This Week on Broadway for December 1, 2024: Room 1214 @ 59e59

Summary

BroadwayRadio Podcast Summary Episode: This Week on Broadway for December 1, 2024: Room 1214 @ 59e59

Introduction In this episode of BroadwayRadio's premier podcast, hosts James Marino, Peter Felicia, and Michael Portantier dive deep into the latest happenings and productions on Broadway. Skipping the usual advertisements and introductions, the conversation swiftly moves into substantial content, providing listeners with rich insights and detailed reviews of current and upcoming Broadway shows.

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Gavin Krill Memorial Timestamp: [01:31] - [04:24]

Michael Portantier opens the discussion by highlighting the upcoming memorial for Gavin Krill at the St. James Theater. Scheduled for December 2nd at 4 PM, with doors opening an hour prior, Michael notes the significant anticipation surrounding the event:

“These memorials... don't usually completely fill up... but sometimes they do, especially for really beloved people like Hal Prince. And I think that Gavin was beloved.”
– Michael Portantier [02:10]

He praises Gavin’s multifaceted talent as a performer, songwriter, composer, lyricist, and dancer, urging listeners to check out Gavin’s work, specifically Walk on Through, a commissioned piece by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Peter Felicia adds to the conversation, emphasizing Gavin’s involvement in major Broadway productions such as Into the Woods, Waitress, and Book of Mormon, underscoring his significant impact on Broadway.

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Merchant of Venice at Classic Stage Company Timestamp: [06:15] - [12:22]

Peter Felicia shares his experience at the Classic Stage Company's production of Merchant of Venice. Directed by Igor Goliak (an alias for Jamie Lloyd), the play takes a deconstructive approach, emphasizing its comedic elements:

“Portia, when she's doing the courtroom scene, shows up in a Superman outfit. I mean, really, the real thing with the S and the great big red S.”
– Peter Felicia [06:30]

He praises the production for omitting the traditionally heavy scene involving the rings, allowing for a lighter narrative flow. However, Peter expresses concern over the play's handling of its anti-Semitic themes, while Michael Portantier voices his previous dissatisfaction with similar productions, though both agree that the current rendition has its merits.

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Shit Meets Fan at Manhattan Chamber Theater (MCC) Timestamp: [13:49] - [20:15]

Michael Portantier reviews Shit Meets Fan, a co-production between Signature and Manhattan Theater Club, starring a notable cast including Neil Patrick Harris and Jane Krakowski. The play centers around a party during a lunar eclipse where guests agree to share all their phone messages for an hour, leading to unexpected revelations and chaos.

“Every single scandalous thing that wound up happening... was almost everyone involved sex.”
– Michael Portantier [16:50]

Both Michael and Peter critique the play for its lack of diverse scandals beyond sexual revelations, arguing that it diminishes the potential depth of the narrative. Despite mixed reviews, they acknowledge the strong performances and the play’s controversial twist ending, inviting listeners to form their own opinions.

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Room 1214 @ 59 East 59 Timestamp: [21:15] - [25:24]

Peter Felicia enthusiastically reviews Room 1214 at 59 East 59, a powerful play based on a real high school shooting. The narrative follows teacher Ivy Schamis as she returns to the now-demolishing school to confront her traumatic past.

“It's extraordinarily powerful... and beautifully calibrated.”
– Peter Felicia [21:30]

He commends the performances, particularly Annabelle Gorich as Ivy and Ben Hirshhorn as Nate, highlighting the play’s balance of humor and emotional depth. Peter notes the clever set design and the gradual revelation of the school's notorious history, enhancing the play's emotional impact.

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Mama. I'm a Big Girl Now at New World Stages Timestamp: [25:57] - [31:18]

Michael Portantier discusses Mama. I'm a Big Girl Now, a reunion musical featuring Marissa Jarrett Winokur, Carrie Butler, and Laura Bell Bundy—original cast members from Hairspray. The show delves into the personal lives of these women, focusing on their marriages and motherhood, all set to pre-existing musical numbers.

“Marissa’s voice... has more depth to it, which is not surprising as she's gotten older.”
– Michael Portantier [28:15]

He praises the seamless integration of storytelling and music, as well as the performers' chemistry and versatility. The production’s use of projections and personal anecdotes adds a heartfelt dimension, making it a delightful and moving experience for audiences.

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Bad Creole at Signature Theater Timestamp: [31:55] - [35:17]

Peter Felicia reviews Bad Creole, a co-production between Signature Theater and Manhattan Theater Club, written and directed by Dominique Morisot. The play explores cultural and familial tensions as an American protagonist, Simone, returns to Haiti to address unresolved conflicts.

“The set, first off the Scrim, is glorious... it fills the entire stage.”
– Peter Felicia [32:10]

While acknowledging the play’s elegant set design and strong performances, Peter critiques the predictability of the plot, noting a lack of surprising twists. Nonetheless, he commends Morisot’s craftsmanship and expresses anticipation for her future works.

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Anne and Liz Calloway at 54 Below Timestamp: [35:48] - [40:41]

Michael Portantier shares his experience attending Anne and Liz Calloway’s latest performance at 54 Below. The Calloway sisters deliver a dynamic show featuring a mix of classic hits and personal stories.

“They opened with the Schuyler sisters from Hamilton into the Chuck Mangione song as ‘Long As We’re Together.’”
– Michael Portantier [36:00]

He lauds their vocal talents, particularly highlighting Laura Bell Bundy’s impressive imitations of iconic singers like Judy Garland and Celine Dion. Anne’s original compositions and Liz’s sensitive performances of songs like “Cloudburst” further elevate the show, making it a memorable evening.

