This Week on Broadway for December 21, 2025: Anna Christie @ St. Ann’s Warehouse

Summary

BroadwayRadio: This Week on Broadway for December 21, 2025

Episode Theme: Anna Christie @ St. Ann’s Warehouse and New York Theatre Highlights

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Overview

This episode of BroadwayRadio’s “This Week on Broadway” (December 21, 2025) is a comprehensive year-end roundup helmed by James Marino, joined by panelists Peter Filichia and Michael Portantiere. The centerpiece is a review of the new production of Anna Christie at St. Ann’s Warehouse, alongside insightful discussions on Tartuffe at New York Theatre Workshop, the Bridges of Madison County concert at Carnegie Hall, Off-Off Broadway’s breakthrough play Diversion, cabaret updates, and an opera highlight. The conversation also covers industry news, emerging stars, and venue updates, all delivered in the engaging, theater-savvy banter listeners expect from the hosts.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shortest Day of the Year and Broadway Lore

Timestamp: 02:37 – 05:53

• Peter marks the winter solstice with a nod to The Boys from Syracuse, connecting music, history, and Broadway traditions.
• Anecdotes about the Schubert brothers (“the Boys from Syracuse”) ground the episode in Broadway’s historical roots.
• The Boys from Syracuse Red Bull benefit: Michael and Peter regret missing it, sharing cast highlights and recall personal concerts at 54 Below.
• Quote:

  "Musical that many people felt should have been called the Boys from Syracuse and Ephesus... But the Shubert brothers... were all born in Syracuse and were colloquially known around Broadway as the Boys from Syracuse."
  — Peter Filichia (03:00)

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2. Spotlight: Syracuse University’s Broadway Impact

Timestamp: 05:55 – 07:47

• Recognizes noted Syracuse alums: Aaron Sorkin, Matt Polk, Robert Diamond (founder of BroadwayWorld).
• Emphasizes university’s influence on theater journalism, publicity, and Broadway world-building.

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3. Cabaret Highlights & Broader Industry Updates

Timestamp: 07:47 – 09:35

• Michael Portantiere is now an official Carnegie Hall tour guide.
• Success of his recent conversation event with Len Cariou at Laurie Beechman Theater, attended by Broadway luminaries.

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4. Review: Tartuffe at New York Theatre Workshop

Timestamp: 10:24 – 21:25

• Peter Filichia’s Critique:
  • Dislikes imperfect rhymes and anachronisms in Lucas Hnath's adaptation.
  • Praises cast: David Cross (Orgon), Lisa Kron (maid, Doreen), Matthew Broderick (Tartuffe—arrives 40 min in).
  • Novel staging: lack of tablecloth in signature eavesdropping scene; touches of visual humor.
  • Quote:

    “If you can overlook those two things [imperfect rhyme and anachronism], and if you’re the type who enjoys them, I think you’ll have a good time.”
    — Peter Filichia (13:56)

• Michael Portantiere’s Take:
  • Less bothered by rhymes/modernisms; sees them as part of production’s “very modern” sensibility.
  • Lauds Bianca Del Rio’s cross-gender casting (draws attention to her “garish” drag makeup).
  • Strong comedic value; “the funniest Tartuffe I’ve ever seen.”
  • Production is diverse and inclusive in casting.
  • Quote:

    “Once you establish that there aren’t going to be perfect rhymes, I think you can relax... There can be an art in imperfect rhymes, too.”
    — Michael Portantiere (16:48)

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5. Review: The Bridges of Madison County in Concert at Carnegie Hall

Timestamp: 22:31 – 27:38

• Michael highlights the event’s rapturous reception and nearly full original cast (Kelly O’Hara, Steven Pasquale).
• Jason Robert Brown conducted a larger-than-Broadway orchestra.
• Whitney Bashor (“ex-wife” song) stopped the show – “applause just kept going.”
• Compares audience emotion to Merrily We Roll Along reunion; relishes “gratifying” love shown to a once-unsuccessful musical.
• Quote:

  "You felt like everyone there thought this was the greatest show ever written."
  — Michael Portantiere (22:33)

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6. Off-Off Broadway Gem: Diversion @ The Barrow Group

Timestamp: 28:32 – 35:20

• Peter praises Scott Organ’s play for its engrossing plot and stellar ensemble (special mention: Thais Bass as the head nurse).
• The drama involves nurses dealing with a Fentanyl theft; whodunit twist revealed at intermission, yet still full of second-act surprises.
• Strong case for supporting Off-Off Broadway where “theatrical magic can strike anywhere”.
• Quote:

  “There are plenty of plays… I would have left and not returned. There was no question I was returning for this one.”
  — Peter Filichia (29:55)

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7. Cabaret & Holiday Shows

Timestamp: 36:15 – 41:57

• Christine Pedi’s “Snow Bizness” at Laurie Beechman: Streisand “Frosty the Snowman” is a showstopper; signature impersonations (Stritch, Liza, Gwen Verdon, et al.) delight.
• Susie Clausen (“Saxy Susie”), Marilyn Maye protégé, shines at Don’t Tell Mama with clever lyric parodies crafted by Maye herself.
• Both shows reflect the effervescent creativity of the NYC cabaret scene.

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8. Review: Anna Christie at St. Ann's Warehouse

Timestamp: 43:41 – 51:24

• Peter Filichia’s Review:
  • Lauds O’Neill’s 1920 script for its then-radical empathy towards Anna, a prostitute, avoiding moralistic “comeuppance.”
  • Strong cast: Michelle Williams (Anna, believably world-weary), Tom Sturridge (Matt, the sailor), Brian d’Arcy James (the father).
  • Notable direction by Thomas Kail (of Hamilton), with striking staging choices (actors free-fall into sailors’ arms).
  • Addresses on-stage mishap (bottle wall collapse) and ensuing scenic workaround.
  • Quote:

    “That’s really the wonder of the play…this is not going to be an indictment of prostitution. That’s the wonder.”
    — Peter Filichia (43:57)

• Potential for a Broadway transfer considered low due to length and market, but “a solid revival.”

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9. Encore: Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera

Timestamp: 52:02 – 56:58

• Michael revels in the Met’s world-class orchestra, production, and cast; touts the “bang for the buck” versus Broadway ticket prices.
• Quotes Gerard Alessandrini:

  “Something is wrong with Broadway when you can pay about $100 at the Met for a very good seat to hear some of the best singers in the world... but on Broadway you can easily pay twice as much... for something that’s often mediocre at best.” (54:50, paraphrased)

• James adds context: Met is nonprofit, huge, seats 2,800 — apples and oranges with Broadway.

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10. Amal and the Night Visitors @ LCT

Timestamp: 57:44 – 63:09

• Peter offers a theater critic’s perspective (not an opera expert), spotlighting child lead Albert Rhodes, Jr.
• Michael notes the enduring appeal and history of Menotti’s work: “a solid work, some really beautiful music.”

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11. Theatre/Industry News Bites

Timestamp: 63:09 – 77:26

• New York Times “Breakout Stars of 2025”: Jasmine Amy Rogers celebrated.
• San Francisco Giants Buy Curran Theater: Surprising cross-industry move; optimism for more programming.
• Times Square Theatre (42nd St.) Forever "Under Renovation": Scaffolding up, adaptive reuse plans but little progress.
• Studio 54 Zoning/Permitting: Roundabout Theater files for needed permits to fix long-standing “sightline” and structural issues.
• Majestic Theatre’s Next Tenancy: Bette Midler’s Beaches musical (Lonny Price co-directing, Jessica Vosk starring), with music partly by Mike Stoller.
• London News: Rumored 2027 Sunday in the Park with George featuring Ariana Grande; Jonathan Larson Project headed for the UK.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On imperfect rhyme in “Tartuffe”:
  “The audience tended to laugh at lines that did rhyme correctly. There’s a delight just in hearing one word sound exactly like another.”
  — Peter Filichia (11:10)
• On Off-Off Broadway’s riches:
  “Donate a night to Off-Off Broadway because you will find such riches there too.”
  — Peter Filichia (34:38)
• On Michael Portantiere’s cabaret show review method:
  “She always switches it up a bit... never the exact same content, but always delightful.”
  — Michael Portantiere (36:26)
• Industry economics (opera vs Broadway):
  “Bang for the buck, absolutely.”
  — James Marino (56:55)

