I had a dream. The dream was to gather theater lovers from all over the world and build a webzine (internet magazine) that would be written by fans, for fans. And that dream has come true.

Exactly one year ago today, January 31, 1997, Talkin' Broadway made it's debut on the web. It seems like only yesterday that the duo of Mark Bakalor and V.J. were up at all hours getting ready for opening night. It's been a great year and the staff has grown considerably so we're going to reflect a bit here and give our thanks to all those involved.

When the "reviews" came out, the press was pretty nice to us, so a special thanks to The New York Times, Newsday, MsNBC, and all the "Yahoos" at Ziff Davis publishing. Can't forget Chris Haines at the "Tony Website" or our friends at BC/EFA, Suite 101 and Look Smart.

It is my goal to take Talkin' Broadway even further in the next year with new features and columns written by theater fans throughout the world. Originally, it was just me doing the writing and Mark Bakalor doing the web design but all that has changed in the last year. Talkin' Broadway will always be a fan based website so allow me to introduce the staff.

Mark Bakalor - Mark is the designer in charge of the look of every graphic and page on the site. He also maintains the "All That Chat" forum. Without Mark, there would be no Talkin' Broadway.

Christina D'Angelo - Christina is our resident reviewer of Broadway shows. Her columns are read worldwide and even read aloud in offices across the country. She has the gift of humor and can nail a show dead on, and dinner is always included!

Ed Feldman - Ed interviews very special performers who we feel are up and coming stars of tomorrow. After reading one of his interviews, you'll feel like you've met the actor. His section of the site is in our "Spotlight On" section.

Joseph Molnar - Joseph writes "Sound Advice" and reviews CD's. His extensive knowlege of music and cast recordings makes his column "must reading." Imagine how proud I was when I went to see a show recently and his "Top 10" column was posted out front on a billboard.

Melinda Hesbacher - Melinda is a staff reporter/reviewer who has helped me write many "What's New On The Rialto" columns. She sees everything on Broadway and has a keen aptitude in disecting shows. She also wrote a very tough Sondheim quiz in our soon to be eliminated "Cyberspace" section. Recently, Melinda worked on the Save Side Show campaign and her picture was featured in "InTheater" magazine.

Ann Miner - Ann is the person we depend on when both Mark and I are on vacation at the same time. She runs the website from Pittsburgh making sure we don't crash, monitoring the forum and posting new columns. Ann is also working on a new project for Talkin' Broadway which should make its debut in a few months. She's best known for creating and maintaining the Nathan Lane website.

Stephen Johns Stephen is our Canadian correspondent and keeps us informed of what's happening North of the border as he takes the helm of "Rialto" occasionally. Stephen also penned the Andrew Lloyd Webber quiz in "Cyberspace."

A special thanks to Carolyn Weaver, Ariel Rugg, Ronnie Allen, Todd Andrew Barnett, Andrew Fox and Jill Hobgood who have all contributed either a review, quiz, or column in the last year. Steve The Last Session Schalchlin has also penned a few columns.

We're not done yet. Now, I'd like to welcome the new 1998 columnists and tell you a little about their columns.

Michael Reynolds - Michael will begin his new column Broadway Bound which focuses on the inner workings of Broadway. The journey he will take us on is entertaining and informative. If you are an actor or in the biz, this will be a column you'll want to bookmark.

Robert Rusie - Robert is an Anthropologist, but also a theater lover, so it's only natural that he is writing Broadway 101 which is his version of the history of Broadway, going way back to the early 1800's. His first installment is called The Great White Way and will deal with Broadway pre-1900. Each installment will be enhanced with photos of the day or memorabilia from the era. He will follow up each month with a new installment covering each decade of the century. He is currently working on the second installment, 1900-1910 Give My Regards to Broadway.

Christina Leone - Christina is our latest addition to staff. She is an avid reader and will head our book review section featuring the latest books published. Her column is in the creation stage and should make its debut in March.

And there you have it, the staff and contributors to this website. What can I say? Just thank you for making my dream come true.

In closing though, from the staff and myself, we'd like to thank the readers of Talkin' Broadway who live throughout the world. I stopped counting at 50 countries and a million accesses. Please tell your friends about us; we'll be here just Talkin' Broadway! Thanks.

See you Sunday!

Wanna' talk to others about this column or anything else theatre related? Check out All That Chat