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Joel Gray's New York Times Article on Cabaret Timestamp: [40:58] - [46:25]

Michael Portantier and Peter Felicia delve into Joel Gray’s New York Times opinion piece, which revisits the controversial line from Cabaret:

“If you could see her through my eyes, she wouldn't look Jewish at all.”
– Joel Gray [41:15]

Joel Gray reflects on the evolution of audience perceptions of Cabaret, questioning whether recent reactions are signs of deep-seated bigotry or mere detachment. Both hosts appreciate Gray’s insightful analysis, recognizing the enduring relevance of Cabaret’s themes in contemporary society.

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Brain Teaser Timestamp: [47:59] - [49:13]

Peter Felicia presents a challenging brain teaser related to Broadway history and current productions, inviting listeners to engage and respond via email. The teaser bridges classic musicals with modern-day references, encouraging fans to connect past and present Broadway narratives.

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Musical Moments: Wicked Movie Timestamp: [49:23] - [53:51]

Michael Portantier announces the release of the Wicked film adaptation, celebrating its box office success despite initial mixed reviews. He reflects on his personal journey with the musical, expressing excitement for the movie's potential and the introduction of new songs for a planned sequel.

“The only word for it is phenomenal... and Lord only knows how much higher it's going to go.”
– Michael Portantier [50:00]

Listeners are treated to excerpts from the Wicked soundtrack, including a rendition of Defying Gravity and the enchanting Oz Dust Duet, highlighting the film’s musical allure.

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Closing Remarks James Marino wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to subscribe via BroadwayRadio's website and explore additional content available through Patreon. He previews upcoming bonus episodes, including deep dives into Wicked and interviews with Broadway stars like Mandy Gonzalez.

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Notable Quotes:

1. Michael Portantier on Gavin Krill:

   “These memorials... don't usually completely fill up... but sometimes they do, especially for really beloved people like Hal Prince. And I think that Gavin was beloved.”
   [02:10]

2. Peter Felicia on Merchant of Venice:

   “It is extraordinarily powerful... and beautifully calibrated.”
   [21:30]

3. Michael Portantier on Shit Meets Fan:

   “Every single scandalous thing that wound up happening... was almost everyone involved sex.”
   [16:50]

4. Peter Felicia on Room 1214:

   “It's extraordinarily powerful... and beautifully calibrated.”
   [21:30]

5. Michael Portantier on Mama. I'm a Big Girl Now:

   “Marissa’s voice... has more depth to it, which is not surprising as she's gotten older.”
   [28:15]

---

Conclusion This episode of BroadwayRadio offers a comprehensive look at current Broadway productions, memorials, and insightful commentary on classic shows’ enduring impact. With detailed reviews, engaging discussions, and thoughtful analysis, listeners are well-equipped to stay informed and enriched by the vibrant world of Broadway.

For more information and to access the full content discussed, visit broadwayradio.com.

Transcript

[Michael Portantier]

Papa, why can you stay calm for once instead of flying off the handle? I hope you're happy I hope you're happy now I hope you're happy how.

[Peter Felicia]

You'Ve hurt your cause forever I hope.

[Michael Portantier]

You think you're clever I hope you're happy I hope you're happy too I.

[Peter Felicia]

Hope you're proud how you would grovel in submission to feed your own ambition.

[Michael Portantier]

So though I can't imagine how I hope you're happy right? No.

[James Marino]

Hello and welcome to Broadway Radios this week on Broadway for Sunday, December 1, 2024. I can't believe it's December. My name is James Marino and in the broadcast today we have Peter Falish and Michael Portantier. Peter is a playwright, journalist and historian with a number of books. His new Day by Day wall calendar, a show tune for today, 366 songs to brighten you will be released soon, but is now available for pre pre order on Amazon. Peter also has comms at Masterworks Broadway, Broadway select in many of the places. Hello, Peter.

[Peter Felicia]

Hi.

[James Marino]

Hello. Also with us is Michael Portantier. Michael's a theater reviewer and essayist. He's the founder and editor of castalbum reviews.com. he is also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in the New York Times and other major publications. You could see his photography [e-mail]. hello, Michael.

[Michael Portantier]

Hello.

[James Marino]

Hello. So, Michael, we have a commemoration coming up for Gavin Krill, don't we?

[Michael Portantier]

Yes, we do. And it is tomorrow at the St. James Theater beginning at 4pm I believe the instructions that the doors are going to open at 3pm they're really expecting a huge turnout for Gavin. These memorials, these types of memorials don't usually completely fill up, especially when they're held during the day on a weekday. But sometimes they do, especially for really beloved people like Hal Prince. And I think that Gavin was beloved. Plus, this memorial is thankfully getting a lot of press. This memorial or celebration, whatever word you want to use for it, I'm sure it'll be both. It is general admission, but if you would like to go and be assured to get in, I would try to get there closer to three than four. And we have a link to an article, a Deadline article about the memorial and also the fact that it's being live streamed and the article has the direct link to the YouTube channel where it will be live streamed. So if you cannot make it in person, check our show notes for that link and you will find it there also in our show notes. I'm so glad that this exists. I didn't realize that there was a pro shot version of Walk on Through, which is the show that Gavin wrote and performed by commission from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And everyone. I actually did not catch the show live, but everyone who saw it could not stop talking about how wonderful it was. Gavin really, aside from his incredible talent as a performer, was a wonderful, wonderful songwriter. I remember he did have a period where he was focusing on that aspect of his talent and was maybe sort of trying to be a rock star and that didn't quite happen. But he did have a fair amount of success in that area and he really was great as a composer and lyricist as well as a singer and actor and dancer. So please check out Walk on through via the link in our show notes because it really is quite something.

