This Week on Broadway for December 15, 2024: Adam Lambert in Cabaret

Summary

BroadwayRadio: This Week on Broadway for December 15, 2024 – Adam Lambert in Cabaret

Released on December 15, 2024

---

Introduction

In this episode of BroadwayRadio, hosts James Marino, Peter Felicia, and Michael Portantiere delve into the latest happenings on Broadway, offering insightful reviews, heartfelt tributes, and engaging discussions. The episode prominently features Adam Lambert's role as a replacement in Cabaret, tributes to the late Paul Guest Smith, and updates on various Broadway productions and venues.

---

Tribute to Paul Guest Smith

The episode opens with James Marino paying a heartfelt tribute to his late friend, Paul Guest Smith, a revered figure in the Staten Island Community Theater. Paul was celebrated for his exceptional work as both a director and actor. Marino shares a poignant memory from a production of Macbeth:

"I'll never forget how gracious he was under very trying circumstances... he just remained calm and did what had to be done." [01:38]

The hosts reflect on Paul's professionalism and the profound impact he had on the community, noting the significant turnout at his memorial service.

---

Adam Lambert as a Replacement in Cabaret

A significant portion of the discussion centers on Adam Lambert joining Cabaret as a replacement. Michael Portantiere shares his experience watching Lambert perform:

"Adam Lambert is a newcomer to Broadway and so therefore he's eligible for a Theater World Award. So as a result, I did go and he was quite good." [12:42]

Portantiere praises Lambert's performance but notes an increase in the production's raunchiness compared to previous iterations:

"He mentions a sex act by name that I've never heard mentioned in a musical... if you're on the prudish side, I don't think this is the logical time for you to see this production." [14:05]

Peter Felicia adds that initial reservations about Lambert were overcome after viewing his live performances, highlighting his vocal prowess.

---

Understudies.org: A Valuable Resource

The hosts spotlight the website understudies.org, a daily-updated resource listing Broadway understudies. James Marino emphasizes its utility:

"It's a great service. It's free. So I just wanted to make everyone aware of it." [21:32]

Peter Felicia commends the dedication behind maintaining such a comprehensive platform, celebrating the 140,000 email alerts sent to theatergoers.

---

Show Reviews

1. Duality at Art on 53rd Street

   Michael Portantiere shares his lukewarm response to Duality, criticizing the production's direction and plot execution:

   "When a playwright, director and producer are the same person, that's never a good sign. So I wish I could say something good about Duality, but I definitely, definitely cannot." [23:42]

   The play's unconventional entrances and lackluster audience engagement left a negative impression on Portantiere.

2. Ben Jones at Birdland

   Ben Jones delivered a standout performance at Birdland, collaborating with jazz pianist Lawrence Hobgood. Michael praises the authentic jazz medleys and Jones' versatility:

   "They collaborated and it was really a perfect show for Birdland because it was real authentic jazz to my ears." [26:32]

   The performance included extended renditions of classics like "Lush Life" and showcased Jones' ability to explore different musical realms.

3. Music City at West End Theater

   Music City is lauded for its immersive club-like design and captivating country music performances. Michael highlights the effective portrayal of drug themes in unexpected characters:

   "The music really is intoxicatingly wonderful, and I really had a wonderful time listening to it." [30:38]

   The show's narrative intertwines a record producer's journey with the pressures of the music industry, all set against Nashville's vibrant backdrop.

4. Beautiful Land I Seek at Puerto Rican Traveling Theater

   Michael discusses this historically infused production, noting its exploration of an assassination attempt on President Harry Truman by Puerto Ricans in 1952. He commends the cast's performances and the play's educational value:

   "It's a very effective piece of theater, and it's very nice to be back on 47th street and 8th Avenue with Theater that hasn't done very much in recent years." [34:11]

   The production's ability to resonate with Puerto Rican audiences adds depth to the historical narrative.

---

YouTube Discoveries

James Marino shares his recent YouTube explorations, including a complete recording of the 1978 musical Angel and a 1995 PBS concert celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II hosted by Julie Andrews. He provides detailed observations on performances and production critiques, encouraging listeners to explore these archived materials.

---

News Update: West Bank Cafe Saved

A significant piece of Broadway news involves the salvation of the West Bank Cafe. Initially reported as closing under Steve Olson's ownership, it was clarified that Tom and Michael Dangora have taken over, ensuring the venue's continuation:

"They're going full steam ahead. And my understanding is that it's going to reopen after only a very brief, very brief hiatus with still under the same name." [50:55]

The hosts express optimism for the venue's future, praising the Dangoras' dedication to preserving Broadway's cultural landmarks.

---

Brain Teaser and Musical Moment

The episode concludes with a brain teaser and a musical moment featuring Ben Jones' performances from Company and Dear World. The brain teaser challenges listeners to identify a unique publication related to a musical:

"Reviews seldom if ever get published in hardcover by a maker or publisher. This one did. Considering what its title was, it could have just as easily had the same name as a Jason Robert Brown musical. What is it?" [59:18]

Listeners are encouraged to engage and respond via email.

---

Closing Remarks

James Marino, Peter Felicia, and Michael Portantiere wrap up the episode by promoting their platforms, encouraging subscriptions, and acknowledging contributions from listeners. They also highlight additional Broadway-related content and upcoming shows, ensuring their audience remains informed and entertained.

---

Notable Quotes

• "I hate Jerry Williams. But, but I know if I say Jerry Williams, I'm not going to get on. So I said, Donny Osmond..." – Michael Portantiere [06:22]

• "It's a great service. It's free. So I just wanted to make everyone aware of it." – James Marino [22:03]

• "They collaborated and it was really a perfect show for Birdland because it was real authentic jazz to my ears." – Michael Portantiere [26:32]

---

Conclusion

This week's episode of BroadwayRadio offers a rich tapestry of Broadway insights, from in-depth show reviews and personal tributes to essential resources for theater enthusiasts. Adam Lambert's dynamic entry into Cabaret serves as a focal point, while the hosts' passion for theater shines through every discussion. Whether you're a seasoned theatergoer or a Broadway newcomer, this episode provides valuable perspectives and keeps you connected to the vibrant world of Broadway.

