Posted on May 7th, 2008 at 11:14 am
by American Theatre Wing
Production: Ragtime
Lyricist Lynn Ahrens, producer Garth Drabinsky, composer Stephen Flaherty, director Frank Galati, book writer Terrence McNally, and advertising representative Jon Wilner discuss the journey of the American musical Ragtime — from adapting E.L. Doctorow’s novel, to comparisons with the 1981 film, through numerous workshops, to the full-scale Toronto and Broadway productions.
Original airdate - April 1, 1998.
Running time - 90 minutes.
For more information see Working in the Theatre’s Production: Ragtime program page.
You can also download the Production: Ragtime program (mp4).
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Posted on May 5th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
by American Theatre Wing
Harold Prince
Tony Award-winning Producer & Director.
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 salary; describes his personal impact on the development of West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof, which he produced; reflects on his creative partnership and friendship with composer Stephen Sondheim, including how he got a handle on Sweeney Todd; explains his role in transforming Evita from a concept album to a stage musical; ponders the period in the 1980s when he had a string of commercially unsuccessful shows — and which of those he feels is under-appreciated; marvels at the 22-year run of The Phantom of the Opera; and shares his thoughts about seeing revivals of musicals that he was so instrumental in creating.
Original airdate - May 2, 2008.
Running time - 61:31.
For more information see Downstage Center’s Harold Prince program page.
You can also download the Harold Prince program (mp3).
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Posted on April 30th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
by American Theatre Wing
Performing Musicals
Actors Roger Bart (Young Frankenstein), Brian d’Arcy James (Next To Normal), Priscilla Lopez (In The Heights) and Sherie Rene Scott (The Little Mermaid) — collectively veterans of more than 30 Broadway and off-Broadway musicals — talk about the differences between performing in musicals and straight plays; acting techniques and voice training; how they prepare for a performance; dealing with the “triple threat” of acting, singing and dancing; balancing their lives on and off stage and their opinions on today’s new composers.
Original airdate - April 4, 2008.
Running time - 60 minutes.
For more information see Working in the Theatre’s Performing Musicals program page.
You can also download the Performing Musicals program (mp4).
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Posted on April 28th, 2008 at 11:42 am
by American Theatre Wing
David Zippel
Lyricist of Pamela’s First Musical.
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 workshop presentation 38 years after Zippel first thought to adapt it; how he came to collaborate with Coleman and Larry Gelbart on City of Angels, before the show’s acclaimed dual-story structure was even in place; what drew him to musicalize The Goodbye Girl; and the challenge of creating the lyrics his first through-sung musical The Woman in White, a collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Original airdate - April 25, 2008.
Running time - 51:2.
For more information see Downstage Center’s David Zippel program page.
You can also download the David Zippel program (mp3).
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Posted on April 24th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
by American Theatre Wing
Performance
The panel of performers talk about their training and when they decided to become actors. Power Plays co-stars Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss talk about working together at Northwestern. Both Billy Crudup and Dana Reeve (More To Love: A Big Fat Comedy) pursued Master of Fine Arts degrees in order to teach as well as act. In England, Roger Rees (Nicholas Nickleby) trained primarily by observation. James Naughton (Chicago, Williamstown Theatre Festival) discusses the Blue Light Theatre Company, started by his son Greg Naughton, where Billy Crudup is in Oedipus. The panel also discusses what they’ve gained from working with brilliant directors, being both director and actor, and preparing for auditions.
Original airdate - September 1, 1998.
Running time - 90 minutes.
For more information see Working in the Theatre’s Performance program page.
You can also download the Performance program (mp4).
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