[Peter Felicia]

You know, what's really interesting too is that he was attached to so many Broadway projects that were famous. The least famous show, I would guess, of all of them is she Loves Me, But People Know she Loves Me, But I mean, really into the Woods, Dolly, Waitress, Book of Mormon, Hare La Cage, Millie. I mean, you know, it's amazing how he really did very well in getting into famous top line shows. Of course, most of those are revivals, but nevertheless, he really did get the good luck, the good fortune and have the good talent to get himself into household name shows. And that's pretty good too.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, and by the way, I can't vouch for the veracity of this, but it sounds right to me. Someone said that as we all know, Floyd Collins is going to be revived at Lincoln center. And I have read that Tina Landau's first choice for Floyd was Gavin.

[Peter Felicia]

Wow.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah. And one can imagine how wonderful he would have been. I really think Jeremy Jordan will be great too. Sure. But yeah, one can certainly see why Tina Landau would have thought, yeah, I really want to see and hear Gavin Creel in that role.

[James Marino]

Yeah. So we have links to all those things in the show [e-mail] so you can check out the live stream if you're not able to make it in person and also to walk on by in the Deadline article. So first up this morning, Peter was down at Classic Stage Company. Sometimes we call it CSC to see a production of Merchant of Venice. Peter, did they keep the tap number and the kick line?

[Peter Felicia]

It's funny that you say that because they have almost everything in there of that nature. This is directed by Igor Goliak, but I think Igor Goliak is an assumed name for Jamie Lloyd because, yeah, I'll Tell you, if you like the current production of Sunset Boulevard, you might very much like this Merchant of Venice. It is deconstruction. And one of the things they really make clear is that it is a comedy. They had a press conference a few weeks ago and said, this is a comedy. Both producer and Igor himself got up there and said, this is a comedy. So what they've done is they played very fast and loose with it. All you have to know of the type of thing they're doing is that. Is that Shylock wears occasionally. Often, though, occasionally wears the type of glasses with the big nose and the furry. The Groucho Marks type.

[James Marino]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, God, a lot. Portia, when she's doing the courtroom scene, shows up in a Superman outfit. I mean, really, the real thing with the S and the great big red S. So it's that type of show. I will give some credit here for the fact that they do drop the scene at the end involving the rings. For those of you who don't know the Merchant of Venice, Portia pretends to be a lawyer, and when she gets off Bassanio's friend Antonio, from having to give up a pound of flesh, they say, we got to do something nice for you. And she says, okay, I'll take that ring now. The ring is the one she gave Bassanio. No, he doesn't recognize that his wife is the lawyer, but she gave him that ring. He said, I'll never take it off. And now she says, as the lawyer now, and he doesn't know it, I want the ring as payment. Oh, I can't give you the ring. Oh, sure, you tell me. I could have anything. And now you're not going to. And, boy, if I were Bassanio, I'd worry about this marriage. When he finds out that she was teasing him and, well, that whole scene has dropped. I'm very glad about that. And I will say that Shylock does have second thoughts about what he's doing, and I think that's very strong, too. Full disclosure. Okay, I've rewritten Immersion of Venice. That's going to be done at the actor's temple on March 31st. So I've been with this property now for about a year. I had a reading done last year in Fort Lauderdale of it, where I use Shakespearean language. I've now used contemporary language, and Carol Ostrow at the Actress Temple will be doing it as a benefit. So I may be overly sensitive to what the Merchant of Venice should be, but nevertheless, when you see this character, Richard Topol by the way, an actor we know very well is playing Shylock and he certainly the best you can say is he's doing what he can. T.R. knight is playing Antonio.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, wow. I didn't realize that. Yeah, yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

Who he's also playing is a TV warm up, man. This is being done as a TV special. So he comes up and he's telling a few quotation marks, good jokes like why do chickens. This is. This is the real thing. Now I'm not saying this line like this. This is the line, why do chickens hate Shakespeare? Well, because he's involved with Murder Most Foul, so. So we have about five minutes, maybe more, of him trying to warm up the crowd and get us in the mood for a comedy. But it is supposed to be a TV special and things go wrong with the TV special. So somebody has to step in at the last moment who is in qualified to act, etc. Etc. I guess the intention is the fact that when you come right down to brass tacks, this is a terribly anti Semitic play that really is horrible in so many aspects. And the feeling is that the only way we can get by is to spoof it and make it ridiculous and hopeful. Ops. And by the way, there were plenty of people laughing. And at intermission I went out and I want to count how many people left. So 41. Now that's a lot. So if you want to see something really wild and strange, and we have some good people in this. Gus Brini is Jessica and Alexandra Silber is Portia. So this might be like one of those famous accidents. When you kind of look at it, you can't look away. But boy, were they empty. I mean, there were literally two rows, rows that were virtually empty at the end of that first act. So caveat emptor, friends. But if you want low comedy, there it is on 13th Street.

[Michael Portantier]

I have not seen this yet, but I note that three of the people were involved in the previous production at csc. Our class.

[Peter Felicia]

Right, right. Directed. Yeah, same guy. Director.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, director Alexandra Silber and Richard Topol. And I had seen that show previously. So had I, at bam. And I had gone specifically because so many people raved about it and I could not stand the direction of it. Specifically. I really, really, really hated it. So guessing maybe this one won't be for me either, so maybe I won't bother. But I did want to note. Interesting that I wonder if this director thinks he's sort of got a repertory company going. And interesting that CSC would produce this after that. But I guess they considered that one a success.

