This weekend at The Ringwald Theatre located inside of The Affirmations building in Ferndale, MI, the Ringwald Reprise presents Applause, the first show of its kind at the theater! Being described as a staged concert version of the 1970 Tony Award-Winning musical, which in turn is based on the film All About Eve, Applause is looking to charm the audience once again!

In this Interview, director and cast member Joe Bailey discusses why now felt like the right time to bring this frequently overlooked musical to The Ringwald, what it's like to be both a cast member and the director of the show, how it takes a village to bring a musical to life, and where he sees this staged concert series going in the future.

For more information, and tickets visit: http://www.theringwald.com/production...

For the full video interview, visit YouTube @CosmicCircusBroadway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfIbiSn_KNY&t=1s

Listen in as RJ Miller-Zelinko and Brian Kitson share their experience with Shrek from childhood to a more recent live show based on the beloved film Shrek The Musical via it's North America Tour.

Have you seen Shrek the Musical? What was your experience? Let us know your thoughts on social media @mycosmiccircus and @boxseatbabes or comment below! If you enjoy this podcast, please consider sharing it with friends and following us on social media, or joining our Discord.

Timestamps 00:00 - intro 01:41 - Childhood memories of watching the original Shrek movie 08:20 - Discussing Shrek the Musical and the complicated logistics of adapting the film to stage. 11:20 - Changes from the original version of the musical 17:20 - Shrek's backstory added to musical 19:41 - Lord Farquaad changes in the musical vs the original 23:43 - "Freak Flag" 25:01 - Comedic choices and changes in the musical 28:10 - Best performances in most recent viewing of Shrek The Musical North America tour stop in Michigan. 32:55 - The music in this show 38:16 - Staging and costume for Fiona's transformation, the Dragon and other effects 44:16 - What is the rewatch value of this show? 48:50 - Coming up next for Broadway in Detroit: Moulin Rouge 01:02:00 - Outro

Podcast credits and show notes

Contributors/Writers Brian Kitson RJ Miller-Zelinko

Executive Producer/Editor Lizzie Hill

FMI about Shrek the Musical's North America Tour visit https://shrekthemusicaltour.com/

For a written review by Brian visit https://broadway.thecosmiccircus.com/shrek-the-musical-tour-review/

For Brian's exclusive interview with Timmy Lewis (Lord Farquaad) visit https://broadway.thecosmiccircus.com/exclusive-interview-timmy-lewis-talks-shrek-the-musical/

Follow us on social media @mycosmiccircus or visit the Linktree to find us: https://linktr.ee/cosmiccircus

It's been about a month since our last episode of The Cosmic Curtain came out, which kicked off our new podcast dedicated to our love of Broadway and theatre in general. While we're waiting for the 2024-2025 season of Broadway in Detroit to begin, which kicks off with Shrek the Musical, we've been filling our time with local productions around our neck of the woods. With a few different shows on both the community and professional level, we decided it was high time to boot up the cameras and switch on our microphones because we had to share all our excitement about some fantastic Michigan theater.

Listen as hosts RJ Miller-Zelinko and Brian Kitson discuss three recent shows featuring a mixture of musicals and plays. Beginning with OnOurOwnProductions of Beauty and the Beast, we cover The Ringwald's Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors and finish with Nicely Theatre Group's Guys and Dolls. With standout moments and aspects of each show, the Box Seat Babes discuss what made each production unique and what they look forward to seeing from the groups in the future. Check out the video of this podcast on our YouTube channel @CosmicCircusBroadway!

What are some local shows you've seen? What did you think of this episode? Let us know your thoughts on social media @mycosmiccircus and @boxseatbabes! If you enjoy this podcast, please consider sharing it with friends and following us on social media, or joining our Discord.

• Brian Kitson
• RJ Miller-Zelinko

• Lizzie Hill

Recorded on 07/29/2024

A companion article for this podcast is available at broadway.thecosmiccircus.com

I'm sure everyone in my age bracket remembers the Dreamworks film Shrek. Released in 2001, the story follows the disgruntled green orge who wants peace in his swamp. But first, he has to save a princess from a tower and return her to the Lord of the land. However, nothing is as simple as it seems, and Shrek finds himself in the middle of some hilarious hijinx and possibly even falls in love. This animated film is beloved by so many, so much so that it's spawned three sequels, with Shrek 5 in development. It's ripe with opportunity and has a larger-than-life story, making it the perfect tale for theatre! And so Shrek the Musical was born! I sat down with Timmy Lewis, who plays Lord Farquaad, and we chatted about his time with the show!

In this interview, Lewis discusses how his relationship with Shrek has changed from a child growing up with the film, to starring in the show's North American Tour. He breaks down how the show has developed and grown, such as adding original music and how it's changed from the original Broadway show. Lewis shares how he's made the role his own, and the difficulties of shifting and letting go of the past iterations of this character to make it uniquely his.

