A short and sweet newsletter on the last day of this month because I’m doing a show tomorrow, May 1st! It’s taken up a lot of my time, but I still wanted to get two episodes, the Patreon post, and the newsletter out this month.
And don’t forget that if you want to support the show monetarily, there is a Patreon! I post bonus material from many of the episodes, conversations that needed to be cut for time and flow but are still interesting and worth listening to. And the more Patreon supporters I have, the more I’ll be able to do not just for the show but for the Patreon supporters specifically. You can subscribe for as little as $3/month. Thank you to those who have been supporting this podcast thus far!
And if you are not yet subscribed to these emails and want to be, subscribe here:
— Shoshana
Recent Episodes
Episode 121: Bible Musicals
In this episode, writer Rick Rhobajt Widen discusses bible musicals, running the gamut from Children of Eden, Two by Two, and Jesus Christ Superstar to religion-adjacent musicals like Saved and Leap of Faith . We also talk about the song "Writing a Gospel Play" from Michael R. Jackson's 2022 musical A Strange Loop.
Music played in this episode:
"Generations" from Children of Eden
"Why Me?" from Two by Two
"Deborah (Lead Me to the Rock)" from Bible Women
"Answer Me" from The Band’s Visit
"Two by Two" from Two by Two
"Samuel Anoints David" from King David
"I Don’t Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar
"Feelings" from The Apple Tree
"Writing a Gospel Play" from A Strange Loop
"Faith Hope Love" by Rick Rhobajt Widen
Episode 122: Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's A Little Night Music
In this episode, theater Reviewer, composer, lyricist and librettist Donald H. Sandborn III discusses Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's 1973 musical A Little Night Music. We also talk about the song "Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music.
Music played in this episode:
"Now / Later / Soon" from A Little Night Music
"The Glamorous Life" from A Little Night Music
"The Glamorous Life" from A Little Night Music film
"Every Day a Little Death" from A Little Night Music
"A Weekend in the Country" from A Little Night Music
"Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music
"Finale: Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music
Glynis Johns singing "Send in the Clowns" on television.
Meet the Guests!
Rick Rhobajt (rho-ba’) Widen is a writer of several musicals which have been workshopped or produced at Festival 56, The Minnesota Fringe Festival, New Musicals Inc., The Playwrights’ Center, Nautilus Music Theatre Composer Librettist Studio, Highlands Elementary, Theatre Resources Unlimited, Renegade Theatre Company, and at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, Duluth, where he received a degree in music. He has also written numerous video scripts and articles on songwriting and music theory for PBS.org, Soundfly.com, Tonaltrends.com, and Proaudiomasterclasses.com, and has recorded many albums of original music and played guitar and banjo on many records with various groups.
Hometown: Minneapolis
Current Town: Minneapolis
What are you Working on Right Now: A two-actor/two-musician musical about romantic partnerships and child-rearing, kind of akin to I Do, I Do or The Last Five Years.
What do you have coming up: A full-script audio version of my “Acts” Musical
Book, TV, film, or Theater Recommendation: Listening to “In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some” by Josh Gad audiobook currently and it is a treat.
Where can we find you online/social media:
https://www.instagram.com/rhobajtbranchjumper
Biblical Broadway Bangers - playlist by R. D.: Rhobajt | Spotify
Donald H. Sanborn III is the Theater Reviewer for Town Topics, a newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey. His freelance articles have appeared in publications such as Princeton Magazine, HowlRound, and Musical Theater Today. As a composer, lyricist and librettist he has written a musical, Robin Hood: How Legends are Made. As a composer he has written art songs, as well as choral and chamber music. He was a founding member of From Scratch Performance Company, and composed incidental music for three of their productions. Most recently, some of his music underscored Nancy Lyon's mime play Dark Secrets, which was included in the 2025 presentation of PhysFest NYC. Donald would like to dedicate this appearance on Scene to Song to the memory of his grandmother, Jackie M. Winston, who loved the song "Send in the Clowns" (as well as "Memory").
Hometown: Geneva, Illinois (which happens to be the birthplace of director/choreographer Gower Champion)
Current town: Princeton, NJ
What are you Working on Right Now: I am finishing up an article (for Princeton Magazine) about a sculptor, Victor E. Bell, whose creations are a mixture of dog and gargoyle! He currently is Artist in Residence at the Arts Council of Princeton. His creations will be displayed at Princeton businesses, and will be attached to QR codes where viewers can donate to SAVE, an animal shelter. Compositionally, I’m at work on an anthem (a new setting of a beloved hymn, also animal-related).
What do you have coming up: Theater reviews (for Town Topics) keep me happily busy! There are plenty of venues in and around Princeton—most famously McCarter, but several others.
Where can we find you online/social media:
Website: https://donaldhsanborniii.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Donald-H-Sanborn-III-ComposerWriter-456172577900439/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-sanborn-iii-00488010
Instagram and Threads: donald_sanborn_iii
Bluesky: @donald-sanborn-iii.bsky.social
Musical of the Month
No musical of the month this month, but Happy Birthday, Sheldon Harnick, who would have been 101 today. I am Facebook friends with him, and he’s my one birthday on Facebook today. I hope they keep his profile there so every year on this day I’m reminded of his birthday and how old he would have been, even when he would have been 120. Celebrate him by listening to episode 28 on Bock and Harnick’s Musicals.
