Pocket Dramaturg: A Theatre History Podcast

In 2006, a revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music , produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, was due to open in London’s West End. The only issue…Lloyd Webber needs a Maria Von Trapp.To solve this issue, Lloyd Webber partnered with the BBC to create the first-ever Reality TV competition to cast the lead of a West End Musical.This episode will look at the history of casting Maria in The Sound of Music, a full breakdown of "How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?" and the trend of Reality TV Show casting This episode was created with the help of the Assembly for the Arts Boost Fund Interested in learning more about the Pocket Dramaturg Oral History Project or the end-of-season survey, click the link: https://linktr.ee/pocketdramaturg Click here to watch full episodes of "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?"

How different can two musical versions of The Great Gatsby be ? In late 2023, The Great Gatsby , a musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, premiered and quickly made its way to Broadway. Several months later, the musical Gatsby: An American Myth premiered and showed just how differently one can adapt the same book. In this episode, we will look at these two versions of Gatsby through the eyes of an Adaptation Scholar. Using our two musicals, we will be able to learn about our history of creating adaptations, how they became popular, and why we do it! Click below to watch some of the videos that helped inspire the episode! Patrick H. Willems: " When the Faithful Adaptation is Actually Worse" Wait in the Wings: " How They Rewrote The Great Gatsby Musical in 3 Months..." "A Tale of Two Gatsby (Musicals)..." Anne Vanderelst: " How the Great Gatsby Musical FAILED its titular character."

In honor of Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month, we are going to be discussing how Buena Vista Social Club, the jukebox musical based on the 1997 hit album, and Real Women Have Curves, a musical adaptation of Josefina López's play, became the first musicals centered on Latine stories to run on Broadway at the same time. This episode will dive into subjects such as the history of Latine representation in musical theatre, how these shows made it all the way to Broadway, their similarities and differences, and the value of prioritizing representation!

This episode will look at what happened when future theatre legends working at the Federal Theatre Project produced a show so timely that it was shut down. In response, they created one of the greatest legends in theatre history.

In the middle of the Great Depression, the New Deal created the Federal Theatre Project, an organization that looked to provide relief to unemployed theatre artists. In this episode, we will take a look at the rise of the Federal Theatre Project and its leader, Hallie Flanagan, as well as its fall at the hands of the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Take a trip all the way back to the 1700s, to the origins of theatre publishing and the early years of the theatre in the United States. This is followed by a conversation with my wife and fellow theatre-lover, Bridgett, where we will talk about some of the craziest script changes and out-of-pocket productions we've ever heard of! Follow Bridgett on IG @bridgettm.thtr & @dramaclubcoffee

Over a career spanning more than 50 years, Boris Aronson ushered in a new era of set design that emphasized storytelling through scenic design. Through his work on shows like Fiddler on the Roof , Cabaret , Company , and many other classics, Boris demonstrated how one can be a trailblazer while preserving tradition.

In 1999, three experienced Broadway producers attempted to capitalize on the revitalization of Times Square and the boom in NYC tourism, only to find themselves going head-to-head with one of the industry's biggest players on the stage of one of Broadway's oldest venues.