Transcript

[Stephen Sondheim]

Someone to hold you too close Someone to hurt you too deep Someone to sit in your chair and ruin your sleep and make you aware of being.

[James Marino]

Alive.

[Stephen Sondheim]

Being alive Someone to need you too much Someone to know you too well Someone to pull you up short to put you through hell to give you support for being alive Being alive Being alive.

[Peter Felicia]

Hello and welcome to Broadway Radios this week on Broadway for Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. It's almost the end of the year. My name is James Marino and in the broadcast today we have Peter, Felicia and Michael Portantiere. Peter is a playwright, journalist and historian with a number of books. Peter's New Day by Day Wall Calendar, A Show tune for today, 366 songs to brighten your Year will be released soon but is now available for pre order on Amazon. Peter also has columns at Masterworks Broadway, Broadway and many of the places. Hello Peter.

[Michael Portantiere]

Hi.

[Peter Felicia]

You know, I always forget to mention the link for the Show Tune for Today is right in the show notes. So you can just click on the show notes and click over there and order it at Amazon.

[Michael Portantiere]

So I love you. I appreciate.

[Peter Felicia]

You know, there's a lot, a lot, a lot of really good Christmas and holiday presents. You can also get Ron Fastler's new book. You have read it? Peter?

[Michael Portantiere]

Oh yes, my column for Masterworks Broadway next week, the 24th. Sensational book and a subject we never really have any book on and that is about replacements and shows, people who got hired, people who got fired, etc. Etc. Certainly there are some high profile ones that we all know like Merrily We Roll along, but he really goes into great detail both plays and musicals. So it really is very, very impressive. And he's a terrific writer and I'm telling you, it just breezes by. It's one of those books that you have no trouble in continuing. The famous expression I can't put it down. I certainly can't put down what he did in the sense of being critical. It really, really is such a delight every step of the way. So yes, I can highly recommend the show Goes On Broadway's hirings, firings and replacements.

[Peter Felicia]

So Peter, I have two questions for you. First, one we're going to get to in a little while, but Adam Lambert is a replacement in Cabaret and you got a chance to see him. So we're going to talk about that in a bit. But also one of my all time favorites is Donny Osmond and Joseph as a replacement. You have any good stories about Donnie?

[Michael Portantiere]

It doesn't involve little Johnny Jones. No. Back in the 80s, I don't remember the actual year. A friend of mine was coming from Boston and he said that he would like to get together. I said, I have no time whatsoever. I do have a little bit of time around 3:00 if you want to meet at the TS booth because I know you're going to want to see a show and that would be fine. So I said, I'll wait in line with you and that'll kill time and we'll see each other. So I get there and not long afterwards a camera crew shows up, says, everybody, could you move a little bit? This is Saturday Night Live, we're going to be filming here, so would you. And everybody's going, ah, ah, I want to be on Saturday Night Live. Oh, this can be great. So anyway, a good deal of time passes, like 15 minutes, and finally, finally a person turns around and says, okay, who wants to be on Saturday Night Live? And I swear I had enough time to turn to my left and turn to my right. And all these people wanted to be on Saturday night froze. I mean, now they can. So I just raised my hand, you know, they said, okay, who do you hate now? Ironically enough, two days earlier I had been in Boston and my friend was driving me to the airport. And I'm sorry to say that he's a very right wing type of person who listened to a muckraker guy named Jerry Williams, who I truly hated, especially when he went on and on about the fact that the word gay has been co opted and it used to be such a nice word, but now look what it means, you know, that type of thing. So it always droves me crazy when he was on the radio, but as he was, as my friend John was driving me to the airport, Jerry Williams had on Donny Osmond. So anyway, John said, this must be really hard for you to hear both Jerry Williams and Donny Osmond. So anyway, who do I hate? I hate Jerry Williams. But, but I know if I say Jerry Williams, I'm not going to get on. So I said, Donny Osmond, he's doing a show, Little Johnny Jones, which I really want to see. It's going to be great, I'm sure, but I don't want to see Donny Osmond. So what I'm going to do is call the theater every day and say, is Donny Osmond performing today? And when they finally tell me an understudy is on, that's when I'm going to go, all right. So that Saturday night, Linda and I were throwing an Enormous party. Alex Cohen had done a big event called the Night of 100 Stars.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, yeah.

[Michael Portantiere]

We had Night of 100 Friends. We invited 98 people. Linda had a friend who had a gallery in soho and we had it there. And so everybody we knew was there. And at that time, Linda and I were living together and we came home and there was seven answers on the answering machine. And I thought, oh no, my mother died. And we played. And with friends from Baltimore and Boston who had seen Saturday Night Live. And they told me I was on. So Monday morning I get a call from Fred Nathan, who was the press agent from Little Johnny Jones, who said, I want you to know I think you're an asshole. And he slammed down the phone. I wrote. I knew he wouldn't take my call, so I wrote him a letter and I said, no, you're the asshole. Because what you do is you have me come to the show, you have me go backstage afterwards, you have me apologize to Donny Osbourne. That's what you do. And that way you get more public publicity for the show. Yeah, no wonder the show ran one performance with a press agent like that. So. And ironically enough, John, the person who drove me to the airport, he had bought a VCR that very day. And the first thing he ever taped was Saturday Night Live. And there was. It was with the one with me on it. Isn't that funny?

[James Marino]

So, so you still have the footage?

[Michael Portantiere]

Yes, I do. Of course it's 40 odd years ago. I have brown hair and much more of it. But anyway, I have somebody put it on Facebook some time ago, so I don't know how to reach it, but. But anyway, that happened.

