The Playbill Podcast: A Show on Broadway

The Tony Awards are on Sunday, June 8, and what better way to prepare for the big night than by talking about what could happen! As a Tony Awards partner, Playbill and host Alex Birsh (Playbill’s C.O.O.) can’t disclose too many opinions…but that’s why we brought on two people who CAN share their thoughts and are Tony Awards voters themselves. Adam Feldman (Time Out) and Elysa Gardner (The New York Sun, The New York Times, Broadway Direct) are theatre critics and have plenty of thoughts on who and what they’ll vote for, and who they think will walk away with trophies. And, of course, don’t forget to tune in on June 8 to PlutoTV at 6:40 PM for Tony Awards: Act 1, and CBS for the main broadcast at 8 PM.If you’d like to jump to specific awards categories, here’s a timecode guide:05:40 - Best Orchestrations09:20 - Best Choreography13:16 - Best Direction of a Musical17:05 - Best Direction of a Play20:55 - Best Sound Design of a Musical23:11 - Best Sound Design of a Play24:45 - Best Lighting Design of a Musical26:09 - Best Lighting Design of a Play27:34 - Best Costume Design of a Musical29:20 - Best Costume Design of a Play30:50 - Best Scenic Design of a Musical31:48 - Best Scenic Design of a Play33:11 - Best Original Score34:48 - Best Book of a Musical37:22 - Best Performance by an Actress in Featured Role in a Musical39:19 - Best Performance by an Actor in Featured Role in a Musical41:43 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play44:42 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play47:39 - Best Performance by an Actress in Leading Role in a Musical52:51 - Best Performance by an Actor in Leading Role in a Musical56:39 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play58:10 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play59:31 - Best Revival of a Musical1:01:01 - Best Revival of a Play1:03:01 - Best Play1:06:04 - Best Musical

In the early 1990s, college students Adam Guettel and Tina Landau embarked on a wild idea: writing a musical based on the strange-but-true story of Floyd Collins, the Kentucky man who got stuck in a cave in 1925 trying to turn the cave into a tourist attraction. The topic was so intriguing because of what happened after he got stuck: the news story became one of the country's first "viral stories," reaching far and wide and creating such pandemonium that thousands would gather atop the entrance to the cave, hoping he would get rescued. After making it to an Off-Broadway theatre in 1996, the musical circled the Broadway industry for decades thanks to the clever concept by Landau and beautiful score by Adam Guettel, now a two-time Tony Award winner (and Landau is now a Tony-nominated director). The musical has finally made it to Broadway and received six Tony Award nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Jeremy Jordan, our guest for the episode. We talk about what it's like to be nominated again, his path to the show, and his thoughts on why Floyd represents the best of him. Before the interview, host Alex Birsh (Playbill's C.O.O.) brings on a theatre friend to go into why the show resonated with him so much.00:23 - Sneak Peek01:47 - Interview with theatre friend Logan Culwell-Block11:08 - Interview with Jeremy Jordan

Few shows on Broadway get to be considered a "breakout hit," but the original play Oh, Mary! at the Lyceum Theatre has officially hit the mainstream, hosting sold-out crowds and major celebrities like few other Broadway shows this season. Most surprising of all: it is a farce, a smash hit comedic play based on the mostly untrue story of Mary Todd Lincoln and her husband, former US President Abraham, during his final weeks. In this episode, host Alex Birsh brings on the creator and star of the show, Cole Escola, and the director, Sam Pinkleton, to discuss how this show came to be and what it's like bringing it to audiences every day. Before the interview, Alex brings on the theatre friend of the episode, Logan Culwell-Block, to chat about why this show resonates with him so much.00:23 - Sneak peek02:47 - Interview with Logan12:50 - Interview with Cole and Sam

What would happen next if Shakespeare's Juliet decided not to take her own life? The story told each night at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre is an answer to that question.&Juliet came to Broadway in 2023 and has captivated the hearts of theatergoers with its infectious story and pop music hits, all produced by one person: Max Martin, the five-time Grammy Award winner who has worked with the likes of The Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, and more. Each of these artists, plus a host of others, has songs in the show that help tell the story of the continuation of the most famous romance in history.As we do each episode, host Alex Birsh brings on members of the production: Maya Boyd, who plays Juliet, and Alison Luff, who plays the narrator of the show, Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare's real wife's name....it's true). Before the interview, he brings on a theatre friend who will tell us why the show resonated with him so much, to the tune of seeing the show 11 times(!).

In this episode, we talk to Idina Menzel, one of Broadway's brightest stars, about her musical Redwood. Co-created by Menzel and writer/director Tina Landau, Redwood the Musical is about finding inner peace within the beautiful Redwood Forest. Menzel talks about what it's meant to her to bring Redwood to the Nederlander Theatre, as well as how surreal it is to be back in that specific theatre, in her old dressing room, from her days in RENT. Before the interview with Idina, host Alex Birsh brings on Ethan Treiman, Playbill's videographer and editor, who discusses why Redwood resonated with him.0:39 - Peek into the show2:09 - Interview with our theater friend, Ethan Treiman10:06 - Interview with Idina MenzelIf you want to see Redwood, head to RedwoodMusical.com or visit Playbill.com for more information about every show on Broadway. Redwood is set to close on May 18, 2025.

This episode highlights one of the most captivating new Broadway shows today: Operation Mincemeat! Winner of London's Olivier Award for Best Musical in 2024, the show tackles the complex but exhilarating story of British intelligence officers in WWII fooling the most dangerous man in the world.Playbill Podcast host Alex Birsh brings on Natasha Hodson and Jak Malone, two stars of the show. Natasha is also one of the creators, first thinking about this concept thanks to a podcast episode. Before their interview, Alex brings on Bryan Campione of the Playbill staff to chat about why this musical is his favorite of the season.:28 - A quick summary of Operation Mincemeat2:21 - Bryan and Alex's thoughts on the show9:37 - Alex's interview with Natasha and Jak of Operation Mincemeat

When Broadway returned from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, it needed a jolt, a bolt of lightning. Happily, we did not just get one. We got SIX.In this episode, host Alex Birsh talks with Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, the creators of SIX: The Musical, to discuss how an idea developed in a university dorm room turned into a smash-hit musical that has played over 1,400 performances on Broadway and around the world. Before the interview, Birsh chats with Meredith Ammons, Playbill's Social Media Coordinator, about why she suggests SIX to her friends and family who ask her, "What Broadway show should I see?"

Could a show about robots be Broadway's best new love story?On this episode, we talk with Golden Globe winner Darren Criss (American Crime Story, Glee) who stars in Maybe Happy Ending, one of the buzziest new musicals on Broadway. He chats with Playbill's Alex Birsh about what the show means to him and what it's like bringing it to audiences each week. The episode also features an interview with the theater friend of the week, Diep Tran (Playbill's Editor-In-Chief), who talks about why this show resonated with her so much.

Welcome to The Playbill Podcast! Join us for our inaugural episode as we chat about Hadestown, the fan-favorite Broadway show that won the 2019 Best Musical Tony Award. Alex Birsh hosts the episode with guests Merle Dandridge (The Last of Us, Station 19) and Carlos Valdes (The Flash, Up Here) who currently play Persephone and Orpheus on Broadway. Our theater friend of the week is Margaret Hall, a member of Playbill's writing staff, who talks about why Hadestown is one of her favorite shows.