1. Rodgers, Hammerstein and Logan worked on South Pacific for just over a year before it opened. Also, it was the first work that RnH wrote and produced.

2. Joshua Logan, director, wrote the book to South Pacific with Hammerstein and then was screwed out of the “author’s royalties”

3. Dorothy Rogers (Richard Roger’s wife) drummed up volunteers for Blood Drives on the stage of the Majestic Theatre

4. South Pacific transferred from the Majestic Theatre to the Broadway Theatre in 1953

5. Hal Prince met Stephen Sondheim at opening night of South Pacific

Broadway still has a lot of work to do. Its cake is still vanilla, albeit with more sprinkles of color than in the past, but it’s still very much vanilla. And this also includes its history. I’ve seen first-hand the white-washed telling of musical theatre history and specifically the lack of coverage of black musicals of the 1970s. Some incredibly successful black Broadway shows were produced in the 1970s against the odds of whiteness, the racism of the white critics, and the struggles of seedy 1970s Times Square.

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with Gabriel Jason Dean, Jessie Dean and David Dabbon, the writers of “Our New Town”, a new musical. Through music, immersion and meta theatrics, “Our New Town” calls us all to wake up and take ownership of our personal relationship to guns and gun violence. A hyper theatrical blend of truth with fiction, of scene with song, “Our New Town” is an immersive play that puts the audience at the center of an American crisis: gun violence. In this podcast we learn why this show was created, why the writers want their show to eventually be obsolete and we get to hear the rousing song “Line in the Sand” from their recent production at Wagner College. You can follow along on their journey at: www.gabrieljasondean.com.

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with Nicolette Blount, the creator of Savage, the musical. As a registered Chickasaw Native American, Nicolette shines light on her great grandmother, Wanda Savage in this new musical. Savage is a powerful story of redemption about a indigenous mother who fought racism, sexism, and abuse to make a name for herself, but at the heart of the story is a mother and her son. Nicolette is a singer, actress, songwriter, writer, and vocal coach that lives in Massachusetts, but from Southern California. In this podcast we talk about indigenious representation, the Chickasaw disappearing language and what’s next for Savage, the musical. We listen to the opening number, “Wanda Savage”. You can follow Savage, the musical on Instagram at: @savagethemusical and www.savagethemusical.com

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with Jesse Sanchez, the writer of the new Latinx musical Sueños, Our American Musical. Based in Watsonville, California, the strawberry capital of the world, Sueños tells a contemporary journey about interrelationships, and the dynamics of three generations of a Mexican-American family as they confront challenges, make sacrifices, break cycles, and celebrate community in their pursuit of the American Dream. Sanchez is a San Jose native who is a playwright, composer, and music director who works at Oregon Shakespeare Festival as the Producing Music Supervisor. In this podcast we talk about why different Latinx experiences are important to tell in musical theatre. We listen to the 11 o'clock number, “Set Me Free” in this podcast. You can follow Jesse on Instagram @jessejsanchezmusic and www.jessejsanchez.com

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with writers Tidtaya Sinutoke (music) and Isabella Dawis (book/lyrics) and director Desdemona Chiang about the new musical, Half the Sky. Half the Sky tells the story of an Asian American woman climbing Mount Everest. It is a contemporary American musical on a global scale, infused with the sounds of traditional Thai and Himalayan folk music. The writers are winners of the 2020 Weston-Ghostlight New Musical Award and 5th Avenue Theatre’s inaugural First Draft: Raise Your Voice Commission. In this podcast, we deep dive into why this story was written, why representation matters on stage, and the bigger dreams of telling this story to a wider world audience. We listen to the hauntingly beautiful song, “Bistarai'' that follows the Sherpa through the Khumbu Icefall on Mt. Everest. You can learn more about Half the Sky on halftheskymusical.com and on IG: @halftheskymusical

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with Kira Stone, composer and writer of the new musical, Salem. Salem is a tale about a sisterhood of accused witches & their accusers from the 1692 Salem Witch Trials as they are held hostage in a modern courtroom. Stone asks the important questions: How did this happen? Why did it happen? And could this happen again? With the songs all set to dark pop melodies & 808 beats, Salem is telling the real story of Kira’s 6th great-grandmother. We learn all about this connection to family history, where Salem is at in its development process and Stone’s dreams for the piece in the future. We also listen to her pop anthem “I Believe”. You can learn more about Kira Stone and Salem on her website: www.kirabethstone.com and on IG: @kirabethstone.

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with G. Victoria Campell, writer and composer of the new musical: Treeson: An Eco-Musical. A new musical theatre writer, Victoria has created this entire musical during the COVID pandemic in Switzerland. Her dual background in psychology and music have informed the themes of her art, which focus on doing mission-driven work, inspiring people to act on behalf of the collective as opposed to the individual, and activism. Treeson: An Eco-Musical is set in present-day North America, in the beautiful landscape of the Pacific Northwest, where many respect nature, but others seek to destroy it. Treeson is educating, inspiring and entertaining listeners about climate change on its debut concept album released January 15th, 2021 on all music platforms. Learn more about Victoria on her website: https://www.treesonmusical.com/, and on IG @treesonmusical.

