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On this bonus Sondheim episode, hear extra content from previous chats with historian Margaret Hall about Stephen Sondheim's early life and career. You'll also hear from playwright Caridad Svich, composer Matt Board, and actor John Patrick Sabatos, who shared their memories of watching filmed live Sondheim musicals and why pro-shots are important for musical theatre today.

Margaret Hall is one of the foremost emerging theatre historians of her generation. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama (Musical Theatre) from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and is currently obtaining her Masters in Musical Theatre History from New York University, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, the first degree of its kind to be granted worldwide. Margaret is currently the Night and Weekend Editor for Playbill.com, in addition to her work as a teacher of musical theatre history. Her first book, Gemignani: Life and Lessons from Broadway and Beyond will be released Spring 2022. Follow @itsmargarethall and sign up for Margaret’s monthly newsletter at www.margaret-hall.com

Pre-order Gemignani: Life and Lessons from Broadway and Beyond (as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from this link).

Caridad Svich - https://caridadsvich.com/
Matt Board - https://soundcloud.com/mattboardcomposer
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It’s part three of our three-part Sondheim special! Host Luisa Lyons chats with Margaret Hall all about the 2011 filmed live musical Stephen Sondheim’s COMPANY with the New York Philharmonic.

Margaret Hall is one of the foremost emerging theatre historians of her generation. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama (Musical Theatre) from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and is currently obtaining her Masters in Musical Theatre History from New York University, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, the first degree of its kind to be granted worldwide. Margaret is currently the Night and Weekend Editor for Playbill.com, in addition to her work as a teacher of musical theatre history. Her first book, Gemignani: Life and Lessons from Broadway and Beyond will be released Spring 2022. Follow @itsmargarethall and sign up for Margaret’s monthly newsletter at www.margaret-hall.com.

​Pre-order Gemignani: Life and Lessons from Broadway and Beyond (as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from this link).
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Join host Luisa Lyons for a 3-part chat with musical theatre historian Margaret Hall where we'll be discussing the work of Stephen Sondheim! 

In part 1, take a fun tour through the catalog of filmed live Sondheim musicals. You can also learn about Margaret’s journey from 
Bones to Wicked, how she started teaching and writing about musical theatre history, and how advice from Michael Cerveris compelled her to take on the project of writing Paul Gemignani’s memoir. 

Part 2 (out March 14) will be a deep dive into Pacific Overtures, and Part 3 (out March 28) will look at the 2011 New York Philharmonic concert production of Company, the musical that inspired this very website! 


Margaret Hall is one of the foremost emerging theatre historians of her generation. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama (Musical Theatre) from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and is currently obtaining her Masters in Musical Theatre History from New York University, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, the first degree of its kind to be granted worldwide. Margaret is currently the Night and Weekend Editor for Playbill.com, in addition to her work as a teacher of musical theatre history. Her first book, Gemignani: Life and Lessons from Broadway and Beyond will be released Spring 2022. @itsmargarethall

Want to hear more? As a special bonus, patrons also receive extra content from this episode where Margaret shares details about Sondheim's early life until the 1970s​! To get access, become a patron today! 
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In the month of March, Filmed Live Musicals is celebrating Stephen Sondheim! On the podcast, we have a three-part series with musical theatre historian Margaret Hall. Part 1 (Feb 28) is an overview of filmed live Sondheim musicals, part 2 (March 14) will be a deep dive into Pacific Overtures, and part 3 is a deep dive into the 2011 New York Philharmonic production of Company, the musical that inspired this very website! 

To accompany this week's episode on filmed live Sondheim musicals, here’s a list of where you can watch those musicals! 

This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn income from qualifying purchases made through these links.

Candide
  • 1986 New York City Opera: not officially available
  • 1988 Scottish Opera: not officially available
  • 1989 Barbican Theatre (conducted by Bernstein): DVD
  • 2004 Lincoln Center concert: DVD

Company
  • 1996 Donmar Warehouse production: was released on DVD, but now appears to be out of print.
  • 2007 Broadway revival: DVD and Blu-Ray
  • 2011 New York Philharmonic concert: DVD

Follies
  • 1985 concert version documentary: DVD
  • 2013 Opera de Toulon production: DVD (Region 2 only)
  • 2017 National Theatre production: Not available beyond its initial cinema release, though Symphony Space in NYC is holding encore cinema screenings March 30 - 31, 2022. 

