Episodes

  • 24 Dorothy Fields

    24 Dorothy Fields
    Sep 1 2025
    Dorothy Fields, daughter of comedy star, Lew Fields, lyricist and librettist of such stage classics as A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, SWEET CHARITY and ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, along with numerous memorable films such as the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers SWING TIME and ROBERTA, discusses her life and career. She recounts growing up in a theatrical household, breaking through in the Broadway of the 1920’s, and her collaborations with many legendary composers, including Jimmy McHugh, Jerome Kern, Fritz Kreisler, Oscar Levant, Harry Warren, Harold Arlen, Burton Lane, Arthur Schwartz, and Cy Coleman. Featured songs: “On The Sunny Side Of The Street,” “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” “A Fine Romance,” “I’m In The Mood For Love,” “Make The Man Love Me,” “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” “Diga Diga Doo,” “Collegiana,” “It’s All Yours,” “There Must Be Something Better Than Love,” “He Had Refinement,” and “Big Spender.” Originally produced and broadcast in 1986. For more information go to AnythingGoesPL.com or BPN.FM/AnythingGoes. Theme music arranged by Bruce Coughlin. Sound mixing by David Rapkin. Associate producer Jeff Lunden. Anything Goes – Backstage with Broadway’s Best – is produced and hosted by Paul Lazarus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • 23 E.Y. "Yip" Harburg

    23 E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
    Aug 25 2025
    E.Y. “Yip” Harburg, renowned lyricist and book writer for Broadway and film, the writer behind such iconic works as FINIAN’S RAINBOW, JAMAICA, and the film musical, THE WIZARD OF OZ, recounts his illustrious career. Known as the “Master of Whimsy” and “Broadway’s Social Conscience,” Harburg who gave us “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime” among hundreds of other well-known songs, describes his lyric writing process, the way he tailors songs to particular performers, and even sings some of his own works, including a cut song from THE WIZARD OF OZ. Featured songs: “Napoleon,” “The Springtime Cometh,” “Evelina,” “Never Trust A Virgin,” “Sunday in Cicero Falls,” “Down With Love,” “Something Sort of Grandish,” “How Are Things In Glocca Morra,” “Jamaica,” “When I’m Not Near The Girl I Love,” “I Like The Likes Of You,” “You’re A Builder Upper,” “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” “If I Only Had A Brain,” “If I Were King Of The Forest,” “The Jitterbug,” “Lydia The Tattooed Lady,” and “It’s Only A Paper Moon.” Originally produced and broadcast in 1986. For more information go to AnythingGoesPL.com or BPN.FM/AnythingGoes. Theme music arranged by Bruce Coughlin. Sound mixing by David Rapkin. Associate producer Jeff Lunden. Anything Goes – Backstage with Broadway’s Best – is produced and hosted by Paul Lazarus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • 22 Thomas Z. Shepard

    22 Thomas Z. Shepard
    Aug 18 2025
    Thomas Z. Shepard, legendary record producer whose countless cast albums include the Houston Grand Opera production of PORGY AND BESS, 1776, DAMES AT SEA, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, SWEENEY TODD, COMPANY, and much more, discusses his career. Shepard describes his typical approach to recording a Broadway cast album, his many collaborations with composer/lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, and his joy in getting to produce the recording of the Houston Grand Opera production of PORGY AND BESS and the first major revival of SHOW BOAT. Featured songs: “Overture from THE KING AND I,” “Why Do I Love You?” “Unexpected Song,” “I Don’t Want To Know,” “Don’t Get Around Too Much,” “I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart,” “I’m On My Way,” “Hello, Young Lovers,” and the “1776 Finale.” Originally produced and broadcast in 1986. For more information go to AnythingGoesPL.com or BPN.FM/AnythingGoes. Theme music arranged by Bruce Coughlin. Sound mixing by David Rapkin. Associate producer Jeff Lunden. Anything Goes – Backstage with Broadway’s Best – is produced and hosted by Paul Lazarus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • 21 The Art of Orchestration

    21 The Art of Orchestration
    Aug 11 2025
    A look at The Art of Orchestration, featuring four of Broadway’s greatest: Robert Russell Bennett (Show Boat, Oklahoma), Hans Spialek (Anything Goes, On Your Toes), Jonathan Tunick (Company, Pacific Overtures), and Michael Starobin (Falsettos, Sunday in the Park with George). The four artists describe their different techniques and discuss their collaborations with writers and performers to bring out the best in a score for a show. Featured songs: “Overture to CAROUSEL,” “Four Jews In A Room Bitching,” “March of the Falsettos,” “Overture to THE KING AND I,” “A Terrific Band and A Real Nice Crowd,” “The Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “There’s A Small Hotel,” “Overture to NINE,” “I Happen To Like New York,” and “I Never Wanted To Love You.” Originally produced and broadcast in 1986. For more information go to AnythingGoesPL.com or BPN.FM/AnythingGoes. Theme music arranged by Bruce Coughlin. Sound mixing by David Rapkin. Associate producer Jeff Lunden. Anything Goes – Backstage with Broadway’s Best – is produced and hosted by Paul Lazarus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • 18 Marc Blitzstein