[Peter Felicia]

Okay, well, see, we dig it up. Also with us is Michael Portant. Here, Michael's a theater reviewer and essays. He's the founder and editor ofcastalreviews.com. he is also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in the New York Times and other major publications. You can see his photography work at follow spot photo.com. it's not@spot follow.com no, it's follow spot photo.com. read that backwards. Hello, Michael.

[James Marino]

Hi, how are you doing?

[Peter Felicia]

Well, thank you.

[James Marino]

You know, I forgot to mention before we start to record, I did want to take a couple of minutes just to pay tribute. Paul Guest Smith, who was a good friend of mine who recently died. He was a major figure in Staten Island Community Theater years ago and actually even recently. And as I think everyone here knows, I was involved in that myself for many years. He, Paul, worked a lot as both a director and an actor, and he was British, so it was kind of nice to have that, you know, he was an outlier in that sense. But it was always wonderful for us to work with him because it seemed so exotic that he was British and he talked like this. And he, as I say, he directed dozens, maybe scores of shows over the decades. But the only time I ever actually worked with him was when I played the first or second murderer, I don't remember which, in Macbeth. And I'll never forget how gracious he was under very trying circumstances because for some reason the lighting designer they hired didn't do the job properly. So we got to the tech rehearsal and the lighting designer, you know, we got to the first scene and the lighting designer said, well, what do you want here? And Paul said, well, what do you have? You know. And the lighting designer said, well, you're supposed to tell me what you want. And Paul said, no, you're supposed to go through the script and design the show and then show me what you have and then we discuss it and see if, you know. So obviously that wasn't going to work to, you know, to light a four hour play from scratch, you know, from, you know, from the beginning, from scratch. So at the next rehearsal, that guy wasn't there anymore. And it so happened that we had, I think two or three people in the cast who had done lighting design. So they sort of collaborated, put it together. And this was of course like two days before the opening. But I'll never forget how professional Paul was under the circumstances. He didn't lose his shit, as they say. You know, he just, he just remained calm and did what had to be done. And he really was beloved. There, there was a. There were 200 people at his memorial service.

[Michael Portantiere]

Wow.

[James Marino]

Yeah.

[Michael Portantiere]

Wow.

[James Marino]

Yeah. And. And that was really something I've. I've seen people I have not seen in 45 years.

[Michael Portantiere]

Wow.

[James Marino]

It was really incredible. So farewell to him. He the best.

[Peter Felicia]

I found a nice little post from the Ghostlight Players about Paul and I'll include that in the show notes. Oh, great photo of him. I wonder if it's a portantiere.

[James Marino]

Oh, no, I don't think I ever shot him.

[Peter Felicia]

It's a really nice photo of him. So, yes, journey on. So this week we had the public release of Jan Simpson's all the Drama, the Great White Hope 1969, winner of the Pulitzer Prize. For folks who are Patreon supporters, they got it last week. But it's such a great series. Take a listen to that. Peter, you visited Cabaret Once again. So tell us about it and tell us. I guess you're going to tell us why you went again.

[Michael Portantiere]

Oh, well, Adam Lambert is a newcomer to Broadway and so therefore he's eligible for a Theater World Award. So as a result, I did go and he was quite good. Quite good indeed. I didn't know what to expect. I never saw him perform on any of these TV shows in which he had made his reputation, so. But I had been told that as a kid he was terrific in community theater in California. People thought he was an amazing young Patrick in Maine. So I had to balance that with the. With the other stuff because so many people have said that they didn't like him because he came across as cocksure and what have you. He's very good. One thing, though, that I'm going to say, unless my memory is faulty and it very well could be he's. He's made the show coarser. I. He mentions a sex act by name that I've never heard mentioned in a musical. I'm not even sure I've ever heard it mentioned in a play. Even Ned would all be a David Mammoth play. So. So there's no question that that opening sequence in which he introduces the girls and the boys, as they. As they're called in the show is. Is far more raunchy than it was in the past, it seems to me. Again, other people may go and say no, it's exactly what they said way back when. But I did feel that. So if you're on the prudish side, I don't think this is the logical time for you to see this production. In Cabaret. The other newcomer is Ollie Crvallo, who is quite good at times, seems over the top. But isn't Sally over the top? I mean, that's who she is. So. So as a result, I bought her performance and liked her very much. How nice that BB NE and Steven Sky Bell, especially Steven Sky Bell is really, really sensational. They're still in there now for Clifford is our understudy. He has two. And I saw Julian Ramos who certainly was fine. This is often considered such a thankless role. And it's very interesting that when you look at the understudies list for MC for Sally Bowles, for Fraulein Schneider, for Clifford Bradshaw. Notice he comes fourth there. And of course, ostensibly it's his story. So it's a little surprising that indeed he's so much. Often thought it was an afterthought. I don't believe anybody who's ever played Cliff has Ever got a Tony nomination. Other people have, but. And sometimes awards. But nevertheless, Julian Ramos did very, very well by the character, and I thought he was fine. So aside from the fact that it seems to me a little over the top of the raunchiness, and I'm no prude, but if you are, be warned.

[James Marino]

But, Peter, just to clarify, are you saying even in comparison with this production when. When Eddie Redmayne was in it?

[Michael Portantiere]

It seems to me yes.

[James Marino]

And you're not. You're not referring to the cunning linguist line, are you?

[Michael Portantiere]

I am referring to that. But Adam, Alan.

[Peter Felicia]

I mean, I especially remember Alan coming, saying that in the first time he did it. Yeah, Yeah.

[James Marino]

I don't have a specific memory.

[Peter Felicia]

I think it's actually on the cast recording, isn't it?

[James Marino]

I think so, yeah. I don't. I don't have a specific memory of Eddie Redmayne saying it, but I imagine he did. Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. In fact, I have the revival script. I can look it up and see if it's in the.

[Michael Portantiere]

Okay.