[Peter Felicia]

Sure. The other thing that we must remember is that there are people who are fond of this type of deconstruction.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, sure.

[Peter Felicia]

I, I posted my Sunset Boulevard review on Facebook and well, about 20 people said, wow, boy, do I agree with you. Two people said, oh, you just didn't get it. You know, do you just want the same old tired way of doing things? I think that may very well be true. But I also, and here's what we disagree, Michael. I saw a lot of worth in the new Cabaret, so I don't think I'm as rigid as people might think I am. And I did go with an open mind. But boy, when a guy comes out as a TV warm up guy and telling lame jokes, this is not the Merchant of Venice I want to see.

[James Marino]

So, tangent to our discussion of Merchant of Venice, Matt Temenini spoke with Alexander Silber a little bit about this production and some of the things that that Al is doing a couple of weeks ago on Broadway radio. And I'll have a link to that in the show notes. Merchant of Venice at Classic Stage Company is going to play through December 22, and we'll have a link to it in the show notes. Peter and Michael were over at MCC to see Shit. Meet fan. So, Michael, why don't you get us started on this?

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, this play opened a while ago, but I guess Peter and I just, you know, there's been a lot going on lately, so I guess we just caught up with it. Now, this is written and Directed by Robert O'Hara, and it's got a quite a powerhouse cast of people who are, I guess, TV and movie stars in addition to theater stars. Garrett Dillahunt, Genevieve Henelius, Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Krakowski, Deborah Messing, Michael Oberholster, Tramilla Tillman, and Constance Wu. And the premise, certainly intriguing. This couple is holding a party in their apartment for. I forget. It was, well, the lunar eclipse, right? Yeah, lunar eclipse.

[Peter Felicia]

That's right, yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

Cause it's a night and they have their various friends over and for some reason, Jane Krakowski, who's the wife of the couple that's hosting it, decides to initiate a game whereby everyone will put their phones on the coffee table and for an hour, the next hour, they have to share with everyone in the room every text, every phone call, every message that they get. Now, this probably sounds absolutely, incredibly, totally unbelievable that anyone, let alone all of them, all of these six people, roughly, or eight people, would agree to do that. And indeed, of course, it is but at the end of the play, towards the end of the play, there was a huge twist that I suppose makes the playwright slash director feel that he gets a get out of jail free card for all of that, so he is able to have his cake and eat it, too, in that sense, although many audience members, some audience members at least, may feel it was a dirty trick. And I guess I kind of feel like, well, you know, if it's acceptable to do something like that, anybody could write a play that's, you know, that throws. Throws out all sense of credibility and all, you know, all sense of logic and human behavior. So if you see this show, which I believe got very mixed reviews, I would be interested to hear what other people think of it because it's quite. I'm sure it's quite controversial. I also was. Aside from that, I thought there were many funny moments in it, and the cast is uniformly excellent. It was so wonderful to see Jane Krakowski back on stage again. I really love her so much, and all of them really. Neil Patrick Harris, etc. And there were funny and clever moments in it. But I was surprised, aside from everything else, how almost every single scandalous thing that wound up happening because of a message or a text or phone call or whatever that someone got, almost everyone involved sex. And I thought, well, all right, fine, you know, but couldn't some of them be about something else? Like, you know, some kind of a crime that's being committed or something? Something else that's being done that's embarrassing or immoral? It's not. You know, there are other scandals in this world other than sexual ones. Right. So I thought that was a. An additional flaw in the play, and that's. Those are my thoughts in a nutshell.

[James Marino]

Okay, Peter, what did you think?

[Peter Felicia]

Well, what's most intriguing to me is that this is based on a film called Perfect Strangers that was released in 2016, an Italian movie. Now, if you look on Wikipedia, here's what it says. On the evening of a total eclipse of the moon, seven close friends gather for a dinner party. Early in the meal, one of the friends, named Eva says that she is convinced that many couples would separate if they saw the messages on each other's phones. As the friends debate this contention, they agree. Some of them reluctantly play a game. They will each place the phone on the table, and they will share their messages and calls with the rest. What did Robert O'Hara do? That's what I want to know. I mean, it seems to be exactly the same thing. I guess the dialogue is Different. But, I mean, I'm amazed that this. I can't imagine that it would be so different. And I agree with Michael. The thing is that it's all sexual. And frankly, none of them is. Oh, my God. I would have never thought that he'd be doing that. They're rather benign type. Maybe I'm morally deficient. That's not the first time that's been said, but to me, they were. I could predict everything that was going to happen. There were no surprises in what the secrets, these terrible secrets were revealed. That may be because we've heard everything in our lives now. I mean, where are the surprises? But nevertheless, I was astonished that the secrets turned out to be what you'd fully expect from every man and woman. So, anyway, I don't think enough shit hit the fan, frankly. So that's my take.

[James Marino]

Okay, so that is play. It's been extended. It's playing through December 15th at MCC. We'll have a link to that in the show notes.

[Michael Portantier]

I wish we could talk more about the twist at the end, but it's difficult to do.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, by the way, that's up for debate because a lot of people think it's one thing, another. So if you go, friends, I'll be interested to hear if you. Which side you're on in terms of what it really, really means at the end. Yeah, there's a wonderful twist at the end.

[Michael Portantier]

I see what you mean about it.

[Peter Felicia]

I'm sure you do. Yeah. Yeah.

