"Radio Playbill," a news and entertainment magazine show of theatrical interviews, features and music, is broadcast multiple times each week on Sirius Satellite Radio's Our Time, Stream 131 .
Robert Viagas hosts the show, aided by engineers Todd Stack and Ray Romano, and announcer Simona Berman.
Click here to contact host Robert Viagas via email.
Past "Radio Playbill" Shows
Dec. 23, 2002 - Show 40
Is Donna Lynn Champlin really good enough to the role modeled on Carol Burnett in Burnetts autobiographical comedy? You can decide for yourself when she gives "Radio Playbill" a sample of her showstopping Act II speech from Hollywood Arms. Youll also hear Richard Gere singing on our CD of the week: the soundtrack from the movie version of Chicago.
Dec. 16, 2002 - Show 39
Some of the greatest Christmas carols originated as showtunes, including this one from the London production of Scrooge, and Ive got two stars from New Yorks A Christmas Carol here to play their favorites. Also on "Radio Playbill," our CD of the week is the original cast album of George C. Wolfes Apollo Theatre revue, Harlem Song.
Dec. 9, 2002 - Show 38
Baz Luhrmann, creator of Oscar nominee Moulin Rouge comes to Broadway this week with a wildly theatrical version of the opera La Boheme, and hes here today to tell why he thinks Broadway is ready for it. Also on "Radio Playbill," our album of the week is Heart and Soul on Broadway, a great album of showtunes sung by some of the top African-American talents working on the professional stage today.
LISTEN TO PART 1: Baz Luhrmann talks about why his production of La Boheme is set in 1957 Paris
LISTEN TO PART 2: Luhrmann talks about upcoming stage productions of "Moulin Rouge" and "Strictly Ballroom". Musical director Constantine Kitsopoulos and David Miller also talk about their participation in the La Boheme.
Dec. 2, 2002 - Show 37
Best CDs of 2002. 2002 was a great year for cast albums, and show music in general.
This week's "Radio Playbill" will take you on a guided tour through the best CDs of the year. Our
guest this week is Dudu Fisher, the Israeli musical comedy star who is determined to succeed in
America despite - well, I'll let him explain.
Nov. 25, 2002 - Show 36
Our guest this week is the book writer for Broadway's new Dance of the Vampires . The author of
three long-running hits in Europe takes us onto the stage of the Minskoff Theatre as he prepared
for his Broadway debut. Also on "Radio Playbill," our album of the week is Ricky Ian Gordon's
Only Heaven , based on the poetry of Langston Hughes.
Nov. 18, 2002 - Show 35
Our guest this week is Stephen Flaherty, composer of some of the best beloved musicals - with
some of the most often played cast albums - of the last decade. With lyricist Lynn Ahrens he wrote
Ragtime, Once on This Island and Seussical (whose overture you're listening to). And he's here to
tell us about their latest, A Man of No Importance , now playing at New York's Lincoln Center.
Flaherty will also play a song from that show, which doesn't yet have a cast album - a "Radio
Playbill: exclusive. Also on this week's show you'll hear music from our album of the week. Betty
Buckley's new solo CD, The Doorway .
LISTEN TO PART 1: Stephen Flaherty talks about getting started at the BMI Workshop
LISTEN TO PART 2: He plays a song from A Man of No Importance and reveals his next project with writing partner Lynn Ahrens
Nov. 11, 2002 - Show 34
My manly guest this week is Rob Becker, star of Broadway's longest-running solo show ever,
Defending the Caveman . He'll share some of his theories on the battle of the sexes, and tell us a
little about his own real-life marriage. "Radio Playbill's" album of the week is This Is Who I Am ,
the Top 40 pop CD from Aida star Heather Hedley.
LISTEN TO PART 1: Rob Becker discusses his Hunter/Gatherer theory
LISTEN TO PART 2: He discusses his new show, Cave Dad
Nov. 5, 2002 - Show 33
Our guest this week is one of the great songwriters of Broadway history, Mr. Jerry Herman,
composer of Hello, Dolly!, Mame and La Cage aux Folles, all of which are being planned for
Broadway revivals. Staying with that theme, "Radio Playbill's," album of the week is the original
cast album of Parade - not the recent Broadway musical, but the Off-Broadway revue that launched
Herman's career. The album's been out of print for decades, but was just released on CD.
Oct. 29, 2002 - Show 32
Our guest this week is one of the most prolific practitioners of the postmodern musical: Michael
John LaChiusa, composer of The Wild Party, Marie Christine, Hello Again , and a new show that
will get an exclusive musical preview here today. Also on "Radio Playbill," our album of the week is
a solo CD from suave leading man James Naughton
LISTEN TO PART 1: Michael John LaChiusa talks about his past shows
LISTEN TO PART 2: He plays a song from Little Fish, to be produced by Second Stage in 2003
Oct. 22, 2002 - Show 31
Jim Steinman's creepy new musical Dance of the Vampires is now in previews. Radio Playbill will
take you to the rehearsal hall to hear the songs and talk to the stars, including the king of the gothic
musicals, Michael Crawford. Also this week we have for you cut from the original cast album of the
Off-Broadway musical The IT Girl .
Oct. 15, 2002 - Show 30
You're listening to one of the best-known tunes form our Album of the Week, the original cast
recording of Billy Joel's forthcoming Broadway musical, Movin' Out . I'll be playing several
numbers from that. Our special guest in the studio this week is Christine Andreas, who has starred
on Broadway in four musicals, including The Scarlet Pimpernel , and who is out with a solo
album that daringly rethinks signature tunes by the great divas of Broadway history.
LISTEN TO PART 1
LISTEN TO PART 2