Breaking the Binary Theatre is a new work development and community building hub wherein transgender, non-binary, and Two-Spirit+ artists come together to reclaim their artistic license and liberty. This year the theatre will celebrate the fourth annual Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival, opening on October 20 with a one-night-only concert of The Drowsy Chaperone at Carnegie Hall featuring a star-studded all-trans and non-binary cast led by Laverne Cox, Alex Newell, Betty Who, Jonathan Van Ness, Dylan Mulvaney, and more. All net proceeds will benefit Trans Lifeline, Black Trans Liberation, and Breaking the Binary Theatre.In this episode, Playbill Podcast host Alex Birsh passes the mic to Breaking the Binary Theatre founding artist director George Strus who moderates a roundtable with participants of this year's festival: Tony nominee L Morgan Lee, Sis Thee Doll, Samora la Perdida, and Cheeyang Ng. The group discuss their participation in the festival, the importance of representation in the industry (both in front and behind the table), and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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My Life in the Theatre - Audra McDonald
One of the recurring multimedia series we make at Playbill is called My Life In The Theatre, and you can find it in the Playbill programs on Broadway, on our YouTube page, and on our website. The premise is simple: we hand a theatre legend a binder filled with Playbills of their past stage shows, and they talk to us about their time in each. The first episode we edited for this podcast was with Jonathan Groff, which got a great listener response. We wanted to turn our most recent installment into another podcast episode, especially because it features the absolute legend that is Audra McDonald, the most Tony-awarded actor in Broadway’s history, who had just finished her run in the iconic revival of Gypsy.We’ll set the scene: it’s Audra McDonald at a table, with a microphone and a big binder filled with a lot of Playbills, and a lot of memories.For those who want to watch this episode instead, click this link here!01:39 - The Secret Garden03:34 - Carousel 08:17 - Master Class11:12 - Ragtime14:25 - Marie Christine17:51 - Henry IV20:43 - A Raisin in the Sun22:40 - 110 in the Shade25:14 - Porgy and Bess26:55 - Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill30:01 - Shuffle Along, Or….31:58 - Frankie and Johnny in the Clare 34:12 - Ohio State Murders36:28 - Gypsy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Death Becomes Her with Jennifer Simard and Christopher Sieber
The musical "Death Becomes Her" has become a Broadway mainstay, thrilling packed houses each night and building an impressive audience. For those of you who haven’t seen it, you may have heard a clip of it before, especially if you have a TikTok, as a sound from the song "Hit Me" has gone viral, heard by millions ("That. Was. Rude....").Broadway star Jennifer Simard plays Helen Shaw, the friend/rival of Madeline Ashton, the over-the-hill stage and screen actress played by Broadway powerhouse Megan Hilty. They both have eyes for fame, acclaim, and love interest Ernest, played by Christopher Sieber. Both women attempt to stay forever young thanks to the magic provided by Viola Van Horn (Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child). This, of course, has its unintended consequences. In this episode, host Alex Birsh talks with a theatre friend who’s seen the show, and they’ll go into why "Death Becomes Her" might be for you if you’re heading to Broadway. Following the interview, Alex brings on stars Jennifer Simard and Christopher Sieber, who go into everything it took to create this show and what it's like to put it on night after night. 00:23 -- Sneak peek of Death Becomes Her02:27 -- Interview with theatre friend Diep Tran, Editor-In-Chief of Playbill11:35 -- Interview with Jennifer Simard and Christopher Sieber Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Take a Banana for the Ride with "Roastmaster General" Jeffrey Ross
On this episode of the Playbill Podcast, host Alex Birsh talks with "Roastmaster General" Jeff Ross about his new solo show, Take a Banana for the Ride. On Broadway through the end of September. Ross shines the spotlight on himself and his journey, which includes his upbringing in New Jersey and even his bouts with multiple conditions and illnesses, including alopecia. Birsh and Ross chatted on the rooftop of the Hard Rock Hotel in Times Square before Jeff's press day got fully underway. They discussed what it means to Jeff to make it to Broadway, what he’s most looking forward to, what he thinks opening night is going to be like, and how he’ll be thinking often of his good friends and family who will be with him in person and spirit, such as his late friends Gilbert Gottfried, Norm Macdonald, and Bob Saget.For tickets and more information, visit jeffrossbroadway.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The magic of the MUNY with Rob McClure, Maggie Lakis, and Mike Isaacson
We here at Playbill hope you are having a great summer. It was a whirlwind, wonderful season on Broadway, capped by the Tony Awards in early June. We have slowed down a bit on podcast episode production to take a little break to catch our breath, but fear not -- we will be back with more Broadway show-focused Playbill Podcast episodes later this summer.This episode is a special one, focused on a 2025 Tony Award winner: the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis, more commonly known as The MUNY, which received the Regional Theatre Tony Award as it celebrates its 107th season. It is the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater venue, seating a whopping 11,000 at a time, which helps the theater give away 100,000 free seats each season. But even more impressive is just how wild it is to put on a show there, where they need to make a high-quality, larger-than-life version of a Broadway show in only a matter of days.In this episode, I talk with the creative director of the MUNY, Mike Isaacson, as well as husband and wife actor duo Rob McClure and Maggie Lakis, who are set to play stage married couple Larry and Cynthia Murphy in the MUNY’s Dear Evan Hansen. We talk about the magic of the Muny, what it’s like to put on a show so quickly, and how Dear Evan Hansen is a perfect story for today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The two most common questions anyone at Playbill gets from friends or family are: "What's on Broadway? And what should I see?" The Playbill Podcast is here to help.Each episode highlights a currently running Broadway show and features an interview with members of the cast and/or creative team. Hosted by Alex Birsh (Playbill's VP & COO), the podcast is co-hosted by an interchanging "theatre friend," someone at or connected to Playbill who is well-versed in Broadway within their own social circles, and often answers the question, "What Broadway show would I like?"Whether you’re a Broadway veteran or just starting to explore, the Playbill Podcast brings you the magic of Broadway, one show at a time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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