OriginalCastPod

Nicole Hertvick / Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson - Original Cast Recording (2010)

DC Metro Theater Arts editor and publisher Nicole Hertvick is here for an emo telling of the 7th President of the United State's rise to power that fully commits to its premise.

Topics include: Emo, Spring Awakening, the Trail of Tears, and (somehow) Cats. We talk about Cats for a minute. And I don't remember how we got there but there it is: Cats. 

Intermission: Gypsy, Follies, & Two Gentlemen (w/ Douglas J. Cohen)

Doug and I do a lot of great musical theatre back-and-forth but really you just need to read this line from Dorothy Rodgers (wife to Richard, mother to Mary) New York Times obituary: "Mrs. Rodgers founded Repairs Inc., an agency that hired craftsmen to repair broken objects, in 1935 and was its head until 1941. In 1945 she patented the Jonny Mop, which was sold by Johnson & Johnson. It was one of several inventions. In 1958 she created the Basically Yours dress pattern for McCall's, and in 1972 she patented the Turn and Learn storybooks, sold by the Ideal Toy Company."

Seriously! 

MERCH! (Soft Launch)

Hey, Patrons! So, we've got merch. Like, real merch, for sale, on a website, and everything!

I'm planning a big push around Black Friday but I wanted to give you guys a heads up for 2 reasons. (1) You are, of course, the big fans and so get the big secrets and news before anyone else. And (2) I want to know what you think of the designs. If there's any recommendations or thoughts you have, PLEASE let me know. I can make changes as we go and make sure it's all perfect before the big launch on Black Friday.

So, click and look and tell me what you think.

And if you buy anything, please send me pics which you'd be cool with me sharing on social media for the full launch.

Thanks!

Caroline Dubberly / Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Original Broadway Cast Album (2014)

**TRIGGER WARNING** The episode contains frank discussions of sexual assault and stalker behavior.

Caroline Dubberly is here for a show about the dichotomy of existence, the destructiveness of revenge, the cycle of abuse, and the power of self-love.

Topics include: the origin of love, the power of tattoos, and the hymns that get us through. 

The Original Cast at the Movies 21: Waiting for Guffman (1996)

EDIT NOTE: My editing software went a little haywire on me while cutting this episode so the sound may not be as balanced as you are used to. But it's still so much fun!


Caroline Dubberly [from next week's Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2014) episode] and Kari Ginsburg (Gypsy, et al.) are here for everyone's favorite mockumentary about a small-town theatre company and their musical about the history of the small town in which they live that may or may not think dreams are stupid.

Intermission: Getting Married on CBS (w/ Alexandra Silber)

Doubling up on Al Silber with portions of last week's interview that were edited for time. This episode will also dovetail nicely into next week's episode on Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Synergy! 

Merch Query

So, I'm gonna sell merch. What kind of merch would you like? Tell me below.

Alexandra Silber / The Secret Garden - The Original Broadway Cast Album (1991)

Actor and author Alexandra Silber is currently appearing as Fraulein Sally Bowles in Olney Theatre Center's production of Cabaret. But she's here this week to talk about this beautiful Lucy Simon/Marsha Norman musical and so much more. Really, we get deep.

Topics include: living with grief, communing with nature, and the glory of Rebecca Luker. 

Intermission: Dad Guilt (w/ Eliza Berkon)

 How can you have a family and do theatre and be a good parent and not feel guilty? . . . You probably can't .

URGENT! Upcoming Episode Poll

The September 18 episode of The Original Cast will feature the wonderful Alexandra Silber discussing The Secret Garden. Would you be upset if instead of just a long clip, I played "Lily's Eyes" in its entirity? 'Cause damn that's a good song.

I'm editing the episode now. Vote!!

Angela Kay Pirko / The Phantom of the Opera - The Original Cast Recording (1986)

We all knew this day would come.

Director Angie Pirko and Patrick take a long walk off the longest-running Broadway musical to see if there's any there there.

Topics include: Christine is a good person, the Cameron Mackintosh of it all, is Raoul an idiot, this show is garbage, and we're here for it anyway. 

Intermission: What She Said

Nicole Hertvik from the incomparable DC Metro Theatre Arts interviews Patrick and Michelle Polera about their new show What She Said which can be seen this Friday at the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival.

Performance details here. 

The Original Cast at the Movies 20: The Muppet Movie (1979)

Married super-cool duo Lee Liebeskind (Spring Awakening) and Megan Reichelt (The Scarlet Pimpernel) join Patrick and his super-cool ladywife Kelley to talk about the super-coolest movie of all time. Seriously, it's so good you guys. 

Christina A. Coakley / A Man of No Importance - Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording (2003)

 Director Christina A. Coakley is here for this little-known show from the team that brought you Ragtime about a closeted man in 1960s Dublin.

Topics include: Roger Rees, Faith Prince, Fun Home, when Ireland legalized divorce, and if one can buy a T-shirt that says "Benny was right." 