Also in April…
April 4: Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’s Anyone Can Whistle opens on Broadway (1964) and Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins opens on Broadway (2004). Listen to discussions on Assassins in episode 26 on Sondheim and Weidman’s Assassins and in episode 57 on Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Company.
April 7: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific opens on Broadway (1949).
April 8: Happy Birthday, Lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg (1896), lyricist Fred Ebb (1932), and Follies director/choreographer Michael Bennett (1943)! Celebrate by listening to episode 90 on The Lyrics of Yip Harburg and episode 48 on Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman’s Follies, which also features a discussion of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s song "Class" from Chicago.
April 14: Charles Strouse, Lee Adams, and Michael Stewart’s Bye, Bye, Birdie! opens on Broadway (1960).
April 15: Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt’s Next to Normal opens on Broadway (2009). Listen to a discussion of “I Miss the Mountains” and Next to Normal in episode 14 on Portraying Mental Illness in Musical Theater.
April 18: Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas’s The Light in the Piazza opens on Broadway (2005) and Beauty and the Beast opens on Broadway (1994). Listen to a discussion of Light in the Piazza in episode 107 on Neurodivergence and Disability Representation in The Light in the Piazza and a discussion of “Fable” from The Light in the Piazza in episode 44 on The Everyman in Musical Theater. And listen to episode 53 on Disney Musicals.
April 19: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel opens on Broadway (1945) and Micki Grant’s Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope opens on Broadway (1972). Learn more about Micki Grant and her work in episode 71 on Black Women in Musical Theater History.
April 21: Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan’s Annie opens on Broadway (1977). Listen to a discussion of “Tomorrow” and Annie in episode 56 on Adaptations of Comics in Musical Theater.
April 23: Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joe Masteroff’s She Loves Me opens on Broadway (1963).
April 26: Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Company opens on Broadway (1970). Celebrate by listening to episode 57 on Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Company.
April 28: Richard Maltby, Jr., David Shire, and John Weidman’s Big: The Musical opens on Broadway (1996). Listen to a discussion of the song “It’s Time” from Big: The Musical in episode 39 on Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
April 29: Gerome Ragni, James Rado, and Galt MacDermot’s Hair opens on Broadway (1968) and Jonathan Larson’s Rent opens on Broadway (1996). Listen to a discussion on Rent in episode 65 on Artist Characters in Musical Theater.
April 30: Happy Birthday, lyricist Sheldon Harnick (1924)! Celebrate him by listening to episode 28 on Bock and Harnick’s Musicals.
Find more musical theater history for April at musicals101.com.
New Musicals!
While Scene to Song mainly looks at musicals already part of the canon, I definitely want to highlight new musicals and musicals in development.
The Apple Boys
The new musical The Apple Boys is about to start performances at the Bucks County Playhouse in Pennsylvania.
Creative Team: Music and Lyrics by Ben Bonnema; Book by Jonothon Lyons
Synopsis: Jack Chapman III, grandson of Johnny Appleseed, rallies a colorful cast of characters—including the founder of Nathan’s Hotdogs and the world’s strongest man—to save his family’s struggling apple orchard. F
Development History: August 2016 - A staged presentation of the first act at Dixon Place; August 2017 - A staged presentation of the whole show at Dixon Place, starring Tony-nominated actor Emily Skeggs; November 2017 - Presented two sold-out shows at Ars Nova as part of their "One Night Stand" series; November 2018 - Began a three-week production at HERE Arts Center, presented by “Heart On Sleeve Productions”; May 2025 - Regional Premiere at Bucks County Playhouse
Learn more about and listen to songs from The Apple Boys.
Something Wonderful
Some additional recommendations for April:
Song: “Ta-Da!”from the new musical Presto Change-O by Joel Waggoner and Eric Price, sung by Talia Suskauer. “The new musical tracks three generations of stage magicians living under the same roof for the first time in decades as they contend with old grudges, long buried secrets, and more. "Ta-Da!" sees Suskauer playing a magician's assistant, who aspires to step into the spotlight solo.
Article: “Inside ‘Maybe Happy Ending,’ the revolutionary robot musical that has Broadway audiences aglow” in The Los Angeles Times. “The Times spoke separately with members of the musical’s cast and creative team about developing the standout show in Asia, witnessing its remarkable rise to Broadway acclaim and pulling off an ending that fascinates audiences to the tune of repeat viewing.”
Hosted by writer Shoshana Greenberg, Scene to Song brings on a guest to talk about a musical, musical theater writer, or a topic or trend in musical theater. The theme music is by Julia Meinwald.
You can write to scenetosong@gmail.com with a comment or question about an episode or about musical theater, or if you’d like to be a podcast guest. Follow on Instagram at @ScenetoSong and on Facebook at “Scene to Song with Shoshana Greenberg Podcast.”
Shoshana Greenberg is a lyricist, librettist, singer, and theater journalist. Her musicals include Days of Rage with Hyeyoung Kim and Lightning Man with Jeffrey Dennis Smith. She has also written the opera “The Community” with Kevin Cummines. Her songs have been heard at venues from Lincoln Center to the Duplex, where she performed her one-woman show Not Coming Back. She’s written for American Theatre Magazine, is a contributing editor for the publication Musical Theater Today, and created and hosts the musical theater podcast Scene to Song. She holds an M.F.A. from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU and a B.A. from Barnard College.