Nomination for the 2002 Tony Awards will be announced May 6, "Radio Playbill," the weekly radio show of Broadway on Sirius Satellite Radio, will spend the week of April 30-May 5 gazing into the crystal ball and considering who are the likely nominees, and which races to watch.
The show also plays songs from cast albums of possible nominees, including Urinetown, Mamma Mia!, Sweet Smell of Success, Thoroughly Modern Millie. Elaine Stritch at Liberty and more.
Also this week: author Robert Emmet Long gives us a taste of his new book about the rise of Broadway's great choreographer-directors. The show will sample the long-awaited CD release of Juno. Broadway's love/hate relationship with critics is not helped by the fact that the reviewers sometimes fail to recognize genius when they see it. Playbill theatre archivist Louis Botto looks back in history for a survey of notable critical miscalls.
"Radio Playbill," a weekly news and entertainment magazine show of theatrical interviews, features and music, is broadcast 12 times weekly on Sirius' A&E Channel, 154.
The 30-minute weekly show debuts each Tuesday, with airings at 5 AM, 11 AM, 5 PM and 11 PM (ET). Rebroadcasts of the show will occur each Thursday at 1 AM, 7 AM, 1 PM and 10 PM and Saturday at 5 AM, 11 AM, 5 PM and 11 PM (ET).
All the excitement and glamour of the American theatre scene comes across in this, 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.
Upcoming shows include samples from the new cast album of Sweet Smell of Success and Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, an interview with Pulitzer-winner Suzan-Lori Parks, and a Tony Awards preview from Gerard Alessandrini, creator of Forbidden Broadway.
And don't miss Playbill's theatre news headlines, being broadcast throughout the day, seven days a week on Sirius Radio's "Broadway's Best," channel 67.
Host for both the news and the magazine show is Robert Viagas, founding editor of Playbill On-Line and Theatre.com, and author of several books on theatre, including "On the Line: The Creation of A Chorus Line" and "The Amazing Story of The Fantasticks."
The signal can be heard coast to coast on the Sirius system, currently available mainly in automobiles, and streamed through the company's website at www.siriusradio.com
Sirius began a national rollout of its 100 commercial-free stations Feb. 14 with promotions in four cities, Denver, Houston, Phoenix and Jackson, Miss. More cities are being added weekly until full national coverage is achieved July 1, accelerated from the originally-announced Aug. 1.
Sirius receivers and antenna cost approximately $249. Listeners are charged a $12.95 monthly fee, similar to cable television, and receive a wide range of targeted music and talk channels, from country to classical. Sirius has a deal to install receivers in Ford, BMW and DaimlerChrysler cars, though the receivers can be installed in any car. Sirius-ready receivers can be purchased at national retail stores such as Circuit City and Best Buy, as well as local car and audio retailers.
