ArtsPerforming ArtsHistory

Closing Night

Patrick Oliver Jones

Bringing a production to Broadway is not an easy task. Some never make it to opening night, while others get to closing night rather quickly. This podcast explores famous and forgotten shows that closed too soon, uncovering the remarkable journeys from the page to the stage. Through deep research, archival recordings, and theatrical history, each episode examines the artists, productions, and moments that have shaped Broadway—both onstage and behind the scenes. From legendary flops to celebrated classics, every closing night has a story worth telling.

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20 episodes
Avg 42 min
English

Episodes 20

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S3 · E12
Thursday · 23 min
Remembering Patrick Stewart and His One-Man Christmas Carol
Among all his projects on stage and screen, A Christmas Carol was one of his most meaningful.
S3 · E11
October 23 · 33 min
Dracula (1977)
The most famous vampire of all rises again at the Martin Beck Theatre.
S3 · E10
October 5 · 43 min
Bring Back Birdie (1981)
A musical sequel that began as an amateur production and somehow became a notorious Broadway flop.
S3 · E9
September 11 · 56 min
The Crucible (1953) and the Red Scare
Arthur Miller wrote a play about naming names, then he was asked to do the same.
S3 · E8
August 25 · 52 min
Remembering Dolly Parton's Broadway Debut - 9 to 5 The Musical (2009)
A special re-release honoring the life and Broadway legacy of Dolly Parton.
S3 · E7
August 10 · 1 hr 3 min
BONUS: John McWhorter and the Rise of Black Musical Theater
Acclaimed linguist and cultural historian explores the artists, ideas, and contradictions that influenced and shaped the foundational history of Broadway.
S3 · E6
July 31 · 52 min
Cabin in the Sky (1940) and the History of Black Artists on Broadway
Ethel Waters leads an ambitious musical that marked the end of an era at the Martin Beck Theatre
S3 · E5
June 26 · 50 min
The Rink (1984)
Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli reunite in one of Broadway's most fascinating troubled musicals.
S3 · E4
June 5 · 37 min
BONUS: Tony Winners at the Beck Theatre
The Donaldson Awards, Hallelujah, Baby!, and Grand Hotel
S3 · E3
May 29 · 39 min
Orpheus Descending (1957)
Tennessee Williams and the Play He Could Never Abandon
S3 · E2
April 30 · 58 min
The Martin Beck Theatre (1924-2003)
For 80 years this theater was named after the man who built a home for America's greatest playwrights.
S3 · E1
April 30 · 47 min
Martin Beck (1868-1940)
From vaudeville to Broadway, Beck was one of the most influential theater managers in the early 20th Century.
March 23 · 3 min
Get Ready for Season 3 at the Martin Beck Theatre
The Vaudeville kingmaker comes to Broadway and builds a theater legacy.
S2 · E13
Sep 30, 2025 · 25 min
Face Value
A play about race becomes a farce both onstage and off.
S2 · E12
Aug 31, 2025 · 37 min
Miss Saigon
The mega-musical that inspired the play Face Value had quite a controversy leading up to its Broadway transfer from London.
S2 · E11
Jul 31, 2025 · 37 min
Let My People Come
How a campy sexual revue went from being a hit in the Greenwich Village to a show that never opened on Broadway.
S2 · E10
Jul 7, 2025 · 54 min
Breakfast at Tiffany's
David Merrick tries to cook up a Broadway hit musical with an adaptation of Capote's classic story.
S2 · E9
Jun 16, 2025 · 38 min
BONUS: Emily Maltby Finally Brings Lolita, My Love to New York
Director and daughter of Richard Maltby, Jr leads a revival of this short-lived musical.
S2 · E8
May 31, 2025 · 54 min
Lolita. My Love
Alan Jay Lerner pushes the bounds of musical theater by adapting one of the most controversial novels of the 20th century.
S2 · E7
Apr 30, 2025 · 37 min
The Little Prince and the Aviator (1982)
Sometimes the passion and drive of one tenacious Broadway producer just isn't enough to get a musical across the finish line.

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