the inspiration behind the documentary, how Bea Arthur's mail triggered an incredible roster of subjects to interview, and reveals what incredible goodies are in store for the next two movies in the series!

One of Broadway's greatest clowns, two time Tony nominee Brad Oscar, swings by Shetler to kibbitz with Rob & Kevin about his amazing career on Broadway.