American Theatre Wing - Downstage Center Podcasts

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The American Theatre Wing, in association with XM Satellite Radio, presents Downstage Center a weekly theatrical interview show, featuring the top artists working in theatre both on and Off-Broadway and around the country. Primary Format : Education Also Listed as: Arts Educational Talk Theatre City : New York State/Province : NY Country : USA Country : NA User Tags: User Votes: RSS Feed Website People found this Podcast Searching for: Theatre | Car talk | Talk | View this Podcast on a Google Map. Add to iTunes Text Only listing of American Theatre Wing - Downstage Center Podcasts Trumix.com listings available of American Theatre Wing - Downstage Center Podcasts Click Here to Update the directory of this podcasts programs.

Trumix.com listings available of American Theatre Wing - Downstage Center Podcasts Build your own playlists with this podcast. Patrick Stewart (#201) May, 2008 Shakespeare veteran Patrick Stewart talks about finally having the opportunity to play the title role in "Macbeth", some 50 years after he first memorized the play's great speeches, and chronicles the production's swift journey from Chichester to London to Brooklyn to Broadway. He also talks about his decades-long association with the Royal Shakespeare Company, including his appearances in multiple productions of such plays as "The Merchant of Venice", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Antony ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Harold Prince (#200) May, 2008 Legendary producer and director Harold Prince surveys his career from his start in 1948 working for another legendary theatrical figure, George Abbott, to his newest project, the musical "Paradise Found", which was presented in a workshop in New York just last week. Over the course an hour, Prince talks about trends in the theatre and what has changed, both for better and worse; recalls working as a stage manager on the first show he produced, "The Pajama Game", so that he could collect a ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website David Zippel (#199) April, 2008 Lyricist David Zippel discusses the development of "Pamela's First Musical", the challenges posed by the untimely passing of two of his collaborators on the project -- composer Cy Coleman and author Wendy Wasserstein, and the upcoming benefit performance which will mark the show's first public performance. He also talks about his earliest lyric writing efforts, including the pre-Broadway "Rotunda" and "Going Hollywood", an adaptation of "Once in a Lifetime" which is about to get a new works ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website James Earl Jones (#197) April, 2008 In a startlingly candid interview, actor James Earl Jones talks about what drew him to playing the role of Big Daddy in the current revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and his views on the play being performed by African-American actors. He also charts his journey from stuttering youth to acclaimed actor, including his early training (in part at the American Theatre Wing School), his appearance in the acclaimed 1960 production of Genet's "Les Blancs" with co-stars including Cicely Tyson and ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ken Billington (#196) April, 2008 Lighting designer Ken Billington, veteran of more than 80 Broadway productions ranging from the original "Sweeney Todd" to the current "Sunday in the Park with George", discusses the art of lighting design, including how lighting can be used to emotionally enhance the theatre experience, how he discovered his calling during a fourth grade play, what audience members might look for when assessing a lighting designer's work, the speed with which his design for "Sweeney" came together, how he ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website David Ives (#195) March, 2008 Playwright David Ives talks about his many acts of "literary ventriloquism," channeling the voices of the authors of classic musicals for City Center's Encores series, including the current "Juno" and upcoming "No, No Nanette", as well as the distinctive voice of Mark Twain for the recent Broadway production of "Is He Dead?" He also describes the luck that led to his first play being produced at New York's famed Circle Repertory Company right after he graduated from college; explains why h ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Leigh Silverman (#194) March, 2008 Director Leigh Silverman talks about the development of the Off-Broadway "Beebo Brinker Chronicles" and its transition from an Off-Off-Broadway space to a larger venue; how she juggles so many projects in a season where she has already staged "Yellowface" and "Hunting And Gathering" and is currently working on "From Up Here" at Manhattan Theatre Club and "Of Equal Measure" for the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles; the genesis of her involvement in the acclaimed play "Wit", as well as the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Michael Cumpsty (#193) March, 2008 "Sunday in the Park with George"'s Michael Cumpsty talks about the challenges of performing in the Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical, how the script and score match the pointillism of George Seurat's paintings, and why he'd like to call in sick just one night during the show's run. He also recalls the single day in his youth when his family's theatrical heritage was fleetingly revealed to him; describes how his passion for theatre evolved from his upbringing in England and South Africa ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Kathleen Chalfant (#192) March, 2008 Tony Award nominee Kathleen Chalfant talks about doing double duty on New York stages right now: as the mother of the title character in "Dead Man's Cell Phone" at Playwrights Horizons and as the latter of the two title characters in "Vita And Virginia" at the Zipper Factory Theater. Chalfant ranges over her extensive career, explaining why she took the role in "Cell Phone" without having even read the script and her heritage as an early staff member at Playwrights Horizons; what Harvey Fi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Alice Ripley (#191) February, 2008 Alice Ripley, star of the new musical "Next To Normal" at New York's Second Stage Theatre, talks about the challenge of playing the emotionally disturbed mother of a "typical" American family and describes how the show's music drives both the character and her performance. She also talks about her parallel career as a rock singer and songwriter, her Broadway debut in "The Who's Tommy", the remarkable experience of appearing as one-half of the conjoined Hilton Sisters in "Side Show", the un ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Nathan Lane (#190) February, 2008 Tony Award-winning actor Nathan Lane charts the course of his career, from touring New Jersey schools in the historical musical "Jerz" to starring on Broadway as the President of the United States in David Mamet's comedy "November". Along the way, he recalls losing out on the leading role in the original "Little Shop Of Horrors" and making his Broadway debut in George C. Scott's production of "Present Laughter"; discusses a few of the quirks of his next big show, the musical "Merlin"; cons ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Michael Rupert (#189) February, 2008 "Legally Blonde"'s resident legal shark Michael Rupert talks about why his role as that musical's unsavory Professor Callahan is consistent with other roles he often plays and talks about being the senior member of a youthful company; recalls being cast at age 15 by Gower Champion in "The Happy Time" and what he learned from Robert Goulet, Charles Durning and Kander & Ebb in that production; describes working with Bob Fosse on two productions -- replacing John Rubenstein in the title role o ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Edward Albee (#188) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Multiple Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Albee talks about the "inadvertent festival" of his works in the New York area, explaining why he declined to allow any synopsis of "Me, Myself and I" for its production at Princeton's McCarter Theatre, whether "The American Dream" and "The Sandbox" at New York's Cherry Lane Theater will look any different than in their original productions, and why we won't see productions of "The Zoo Story" without its new first act, "Home Life". In a ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Richard Easton (#187) February, 2008 Tony Award-winning actor Richard Easton talks about his role in David Ives' play "New Jerusalem" and why he didn't spend much time trying to parse Spinoza's philosophy in preparation for the show (and why audiences needn't either); recalls how an off-hand contest entry as a schoolboy set him off on a theatrical career; describes the very first season of Canada's famed Stratford Festival; chronicles his peripatetic journey from Canada to New York to San Diego to London and all points in betw ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tom Stoppard (#186) January, 2008 Multiple Tony Award-winning playwright Sir Tom Stoppard talks about his latest work to appear on Broadway, "Rock 'n' Roll", including why he feels the play's love story, not its intellectual themes, ultimately drove the shape of the story and whether there's truth to the rumor that he wanted to cut the play but was persuaded not to by director Trevor Nunn; recounts the development of his epic "The Coast Of Utopia" and the extraordinary experience of seeing the trilogy performed in Russia; c ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Frances Sternhagen (#185) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Two-time Tony-winner Frances Sternhagen surveys her six-decade career in the theatre, ranging from her decision to stop teaching "dramatics" to schoolchildren to her most recent Broadway appearance in Edward Albee's "Seascape". In between she talks about her time in such illustrious theatre companies as Washington DC's Arena Stage and New York's APA; her Broadway debut in a revival of "The Skin Of Our Teeth" with Mary Martin, Helen Hayes and George Abbott; the wonderful experience of perfo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Norbert Leo Butz (#184) January, 2008 Tony Award-winner Norbert Leo Butz talks about his first reaction on being approached about appearing in a "new" Mark Twain play, "Is He Dead?", and about the construction of farce and how David Ives crafted the version of the play currently on Broadway; recalls his classical training at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival; marvels at the good fortune that landed him in the company of "Rent" only two weeks after moving to New York; considers the experience of appearing in the critically unpop ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tony Walton (#183) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Designer turned director Tony Walton talks about his work directing the plays of George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward for New York's Irish Repertory Theatre; considers how his work as a designer influences his work as a director -- and vice versa; remembers his earliest days both at art school in England and as a fledgling designer in the U.S.; recounts anecdotes from his first major Broadway success, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", including a tension filled e ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website John Cullum (#182) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Actor John Cullum, currently appearing in the title role of Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" at Lincoln Center Theater, but better known for his musical performances, talks about his experiences in classical theatre -- from his current work with director Mark Lamos to his earliest New York auditions to being directed by John Gielgud in the Richard Burton "Hamlet"; recalls how he landed roles in such classic Broadway musicals as "Camelot", "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever", and "Shenandoah"; ref ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Alan Menken (#181) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Alan Menken, composer of both the film and Broadway musical versions of "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty And The Beast", talks about going "under the sea" with Ariel so many years after writing the score for the Disney film, reflects on the impact of puberty and The Beatles on his songwriting career, recalls his acceptance into the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop under the tutelage of the legendary Lehman Engel, describes his collaboration with lyricist, bookwriter and director Howard Ashman, ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jack O'Brien (#180) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Director Jack O'Brien announces his new title as Artistic Director Emeritus at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre and charts his quarter-century tenure as Artistic Director from his hiring in 1981; reveals his original plans to be a musical comedy writer and star; describes his apprenticeship as a director in the APA Repertory Company under such mentors as Ellis Rabb and John Houseman; remembers his final acting appearance -- opposite Christopher Walken -- and how that set him firmly on the dire ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website David Henry Hwang (#179) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Playwright David Henry Hwang talks about putting a version of himself -- and his father -- onstage in his new play "Yellowface" and why he doesn't want to reveal what in the play is fact and what is fiction; recalls his extraordinary leap from having his first play produced in his college dorm