Into our 5th Year
It seems like only yesterday that Talkin' Broadway made its debut on the Web. We've been so busy that we forgot our birthday on January 31st. Many people ask me how it began and how it got so big and popular with theater fans throughout the world.
Well, it goes back to 1996. I had observed that on the Web, especially in theater chat rooms, was that all I was hearing was "Rent Rocks," and Sondheim and Webber were certainly represented back then as well. And I had this thought. There is more to Broadway and theater than Rent, Phantom, or Sweeney Todd. While there is certainly nothing wrong with any of those, I just felt there is more. There was a Jerome Kern, there was an Irving Berlin, there are the current young voices in the way of composers and lyricists who need to be heard and talked about, and there is a history of Broadway that needs to be told.
I didn't want a personal Web page, I wanted a Web Site, a big one too. I hired a graphics designer and off we went. The original site was built completely by exchanging thousands of e-mails. Once the site debuted, I knew it wasn't finished. And I had this theory that if you put just one brick in place each day, eventually you would end up with a building. And that's what I set out to do.
Along the way, web-friends began to e-mail me offering to participate in the Talkin' Broadway family of writers. Through the years it's now expanded to 25 volunteers who either write, design, or maintain the site. If you go to our home page, you'll see all the different sections we have developed in a "zine" format.
I always wanted a place where theater fans could congregate under one roof, so to speak, from all over the world to discuss Broadway or theater. As a result, our message boards are quite active. Just yesterday, for the first time ever, a blind person, using a computerized speech synthesizer, was able to post a message on one of our boards. She's a real theater buff and one of her favorite songs is "Gonna Build a Mountain." She was frustrated that she couldn't participate in the chat, but she overcame that mountain, so we welcome her and Razzle, her guide dog, to the Talkin' Broadway family. How cool is that!
And so, we continue into our fifth year, and I'd just like to take a moment to wish the staff of Talkin' Broadway a belated Happy Birthday! And they are:
Staff of Talkin' Broadway Owners, Editors, & Publishers........John Gillespie Ann Miner Michael T. Reynolds WebMaster....................Ann Miner Graphics/Design..............Ann Miner/Miner Miracles The Columns: What's New On The Rialto.....V.J. (that's me :) Broadway Reviews.............Thomas Burke Wendy Guida Sound Advice.................As credited Cabaret......................Jonathan Frank Restaurant Revue.............Marilyn Hansen & Hulda Lawrence with M.J. Boyer Broadway Bound...............Michael T. Reynolds Broadway 101.................Robert C. Rusie Spotlight On.................Ed Feldman Nancy Rosati V.J. On The Boards................Michael T. Reynolds Off Broadway.................Marge Shapiro Matthew Murray Seth Christenfeld Wendy Guida Genese Lefkowitz Contributing writers.........Melinda Hesbacher Jill Hobgood Nancy Rosati Cabaret......................Jonathan Frank Regional: Atlanta.................Harper Strom Boston..................Ryan DeFoe Cincinnati..............Scott Cain Las Vegas...............John Gillespie Los Angeles.............Jerry Howard, Sharon Perlmutter Phoenix.................Dwight Jenson Pittsburgh..............Ann Miner San Francisco...........Richard J. Connema Seattle.................Jonathan Frank Toronto.................Antonio Tan Washington, D.C.........Michelle Butler
And also the staff of Itdb Internet Theatre Database, whom we are associated with for over a year now.
All right everyone, now get back to work!
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