Welcome! Don’t have a reservation? No problem. On Cocktails at Table 7: Inside New York’s Joe Allen, your table is always ready. In candid conversations with Broadway veterans, long-time regulars, even past and present employees, your hosts, Dana, Sean and Jason, recreate the intimate vibe that an evening at Joe’s has always offered. You’ll hear stories of the “Good Ol’ Days” in 1960’s Hell’s Kitchen, rarely told anecdotes from the shows on the “Flop Wall,” and the special connection between the restaurant and the people who make theater happen (Chita Rivera, F. Murray Abraham, and Daryl Roth, just to name a few.) You’ll feel like you’re tucked away at your favorite table or perched on a barstool sipping a martini, enjoying an insider’s night out. What began as an effort to preserve the connection to our beloved community has evolved into a joyful celebration of the memories and moments that have made Joe Allen one of Broadway’s most enduring hits. Cheers!
Cocktails at Table 7- Inside New York’s Joe Allen is produced and hosted by Jason Woodruff, Dana Mierlak, and Sean Kent, with music by James Rubio and logo design/artwork by Christina D'Angelo. The producers would like to extend a special thank you to the owners of Joe Allen, Orso, and Bar Centrale Restaurants.
All content for Cocktails at Table 7- Inside New York’s Joe Allen is the property of Sean Kent, Jason Woodruff, Dana Mierlak and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Welcome! Don’t have a reservation? No problem. On Cocktails at Table 7: Inside New York’s Joe Allen, your table is always ready. In candid conversations with Broadway veterans, long-time regulars, even past and present employees, your hosts, Dana, Sean and Jason, recreate the intimate vibe that an evening at Joe’s has always offered. You’ll hear stories of the “Good Ol’ Days” in 1960’s Hell’s Kitchen, rarely told anecdotes from the shows on the “Flop Wall,” and the special connection between the restaurant and the people who make theater happen (Chita Rivera, F. Murray Abraham, and Daryl Roth, just to name a few.) You’ll feel like you’re tucked away at your favorite table or perched on a barstool sipping a martini, enjoying an insider’s night out. What began as an effort to preserve the connection to our beloved community has evolved into a joyful celebration of the memories and moments that have made Joe Allen one of Broadway’s most enduring hits. Cheers!
Cocktails at Table 7- Inside New York’s Joe Allen is produced and hosted by Jason Woodruff, Dana Mierlak, and Sean Kent, with music by James Rubio and logo design/artwork by Christina D'Angelo. The producers would like to extend a special thank you to the owners of Joe Allen, Orso, and Bar Centrale Restaurants.
Join us for “Cocktails at Table 7” with the charmingly fabulous Kevin Cahoon! From his formative days as the world’s youngest rodeo clown, to touring the US as a Star Search “all- star,” to his recent Tony nominated turn in “Shucked,” Kevin really has done it all. He has also managed to spend A LOT of time at Joe Allen in the process, which works out beautifully for us all! Thank you for joining us, friend. We look forward to many more stories (and rounds) in the future. Cheers!
What a fabulous round of “Cocktails” we had with the incomparable Lucie Arnaz. From TV to Broadway, from movies to the West End, Lucie’s accomplishments as a performer are only matched by her gifts as a storyteller. From hula hoops, to trapeze acts, to directing, to headlining sold-out evenings of cabaret, to organizing a club for legendary matinée “idles,” there is nothing this woman can’t do! Fortunately for us, her connection to Joe’s runs deep, and so do her memories (one might even say, dining at Joe’s changed her life forever.) Our sincerest thanks to the wonderfully talented and vivacious Lucie for sharing her time and memories with us. This is one “Song” you’ll be glad to be “Playing.” What? That doesn't make sense? Who cares? These episodes are free. Cheers!
Our pal, Lee Wilkof, has been a regular at Joe Allen for decades, almost as long as he has been delighting Broadway and off-Broadway audiences in seminal musical hits like Assassins, Kiss Me Kate, and Little Shop of Horrors. On this, our final episode of “Cocktails at Table 7” of 2022, we enjoy a heartfelt and intimate chat with one of the great New York character actors. We discuss everything from the integral role his wife of 35 years played in his casting as Seymour Krelborn, the recent health crisis that shook up his world and set him on a path of greater health and happiness, his longtime friendship with the late, great, Mark Blum, and the ineffable appeal of that enduring Joe Allen classic, the La Scala “salad”. (*not actually a salad)
This episode's guest really needs no introduction, but we'll try. She was once a regularly scheduled visitor in our living rooms or (for some of us) our college dorm room, an actress, comedian, staunch supporter of Broadway, lover of theatre, activist, and, most importantly, for us, a beloved Joe Allen regular. We are honored, giddy in fact, that the one and only Rosie O’Donnell joined us for a round of cocktails. She regaled us with tales of her early days as a comedian, educating people about theatre history, what it was like interviewing Julie Andrews, the infamous cajun chicken sandwich scandal….. Thank you Rosie! Cheers!
