Episode 196

Author Caseen Gaines Shuffles Along from One Behind the Scenes Story to Another

The Excelsior Journeys Podcast is proud to be part of the Once Upon a Podcast Network.

On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys, host & producer George Sirois sits down with author & pop culture historian Caseen Gaines. Fresh from his acclaimed behind-the-scenes book #ETTheExtraTerrestrial: The Ultimate Visual History (which allowed him access to #DrewBarrymore, #StevenSpielberg, #JohnWilliams, and many more), Caseen has recently launched his book When Broadway Was Black, about the first successful all-black musical in Broadway history, Shuffle Along. He's here to talk about both of these books, as well as some of his other behind-the-scenes books for #PeeWeesPlayhouse, the #BacktotheFuture trilogy, and #TheDarkCrystal.

Want to get a copy of one of Caseen's books? Click HERE.

Want to be an in-demand podcast guest? Join the Endless Stages Challenge and you'll become one in less than 100 days. I'm so proud to be an affiliate for this challenge, and I invite you - creatives from all walks of life - to click on this link HERE.

Click HERE to learn more about the challenge, and click HERE for more information about Endless Stages.

To show your support for Excelsior Journeys, An Evening with Ivonna Cadaver, and From Duck Till Dark: Outside the Marvel Studios, please click on www.hesgotit.com/podcasts to subscribe, rate & review, and access the Buy Me a Coffee link.

About the Podcast

Show artwork for Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity
Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity
A Proud Member of the Podmatch Podcast Network

About your host

Profile picture for George Sirois

George Sirois

George Sirois is the author of the international bestselling young adult / science-fiction novel "Excelsior," its two sequels, and the science-fiction / sports trilogy "From Parts Unknown." He served as President of the Missouri Writers Guild from 2017-2018, and is the host and producer of the podcasts Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity and From Duck Till Dark: Outside the Marvel Studios. In 2023, George adapted his novel "Excelsior" into a feature-length audio drama, which was performed live on Clubhouse with a full cast of voice actors, a vast catalog of sound effects, and a stirring musical score.
George is also an audiobook narrator, lending his voice to over twenty books of all genres, and he is currently on the narrator rosters for Audio Sorceress and Encyclopocalypse Publications.
In 2025, George's short screenplay "Minus One Plus" won the award for Best SciFi Short at the 13th annual Austin Revolution Film Festival. The same year, Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity joined the Podmatch Podcast Network.
A New Yorker since birth, George now lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife and daughter. For more information, please visit www.hesgotit.com.