New York – August 21, 2026 – Broadway Broadcasting confirmed that its acclaimed interview and talk series 5th Row Center …with Roma Torre will return in September for a second season. The show, created and executive‑produced by veteran journalist Karin C. Garfin, earned a 2026 Telly Award in the Interview & Talk Television Show category for its first season.
Season One Highlights
Season One built a living library of Roma Torre’s Emmy‑award‑winning multimedia reviews, all available on the show’s YouTube channel @5thRowCenter and the companion website 5thRowCenter.com. The site also hosts the “Broadway Bargains Discount Ticket Guide,” a searchable index that helps theatergoers discover current productions, compare options, and make real‑time ticket decisions.
The inaugural season featured reviews of productions such as Ragtime, Bug, An Ark at The Shed, The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, Shifters, Operation Mincemeat and The Outsiders. Each episode paired those reviews with live, unscripted round‑table discussions that addressed pressing issues in the theater world.
Notable Episodes and Guests
- Episode 1 – “Broadway’s Changing Audiences”: Stephen Suskin (New York Stage Review), Patrick Pacheco (CUNY TV), Alexander Robertson (producer).
- Episode 2 – “Critics on Critics”: Jesse Green (The New York Times), Chris Peterson (OnStage Blog), Elysa Gardner (The New York Sun).
- Episode 3 – “Broadway Bargains”: Nella Vera (TDF/TKTS), Logan Culwell‑Block (Playbill), Rachel Oakes (The Broadway League) and the official launch of the ticket guide.
- Episode 4 – “Spectacle vs. Story”: Ben Pearcy (59 Studio), David Barbour (Lighting & Sound America).
- Episode 5 – “Marquee Madness”: Julie James (SiriusXM), Richard Ridge (BroadwayWorld).
- Episode 6 – “Talking Tonys”: Jesse Green, Elysa Gardner, Melissa Rose Bernardo (New York Stage Review), Joel Crump (News 12), Logan Culwell‑Block and host Laura Benanti.
- Episode 7 – “First Draft to Final Curtain”: Producers Lamar Richardson (Ragtime) and Rose Caiola (Rock & Roll Man).
- Episode 8 – “Season One Reprise”: Jacquelyn Reingold and Cheryl L. Davis.
Season Two Additions
For the 2026‑2027 season, the series will welcome two new on‑air contributors: Max Garfin, a Gen Z actor and performer, and Alegra Lopez, a Millennial social‑media expert. Both will appear on the program and across the show’s social platforms on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok.
About Broadway Broadcasting
Founded in 2019 by Karin C. Garfin, Broadway Broadcasting is a multimedia platform that produces original interview, talk and editorial programming with the goal of making audiences smarter. In addition to 5th Row Center …with Roma Torre, the company is developing a new talk show titled Been There. Done That. What’s Next?, which will profile cultural catalysts and explore their early lives, careers and future directions. The series is slated for release in late 2026.
More information about the show, its episode archive and the Broadway Bargains guide can be found at www.5thRowCenter.com.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