In addition to being one of the busiest and most respected actors on Broadway, Danny Burstein is equally beloved in the theatrical community for his boundless warmth, humor, and kindness. We were honored to share this round of “Cocktails” with him, learning all about his early childhood growing up on Shakespeare Avenue in the Bronx, his time spent dancing in traffic at the world famous Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, the early jobs and relationships that launched his career, and the pearls of wisdom he collected working with the legendary Tony Randall. Danny also shared beautiful remembrances from his decades long marriage to the radiant Rebecca Luker, insights on how he has managed to cope with the profound challenges of the recent past, and how gratitude is central to his life and art.
Matthew Broderick isn’t just a two-time Tony Award winning award winning actor who has starred in a dozen Broadway shows, or a beloved star of countless hit films and TV shows who has been an audience favorite for decades. He’s also one of the most engaging and hilarious guests we’ve ever had the privilege of “sharing a round” with, and, in this episode, we have an absolute ball discussing anything and everything with this true Joe Allen all-star. We explore Matthew’s affectionate decades-long relationship with Joe Allen Restaurant, his incredible collaborations with showbiz icons like Neil Simon, Mel Brooks, Jason Robards and Marlon Brando, and the stringent requirements one must meet in order to land a coveted spot on the Joe Allen flop wall.
Before Jesse Tyler Ferguson was a charming, familiar face in American living rooms on the groundbreaking hit sitcom, Modern Family, he was a charming, familiar face at Joe Allen. This week, we enjoyed a high-spirited round with this versatile actor, producer, author, and regular, who is currently back on Broadway in a much anticipated revival of Richard Greenberg’s Tony Award®-winning, Take Me Out. We explored the life changing philanthropic work Jesse’s Modern Family fame has enabled him to do, the inspiration he found as a young theatergoer in the work of William Finn and James Lapine, the ins and outs of the Albuquerque children’s theater scene, and what it takes to brave the elements on the stage of the Delacorte Theatre.
To celebrate Valentine's Day, we had the great pleasure of having a round of cocktails with Tony Award winning Ms. Donna McKechnie! Not only is Ms. McKechnie an award winning dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer, she also has the distinction of being a Joe Allen “day-one” regular. We chatted about everything from standing on "A Chorus Line”, learning from the greats, the first days of body mics, to the special place Joe Allen has in her heart. She put a smile on our faces, we know she’ll put a smile on yours. Cheers!
For our first episode of 2022, we shared a round with one of the classiest and most accomplished people we know, Victor Garber. Victor’s association with Joe’s goes back decades and we were thrilled to have him share memories of evenings spent there with colleagues and friends. We were treated to hilarious and heartwarming anecdotes about legends past, including Gilda Radner, Robert Moore, Stephen Sondheim, and Maureen Stapleton. We also covered the pleasures of a visit to Schitt’s Creek, the charms of Bernadette Peters and Jennifer Garner, and the undeniable appeal of a Joe Allen LaScala Salad. Like Victor himself, an actor who has played everyone from Jesus to Liberace, this conversation has a lot of range
The Ghost of Christmas Past visited us this time around! Take a trip down memory lane as we chit-chat with the staff about some of our favorite memories in the restaurant. We also wanted to share this episode as a tribute to the man who started it all, our boss and inspiration, Joe Allen, who passed away this past February. Yes, it's last year's episode, but it's been a year since we've heard it and it's just as fun now as it was then. Happy Holidays!
On this week's episode, the brilliant Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez gave us a peek into the family ties and subversive joy that fuel their amazingly successful musical collaborations. We covered the rough and tumble development history of “Frozen,” the surprising emotional power of “WandaVision,” the enduring flop appeal of “Dude,” and how “making it up as we go along” became a mantra for both pandemic survival and catchy TV theme song gold.
On this week’s episode of “Cocktails at Table 7,” we celebrate our one- year anniversary the only way we know how… by posting the episode two weeks late! We think it was worth the wait though, because we got to interview not one, but TWO spectacular guests. First, Christina D’Angelo, bar regular and graphic designer extraordinaire, offered her insights on what makes Joe Allen her spiritual home away from home, and how she incorporated elements from the iconic flop wall into her brilliant logo for our podcast. Next, we enjoyed a chat with James Rubio, our co-worker as well as a brilliant composer, who shared with us the eclectic musical influences he drew upon to create our amazingly catchy theme song. Christina and James were integral to the launch of “Cocktails at Table 7,” and it was a joy to have them on the show! Also sprinkled throughout this episode are a few memorable snippets of warmth and wisdom courtesy of past guests F. Murray Abraham, Lauren Graham, Betty Buckley, John Glover, Marilu Henner, Kilty Reidy, and Jeffrey Whitty. It’s a fitting tribute to a delightful year of community and conversation, and the first of what we hope are many anniversaries to come. Cheers!