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Timestamps for Main Segments

• The Boys from Syracuse & Opening Banter: 02:37 – 07:47
• Tartuffe at NYTW: 10:24 – 21:25
• Bridges of Madison County, Carnegie Hall: 22:31 – 27:38
• Diversion @ Barrow Group: 28:45 – 35:20
• Cabaret/Cabaret Shows: 36:15 – 41:57
• Anna Christie @ St. Ann’s Warehouse: 43:57 – 51:24
• Porgy and Bess, Met Opera: 52:02 – 56:58
• Amal and the Night Visitors: 57:44 – 63:09
• News, Rumors, Trivia: 63:09 – 77:26

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Recurring Features

• Brain Teaser: (78:21)
  Name the show that ran 1800+ performances but had its title changed less than 11 years after opening—and explain why.
• Musical Moment: (79:40)
  Features two Julie Styne/Bob Merrill songs from Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol: “We'll Have the Lord’s Bright Blessing” (opener), “Winter Was Warm” (closer).

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Tone and Language

• The hosts maintain a warm, witty, sometimes gently argumentative tone. They pepper their analysis with historical context, humor, and honest personal preferences. The episode balances geeky insider knowledge with approachable fandom, making it enjoyable and accessible to theater lovers at any level.

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Summary for New Listeners

If you missed the episode, this recap offers a full map of the discussions, reviews, and hot takes on current productions, industry changes, and memorable performances—plus the camaraderie and expertise BroadwayRadio is known for.

Featured reviews:

• Anna Christie at St. Ann’s
• Tartuffe at NYTW
• The Bridges of Madison County in Concert
• Diversion at Barrow Group
• Cabaret nights with Christine Pedi, Saxy Suzie
• Porgy and Bess (Met Opera)
• Amahl and the Night Visitors (Lincoln Center)

Industry news:

• Theatre ownership changes
• Studio 54 needing renovations
• The next Broadway mega-musical
• Rumors of star-studded revivals in London

Whether you’re looking for recommendations, showbiz scoops, or simply a taste of New York theater conversation, this episode delivers.

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Transcript

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Visit t mobile.com we'll have the Lord's bright blessing and knowing we're together Knowing we're together heart and hand we'll make the whitest Christmas the very brightest Christmas A Christmas far more glorious than grand we can't afford to have a hen we will someday I vow so I suggest you dream of then and prize what we have now.

[James Marino]

Hello and welcome to Broadway Radios this week on Broadway for Sunday, December 21, 2025. My name is James Marino and in the broadcast today we have Peter, Felicia and Michael Portantier. Peter is a playwright, journalist and historian with a number of books. Peter's new day by day desk calendar, A show tune for today, 366 songs to brighten your year is available at finer retailers and a great last minute present. Peter also has columns at Masterworks Broadway, Broadway select in many of the places. Hello, Peter. Hi, Peter. I'm just exhausted and I'm so glad that today is the shortest day of the year.

[Peter Felicia]

