Sirius Radio: Hear Critic John Simon on "Radio Playbill" Oct. 22-30

By Robert Viagas
October 21, 2005

Few individuals on Broadway have been more feared, hated—and religiously read—than "Radio Playbill?s" guest Oct. 22-30, critic John Simon.

His erudite and often cutting reviews have terrorized Broadway for more than 40 years. He tells host Robert Viagas about his trio of new book ("John Simon on Theatre," "John Simon on Music" and "John Simon on Film"), his feelings about big stars and modern audiences, and his recent unamicable departure from his longtime pulpit at New York magazine.

Then, test your knowledge of Broadway in the weekly Playbill Quiz.

"Radio Playbill," a news and entertainment magazine show of theatrical interviews, features and music, is broadcast 7 AM Saturdays and 5 PM Sundays on Sirius Satellite Radio's Sirius Advice, Channel 117.

A new 30-minute show debuts each Saturday, with rebroadcasts Sunday and the following weekend. Here is the schedule (all times are Eastern): New show: Saturday, Oct. 22 at 7 AM, rebroadcast Sunday Oct. 23 at 5 PM. Rebroadcasts continue Saturday Oct. 29 at 7:30 AM and Sunday Oct. 30 at 5:30 PM. All the excitement and glamour of the American theatre scene comes across in "Radio Playbill," the first radio project from the creators of Broadway's distinctive programs, and Playbill On-Line, the home of theatre on the internet. The program reflects Playbill's unique access and knowledge of the world of Broadway, broadcasting from Sirius' midtown Manhattan studios overlooking Times Square.

Previous guests on "Radio Playbill" have included John Lithgow, Christina Applegate, Sherie Renee Scott, Alan Alda, Jackie Mason, Susan Stroman, Edie Falco, Sutton Foster, Nathan Lane, Idina Menzel, Whoopi Goldberg, Leslie Uggams, William Finn, Alec Baldwin, Melissa Errico, Matthew Broderick, Sheldon Harnick, Joel Grey, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Donna Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Stephen Sondheim, Chita Rivera, Marsha Mason, Rosie O?Donnell, Michael John LaChiusa, Andrew Lippa, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Antonio Banderas, Jerry Herman, Barbara Cook, Tony Kushner, Michael Crawford, Jason Robert Brown, Patrick Stewart, Rebecca Luker, Alan Menken, Liz Callaway, Jerry Zaks, Julia Murney, Cy Coleman, Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, Mickey Rooney, John Barrowman, Cathy Rigby, Boy George, Jeanine Tesori, Charles Strouse, Cherry Jones, Bjorn Ulvaeus, George C. Wolfe, Maury Yeston and many more.

The program has offered the first (and sometimes only) chance to hear songs from The Color Purple, Jersey Boys, Mary Poppins, The Woman in White, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, All Shook Up, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Little Women, Dessa Rose, Wicked, Bounce, Dracula, Brooklyn, The Frogs, Jerry Springer: The Opera, Avenue Q, Caroline Or Change, Bombay Dreams, The Little Princess, The Boy From Oz, Hairspray, Taboo, Urban Cowboy, The Fabulist, Marty, Dance of the Vampires and revivals of Assassins, Wonderful Town, Fiddler on the Roof, Little Shop of Horrors, Nine and Man of La Mancha, among many more shows.

You can now listen to some of the best of these with RealPlayer in the "Radio Playbill" archives on Playbill On-Line.

Host for the magazine show is Robert Viagas, founding editor of Playbill On-Line and Theatre.com, author and/or editor of many books on theatre, including "The Playbill Broadway Yearbook," "The Back Stage Guide to Broadway," "On the Line: The Creation of A Chorus Line" and "The Amazing Story of The Fantasticks," and Louis Botto's updated book, "At This Theatre."

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