Gypsy
Into the Woods
Merrily We Roll Along
Pacific Overtures
  • Original Broadway production: YouTube

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
  • Original Broadway production filmed live on tour in Los Angeles in 1982: Apple TVAmazon, DVDBroadwayHD
  • Concert version with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (2001): DVD and Blu-Ray
  • Concert version with the New York Philharmonic (2014): Not officially available

Passion
  • Original Broadway production filmed for American Playhouse: DVD
  • Lincoln Center concert version: not officially available

Putting it Together
Sunday in the Park with George
  • Original Broadway production: Apple TV, DVD,
  • Theatre du Chatelet (2013): not officially available

In 2015 Image Entertainment released the Stephen Sondheim Collection, a 6-disc DVD collection of Sondheim’s work including Into the Woods (1990), Company (2011), Sunday in the Park with George (1986), Follies in Concert (1985), Sweeney Todd (2001), and Sondheim: The Birthday (2010), though it appears to currently be out of print.

You can learn more about all of the above musicals in the Filmed Live Musicals database. There are more to be added, including the 1994 National Theatre and 1995 Barcelona productions of Sweeney Todd. Know of other filmed live Sondheim recordings? Send us an email! Remember, to be included in the database, a musical must have been legally filmed in front of a live audience, and made available to the general public. 

Happy watching! 
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Host Luisa Lyons chats with Tralen Doler, the Vice President of Partnerships & Brand Engagement at Broadway Licensing. 

Topics include how the pandemic has changed the game for theatre streaming, the importance of teachers in the early days of the pandemic, ShowShare, Tralen’s “yes and!” approach to digital theatre content and his genius idea for for filming Wicked live, how streaming sports can provide a model for theatre, the case for an abundance of theatre streaming and more! 

Tralen Doler Vice President of Partnerships & Brand Engagement at Broadway Licensing, previously served as the VP of Partnerships & Programming for Broadway On Demand. Before joining Broadway Licensing, he was the Content Manager at Music Theatre International and Artistic Director of The Little Theatre on the Square. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for New York Theatre Barn and produces the Night of a Thousand Genders gala, benefitting the Gender and Family Project.

Visit www.broadwayondemand.com to find a wealth of theatre content from around the world! ​
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On episode 34 of the Filmed Live Musicals podcast, host Luisa Lyons chats with Jean-Paul Yovanoff, the artistic director of Musical Theatre Radio and co-founder of the new virtual theatre space, The Jill Edmund Theatre.  

Learn about how Jean-Paul got a very early start in show business, career pivots and the creation of Musical Theatre Radio (currently available to stream across North America and the UK), being a musical recording collector in the digital age, and the development of the Jill Edmund Virtual Theatre. 

Jean-Paul Yovanoff is the founder of MusicalTheatreRadio.com an internet radio station, co-founder of the Jill Edmund Virtual Theatre, Assistant Producer of Vanier College Productions (York University), composer/lyricist/librettist (Paradise Island, Seven of Us), Directing Credits Include: Peter and the Starcatcher, Festival IV, Paradise Island, Secondary Wishes, Nose to Nose. Producing Credits: Ground Zero One Act Play Festival (1996 - 2002, 2018) Vanier College Productions (2017-2022) Education: Musical Theatre Performance (Sheridan College) Theatre Studies - Fine Arts (York University) Jean-Paul has been a Mobile DJ, Virtual Event Tech and owner of Performers Looking for Work, a mascot company. Learn more at www.musicaltheatreradio.com and www.jilledmund.com, and follow on Twitter and Instagram. ​ 
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On episode 33 of the Filmed Live Musicals podcast, host Luisa Lyons chats with actress, singer, writer, content creator, and puppeteer Laura Kay Clark all about her new family-friendly musical Petunia’s Playhouse. 

Topics include the influence of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, choosing a different path than going through a traditional musical theatre program, what drew Laura to puppetry, the inspiration behind Petunia and how she helped Laura, and many others, navigate mental health through lockdown, the challenges of putting on a live show during COVID, how streaming helped the company face those challenges, and the importance of streaming in providing access to theatre for vulnerable people.

Petunia's Playhouse will be streaming on demand worldwide from Jan 17 until Feb 6, 2022. More info and tickets at Eventive.
​ 
Laura Kay Clark is a New York City-based actress, singer, writer, content creator, and puppeteer. Originally from Ohio, Laura moved to New York in 2013 to attend the prestigious Actors Studio Drama School, where she obtained her MFA in Acting in 2016. Laura has performed in a variety of plays and musicals in the NYC area, and has found a lot of fulfillment creating her own work. In 2016, she premiered her one woman show, I Kissed Your Boyfriend: Another Feminist Rant, off-Broadway at the United Solo Theatre Festival. Laura created, wrote, produced, and starred in the family-friendly puppet series Petunia’s Playhouse, which has been sweeping festivals and has won several honors, including Best Web Series at the NYC International Fringe Festival. Laura recently adapted Petunia's Playhouse for the stage with composer Billy Recce. Laura co-founded the independent production company Party Claw Productions with NYC Artist Ashley Kristeen Vega, and their inaugural film Wide Eyed has gained recognition at several film festivals. Laura infuses all of her work with authenticity and humor. She hopes to end the stigma surrounding mental health and promote body positivity and inclusiveness in all of her work. Laura is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and the Dramatists Guild. www.laurakayclark.com 
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Host Luisa Lyons chats with Ricky and Dana Young-Howze, also known as RnD, theatre critics who throughout the pandemic have reviewed over 200 digital theatre productions. 

