Rising reimagines the 1916 Dublin rebellion through the inner life of Patrick Pearse, its most enigmatic leader. As he leads the charge against the British Empire, Patrick must reconcile his public role with the private self he has kept hidden – his queerness, his sensitivity, and his doubts.

Fighting alongside him are a community of eccentrics: artists, bookworms, socialists and socialites. Together, they form not just a revolutionary force, but a chosen family.

The book’s entries are presented chronologically and include a plot synopsis, production data, opinions by critics, and biographical sketches of playwrights and key actors-directors.

Before becoming an author, Frank Verlizzo was a legendary graphic designer, the man behind such iconic poster art as the original Broadway productions of Disney's The Lion King; Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and Sunday in the Park with George, and Ira Levin's Deathtrap.

"An award-winning Sondheim expert dives into all facets of this unique, murder-filled masterpiece-its slimy roots, original production, characters from killers to lovers to bakers, soaring score, gripping storytelling, and lasting power."

The Festival features eight new musicals in 45-minute staged reading presentations in front of an industry-only audience. This event brings together theatre producers, presenters and developers from around the world to celebrate the future of these promising new musicals!

A brief description of the show:

DoofyLand is a bawdy musical satire that explores how easily our happy place can become a cage and how its up to us to truly “embrace the enchanthood.” Featuring a score that echoes classic Disney composers with a pop-rock sprinkling.

 About Time, which runs at Goodspeed’s Norma Terris Theater in Chester, CT from May 24 - Jun 15, 2025, is the third revue created by the composing team. Here is a brief description of the show:

From long-ago love affairs and ambitions of the past to tech-savvy grandkids and lost keys, this funny and touching revue features all new songs about people navigating the joys and challenges of growing older while staying young in spirit.

John has served as the associate conductor for the Broadway production of Hell’s Kitchen – The Alicia Keys musical, the associate music director for Broadway productions of Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, as well as Tina: the Tina Turner Musical. 

The plot:

The Queen is Mad is inspired by the true story of “Joanna la Loca”. The elder sister of Catherine of Aragon, Joanna is outspoken, spirited and headstrong – everything a 15th century princess is not supposed to be.

When Joanna inherits the Spanish throne, her father and husband convince the court that she is insane, take her crown, and lock her away. She went down in history as Joanna the Mad. What if she wasn’t crazy, but furious?

Ms. Mason has starred on Broadway, Off-Broadway, television, in concert, and in the recording studio. She’s been praised for her “fierce emotion” by The New York Times, her “innate comic ability” by Playbill and her “delightful instrument” by the Daily News.

She is a 14-time Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) Award winner; most recently she was the recipient of the 2019 MAC Lifetime Achievement Award.

For this episode, Rick and I discuss our Top 8 Stephen Sondheim musicals.

We talk, primarily, about The Gardens of Anuncia, where he wrote music, lyrics, and book. The show is based on the life of Graciela Daniele, a prolific figure in modern musical theatre.

The musical was performed Off-Broadway at the Mitzi E, Newhouse Theatre within Lincoln Center, running from October 19, 2023 until December 31, 2023. The cast included Priscilla Lopez, Eden Espinosa, Mary Testa, and Andréa Burns.

Jane Conroy, tries to juggle her first theater job and her unexpected passion for a gifted singer in the chorus, Bryce Christmas. Part coming of age novel, part love story, part dish-filled history, One More Seat at the Round Table follows the comic travails of Camelot from its New York rehearsals to its lackluster tryouts in Toronto and Boston to its disappointing New York debut.

For this episode, we feature the musical Off-Broadway revue, Marry Me a Little. The show is a musical composed of outtakes from Stephen Sondheim's early musicals.

It features musicals that had set their sights on Broadway but missed the mark. The first season is entitled “Hooray for Hollywood” and looks at Broadway Bound musicals based on movies: Arthur, The Baker’s Wife, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Busker Alley, Enter Juliet, Gone with the Wind, The Graduate, The Mambo Kings, Minsky’s, and Paper Moon.

Patrick and I talk about these shows and such luminaries as John Kander, Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Hal Prince, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr., Gwen Verdon, and more.

Each week, listeners pick the winners in head-to-head matchups – just like ‘March Madness’ – until we narrow down the field of 64 to just one ultimate favorite.

Vote now! Just go to SoundsofBroadway.com.

For this episode, we feature the musical The Frogs. The show is a musical "freely adapted" by Stephen Sondheim and Burt Shevelove from The Frogs, an Ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes.

