Sunday, May 17, 2015

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.


               

Sunday, May 10, 2015

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.


               

Thursday, May 7, 2015

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.


               

Monday, May 4, 2015

Episode 4: Steve Woolf, artistic director, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with Steve Woolf, artistic director of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. We talk in detail about the duties of an artistic director of a nonprofit regional theatre, including programming the season, hiring artistic staff, casting, his role in the community, and so much more.



Check out Steve's official biography and past work on the Rep website. Also, check out the Stage Grok interview with Mark Bernstein, the Rep's managing director.


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.


               

Friday, May 1, 2015

Episode 3: William Finn, theatre composer and lyricist

On this episode of STAGE GROK, I talk with William Finn, Tony Award winning composer and lyricist of The Marvin Trilogy, Romance in Hard Times, Elegies: A Song Cycle, A New Brain, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Little Miss Sunshine, and other shows. We talk about his work, his writing process, his teaching, his artistic influences, and what he thinks about the state of the American musical theatre today.



Check out Finn's Wikipedia page for more information about his work and career. Also check out my background and analysis eassys about his shows March of the Falsettos and A New Brain, which Finn mentions in the interview.


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.