In this deeply informative discussion, RnD share wisdom about digital theatre, being critics, theatre and accessibility, and the impact of disability on audiences both in person and online.

We chat about how chronic illnesses affected Ricky and Dana’s careers, how the pair became theatre critics, how a series of unfortunate events at the start of 2020 almost led to their quitting reviewing altogether and how the pivot to digital theatre opened up a whole new world of access to theatre. We discuss disability and theatre access, the role of critics in theatre, seeking out work by queer, Black, and disabled artists, why brick and mortar theatres have resisted digital theatre, and more! 

RnD also known as Ricky and Dana Young-Howze (they/them) are theatre critics from South Jersey. They have reviewed over 200 digital theatre reviews during the pandemic. They are vocal advocates for how digital theatre can be tool for indie, BIPOC, LGBTQ, and artists with disabilities. Besides reviewing they offer 1-on-1 Theatre Criticism classes, social media consulting, and dramaturgy. Talk to us at rndyounghowze@gmail.com. Find our articles at www.rndyounghowze.tumblr.com and www.howlround.com/two-hundred-digital-theatre-reviews-and-counting. Venmo: @rndyounghowze. Become a patron at www.patreon.com/rndyounghowze​. 
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Host Luisa Lyons chats with Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams, founders of new musical theatre company Bottle Cap Theatre, and creators of recently streamed musicals The Limit, about mathematician Sophie Germain, and RIDE, about Annie Londonderry, the first woman to ride around the world on a bicycle.

Topics include how song cycles and the Edinburgh Fringe inspired Freya and Jack to start writing musical theatre, deadlines and creativity, the development of The Limit, and RIDE, how the pair feel about filming their work, and more!

Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams are award-winning composers and lyricists, and founders of Bottle Cap Theatre. Their work focuses on telling female led stories and includes musicals RIDE (The Garrick, 2021) and THE LIMIT (VAULT Festival 2019). They are the joint winners of Aria Entertainment and ALP's Chamber Musical commission (2021).

Their work has been performed at venues including: The Garrick, The Other Palace, The Roundhouse and The Leicester Square Theatre, and has been developed with drama schools including the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and ArtsEd.

In 2021 Freya received a Michael Grandage Futures Bursary and took up a writing residency at Norwich Theatre Royal.

Learn more at www.bottlecaptheatre.com, follow on Twitter, and at Freya Catrin Smith, and Jack Williams.

Available wherever you listen to podcasts or on Buzzsprout
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On episode 30 of the Filmed Live Musicals podcast, host Luisa Lyons chats with Emmy-Nominated producer and director Kenneth Ferrone.  

In this epic episode, Luisa and Kenneth discuss multiple filmed live musicals including Sistas: The Musical, Grease Live!, RENT Live on Fox , and SpongeBob the Musical!  Learn about the role of Riverside’s Children Theatre in Kenneth’s theatre development and the importance of arts education, how the TV show Smash was Kenneth’s gateway to television and what happened when it was cancelled, the decision behind airing the dress rehearsal of RENT, how digital theatre can compliment live theatre, and so much more! 

Kenneth Ferrone is an Emmy-Nominated Producer and Director. He produced the award winning GREASE LIVE!, including the show’s live second screen content, and RENT on Fox, as well as the drama series, RISE and SMASH on NBC. Kenneth is currently directing THE WANDERER, a new musical based on the life of Rock and Roll artist, Dion DiMucci. The Pre-Broadway production will premiere at Paper Mill Playhouse in Spring 2022.  He directed the critically acclaimed 1st National Tour of CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE 90’S MUSICAL, based on the cult film, the Off-Broadway musical, SISTAS, which was produced for television by BET and RLJ Entertainment, and he Associate Directed the 12-Time Tony Nominated Broadway musical, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, including the prime-time cable broadcast for Nickelodeon TV, as well as COLIN QUINN: THE NEW YORK STORY, which was named NY Times “Critic’s Pick” Off Broadway  and adapted for Netflix.

​Available wherever you listen to podcasts! 
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