Cooler but still well above normal this week

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 may be a classical music host here at Minnesota Public Radio, but her first love is musical theater.

"I've been a musical nut since I was really little," Warfel recently explained.  "My dad had the original cast albums - LPs! - of both "Sound of Music" and "Camelot" in 1961-62.  They were glossy, open up albums with lots of pictures and I was TOTALLY hooked."

Warfel went on to pursue a career in theater; she's still proud to be a card-carrying Equity member. But we're happy to have her talents at MPR Classical.

Over the course of the next several weeks she'll share her love of musical theater with a new series called "

On Sunday afternoons in June (from 5 - 6pm), Warfel will take MPR Classical listeners back through time as she reviews the past century of musical theater.

aired this past Sunday, starting with George M. Cohan's "Little Johnny Jones" which debuted in 1904.

"I think one of the most interesting things is how American musical theater developed along distinct lines related to, but different from British musicals," said Warfel. "Also, I think considering the history of each decade since WWI, noting how the changes in American society and culture had a profound effect on what we saw on stage."

Next up, on June 9, Warfel focus on the "golden years" of the 40s and 50s.

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Marianne Combs

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In the weeks leading up to the Tony Awards, MPR Classical's Lynne Warfel hosts a five-part overview of American musical theater.

A look back at musical theater on Broadway

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