BroadwayRadio – This Week on Broadway for August 24, 2025:

Twelfth Night @ Delacorte Theater

Episode Overview

In this episode, BroadwayRadio’s James Marino and Peter Filicia (with Michael Portantier on vacation) cover recent Broadway and Off-Broadway events, reviews of “Twelfth Night” in Central Park, “Take a Banana for the Ride” by Jeff Ross, “Alan Turing and the Queen of the Night,” and updates on “Mamma Mia.” They conclude by reflecting on the life and career of Jerry Adler. The tone is conversational, insightful, and full of theater anecdotes, with deep dives into both current productions and Broadway history.

Highlights & Main Discussion Points

1. Day-by-Day Show Tune Calendar & Notable Birthdays

• Peter’s New Calendar: Peter shares the process of selecting songs and events, including personal milestones like the installation of a Broadway marquee.
  • [02:29] Peter Filicia: “For August 24 [the calendar date], I talked about the day that a marquee was installed on a Broadway theater... for Once on this Island back in 1990. So the song for today is ‘We Dance’... you never forget your first time.”
• Leroy Reams’ Birthday: Anecdotes about Reams’ Broadway legacy and Bob Fosse’s generosity.
  • [04:03] Peter Filicia: “He certainly deserves it... always glad to have him again... He left for Vegas and Fosse said, ‘Look, if I were you, I’d go too...’ He proved it some years later by hiring him for the Sweet Charity movie.”

2. Review: Twelfth Night @ The Delacorte Theater

[05:07–13:41]

Atmosphere & Opening Night Mishaps

• Weather challenges: Unexpected heavy rain led to an incomplete first attempt at seeing the show. The cast entertained the audience with singing when show was canceled mid-delay.
  • [05:07] Peter Filicia: “Kaboom. Whoa. Did it start pouring!... The cast came out and said, ‘We really can’t go on... the stage was so slicky wet they would have killed themselves...’”

Artistic Choices

• Broad comedic style: The show embraced farce and spectacle.
  • “A perfect summer show... It was very farcical, very broad.”
• Peter Dinklage as Malvolio: Mixed feelings about his casting choice in relation to physical comedy and audience empathy.
  • [06:16] Peter Filicia: “Peter Dinklage did what he could... part of the thing is that Malvolio is rather a stick... considering the fact that Peter Dinklage is a little person, it really seemed like they were picking on him. I thought that was non traditional casting that didn’t work...”

Casting Twins Effectively

• Viola and Sebastian: Lupita and Junior Nyong’o as siblings, not twins, made mistaken identity more convincing.
  • “This was the most successful Twelfth Night of the 22 productions I’ve seen that did the twin thing the best.”

Performance & Design Shoutouts

• Cast praise: John Ellison Conlee (Sir Toby Belch), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Sandra Oh (Olivia), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Maria); lighting by Bradley King; new score/orchestrations by Michael Thurber.

  • “John Ellison Conlee is Sir Toby Belch... Jesse Tyler Ferguson... Sandra Oh... Daphne Robin Vega sensational... Beautiful lighting beyond belief.”
  • “Michael Thurber... composed and wrote his own orchestrations... six songs here and very, very, very, very nicely done.”

• [12:14] Peter Filicia: “Give a shout out to an actor simply known as ‘b’ playing Antonio... some performers really grasp realism…very, very effective.”

Other Insights

• Production notes: Some plot points truncated; addressed practical concerns of Delacorte’s new seating.
• Raccoon/animal urban legends: No raccoons spotted during Peter’s visit, but entertaining animal anecdotes shared.

3. Review: Jeff Ross’s Take a Banana for the Ride

[14:50–21:28]

General Impressions

• Both hosts unfamiliar with Ross; critique his ‘roast’ style as less appealing compared to universal humor (à la George Carlin).

  • [15:49] Peter Filicia: “He’s very famous for enjoying roasting people... not my type of humor at all.”

• Audience interaction: Potential for being singled out if in the front row, but all in “the spirit of the show.”

  • “Prepare to be insulted... don’t take it personally.”

Personal Content Overload

• The show’s focus on family and pets likened to “looking at someone’s home movies... and when you don’t know the people involved, you’re just not that interested.”
  • [16:59] James Marino: “Until you just said [family movies], I was like, that’s the metaphor I was looking for.”

Commercial Prospects

• Poor sales mentioned; speculated that Broadway run is just a stepping-stone to a streaming production.

  • “If you’re the type of person who likes shock-jock type humor, I think you’ll have a good time… I don’t know how long he’s going to be there…”

• The Banana Gimmick: Bananas handed out at the end as a running joke; hit-and-miss in actual execution.

4. Review: Alan Turing and the Queen of the Night @ Players Theater

[21:42–26:10]

Show Background & Content

• Musical about Alan Turing’s life and struggles, focusing more on his early love and emotional trauma than on his codebreaking.
  • “The way he was treated… was enough to drive him to suicide at the mere age of 41. This is a very serious life. This is a musical. I didn’t know that going in.”