Intermission: Designs and Designing (w/ Heather C. Jackson)

Heather is a costume designer. So we talked a lot about designing and designers and notes and all that good stuff. 

Rick Westerkamp / Applause - Original Cast Recording (1970)

Actor/teacher Rick Westerkamp is here for the last Best Musical Tony-winner before Company based on one of the most Academy Award-winning films ever made starring an actress from the Golden Age of Hollywood. And I bet you've never heard it. 

Intermission: Design, Composition, Tension, Balance, Light, & Harmony (w/ Robbie Rozzelle)

Robbie is the A&R Director and in-house designer for Grammy-winning record label Broadway Records. So he has a lot to say about design. Patrick wrote a book about visual literacy. So he has a lot to say about design. Here's some of what they said together 

The Original Cast at the Movies 19: Once (2007)

James Finley (The Life) and Charlene V. Smith (Man of La Mancha 1968) join Patrick to cover and Irish film featuring Irish music made by Irish people (and a few Czechs) which they will evaluate as three fellow Irish humans.  Also a lot about KonMari at the end.

Garrett Anderson / 35MM - Original Cast Recording (2012)

Samuel French literary manager Garrett Anderson is here for this Ryan Scott Oliver song cycle which, coincidentally, is available through Samuel French. Funny how that works. 

Intermission: Superman Cheated! (w/ Chris Klimek)

Good morning, Mr. & Mrs. America and all the ships at sea. FLASH! Journalist Chris Klimek thinks Superman CHEATED! 

Alex Fossella / Waitress - Original Broadway Cast Recording (2016)

Comedian and the Broadway Baby himself Alex Fossella is here for mainly a talk about Waitress. But we also talk about Hamilton, Rent, Sunday in the Park with George, Carousel, and other random things that cross the transom of our mutual minds. 

Intermission: Solo Saxophones and God (w/ Laura Esti Miller)

 Laura Esti Miller and Patrick talk about seeing the same show 20 years later. 

The Original Cast at the Movies 18: Spice World (1997)

 
Journalist Eliza Berkon (Godspell 1973) and actress Sophie Schulman (Funny Girl) are here for a movie that wants to be A Hard Day's Night but ends up being more like From Justin to Kelly even though it could've been Help!. At least it isn't Can't Stop the Music. 

Bryan Plofsky / Seussical - Original Broadway Cast Recording (2000)

The Official Broadwaysted! Podcast's Bryan Plofsky says what he says and means what he meant. And he likes this musical one thousand percent!

Topics include: Eric Idle, being better than you need to be, and who is the host of this podcast, anyway?

Intermission: The Evolution of the Canon of the American Musical Theatre, 1928-2011 (w/ Courtney Laine Self)

 Anyone who has spent time with myself and Courtney knows that we can talk. And we like to talk about American musical theatre and debate about knows more. (Spoiler alert: I do.)

Bonnie Milligan / Thoroughly Modern Millie - Original Broadway Cast Recording (2002)

 
Broadway's Belting Bonnie herself is here to talk about the show that put Sutton Foster on the map in a big way.

Topics include: Michigan one-light towns, Out of Town vs. Previews, stage door madness, and tap-dancing elevators. 

IT'S THE TONYS!!!!

 The Tony Awards are this Sunday! So we've got Don Mike Mendoza (Hot Mikado, Do I Hear a Waltz?, It's the Tonys!) and Roddy Flynn (Anyone Can Whistle, It's the Tonys!, It's the Tonys!!, It's the Tonys!!!) and the essence of Kari Ginsburg (Gypsy, It's the Tonys!!, It's the Tonys!!!) here for the TONYS!!!!

We go through the nominees, talk about this year in theatre, and predict our winners.

Topics include: Is it the right year for a musical version of Tootsie? Did the old guard keep Be More Chill out? Was Ben Brantley's King Kong review wonderful or a complete abdication of professional responsibility on the part of The New York Times? How old does Roddy think Cher and Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton are? And does Don Mike need any of this? 

Intermission:1984! (w/ Robyn Rikoon)

Did you know that Jonathan Larson wrote a musical version of George Orwell's 1984? Neither did Patrick. But Robyn did. 

The Original Cast at the Movies 17: Head (1968)

Eric Messner (The Who's Tommy) and Emily Zickler (Sweeney Todd, et al.) are here for a deep-dive into The Monkees' feature film Head (1968).

It was written by Jack Nicholson.

Any more details would make no sense.

Watch Head(1968) on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Q4nT-5DyjX0

Kevin Jaeger / Bare - The Album (2008)

From the official Broadwaysted podcast, it's writer-man Kevin Jaeger who's here for a Zeitler pop opera about a gay couple in a Catholic boarding school.

As you might imagine there is very little conflict or angst and everyone is happy through the whole show and it definitely doesn't end with a GHB overdose suicide during a performance of Romeo and Juliet.