Chasing Phantom

Think "Blazing Saddles" but on Broadway and with 1930s era sensibilities. That's what "Hellzapoppin'" was and, honestly, for the times it was pretty cutting-edge stuff. Weird running gags, satirical songs lampooning contemporary issues, risqué and ribald jokes, and even fourth-wall breaking hilarity. Sure, it was silly but it was smart silly, not stupid silly. At least most of the time.

While it was imp...

Valentine's Day is coming up, a time when the warmth of love takes our minds off the cold weather. So it's the perfect time for an episode about a show I love without reservation: "Dreamgirls." I'm not alone - critic Frank Rich called it "the most exciting staging of a Broadway musical in this decade." Others have labeled it "one of the most iconic, influential, and straight-up thrilling musi...

It's weird how prescience can come from such unexpected places. When I recorded this episode about "Matilda the Musical" with the delightful Shannon Schilstra, I had no idea how relevant the show's themes about the bad behavior of bullies would be. It's a good thing that cloud wasn't hanging over our conversation, allowing Shannon and I to have a fun and carefree conversation about the unexpected raptu...

For this first episode of 2026, I expose perhaps the most embarrassing gap in my theater knowledge. I often say I'm not as devoted a theater nerd as you might expect from someone who's written about theater for more than 25 years and has a theater history podcast but this episode is the proof. 

I am ashamed to say I have never in my life seen what may be the ultimate Broadway lover's Broadway show, "42nd Street.&...

In the midst of your "Merry, Merry Christmas," let me interest you in a little "Mary, Mary" Broadway! Don't feel bad if you've never heard of this play -- I certainly hadn't -- but like so many other shows I've covered, there are SO many crazy and interesting stories related to this surprising entry in the pantheon of long running productions that reveal fascinating aspects of Broadway histor...

Sure, you "Ain't Misbehavin'" at holiday time, but what about the rest of the year? For an expert on not misbehaving year-round, what person could I talk to that would be better than Desirée Roots? 

Roots has graced Virginia stages for decades and her exceptional voice has made her a consistent draw for cabarets, big band performances, and special appearances with groups like the Richmond Symphony. Not only is sh...

If you look down the list of Pulitzer Prize-winning musicals, past more recent capital "I" important musicals like "Hamilton" and "A Strange Loop," you eventually get to "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Sure, it's a caustic take on corporate culture but prize-winning? That seems a stretch, even with the creative team behind arguably the most beloved musical ever, "...

In approaching "Oh! Calcutta!" today, it's hard not to react with a "What! Really?!?" This is a show, that between the original production and its revival, had more than 7,200 performances on Broadway. Really?

Full of nudity and bawdy - but also mostly bad - comedy, the popularity of this show is truly dumbfounding. And when dealing with something I have trouble understanding, I often turn to my very wise fr...

Happy Halloween! We have the perfect show to dig into for spooky season - mostly because it's downright scary how bad this musical is! 

Frank Wildhorn's "Jekyll & Hyde" is a musical that, if there was a just theater god, would be forever relegated to the dustbin of Broadway history. There are many musicals I don't like but this is one I actively despise, partially for its innate flaws but also for its ut...

It's one of the most famous and beloved titles in musical theater. Because of its iconic mismatched lovers storyline and nostalgia evocation of the 1950s, "Grease" has been performed in high schools, colleges and regional theaters across the country for decades. The movie version with Travolta and Newton-John was the highest grossing movie musical of all time when it came out.

With all of that history, there seems lik...

"School of Rock" opened on Broadway just a few years after "Billy Elliot" closed but, even though the shows have some surface-level similarities, it's hard to think of two more different stories. The earlier show was a rough-and-tumble look at a working class young boy's potential escape from his impoverished life; the latter was about adults who act like children and very posh adolescents learning to ...

Fifteen years ago, "Billy Elliot: The Musical" was all the rage on Broadway. It was a show where hot button social issues -- from labor relations to social mobility to questions about gender expression -- mixed with a searing family drama, plus there was a LOT of really great dancing. Tack on a score co-composed by Elton John and there was little doubt this was going to be a hit.

What's curious is that this story seem...

Welcome to season 3 of "Chasing Phantom!" If this episode is any indication, it's going to be the best season yet. 

At a time when debate about Billy Joel, his music and his legacy, has enjoyed a surge of attention thanks to the HBO documentary, "And So It Goes," that debuted this past summer, I welcome Tony Award nominee and Astaire Award-winning dancer Elizabeth Parkinson to the podcast for a deep dive on ...

Hey there, Phantom Chasers! I've been a lax podcaster during the languid summer months but I'm prepping some very cool, very fun episodes for September. In the meantime, this is a conversation with my friend Grace Todd, whose podcast "Didn't Read It" is a must-listen for those who love classic literature...and erudite, playful and thoughtful conversation.

Grace was kind enough to invite me on her pod to talk...

Phil Crosby and I had such a good time talking about "Funny Girl" that we rambled on for another 15 minutes or so answering questions posed by our live audience at Richmond Triangle Players. You get some more background on Barbra (of course), Phil demonstrating his forecasting prowess in talking about the Tony Awards and a final slice of a story from Pat Vastano about her real-life experience at "Funny Girl."

Mor...

The highlight of "Chasing Phantom's" brief history happened in May 2025 with the recording of what I hope will be the first of many live podcast events. Phil Crosby, the executive director of Richmond Triangle Players, has been a guest 6 times before so, after many times inviting him over to my house to record, he returned the favor!

As with the end of the first season, this is an episode largely about Barbra Streisan...

Is there a more iconic musical than “Guys and Dolls?” Probably not. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to do well and my guests for this episode are a testament to how to make a classic musical really sing.

This is a show that can be dominated by its many engaging male characters, so I wanted to push aside the Guys for just a bit and talk to the Dolls. “Guys and Dolls” is never supposed to be realistic but there’s a danger in making it too...

Both me and my guest in this episode had the chance to see "Waitress" on Broadway and we chose not to. And boy, were we both sorry!

It's not often with this podcast that we talk about a show you can see right now. But "Waitress" is one of those shows that had suddenly started appearing on regional stages all over the country so there's a pretty good chance it has, is or soon will be appearing somewhere ...

Art about other art is fascinating to me, and only one of the many reasons I love "Amadeus," a play about music. Of course, it's also about envy of another man's genius: the play cemented the image of Salieri in popular culture. But really, at its heart, it's a play about faith and Salieri's contentious battle with his own faith, and also, playwright Peter Schaffer's ongoing artistic conversation ...