[Peter Felicia]

And check that out. But it's interesting what you say about Adam Lambert, because I have long heard that Adam Lambert's very talented and that was looking to come to Broadway, and I was very, very surprised that he came in as a replacement.

[Michael Portantiere]

I am, too. Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

I think.

[James Marino]

Yeah, that's an excellent point. But I think that role is just so coveted by so many people.

[Peter Felicia]

Absolutely. It is tremendously coveted. But I'm interested to see what he would bring to a new role. Oh, absolutely.

[James Marino]

Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

What he would bring to a new role. And it's funny, because I've been put off by him and his comments. He's said some in. You know, I guess this is anecdotal, because I can't exactly place it. He said some pejorative things about theater, but it might be that I'm misremembering. It could be totally on me. And so I've been totally put off about this. And then I heard that they're gonna replace an Adam's going in, and I was like, oh, you know, I wasn't such a fan of this production. And I was like, do I want to go see this again? It was such a. It was a long night. I don't know.

[Michael Portantiere]

It was a long night. It is.

[Peter Felicia]

And expensive night. I was like, do I want to see this again? And then I saw this video. Have you seen him sing? I don't care much.

[Michael Portantiere]

Not until last night.

[Peter Felicia]

So, yeah, I know.

[James Marino]

That's been making the rounds. Yes.

[Peter Felicia]

He has this YouTube video. That DKC O&M has been pushing and pushing. And so I put it on Broadway stars. And I was like, oh, let me watch this. Oh, my God, I have to go see this production.

[James Marino]

Well, I'll never forget some years ago, Barbara Cook, you know, she was always great about promoting younger talent. And she sent around a. I think it was just an audio recording of Adam singing of All Things, Come to Me, Bend to Me from Brigadoon and absolutely the most beautiful voice you've ever heard in your life. And I just remember that she, you know, she did that just because she loved it so much. She. She had no connection to him or anything. And. And that really impressed me.

[Michael Portantiere]

Similarly speaking, when Fantasia went into the Color Purple, she called us out of the blue and said, if you're giving her a Theater world, what I'd love to present it because I thought she was so terrific.

[James Marino]

Oh, wow.

[Michael Portantiere]

Yeah. Yeah, she called us. I mean, that was really something.

[James Marino]

Wow, that's great.

[Michael Portantiere]

Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

So Adam lambert then. The YouTube video has turned me around. I must go see it. And I encour. And I'll put the video in the show notes so that you can judge it for yourself. I loved this video. This was truly just wonderful. So. And you know, he. The video is of him walking through the alley, you know, at the. At the theater and things like that. And I was like, well, maybe he can replace for Joe Gillis after 44th Street.

[Michael Portantiere]

That's right. He's got the sea legs for it. Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. So, Peter, you saw an understudy, didn't you?

[Michael Portantiere]

Yes, yes. And he really was terrific, as understudies are.

[Peter Felicia]

And Michael, we have a connection to understudies this week, don't we?

[James Marino]

Yeah, we mentioned. I think I brought it up a few weeks ago. There's a wonderful website, understudies.org where you can go to see a list of the understudies and covers who are going to be on any particular day. And that can be extremely valuable to people. I mean, obviously, if you already have your tickets, I guess it's less valuable. But if you want to see a particular star and you see that they're out, or if you want to see a particular understudy and you just go to them. And when I brought it up, I wasn't sure exactly when the site was updated because obviously it changes from one day to another. So we got a lovely note from Nate Sykes who runs the site, and he says, my name is Nate sykes. I run understudies.org, which you very graciously shouted out on Broadway radio back in September. September. I was just made aware of this yesterday. Thank you so much. To answer your question that came up, the list of understudies on the homepage updates dynamically every day. The Today tab changes at 12am to show the next day's understudies. So it's always in sync. So they seem really serious about this. It's a great service. I mean, it's free. So I just wanted to make everyone aware of it. I think it's really absolutely fantastic.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, I can vouch for how much work goes into a daily website.

[James Marino]

I bet you can.

[Peter Felicia]

So my hat is off to Nate Sykes, because I don't know where that information is compiled. Is it from Equity or is it.

[James Marino]

I was just going to say that. I mean, I wonder if. Is he able to just go to one place or does he have to check with each show?

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, that's so, so interesting. And he said They've sent out 140,000 email alerts to New York City theater goers when understudies are going on. I mean, just. Wow, hats off. Congratulations. Standing ovation. And a real standing ovation. Not one of those fake ones that everybody does for every show. Just one where I would lead it. I would get up first. I'd be leading that standing oath. So thanks so much, Nate, for listening and writing, and we love understudies dot org.

[Michael Portantiere]

We do.

[Peter Felicia]

So, Peter, you are over at Art on 53rd street, which is quite the hall for you to get to these days. You used to live right around the corner, but now you have to. Now you have to take two buses and a tree. Can you imagine that?

[Michael Portantiere]

I can imagine that, sure.

[Peter Felicia]

Can you imagine that? You saw duality, duality, duality, duality. Tell us about this.

[Michael Portantiere]

Well, it's no carnival. I'll tell you that. As everybody knows, this season, if I live that long, I will see my 13,000 show. And as a result, I can say that on three occasions. This was the third one. This where at the end of the first act, nobody applauded. Nobody.

[James Marino]

Wow.

[Michael Portantiere]

A single hand clap. Now, the other two I'm not going to mention because the statute of limitations have run out on their crimes. But. But this play, which is directed by the playwright, and it is produced by a company known as Face to Face Productions, and it is run by the playwright director, so keep that in mind. It takes place in a New York apartment on a day when a birthday is going to be given for a grandmother. And I Am telling you that people just walk into this apartment. Nobody rings a bell. Nobody does anything like that. The doors don't locked in a Manhattan apartment. People just walked in. Never once did the person throwing the party open the door. Never. People just walked in. At one point, she actually said, I should put a sign out saying to knock. And I couldn't help it. I blurted out, I'll say. I mean, I'm telling you, the acting is competent, nothing more. But, boy, you know, when a playwright, director and producer are the same person, that's never a good sign. So I wish I could say something good about duality, but I definitely, definitely cannot.

