Who could have known that this near-forgotten play from the 1940s would be so relevant in the 2020s?

The title is from the Bible, a verse in the Song of Solomon that actually references a turtledove, not the shelled amphibian: "The time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land." Playwright John Van Druten of "I Am A Camera" fame, turned it into a Broadway comedy that was one of the few shows opening during World War II that captured and reflected life during wartime.

"The Voice of the Turtle" may have become infamous for the movie version that starred Ronald Reagan and sanitized its themes around sexual autonomy. But this story about a single actress who doesn't want to fall in love is actually a relatively ground-breaking play. My guest, as is often the case when obscure plays are featured, is Jordan Schildcrout, Ph.D., author of "In the Long Run: A Cultural History of Broadway's Hit Plays," and we go pretty deep in this discussion, one of the geekiest and therefore, fun for me, conversations I've had in a long time!

Our chat includes short digressions like a review of the life of Virginia-born Margaret Sullavan (who some may know thanks to the TV movie "Haywire" written by her daughter), the surprising amount of attention given the cast having only 3 people, and the key symbolic role of the show's set. Enjoy!

And please check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more info, video clips, and access to previous episodes.

With this episode, we reach an important milestone in "Chasing Phantom" history: this 64th episode marks the moment we pass the halfway point on the way up the list toward "Phantom of the Opera," still the longest running show in Broadway history. In honor of that moment, the episode features one of my favorite shows, "The Sound of Music," and a conversation with one of my favorite actors, Stacey Cabaj.

There was a run starting in 2010 when almost every significant female role cast in a musical in central Virginia went to Stacey. She was talented, sure, but she was also a magnetic personality, charming, smart, spunky, and delightful to be around. She had (and has) that gentle, soft-spoken but still emphatic wit that I associate with Canadians. She was the perfect choice to play Maria in "The Sound of Music."

The production in Richmond included a powerhouse of talent both young and old, and my son's appearance as Karl was a highlight of his young career. His participation in the production only cemented the show's place in my heart, the movie version already becoming the most-played VCR tape in our library by a huge margin.

In our conversation, Cabaj and I talk about the show's legacy, her personal journey in becoming a Maria, the longstanding impact of the show in her life even before appearing in it, and we broach the topics of faith and fascism that both feature prominently in the context of this show. Those deeper and darker themes reinforce how it's not just a fun story of found family and kids learning how to sing.

Given that this episode is light on deep lore or history on the original Broadway production, you'll definitely want to check out my website, Chasing Phantom.net, for more information and relevant videos clips. The website even includes a picture of my son in the production with Stacey - very cute!