In the wake of Ed Asner's passing I am re-posting my 2009 podcast interview when the acting legend and the iconic "The Mary Tyler Moore" star came to Boulder to play William Jennings Bryan in a one-night-only radio-theater presentation of "The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial" at Macky Auditorium on the University of Colorado campus. Asner talks about a variety of topics, including how fundamentalism in America impedes our daily lives in incremental ways. Run time: 13 minutes.

John Moore's Running Lines with ... Ed Asner

Running Lines, former Denver Post theatre critic John Moore's signature podcast, returns with his conversation with director Christy Montour-Larson, whose "Shadowlands" will be staged at the Denver Center from March 28-April 27. Call 303-893-4100 or go to www.denvercenter.org.  

166: Running Lines with ... Christy Montour-Larson

Episode 167: John Moore talks with Josh Hartwell and Laura Norman about the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company's world premiere play "Grounded," to be presented in Denver at the Avenue Theater, with Norman starring and Hartwell directing; and Miners Alley Playhouse's world premiere of "Dylan Went Electric," written by Hartwell. "Grounded" is about a an F-16 fighter pilot who is assigned to pilot drones in Afghanistan from a compound outside Las Vegas. "Dylan Went Electric" looks at a group of Bohemian tavern denizens in Greenwich Village in 1969. 

167: Running Lines with ... Laura Norman and Josh Hartwell

In this week's "Running Lines" podcast, John Moore talks with playwrights Jeremy Palmer and Ed Mills as well as director J Murray d'Armand of Wit Theatre Company about the Denver premier of "L.A. Diner." It is set at a little diner in 1962 Hollywood near where Marilyn Monroe is making her final film, "Something’s Got to Give." A swath of characters mix and mingle while learning you have to be the answer to your own prayer." 

168: Running Lines with ... Jeremy Palmer, Ed Mills and J Murray d'Armand of Wit's 'L.A. Diner'

In this week's "Running Lines" podcast, John Moore takes full advantage of the audio format to talk stage dialects with DCPA dialect coach Kathy Maes and young actors Charlie Franklin and Matt Gumley. The three demonstrate differences in the way the actors might talk naturally and the way they speak while playing British schoolboys in the DCPA Theatre Company's new production of "Lord of the Flies." In this harrowing stage adaptation of William Golding's classic novel, the boys become stranded on a deserted island and are quickly intoxicated by sudden freedom and power. "Lord of the Flies" plays through Nov. 2 in the Space Theatre. Call 303-893-4100 or go to www.denvercenter.org.  

169: Running Lines with ... Kathy Maes, Charlie Franklin and Matt Gumley

Episode 170: John Moore chats with none other than Cyndi Lauper her own self. Lauper wrote the music for the 2013 Tony Award-winning best musical, "Kinky Boots," which plays in Denver from Oct. 29 through Nov. 9 at the Buell Theatre. Lauper talks about bullying, drag queens, Colorado's own Andy Kelso and Annaleigh Ashford and Cyndi's late friend, Gregory, who inspired her now anthemic song, "True Colors." Call 303-893-4100 or go to www.denvercenter.org.  

Running Lines with Cyndi Lauper

My conversation with Shelly Bordas when she was in Theatre Group's 'Debbie Does Dallas the Musical' in 2006. 

Running Lines with Shelly Bordas in 'Debbie Does Dallas the Musical'

Episode 171: John Moore chats with Jane Lynch, who created the iconic character of the maniacal yet melodic Sue Sylvester on "Glee." Lynch will be performing in her anti-cabaret show titled "See Jane Sing," an evening of musical comedy, wit and the occasional show tune, on Valentines Day, Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver. Lynch talks about "Glee," Carol Burnett, why the pop song is basically responsible for unhealthy relationships and unattainable dreams," and why Laurie Bohner was her favorite character in a Christopher Guest film ("A Mighty Wind"). For info on "See Jane Sing," call 303-893-4100 or go to www.denvercenter.org.  

Running Lines with ... Jane Lynch

Episode 171: Award-winning actor Margie Lamb is diving back into the dark waters of the Broadway musical Next to Normal for a third time, playing Diana in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical that examines one suburban family's decades-long struggle with mental illness. She is joined on our Running Lines podcast by Jill Oliver, a licensed clinical social worker who worked for 20 years at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan. The two talk frankly about the inherent problems with curing an incurable epidemic in America. Lamb also talks about the impact of playing Diana three times has had on her acting career, as well as on being the mother o two sons. Next to Normal, directed by Nick Sugar,  runs through March 15 at the Littleton Town Hall Arts Center. 2450 West Main St. For tickets, call 303-794-2787 or click here to go to Town Hall's home page at www.townhallartscenter.org. Running time: 11 minutes