[James Marino]

Okay, so next up, Peter, you were over at 59 East 59. Wow. You, like, did the four corners of Manhattan there. From Classic Stage Company to MCC to 59 East 59. Just. I got to get you in East Village next. Well, I guess CSC sort of in the Village. He made a triangle. Anyway, enough logistics of.

[Peter Felicia]

James, let me put it this way. On Thursday, I'll be driving to HAB DeGrasse, Maryland, to see Never Too Late in 1962 comedy. So, I mean, this is Duck Soup for me to go around Manhattan. If it's something I want to see, I go. So there.

[James Marino]

Make sure you get an early start.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, indeed.

[James Marino]

You don't want to be never too late.

[Peter Felicia]

Never too late. No.

[James Marino]

All right, so you saw room 1214 at 59 East 59. So tell us about this.

[Peter Felicia]

It's terrific. It's very, very powerful. And it's actually based on not only a real incident that we've all heard about, but more to the point, the. Well, it. It's about a shooting in high school. And the sad thing Is that you might be saying to yourself right now, I wonder which one it is, because there have been so many. Anyway, this one is the reminiscence of a teacher named Ivy Seamus. S C H A M I S and Ivy met with Michelle Colas Brooks. And the play came out of it. And it's extraordinarily powerful. What it is is a teacher going back into the room where this is some of the atrocity happens where she lost some students. And the building's about to be demolished. And it's so funny that I should have seen this play while I was reading a book about the Kennedy assassination and there was talk about whether or not they should tear down the Texas Book Depository. Where was it? Oswald? Who knows?

[James Marino]

Yes.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, who knows? Yeah. Allegedly shot Kennedy, so. And then the decision was made. No, this is history. We've got to keep it. Well, this building is being demolished and this woman is in it for the last time, reminiscing of what goes on. She's played by Annabelle Gorich. D U R W I T C H and she is terrific. Terrific. As she reminisces and her students come back into the room. The memories of the students and those kids are magnificent. You know, child actors, teen actors can often lay it on thick. None of them do here. And of course, we must give credit to Sarah Norris for directing it so well. But really impressive was Ben Hirshhorn playing Nate, who has everything going for him. He's going to have a terrific career. He's got Tebury College. I mean, he's just so successful so far. And he's not obnoxious about it. And he really respects his teacher and all that goes with that. There are some. We always hear about plays like this, but there's humor in it. And there is, especially when Nate finds out that there was a time. Are you kidding me? There was a time when people smoked on airplanes. He can't believe it. And, you know, I could understand why he wouldn't. There was a time when people drove in cars without seat belts, you know, and it really brings up the fact that how much has changed and that the young generation of today is astonished at some of those things. So there is humor there, too, but boy, is there power. As little by little by little by little we find out that. And it's beautifully calibrated. We find out more and more about what actually happened, and eventually we will actually have the school named, and I'm sorry to say it will not be a name unknown to you. So that gives it Extra power. So this is really something. After here. I am not saying very much good things about what we've been talking about, but I can certainly say magnificent things about room 1214. Not only did Linda stay, but she cried.

[James Marino]

Wow. So room 1214 at 59 East 59 is playing through December 8th, and we'll have a link to that in the show notes. Peter, I picked up the show notes from the 59East59 website, and it's got the name of the school in there. Do you think I should take the name of the school out of the show notes?

[Peter Felicia]

Why not? Yeah, let's keep people guessing as to what it is. And unfortunately, as I say, there are a lot of candidates.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, but that's interesting that they had it on their website.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

I guess they don't consider it a. Yeah, that's true.

[James Marino]

Spoiler.

[Michael Portantier]

But I understand what you're saying, Peter.

[James Marino]

Yeah, so I took it out of the show notes. I just took the name of the. Of the school out of the show notes. But the rest of the information is there so you can check it out and hopefully it won't spoil it for anybody. All right, so, Michael, you went a few blocks up from your home to New World Stages to see Mama. I'm a big girl now. Peter talked about it a few weeks ago. So tell us, what'd you think of this?

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, well, I don't think anyone will be crying at this one, unless maybe enjoy. Because it's delightful. Delightful show. Here again. It's been running for a while, but things have been so busy lately with so many openings that I just caught it recently. And I'm so glad I did, partly on Peter's recommendation, but also several other people had told me this is a reunion musical, I guess you could say, written and performed by Marissa Jarrett Winokur, Carrie Butler and Laura Bell Bundy, all three of whom starred in the original Broadway production of Hairspray, which for me was one of the great Broadway musicals of the past several decades. And they have remained, as the point they make in the show. They have remained very good friends since then through marriages, and now all three have children. But one of the interesting things about the show is that the circumstances of their marriages and their motherhood are all quite different. The stories that they tell, and they use lots of wonderful songs we know to illustrate them. There are no original songs in the show. They're all pre existing songs from musicals, et cetera. And. But very well done. I, you know, I. It can't be easy to write Something by committee or direct it by committee. I wonder if one of the women took the lead as, you know, sort of the main person as writer and or director. It'd be interesting to find that out, but I think it's. I think it turned out very well. They also have three backup singer performers and there are a lot of wonderful projections and photos in the show on a large screen at the back of the stage. And that really, I mean, it seems like the lives of these three women are very well documented and both their personal lives and their show business lives, so those add a lot to things. And the talent of all three is so great and wonderful to see them on stage again, especially together. Marissa's voice, it seems to me, is actually better now than it was for Hairspray. It still has that sort of a cutting quality to it, but I think there's more depth to it, which is not surprising as she's gotten older. And then I've always loved the other two as well. Laura Bell Bundy, who started out as a child performer and beauty contest winner, and Carrie Butler, who's been so adorable in so many things, including the short lived Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors. That show had many problems and did not run long, but I thought she was a highlight of it. All three women have a great chance to shine in this show. Laura Bell, I didn't realize, is also very talented as a mimic. And at several points in the show you'll hear her do really quite wonderful, immediately recognizable imitations of Judy Garland, Julie Andrews and Celine Dion. I thought that was really great. Marissa has the guts to sing not only Some People, which of course is being sung by Audra McDonald over a gypsy, but also shy from Once Upon a Madras, which is still. That's still running right. And that's being sung by Sutton Foster. So she didn't shy away from. Shy away, pardon the expression, from doing either of those. And she does great jobs with both of them, so more power to her. The part about the motherhood of the three women is all very, very moving and I enjoyed seeing pictures of their kids and their husbands and just overall completely delightful. I think they've added some performances. The show I attended was packed and it seems to be doing quite well. They don't do eight a week, they have a limited schedule, but they have now extended, I think through December 20th. So you have a few more weeks to try to get to see them.