to having a series of plays done at The Public Theatre only a short time later; explains the origins of his award-winning Broadway hit "M. Butterfly"; reflects on his role in the controversy over the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website André Bishop (#178) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Lincoln Center Theater artistic director André Bishop talks about the selection of "Cymbeline" and "South Pacific" for the current season and the thread that unifies the work on the company's two stages; explains why its unlikely we'll see certain types of plays in their Lincoln Center complex; recalls his start in theatre and the ragtag early days of Playwrights Horizons, which he led for more than a decade; considers why he's perhaps less of a public figure than many artistic directors; ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Shuler Hensley (#177) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Shuler Hensley, the creature from "Young Frankenstein", talks about the development of his character in the new Mel Brooks musical, as well as his seeming affinity for playing monsters; sings a bit from "The Phantom Of The Opera" in German, recreating the role he played in Hamburg a decade ago; recalls the experience of playing Jud Fry in "Oklahoma", contrasting the London and New York runs; describes the cast's training in simian mannerisms and theatrical flying for "Tarzan"; and draws an ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Terrence McNally (#176) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Terrence McNally talks about "The Ritz" then (1975) and now (the current Roundabout revival) and reveals his own cameo performance at the show's first opening night; describes his emergence as a playwright in the Off-Off-Broadway scene of the 1960s; considers the extraordinary run of productions he had at Manhattan Theatre Club from the mid-80s to mid-90s, as well as their culmination in the controversial production of Corpus Christi; remembers his work on such musicals as "The Rink", "Kiss ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Judy Kuhn (#175) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Judy Kuhn reflects on returning to the cast of "Les Misérables" 20 years after appearing in the original Broadway cast and how her perspective has changed now that she's playing Fantine, the mother of her original character Cosette; recounts her Broadway debut in "The Mystery of Edwin Drood", including living through every understudy's nightmare; describes the challenges of the fabled but troubled production of "Rags"; explains how "Chess" was restructured between its London and New York d ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Kevin Chamberlin (#174) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Kevin Chamberlin talks about his role in the Roundabout Theatre revival of Terrence McNally's "The Ritz", including whether his "midwestern" looks match up to his character of Gaetano Proclo; how his seasons in the acting company at the McCarter Theatre led to his first New York gig Off-Broadway in "Smoke on the Mountain"; why the Drama Department's "As Thousands Cheer" was his happiest time in the theatre ; what his experience was creating the role of Horton in "Seussical"; how Claudia She ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Christopher Ashley (#173) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center The new artistic director of California's La Jolla Playhouse, Christopher Ashley, talks about his plans for the theatre, including whether he sees himself continuing or departing from the repertoire of his predecessor, Des McAnuff; explains how he found himself with an agent by age 22; describes his long-standing working relationships with playwrights Douglas Carter Beane and Paul Rudnick; considers the process of creating new musicals out of existing songs and how audience expectations are ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website F. Murray Abraham (#172) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center F. Murray Abraham talks about his role as a dangerous yet avid stamp collector in Theresa Rebeck's "Mauritius", a role he compares to Shakespeare's Mercutio; describes his transition from gang punk to aspiring actor in his Texas youth -- including the accent he had to lose; remembers his audition for Harold Pinter for what became his Broadway debut; clarifies his unique connection to a famous ad campaign; considers his experiences playing countless classical roles; and recalls his appearanc ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Kristen Johnston (#171) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Kristen Johnston talks about her nightly mantra that prepares her to go on stage in the current Atlantic Theatre Company production of Lucy Thurber's "Scarcity"; recalls her early years as drama student and how teachers tried to steer her out of the profession, as well as her joy at becoming a student at the Atlantic with teachers like William H. Macy and David Mamet; shares which of her performances she feels were not successful -- as well as the role where she thinks she finally found the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website James Houghton (#170) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center James Houghton, the founding artistic director of New York's Signature Theater Company discusses the impulse that began the acclaimed Off-Broadway theater, which each season produces the work of a single playwright, and how that mission is still being played out 17 years later, and also describes the start of his tenure as directors of the Drama Division at the famed Juilliard School -- including how it feels to fill the shoes of the esteemed John Houseman, who had given Houghton one of his ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Horton Foote (#169) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Playwright Horton Foote reflects on his long career, including the traveling tent shows that first inspired his love of theatre; the contrast between his Texas neighbors' responses to his winning the Oscar and the Pulitzer; Brooks Atkinson and Ben Brantley's differing opinions on "The Trip To Bountiful"; his appreciation for theatres like Signature and Primary Stages, for giving him homes for his work; the experience of returning to Broadway with "The Young Man From Atlanta" after a hiatus ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 2007 Fall Preview - American Theatre Wing Downstage Center XM Radio's John von Soosten and Andy Propst and the American Theatre Wing's Howard Sherman discuss the fall theatre season on Broadway, Off-Broadway and across the country, spotlighting some three dozen shows opening between the beginning of October and early January. Original air date – September 21, 2007. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Carole Shelley (#168) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Upon her return to the Broadway production, "Wicked"'s original Madame Morrible, Carole Shelley, talks about whether she's hissed as a villain by fans on the street; explains how a childhood incident almost kept her off the musical stage; recalls her "trifecta of success" in "The Odd Couple", appearing in the Broadway, film and TV versions; remembers an agent who wanted to steer her away from appearing in "The Elephant Man"; and reflects on her only two appearances on the English stage sinc ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Kerry Butler (#167) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center "Xanadu" star Kerry Butler talks about her childhood performances of Olivia Newton-John songs and how they've informed her Broadway role as Kira, as well as the ins and outs of roller-skating on stage; her deep affection for the musical "Blood Brothers" and her experience in the Broadway production; her separate appearances in two somewhat blood-thirsty musicals, "Bat Boy" and "Little Shop Of Horrors"; why she took the originally underdeveloped role of Penny in the original "Hairspray"; and ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Michele Pawk (#166) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Days after joining the "Hairspray" cast as Velma von Tussle, Michele Pawk talks about the experience of being "put into" a long-running show and how one finds their character in that situation; shares her journey from a "Broadway-style" revue at Disney World to her first Broadway appearance in "Mail"; describes how she turned down an offer to appear in "Crazy For You", only to get a second offer months later for a more prominent role; recalls her experiences working on the new musicals "Seu ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Terry Teachout (#165) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center "Wall Street Journal" drama critic Terry Teachout talks about his theatergoing experiences over the four years he's held that position, including what he's learned and what has surprised him; reveals the results of focus group research on arts coverage at the "Journal", and how it has influenced his reviewing; explains why he is an inveterate blogger and how he compares bloggers to old media arts critics; shares the story of how he came to be commissioned by Santa Fe Opera to write the libr ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Anthony Rapp (#164) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Stage and film actor Anthony Rapp, upon his return to the long-running show "Rent", talks about working with the show's composer Jonathan Larson; the longevity and impact of "Rent"; getting his first professional audition for "Mr. Scrooge" at age 8; previewing "The Little Prince and The Aviator" on Broadway; meeting and later auditioning for director John Guare for "Six Degrees of Separation"; acting opposite Stockard Channing; how his mother was supportive, and how he'd like to work again ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Debra Monk (#163) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Actress Debra Monk talks about her six year journey through the development of the musical "Curtains", and passionately reflects on the things she learned from the legendary team of Kander and Ebb on both "Curtains" and "Steel Pier"; recalls how she came to create both "Pump Boys And Dinettes" and "Oil City Symphony", and why she worried that she'd never be seen as anything but a country singer after the success of the first show; ponders what prompted Lanford Wilson to write a role specifi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website John P. Connolly (#162) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center John P. Connolly, the new executive director of Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers, talks about the challenges and concerns facing the union and its members, chronicles his own professional career as an actor and how he became increasingly involved with union activities, recounts his own transition from being the elected head of AFTRA to the number one staff position at AEA, and explains why we won't be seeing him on stage or screen anytime soon. ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Stephen Lang (#161) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Actor Stephen Lang describes his process developing the book "Beyond Glory" for the stage, why he was drawn to portray eight recipients of the Medal of Honor, and how his tribute is perceived amidst present-day war politics; considers why, with no military background of his own, many of his major roles have been playing military men of varying stripes; reviews his performances in varying roles in multiple productions of "Hamlet", and why he's learned more about the title role in the fifteen ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Dori Berinstein (#160) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Producer Dori Berinstein discusses the process behind creating the film "ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway", her unprecedented chronicle of the 2003-2004 theatrical season, including how she winnowed 250 hours of film down to less than two and why the film's narrator Alan Cumming largely ended up on the cutting room floor; talks about how she got in theatre by way of film producing, including her role as a production executive on "Dirty Dancing"; and surveys her theatrical credits from Bil ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Michael Wilson (#159) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Director Michael Wilson discusses his work on the first Broadway revival of John Van Druten's "Old Acquaintance" at the Roundabout and why the play is so different than the Bette Davis film; describes his theatrical education while working as house manager and company manager at Cambridge's American Repertory Theatre; recalls his hiring as artistic director of the Hartford Stage Company after many years of seeing the company's productions from the audience; explains his affinity for the wor ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Vanessa Redgrave (#158) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Actress Vanessa Redgrave explains why, despite the character name in the program, she's not specifically playing "Joan Didion" in Broadway's "The Year Of Magical Thinking"; explores the transformation of Wallace Shawn's "The Fever" from stage monologue to multi-character film; considers the experience of working with the many members of her acclaimed multi-generational family of actors and directors; discusses why she has tackled Shakespeare's "Antony And Cleopatra", as both actor and direc ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Catherine Zuber (#157) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Three-time Tony Award-winning costume designer Catherine Zuber talks about the process of costume design and the nature of the collaboration between designers and a director; explains how she chooses her