{"podcast":{"title":"Closing Night","slug":"closing-night-6469355","podcast_index_feed_id":6469355,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/closingnight","website_url":"https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/podcast/closing-night/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/2bf54e30-ece8-11ed-a593-5fb14b3bb4ec/image/0e5e80b73eca08e43e01183cdb9984a4.jpeg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"WINMI Media, LLC","episode_count":47,"summary":"Every Broadway show has an opening night. This podcast is about what happens next. Closing Night explores famous and forgotten shows that closed too soon, using the stories of individual productions to uncover the larger history of Broadway. Through deep research and immersive storytelling, each episode examines the artists, ambitions, successes, and failures that have defined American theater. From legendary flops to celebrated classics, every closing night has a story worth telling.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-06T08:18:11.835863+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/closing-night-6469355"},"episode":{"title":"Senator Joe","slug":"senator-joe","published_at":"2025-03-31T13:45:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/closing-night-6469355/senator-joe","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/closing-night-6469355","url":"https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/podcasts/closing-night/senator-joe","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BPNET6144310718.mp3?updated=1743429008","summary":"History and politics have long found their way onto the Broadway stage, from Hamilton and 1776 to Parade and Fiorello! But in 1989, one musical took a wildly unconventional approach—bringing the infamous Senator Joseph McCarthy to life in Senator Joe. Helmed by Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar director Tom O’Horgan, this audacious and bizarre production featured everything from Brechtian satire to a musical number inside McCarthy’s alcohol-ravaged liver. Yet, after only three Broadway previews, the show collapsed under the weight of its own chaos, ending in scandal when its producer was arrested in a phone booth. How did Senator Joe go so wrong? And why did anyone think a musical about McCarthyism would work in the first place? This episode dives into the missteps, mayhem, and misguided ambition that turned a political firebrand into one of Broadway’s most infamous flops. Theme Music created by Blake Stadnik. Click here to find a transcript for this episode and a full list of materials and resources used. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"History and politics have long found their way onto the Broadway stage, from Hamilton and 1776 to Parade and Fiorello! But in 1989, one musical took a wil…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2242,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/closing-night-6469355/episodes/senator-joe/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/closing-night-6469355/senator-joe.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}