BroadwayRadio: Spotlight – Michael John LaChiusa (March 27, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this "Spotlight" episode of BroadwayRadio, host Janetessa Fox sits down with composer and lyricist Michael John LaChiusa to discuss the highly anticipated New York City Center Encores! revival of his 2000 musical The Wild Party. The conversation delves into the process of reviving the show 25 years after its original Broadway run, revisions made for the new production, the nuances of casting, and the musical and thematic complexities at the heart of the work. The episode is an engaging exploration of adaptation, racial and gender dynamics in theater, and the endurance of LaChiusa’s art.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Genesis of the Revival (00:50–02:22)

• Initiation by City Center: The revival was initiated by New York City Center, marking the first major New York production since the original run. LaChiusa credits City Center for approaching him and bringing in director Lillian Brown, a previous collaborator.
  • "It was City Center that initiated the idea... Lillian Brown... thought she might make a great candidate to direct this piece." (01:05, B)
• Composer’s Role: LaChiusa preferred to take a back seat, likening his presence to that of a "dead person," involved only in select casting and musical issues.
  • "I preferred to be treated like a dead person." (01:33, B)
  • He worked with music director Darrell Waters and orchestrator Bruce Coughlin to revisit and prepare the score.

Revisiting and Revising the Show (02:22–05:54)

• Returning After 25 Years: LaChiusa describes the experience as revisiting “an old friend,” cherishing both the continuity and the chance to make trims or adjustments.
  • "It's quite a nice revisiting of an old friend. Loved the piece when it first came out and love it now." (02:27, B)
• Edits and Additions: To accommodate shorter contemporary attention spans, cuts were made (notably the song "Golden Boy") to maintain narrative momentum, while a jazz chorale ending—originally cut—was reinstated.
  • "We did a couple little trims in the piece and added one piece to the show." (02:27, B)
  • "Golden Boy ... made the audience relax at a wrong place.” (03:05, B)
  • "We added that [jazz chorale], which was kind of fun to have it back in the show to hear." (04:11, B)
  • Locating the music meant consulting the New York Public Library archives.
    • "Doug, can you look through the files and see if there's this piece of music? And sure enough, he found a copy of it." (04:15, B)
• Unique Demands of Encores!: Fast turnarounds, minimal rehearsal, and the actors’ ability to learn the complex score in 10 days impressed LaChiusa.
  • "I don't know how the actors do it, but it's kind of fun in some respects." (04:52, B)
• Original Length and Cuts: The show initially ran six hours, with LaChiusa joking about the abundant material.
  • "There's enough material there on the editing floor to make an eight hour piece." (05:34, B)

The Impact of the Concert/Encores! Format (06:04–08:02)

• Large Orchestra & New Casting: The concert setting enabled a larger orchestra, reviving the original sound and energy. The casting of Jordan Donnica and Jasmine Rogers as Burrs and Queenie, both Black actors, added new layers to the show’s exploration of “masks.”
  • "It's nice to see and hear it again in its full form." (06:15, B)
  • "...to deal with the theme of masks, which is very prevalent in my version of the piece." (07:05, B)
  • LaChiusa connects this to the poem’s imagery and the show’s themes of racial, gender, and social "masks."
    • "What are the masks that we all wear... the racial masks, gender masks, sexual masks... what happens when those are removed?" (07:29, B)

Casting and Racial Dynamics (08:03–11:41)

• Original vs. Current Casting: Originally, Vanessa Williams was cast as Queenie, but due to her pregnancy Toni Collette took over; both brought unique energies.
  • "Vanessa Williams was original, originally cast as Queen... She was pregnant... got Toni Collette to play the role." (08:20, B)
• Layered Interpretation: Casting two Black leads in traditionally white-coded roles deepens the show’s examination of race, passing, and envy—especially in the “melting pot” context of 1920s Manhattan.
  • "It made kind of sense to have this Frisian happening in this piece with the casting... because we're all complicated human beings." (08:59, B)
• Thematic Amplification: The new casting invites poignant questions about perceptions of success, identity, and jealousy, particularly regarding passing and success without assimilation.
  • "...passing as white... to have Queenie go, wow, you just made it successful and you are black without changing the color of your skin... is amazing." (10:50, B)
  • Burrs' blackface in the penultimate scene—a highly charged dynamic in this version.