projects -- and how many she takes on each year; recounts the challenge of creating 600 costumes for the Lincoln Center Theatre production of "The Coast Of Utopia"; describes the development of the costumes for the multiple incarnations (and changing cast members) of "The Light In The Piazz ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Douglas Carter Beane (#156) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Playwright Douglas Carter Beane talks about how his fascination with Greek myths dovetailed with a producer's overture to adapt a famously bad movie, resulting in the new musical "Xanadu"; describes his years of making ends meet by staffing the hearing device booths at Broadway theatres, and manning the stage door at the Neil Simon Theatre; recalls his break-through year as a writer with "Advice From A Caterpiller" and "The Country Club"; chronicles the origin of his influential Off-Broadwa ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Marian Seldes (#155) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Revered stage veteran Marian Seldes touches upon a few of the highlights of her storied career, from her current role on Broadway opposite Angela Lansbury in "Deuce" (a role written specifically for Ms. Seldes by Terrence McNally) to her earliest Broadway appearances with luminaries like Judith Anderson and John Gielgud; her longstanding association with the works of Edward Albee, including her Tony-winning turn in "A Delicate Balance"; her long run in "Equus" and her record-setting run in ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Joe Dowling (#154) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Guthrie Theatre Artistic Director Joe Dowling talks about the company's move from its historic home into a brand new facility, including the reaction of the Minneapolis audiences to the shift; his own training as an actor at Ireland's Abbey School of Acting and his swift rise to the position of artistic director at the Guthrie at age 29 -- only to depart seven years later; why his post-Ireland career took him to America instead of England; his first New York productions -- an acclaimed "Tra ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Mary Louise Wilson (#153) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Tony nominee Mary Louise Wilson discusses her journey from workshop to Broadway with the musical "Grey Gardens"; recalls her Broadway debut in the troubled Judy Holliday vehicle "Hot Spot"; describes working with legendary stage figures George Abbott, Ellis Rabb and Eva LeGallienne in works as diverse as "Flora The Red Menace" and "Alice In Wonderland"; reflects on appearing in two productions of "The Women" thirty years apart; and considers the extraordinary impact of the Roundabout reinve ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website David Hyde Pierce (#152) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center David Hyde Pierce talks about joining in the development of the long-aborning "Curtains" and how he faced the challenge of a full-fledged character-driven musical on Broadway; recalls the circumstances that led him in very short order from his rejection by the Yale School of Drama to his Broadway debut in "Beyond Therapy"; considers his "on-the-job training" in theatre with such esteemed directors as Peter Brook and Mike Nichols; shares how working with Uta Hagen really opened up new horizo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Frank Langella (#151) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Frank Langella talks about the challenge of making the character of Richard Nixon in "Frost/Nixon" more than just a caricature, and whether it was easier to develop his performance as such a pivotal American figure for English audiences than it would have been in the U.S.; remembers a man unknown to him (who turned out to be Edward Albee) approaching him at a bar and asking to take on what became his Tony-winning role in "Seascape"; explains how he was determined to escape the typecasting t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jerry Mitchell (#150) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Tony Award-winning choreographer Jerry Mitchell talks about taking on the dual roles of director and choreographer for the first time with "Legally Blonde" and charts the development of the musical from the selection of the writing team to its San Francisco tryout to its Broadway debut. He also shares his experience of becoming a professional dancer while still in college, when he was chosen by the legendary Agnes DeMille for the 1980 revival of "Brigadoon", his work with two other legends ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg (#149) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center The team of Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil talk about why they broke from their usual practice of originating their own projects and took on writing "The Pirate Queen"; how they first began to collaborate in the wake of "Jesus Christ Superstar"; the immediate success of the concept album and stage version of their first musical, "La Révolution Française"; what happened in the five year gap between "Les Misérables"’ Paris and London debuts; and why they continue to tweak the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Richard M. Sherman and George Stiles (#148) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Richard M. Sherman and George Stiles, the film and stage composers of "Mary Poppins", come together for a special program that explores the creation of the original film score and how it was adapted and supplemented for the stage musical. Sharing a piano, they play and sing snippets of a variety of "Poppins" songs - including songs that were cut from both versions, some of which ended up in other familiar scores. Separately, Sherman and Stiles also provide quick overviews of their respectiv ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jeff Daniels (#147) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Jeff Daniels talks about his return to the New York stage after a 14 year absence in David Harrower's Olivier Award-winning "Blackbird" at Manhattan Theatre Club, including how he works himself up to a performance level of fear and anger for the very first moment in the play; recalls being taken out for a drink while still in college by director Marshall Mason and invited to join the Circle Repertory Company as an apprentice, and the extraordinary ensemble feeling fostered at Circle Rep; di ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Lee Blessing (#47) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Playwright Lee Blessing talks about his play "Going to St. Ives" with its theme, of politics, women, and motherhood, and its similarities to his best-known play "A Walk In The Woods". Blessing explains how his writing evolved from emulating historical playwrights to penning contemporary stories influenced by his Midwest upbringing; the varied topical issues of