[Peter Felicia]

Okay, so Duality is running on at the Art New York theaters through December 21st. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. Michael, you were just a. No, you weren't just a block over. I thought you were 54 below, but you were actually at Birdland to see Ben Jones. So tell us about how Ben is these days.

[James Marino]

Well, Ben has performed frequently at 54, so that's why you.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, that's coming up. That's a little preview.

[James Marino]

Yes, but also at Birdland. And he did a really terrific, very different, Very different kind of show for him. His most frequent accompanist for the past few years has been the great Ron Abel. But Ron was unavailable for this date that Ben already had booked at Birdland on Monday the 9th. Is that right? Just double checking here.

[Michael Portantiere]

Yeah. Monday was the 9th.

[James Marino]

Monday the 9th, yeah. So I guess he was aware of this incredible talent named Lawrence Hobgood. L A U R E N C E H O B G O O D who is a phenomenal jazz pianist. And Ben thought, well, I'd love to work with him. I'm sure he'll say no, but I'm going to call him anyway. What have I got to lose? And Lawrence said yes. Perhaps he had already heard or seen or evidence of how amazing Ben is as a singer. So they collaborated and it was really, I would say it was a perfect show for Birdland because it was really true jazz. What they did was a series of very long freeform jazz medleys of several songs. Each one was, I would say, maybe like at least 10 or 15 minutes long, going from one song to another and with lots of jazz piano playing in. In the middle of the. Of the singing. And it's songs such as they. They did. I. I would never say that there's a definitive version of the song Lush Life, but this version that they did, these two gentlemen was certainly up there. With the greatest I have ever heard in my entire life. But it was a very eclectic set. They also did songs as disparate as How Deep Is yous Love, the Bee Gees song from Saturday Night Fever, which was, as I said to Ben later, you know, I was trying to figure out the time signature, but every time I thought it was one thing I thought it was, then I thought it was another. And I said, did it keep changing? And he said, no, it was just in 5, 4. And I said, all right. Well, it was so interesting listening to it because it was real authentic jazz to my ears. And then the only show song was a gorgeous, beautiful rendition of this. Nearly was mine from South Pacific. But it was really great and so different from Ben's past shows in which he usually has a lot of patter that's always extremely amusing and witty. And there was maybe only one uptune in this show. And so it was quite a departure from what he's done in the past. And I always think that's great when someone can sort of go beyond and experiment, and especially when it's a successful experiment as it was here. So I very much enjoyed being there. I was very glad that I was there to witness him do something completely different.

[Peter Felicia]

All right, so that was, as Michael said, a one night only thing December 9th. But he will be playing Chicago and Oakland, making his way across the United States on December 21st in Chicago, in January 25th in Oakland. We'll have a link to it to Ben Jones website in our show notes so that you can get on this bandwagon as he heads west. Peter, you saw a show called Music City at the west end Theater on 86th Street. So tell us about this.

[Michael Portantiere]

Well, to be perfectly frank, this was not quite on my radar. But Rosemary Barial, who's one of our faithful listeners and a lovely lady, said, look, you gotta go. As she wrote to me. I went not knowing anything about it, except that I usually like productions by Bedlam. So do I. It's an adventurous theater company and I've had wonderful times, especially last year at Arcadia. I was not disappointed and I was actually quite impressed by the acting, singing and set design. I've been waiting for you to review it, but I haven't heard you mention the show. So I decided to write to you. Okay, that's enough for me to get get on the ball. And she's quite right. It's quite impressive, not only because the music is tub thumping, wonderful in the country way, but they have made you feel like you're actually at a club. The design is really spectacular in the sense of looking like one of these dives that I certainly have been in my trips to Texas. And so that's really quite good. But the music really is intoxicatingly wonderful, and I really had a wonderful time listening to it. But the other thing too is, okay, you know, when you're going to be dealing with the club, you're going to be dealing with drugs. No question about it. Aren't drugs going to show up? Drugs show up in the show in a very surprising way. The person you expect to be doing drugs is not the person doing drugs. And the type of drug we're talking about is not the type of drug you're thinking of. So it's very, very effective. In terms of the book, Peter Zinn is the one who's credited with writing the book, and the music is by JT Harding is his name. And supposedly, from what I'm told, he really has had quite a career in country music. And his music and lyrics are quite fine. So I also am amused that the bar is called the Wicked Tickle. So that's fun. By the way, I should I gave the impression that this takes place in Texas, actually in Nashville, but so I want to make that clear. But cast delightful across the way. And by the way, I have to say that in the table next to me, somebody pointed out that the beers are only $4, which is quite a deal compared to what you have to pay for so many things when you go to a show. So I hope that's true. I really think I heard him correctly. But anyway, so yes, there is the story of the record producer who comes in scouting for new acts and whether or that's part of the story. And so is the fact that there's a megastar and what's going to happen with his new album. So it all sounds trite, but it really isn't. And the music carries you along. So. So I really am very, very grateful to Rosemarie for putting me on to this. I had a wonderful time and I'm. I suspect you will, too, if you're in the mood for this type of thing.

[Peter Felicia]

All right, so that's Music City at the West End Theater. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. And, Peter, you also saw the Beautiful Land I Seek at the Puerto Rico Traveling Theater. So tell us about this production.

