Here’s some theater news for you to read:
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Jill Clayburgh (#77) November, 2005
Jill Clayburgh talks about the joys of returning to the Broadway stage for the first time in two decades in Richard Greeenberg’s “A Naked Girl on the Appian Way”, her anticipation of her immediate follow-up with Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park”, and her not-so-happy experiences years ago in “Jumpers” and “Pippin”-which drove her out to the west coast and film stardom. Original airdate – November 18, 2005.
Ken Billington (#196) – April, 2008
Lighting designer Ken Billington, veteran of more than 80 Broadway productions ranging from the original “Sweeney Todd” to the current “Sunday in the Park with George”, discusses the art of lighting design, including how lighting can be used to emotionally enhance the theatre experience, how he discovered his calling during a fourth grade play, what audience members might look for when assessing a lighting designer’s work, the speed with which his design for “Sweeney” came together, how he collaborated with the English creative team of “Sunday”, how rock and roll helped Broadway lighting, and how his career has encompassed work for performers as diverse as Liza Minnelli and Shamu the Killer Whale. Original air date – April 4, 2008.
Jonathan Pryce (#93) March, 2006
Two-time Tony winner Jonathan Pryce describes his journey from a small political theatre company in England to being the star of such musicals as “My Fair Lady” in London, “Miss Saigon” in London and New York, and the current Broadway production of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”, with stops along the way for “The Taming of the Shrew”, “Hamlet” and “The Goat”. Original airdate – March 17, 2006.
Jerry Herman (#28) November, 2004
Legendary composer Jerry Herman plays and sings snippets of some of his most famous compositions as he recalls the creation of such seminal musicals as “Hello Dolly”, “Mame” and “La Cage aux Folles” in this one-of-a-kind interview from November 2004. Original airdate – November 5, 2004.
David Ives (#195) – March, 2008
Playwright David Ives talks about his many acts of “literary ventriloquism,” channeling the voices of the authors of classic musicals for City Center’s Encores series, including the current “Juno” and upcoming “No, No Nanette”, as well as the distinctive voice of Mark Twain for the recent Broadway production of “Is He Dead?” He also describes the luck that led to his first play being produced at New York’s famed Circle Repertory Company right after he graduated from college; explains why he enrolled at the Yale School of Drama only after his early successes; chronicles how his work for a theatre company that consisted of little more than a copy machine and an artistic director ultimately led to his success with “All In The Timing”; reflects on the role of pain in writing short comedies; considers whether he was typecast only as a writer of one-acts; and shares the genesis of his interest in the philosopher Spinoza, which led to his writing “New Jerusalem”, seen Off-Broadway at CSC earlier this season. Original air date – March 28, 2008.
David Caban
Producer/Host of Sunday Matinee