Peter Gallagher has been a favorite of stage, film and television audiences for over 40 years. On Broadway, he’s excelled in everything from splashy, feel good musicals to the devastating masterworks of Eugene O’ Neill and Clifford Odets. He’s shared the screen with everyone from Adam Sandler to James Cagney, and on this week’s episode of Cocktails at Table 7, we got to spend a hugely enjoyable hour with this seriously entertaining and talented man. Peter shared memories of the icons of old Hollywood he was lucky enough to cross paths with early in his career, the amazing resilience of New York and the theatrical community, his love of Joe Allen and the LaScala salad, and the time Bob Fosse complimented his unique and “interesting” sense of rhythm. You don’t want to miss this!
From Broadway, to classic sitcoms, to the biggest horror, action, and comedy hits of the 1980’s, Adrienne Barbeau is an iconic part of American pop culture. Before all of that, however, she worked at Joe Allen! We were so lucky to spend some time with this gracious lady, discussing the late night, party vibe of New York in the late 1960’s, the close knit ties forged among the up and coming casts of “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Grease,” her brisk transition from Broadway Rizzo to TV stardom, the ass kicking Howard Hawks inspired horror heroines she popularized, and the fascinating world of “Carnivale." It took us a while to get this “wishlist” guest, and it was well worth it. Cheers!
As an actor, writer, producer, and teacher, the brilliant Austin Pendleton has worked with everyone from Jerome Robbins to Miss Piggy. Understandably, with a resume that eclectic, he’s collected more than a few terrific tales to share over Cocktails! We discussed Austin’s long association with the seminal HB Studios, the rocky out of town trials of Fiddler on the Roof, the focus and intensity required to make great film comedies like What’s Up, Doc? and My Cousin Vinny, and, most interestingly, playing referee between the legendary Ethel Merman and a Bad News Bear.
Long before Lauren Graham charmed audiences on the fan favorites Gilmore Girls, Parenthood, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, she spent years in New York, working odd jobs while trodding the boards at off-off Broadway theaters across the city. It was a pleasure for us to enjoy a round with Lauren and hear about her early dreams of rep company “stardom,” her stint as a waitress at the legendary Improv, her failed attempts to channel her inner llama, and the cozy camaraderie that has always made Joe Allen a special place to her.
The brilliant, Tony Award winning Len Cariou joins us for this week’s round of cocktails. As an up-and-coming actor gaining prominence on Broadway in the late 60’s, Len quickly became a familiar face at Joe Allen Restaurant, as well as a close friend of the man, himself (spoiler; they were gym rats together!) We touched upon the highly impractical version of the restaurant portrayed in “Applause,” Len’s memories of collaborating with the great Hal Prince, and the unconventional way Stephen Sondheim served Len his very first helping of “A Little Priest.”
Liz Callaway has one of the most beautiful singing voices we’ve ever heard, and this week we got to chat with this Tony Award nominated singer and actress about just how singularly qualified she is to be a guest on this podcast! We also touched upon the connection Liz forged with Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim during the tumultuous run of “Merrily We Roll Along," the fun you can have with your kid backstage while dressed as a cat, her imminent return to live performances, and the immensity of, intensity of...two people in love.
This week we enjoyed a “second round” with the wonderful Jonathan Groff and finally got around to discussing his contributions to two of the biggest entertainment phenomena of the past decade, “Frozen” and “Hamilton.” We explored his childhood love for all things Disney, the honesty of “Looking,” the intensity of David Fincher and “Mindhunter,” and perhaps the greatest professional challenge of Jonathan’s career; surviving kitchen issues during a Sunday Brunch shift in Hell’s Kitchen.
Jonathan Groff burst onto the scene in the Tony Award winning “Spring Awakening” in 2006 and has captivated audiences on the stage and screen ever since. We were lucky enough to spend a hugely entertaining spell with this incredibly funny and talented actor, and in this first part of a two-part episode, he fills us in on his stint as a waiter at the Chelsea Grill in Hell’s Kitchen, his fortuitous Broadway debut in the legendary lemon, “In My Life,” and the life changing moment during a matinee of “Beauty and the Beast” when he realized he belonged on the stage not in the orchestra pit.
Welcome! Don’t have a reservation? No problem. On Cocktails at Table 7: Inside New York’s Joe Allen, your table is always ready. In candid conversations with Broadway veterans, long-time regulars, even past and present employees, your hosts, Dana, Sean and Jason, recreate the intimate vibe that an evening at Joe’s has always offered. You’ll hear stories of the “Good Ol’ Days” in 1960’s Hell’s Kitchen, rarely told anecdotes from the shows on the “Flop Wall,” and the special connection between the restaurant and the people who make theater happen (Chita Rivera, F. Murray Abraham, and Daryl Roth, just to name a few.) You’ll feel like you’re tucked away at your favorite table or perched on a barstool sipping a martini, enjoying an insider’s night out. What began as an effort to preserve the connection to our beloved community has evolved into a joyful celebration of the memories and moments that have made Joe Allen one of Broadway’s most enduring hits. Cheers!
Cocktails at Table 7- Inside New York’s Joe Allen is produced and hosted by Jason Woodruff, Dana Mierlak, and Sean Kent, with music by James Rubio and logo design/artwork by Christina D'Angelo. The producers would like to extend a special thank you to the owners of Joe Allen, Orso, and Bar Centrale Restaurants.
