|
 |
Go in-depth with the leading artists and professionals working on stage today when you go Downstage Center. Downstage Center is the American Theatre Wing's acclaimed weekly theatrical interview program that spotlights the creative talents on Broadway, Off-Broadway, across the country and around the world, with in-depth conversations that simply can't be found anywhere else. Now in its sixth year, Downstage Center, produced in association with CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, has been featured by the Associated Press and Slate.com as the place to go for theatrical talk. New editions will be available every other Wednesday from this website, where you can listen online, download the programs or subscribe to the podcast. |
|
|
|
Nicholas Hytner |
|
|
|
|
With:
Nicholas Hytner
From London, National Theatre artistic director Nicholas Hytner talks about his tenure leading that influential institution, including whether, as some have said, it was always his career goal; why he thrives on the need to embrace a general audience for the organization's survival; the impact of the £10 (now £12) Travelex season on the company and why he prefers to work under the budgetary rigor it imposes on the theatre's staff; his commitment to seeing new, "muscular" work by young playwrights on the National's large stages; and his assessment of the success of the NT Live screenings of the National's stage productions in international cinemas. He also talks about growing up in Manchester and later returning there as artistic associate of the Royal Exchange Theatre; his apprenticeship under great directors at a time when there was little director training in England -- and his bad early work in regional rep companies; why he thinks the British "megamusicals" are actually popular opera in the European tradition -- and how the "completely crazy" idea of Miss Saigon appealed to him; the pleasure he took in directing The Wind in the Willows at the National and how it began his ongoing collaboration with playwright Alan Bennett, including The History Boys and The Habit of Art, which he considers the most important feature of his directing career; what drew him to Carousel and how it ushered in the British era of reexamining the musicals from Broadway's Golden Age; why he thinks the musical of Sweet Smell of Success is deserving of rediscovery; and why the National's production of His Dark Materials will never transfer to a commercial run and how he would do that enormous hit differently if he had the chance to do it over again.
Original air date - April 6, 2011
Running Time - 1:02:50
If you enjoyed this episode of Downstage Center you may want to:
Subscribe to our podcasts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