[James Marino]

Yes, they have extended through December 21st.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, 21st. I'm sorry. That's because they play Mondays Right.

[James Marino]

I don't know. Just pick that up.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, they do play Mondays, but I don't know if that's a Monday.

[James Marino]

Yeah, yeah, it says it on their website. Strictly limited engagement now extended through December 21st. So let me see if that's correct. And Elise, can you buy a ticket for the 21st? Let's see. Yes, seems like you can. It's 21st is a Saturday.

[Michael Portantier]

Saturday. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[James Marino]

So they have looks like Saturday, Sunday, Mondays, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. So we'll have a link to that in the show notes. You can figure out how it fits into your schedule to go see Mama. I'm a big girl now. Peter, you were over at Signature center to see Dominique Morisot's newest play, Bad Creole, which is a co production between Signature and Manhattan Theater Club. That's interesting. That doesn't happen very often.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, isn't that something? I guess that may have something to do with the pandemic and how everybody has to cooperate in a way because money may just be tighter than usual. I mean, I'm guessing that. And I don't think that's such a bad guess, frankly. But anyway, yes, we've certainly admired much of what Dominique Marisot has done in the past. The thing is this. This play has a similar issue that I spoke about with meets Fan because there aren't many surprises in it. Okay, here's the situation. Simone has been a United States citizen, but she has family in Haiti, so she goes back to Haiti. By the way, the set, first off the Scrim, is glorious. It fills the entire stage. This is in the big signature stage, and it shows all those chockablock houses that you see in Caribbean countries. So. And then the set is very ornate. It doesn't look like it's going to be at the beginning, but I'm telling you, it's a very expensive set, which may very well explain the co production aspect of it. But anyway, Simone comes to Haiti and she talks to her cousin with whom she's had issues in the past. When they were growing up, they were competitive, they knew each other, and each tried to outdo the other. And Gigi has done rather well. She now runs a store. She's in control. It's her store and it's for dresses and garments, and it's rather upscale, so she's done well. Also involved is a character named Peter. Not spelled the way my name is spelled, but the way you spell that bread stuff. P, I, T, A. So anyway, the point of the play is that the American comes down and sees the problems that these people are having and believes that she can solve all the problems because she's American. She has all the answers, you know, I mean, what else could possibly happen but the wisdom of America, when you go to a country that has had terribly bad luck, certainly weather wise. So that's the point of the play, that she'll come, she'll solve everybody's problems and she doesn't. The thing is like with shit meets fan, the problems are one that we can understand and guess long before they're revealed to us. And as a result, this is another play that doesn't surprise us. Are the characters well written? Of course. Does it hold our attention? Yes. But it's one of those two and a half stars out of four plays and okay, I'm glad that Dominique Marisol wrote it and I look forward to what she'll write next, just as I've looked forward in the past to what she's written because she certainly has done wonderful work and her book for the musical Ain't Too Proud was, was pretty good. So. So I look forward to the next one. If you do have a ticket to this one, I think it will hold your attention, but I think you'll come out wanting more.

[James Marino]

Okay, Excuse me. Bad Creole at the Irene Diamond Stage at Signature Theater here in New York is playing through December 21st. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. You can check it out there. Finally, this morning in our review section, Michael, you were over 54 below where you saw Anne and Liz Calloway do their latest show. So tell us, how are the Calloway sisters?

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, they're great. I had not seen them or heard them perform together in decades. And that's my own fault because they do frequently perform together as well as separately. And actually, as I told Liz afterwards, I've seen her, seen and heard her quite a few times recently and often at 54 below as well. But this is really awful. The last time I experienced Anne Hampton Calloway perform live was, I want to say, like maybe 30 years ago.

[Peter Felicia]

