Let’s rap.

Jenny is the President and CEO of Washington Performing Arts and she’s here for a trip downtown, across the world, and back in time.

Topics include: the Berlin Wall, A Night at the Opera, Leonard Bernstein, being asked to change your name, arts education, the Air Force Band, and what you can accomplish without a building.

It is impossible for me to overstate how special it was to speak with Austin Pendleton. An actor’s actor, playwright, director, and a wonderfully kind human being. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do.

Topics include: working with jazz artists, Salvador Dalí on the phone at 4:00am, trying to blow off Jerome Robbins (and failing), promises made to Zero Mostel, Barbara Harris & Hunter College, acting with Kermit the Frog, and Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad.

Eleni comes to us from the Kennedy Center’s Digital Learning Center to talk about a musical that lives in her very soul and bones.

Topics include: preteen sunset, channelling Maria Callas, tired performances, unfinished lyrics, Betty Schaefer’s agency, and (of course) a swimming pool named “Andrew.”

Stuart is 1/3 of The Flop House podcast (the 3rd third to guest on this show) as well as the proprietor of both Hinterlands and Minnie’s Bar in Brooklyn. And he’s here with a Danish Heavy Metal concept album that is more well-thought-out than The Who’s Tommy.

Topics include: deep dives and rabbit holes, allegorical mother draining, being a completist, Queen, showmanship, and Patrick’s familiarity with the iconography of the Church of Satan.

Patrick and Patrick have been friends for multiple decades and they talk entirely about Swing! and they don’t almost immediately diverge into talking about the Harry Connick Jr/Jessie Mueller revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Foreverthat Patrick was in and I don’t know how these rumors get started.

Topics include: the dark corners of Joe Allen’s, the concrete floors of Toby’s, Anne Hampton Calloway, dinner-theatre CATS, the St. James Theatre (aka: the horseshoe of death), meeting Jessie Mueller, Almost Famous, being “the kiss of death,” and Harry Connick Jr’s assistant.

Playwright and actor Vince Gatton is here to talk about an album that is not his favorite show but has a strong hold on him nonetheless.

Topics include: unusual ways, first recordings vs best recordings, burning out cassettes, disgustingly wonderful fithiness, and what happens when you can get Elaine Paige instead of Sarah Brightman but not until the weekend.

SPECIAL DELIVERY! Friends of the show Douglas J. Cohen & Douglas Carter Beane are here to talk about the new cast album for their musical The Big Time which drops on Concord Theatricals TODAY! Starring Tony winners Santino Fontana and Debbie Gravitte and featuring Jackie Hoffman and Will Swenson, The Big Time is a big musical comedy that you are going to love.

Kari’s back to talk about a musical no one wants to talk about! Well, not NO ONE but not enough people in Patrick’s opinion.

Topics include: Barbara Harris, Alan Alda, the greatness of Barbara Harris, 3 Act musicals, the glorious comedic timing of Barbara Harris, the genius of Sheldon Harnick, the rhapsodic joy one feels listening to Barbara Harris, Warren Beatty (and how he wronged Barbara Harris), and how much we miss Barbara Harris.

I’m guessing if you listen to a podcast about original cast albums, then you know who Joe Iconis is and you probably also know how thrilled I am to be talking with him this week. Aside from his Tony-nominated score for Be More Chill, Joe’s other vast musical credits include the likes of The Black Suits, Punk Rock Girl!, Bloodsong of Love, Broadway Bounty Hunter, and Love in Hate Nation. He’s coming to us from La Jolla Playhouse where he is debuting his newest musical: The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical.

Topics include: parents with shitty musical tastes, Inner-City Mother Goose, Carol Hall, Elaine Stritch, and Mandy Patinkin auditioning for Back to the Future

Robbie’s back (again) for what is a seminal recording for fans of a certain age.

Topics include: single fun aunts, over-acting with masks, jumpers & big collars, natural disasters, Michael Ball, documentaries about Laurie Beechman, vests, and Victoria Clarke Syndrome.