Composer-lyricist Jeff Blumenkrantz was named recipient of the seventh annual Fred Ebb Award, an honor for rising musical theatre songwriters. The award includes $50,000, one of the largest prizes for American dramatic writing. Source: PHOTO CALL: John Kander, Michael McElroy, Debra Monk, Celia Keenan-Bolger and More at Fred Ebb Award Ceremony | Playbill

Composer-lyricist Jeff Blumenkrantz was named recipient of the seventh annual Fred Ebb Award, an honor for rising musical theatre songwriters. The award includes $50,000, one of the largest prizes for American dramatic writing. Source: Jeff Blumenkrantz Wins 2011 Fred Ebb Award for Musical Theatre Songwriting | Playbill

Month Upon a Time, Episode #4 (September): The last time she made a guest appearance on this podcast, Alysha Umphress was just getting her feet wet in the New York talent pool. Now, five years later, she is positively drenched! First came her Off Broadway debut understudying the two female roles in the Bill Finn… Continue reading Benny Go Home – sung by Alysha Umphress

Month Upon a Time, Episode #3 (August): How does one find words to describe the force of nature that is Brooks Ashmanskas? “Funny,” “outrageous,” “fearless” – they just don’t seem to do him justice. Brooks and I crossed like ships in the night 15 years ago, when he made his Broadway debut taking over the… Continue reading Burning Man – sung by Brooks Ashmanskas

Special Episode #9: Here’s something you don’t come across everyday: a song commissioned for a cancer event. Through my association with Amy Southerland of AWOL (aka Artists WithOut Limits, producers of the highly acclaimed NYMF productions of The Mistress Cycle, The Shaggs, and the upcoming 8 Minute Musicals), I was asked to write and perform… Continue reading Touched – sung by Jeff Blumenkrantz

Episode #20: I can’t imagine a better person to have as my final special guest star than the super-special star of TV’s Will and Grace, Megan Mullally. Megan and I met twelve years ago when we were mere children performing on Broadway in our respective revivals, Megan in Grease and myself in Damn Yankees. Soon… Continue reading Lament – sung by Megan Mullally

Bonus Episode #1: Becca’s back! I’ve made it a policy to avoid repeat guest appearances, but I had to make an exception for Rebecca Luker: a) because she was my first podcast guinea pig, back before I was able to separate the piano and the vocals, and I wanted to have an opportunity to record… Continue reading Lovely Lies – sung by Rebecca Luker

Bonus Episode #8: Wow, I can’t believe it’s almost the end of the podcast! When I started this bad boy, it seemed like such a long road ahead of me, and now here it is, just weeks from the GRAND FINALE! OK, enough sentimental talk. I’ll save that for the actual last episode. I’m here… Continue reading When It Comes to You – sung by Jeff Blumenkrantz

Episode #11: Judy Kuhn can do (and has done) it all! She’s a legit soprano (Cosette in Les Miserables), she’s a classic musical theatre leading lady (She Loves Me), she’s a dramatic belter (Chess), she’s a dramatic actress (Two Shakespearean Actors), she’s a pop singer (Eli’s Comin’), she’s a voiceover artist (Pocohontas), she’s a recording… Continue reading Departure – sung by Judy Kuhn

Episode #19: Carolee Carmello wouldn’t let me gush about her on the podcast as much as I wanted, so I’m going to have to do it here! Carolee and I met doing a production of Grease at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera in 1989, and her career since then has been continuously and completely jam-packed with… Continue reading My Book – sung by Carolee Carmello