[Michael Portantiere]

Well, this is about an event in American history that I had never, ever, ever, ever heard of. And I wonder if Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman had because it deals with an assassination attempt at an American president. Maybe all of you know about this, but this certainly sent me to the Internet after I saw the show to see if what indeed playwright Matthew Babo had written was his own take on his imagination or was it indeed something that actually happened? It did happen back in 1952. Puerto Ricans who were very angry with Harry true Truman, and certainly Matthew gives many reasons why they should be went to Washington to kill him. So as it turned out, we don't find out in the play exactly what happened. But anyway, needless to say, I think you know from American history it didn't happen. But given that some of Assassins the musical does deal with attempted assassinations that didn't come off, I just wonder exactly if our two heroic writers, Sondheim and Weidman had considered this. I imagine they knew about it. Well, to be perfectly frank, Matthew Barbo has borrowed a great deal from us in the concept of assassins because he has various cast members come in as John Wilkes Booth, etc. Other assassins do show up. In fact, not only this takes place on a train, I should mention that. And they're on their way to Washington to kill Harry Truman. And who else is on the train? Harry Truman. So they say, oh, we're going to washing to kill you. And he doesn't seem to be fazed at all. At all. At all. So it's very absurdist in the way that Assassins is. And while we may suspect that indeed this play wouldn't have existed had there never been assassins, I have to say that it was very compelling throughout. Now, some of that has to do with Jose Zayas, who directed, and certainly a lot of it had to do with a cast. This is one of those casts where at the end of the show when the people come off of the curtain call, you say, wait a minute, there were only five people.

[Peter Felicia]

What?

[Michael Portantiere]

I thought there were many more than that, but no, no, we were limited, so to speak, to Andre Alexandro Hernandez, Daniel Colon, Ashley Marie Ortiz, Nate Betancourt and Bobby Roman. And I am telling you, they're all superb. Now of course, the ones who have to play different assassins, running off and changing costume and all that kind of stuff, the most impress. But nevertheless, because they have so much more to do and they have to. But. But the two guys who are going to assassinate Truman, they're excellent as well. So I was with a heavy Puerto Rican audience who really related to this to the nth degree. It was really something to hear them gasp and the moans of recollection and they knew this story. I did not. So. So it's a very effective piece of theater, and it's very nice to be back on 47th street and 8th Avenue with Theater that hasn't done very much in recent years. Forbidden Broadway was there, as Michael pointed out to me earlier, and I remember seeing shows there by Jerry, but. But nevertheless, a very successful evening on its own terms, and especially one that was very educational.

[Peter Felicia]

Okay, so the Beautiful Land I Seek at the Puerto Rican Travel Theater, we'll have a link to that in the show notes, so you can check it out for yourself. Michael, you've been YouTube sleuthing, and you found a couple of things that we need to talk about. So tell us, what has your searching resulted in?

[James Marino]

Yes, let me start with. I found. I mentioned last week that I had attended Broadway sessions at the Green Room 42. And I attended primarily because my friend Giuseppe Basilio, who's been a guest on our podcast, was going to be in it as one of the ensemble of Sunset Boulevard. And everyone who performed that evening, aside from two newcomers, were from Sunset Boulevard. And that's where I discovered this incredible talent, Diego Andres Rodriguez, who sang two songs, one of which was one of Gavin Creel's songs from Thoroughly Modern Millie. And that was very moving because Diego knew Gavin and also had gone to the University of Michigan, where he said Gavin, as an alumnus, came back often to work with and talk with the students. So that was really moving. But the other number that Tig did, which was very canny of him given the current popularity, was Dancing Through Life from Wicked. And it turns out there's a wonderful video of that on YouTube that we putting the link in the show notes. It's really great. You might be somewhat put off by the extremely vociferous response of his fellow cast members, which to me was sometimes too much, but you can still get an idea of what a great talent this young man is. And then, let's see. You know how rabbit hole is YouTube is. You go from one thing to another. Oh, somebody mentioned somewhere there was a recording, a cast album made of the show angel, the Musical angel, based on Locomot angel, with music by Gary Geld and Peter Udell. But it was never commercially issued, and you had to go buy it at the Phil Rose office, which I did. And at the time, me too. And at the time it was just lp, only an LP form. And it was never officially transferred to cd, as far as I know. So I looked for that on YouTube because I thought it would probably be There. And I have not found that cast album, but I did find a complete recording of the opening night performance of angel, which opened on May 10, 1978, and I believe closed on the 13th. It was of extremely short run, but I think it's really worth listening to. It's certainly got its flaws, but it has some wonderful songs in it. I particularly like Spread A Little Sunshine, Fly like the Eagles Fly, Railbird, if I Ever Loved him, and Feeling Loved. And the cast was. I mean, it was Fred Gwynne, Francis Sternhagen, Don Scardino, Joel Higgins, etc. And it was by Gelden Udel, who also, of course, wrote Shenandoah and Pearly. So, as you might imagine, there's some really wonderful stuff in it. The notes to this video are interesting. It says angel was a 1978 musical by Gelden Udel, the same team who wrote Shenandoah Purley and would later write the Broadway flop Amen Corner. It was an adaptation of the classic play Look Homeward angel by Kenny Frings, which was in turn adapted from the novel by Thomas Wolf. It had its world premiere under the title Look Homeward angel, the title of the play at the North Stage Theater restaurant in Glen Cove, New York, where I saw it. Is that right? North Stage or North Shore?

[Michael Portantiere]

No, I think it was North Stage.

[James Marino]

Yeah, North Stage. Okay. North Shore is something else.

[Michael Portantiere]

Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

North Shore is Beverly, Massachusetts. Ye.

[James Marino]

Okay. Yeah. With mostly the same cast. The main complaint of the critics for the show, in addition to it being a rather intimate story shoved into the cavernous Minskoff Theater, was that the songs really did not add much to the story, which is a shame, since most of them are actually quite lovely. I'm still quoting the notes in the. Yeah, the tune Astoria Gloria, which is probably the most lively number in the show, happens about halfway through the first act, wakes up the audience, then does very little to keep them from falling asleep the rest of the show. Still, it deserved a better fate in a smaller theater, though the sets by Ming Cho Lee were the talk of the town. Full recording of the show taken on May 10, 1978, the show's opening night. It would play five performances and close on the 13th. And I guess that's accurate to say the songs really did not add much to the story. I guess you could really say that also. So about shows like Raisin and High Spirits and maybe Earnest In Love, that they don't add much, but they're really good songs, I think, overall. And it's just in order to have a musical of these wonderful plays. So especially if you encounter the musical first, I think it's entirely valid that these were done, and I hope they continue to be done. Raisin has been done. High Spirits and Earnest in Love. I've seen a production, high spirits at.

