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Content provided by Matt Koplik. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Matt Koplik or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
Similar to Broadway Breakdown
An investigative podcast hosted by world-renowned literary critic and publishing insider Bethanne Patrick. Book bans are on the rise across America. With the rise of social media, book publishers are losing their power as the industry gatekeepers. More and more celebrities and influencers are publishing books with ghostwriters. Writing communities are splintering because members are at cross purposes about their mission. Missing Pages is an investigative podcast about the book publishing ind ...
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Deep Dive: DREAMGIRLS (Part 1) w/ Jason Veasey
Manage episode 508348039 series 1525928
Content provided by Matt Koplik. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Matt Koplik or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
Dreamgirls: Broadway’s Motown Epic and the Tony Race of 1982
In this two-part deep dive, host Matt Koplik and guest Jason Veasey (Broadway’s A Strange Loop, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building) revisit Dreamgirls, the groundbreaking 1981 musical that blended Motown-inspired storytelling with Michael Bennett’s cinematic staging. Part One explores the show’s tumultuous development, its powerhouse original cast, and the infamous Tony Awards face-off with Nine.
Broadway Breakdown Links to Join:
Broadway Broadway Discord: Here
Broadway Breakdown Substack: Here
Tickets to Broadway Breakdown: A Cabaret Now Here
Guest: Jason Veasey
Jason Veasey (@veaseyville) is a Broadway and television actor best known for originating roles in the Pulitzer Prize-winning A Strange Loop. His screen credits include Only Murders in the Building and the upcoming series Best Medicine. With deep roots in musical theater history and lived experience as a Black performer navigating Broadway, Jason brings sharp insight and heartfelt perspective to this Dreamgirls deep dive
Timestamps
00:01 – Welcome
02:14 – A brisk plot rundown: Effie, Deena, Lorrell, and Curtis Taylor Jr.
05:12 – Jason’s first encounters with Dreamgirls in Black cultural memory
12:16 – The Actor’s Fund concert: Audra, Lillias, Heather, and the power of divas
16:22 – Michael Bennett’s original staging: spectacle, storytelling, and critical pushback
27:41 – Early development: Nell Carter, Loretta Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and endless workshops
43:36 – The 1982 Tony Awards: Dreamgirls vs. Nine, Bennett vs. Tune
53:17 – The politics of race, spectacle, and creative control on Broadway
Key People Mentioned
Creators: Michael Bennett (director/choreographer), Tom Eyen (book/lyrics), Henry Krieger (music)
Original Cast: Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Cleavant Derricks, Ben Harney, Obba Babatundé
Notable Later Performers: Audra McDonald, Heather Headley, Lillias White, Beyoncé, Anika Noni Rose, Jennifer Hudson
Industry Figures: Joseph Papp, Bob Avian, Mark Shaiman, Frank Rich
Resources & Links
1982 Tony Awards Performance – Jennifer Holliday
2001 Actor’s Fund Concert Album
“The Story of Dreamgirls” Documentary
Vanity Fair: Dreamgirls, Nine, and the Greatest Face-Off in Tony Award History
Frank Rich’s Original NYT Review (1981)
Sheryl Lee Ralph Interview Clip
Listener Discussion Questions
What do you think makes Dreamgirls resonate across generations—even for people who never saw it on stage?
How do you feel about Michael Bennett’s use of spectacle: brilliant storytelling or overcompensation?
Which Dreamgirls performance (on stage, in concert, or on film) stands out most to you, and why?
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bwaybreakdown.substack.com
299 episodes
Share
Manage episode 508348039 series 1525928
Content provided by Matt Koplik. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Matt Koplik or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
Dreamgirls: Broadway’s Motown Epic and the Tony Race of 1982
In this two-part deep dive, host Matt Koplik and guest Jason Veasey (Broadway’s A Strange Loop, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building) revisit Dreamgirls, the groundbreaking 1981 musical that blended Motown-inspired storytelling with Michael Bennett’s cinematic staging. Part One explores the show’s tumultuous development, its powerhouse original cast, and the infamous Tony Awards face-off with Nine.