Running Lines with ... Margie Lamb of 'Next to Normal'

Episode 173: Acclaimed local actors Emma Messenger and Haley Johnson have uncommonly close personal connections to the roles the play in Vintage Theatre's " 'Night, Mother,"  about a woman who calmly announces to her mother that she will commit suicide by the evening's end. Messenger and her husband faced the harrowing challenge of their daughter's bipolarism for five years; Johnson's mother committed suicide when she was 19. While neither thinks their personal experiences changes their fundamental responsibilities as actors, they both bring an uncommon naturalism to Marsha Norman's Pulitzer-winning play. In their moving conversation with DCPA Senior Arts Journalist and Running Lines host John Moore, they reveal the story of how an audience member who recently came to Colorado intent on killing herself changed her mind after seeing the play. " 'Night, Mother," directed by Billie McBride, runs through June 14 in Vintage's studio theatre at 1468 Dayton St. in Aurora. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and  2:30 p.m. Sundays with additional performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 11, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 13. Call 303-856-7830  or go to www.vintagetheatre.org. Running time: 10 minutes. 

Running Lines with Haley Johnson and Emma Messenger of " 'Night, Mother"

We just got five minutes with Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford today in a New York taxi cab on her way to the airport. Ashford, 29, was honored with theatre's highest prize tonight for her widely praised role as the eccentric ballet dancer Essie opposite James Earl Jones in the Broadway revival of You Can't Take It With You. Read more about it: http://www.denvercenter.org/blog-posts/news-center/2015/06/08/annaleigh-ashford-brings-a-tony-award-home-to-colorado   

Exclusive Audio: Annaleigh Ashford on her Tony Awards win!

Episode 174: Actors Geoffrey Kent and Benjamin Bonenfant are well known to DCPA and Colorado Shakespeare Festival audiences. But the summer of 2015 marks their rites of passage into playing significant (if very disparate) Shakespearean leaders. Kent is playing the villain Iago, Shakespeare's largest role, in "Othello," while Bonenfant is playing the rapscallion prince-turned-warrior in "Henry V." While the roles span the moral gamut, both characters use honor as a weapon of persuasion. The pair talk with DCPA Senior Arts Journalist John Moore about their particular acting challenges and character justifications. Both will be seen on DCPA Theatre Company stages next season. Running time: 11 minutes.


Running Lines with Geoffrey Kent and Benjamin Bonenfant of Colorado Shakespeare Festival

Episode 175: There's a new elf in town. Yes, there will be a new, caustic candy-striper playing Crumpet in the Denver Center’s annual presentation of "The SantaLand Diaries," David Sedaris’ comic monologue recounting his real-life experience working as a Macy’s Department store elf. His name is Michael Bouchard, a newly appointed company member with the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company, which is presenting "The SantaLand Diaries" in collaboration with the DCPA’s Off-Center at the Jones Theatre through Dec. 27.  Info: 303-893-4100. Running time: 6 minutes.


Running Lines with ... Michael Bouchard



Welcome to episode No. 176 of "Running Lines..." our regular series of conversations with personalities from the Colorado and national theatre communities hosted by DCPA Senior Arts Journalist John Moore. Today's guests are Director Nick Sugar and BDT Stage Producing Artistic Director Michael J. Duran, who are bringing "Peter and the Starcatcher" to Boulder through May 4, 2016. Call 303-449-6000 or bdtstage.com. For previous episodes, visit www.MyDenverCenter.Org


Running Lines with ... Nick Sugar and Michael J. Duran

In honor of director and playwright Terry Dodd, who died Oct. 12, 2016, we take a listen back to John Moore's  2006 Running Lines podcast interview with Dodd when he was about to open Tracy Letts' "The Man from Nebraska" for the Lake Dillon Theatre Company.  Dodd would later be nominated for The Denver Post's "Best Season by a Director" Ovation Award for a year that also included “The Holdup,” “The Smell of the Kill,” “Private Eyes,” “The Caretaker,” "I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” and “The Weir." A celebration of Dodd's life will be held on Monday, Nov. 28, at the Arvada Center. To read Moore's tribute to Dodd, cllick here: http://dcpa.today/02jOzz

Running Lines: A listen back with Terry Dodd in 2006

Broadway star Alex Brightman headlined the Aurora Fox's 2018 season-announcement gala on April 21, 2018. Brightman, who was nominated for a Tony Award for originating the role of Dewey Finn in School of Rock, will next star in the Broadway musical adaptation of Beetlejuice opening this fall under the direction of Alex Timbers. Here is a short excerpt from singing the beloved "My Fair Lady" ballad "On the Street Where You Live" — as a serial killer. Audio by John Moore.

Alex Brightman at the Aurora Fox

Senior Arts Journalist for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts covering the entire Colorado theatre community

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