BROADWAY NATION

8

A lively and opinionated cultural history of the Broadway Musical that tells the extraordinary story of how Immigrants, Jews, Queers, African-Americans and other outcasts invented the Broadway Musical, and how they changed America in the process.In Season One, host David Armstrong traces the evolution of American Musical Theater from its birth at the dawn of the 20th Century, through its mid-century “Golden Age”, and right up to its current 21st Century renaissance; and also explore how musicals have reflected and shaped our world -- especially in regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, and equality.

Recent Episodes
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Recent Reviews
  • chabad fan
    Thank you!
    I’m loving your interview with Kevin Winkler about Bette Midler. It is bringing back some great memories of her performances.
  • jstevens2422
    A necessary listen for any aspiring or current theatre professional!
    David’s insight is both revealing and inspiring as he shows us, through it’s history, the power of Musical Theater. A complete masterclass to understanding the history of the Broadway musical and utterly necessary as we in the industry ask ourselves “what’s next?!”
  • donny gersonde
    Musical Theatre History Heaven!
    This podcast has an amazing amount of historical knowledge! I started at the beginning and am so excited to journey through. If you love hearing from the people that were there to create and someone who really knows their history, this is for you!
  • anonymous281281
    Excellent podcast!
    This guy knows his stuff. This podcast is highly entertaining and informational. I’m addicted and can’t wait to keep learning more!
  • DCTheaterFanatic
    Always enjoyable and enlightening
    I thought I knew a lot about musical theater until I started listening to this podcast! David Armstrong is a great teacher knowledgeable of all the broad facts and back stage details to make all his stories come alive! Best of all he has an uncanny ability to see links that few others have seen and to demonstrate the connections between the Broadway of the past with today’s theater.
  • abu4382
    What a treasure!
    This is heaven for anyone who’s obsessed with musical theater… the host is charming and informative. Love David Armstrong!
  • wash hts
    Fantastic
    Each episode is a deep dive into an interesting topic. Love the detail and enthusiasm.
  • MJPMacM
    Perfect show for a Broadway fan!
    I am huge fan of Broadway musicals having performed in and musical directed many shows (and even taught a class in the history). Love this podcast!!! I have read so many great books on this subject and this podcast is equal to the best of them! I even learned som4 new things. I was afraid that season 2 would be a letdown (as season 1 covered so much), but it has been equally fascinating. The interviews with various authors profiling a variety of Broadway talents have been a wonderful window into the world of the Broadway musical.
  • CaymanIlika
    Absolutely fabulous!
    If you love Musical Theatre, you’ve come to the right place. This podcast is so thoroughly researched and beautifully written. I look forward to every episode- and I’ve learned so much!
  • Past0071
    I never knew!
    So informative! I can’t wait to hear them all, so much I didn’t know. The podcaster themselves are very charming. Looking forward to the next ones coming out.
  • Dougorsino
    For aficionados and students
    Who needs a musical theatre history class when you can listen to this podcast? The music examples are definitive and the whole narrative is fun, funny and inspiring. It may highlight the contribution of minority or lesser-heard voices, but the scope is comprehensive. There’s nothing negative or mean spirited - just the celebration of an art form. What a delight 🙏🏻🙏🏻
  • wise brother
    Excellent
    As a life long theater goer, it is great to listen and learn the history and background of the shows that I’ve seen. David does a wonderful job of explaining. I highly recommend this podcast to anyone who, like me, enjoys Broadway shows.
  • Mkdell
    So Much Fun and So Illuminating!
    No one knows more about musical theatre than David Armstrong and no one could possibly be more fascinating to listen to than he is as he expounds on his lifetime enthusiasm for America’s great indigenous art form!
  • Bogue Herb Lives
    Great history!
    A fine way to learn or relearn the history of the great shows, stars, and creators of musical theatre throughout the decades. I love the clips and the length of the podcast is a handy 35-40 minutes. Love it!
  • tommygeneharlow
    What a fun listen!
    This is show is, if nothing else, a very fun listen! David Armstrong is a warm and informative host. There is so much history, insight, and lots of musical clips from the show tunes genre packed into each episode. If you want to know a little more (...or a lot, depending on the episode!) about your favorite musical, look no further. Bravo, Broadway Nation!
  • Dadofcal
    The real deal
    It has all the great features of a worthwhile podcast—knowledgeable, well-researched discussion by people who are passionate about the subject. Each episode is an easily-digestible length. Like sitting with the folks who probably know more than myself and who can’t wait to tell me all about it. ❤️🎶❤️
  • Adventurist27
    Living history
    Informative, entertaining and consistently high quality. I thought I knew a lot about the history of musical theatre but this takes it way beyond facts to the life stories behind the creation and creators of the shows.
  • BAM-STG
    Insightful and Moving
    David and his guests routinely bring new perspectives and insider information about the evolution of Broadway shows and their creators, along with an exploration of the ways in which they reflect the zeitgeist and in turn impact and influence our nation’s culture and beyond. His essentially chronological approach bears much new fruit and there are “A-ha” moments to be found in each episode for everyone from the most seasoned theatre professionals to the newest theater enthusiasts. Being of a “certain age” myself, I was particularly moved by the episodes about Modern Broadway – from the early ‘70s through the AIDS crisis. I highly recommend and I look forward to learning more with each episode.
  • Sullivanh10
    Always informative
