ON THE RECORD: Chaplin, Leap of Faith and Now. Here. This. by Steven Suskin

This week's column discusses the original cast recordings of Broadway's Chaplin and Leap of Faith and Off-Broadway's Now. Here. This.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on January 6, 2013☆⚑

THE BOOK SHELF: Kurt Weill, Lotte Lenya, Actors' Equity, Yip Harburg, Stella Adler and More by Steven Suskin

The sheer volume of theatre-related books published in 2012 has us playing catch-up this month, with the Equity bio "Performance of the Century," "Stella Adler on America'…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on December 30, 2012☆⚑

THE DVD SHELF: From Kurosawa to Capra, Schlesinger to Pasolini, an End of the Year Grab Bag by Steven Suskin

"Rashomon," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Brazil," a collection of Frank Capra films and Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Trilogy of Life" are screened in this m…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on December 23, 2012☆⚑

ON THE RECORD: Holiday Gift List of 2012, Part Two; Revivals and Reissues, from Pipe Dream to Merrily by Steven Suskin

A look back at the year's musical-theatre albums that are worth your attention, perhaps for gift ideas this holiday season. The mix includes Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Ju…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on December 16, 2012☆⚑

ON THE RECORD: Holiday Gift List of 2012, Part One; New Musicals and Studio Recordings by Steven Suskin

A look back at the year's musical-theatre albums that are worth your attention, perhaps for gift ideas this holiday season. The mix this week includes Once, Michael John LaChiusa, Pasek …

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:01am on December 9, 2012☆⚑

THE BOOK SHELF: John Pizzarelli's "World On a String" and Michael Feinstein's "The Gershwins and Me" by Steven Suskin

This month's column looks at two wonderfully rich memoirs, "World on a String" by jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and "The Gershwins and Me" by Michael Feinstein.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on December 2, 2012☆⚑

ON THE RECORD: The Original London Cabaret Starring Judi Dench by Steven Suskin

This week's column discusses the original 1968 London cast recording of John Kander & Fred Ebb's Cabaret, featuring Judi Dench as Sally Bowles.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on November 25, 2012☆⚑

THE DVD SHELF: Bloomer Girl, Little Shop of Horrors, Quentin Tarantino and More by Steven Suskin

This month we watch the 1956 telecast of Harold Arlen's Bloomer Girl; the Blu-ray release of the 1986 film version the stage musical Little Shop of Horrors; and holiday box sets celebrat…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on November 18, 2012☆⚑

ON THE RECORD: The Musical Calvin Berger and Another Edition of "Carols for a Cure" by Steven Suskin

This week's column discusses the original cast recording of the George Street Playhouse production of Barry Wyner's Calvin Berger as well as this season's "Carols for a Cure…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:01am on November 11, 2012☆⚑

THE BOOK SHELF: New Biographies of "Marc Blitzstein" and "Thornton Wilder" by Steven Suskin

The lives to two dramatists are in the spotlight in this month's books column: "Marc Blitzstein: His Life, His Work, His World" by Howard Pollack and "Thornton Wilder: A L…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on November 4, 2012☆⚑

ON THE RECORD: The Musicals Carrie, A Christmas Story and Seventeen by Steven Suskin

This week's column discusses the original Off-Broadway cast recording of the infamous Carrie; the new Broadway musical A Christmas Story; and the CD remastering of the 1951 musical Seven…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on October 28, 2012☆⚑

THE DVD SHELF: The French Theatrical Epic "Children of Paradise," "Mad Men" and Gilbert & Sullivan & Groucho on TV by Steven Suskin

This month, we screen Marcel Carné's backstage masterpiece "Children of Paradise"; Groucho Marx in The Mikado and Alfred Drake & Barbara Cook in Yeomen of the Guard;…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on October 21, 2012☆⚑

ON THE RECORD: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the Encores! Cast Recording by Steven Suskin

This week's column discusses the Encores! cast recording of Jule Styne and Leo Robin's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on October 14, 2012☆⚑

ON THE RECORD: The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess by Steven Suskin

This week's column discusses the new Broadway cast recording of Porgy and Bess starring Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on October 7, 2012☆⚑

THE DVD SHELF: The Grandly Theatrical "A Double Life," Plus "A New Leaf," "E.T.," "Annie" and "The Carol by Steven Suskin

This month, we watch the Othello-based backstage film noir "A Double Life"; Elaine May's "A New Leaf"; Steven Spielberg's classic "E.T."; highlights fro…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on September 30, 2012☆⚑

ON THE RECORD: Rodgers & Hammerstein's Pipe Dream From Encores!, and Laura Osnes Live by Steven Suskin

This week's column discusses the Encores! cast recording of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Pipe Dream and Laura Osnes' "Dream a Little Dream," her evening at the Carlyle.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on September 23, 2012☆⚑

THE BOOK SHELF: "Tales of a Broadway Flack" and Photos and Poems by the Harnicks in "The Outdoor Museum" by Steven Suskin

This month's column looks at "Tales of a Broadway Flack," from old-time press agent Sol Jacobson; "The Outdoor Museum," a celebration of New York by Margery Gary Harn…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on September 16, 2012☆⚑

ON THE RECORD: Follies, Once More; Original Cast Album Gets Refreshed by Steven Suskin

This week's column discusses the newly-mastered release of the original Broadway cast album of Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's Follies.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on September 9, 2012☆⚑

THE DVD SHELF: "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Metropolitan" and the Absurdist Comedy "Million Dollar Legs" by Steven Suskin

This month we watch three unconventional and unlikely movies, each of which creates a world of its own: Wes Anderson's "The Royal Tenenbaums," Whit Stillman's "Metropo…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on September 2, 2012☆⚑

ON THE RECORD: Betty Buckley's "Ah, Men!," Plus "Scott Alan Live" and Call Me Madam by Steven Suskin

This week's column discusses Betty Buckley's new CD, "Ah, Men!"; the reissued cast album of the 1950 Irving Berlin musical Call Me Madam; and the two-disc set, "Scott …

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:01am on August 26, 2012☆⚑

THE BOOK SHELF: A Chronicle of My Fair Lady and a Biography of Actor Brandon de Wilde by Steven Suskin

This month's column looks at "Loverly: The Life & Times of My Fair Lady" by Dominic McHugh, and Patrisha McLean's "All Fall Down: The Brandon de Wilde Story."

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on August 19, 2012☆⚑

ON THE RECORD: Stephen Schwartz's Working by Steven Suskin

This week's column discusses the CD release of Stephen Schwartz's 1978 musical, Working, with contributions from multiple songwriters.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on August 12, 2012☆⚑

THE DVD SHELF: "La Grande Illusion," "Jaws" and Stage/Screen Musicals "Newsies," "Evita" and "Sister Act& by Steven Suskin

This month we watch new Blu-ray releases of Jean Renoir's 1937 classic "La Grande Illusion" and Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss in Steven Spielberg's "J…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on August 5, 2012☆⚑

ON THE RECORD: Mary Testa as Michael John LaChiusa's Queen of the Mist by Steven Suskin

This week's column discusses the original cast album of Michael John LaChiusa's Queen of the Mist starring Mary Testa as a lady daredevil.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on July 29, 2012☆⚑

THE BOOK SHELF: Biographies of Lorenz Hart and The Astaires by Steven Suskin

This month's column looks at biographies of lyricist Lorenz Hart ("A Ship without a Sail") and the internationally famous dance team, Fred & Adele Astaire ("The Astair…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00am on July 22, 2012☆⚑