Musical & Casting Notes

• Eclectic musical style, “embraces a lot of forms, even going to Gilbert & Sullivan.”
  • “Lyrics are very good... full of character...”
• Strong lead performance from Malcolm Holmes as Turing.
  • [26:05] Peter Filicia: “Malcolm Holmes played Alan Turing. He’s terrific. Yeah, he’s terrific.”

Criticisms

• Lack of dramatic emphasis on Turing’s codebreaking achievements; focus on his inability to move past grief.
• Confusing “Queen of the Night” device.

Staging & Playbill Gripe

• No printed playbill; all-digital via QR code.

5. Review & Discussion: Mamma Mia! Current Run

[26:51–35:06]

Comedic Portrayal of Middle-aged Characters

• Peter notes that much of the humor comes from “middle-aged people making fools of themselves trying to act young.”
  • [26:51] Peter Filicia: “An inordinate part of the show… showed people in middle age sort of making fools of themselves…”

Music and Its Lasting Power

• Both agree the ABBA score is infectious and lasting.
  • “The music has stayed with me... I’m amazed that so many days later I’m still hearing that song…”
• Acknowledgement of talented cast regardless of opinions on the book.

Story Origins and Adaptations

• James discusses the show’s debt to films and musicals like Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell and Carmelina, noting they handle the mistaken paternity theme more elegantly.

On DNA Plot Holes

• They poke fun at the lack of DNA-related plot elements, considering the musical’s contemporary timeline.

Cast Talent

• [33:09] James Marino: “This is an amazingly talented cast… the whole is less than the sum of its parts.”
• Comments on the cast’s “astounding talent... some of the best-looking people I have ever seen... it’s enjoyable, it’s a fun evening.”

Show’s Future

• Both doubt the announced closing date; packed houses imply likely extension.

6. In Memoriam: Jerry Adler (1929–2025)

[35:06–54:17]

Industry Titan

• Peter and James reflect in detail on Adler’s prolific career spanning stage management, production supervision, performing, and more, referencing dozens of credits.

Memorable Quotes & Anecdotes

• On Drat the Cat! and its untimely closing, Barbra Streisand’s support (via “He Touched Me”), and the heartbreak of a promising show folding due to lack of funds.

  • [36:35] Peter Filicia: “So painful for Jerry Adler because he was a co-producer... we just couldn’t raise any more money.”

• Funny and moving backstage stories, including:

  • Original My Fair Lady opening night jitters.
  • Working with difficult personalities like Orson Welles.
  • The impact of world events on musicals (The Girl Who Came to Supper after JFK’s assassination).
  • The little-known backstories of shows and their relationships to later successes.

• On plays like Taller Than a Dwarf:

  • “Do you know that this was actually a rewrite of a play Elaine May had written many, many moons earlier?”
  • Matter of Position closed in Philadelphia in 1962, resurfaced as Taller Than a Dwarf in 2000.

Adler’s Legacy

• Lament for a lost era, but admiration for his lasting impact.
  • “Here’s a guy who performed, who directed, who was production supervisor, who was a stage manager and his career lasted from 1951... to 2015 when he was a performer in Fish in the Dark... he could die a very happy man for all that he accomplished.”

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Twelfth Night: “The audience was adoring it and I’m glad that they did. You really can’t fault the performances at all.” – Peter Filicia, [08:13]
• Nontraditional casting on Broadway: “I thought that was non traditional casting that didn’t work...” – Peter Filicia, [06:55]
• Take a Banana for the Ride: “I was really quite bored by all that [family stories]... It’s sort of like looking at somebody’s home movies.” – Peter, [16:38]
• Alan Turing Musical: “Seemed to me that there wasn’t enough put on the emphasis that he broke the code... you would think that would be an enormous production number.” – Peter, [24:24]
• Mamma Mia!: “It’s amazing to me how when I’m walking down the street, suddenly one of those songs will invade my head.” – Peter, [28:25]
• Jerry Adler: “He touched all different parts of the industry in so many different ways... An amazing and amazing life.” – James, [54:19]

Segment Timestamps (MM:SS)

• 01:48 – Welcome, introductions, calendar segment
• 05:04 – Twelfth Night @ Delacorte Theater review
• 13:41 – Wildlife at the Delacorte & theater anecdotes
• 14:50 – Take a Banana for the Ride (Jeff Ross) review
• 21:42 – Alan Turing and the Queen of the Night review
• 26:51 – Mamma Mia! review and discussion
• 35:06 – Jerry Adler tribute and career discussion
• 54:17 – Closing segment (brain teaser, wrap-up)

Tone & Language

Throughout, the hosts maintain a conversational, anecdotal style, mixing theater critique with wry humor and deep knowledge of Broadway history. Their language is passionate, personal, and often nostalgic, inviting listeners into a comfortable, well-informed theater chat.

For Further Exploration

• Twelfth Night at the Delacorte
• Take a Banana for the Ride tickets
• Alan Turing and the Queen of the Night info
• Mamma Mia! tickets
• Jerry Adler obituaries & IBDB/IMDb
• Subscribe to Broadway Radio

Conclusion

This episode is a celebration of current shows, critical perspectives on humor and adaptation, and a heartfelt remembrance of Broadway’s past through the life of Jerry Adler. Theatergoers of all stripes will find insight and entertainment in this detailed review of NYC’s bustling theatrical scene.