Broadway Breakdown Links to Join:
Broadway Broadway Discord: Here
Broadway Breakdown Substack: Here
Tickets to Broadway Breakdown: A Cabaret Now Here
Guest: Jason Veasey
Jason Veasey (@veaseyville) is a Broadway and television actor best known for originating roles in the Pulitzer Prize-winning A Strange Loop. His screen credits include Only Murders in the Building and the upcoming series Best Medicine. With deep roots in musical theater history and lived experience as a Black performer navigating Broadway, Jason brings sharp insight and heartfelt perspective to this Dreamgirls deep dive
Timestamps
00:01 – Welcome
02:14 – A brisk plot rundown: Effie, Deena, Lorrell, and Curtis Taylor Jr.
05:12 – Jason’s first encounters with Dreamgirls in Black cultural memory
12:16 – The Actor’s Fund concert: Audra, Lillias, Heather, and the power of divas
16:22 – Michael Bennett’s original staging: spectacle, storytelling, and critical pushback
27:41 – Early development: Nell Carter, Loretta Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and endless workshops
43:36 – The 1982 Tony Awards: Dreamgirls vs. Nine, Bennett vs. Tune
53:17 – The politics of race, spectacle, and creative control on Broadway
Key People Mentioned
Creators: Michael Bennett (director/choreographer), Tom Eyen (book/lyrics), Henry Krieger (music)
Original Cast: Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Cleavant Derricks, Ben Harney, Obba Babatundé
Notable Later Performers: Audra McDonald, Heather Headley, Lillias White, Beyoncé, Anika Noni Rose, Jennifer Hudson
Industry Figures: Joseph Papp, Bob Avian, Mark Shaiman, Frank Rich
Resources & Links
1982 Tony Awards Performance – Jennifer Holliday
2001 Actor’s Fund Concert Album
“The Story of Dreamgirls” Documentary
Vanity Fair: Dreamgirls, Nine, and the Greatest Face-Off in Tony Award History
Frank Rich’s Original NYT Review (1981)
Sheryl Lee Ralph Interview Clip
Listener Discussion Questions
What do you think makes Dreamgirls resonate across generations—even for people who never saw it on stage?
How do you feel about Michael Bennett’s use of spectacle: brilliant storytelling or overcompensation?
Which Dreamgirls performance (on stage, in concert, or on film) stands out most to you, and why?
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bwaybreakdown.substack.com
299 episodes
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Similar to Broadway Breakdown
Life’s too short to worry about wedding favors, obligation guests, and bridesmaid dramas. Listen to the Bridechilla Podcast, take control, and enjoy wedding planning!
…
continue reading
An investigative podcast hosted by world-renowned literary critic and publishing insider Bethanne Patrick. Book bans are on the rise across America. With the rise of social media, book publishers are losing their power as the industry gatekeepers. More and more celebrities and influencers are publishing books with ghostwriters. Writing communities are splintering because members are at cross purposes about their mission. Missing Pages is an investigative podcast about the book publishing ind ...
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Marvel’s “Wolverine: The Lost Trail” is an epic quest that takes place in the Louisiana bayou. Following the events of Marvel’s “Wolverine: The Long Night,” Logan (Richard Armitage) returns to New Orleans in search of redemption, only to discover that his ex-lover, Maureen is nowhere to be found. And she's not the only one. Dozens of humans and mutants have gone missing, including the mother of a teenage boy, Marcus Baptiste. With Weapon X in close pursuit, Logan and Marcus must team up and ...
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continue reading
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If you like The Moth, This American Life or Snap Judgment, take a walk on the wilder side with RISK! Your colorful host Kevin Allison (of the legendary comedy group The State) helms this surprisingly uncensored show where people tell jaw-dropping true stories they never thought they'd dare to share in public. RISK! is hilarious, heart-wrenching and remarkably real. Think you've heard it all? Fasten your seatbelt.
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continue reading
Rabbi Shalom Rosner on The Parsha
…
continue reading
In this Bon Appétit podcast feed, you can find all our episodes of Dinner SOS, and new episodes of Bake Club each month. Write to us [email protected] or at [email protected]!
…
continue reading
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continue reading
Ask questions, vote and discover answers about Chicago, the region and its people. From WBEZ.
…
continue reading
Player FM - Podcast App
Go offline with the Player FM app!
Go offline with the Player FM app!