Wow.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, part of my excuse is she now lives in Tucson, but she does still come back here and perform fairly regularly. So I have no excuse for that, especially since I've always thought she was one of the great, great talents with a very, very, very unique voice. Amazing, unique voice and also as well as her talents as a pianist and a songwriter. So shame on me. But I did get there for this and I loved every minute of it was wonderful, wonderful show. Directed by Liz's husband, Dan Foster. And with a really great, eclectic tune stack. They opened with the Schuyler sisters from Hamilton into the Chuck Mangione song as Long As We're Together. Then we had New York State of Mind Billy Joel. Then there was a backseat of the Car medley. The girls talked about how when they were really little and they would be driven places by their parents and they would sit in the back seat of the car and just sing song after song to the point where their parents were kind of like, enough already. So. And then they went from that which was so delightful into with no introduction whatsoever. They shifted gears completely and sang a beautiful duet version of that gorgeous Carly Simon and Jacob Brackman song that's the way I've always heard it should be. That was a real highlight. Then we had Anne doing duet of My buddy and old friend. We had Liz do her famous version of Meadowlark from the Baker's Wife by Stephen Schwartz, of whom we will hear more later in this podcast song called Remind me that Anne wrote herself Cloudburst. Oh, a wonderful song by Adam Guan written for a musical called Ordinary Days. And this song, anyway, is. It's. It's a 911 song. It's a song about, well, a relationship that ends because of 9 11. And of course, you have to be very careful when writing about something like that. But I thought it was beautifully written and wonderfully, sensitively delivered by Liz. And then Anne sang Blowing in the Wind. The two of them ended with youh must believe in spring, I happen to like New York, count your blessings instead of sheep and that gorgeous John Buccino song Grateful. So it was really, really a wonderful night and I was glad I was there.

[James Marino]

Wow, that sounds wonderful. I'm shocked. You haven't seen Ann in so long.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

Apologies if I miss this. Have you ever seen them do anything you can do, I can do better?

[Michael Portantier]

Yes.

[James Marino]

So it wasn't in.

[Michael Portantier]

It wasn't in this one.

[James Marino]

But yeah, I was always wondering.

[Michael Portantier]

Or actually it. Wait, it might have been in the car medley. Oh, some of it might have been in the car medley.

[James Marino]

Okay. Yeah. They are just the best. Lovely people, both of them. Yeah. Really, really wonderful people. People.

[Michael Portantier]

And the pattern was one was delightful as well.

[James Marino]

So unfortunately, if you missed it at 54 below, it seems that it concluded its run last night at 54 below. But the Callaway Sisters do stuff all over the place all the time. So maybe if you're in Tucson or somewhere else they are, you will get to see them. But they're always it It's. It's never. It's never a roll of the dice when you buy tickets to go see the Calloways. You're always going to have a great time.

[Michael Portantier]

Correct?

[James Marino]

All right, so that wraps it up for our reviews, but we wanted to talk this morning a little bit about. For a few minutes, Joel Gray wrote an opinion piece, a guest essay for the New York Times. Michael, why don't you fill everybody in on what the essay was about?

[Michael Portantier]

Well, it was in general. It was about how Cabaret was perceived by audiences when it first opened as compared to how it is perceived now. But I thought it was so interesting that in the article, which is very well written by Joel Gray, that he focused a lot of his attention on one particular part of it. And if I can quote here, some of this article. Let's see, I played the MC, the KitKat club's master of distraction, et cetera, et cetera. Some material was simply too much for the audience to handle. If you could see her, which has the MC singing of his love for a gorilla, a thinly veiled commentary on antisemitic attitudes ended with the lyric, if you could see her through my eyes, she wouldn't look Jewish at all. When we first performed it in Boston, audiences gasped and recoiled. It was too offensive, too raw, too cruel. Producers fretted. And the line was changed to she isn't a Mieskite at all. Softening the blow, yes, but also the impact. I resented the change and would often, to the chagrin of stage management, quote, unquote, forget to make the swap throughout the that free Broadway run. And let me stop here for a moment. I had heard a different story. That line was changed only for the album, the cast album. So I'm glad to have the record set straight here. I mean, I'm sure that Mr. Gray remembers it correctly. What was your understanding of that, Peter?

[Peter Felicia]

Well, ironically enough, I went to the Triad of Cabaret twice in Boston, and it was still Jewish.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, yeah. She wouldn't look twice.

[Peter Felicia]

But a woman I was working with saw the show and came up to me with a scowl on her face because she knew that I was involved with it and said, they've got to change that line. And I thought, they'll never change that line. What are you talking about? They're not going to change that line for you. And they did. Did. But it didn't happen in Boston with the two times I saw it. I have spoken to Joel Gray about this, and he said the same thing to me that he wrote in the article that he would forget every now and then. I remember Kevin Kelly of the Globe when the movie came out, congratulating the movie for having the guts to use she wouldn't look Jewish at all. Yes, you couldn't use me Skype because they dropped the whole song, Me sky, so it meant nothing. So. But I do believe that it did go into the show, and it wasn't just for the cast album. And the irony is, if you get the Random House book, the script of Cabaret that was published, they offer both lines. They say, alternate line. Yeah, so it's both. Yeah. So if you check that out, you'll find that.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, thanks to you and Joel Gray for clearing that up. But anyway, so to continue. So the line in question is, she wouldn't look Jewish at all about the gorilla. All right, so he goes on to write, Joel Gray does in this New York Times article. I'm learning from friends in the current Broadway production of Cabaret that the line is once again getting an audible response, but of a different sort. On more than one occasion in the past two weeks since the election, a small number of audience members have squealed with laughter that she wouldn't look Jewish at all. In the late 1960s, we softened the line because the truth was too hard to hear. Today, it seems the line is playing exactly as the Nazi sympathizing MC would have intended. My initial assessment when word first reached me about this unusual reaction was that these must be the triumphant laughs of the complicit, suddenly drunk on power and unafraid to let their bigotry be known. Now I find myself considering other hypothes. Are these the hollow, uneasy laughs of an audience that has retreated into the comfort of irony and detachment? Are these vocalized signals of acceptance? Audible white flags of surrender to the state of things? A collective shrug of indifference? I honestly don't know which of these versions I find most ominous, but all of them should serve as a glaring reminder of how dangerously easy it is to accept bigotry when we are emotionally exhausted and politically overwhelmed. Overwhelmed. So I think that is brilliantly written. How great that Joel Gray is such a wonderful writer, in addition to his phenomenal talents as an actor and as a director, as he's proven recently with several projects, most notably that fabulous production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish.

