Another year means another season of the acclaimed series Broadway by the Year, which is now celebrating its fifteenth year. Organized, produced and hosted by the remarkable pop culture critic Scott Siegel this year's season will feature some of the Great White Way's grandest talents performing songs from A Chorus Line, Annie Get Your Gun, Babes in Arms, Brigadoon, Cabaret, Candide, Dreamgirls, Follies, Funny Girl, Girl Crazy, Gypsy, Guys & Dolls, Into the Woods, La Cage Aux Folles, Lady Be Good, Kiss Me Kate, among others. We reached out to Mr. Siegel who was kind enough to answer a few questions we had about the new season, and he truly left us wishing we could see all the shows right this very second!

Broadway by the Year has become a beloved staple of the cabaret scene, do you find it easy to top yourself every year?

I love it when audience members tell me, with surprise in their voices, that they liked the most recent show even more than the one before. It is, indeed, what I strive for. Do I find it easy? No. Over the last fifteen years, I have continually re-invented Broadway by the Year so that it is ever-changing and evolving, yet always staying true to its original concept and mission. For instance, the series started with just 3 performers. Later, it was often around six; then we averaged around a dozen. In the last two years, the cast has been no less than 25 stars plus a chorus that is usually anywhere from twelve to 20 additional performers. During these same years, I added major dance numbers to the show, in many concerts having as many as seven or eight major song and dance numbers, turning Broadway by the Year from a "concert" into a "show." Of course, the biggest change to date occurred last season, and continues this season, with a new format that covers 100 years of Broadway history over the course of our four concerts, with 100 Songs performed by 100 Stars. We're beginning with 1916 and ending with 2015, a quarter century per concert. Our first show, on Feb. 23rd, will cover 1916 to 1940 and feature 25 stars.

How do you choose the performers/songs? Is it a daunting task since many shows/songs/performers can be left out?

There are a lot of different questions in what you're asking me here. One of the things you seem to be wondering about is, perhaps, the most important part of putting on this kind of a concert -- matching the performer with the right song for him or her. I think that's one of the keys to success of Broadway by the Year. I think a lot of other concerts don't take that chemistry to heart and often assign songs a little too indiscriminately. I pride myself on finding the right song for each singer; it requires knowing enough about the singers and the songs to make that match.

Another part of your question is simply about how I choose performers and songs. Simply put, in regard to performers, I simply go after the most talented people I can get. Then I pick the songs that suit them best out of a pool of what I consider the best possible songs.

Do you find yourself curating from a crop of personal favorites usually, or do you seek out obscure pieces?

The fact is, Ross Patterson (my musical director since the series began) and myself have spent countless hours since the series began, playing through all the sheet music we could get our hands on from Broadway shows, famous and obscure. We pick out the songs we think are the best, regardless of their fame or lack thereof. Of course, there is a reason why most songs are famous so they are usually included (though not always), but there have been an enormous number of songs we have featured during the last fourteen years (and we will, again, in our upcoming 15th season) that have been discoveries of fantastic lost and/or forgotten songs. My favorite example is a song from 1925 called "It Don't Mean Nothin' to Me." It's from a show called Naughty Cinderella. Nobody knew the song or the show, but Nancy Anderson performed it in our concert and stopped the show! That almost never happens with an unknown song.

What's in store this season? Feel free to reveal anything that won't be considered a "spoiler".

I'd rather not reveal content, but though last season's show were widely praised, they tended to run a little bit long, so I will be taking some stylistic measure to further streamline the shows this season in order to bring the curtain down a little earlier without sacrificing any of the content.

Where can we find recordings of these shows?

There are, in fact, about two dozen commercial recordings of Broadway by the Year and Broadway Unplugged concerts. Every single one of them went to number one on the Footlight.com bestseller list -- I think 24 straight number one sellers might be a record! They can still be found on Footlight.com.

Thanks to Mr. Siegel for his time and insights! The first concert of Broadway by the Year will take place on Monday February 23 at The Town Hall. For tickets and more click here.