BROADWAY NATION

My guest this week is Margaret Hall, a remarkable young theater historian who is the author of the celebrated new book Gemignani – Life And Lessons From Broadway And Beyond.

As you will hear, Margaret spent much of the pandemic interviewing Paul Gemignani who is without a doubt one of the most significant, and at the same time most under-appreciated, figures in the history of modern musical. Since 1971 Paul Gemignani has served as the Music Director for more than 40 Broadway productions including Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Evita, Sunday In The Park With George, Into The Woods, and Crazy for You, to name only a few. His incredible talent and theatrical know-how made him the first-choice music director, and indispensable collaborator of Kander & Ebb, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Harold Prince.

Margaret’s book not only takes us behind the scenes and into the orchestra pit of many of the most significant and acclaimed productions in Broadway history, it also illuminates the crucial role that music directors play in the creation, development, and performance of a musical.
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This is the third and final part of my conversation with Ben Francis whose amazingly compelling new book is titled Careful the Spell You Cast — How Stephen Sondheim Extended the Range of the American Musical.

Just like the book, our discussion has been structured around Sondheim’s collaborators. In this episode we discuss his work with George Furth, John Weidman, Hugh Wheeler & James Lapine. And, as always, Sondheim’s mentor and surrogate father Oscar Hammerstein II plays a big role in this conversation as well.

Along the way nearing everyone of Sondheim’s musicals are discussed including A Little Night Music, Anyone Can Whistle, Assassins, Company, Do I Hear A Waltz?, Follies, Gypsy, Into the Woods, Merrily We Roll Along, Passion, Road Show, Sunday In The Park With George, Sweeney Todd, and West Side Story as well as Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Allegro.

Ben Francis’ other works include contributions to the Oxford Handbook Of Sondheim Studies, the Oxford Handbook of British Musicals, and the Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Music, as well as Christopher Hampton: Dramatic Ironist.

Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Broadway Nation Patron Club members including our inaugural members Roger Kloresse, Neil Hoyt, and Chris Moad.

My sincere thanks to all three of you for your loyal support!

If you would like to help support the work of Broadway Nation I will information at the end of the podcast about how you too can become a Patron.

If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you too to become a PATRON!

For a just $7.00 a month you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast.

All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits.

If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link:

⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠

Thank you in advance for your support!
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My guest on this episode is Ben Francis, author of the very compelling book titled Careful the Spell You Cast — How Stephen Sondheim Extended the Range of the American Musical.

Sondheim is without a doubt one of the most studied, examined, and analyzed Broadway creators of all time. In fact, we have done quite a bit of that right here on Broadway Nation. However, as you will hear, Ben Francis contends that in spite of all of that investigation, Sondheim continues to be very misunderstood. He is often labeled as being cynical and pessimistic, but Francis instead argues that Sondheim firmly belongs to the “Broadway aspirational tradition” — a tradition that celebrates dreams of a better life — and he suggests that Sondheim’s shows are to a great extent are a continuation of the work of his mentor Oscar Hammerstein II.

Ben Francis’ other works include contributions to the Oxford Handbook Of Sondheim Studies, the Oxford Handbook of British Musicals, and the Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Music, as well as Christopher Hampton: Dramatic Ironist

Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation!

This episode is made possible in part by the generous support of our newest Patrons:

Andy Wigginton and Mark Stanton.

If you would like to help support the work of Broadway Nation I will information at the end of the podcast about how you too can become a Patron.

If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you too to become a PATRON!

For a just $7.00 a month you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast.

And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits.

If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link:

⁠https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/⁠

Thank you in advance for your support!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Encore Episode from 2021, author Rick Pender takes us inside the creation of The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia.

Rick Pender is a longtime member and former chair of the American Theater Critics Association. He first began reviewing theater in 1985 for a public radio station he managed at Northern Kentucky University. He later became the theater critic for CityBeat – Cincinnati’s alternative weekly newspaper -- and eventually became its arts and culture editor. He also often contributed articles to The Sondheim Review, a quarterly magazine that I know many of you remember fondly, and for 12 years, from 2004 to 2016, he served as its managing editor. His latest venture, The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia, is a 638 page overview of anything and everything related to Sondheim’s work, life and career.
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