Tim Conway - In Memoriam

The new musical “The Prom” tells the story of four all-but-washed-up narcissistic Broadway stars, played by Brooks Ashmanskas, Beth Leavel, Christopher Sieber, and Angie Schworer, who are in need of a positive image boost. To fix their personal PR - they travel to Indiana, where Emma, a high school student played by Caitlin Kinnunen, has been banned from attending her prom with her same-sex partner. They make things worse before making them better and everyone learns something along the way.

The big-hearted Broadway hit, running since last autumn, is nominated for seven Tony Awards this season including Best Musical. The show features music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Beguelin and Bob Martin. We are joined two of the show’s Tony nominees. Matthew Sklar and Beth Leavel. This interview was recorded in March.

Composer, Matthew Sklar, is a Tony, Emmy and Drama Desk Award-nominated composer of the Broadway musicals “Elf” and “The Wedding Singer.”

Beth Leavel plays Dee Dee Allen in The Prom - her thirteenth Broadway show. She won a Tony, Drama Desk, OCC, L.A. Drama Critics award winner for her performance as the title role in "The Drowsy Chaperone."

The hit 1982 film, Tootsie, has a new stage-musical adaptation that is opening on Broadway tomorrow night. The updated story of the actor, Michael Dorsey, who disguises himself as a woman to get cast in a show, is directed by Scott Ellis, features a book by Robert Horn, and music and lyrics by David Yazbek. Santino Fontana dons the infamous pumps.

Sarah Stiles plays Sandy Lester in “Tootsie: The Musical” - the role was played in the film by Teri Garr. Stiles is a Tony nominated performer whose previous Broadway credits include “Hand to God,” “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” “Avenue Q,” and “The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee.” She plays Bonnie on the Showtime series “Billions”  and Gladys in “Get Shorty” on Epix.

Tonight, all Broadway theaters will honor Carol Channing, who died on Tuesday at the age of 97, by dimming their marquee lights. Her performances as the gold-digging Lorelei Lee in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and the matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi in “Hello, Dolly!” made her a Broadway legend.

In 2003, Carol Channing joined us for an hour in studio here at WAMC for an episode of our afternoon call-in program, Vox Pop. Her book “Just Lucky I Guess: A Memoir of Sorts,” had come out a few months prior and she was en route to an event at Bennington College in Vermont.