[Michael Portantiere]

54 below on January 6th.

[James Marino]

Oh, yes, thank you. It's coming up. Yes. Walter Willison. But I don't know of any production of angel that's ever been done anywhere.

[Michael Portantiere]

No, I did see it on Broadway as well, where there hadn't been many changes. I was at a party once where I met a politician in Gloria who represented Astoria, and I said to her, look, you got to look up this song. And I'm telling you, she couldn't have been less interested. So, yeah, all the Comforts of Home. The opening number, where Peter Udell rhymes. And I am putting quotation marks around the word rhymes. Talcum and welcome is very good on the second side of the album where it's just instrumental. It's. It's a wonderful ragtime type of melody. So after seeing it twice, I was actually invited to that opening night performance that you're talking about, Michael. But twice was plenty.

[James Marino]

Yeah, yeah, I did. I did.

[Michael Portantiere]

It was no disgrace. It was no disgrace. Oh, you did, too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[James Marino]

And I got to. I've mentioned. I've got to interview Don Scardino at that time. And I interviewed him in person. I forget. I think it was maybe at Howard Johnson's.

[Michael Portantiere]

And he had.

[Peter Felicia]

On Times Square.

[James Marino]

Yeah.

[Michael Portantiere]

On 46th Street. Yeah, yeah.

[James Marino]

And he had already. He had just. He had done another flop, King of Hearts. King of Hearts, Yes.

[Michael Portantiere]

That's the same theater.

[James Marino]

That's right. That's right. It wasn't the same theater. Yeah. But then he. So then he packed his bags and went to become a very successful director in LA of tv. So he's. He's fine and he's still very much with us and apparently now living back in New York. And the other thing I found on YouTube, this is really amazing to me, is something I had seen and I actually didn't have a. A lot of clear memory of it. 1995 concert that was done at City center for filming or videotaping for pbs. Great performances called Some Enchanted Evening Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein ii. And it was hosted by Julie Andrews. It was kind of amazing, but it was, to be honest, and we put the link in the show notes so you can watch the whole thing for yourselves. Very scattershot. Some great things in it and some very, very questionable performances, I would say, which I May or may not mention, but it starts with Andrew singing a cockeyed optimist from South Pacific. Then we have Audra McDonald, lover come back to me from the New Moon. Peabo Bryson singing Rosemary from that operetta.

[Michael Portantiere]

Wow.

[James Marino]

Yeah. Now, remember, we're talking 1995, you know, so think of who was, you know, big. Then Audra McDonald and Peabo Bryson duet on One Kiss from the New Moon. Willie Nelson. All the things you are from very Warmth from May.

[Michael Portantiere]

This is amazing, isn't it? Yeah.

[James Marino]

Vanessa Williams, why Was I Born? From Sweet Adeline. Eddie Corbitch, My Lookalike with Audra and the ensemble singing a medley from Carousel, Oklahoma. And the King and I. Michelle Bell, who played Jo in that Showboat revival. Yeah. Doing O Man River. And also Mark Jacoby and Rebecca Luker singing Make Believe from that same production. Then something really interesting happens. Michael Hayden and Sally Murphy come out and do most of the bench scene from Carousel, but as I recall, they don't have his. They cut it off early so that he doesn't have to sing if I loved you at the end. And then later in the show. This is amazing. I can't imagine the negotiation that went into this. Soliloquy is sung, but not by Michael Hayden, by James Barber, who was originally a standby for Michael in that show and then eventually took over the role. So it's like. It's kind of like them all admitting that Michael just really did not have the vocal goods, you know, for the role. And. But I wonder how, you know, how gracious or not he was in letting all that happen. So that's a little time capsule there. Sandra Brown and John Marshall Sharp do the pas de deux From Carousel. Lynette McKee, Greta Boston Luker and Belle singing can't help loving that man from Showboat. Keith Carradine. Oh, what a beautiful Morning. Bernadette Peters. What's the use of Wandering? The aforementioned James Barber then comes out, does soliloquy. Julie Andrews singing Edelweiss from the Sound of music. Patti LaBelle. You've got to be carefully taught from South Pacific, Dawn Upshaw, the last time I saw Paris from Lady Be Good. Mandy Patinkin. You've got to be taught in Bally High from South Pacific. New York City Gay Men's Chorus, which I was not in at the time, which is why I was in the audience doing Climb Every Mountain from the Sound Music. And finally, Patti LaBelle came back for you'll Never Walk Alone from Carousel. So if you have the time, you might want to sit through this show or at least sample some of it. And to me, what's hilarious is that if you go to the timestamp on the video at 1 hour, 15 minutes and 33 seconds, you will see a shot of me in the audience with Steven Brinberg and another friend of ours, Rolf Rosenberry, reacting. And you'll also notice Walter Bobby seated right in front of us. So I think that's the only shot I have of myself in an audience on tv. So that's kind of a special thing for me. And as I said before, some wonderful things and some really kind of questionable ones. And I guess I would put Patti LaBelle and Mandy Patinkin in the latter category. So you can make your own judgment on that.

[Peter Felicia]

Okay, so we'll have those YouTube videos in the show notes so you can check that out. Rounding out some news for this week, we got the great news that the West Bank Cafe is go, has been saved. And we talked about it all during, during the pandemic. And then we talked about it again with Joe Iconis earlier this year. So, Michael, give us the details on the update on this story.