his works; the contrast between having an American drama produced on Broadway or in regional theaters; the value in play developmen ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Judith Ivey (#146) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Two-time Tony-winning actress Judith Ivey talks about her transition to directing; why she was drawn to direct Lee Thuna's "Fugue" at the Cherry Lane Theatre rather than play the leading role; what she's learned from directors she's worked with, including Mike Nichols and Daniel Sullivan; why she moved from Chicago to New York in order to get better roles in Chicago -- only to find great success in New York once casting directors realized she wasn't British; her extraordinary year with "Hur ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Michael Blakemore (#42) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Acclaimed director Michael Blakemore discusses his ongoing collaboration with playwright Michael Frayn during the Broadway run of "Democracy" and explores his famed virtuosity staging both plays and such musicals as the revival of "Kiss Me Kate" and the original production of "City of Angels". Original air date – February 18, 2005. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website John Mahoney (#145) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center John Mahoney talks about returning to Broadway after a 20-year hiatus in the Roundabout Theatre production of "Prelude to a Kiss", including why he had to be conscious of not making his stage role of The Old Man reminiscent of his long-running TV role as "Frasier"'s father; recounts the story of his emigration to America from Manchester, England and how, at age 37, he suddenly decided to take up acting; recalls his early stage work with the St. Nicholas Theatre and being invited by John Mal ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Dominic Chianese (#36) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Dominic Chianese, who plays Lou Wolf in Woody Allen's play "A Second Hand Memory", discusses Allen's style of directing, his character's anger and family conflicts, and compares Lou Wolf to Uncle Junior on "The Sopranos". He recalls lessons from his most valuable acting teachers, his first audition for a Gilbert & Sullivan, production, and auditioning for television's "The Sopranos". Original air date – December 31, 2004. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Eric Bogosian (#144) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Author and actor Eric Bogosian explains why he left the text of "Talk Radio" essentially unchanged for its current Broadway revival, but made more significant rewrites in "subUrbia" for its revival at Second Stage last fall; shares why he was perfectly happy to pass the role of "Talk Radio"'s radio host Barry Champlain on to Liev Schreiber; recalls the genesis of his acclaimed solo shows, including "Sex Drugs Rock and Roll" and "Drinking in America" in the 1980s and 90s; and frankly declare ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jeffrey Hatcher (#25) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Prolific playwright Jeffrey Hatcher talks about seeing one of his recent plays "Compleat Female Stage Beauty" come to the screen as "Stage Beauty"; his years developing plays at Connecticut's O'Neill Theatre Center; and his work creating "Never Gonna Dance", a "new" Jerome Kern musical adapted from the Fred Asaire film "Swing Time". Original air date – October 15, 2004. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Walter Bobbie (#143) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Director and actor Walter Bobbie talks about returning to the acting stage in the "Encores!" production of "Face The Music", and how he feels preparing to act in the famously brief "Encores" rehearsal period that he helped to create; recalls his experiences in the original cast of "Grease", and shares his thoughts about the revivals and the current TV competition; remembers when Jerry Zaks asked him to don a "fat suit" to play Nicely-Nicely in the 1992 "Guys and Dolls" revival; explains how ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tovah Feldshuh (#12) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Tovah Feldshuh discusses her role in William Gibson's one-woman play "Golda's Balcony", including her research into the life of Israeli premier Golda Meir and her passion in presenting 100 years of European Jewish history, especially to politicians and students. Feldshuh talks about how she quickly put together "Tovah: Crossovah! From Broadway to Cabaret" for her debut at the Algonquin; her one-woman shows "Tovah: Out of Her Mind!" and "Tallulah Hallelulah!" that have taken her worldwide ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Neil Pepe (#142) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Neil Pepe, artistic director of New York's Atlantic Theater Company, discusses the development of the company as an outgrowth of acting classes led by playwright David Mamet and actor William H. Macy; his own introduction to the company as both carpenter and actor; the Atlantic's acclaimed work with playwright Martin McDonagh on his American debut, "The Beauty Queen of Leenane", and -- almost a decade later -- "The Lieutenant of Inishmore"; and how the Atlantic came to produce its most expe ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Amy Irving (#141) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Amy Irving talks about her experience seeing part two of "The Coast of Utopia" when it premiered in England, and her response when director Jack O'Brien asked her to play two roles in the trilogy's U.S. premiere; her homecoming to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, where she spent her teenage years as her parents led the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center; her good fortune of working Arthur Miller on the premiere of "Broken Glass" and both acting with and being directed by Athol Fugard in his "T ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Patrick Cassidy (#9) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center During his run in the revival of "42nd Street", Patrick Cassidy talks about life in a performing family, including the legacy of his late father Jack and performing with his mother Shirley Jones; his eclectic resume on stage across the country, including a tour of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and the impeccably cast but little-seen Hartford Stage version of "Martin Guerre"; and the experience of seeing a role he created -- the Balladeer of "Assassins" -- enacted by another ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Billy Crudup (#140) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Billy Crudup recalls how he messed up his first audition but still managed to be cast in his Broadway debut, "Arcadia"; describes the communal spirit that guided the 2002 production of "The Elephant Man", and how it differed from his work