Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.


First, we talk with Broadway actor Nick Rashad Burroughs, known for starring in Broadway productions such as Kinky Boots, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, and the national tour for Something Rotten, becoming the first Black man to play the role of “Shakespeare.”


Burroughs discusses his current role as Toulouse-Lautrec in the national tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, playing at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts until March 12, 2023. For more information, visit TheHobbyCenter.org.



Then, we discuss the economics of Broadway with Tony Award-winning Broadway producer Ken Davenport. He explains the cost of putting a show on Broadway, why producers turn to adapted material, Broadway’s significance to New York and America, and the industry’s recovery after the Pandemic. Plus, he shares a little about his book Broadway Investing 101: How to Make Theater and Yes, Even Make Money.


Also, joining the conversation is Caseen Gaines, author of When Broadway Was Black.  The book tells the story of the 1921 musical Shuffle Along, which was an all-Black musical that became a Broadway hit and changed the world. He also shares his thoughts on diversity in Broadway.


 


Guests:


Nick Rashad Burroughs

Plays Toulouse-Lautrec in Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Ken Davenport

Tony Award-winning Broadway producer
Author, Broadway Investing 101: How to Make Theater and Yes, Even Make Money

Caseen Gaines

Writer, Director, Educator, & Popular Culture Historian
Author, When Broadway Was Black: The Triumphant Story of the All-Black Musical That Changed the World

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.


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