As the Curtain Rises, a Broadway-themed digital soap opera, debuts October 22. Additional episodes of the series, written by producer Dori Berinstein (The Prom, Legally Blonde) and Mark Peikert (former Playbill editor-in-chief) and produced by Broadway Podcast Network, will be released subsequent Thursdays.
Tony nominee Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice) is the Narrator with Tony nominee Ariana DeBose (The Prom film, Summer) as Zoey Taylor, Andrew Barth Feldman (Dear Evan Hansen) as himself, Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin), Ilana Levine (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown) as the CAAA agent, Lesli Margherita (Matilda) as the Broadway Texter, Mauricio Martinez (On Your Feet!) as Thomas, Tony nominee Ashley Park (Netflix’s Emily in Paris, Mean Girls) as Kay, George Salazar (Be More Chill) as Maxwell Fernsby, Tony nominee Sarah Stiles (Tootsie) as Emma-Olivia, Michael Urie (Grand Horizons) as Bobby, and Tony winner Lillias White (The Life) as Cheryl, plus Danny Marin, Peikert, and Jacob Smith.
The soap opera also features special appearances by Broadway Briefing CEO Matt Britten, set designer David Korins, lighting designer Natasha Katz, music director-arranger Alex Lacamoire, playwright Lynn Nottage, and Jujamcyn Theatres President Jordan Roth.
The series begins as the “Broadway Disher” leaks news of a top secret, in-the-works, new mega musical, and the Broadway community goes off-the-charts batty. Top-of-their-game Broadway producers Cheryl Philips and Steve Jones, arch enemies, pounce. Who will get the rights?
As the Curtain Rises, which was created and recorded during the quarantine, is produced by Berinstein, Alan Seales, and the Broadway Podcast Network and executive-produced by Liz Armstrong. It is edited and sound designed by Bart Fasbender with Avvatar music by Matthew Sklar, sound engineering by Seales, banshee wrangling by Bill Berloni, and directed by Berinstein.
Click here to listen.