Interpretation, Direction, and Artistic Fidelity (12:02–15:08)

• Thoughts on Reinterpretation: LaChiusa encourages new interpretations, provided they remain authentic to the material’s spirit.
  • "It's always great to see people's interpretations... It's theater, for God's sakes. It's not written in stone." (12:33, B)
  • Nevertheless, he recalls a moment of frustration: "You know, it's called See what I want to see, not play what I want to play." (12:33, B)
• Balance of Authenticity and Imagination: He values respect for the material, taste, and imagination, cautioning against over-literal or “kitchen sink” approaches in musical theater.
  • "What I believe in most... is authenticity... try to be authentic to the material." (13:41–15:08, B)
  • The "contract" of musical theater is both belief and suspension of disbelief.

Musical Details and Orchestration (15:08–16:11)

• Reorchestration Joys: Hearing the full 17-piece orchestra was a thrill, especially compared to modern reduced orchestrations.
  • "It's always fun to hear a full orchestra... all 17 pieces hammering away up there. It's great." (15:19, B)
  • "It scares the shit out of people, I'll tell you." (16:05, B) — on the show's signature trumpet blast.

Challenges of Fast Production & Musical Complexity (16:23–18:36)

• Concert vs. Fully-Staged: While described as a concert, the production was fully staged, but the rapid process limited deep character development.
  • "There wasn't a lot of opportunity for the actors to... dive into their character as deeply as they would want to." (17:02, B)
• Performer Resilience: The music’s complexity meant memorization was challenging—LaChiusa expresses amazement at the cast's accomplishment.
  • "That music is no walk in the park... tricky harmonies... How do you memorize at the same time? That's where the complication arises." (18:00, B)
  • "I don't know how they did that. I really don't." (18:36, B)

Ongoing Revisions and Reflections (18:40–19:56)

• Further Cuts for Strength: Watching the revival prompted LaChiusa to consider even more trims to enhance pacing and focus.
  • "It's called vacuuming out the fat... let's keep this moving." (19:10, B)
• On Rewriting: When asked if he’d do things differently if starting now, he replies:
  • "Honey, I could. I ain't writing this one again. No, thank you." (19:46, B)

Message for the Next Generation (19:56–20:48)

• Audience Takeaway: LaChiusa hopes the revival offers something “grown up” and unapologetically adult, in contrast to the family-friendly trend in theater.
  • "A chance to hear something grown up... something that's not, you know, as accessible, meaning to me, kid friendly... and that's kind of nice, I think, for a change." (20:09, B)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Revisions:
  “We did a couple little trims in the piece and added one piece to the show. So it was fun to play around with that and have the opportunity to do that.” (02:27, B)

• On Archival Resurrection:
  “Doug, can you look through the files and see if there's this piece of music? And sure enough, he found a copy of it there in the files. And so we reinstated it, which is fun to do.” (04:15, B)

• On "Masks":
  “What are the masks that we all wear, the racial masks that we put on and hide behind? Our gender masks, our, you know, all our sexual masks, all the masks that we wear to survive, to get through the day. And, and what happens when those MA masks are removed? Who are we?” (07:29, B)

• On the Experience of Remounting:
  "I don't know how the actors do it, but it's kind of fun in some respects. It reminds me of my days doing theater in New London, Barn Playhouse up in New Hampshire..." (04:52, B)

• On Audience Experience:
  “It scares the shit out of people, I'll tell you.” (16:05, B)

• On Creative Limits:
  “Honey, I could. I ain't writing this one again. No, thank you.” (19:46, B)

Additional Insights

• LaChiusa is candid about the challenges and “hairy” points of seeing his work interpreted by others, but emphasizes the necessity and beauty of keeping theater alive and ever-changing.
• The episode thoughtfully explores how new casting can alter narrative dynamics without altering a word of the script, underscoring theater’s living nature.
• There’s a meta-reflection on what it means for a work to both honor its origins and speak freshly to current audiences, especially around race and identity.

Key Timestamps

• 00:09–01:05: Introduction and origins of the Encores! revival
• 02:22–03:05: Feeling of returning to "an old friend" and changes made
• 03:05–04:46: Cut numbers, additions, and the process of rediscovery
• 06:04–07:29: Impact of concert format, large orchestra, and casting
• 07:29–08:59: Thematic discussion on “masks” and identity
• 08:59–10:50: Racial dynamics and shifting meanings through new casting
• 12:02–13:41: Attitudes toward reinterpretation and authenticity on stage
• 15:19–16:05: Orchestration details and audience experience
• 18:00–18:36: Musical complexity and performer challenges
• 19:46–20:09: Reflections on rewriting and messaging for new audiences

Summary & Overall Tone

Michael John LaChiusa’s conversation is witty, reflective, and candid—full of musical in-jokes, warm theater memories, and astute commentary on what sustains and complicates live performance. This episode is an indispensable listen for anyone interested in the art of theatrical revival, the journey of a major American musical, and the enduring quest for authenticity beneath the “masks” of the stage.