Episode 19: Champe Leary, stage manager at the Rep

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with stage manager Champe Leary, about the job of stage managing and her decades working with the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.

Also listen to the STAGE GROK interviews with other Rep staff, artistic director Steve Woolf and managing director Mark Bernstein.

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 18: Adam Feldman, theatre critic for Time Out New York

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with Adam Feldman, theatre critic for Time Out New York, and president of the New York Drama Critics' Circle, about his philosophy and process of reviewing, and his take on the state of the American theatre.

Listen to the STAGE GROK interview with Judith Newmark, theatre critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, for her take on many of these same topics.

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 17: Lyricist-Composer Amanda Green on High Fidelity

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with Broadway lyricist and composer Amanda Green about the musical High Fidelity, its creation, its production, its reception, and its rebirth here in St. Louis at New Line Theatre in 2008, and again in 2012. Amanda has written lyrics for Bring It On, and she wrote new lyrics for the recent revival of On the 20th Century. She also wrote lyrics and some of the music for Hands on a Hardbody, which New Line also produced.

Read host Scott Miller's essay on High Fidelity from his book Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, and Musicals.

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 16: Actor Anderson Matthews on The Robber Bridegroom

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with actor Anderson Matthews, who was in the original cast of the 1975 Bluegrass musical The Robber Bridegroom. Andy has been acting on Broadway, in London, and across our country in regional theatre since the 1970s. He has appeared at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis in many shows, including Arcadia, Betrayal, The Crucible, Closer, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Other Desert Cities, Twelfth Night, The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, The Pillowman, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Art, Closer, Copenhagen, and so many more.

Anderson Matthews in Twelfth Night at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 15: Architect Rob Lippert, on Designing the Marcelle Theater

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with architect, scenic designer, and lighting designer Rob Lippert, about designing the new Marcelle Theater in St. Louis' Grand Center arts district, the new home to New Line Theatre. Rob has been designing sets and lights for New Line for the last two seasons, and he won the St. Louis Theater Circle Award for Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical for New Line's Night of the Living Dead, and he was nominated for both his scenic and lighting designs for New Line's Bonnie & Clyde. Rob is a principal at U-Studios Incorporated.

You can read Rob’s theatre design blog, about his work for New Line, Stray Dog Theatre, and other projects, at u-studios.blogspot.com.

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 14: Historian Todd Decker, on Show Boat

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with Washington University professor Todd Decker about Show Boat, its creation, its impact, its history, its legacy, and the many forms it has taken over the last century. Todd has written three books, Music Makes Me: Fred Astaire and Jazz, Show Boat: Performing Race in an American Musical, and Who Should Sing “Ol’ Man River”?

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 13: Actor Tom Murray, on Theater Factory

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with St. Louis actor and teacher Tom Murray, about Theater Factory, one of St. Louis' most interesting companies for ten years in the 1980s and 90s, about its founder Hope Wurdack, and all the great artists and shows that were part of the adventure.

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 12: Lee Wilkof on Little Shop of Horrors

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with actor Lee Wilkof, who originated the roles of Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors and Sam Byck in Assassins. He has also appeared in many other shows in New York and elsewhere. We talk about his experience working on Little Shop.

Please excuse the sketchy phone connection...

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 11: Peter Filichia, writer and musical theatre historian

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with Peter Filichia, writer and musical theatre historian, about the musical theatre today and about his books, The Great Parade; Strippers, Showgirls and Sharks; Broadway Musical MVPs; Let's Put on a Musical; and Broadway Musicals: The Biggest Hit & the Biggest Flop of the Season, 1959 to 2009. Peter also writes four online columns, for Music Theatre International, BroadwaySelect.com, Masterworks Broadway, and Kritzerland Records.

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 10: Todd Schaefer, on Macheath and Threepenny

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with Todd Schaefer, actor, director, designer, and teacher, about approaching the character of Capt. Macheath in New Line Theatre's production of The Threepenny Opera. We discuss his creative process and what was so different about working on Threepenny. Todd is also artistic director of The Players Project Theater Company in St. Louis, and the drama teacher at Webster Groves High School.

Todd as Macheath. Photo credit: Jill Ritter Lindberg.

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 9: Em Piro, Founder, St. Lou Fringe

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with Em Piro, founder and executive director of the St. Lou Fringe. Now in its fourth year, we talk about how a fringe festival operates, what she does, what the artists do, how shows are chosen, and why a fringe festival is important to our city.

photo credit: Allan Crain

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 8: Paula Hanssen, on Brecht and Threepenny

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with Paula Hanssen, associate professor at Webster University, head of German Studies, and head of International Studies, who has written a great deal about the legendary German director and writer Bertolt Brecht (The Threepenny Opera, Mother Courage, Galileo, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, et al.) and his creative partner Elisabeth Hauptmann. Hanssen is the author of the book, Elisabeth Hauptmann: Brecht's Silent Collaborator. She is also an officer in the International Brecht Society.

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 7: Mark Bernstein, managing director, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with Mark Bernstein, managing director for The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. We talk about the duties of a managing director at a major regional theatre, insider details on creating a budget for the season and for each show, working with artistic director Steve Woolf, working with the Rep board, fundraising, forecasting, unions, housing, and the small army of artists that creates the Rep's six mainstage shows, three studio shows, and three children's shows each season.

Here's the Stage Grok interview with Steve Woolf that we mention in this interview. Also, check out Mark's bio on the Rep website.

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 6: Jennifer Ashley Tepper, director of programming, 54 Below

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with Jennifer Ashley Tepper, author, historian, producer, about her two volume Untold Stories of Broadway, her concert series If It Only Even Runs a Minute, and her series of concerts at 54 Below in New York, where she is director of programming. Jennifer has worked on the Broadway shows [title of show], Godspell, The Performers, and Macbeth. She also co-produced Hit List, the live concert version of the fictional musical from Smash. She has worked on other projects with Ars Nova, National Alliance for Musical Theatre, The Producing Office, PBS, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, New York Musical Theatre Festival, Second Stage, The York Theatre, and the Tony Awards.

Check out Jennifer's website, her author bio and books on Amazon, and her recent Playbill article, "They Only Ran a Minute! 10 Forgotten Musicals Due For a Revival." You can follow Jennifer on Twitter @jenashtep.

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.

               

Episode 5: Jeffrey Carter, Webster University, on Music Directing

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with Jeffrey Carter, chair of the music department at Webster University, and resident music director at New Line Theatre, about music directing in the theatre, vocal care and training, and the whole process of bringing a musical theatre score to life, from auditions through the run.

Read Jeffrey's blog post about music directing that he mentions in the interview. Also, check out his official biography on the Webster website.

STAGE GROK host Scott Miller is the artistic director of New Line Theatre in St. Louis, and the author of six books on musical theatre, nine musicals, and the musical theatre blog The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre. Opening and closing theme music: Overture from Cry-Baby the Musical by Adam Schlessinger and David Javerbaum, from New Line Theatre's 2012 production. Used by permission. Logo designed by Matt Reedy. Stage Grok is available on iTunes.