Shows
Call Me Back - with Dan SenorPart 2: What’s left of Iran’s nuclear program? - with Lahav Harkov and David AlbrightWatch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcastCheck out Ark Media’s other podcasts: For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: callmeback@arkmedia.orgTo contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org/Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorgDan on X: x.com/dansenorDan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenorTo order Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel: https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdnToday’...2025-06-2726 min
Call Me Back - with Dan SenorPart 1: How Iran built its nuclear program - with David AlbrightWatch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcastCheck out Ark Media’s other podcasts: For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: callmeback@arkmedia.orgTo contact us and sign up for updates visit: arkmedia.org/Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorgDan on X: x.com/dansenorDan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenorTo order Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel: https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdnToday’s Epi...2025-06-2727 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastDo Re Mi (from The Sound of Music)Let's start about 2/3 of the way through. No, not there. Let's start at the very beginning! A very good place to start. Host writer/composer David Rackoff looks at this very impressive song from Rodgers & Hammerstein. These would be some tough lyrics to write. And what is "do re mi" anyway? And what is a non-rhotic accent, and why does it make the lyrics even better? We look at all that, and more on this episode. Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2025-04-0821 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The Podcast(Not) Getting Married Today (from Company)Pardon me, is everybody here, because if everybody's here I'd like to thank you all for clicking on this podcast. Today, host writer/composer David Rackoff looks at how "Getting Married Today" by Stephen Sondheim works. And boy, does it work (and "werk")! How do you go about writing a great patter song? We even get "David's tips for performing a patter song". And how does Jonathan Bailey fit into all of this? Listen to find out!Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2025-03-1128 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastLearn to Read Music in Five Minutes... Kind of (mini episode)Actors and singers, today you will learn to read music in five minutes! (Okay, not five minutes, and not totally learn to read music). But writer/composer David Rackoff will give you a foothold in connecting the song you're going to sing to the sheet music with all the dots and lines that you're holding in your hands. It's a place to start. If you are already an ace sight-singer, this episode is not for you! But for everyone else, whether you have a high school audition coming up, or you're a professional actor who's already been cast in...2025-02-2515 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastI'm Still Here (from Follies)One of the best songs in any genre in the history of the world ever. Host writer/composer David Rackoff uncovers what makes this song so spectacular. You will have heebie-jeebies for Beebe's Bathysphere. (And you'll find out what all of the crazy references mean!) Stephen Sondheim outdoes himself on this powerful showstopper. Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2025-02-1834 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastMusic or Lyrics: Which Comes First? (mini-episode)Get into the nuts and bolts of songwriting with host writer/composer David Rackoff. We look at why songwriters would choose to write the music first. Or why they would choose to write the lyrics first. What are the pros and cons of each approach? And what happens then? How does the sausage get made?Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2025-02-1118 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastOver at the Frankenstein Place (from The Rocky Horror Show)I'm sure you shiver with anticip-- SAY IT! --pation for today's episode. We look at the music, lyrics, and extravagant weirdness of this song, and this show. Host writer/composer David Rackoff also looks at the cultural significance of The Rocky Horror Show. And why does this song beckon to queer high school theater kids so strongly? Get your rice and newspapers ready, and let's dive in to "Over at the Frankenstein Place".Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2025-02-0418 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastLaurie Beechman: A Songwriter's Favorite SingerThis week, writer/composer David Rackoff looks at the amazing Laurie Beechman, and what makes her voice and storytelling so special. If you don't know who she is yet... you're welcome. And if you know, well, then you know. She shone on stage in "Annie", "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," Cats", "Les Misérables", in solo cabaret shows, and on recordings. She had one of the most powerful belts of all time. And she could break your heart with her thoughtful tender soft notes. Songwriters from David Friedman to Andrew Lloyd Webber (not to mention your host, David R...2025-01-2818 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastBurn (from Hamilton)Host writer/composer David Rackoff explains why "Burn" from Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton" is actually a happy song. (What?!) We break down the music, lyrics, and performance of what is the "end of Act I" of Act II of "Hamilton" song. We look at how simple building blocks can create a powerful, cathartic, gorgeous theatrical piece.Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2025-01-2127 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastThe Perfect Scan (mini-episode)What's more important than a perfect rhyme? A perfect scan. Every stress in the lyrics must fit with the stresses in the music. This is why (good) musical theater writers stress about stresses. Host writer/composer David Rackoff looks at what that means, how it works, and what it sounds like when it doesn't work. Examples (some good, some not-so-good) from "Into the Woods", "Defying Gravity", "Sunset Blvd.", and "Sweeney Todd". If you've never thought about this before, you will after listening to this episode!Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's...2025-01-1415 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastHasa Diga Eebowai (from The Book of Mormon)Does it mean, "No worries for the rest of your days"? Kind of... This is one of the most shocking, funniest, and perhaps deepest songs in all of musical theater. The makers of "South Park" have created this delightful bit of blasphemy. Host writer/composer David Rackoff takes a close look at the music, lyrics, and context of this song. And we discuss who exactly should be offended by it. The answers may surprise you!Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2025-01-0727 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastWhat Technically Is a Rhyme? (mini pod)You think you know what a rhyme is... But do you really? in this first mini-pod, we look at what is (and, more interestingly) what isn't a rhyme. Then host writer/composer David Rackoff plays a game where you have a moment to decide if a particular rhyme is really a rhyme! Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-12-3110 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastPart of Your World (from The Little Mermaid)Is this the best “I Want” song of all time? Host writer/composer David Rackoff dives deep (sorry) into this fantastic Alan Menkin & Howard Ashman creation. The craftsmanship of this emotional, funny, charming song is quite a remarkable… what’s the word? Oh yeah. Feat.Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-12-1727 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastRose's Turn (from Gypsy)In our season 1 finale, writer/composer David Rackoff tackles what may be the grandest achievement in musical theater songwriting. "Rose's Turn" is a mad scene, an aria, a showcase for the best musical theater actresses of all time. Stephen Sondheim, Jule Styne, and Jerome Robbins created this monster of a song, and we get to dig into it to figure out how it works. This is an exciting episode (with some controversial opinions from host David Rackoff!) How do you like them egg rolls, Mr. Goldstone?Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know...2024-12-1032 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastSing Along (from Nothing Like Broadway)How does a song get written? This is a fascinating episode where writer/composer David Rackoff breaks down his process in writing the song “Sing Along” from the musical “Nothing Like Broadway”. This is a fun, surprising episode where you get to really see how the sausage gets made.Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-12-0333 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastOne Day More (from Les Misérables)One of the great Act I enders of all time, no question. But… are the things sung about all really happening “One Day More”? The answer may surprise you! Host writer/composer David Rackoff picks apart the music, lyrics, and storytelling that make “One Day More” so freakin' awesome.Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-11-2625 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastPopular (from Wicked)We've all got Oz fever, so this week, writer/composer David Rackoff analyzes "Popular" from the musical "Wicked" by Stephen Schwartz. Why is the hook so catchy? Why are the lyrics so mind-blowing? How does this song help to tell the story of "Wicked"? What is enjambment? Were sopranos funny prior to 2003? How about the Kristin Chenoweth of it all? We dig deep to discover how "Popular" works.Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-11-1927 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastStars and the Moon (from Songs for a New World)Is this the ultimate cabaret song? Host writer/composer David Rackoff dives deep into one of his (and every songwriter's) favorite cabaret songs. Jason Robert Brown's gorgeous, diabolically manipulative "Stars and the Moon" is so much fun to watch, perform, and analyze. Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-11-1227 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastThe World's Most Famous Spy (from Nothing Like Broadway!)Today, we get to peek inside the process of writing a patter/comedy song! Host David Rackoff looks at his own song, "The World's Most Famous Spy", to see how he came up with the concept, and how he wrote the music and lyrics to this song from the upcoming off-Broadway musical "Nothing Like Broadway!". It's James Bond meets Gilbert & Sullivan meets David!Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-11-0536 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The Podcast76 Trombones and Goodnight My Someone (from The Music Man)Writer/composer David Rackoff delves into "Seventy-Six Trombones" and "Goodnight My Someone" from "The Music Man". Two great, unrelated songs. Or are they? These songs have more in common than you might think! It's a fast, fun episode this week, full of romance, bombast, and mystery!Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-10-2919 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastYou Gotta Get a Gimmick (from Gypsy)One of my favorite numbers, one of your favorite numbers, one of everyone's favorite numbers: "You Gotta Get a Gimmick"! We'll talk about how writers "song-spot" to figure out where and what a song will be. And once you figure out that it's going to be an 11 O'Clock number with bargain-basement strippers, you have already won. Host writer/composer David Rackoff has a blast with this song written by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim.Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-10-2223 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastSend in the Clowns (from A Little Night Music)Sondheim's biggest pop hit! But how does it work? And how does it work in the context of the show? Why is this an exercise in negative space? Is it about sex or love? Send in the clowns? Don't bother, writer/composer David Rackoff is here.Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-10-1521 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastMeadowlark (from The Baker's Wife)It’s the best song you’ve (maybe) never heard of! This week, writer/composer David Rackoff dives deep into “Meadowlark” by writer/composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked). You’ll see why this song is the song that musical theater songwriters (including David) lose their freakin’ minds over.Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-10-0841 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastSomewhere That's Green (from Little Shop of Horrors)A song that pretty much everyone falls in love with. Writer/composer David Rackoff looks at why that is, and how this song unlocks the secret to why this tiny off-off-Broadway show is remembered and revived forty years later. All hail Howard Ashman!Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-10-0133 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastKeep It Gay (The Producers)Who knew that this hilarious, silly song would yield our longest, most in-depth analysis so far! "Keep It Gay" has to be one of the funniest songs from one of the funniest shows ("The Producers") of all time. Yay Mel Brooks! This episode of the podcast is very pretty. This episode is very witty. This episode is… what’s the word? (Gay?) Exactly.Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-09-2432 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastFinishing the Hat (from Sunday in the Park with George)Today, host writer/composer David Rackoff has producer Zane Michael on the podcast to discuss "Finishing the Hat" from "Sunday in the Park with George" by Stephen Sondheim. They disagree, David shocks Zane with a riseque metaphor for the score of the show.Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-09-1718 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastNothing Like Broadway (from Nothing Like Broadway!)Today, we really get to peer inside the creative process! It's an exciting episode when host writer/composer David Rackoff looks at the title song from a musical he wrote! Nothing Like Broadway the podcast looks at Nothing Like Broadway the song from Nothing Like Broadway the musical. Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-09-1026 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastTradition (from Fiddler on the Roof)Host writer/composer David Rackoff takes a deep dive into "Tradition". Why is this the opening number? How do you get four groups to sing things at the same time and have it sound good? And what is the big mystery that the (only) rhyme in this song unlocks?Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-09-0423 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastEverything's Coming Up Roses (from Gypsy)Writer/composer David Rackoff (of "Nothing Like Broadway!: the musical") takes a close look at a song he used to hate, "Everything's Coming Up Roses" by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim. He looks at how its music, lyrics, and context make it one of the most devastating songs in musical theater. "It's like watching a horror movie!".Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-08-2724 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastWords Fail (from Dear Evan Hansen)We take a look at this incredibly challenging song. From the highest notes (ever?), to the Ben Platt of it all. (Please note that this episode discusses Dear Evan Hansen, which includes mentions of characters harming themselves.)Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-08-2018 min
Nothing Like Broadway: The PodcastWords Fail (from Dear Evan Hansen)We take a look at this incredibly challenging song. From the highest notes (ever?), to the Ben Platt of it all. (Please note that this episode discusses Dear Evan Hansen, which includes mentions of characters harming themselves.)Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-08-2005 minNothing Like Broadway: The PodcastI Cain't Say No (from Oklahoma!)Writer/composer David Rackoff breaks down "I Cain't Say No" from "Oklahoma!". It's a super-fun, randy, well-written song from arguably the first modern musical.Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-08-1321 minNothing Like Broadway: The PodcastBring Him Home (from Les Miserables)This week, writer/composer David Rackoff picks apart what makes this prettiest-of-pretty songs work. From "Les Miserables", of course, this song's music, lyrics, and reason for being are really fun to explore!Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-08-0616 minNothing Like Broadway: The PodcastThe Miller's Son (from A Little Night Music)Host writer/composer David Rackoff discusses one of his favorite songs: "The Miller's Son" from A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim.Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.2024-07-3120 min
Superhuman Public RadioSolidarity***Join our show discord to ask questions, share theories, and tell us nice things about the show: https://discord.gg/a4jD6NJRwT ***The first day of the SUPER Act and the nation deals with the fallout. Anna Clark makes an announcement. Ellen Spiegel investigates the LAKY union vote firsthand with the help of an old friend. The finale of Sequential. Credits:Written by John Dorsey IV and Maximilian ClarkDirected and edited by Maximilian ClarkSPR Theme composed by Roc Lee"Solidarity Forever" by David Rovics (W...2023-10-1136 min