We laughed nonstop with Jeff Hiller. Where do you know him from? Everything funny —including his new memoir.
Both Peter and Elisabeth tore through Jeff Hiller’s new memoir, “Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty Year Trail to Overnight Success.” And they both experienced episodes that involved laughing so hard that you feel nauseous (Peter) and laughing so hard on the subway that you start drawing stares (Elisabeth).Yes, the book is that funny. So of course we had to get Jeff on the show. Also because we’ve been fans of his acting for years. Thanks to the HBO series “Somebody Somewhere,” where he played Bridget Everett’s friend Joel for three seasons, more people than ever have become aware of Jeff’s talent. For many New Yorkers, he’s also a beloved stage regular who’s brightened shows like “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” “Silence! The Musical” (a brilliant parody of “The Silence of the Lambs”), “Bright Colors and Bold Patterns” and “Hercules.” Jeff is incredibly funny onstage, and of course he was incredibly funny on the podcast. He talked about the new book, his career, acting and of course Elisabeth used the opportunity to ask about a reading she once saw that paired Jeff and Cole Escola — long before they became Tony-winning Cole Escola. Thanks to Christian Huygen for our theme music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe
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Is Hamlet a total head case? We talk to the director who has set a new audio version of the play in the Prince's mind.
In this episode, multi-hyphenate theater man Jeremy McCarter talked to us about his new project: a six-part audio adaptation of “Hamlet” he wrote and directed for his own Make-Believe Association (you’ll find links to listen on your favorite platform on the company’s site).McCarter’s adaptation streamlines Shakespeare’s play and places the listener inside the Prince of Denmark’s head — which is why you really want to listen on headphones, thanks to the superb sound design from Mikhail Fiksel, who won a Tony Award for his work on “Dana H.” in 2022. The cast is a stellar mix of New York and Chicago actors, including Daniel Kyri as Hamlet, Jacob Ming-Trent as Polonius, Sharon Washington as Gertrude and John Douglas Thompson as Claudius/Ghost.But wait: yes, you have heard of Jeremy McCarter — he wrote the best-selling book “Hamilton: The Revolution” with Lin-Manuel Miranda! And before founding Make-Believe Association, he worked at the Public Theater, where he created and ran the Public Forum series. (Readers of New York magazine may also remember him as the critic who replaced John Simon in 2005.)This is an enlightening episode about the art of adaptation, most particularly in an aural medium. Don’t take our word for it, though: check it out!Thanks to Christian Huygen for our theme music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe
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Hunter S. Thompson, the musical? Joe Iconis ("Be More Chill") and Christopher Ashley ("Come From Away") are on it!
On this episode we welcome Joe Iconis and Christopher Ashley, whose show “The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical” is at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va., until July 13.Joe wrote the music and lyrics, and co-wrote the book with Gregory S. Moss. Christopher directed, as he did at the La Jolla Playhouse premiere a couple of years ago. They’re going to talk about the show’s loooooong gestation, why it’s unauthorized, and of course why the king of gonzo journalism is a great subject for a musical.Both Joe and Christopher are likely to be familiar to our listeners. Joe wrote the scores for “Be More Chill” (which is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a big bash at Two River Theater this summer!) “Broadway Bounty Hunter” and “Love in Hate Nation.” Christopher has directed Broadway hits like “Come From Away,” “Memphis” and Elisabeth’s beloved “Xanadu.” He is about to leave his job as La Jolla artistic director to take on similar duties at the Roundabout Theater Company in New York.Joe almost lost it when he discussed what happened in this video shot at Thompson’s house in Colorado. Check it out!Thanks to Christian Huygen for our theme music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe
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There is no way not to have fun with Jonathan Groff. This episode of Marks & Vincentelli proves it.
On this episode, Jonathan Groff talks to us about his new Broadway show, “Just in Time,” in which he guides the audience through his own love for Bobby Darin and, of course, Darin’s life. It’s an explosive performance from an actor we thought we knew — after all, Groff is no stranger to the stage, from “Spring Awakening” to “Hamilton” to his Tony-winning turn as Franklin Shepard in the revival of “Merrily We Roll Along.” (Peter and Elisabeth are also fans of Groff’s miniseries “Mindhunter” so of course they begged for a new season.)It’s a rollicking episode with tons of great stories about growing up in a Mennonite community in Pennsylvania and falling into YouTube rabbit holes. As Elisabeth likes to say: Who among us…? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe
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Special Guest Elisabeth Vincentelli on The Art of Writing a Less-Than-Positive Review
One of the most annoying canards out there is that critics relish writing pans.Wrong!A pan is a pain for everybody, and it certainly is not fun to write. Elisabeth recently had to do it for Caitlin Saylor Stephens’s new play “Five Models in Ruin, 1981,” which is playing through June 1 at Lincoln Center Theater, as part of the LCT3 incubator. So Peter decided to interview his own co-host to see how she tackled the show for The New York Times. We do read excerpts of the review on the podcast but here’s a gift link so you can follow along as we engage in some text analysis. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe
A theatre podcast hosted by critics Peter Marks (Washington Post) and Elisabeth Vincentelli (contributor to the New York Times). Featuring guest interviews, show discussion and more. marksvincentelli.substack.com
Ireland