Podcast Episode 174 – Pulitzer Prize Winner, Alfred Uhry
I first met Alfred Uhry when I was company managing the reading and the workshop of Parade, the musical he wrote with Jason Robert Brown, years before it made it to Broadway.
Shows undergo so much transformation during readings and workshops that to watch a Pulitzer Prize winner like Alfred bob and weave with his pen during these few weeks was one of the most educational experiences I have ever had.
Because it was obvious that Alfred, who had scored big time with his first (!) play, Driving Miss Daisy, was a genius. But what I love about Alfred, as you’ll hear in this week’s podcast, is that he doesn’t come off like some know-it-all intelligentsia . . . even though he does know it all, and if I was on the same Jeopardy telecast with him, I’d quit before the Alex could let me choose a category.
There’s a bunch of mind-blowing moments in this podcast, including:
- How he kept writing after a couple of big ol’ Broadway disasters that would have sent most people to law school.
- Where he got the inspiration for Driving Miss Daisy, and the magic words he heard from his agent when she read it.
- Musicals and plays . . . and the different skills needed for both.
- His process of sitting down and writing, and how that has changed since he began.
- Writing what you know . . . the pros and the cons.
Enjoy, Mr. Afred Uhry!
Click here for my podcast with Alfred!
Listen to it on iTunes here.
Download it here.
Podcasting
Ken created one of the first Broadway podcasts, recording over 250 episodes over 7 years. It features interviews with A-listers in the theater about how they “made it”, including 2 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 7 Academy Award Winners and 76 Tony Award winners. Notable guests include Pasek & Paul, Kenny Leon, Lynn Ahrens and more.