with director Simon McBurney in "The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui"; relates the thrill of manipulating audiences in Martin McDonagh's "The Pillowman"; and reflects on whether we -- and he -- should be reading up on Russian history to prepare for "The Coast ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Kristin Chenoweth (#139) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Kristin Chenoweth reminisces about her move from Oklahoma to Manhattan and how she was discovered after an all-day wait for an audition; tells how she was cast as Patty in the revival of "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown", but ultimately won a Tony as Sally; charts the evolution of her role as Glinda in "Wicked"; explains why she was drawn to "The Apple Tree" and what she hopes she's achieved with her multiple roles; describes how she constructed the song list for her solo concert debut at t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Mercedes Ruehl (#45) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Mercedes Ruehl shares her passion for art and for playing art patron Peggy Guggenheim in "Woman Before A Glass" talks about her early training and her roles in regional theatre, her Off-Broadway success in the financial comedy "Other People's Money", and her Tony Award-winning turn in Neil Simon's "Lost In Yonkers". Original air date – March 18, 2005. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Kevin McCollum (#138) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Kevin McCollum talks about how his "contrarian" nature applies to his work as a producer, including mounting the 22-actor musical "In The Heights" Off-Broadway when many say even small musicals can't succeed off the Great White Way, deciding to send "Avenue Q" to Las Vegas rather than on a standard national tour, and creating a multi-city model for "Irving Berlin's White Christmas". Original air date – February 16, 2007. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jack Viertel (#39) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Jack Viertel, artistic director of the "Encores!" series at New York City Center, traces the evolution of the acclaimed concert stagings of little-seen musicals and offers a glimpse into how their classic shows come together with a short rehearsal period for a five-performance run. Original air date – January 21, 2005. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Joanne Bogart and Eric Rockwell (#13) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Joanne Bogart and Eric Rockwell discuss the genesis of "The Musical of Musicals—The Musical!" and whether they'll get to quit their day jobs as a result of its success. Original air date – July 16, 2004. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Alfred Molina (#30) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Late in the run of his Broadway turn as Tevye in "Fiddler On The Roof", Alfred Molina discusses his role in that much-discussed production, recalls meeting his wife-to-be in the musical "Destry Rides Again" and his culture shock at being plucked from a small London theatre to appear in the film "Raiders Of The Lost Ark", and shares the challenge of his manic monologue in the Broadway debut of Yasmina Reza's "Art". Original air date – November 19, 2004. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Len Cariou (#137) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Len Cariou looks back over his career on stage, from his days with his own cabaret act in his native Canada to his immersion into classical theatre at the Manitoba Theatre Center and the Stratford Festival to his triumphs on Broadway in two Sondheim premieres. Along the way, he tells the stories of his first meeting with director Harold Prince, his "A Little Night Music" audition -- for the role of Carl-Magnus, which he was prepared to turn down -- and why he actually did turn down the rol ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ted Chapin (#15) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Ted Chapin wears two hats during this interview, one as he discusses his position as head of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, explaining his role in both promoting and defending the work of the great songwriting team, the other as he talks about how his college project as a production assistant afforded him backstage access to the original production of "Follies", which 30 years later formed the basis for his book "Everything Was Possible". Original air date – July 30, 2004. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Rita Moreno (#136) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Rita Moreno reflects on her career, from her Broadway debut at age 13; her efforts to break out of being constantly cast as a Latin spitfire; her arduous preparation for her audition for "West Side Story"; her experience working on the debut of Lorraine Hansberry's second Broadway play; her London appearances in "She Loves Me" and "Sunset Boulevard"; and how she came to find herself only five feet from Dr. Martin Luther King as he delivered his legendary "I Have A Dream" speech. Original ai ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Melissa Errico and Tom Hewitt (#27) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Melissa Errico and Tom Hewitt discuss their roles in Frank Wildhorn's "Dracula", and separately review their careers -- Errico's as a leading lady in numerous high profile revivals and Hewitt's as one of the country's top classical leading men. Original air date – October 29, 2004. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Margot Harley (#135) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Margot Harley, co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of The Acting Company, talks about the troupe's origins as an outgrowth of the acting program at The Juilliard School in the early 70s, the challenges of touring serious drama as an ongoing series of one-night-stands around the country, and the state of actor training today; she also provides some insight into how her co-founder John Houseman made his professional acting debut so late in his illustrious life in the theatre. Original ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Barbara Walsh (#134) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Barbara Walsh, Joanne in the John Doyle revival of "Company", talks about taking on a role so indelibly associated with Elaine Stritch, explains why her character doesn't really "join the band" in this production and offers her own suggestion of how "Forbidden Broadway" should spoof her; reflects on shows she appeared in first at regional theatres that made it to Broadway ("Company" at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and "Falsettos" at Hartford Stage) and those that didn't ("The Rhythm Clu ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website John McDaniel (#29) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Music Director John McDaniel talks about his first producing project, "Brooklyn The Musical"; reflects on his time working with Rosie O'Donnell on her talk show, and gives some insight into the work of musical directors. Original air date – November 12, 2004. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Rebecca Luker (#133) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Rebecca Luker confesses to not reading the original "Mary Poppins" books despite her role as Mrs. Banks in the current Broadway musical version; recalls her Broadway debut understudying and then assuming the role of Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera"; talks about her great experience appearing in a (almost completely) non-singing role in A.R. Gurney's "Indian Blood"; and explains why she's exploring singing in a register lower than her pristine and acclaimed soprano voice. Original air ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Blair Brown (#132) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Blair Brown discusses her role on stage in the Lincoln Center Theatre production of Sarah Ruhl's "The Clean House", and her part in the play winning the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Award; explains how she ended up going to drama school and beginning her career in Canada; recalls her role in the triumphant Richard Foreman production of "The Threepenny Opera" and her anguish over the brief Broadway life of "The Secret Rapture"; and considers the experience of humanizing so-called "intel ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Actors' Fund and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids (#131) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center The leaders of the two best known theatre-based charitable group, Joe Benincasa of The Actors' Fund and Tom Viola of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, talk about the wide range of work done by their two organizations, their origins more than 100 years apart, the symbiotic relationship between them, and how they manage to produce such elaborate entertainments as a means of raising funds for their worthy causes. Original air date – December 22, 2006. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Daphne Rubin-Vega (#130) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center "Rent" veteran Daphne Rubin Vega talks about the challenge of tackling the "classic" music of "Les Miserables" after being known for rock-oriented show music, and why she feels a bit lonely as Fantine in "Les Miz"; chronicles how she transitioned from fine arts to rock and roll to theatre; recalls the origins of "Rent" at New York Theatre Workshop; and why she wanted to take a two month break from her fourth Broadway show in order to do a four-character play with LAByrinth Theatre Company i ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Ayesha Dharker and Manu Narayan (#8) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center "Bombay Dreams" stars Manu Narayan and Ayesha Dharker discuss bringing Bollywood to Broadway in Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of "Bombay Dreams" during the show's original New York run. Original air date – June 11, 2004. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Stephen Spinella (#129) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Two-time Tony winner Stephen Spinella talks about joining the youthful cast of "Spring Awakening" as the only male adult in the show, and why he's spent so much time reading the original Wedekind play from which the show is adapted; charts his long-time friendship with Tony Kushner from its start as a college-era intellectual debate through their mutual triumphs with "Angels In America", and surveys his works in stage classics both ancient ("Electra") and modern ("A View From The Bridge"). ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Neil Patrick Harris and Marc Kudisch (#5) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Co-conspirators Neil Patrick Harris and Marc Kudisch consider their roles in the oft-delayed Broadway premiere of Stephen Sondheim's "Assassins" and the expectations and challenges of bringing that politically charged work to the stage in post-9/11 America. Original air date – May 21, 2004. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website William Finn (#128) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Composer William Finn explains how he became involved in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and what drew him to the show's quirky characters; charts the development of the "Marvin" trilogy, including "March Of The Falsettos" and "Falsettoland", and talks about the differing approaches of James Lapine and Graciela Daniele to that material; tells the story of his own early-1990s medical crisis and how that became the basis for "A New Brain"; and recounts his extreme trepidation abo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Roger Bart and Brad Oscar (#3) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Brad Oscar and Roger Bart, stalwarts from the original cast of "The Producers", talk about their parts in the creation of the hit musical and the experience of then shifting to new roles, with Oscar stepping into Nathan Lane's shoes as Max and Bart taking over for Matthew Broderick as Leo. Original air date – May 7, 2004. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website John Doyle (#127) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Director John Doyle talks about the development of his unique actor-musician approach to classic musicals, including the current production of "Company" and the recent "Sweeney Todd"; why he's not worried about being seen as a "one-trick pony"; how he matches instruments to characters; why we won't see him directing "West Side Story" in his trademark style; and why he's feeling more pressure now than he did during his Broadway debut. Original air date – November 24, 2006. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Martha Banta and Carolee Carmello (#38) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center "Mamma Mia!" star Carolee Carmello talks about her performances in "Parade", "Falsettos" and "Kiss Me Kate", among others, and along with "Mamma Mia!"'s resident director Martha Banta, talks about the process of taking over a role. Original air date – January 14, 2005. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Sheldon Harnick (#126) American Theatre Wing Downstage Center Lyricist Sheldon Harnick explains the genesis of "The Apple Tree" as he prepares for its first Broadway revival, recalls his days as a writer of revue songs and his early encouragement from famed broadcaster Dave Garroway, recounts how he began his collaboration with composer Jerry Bock, shares why he's particularly proud of the title song from "She Loves Me", and reflects on the experience of hearing his words to "Fiddler On The Roof" sung in Scandinavian languages. Original air date – N ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Webs