Behind the Curtain - Page 8

In one of the most versatile careers on record, Richard Jay-Alexander has pretty much done it all. Starting first as a PA on Broadway, then moving his way up to stage manager, it was his collaboration with uber-producer Cameron Mackintosh where Richard really thrived, becoming the Associate Director and Executive Producer of a new show called LES MISERABLES.

53 Broadway credits and counting. Yes, that record belongs to the incredible Jerry Adler, who is Actor's Equity's third-oldest working member. Jerry swings by Shetler Studios to discuss what it was like stage managing the original productions of GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, MY FAIR LADY, THE APPLE TREE, COCO, and countless others.

Today we are not in praise of women, but, in praise of the original Count Carl-Magnus, Laurence Guittard. One of Broadway's greatest voices swings by Shetler Studios to discuss some of the shows Laurence has appeared, including BAKER STREET, MAN OF LAMANCHA, ANYA, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, LOVE MATCH, OKLAHOMA, and countless others.

It's not going to be a lazy afternoon when the great Golden Age musical comedy star, Kaye Ballard, sits down with Rob in her Palm Springs home to look back on her incredible career that includes the original productions of THE GOLDEN APPLE, CARNIVAL, MOLLY, PLUS TOP BANANA with Phil Silvers, THE MOTHERS-IN-LAW with Eve Arden, CINDERELLA with Julie Andrews, and countless appearances on THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JOHNNY CARSON, THE LOVE BOAT, FANTASY ISLAND, and THE MUPPET SHOW.

Come down from your balcony, Golda, because Tovah Feldshuh is sitting down with Rob and Kevin to look back on her incredible career in theatre, film, and television. Tovah dissects not only her process, but, her collaborations with countless directors, writers, and fellow actors.

Rob and Kevin sing from Sunset Boulevard, the insanity of recitative, Rob and Kevin try to speak with the young kids, Kevin advocates for Lil Abner, the brilliance of Jones & Schmidt, how J&S really led the musical theatre revolution, the saga of Grover's Corners, Ethel Merman plays teacher, David Merrick sings, and the brilliance of musicals within musicals.

No one is going to rain on your parade today because the wonderful survivor of over sixty years of show business, Mimi Hines, joins Rob and Kevin for one of their most intimate and revealing interviews to date with the star of FUNNY GIRL and countless television specials, late night talk shows, and nightclub acts.

Rob announces his cast for Woman of the Year at Feinstein's/54 Below, Joyce DeWitt is a goddess, Rob gets starstruck over Janet Wood, Angela Bower is Miss Mannerly, who's nice vs who isn't, Judith Light takes out the ladies who lunch, the genius of John Kenrick, the definitive musical theatre website, greasing the lightning again, Sandy's cousin needs a girlfriend, and the class of Rydell High needs social security.

Well, we've got her, so we are going to flaunt her. The wonderful, Tony Award-winning Cady Huffman swings by Shetler Studios to look back on her career, including such shows as LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, BIG DEAL, THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES, STEEL PIER, THE PRODUCERS, THE NANCE, and many others!

This Week: Rob and Kevin discuss color blind casting in musical theatre and what can musical theatre programs across the country to do to help lead the cause, our guests send us swag, celebrating the great Kafritz & Mamie Eisenhower, Alka Seltzer's greatest commercial, spilling the tea on Weekend at Bernies, Nathan Lane can't get work, Donna Murphy goes to acting school, and the follies of the AEA.

Everyone step to the rear and let Tony Roberts take the day. One of America's most beloved character actors drops by Shetler Studios to look back on his career with Rob and Kevin. While Tony's film career includes such movies as ANNIE HALL, PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM, and SERPICO, we will discuss his amazing theatre career, which includes HOW NOW, DOW JONES, SUGAR, BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, DON'T DRINK THE WATER, XANADU, and VICTOR/VICTORIA.

This Week: Happy Halloween! To celebrate the spookiness of the season, Rob and Kevin reveal their costumes, Mrs. Garrett pulls a Patty Duke, Tim Curry can't find his tambourine, Charles Strouse gets spooky, Big Daddy Whiz goes to the pumpkins, Rob meets Christine Pedi, Liza Minnelli has a pokerface, Rob plays Daddy Warbucks, and Christine Pedi wants to save the Cafe Edison!

Even if your feet's too big come to the heavyside layer and join Rob and Kevin as they sit down with the incredible star of THE WIZ, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN, CATS, and the iconic THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, the warm and wonderful Ken Page.

This Week: Life post-Merrily We Roll Along, Kevin gets to watch THE WORLD GO ROUND, Rob brings back 24 BROADWAY BOUND musicals, Rob breaks the rules that Kevin follows, Van Johnson sees red, Letterman loves La Cage, the joys of My Mama's Attic, Kevin is a dancer and a dancer dances, celebrating CENTER STAGE, and Donna Murphy hits the barre.

Everyone's favorite little bird, little Chavala, Neva Small, sits down with Rob and Kevin to look back on her fabulous career both onstage and on the screen. Neva takes us back to the filming of the immortal FIDDLER ON THE ROOF film, as well as how her career as a child actress led to her Broadway appearances in SOMETHING MORE, HENRY, SWEET HENRY, THE IMPOSSIBLE YEARS, FRANK MERRIWELL, and SOMETHING'S AFOOT.

This Week: Rob and Kevin sit down with Ben Van Buren and Lucas Tahiruzzaman Syed, the co-founders and editors of Musical Theater Today, a new, yearly periodical inspired by the extraordinary variety of artists, institutions, and audiences engaged in the musical theatre world. Ben and Lucas not only discuss the genesis of the book but discuss some of its contributors and its most fascinating articles.

The musical theatre of the 1970s offered audiences the most diverse style of musical entertainment. There were traditional golden age shows, concept shows, revivals, nostalgia crazes, social commentary shows, and Pat Birch was involved in every genre.

This Week: Looking back on THE LAST FIVE YEARS, celebrating HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, creeping on JRB, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG opens this Friday, international Sondheim, back to Bacall, a sneak peak of a bygone Broadway, teaching Bacall to dance, the librettos of Doc Simon, secrets of A CHORUS LINE, the importance of the libretto, Sid Caesar, the grittiness of Charity, what its like to show doctor, musicals that have other, unaccredited creators, the loss of obscurity, is Joshua Harmon the new Neil Simon, the 'boulevard comedy' and a demand for humor in the theatre.

This Week: Hide the children because this episode gets a bit naughty with acclaimed writer and director Ben Rimalower (PATTI ISSUES, BAD WITH MONEY). The gents discuss Patti LuPone as a gateway drug, Ben's Top 5 Divas, the joy of ranking cast albums, the best auditions ever seen, what was Ben's most controversial Playbill article, what it's like to have Patti in the audience, INTO THE LIGHT returns, a lengthy discussion about length, what shows need to come back, a case for why THE WIZ movie is better than THE WIZ stage play, and Rob does Robert Goulet in FIDDLER.

Rob and Kevin go together with Broadway's original Sandy, Carole Demas, on this week's fascinating episode. Carole looks back not only on her time with Grease, and what it was like to create one of Broadway's most iconic heroines, but also Carole discusses the resilience she created within herself when she was let go from both the revival of NO, NO, NANETTE and Stephen Schwartz's THE BAKER'S WIFE.