    I have always enjoyed how David breaks down Broadway in both a creative and financial way. I could listen to him for hours. So happy he has this podcast!
  • Bebop9
    This is the real deal
    An honest and vivid look at the impact Broadway has had on the world. David’s podcast is a colorful, entertaining and insightful valentine to Musical Theatre. And when Albert Evans drops by it is a huge treat to hear two musical theatre experts exchanging theories, quips and observations.
  • raquelmariah
    Wonderful podcast!
    I am loving the historical background of Broadway and Musical Theater! David’s research and information is so thorough and really explains how Broadway got to be what it is today!
  • sondheimboy
    Finally, a Musical Theatre Podcast for Adults!
    As someone who has been thinking of starting a podcast to talk about the older shows that you almost never hear about on other podcasts, this show is Manna from Heaven.
  • Tom Robinwood
    Fascinating and fun!
    David Armstrong digs deep and comes up with stories and unexpected connections between stories that are theater gold! Bravo!
  • Magic Matt NYC
    Terrific!
    What a wonderful podcast! David Armstrong has put together a string of fun, informative, well-researched episodes chock full of fresh anecdotes and rich history. Great for musical theatre-makers and fans alike. Listening REALLY makes me want to get back into the theatre!
  • Showbiz5678
    Engaging, informative, and quick
    I have so enjoyed this podcast. David manages to pack in some fascinating broadway trivia, some great song excerpts, and some engaging historical context in a tight 30 minutes. I consider myself a bit of an aficionado when it comes to musicals and their history- and I’ve learned quite a bit. The podcast contextualizes the rich history of broadway in a way that I haven’t experienced before... explaining these breakthroughs in the form as they relate to the time period. Highly recommend for any fan of the American Musical theater.
  • Key 2 Sub
    I highly recommend this podcast!
    It is so exciting to delve into the historical context of the great Broadway shows that I’ve been playing for 20 years as a pit musician. This podcast is well crafted and professionally produced. It is full of insights, anecdotes and musical excerpts which will give anyone a deep respect and love for this unique art form and the geniuses who created it.
  • Amaran Tarnoff
    Thanks for Episode 13, an outstanding episode of an outstanding podcast
    Dear David, Episode 13 was a breakthrough for the podcast as was the Bench Scene itself in musical history. The elucidation of that scene is Carousel was so brilliant and hopefully shows the way for future episodes - once the "history" of the musical is completed, I'm hoping you can continue the podcast series with more examinations of individual musicals as you did in this episode. The whole podcast so far has been absolutely fantastic - I can't say enough about how much I'm enjoying it and how grateful I am to you for doing it. Bravo!!!!!! From Amo Tarnoff
  • Pauls Macs
    Engaging and Accessible
    David Armstrong, and his colleague Albert Evans, are incredible resources of musical theatre history and song analysis. This podcast is a treasure trove that allows them to share their knowledge with musical theatre fans all over the world! Additionally, this podcast contains clips of the songs being referenced, so you can immediately understand what David and Albert are talking about when it comes to history and song construction. I just finished the episode on Lerner and Loewe and the Golden Age of Broadway. I was totally unfamiliar with Lady in the Dark! Can’t wait to learn more about the history of America's indigenous art form.
  • sundayclothes
    Love it
    Really enjoying this podcast. I listen to it while out running and always learn some really interactive g stuff. Highly recxomend it.
  • SeattleTheatreTeacher
    Using in our MT curriculum!
    Theatre educator here. We are going to be using this podcast as a supplement in our theatre history and musical theatre curriculum! Finally an authoritative voice on the under-recognized contributions to American theatre history from marginalized groups!
  • Any name that is available
    Broadway Nation
    David Armstrong provides fantastic details on words, music and dance on American composers and shows which were mostly created by minorities. Extremely interesting and entertaining for anyone who enjoys theatre, particularly musical theatre.
  • Malcolm GNX
    Like a broadway encyclopedia
    I’m an actor and I’m always looking for great resources to help with my character and industry research... this is AMAZING! So great to have this here as opposed to the usual “clipping” articles and saving tabs on my laptop. Thank you to the folks who created this <3
  • Miss 165432
    Brilliant
    Thank you to David Armstrong for educating me in an in depth but simplistic way. He’s ability to convey complicated circumstances for a novice brain is remarkable. It’s not just facts but incites into the era/culture/and social stature of the time which gives an ability to take yourself out of the present but to the past in which he is referring. I look forward to many more for my own edification and education. Thank you again
  • KellyA1042
    Can’t wait for each episode
    David Armstrong and Albert Evans offer a rich cultural history lesson in each episode that is far from stuffy and highly entertaining. Their goal is to show how the “outsiders” created the Broadway we know now and, in the process, they reveal a fascinating view of American society, politics, and art and what happens when they intersect. Example: Episode 3’s depiction of the bizarre origins of the “Cakewalk.” I will NOT miss an episode.
  • MissingJon
    Loved it!
    I learned so much about something I thought I knew so well. If you love Broadway musicals, this is the podcast for you!
  • Guilly
    My regards to Broadway Nation
    This well-produced and polished series offers a compelling narrative of the origins and journey of the Broadway musical. Fascinating stories, engagingly told, and interspersed with music, present a clear and complete look at America’s most popular art form!
  • techymom75
    Great podcast
    I heard this episode in advance and can’t wait for all of you to hear this and future podcasts! You won’t be disappointed.
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