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with 17-year old composer and writer, Elise Marra. In May of 2020, Elise’s sixth musical, Frankie! The Musical was released on Broadway Records making her the youngest female in history to release a cast concept album. The show has been developed with New York Theatre Barn and featured on Playbill.com and Broadwayworld.com. In this podcast, we learn what the show is about, where it’s at in its development process, and we get to listen to one of the first tracks off the new cast album. Learn more about Elise at www.elisemarra.com. And follow Frankies’ journey on Instagram: @frankiemusical.

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with Equity Stage Manager, Peter Royston. Peter is based in New York City and originally from the Bay Area. His credits include: Blue Man Group, The Public Theater, The Lark, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Theatre Works, among others. Since 2017, Peter has become a vocal advocate and ally to the disabled community, specifically through his lived experience as a White Gay man with Cerebral Palsy. In this podcast, we learn about his journey and new ways to support the disabled community in the theatre business. You can follow Peter on Instagram: @PeterRoyston

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with Off-Broadway producer, Jen Sandler. Jen talks about her experience becoming a producer in New York City and how new diverse musicals will usher in a theatrical renaissance when theatre reopens. Jen is a creative producer and theatre administrator based in New York City. She recently co-produced Joe Iconis' Broadway Bounty Hunter at the Greenwich House Theater. Jen serves as Associate Artistic Director of New York Theatre Barn and as an Original Programming Producer at Feinstein's/54 Below. Previously, Sandler has worked on Penn and Teller on Broadway as well as at prominent theater companies such as Playwrights Horizons, Primary Stages and MCC Theater. Follow Jen on Instagram: @jensandler

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with actor of color, Adam Tabellija, where talks about his experience in the casting room as a biracial queer actor of color in New York City. Adam was last seen as Frank N Furter in Rocky Horror at Exit 82 Theatre. Other credits include Rock of Ages, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Burn the Floor, Cleopatra, RENT, and For Tonight. He also is the creator of the web series: My Gay Bartender where he crafts cocktails with a sassy twist for your next kiki. Find his amazingly funny channel on Instagram, TikTok and Youtube at: @mygaybartender.

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with Kim Montelibano Heil, Associate Producer and Casting Director at San Diego Repertory Theatre, a theatre that produces intimate, provocative, inclusive theatre. Kim is a dedicated advocate of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and places those values at the forefront of all her work. She is especially interested in the intersection of the performing arts and financial literacy, and has sought to dispel the myth of the “Starving Artist” through her Instagram Live Channel, The Nuance. You can follow her at: @thenuance2020.

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with Joe Barros, Artistic Director of New York Theatre Barn, home for new culture shifting musicals during incubation. Joe is a New York-based stage director and award-winning choreographer working on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, and internationally. Joe recently directed and choreographed two national tours of “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, the new musical “Love and Yogurt” in New York, “Aida” in Singapore, and “A New Brain” at Five Towns College on Long Island. New York Theatre Barn has programmed over 30 new musicals in their New Works Series since March 2020, uplifting and including diverse stories, voices and writers.

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with James Alonzo White, a dancer, choreographer and educator. James’ professional credits include dancing with Travis Scott, Cardi B, Rotimi, New York Fashion Week, and Tostitos. Coming to us from New York City, we are excited to learn more about his choreography in his new video, “A Brand New Day” from The Wiz that went viral in early September 2020. He has over one million views on Facebook and 200,000 views on Instagram, in hopes to choreograph a new revival of The Wiz on Broadway.

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with Luis Salgado, an international director, choreographer and educator. Luis was the Assistant Latin Choreographer of In the Heights on Broadway, which won four Tony Awards. Luis worked as the associate director/choreographer of Cirque du Soleil's Paramour in Hamburg, Germany. Coming to us from Puerto Rico, we are excited to learn more about his musical theatre background, what it was like to direct the first bilingual production of Fame and how he finds purpose in art and storytelling.

Culture shifting stories and voices that encompasses BIPOC, transgender, queer, disabled, and other under represented stories and writers.

Broadway ReFocused is in conversation with Tatiana Wechsler, the first woman to play Curly in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! as a part of Bill Rauch’s LGBTQ+ inclusive production at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Tatiana is an actor and performing artist from New York City that has performed on and off Broadway and across the country. Coming to us from New York City, we are excited to learn more about her musical theatre background, what it was like to play Curly in a same-sex relationship in the ground-breaking production of Oklahoma!, and also how she believes Broadway will become more inclusive in the future.