Jeffrey Seller is the producer behind blockbusters like "Hamilton." Broadway, he says, desperately needs another one.
Jeffrey Seller has produced quite a few of musicals, including two mega-hits that were both hugely influential and hugely successful at the box office: “Rent” and “Hamilton.” Naturally, we had to ask him: What makes a good producer?Seller dropped by the podcast to talk about his new memoir, “Theater Kid,” in which he takes us from his childhood near Detroit to his early years in New York, when he worked in the office of the producers Barry and Fran Weissler, and on to his fateful meetings with Jonathan Larson and Lin-Manuel Miranda.He had quite a few thoughts about the state of Broadway, and in particular what’s happening with musicals. Even if you haven’t seen his shows — but if you listen to his podcast, chances are that you have — Seller will make you ponder where the industry’s at these days.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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50:54
Listen as "Maybe Happy Ending" stars Darren Criss and Helen J Shen discuss their melodic musical about robots, fireflies and love on a hard drive.
“Maybe Happy Ending’ is the Broadway hit that nobody really saw coming. On this episode we welcome its stars, Helen J Shen and Darren Criss, who was just nominated for a Tony Award in this role. Darren and Helen portray a pair of HelperBots who have been cast out by their owners and end up living in a robot retirement community. What happens to them is, well, the stuff of the classic story of boybot meets girlbot.The show premiered in Seoul, South Korea, in 2016. Its unlikely premise was brought to fruition by Will Aronson (music, lyrics and book) and Hue Park (lyrics and book). The Broadway version has been mounted at the Belasco Theatre by director Michael Arden, with a cast that also includes Marcus Choi and Dez Duron.Criss you probably know: He made his name in “Glee” and went on to credits in very different Broadway shows, replacing Daniel Radcliffe in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and appearing in a revival of David Mamet’s “American Buffalo” alongside Sam Rockwell. He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his portrayal of Andrew Cunanan “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.” As for Shen: she is making her Broadway debut, but eagle-eyed Elisabeth had spotted her in the Off Broadway musicals “Teeth” and “The Lonely Few.”Both were the kind of guests we can only dream of, so tune in!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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59:07
Meet Kate Valk: the great stage actress you may not know. And you certainly need to.
Kate Valk joined the Wooster Group in 1979 and never looked back. We think she’s one of America’s greatest actresses, but because she’s spent her entire career with the experimental New York company, even hardcore theatergoers may not have seen her work on stage or onscreen. Fellow Woosters like Willem Dafoe (former) or Scott Shepherd (current) are easy to find because they work pretty much everywhere but Valk’s IMDB page is practically nonexistent and she’s never been on Broadway — when Elisabeth checked IBDB, the answer was“Did you mean Kate Hall? Nate Sack? Grace Falk?”Kate joined us for a free-spirited conversation in which she talked, among other things, about the Wooster Group’s idiosyncratic approach, why she’s never strayed from the company, turning to directing and her delight in educational projects. Of course she also talked about the company’s latest show, “Nayatt School Redux” (check out Ben Brantley’s terrific piece about it in the New York Times).Oh, and in August you can check out a Wooster show in a New York venue other than the company’s own Performing Garage when Eric Berryman performs “Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me” (which Valk directed) at Joe’s Pub. 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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56:41
Ready, set (design), go! David Rockwell, scenery maestro, talks about Boop! and Pirates! and the ephemeral nature of sets
If you saw the Broadway productions of “She Loves Me” (for which he won a Tony), "Hairspray," "Legally Blonde," "Lucky Guy" or "Kinky Boots," you saw sets by this episode’s guest, David Rockwell. Rockwell is back on Broadway with designs for two shows this spring: “Pirates! The Penzance Musical” and “Boop!” We spoke with him to discuss at what stage he engages a project, the challenges he might encounter, and what he considers important in theatrical set design.We also talked about another big source of activity for his company, Rockwell Group (which he founded in 1984): restaurants, hotels and performing venues — including the new revamp of the Laurie Beechman Theater, underneath the West Bank Café.Rockwell is just our second set-designing guest, the first being Beowulf Boritt back in Oct. 2022. Make it a twofer listen! 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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55:25
From Idol to Emcee: Adam Lambert talks about what's funny — and what's definitely not — in "Cabaret."
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit marksvincentelli.substack.comSince taking over the role of the Emcee in Rebecca Frecknall’s Broadway revival of “Cabaret” in September, Adam Lambert has made his mark on one of musical theater’s most iconic roles. We were impressed when we revisited the show recently, because it has finally found its footing. Lambert and Auli’i Cravalho as Sally Bowles follow through on choices tha…
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