[James Marino]

Yeah, well, unfortunately, the initial reports were rather misleading based on, I don't know, some kind of a statement from Steve Olson, who has owned the place for many years. It was phrased that the place is closing today, December 15, but it's closing under his ownership today. And the plan, I'm happy to say, is that Tom and Michael Dangora, who previously saved Birdland during the pandemic, and Birdland, I think, really would not be here if it were not for them, because many, many places suffered greatly through the pandemic, as we all know. Many performance venues, and some of them got grants, some of them got hefty grants from the government because of that, and some of them did not. And it's the ones that did not especially, that really were struggling. And that included, I think that included Berlin, and I know it included the West Bank. So Tom and Michael did save Birdland, and they previously had a fundraiser effort for the west bank and the Laurie Beachman Theater, which is located in the basement there. And now they. And now it turns out they are the new owners, which I don't think they planned, but it was a question of if they didn't take it, it seemed like they couldn't find anyone else who wanted it. So they're going full steam ahead. And my understanding is that it's going to reopen after only a very brief, very brief hiatus with still under the same name for the West Bank Cafe and the Laurie Beachman Theater. And also I'm told that they're keeping most or all of the staff together too. So it will be essentially really the same place, other than the fact that Steve Olson and his wife Janet, who ran it for many, many years, they are bowing out and kudos to them for what they created there because it really is an amazing place and we can only hope that it has a very long future life.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. So interesting. And the tie in there with Joe Iconis. We talked to Joe Iconis earlier this year.

[James Marino]

Yes.

[Peter Felicia]

About the saving of 54 below. And Rob Johnston, one of our listeners who's in our chat room, saw Joe Iconis Christmas show at 54 below yesterday. And there was a little story there where the Christmas extravaganza, the plot of it was that it was that 54 Below was going to be bulldozed.

[James Marino]

Yes, I saw that.

[Michael Portantiere]

That.

[James Marino]

I wonder why. Yeah, I wonder what that was all about.

[Peter Felicia]

And it was saved by the family. The Joe Iconis family. Yeah.

[James Marino]

Thank you for mentioning Joe, because I was remiss. And he has also been extremely instrumental, he and his wife, in fundraising and performing at the west bank at the Lorry Beachman in order to keep it open as well. So he was very much in partnership with Michael and Tom Dangora in doing that. I don't, I don't think he is now an owner, but he has certainly helped to save it. And I think it wouldn't have been saved it wasn't for him also.

[Peter Felicia]

So just for a minute, before we head on to our brain teaser and our musical moment, I wanted to mention that just one of my favorite actors in the world is Stephen McKinley Henderson. And we've had him on Broadway radio a few times. 2021. In 2024, we had him on and he's doing something. Oh, he did something on Netflix. The new Ted Danson series on Netflix called A Man on the Inside. He plays one of the critical characters in there. And, and I just have to say that it was just so wonderful to see him in this. And there's a handful of Broadway folks on this Netflix series as well, so please get over and check it out. Stephen McKinley Henderson is just a gift to theater. And I've also linked in the show notes to our previous conversations with him. So get over and check that out. So before we get on to Brain Teaser Musical moment, I want to remind everybody that you can subscribe to these broadcasts by going to the front page of Broadway Radio Dot com. There's a subscribe link that way each and every time we have a new episode of this Week on Broadway ought to be automatically downloaded to Apple Podcasts for you. Of course, you don't have to listen to us in Apple Podcasts. There's many ways to get us iHeartRadio plays us, Spotify, TuneIn, Pandora, YouTube Music. But you can also get us on Patreon that's P A T r e o n dot com. Go to patreon.com broadway radio and you can get our broadcasts early as well as support all of the Broadway video shows. And it's a great Christmas present or holiday gift to give as well. Contact information for Peter from Michael and for me could be found in the show [e-mail] as well as links some of the things we've talked about today so Peter, do you have an answer to last week's brain teaser?

[Michael Portantiere]

In two different Tony winning musicals with scores by Stephen Sondheim, a character makes an atypical sound in the middle of singing. What I meant was Dean Jones and Jack Ilford both sang in Tony winning Stephen Sondheim Musicals Company and Forum in Barcelona. Jones oated, or in common parlance, yawned and so did Jack Gilford in forums. I'm calm now. I should have said that I was looking for the same sound, but I neglected to. Michael Portantia noticed that, but not until he saw what Tony Janicki had to say did he figure it out. Because Tony Janeki got half of what I was seeking and then Michael got the other half. So together they got it. Maybe they should play the Dromios and the boys from Syracuse. I know Michael would be up for it, considering how good he was in Guys and Dolls on Staten island some time ago. Janet might need some serious act coaching though. So anyway. Anyway, others who came up with two distinct sounds were Jay Aubrey Jones, Sean Logan, Arthur Robinson, Jeff Hassenfeld, Josh Israel, Ingrid Gammerman, and Brigadude. Okay, this week's question. Many reviews get cast albums. This one didn't. Reviews seldom if ever get published in hardcover by a make or publish. This one did. Considering what its title was, it could have just as easily had the same name as a Jason Robert Brown musical. What is it?

[Peter Felicia]

Wow. Jason Robert Brown reference. I should. There's a two and a half percent chance that I'll get it this week then. All right, so if you have an idea what Peter's asking for, email [e-mail] will let you know if you're on the right track. So, Michael, what do we have in this week's musical moment?

[James Marino]

Well, earlier I spoke about Ben Jones wonderful show at Birdland. So our musical moments are two selections of him performing live at 54. Below the opener is a section of Being Alive from Company. And the closer is a hit from a flop, Kiss her now from Dear World. So please enjoy these two wonderful performances by Ben Jones.

[Peter Felicia]

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

[Michael Portantiere]

Bye.

[Stephen Sondheim]

And you've lost her and you'll spend half your life wondering how so before you forget how you loved her Kiss her now Kiss her now Kiss her.

[James Marino]

Now.

[Stephen Sondheim]

Blink your eye Turn your head and you've lost her and you'll spend half your life wondering how oh so before you forget how you loved her Kiss her now Kiss her now Kiss her.

[James Marino]

Now.