[Peter Felicia]

Which of course also deals with anti Semitism.

[Michael Portantier]

Of course. Yes. So check out these show notes for the link to this full article in the New York Times by Gerald Gray about what we've just been discussing.

[James Marino]

Okay, so that wraps it up for this week. Before we get on to our brain teaser and our musical moments, we want to remind everybody that you can subscribe to these broadcasts by going to the front page of broadwayradio.com there's a subscribe link. That way each and every time we have a new episode of this Week on Broadway, it'll be automatically downloaded to Apple Podcast View. Of course you don't have to listen to Snapple podcasts as many ways to get us Patreon, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Pandora, YouTube Music anywhere that you can get Find our podcast show find Broadway Radio's offerings at patreon.com you are able to get us early and get bonus episodes as well. In the last couple of days, Matt Temenini and Grace A have released a bunch of special episodes to get us through the Thanksgiving stretch here. Matt and Grace talked did a deep dive on Wicked, which we're going to be talking about Wicked for in a second. Then Matt did a Thanksgiving special episode and then Matt talked with Mandy Gonzalez a little Tell Me More interview with Mandy Gonzalez. So those are some of the bonus things you can get early as a Broadway radio Patreon subscriber. Contact information for Peter from Michael and for me can be found in the show notes at BroadwayRadio do, as well as links to some of the things we've talked about today. So Peter, do you have an answer to last week's Brain teaser?

[Peter Felicia]

Listen to the original cast album of Bye Bye Birdie and you'll hear sung a five word sentence. That's a question. If you take the last two words of this sentence and substitute the first letter of each word with two different letters, you'll have a question that comments on a current Broadway show, one that will have a different thrust than the Birdie question. So what I'm talking about is that in Kids Mr. McAfee asks what's wrong with Sammy K. Referring to the band leader who wasn't a favorite of then young baby boomers. Today we'd ask what's wrong with Tammy Faye? And while Mr. McAfee meant that he felt that there was nothing wrong with Sammy K, many would say that there is plenty wrong with Tammy Faye. Sean Logan was the first to get it, followed by Tony Janak, Paul Witte, Arthur Robinson, Josh Israel, Jack Leshner, Deb Poppel, Ingrid Gamerman, and Brigadude. This week's question he wrote a number of hit plays and a few hit musicals. His first name is the same as the leading character in a 90s musical that won best score? Who are these two with the same first names? And what was the best school winner?

[James Marino]

Okay, if you have an answer for this, email [e-mail] we'll let you know if you're on the right track. So, Michael, what do we have in this week's musical moments?

[Michael Portantier]

Well, in case you haven't heard, the film version of Wicked has opened.

[James Marino]

Really?

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

Yeah, they should do some promo.

[Michael Portantier]

And yeah, promo is what they need, but actually they don't because it has proven to be a phenomenal. And that's the only word for it. Success at the box office so far and Lord only knows how much higher it's going to go. Really incredible. I'll never forget when I saw the show. Initially I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it. I didn't fully appreciate the score on first hearing for whatever reason. I thought maybe that the show was a bit overproduced. But, you know, it's hard not to overproduce something in that theater, that theater where it's still playing now called the Gershwin. Was it.

[Peter Felicia]

Was it the Urus then? I don't think so, no, no, it.

[Michael Portantier]

Was already the Gershwin, but yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

I also don't believe it's just been a tkts.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, I have no idea about it. I wouldn't be surprised. And another famous example of a show that first of all did not get great reviews in its pre Broadway production and got very mixed reviews in its Broadway production. So the critics don't always make the final decision. Really kind of an amazing phenomenon that this has turned out to be on stage and now on film. And I'm so happy for Stephen Schwartz. I believe that the Tony wins for Avenue Q over Wicked were quite a surprise. Well, for many people. A happy surprise for some and maybe not so happy for others. I actually love both shows and think they're so different that it's hard to even compare them. But. But whatever. Disappointment of Wicked not doing better at the Tonys for the show and the score, I think hopefully have now been largely ameliorated by the unbelievable success of the film thus far. And this is only the first part of it. We have this part two coming about a year from now, and word is that two new songs have been written for part two, so we all have that to look forward to. So we discussed before we started recording our podcast that none of the three of us have yet seen Wicked. I think we're waiting a bit for the movie. Yeah. Yes. I'm sorry, the movie. We're waiting for the craziness to die down and hopefully, hopefully get to see it in a place where people aren't singing along. So I plan to see it very soon. But it is such a phenomenon that I didn't think we could do this podcast without mentioning it. So our music this week, our opener, is the opening section, the beginning section of the Defying Gravity track from the soundtrack album, starting with I hope you're happy so you'll get to hear a little bit of both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda and Elphaba. And the Closer is something that a track that several people have been discussing because it's so beautiful. And I'm not 100% sure if this music is new to the movie or if it's also in the show at some point. And it's got an odd title. It's called the Oz Dust Duet. It's an orchestral track, so duet might sound misleading, but again, I haven't seen the movie yet, so I don't know exactly why it's called that, but it really is a lovely orchestral track. And so that's our closer. So please enjoy these two selections from the Wicked soundtrack back.

[James Marino]

Okay, so on behalf of Michael Portantier and Peter Felicia, this is James Marino saying thanks so much for listening to Broadway radios this week on Broadway. Bye bye, Bye bye.

[Peter Felicia]

Sa.