Host: Brian Kitson

Producer/Editor: Lizzie Hill

Find the companion article to this interview and more at broadway.thecosmiccircus.com

The biggest and brightest night for Broadway has finally arrived, with the 77th Tony Awards! Hosted by Ariana DeBose, The Tony Awards pulled out the red carpet and was ready to celebrate all the fantastic theater from the past year. With so many incredible shows up for many awards, the excitement was never higher in the Cosmic Circus Broadway stratosphere, so of course, we had to jump on a podcast and share our thoughts with you!

Join hosts Brian Kitson and RJ Miller-Zelinko in the first official The Cosmic Curtain podcast since moving to our new home for all things Broadway! In this episode, our hosts share their highlights from the award ceremony and what left them scratching their heads. Did their favorite shows win big? What were their biggest shockers? You'll have to listen to the podcast to find out! Kitson and Miller-Zelinko also discuss some recent local productions from Michigan and what you can expect from the Box Seat Babes, Cosmic Circus Broadway, and The Cosmic Curtain in the near future! Thank you so much for listening, enjoy!

Did you watch the Tony Awards? What did you think of the performances and winners? Let us know what on social media @mycosmiccircus and @boxseatbabes! If you enjoy this podcast, please consider sharing it with friends and following us on social media, or joining our Discord.

• Brian Kitson
• RJ Miller-Zelinko

• Lizzie Hill

Recorded on 6/21/2024

A companion article for this podcast is available at broadway.thecosmiccircus.com

Everyone says that New York City is the city that never sleeps and with the way that the lights on Broadway shine so brightly, I know that has to be true. Having always been a musical lover, over the past couple of years Broadway has begun to feel like a second home. You're amongst your people every time you step into a theater, ready for a new experience as the lights dim and the curtains go up. While there is never a bad time to fly off to NYC and take in a few shows, we're entering a special season for Broadway, as the 77th Tony Awards are upon us!

Join host Brian Kitson (X/Twitter: Kitson301, Instagram: bkitson301) and guest RJ Miller-Zelinko (Instagram: journey_thru_the_past_) as they discuss everything Broadway and the recently announced Tony Award nominees! The two discuss how their love for Broadway got started, how working in a theater for years has provided RJ a different perspective on how these shows come to be, their recent trip to NYC and the shows they saw there, and of course, their opinions on the nominees for the 77th Tony Awards. Be sure to follow along with our coverage of this year's Tony Awards, which takes place on June 16 and is hosted by Ariana DeBose!

• Brian Kitson
• RJ Miller-Zelinko

• Lizzie Hill

Recorded on 5/2/24

Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.

For more Broadway show reviews, interviews, and other coverage, visit: https://thecosmiccircus.com/tag/broadway/

Remember the 90s classic rom-com Pretty Woman? It's a Cinderella story in its own right, as Julia Robert's character is whisked away into a life of luxury. Although, the transition comes with some challenges. This film was a staple in my home, as it was one of my mother's all-time favorites. So to see that Pretty Woman The Musical was finally making its way to Detroit is very exciting! While the show doesn't arrive until next week in my city, I was able to sit down via Zoom with Adam Du Plessis, who plays the role of Happy Man in the reimagined romantic comedy musical.

In our conversation, Du Plessis talks about his journey to Pretty Woman the Musical, discussing his audition process, challenges for the role, and how Happy Man differs from other roles he's played in his career. He also discusses what a typical day on the road looks like for him, what he looks for in cities across the US when he tours, and what his dream Broadway role would be!

Host: Brian Kitson

Theme: "Coffee and You" via Pixabay.

For more Broadway show reviews, interviews, and other coverage, visit: https://thecosmiccircus.com/tag/broadway/

Dracula, perhaps the most well-known vampire of all time, has been around since the late 1890s when Bram Stoker put pen to paper. The story, set in Victorian England, explored topics of gender, sexuality, and race, through the lens of a time long past. Well, Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen are looking at them through a different lens this time, in their sexy and hilarious play, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors!

The 90-minute play is currently running at the New World Stages for a few more weeks (final performance is January 7). I recently sat down with one of the stars, Andrew Keenan-Bolger to chat about it. In the interview, Keenan-Bolger reveals some of the challenges, and even more of the fun, that Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors has provided him since he was cast as Jonathan Harker. The star also shares some highlights of his long career on the stage and looks forward to what 2024 will be bringing!

Host: Brian Kitson

Theme: "Coffee and You" by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.

For more Broadway show reviews, interviews, and other coverage, visit: https://thecosmiccircus.com/tag/broadway/