    18 Marc Blitzstein
    Aug 4 2025
    Marc Blitzstein, composer and lyricist noted for THE CRADLE WILL ROCK, THE AIRBORNE SYMPHONY, JUNO, and REGINA, discusses his life and work. He recalls the political controversy around THE CRADLE WILL ROCK, the challenges of bringing it to the stage with director Orson Welles and producer, John Houseman, and his translation/adaptation of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s The THREEPENNY OPERA. Additional commentary by Dr. Eric Gordon, author of “Marc the Music, The Life and Work of Marc Blitzstein.” Featured songs: “Finale from The Cradle Will Rock,” “Nickel Under The Foot,” “Moll’s Song,” “Ballad of Hurry Up,” “Ballad of the Bombardier,” “Mack the Knife,” “One Kind Word,” “Make A Quiet Day (Rain Quartet),” “The Best Thing of All,” and the rarely sung “Zipperfly” introduced and performed by Leonard Bernstein. Originally produced and broadcast in 1986. For more information go to AnythingGoesPL.com or BPN.FM/AnythingGoes. Theme music arranged by Bruce Coughlin. Sound mixing by David Rapkin. Associate producer Jeff Lunden. Anything Goes – Backstage with Broadway’s Best – is produced and hosted by Paul Lazarus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • 16 Jule Styne

    16 Jule Styne
    Jul 28 2025
    Excerpts from an interview with Jule Styne, famed composer of FUNNY GIRL, BELLS ARE RINGING, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, PETER PAN and Broadway classic GYPSY. Styne discusses his life and career and performs one of the first songs he ever wrote. The interview took place in 1979 on the occasion of the release of Styne’s biography simply entitled, Jule. The legendary composer recalls his early days in London as a Harry Lauder imitator, and growing up in Chicago, playing in jazz bands with Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Jack Teagarden, meeting Al Capone, his Hollywood career with Frank Loesser and Sammy Cahn, evenings in Los Angeles with Frank Sinatra and Jerome Kern, and of course, his Broadway shows with Busby Berkeley, Jerome Robbins, George Abbott, Comden & Green, Bob Merrill, Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim. Featured songs performed by Styne at the piano: “The Guy With The Polka-Dotted Tie,” and “Never Never Land.“ Originally produced and broadcast in 1986. For more information go to AnythingGoesPL.com or BPN.FM/AnythingGoes. Theme music arranged by Bruce Coughlin. Sound mixing by David Rapkin. Associate producer Jeff Lunden. Anything Goes – Backstage with Broadway’s Best – is produced and hosted by Paul Lazarus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • 15 Burton Lane

    15 Burton Lane
    Jul 21 2025
    Burton Lane, composer of such celebrated Broadway shows as FINIAN’S RAINBOW and ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, along with songs for over thirty films including ROYAL WEDDING and BABES IN ARMS, discusses his career. He recounts his early songwriting efforts in Hollywood with Frank Loesser and Harold Adamson, Broadway collaborations with E.Y. “Yip” Harburg and Alan Jay Lerner, writing songs for Fred Astaire, and discovering a young Judy Garland when she was performing as part of The Gumm Sisters. Featured songs: “Overture from FINIAN’S RAINBOW,” “Everything I Have Is Yours,” “How D’ya Like to Love Me?” “I Hear Music,” “The Lady’s In Love With You,” “How About You?” “Don’t Let It Get You Down,” “The World Is In My Arms,” “Old Devil Moon,” “Look to the Rainbow,” “When the Idle Poor Become the Idle Rich,” “How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You When You Know I’ve Been A Liar All My Life,” “Too Late Now,” “On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever,” “Come Back To Me,” and “Where Have I Seen Your Face Before.” Originally produced and broadcast in 1986. For more information go to AnythingGoesPL.com or BPN.FM/AnythingGoes. Theme music arranged by Bruce Coughlin. Sound mixing by David Rapkin. Associate producer Jeff Lunden. Anything Goes – Backstage with Broadway’s Best – is produced and hosted by Paul Lazarus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • 14 Richard Maltby, Jr.

    14 Richard Maltby, Jr.
    Jul 14 2025
    Richard Maltby, Jr., director and lyricist of such shows as STARTING HERE, STARTING NOW, BABY, and the multi-award-winning Fats Waller tribute AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’, discusses his career from his earliest beginnings. He reflects on his work with composer David Shire, having their songs recorded by Barbra Streisand, and the challenges of adapting Fats Waller’s music for the theater. Featured songs: “We Start Today,” “Autumn,” “Starting Here, Starting Now,” “Just Across the River,” “I Don’t Remember Christmas,” “Handful of Keys,” “This Joint is Jumpin’,” “What Could Be Better?” and “The Story Goes On.” Originally produced and broadcast in 1986. For more information go to AnythingGoesPL.com or BPN.FM/AnythingGoes. Theme music arranged by Bruce Coughlin. Sound mixing by David Rapkin. Associate producer Jeff Lunden. Anything Goes – Backstage with Broadway’s Best – is produced and hosted by Paul Lazarus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins