Episode 457. Something’s More Rotten

Published by austin on September 14, 2015September 14, 2015

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” content_placement=”top” equal_height=”yes” parallax=”content-moving-fade” slider_images=”12004″ slider_animation=”fadeZoom” overlay_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.2)” css=”.vc_custom_1512315432253{background-position: center;background-repeat: no-repeat;background-size: contain !important;}” anchor_link=”top”][vc_column width=”2/3″ offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-2″][rowshape type=”rowshape_4″ position=”bottom” height=”30″ color=”#2b272c”][rowshape type=”rowshape_4″ position=”bottom” height=”50″ color=”rgba(166,115,81,0.6)”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” anchor_link=”intro” css=”.vc_custom_1451644722488{padding-top: 60px !important;padding-bottom: 100px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]Our conversation continues this week with Brad Oscar (pictured), Heidi Blickenstaff, and John Cariani — three of the stars and original cast members of the Shakespearean Broadway musical Something Rotten! — who share their insights into the show’s creation. Featuring the nuances of reactions, audience apologies, the importance of not lingering, the dangers of reflection, the subjectivity of comedy, the challenge of changing material on opening night, the courage to edit the show, the sweet tenor of John Cariani, the likelihood of Brad Oscar getting notes, and the eeriness of Heidi Blickenstaff quoting fundamental RSC values. NOTE: Part One of this two-part interview can be found here. (Length 19:12)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Shakespeare In Detroit

Sam White (left) is the founding artistic and executive director of Shakespeare In Detroit, currently presenting the African-American Shakespeare Company production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised], directed by Reed Martin. On their first opening night in years, in their new home at Marygrove Conservancy, Sam sat down to discuss the history of @ShakesInTheD; her own origin story; how she has a new appreciation for King Lear after caring for aging parents; the important distinction between loving Shakespeare’s works and loving Shakespeare the man; the dangers of taking Shakespeare too seriously; the importance of changing the idea of who Shakespeare is for; how the best actors are funny; the crazy delight of becoming BFFs with Margaret Atwood; and how the pandemic has enriched and deepened our understanding of Shakespeare’s plays. (Length 18:15) (PICTURED: Tre Tyler, Lijesh Krishnan, and Gabe Ross in the Shakespeare In Detroit / African-American Shakespeare Company co-production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised], directed by Reed Martin. Photo by @chuknowak.)

Staging “Athena”‘s Fencing

David Blixt is the co-fight choreographer of the Writers Theatre production of Gracie Gardner's Athena, directed by Jessica Fisch and featuring two stand-out performances by Aja Singletary (right) and Mary Tilden (left). David discusses the things that make this production unique in his experience; the importance of being a storyteller; the language of the body; the value of creating theater as an ensemble; how distance equals danger; why the actors had to actually hit each other; and how stage violence is always a story of desire and denial. (Length 16:24)

Christopher Moore’s ‘Razzmatazz’

Christopher Moore’s latest comic novel Razzmatazz is a sequel to his 2018 novel Noir, a wonderfully funny and satisfying novel of reinvention that depicts San Francisco’s seedy but fabulous underbelly in post-war 1940s San Francisco. Chris discusses how Razzmatazz came out of the research he did into the history of San Francisco for Noir; how he manages to find the funny in serious subjects; the fun of jumping around in time; the importance of following Shakespeare’s example by adding comic relief to serious subjects; giving readers a win; the ah-ha! moment of realizing a secondary character in Noir can become a protagonist in Razzmatazz; how not to get bogged down in a consistent point of view; which characters got moxie and which characters don’t; the surprisingly long wait for the perfect synopsis; and the origin (and surprising new definition) of the title. (Length 25:35)

1 Comment

Randall Brown · November 9, 2015 at 3:14 pm

I was fortunate to see Something Rotten when in NY this last summer. The best play I have ever seen! I play the CD almost every day. I want to thank and congratulate the cast and management on putting together a magnificent show. I hope to see the touring.

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