The Frogs was originally performed in Yale University's gymnasium's swimming pool in 1974. The show was produced on Broadway in 2004 with the book revised by Nathan Lane and the score expanded by Sondheim.

For this episode, we feature the musical Saturday Night. This was supposed to be Sondheim's first Broadway show in 1955 until the untimely death of the lead producer scuttled the work.

They include such luminaries as Barbara Cook, Kelli O’Hara, Heather Headley, Faith Prince, Stephanie J. Block, and Tonya Pinkins.

For this episode, we feature the musical Road Show (also known as Bounce and Wiseguy). Rick will talk about how Sondheim worked with a number of collaborators to create the show that never made it to Broadway.

For this episode, we feature the original production of 1994’s Passion. Rick will talk about how writer/director James Lapine and Sondheim collaborated on the show to create one of the composer’s most unique musicals.

Robert Viagas, was the editor-in-chief of Encore Monthly, the national theatre magazine. He has more than thirty-five years' experience, much of it working on Broadway with Playbill Inc. He is the founding editor of Playbill.com and is the author of 22 books.

“The book expertly mixes clever cocktails that pay homage to unforgettable Broadway shows with authentic recipes for drinks that played supporting roles in beloved shows. Mason provides a history of the cocktail on Broadway along with a trove of theatrical anecdotes." 

For this episode, we feature the original production of the 1987 Stephen Sondheim musical, Into the Woods, which ran for 765 performances on Broadway.

On the podcast, Greg will talk about how he started his business, his views of styling, the collaborative nature of his work, and some of the celebrities he has worked with on the red carpet. Pictures of his work will also be available on the BroadwayRadioPrograms.com website.

For this episode, we feature the 1965 Stephen Sondheim/Richard Rodgers musical, Do I Hear a Waltz, his last Broadway show where he only wrote lyrics.

For this episode, we feature the 1962 Stephen Sondheim musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, his first Broadway show where he wrote both music and lyrics.

Dorothy Fields was America's most brilliant and successful female lyricist. Working with thirteen different composers, Fields wrote the lyrics and/or librettos for unforgettable masterpieces, such as Annie Get Your Gun, Redhead, and Sweet Charity. Her more than four hundred songs include the standards "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "Pick Yourself Up," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love."

For this episode, we feature the 1971 Stephen Sondheim musical, Follies.

For this episode, we feature the 1959 Stephen Sondheim-Jule Styne collaboration, Gypsy, which starred Ethel Merman.

Visit the show page at https://broadwayradioprograms.com/2023/01/interview-with-ted-chapin/.

Visit the show page at https://broadwayradioprograms.com/2023/01/interview-with-jesse-green/.

For this episode, we discuss the 1984 Pulitzer Prize winning musical, Sunday in the Park with George.

Some of the choices are obvious – Oklahoma!, West Side Story, Hair, Company, A Chorus Line. Others, in my opinion, are headscratchers – The Secret Garden, Falsettos, and Seussical. Rob will delve into many of them.

For this episode, we discuss the 1964 musical Anyone Can Whistle.

The book is a collection of memories and stories from over one hundred actors and musicians, including the creative team and crew who were part of the original Broadway production and in the many touring companies it spawned.

For this episode, we discuss the 1970 landmark musical Company.

For this episode, we discuss 1979 musical Sweeney Todd.

In addition to discussing his career in the orchestra pit, we talk about his acting in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along.

For this episode,, the discuss the 1973 musical A Little Night Music.

For this episode, we mark 46 years since the Broadway opening of Pacific Overtures by discussing the show.

For this episode, we mark 30 years since the Off-Broadway opening of Assassins by discussing the show.

For this episode, we mark the 40th anniversary of the Broadway opening of Merrily We Roll Along by discussing the show.

We start off by marking the 60th anniversary of the release of the film version of West Side Story by discussing the movie.

PLAYLIST

One Day More   Les Miserables

You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan   Carousel

No One is Alone   Into the Words

One Jump Ahead   Aladdin

One Small Girl   Once on This Island

Just One Night   Doonesbury

I Wouldn't Bet One Penny   Donnybrook!

Johnny One-Note   Babes in Arms

One Last Kiss   Bye Bye Birdie

With One Look   Sunset Boulevard

One Brick at a Time   Barnum

One Song Glory   Rent

One in a Million   Jimmy

One Hundred Easy Ways   Wonderful Town

My One and Only   My One and Only

Just One Way to Say I Love You   Miss Liberty

One Hand, One Heart   West Side Story

One Night Only   Dreamgirls