Matching Minds with Sondheim: The Podcast
Episodes
#28-Sondheim and Puzzle Boxes, with David Staller
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Our latest episode focuses on Stephen Sondheim’s fascination with puzzle boxes, featuring guest David Staller, founding artistic director of the Gin...
#27- Two "Little" Sondheim Treasure Hunts
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join Barry Joseph and guests David Spira (Room Escape Artist) and Rachel Allen Duncan (Watson Adventures) to explore why Stephen Sondheim designed tre...
#26-Researching Sondheim--A Repod of Matching Minds on the Dr. Broadway Podcast
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation about Matching Minds from the Dr. Broadway podcast with Dr. Tracey Brent-Chessum and Dr. Kristin Stultz Pressley, focusing on researchi...
#25-Writing Sondheim: A Conversation with Art Isn't Easy's Daniel Okrent
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Okrent visits Matching Minds for his FIRST interview (woot! an exclusive) about his highly anticipated biography “Sondheim: Art Isn’t Easy” ...
#24-Matching Minds on Broadway Nation
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this excerpt from David Armstrong’s Broadway Nation podcast, recorded at a studio overlooking the theater district, Barry and David compare their...
#23-Matching Minds at BroadwayCon with Many Guests
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Come with Matching Minds to BroadwayCon in New York City during a frigid snowstorm! This episode features special guests and Broadway stars Etai Benso...
#22-Stephen Sondheim and Cryptic Crosswords
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s topic: Stephen Sondheim’s passion for cryptic crosswords. Joined by guests Natan Last, Katie Grogg, Ben Zimmer, and Galen Fott, the conver...
#21-10 Playful Songs of Sondheim
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Name ten tracks by Sondheim that highlight his love of games and puzzles. That was the challenge posed to me by Donald Feltham, who invited me back to...
#20-Do we really need another book on Sondheim? Barry at the Drama Book Shop
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do we really need another book on Sondheim? That’s the driving question behind Barry’s recent appearance at the venerable Drama Book Shop in New Y...
#19-How Sondheim Gamified NYC - a talk at MCNY
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join the audience at the Museum of the City of New York as Joseph guides them on a tour of How Stephen Sondheim Gamified New York City. The talk explo...
#18 - About the Author - Barry on The Broadway Radio Show
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From an interview with Donald Feltham on his Broadway Radio Show, join Barry on his journey writing a book on Stephen Sondheim's love for puzzles and ...
#17-Steve is Love: Merrily We Play Along
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Steve is Love: Merrily We Play Along Celebrate the upcoming cinematic release of Broadway’s Merrily We Roll Along with this special episode, includ...
Give us more to hear: Bonus episode
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let me give you more to hear! A bonus episode. Revisit my interview with Richard Schoch, author of How Sondheim Can Change Your Life, exploring how So...
#15-Sondheim: Ace Human Hacker, or Sondheim & Parlor Games
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You are formally invited to my Sondheim game night party, already underway. Join previous guests David Spira, Kellian Adams, and James McCusker as we ...
#14-Puzzling Through Sondheim
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Please join me as we revisit my guest spots on Hello Puzzler, a delightful podcast hosted by AJ Jacobs and his Chief puzzle Officer, Greg Pliska. Each...
#13- Sondheim and Video Games
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What. An. Episode! This one focuses on Stephen Sondheim's relationship with video games... sort of. This episode is hard to describe. The audio from t...
#12 - Matching Minds Live at the NYPL
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special event at the New York Public Library for Performing Arts, Barry Joseph launches his new book, Matching Minds with Sondheim. The sessio...
#11 - Unpacking The Last of Sheila
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we unpack the 1973 murder mystery film The Last of Sheila, written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins. The discussion features guest J...
#10 - The Brooklyn Book Festival - It’s Puzzling: The Power of Crosswords and Games
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In It's Puzzling: The Power of Crosswords and Games, host Natan Last, author of the cultural history of crosswords, Across the Universe, moderates a d...
#09 - Sondheim and the 2013 City Center Treasure Hunt
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Barry Joseph and guests walk through Sondheim’s final treasure hunt. Guests Kellian Adams Pletcher, a game designer at FableVision Studios, and Rob...
#08 - Periodically Sondheim: His Puzzling Magazines
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Barry Joseph and guest Andrew Parr page through Stephen Sondheim's passion for puzzle and game magazines. From Sondheim's early fascination with crypt...
#07 - Sondheim For Sale: The Doyle Auction
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we revisit the historic, jaw-dropping June 18th, 2024, Doyle Auction featuring items from the collection of Steven Sondheim. The episode ex...
#06 - Writing Sondheim: A Conversation with Richard Schock
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Barry Joseph embarks on an insightful dialogue with Richard Schoch, author of How Sondheim Can Change Your Life. The conversation delves into the emot...
#05 - Order Out of Chaos: Sondheim and Jigsaw Puzzles
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Host Barry Joseph explores the profound connection between Stephen Sondheim and jigsaw puzzles. Joined by guests Michael Mitnick, an ardent collector ...
#04 - Seeking Sondheim in the Stacks: Mark Eden Horowitz
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Barry is joined by Mark Eden Horowitz, a senior music specialist at the Library of Congress, to explore the lesser-known aspects of Sondheim's gaming ...
#03 - Puzzles and Games in the Musicals of Sondheim, Part Two
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dive deep into how puzzles and games serve as leitmotifs throughout Stephen Sondheim's musical works with host Barry Joseph and co-host Gail Leondar-W...
#02- Stephen Sondheim and Escape Rooms
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dive into Stephen Sondheim's love for escape rooms, examining the cultural intersections between theater and interactive games. Featuring immersive th...
#01 - Puzzles and Games in the Musicals of Sondheim, Part One
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Explore the recurring theme of games and puzzles within Stephen Sondheim's work. Barry Joseph is joined by guest producer Gail Leondar-Wright and expe...
Introducing Matching Minds with Sondheim
03 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matching Minds with Sondheim: The Podcast in an open invitation into the puzzle-loving, game-designing mind of Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim. Based...