When a scaled down, revival production of Chicago launched a 4-day run at City Center Encores before transferring to Broadway in 1996, no one anticipated that the show would still be running on Broadway after 28 years and over 11,000 performances. It’s the second longest running Broadway show ever after Phantom of the Opera.
Producers Fran and Barry Weissler share insider stories with Michael Riedel about how many people in the Broadway community questioned the wisdom behind the launch. Michael also speaks with Joel Grey about playing Amos against normal type casting, and he talks with marketing superstar Drew Hodges about his steamy, minimalist ad campaign for the show. Plus Ann Reinking weighs in on the risky photo shoot.
This episode features never-before-heard excerpts from the interviews Michael Riedel recorded while writing his 2020 best-selling book Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chicago #2: Ann Reinking in a Never-Before-Heard Interview
20/03/2025 | 35 mins.
Iconic triple-threat, choreographer, and film star, Ann Reinking, speaks with Michael Riedel about choreographing and starring in the 1996 smash hit Chicago revival. That year, Ann Reinking won the Tony Award for Best Choreography, and the show has since gone on to become the longest running revival on Broadway. Ann shares her stories about her relationship with Bob Fosse during the original 1975 production and how she eventually replaced Gwen Verdon in the show. Years later, Ann was approached to choreograph Chicago for Encores and ended up starring as Roxie herself!
This episode features never-before-heard excerpts from the interviews Michael Riedel recorded while writing his 2020 best-selling book Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chicago #1: John Kander & the Making of Chicago
20/03/2025 | 26 mins.
Legendary composer John Kander (Chicago, Cabaret, Steel Pier, Zorba) shares rarified insider stories with Michael Riedel about the making of Chicago. Kander reminisces about creating epic musical hits with songwriting partner Fred Ebb and collaborating with Director/Choregrapher Bob Fosse. Kander also reveals the secret advice he received from dear friend Liza Minnelli.
Chicago opened on Broadway in 1975, and in the shadow of the Tony-winning musical smash A Chorus Line, Chicago was overlooked for years. When Chicago returned to New York’s City Center and transferred to Broadway in 1996, no one would have dreamed that the show would still be running in 2025, making it the longest running musical revival in Broadway history!
This episode features never-before-heard excerpts from the interviews Michael Riedel recorded while writing his 2020 best-selling book Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Guys and Dolls #3: Nathan Lane
20/01/2025 | 21 mins.
They were warned “don’t work on the show behind Director Jerry Zak's back!" But Guys and Dolls stars Nathan Lane and Faith Prince DID just that and the risk paid off! The two actors secretly worked on "Sue Me" together without the director’s approval. Their performances were so spectacular that they ended up on the front page of the New York Times. In this episode, Nathan Lane speaks in depth about playing Nathan Detroit and shares some of the challenges the show faced along the way.
This episode features never-before-heard excerpts from the interviews Michael Riedel recorded while writing his 2020 best-selling book Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Guys and Dolls #2: Director Jerry Zaks
20/01/2025 | 32 mins.
Tony Award-winning Director Jerry Zaks gives us a rarified peek behind the curtain revealing how Guys and Dolls went from a struggling show in previews to a triumphant success by opening night. Zaks shares stories with host Michael Riedel, including the fact that the original actress hired to play Sarah Brown had to be replaced just as the show was getting underway.
This episode features never-before-heard excerpts from the interviews Michael Riedel recorded while writing his 2020 best-selling book Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join us for an extraordinary deep dive inside the most transformative decade on Broadway through gripping behind-the-scenes accounts of shows such as Sunset Boulevard, Rent, Angels in America, Chicago, The Lion King, and The Producers - shows that changed the history of the American theater. Host Michael Riedel, author of the best-selling book Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway, has created a companion podcast featuring his never-before-heard, taped audio interviews with legendary artists from Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, Patti LuPone, and so many more.
Michael presents the drama behind the decade’s mega-hits and shocking flops, bringing readers into high-stakes premieres, fraught rehearsals, tough contract negotiations, intense Tony Award battles, and more. From the bitter feuds to the surprising collaborations, all the intrigue of a revolutionary era in the Theater District is packed into Singular Sensation. Broadway has triumphs and disasters, but the show always goes on.
Visit http://bpn.fm/singularsensation for early episode access, to learn more, and be sure to get the book here: https://amzn.to/4cNdfO3
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