It is. It is the shortest day of the year. And from now on, light gets to us a minute a day earlier. But for today, the shortest day of the year brings to mind the song from the boys from Syracuse, Lorenz Hart featured in the subject of the Blue Moon movie wrote a marvelous lyric when he wrote the shortest day of the year has the longest night of the year, and the short, longest night is the shortest night with you, meaning much the way Sondheim many years later talked in about in tonight, make this endless day endless night. You know, wait all day for it to happen. And then when it happens, it seems like time goes by so quickly. So. So anyway, the Boys from Syracuse was a musical that many people felt should be called the Boys from Syracuse and Ephesus because after all, the people who are from Ephesus are just as important as the ones who are from Syracuse. Yeah. But the Shubert brothers, Sam, Lee and JJ Were all born in Syracuse and were colloquially known around Broadway as the Boys from Syracuse. So that's why that title was chosen. So, Michael, I want to say something about last week. Last week when I mentioned put on your Sunday clothes and I was using the soundtrack album, you moaned. And I understand why. What I want to say is, again, that was because of Wall E, the movie. And in the movie of Wall E, it's the soundtrack that's played and heard. So that's why that happened.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, you made that clear. And you know. Yeah, and I always thought that was one. I mean, I'll never forget when I went to see that movie, having no idea. And the very first thing.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, yeah, Very, very first thing you.

[Michael Portantier]

Hear is out there. There's, you know, and I don't like the way Michael Crawford sings it and we won't comment on him now anyway. But, but, yeah, but it's still, it's still a great. It's a great, great song. And I completely understand, by the way, Peter.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

Did you get to see the one night concert performance of Boys from Syracuse last week?

[Peter Felicia]

No, no, I couldn't. I had a speaking engagement.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, I had something else on that night too. I would have loved to have gone because of course I produced my own, you know, evening of the Boys from Syracuse in concert at 54 below a few years back. But I. This was a benefit for the Red Bull Theater. It was one night only. Yeah, yeah, I heard it went very well. They had some really good people. Damon Dawno, I hear, was wonderful in it.

[James Marino]

And Santino Fontaine, Austin T.R. knight, Barkley Baker.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

Bonnie Milligan, Sarah Stiles, Bob Cuccioli.

[Peter Felicia]

It did business too. It was really a hot ticket.

[Michael Portantier]

My had a friend in it, Ben Jones, and he said that Mark Lynn Baker was Aegean at the beginning. I had twins. Yeah, they had Aegean sing. I had twins sometimes it's the sergeant that sings it, but Aegean sang it. And he said he sang it really well, including that. That really long, high note at the end.

[Peter Felicia]

Sure, sure, sure.

[Michael Portantier]

I mean, I guess I didn't know that Mark Lynn Baker had such, but.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, nice.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

Wow. So Syracuse, also Syracuse University, a great theater program up there. Some amazing, amazing folks coming out of Syracuse. Do you. Do you know who came out of. I think maybe was it the Syracuse journalism program or. There's somebody who came out of Syracuse about 20 years ago that has had a huge impact on Broadway. Do you guys know who that is?

[Peter Felicia]

Not necessarily, but my first girl grandson was graduated from the school and I know Aaron Sorkin was the speaker, and I got the impression he went there.

[James Marino]

Sorkin, yes. Sorkin went there.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, yeah. And one of Broadway's leading publicists, Matt Polk, went there. So I know that. But yeah, quite a school.

[James Marino]

Robert diamond from. Founder of Broadway World. I was a Syracuse grad as well, and the early thoughts of Broadway World came up when he was at Syracuse. So that other voice that you heard before is Michael Portantier. Michael's a theater reviewer and essayist. He's the founder and editor of cast albumreviews.com he's also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in the New York Times and other publications. And he writes reviews of cabaret shows for NightLifeExchange.com Additionally, Michael is known as a producer and director of shows at 54 below the Laurie Beechman Theater and other venues. And now to add to it, he is an official, official Carnegie hall tour guide.

[Michael Portantier]

Yes. Well, my first one is supposed to be tomorrow, actually, so wish me luck.

[Peter Felicia]

That's wonderful.

[James Marino]

Yeah, yeah, that's great.

[Michael Portantier]

And I'm happy to report our evening with Len Cary, you went very well.

[James Marino]

You're stepping on it. Hold on.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay.

[James Marino]

Okay. I want to say that the aforementioned Broadway World used words like unforgettable and invaluable. You know, about Michael, your conversation with Len Cario at Laurie Beechman this past week. So tell us about it.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, Stephen Mosher wrote that review and boy, when he likes something, he really likes it. He really knows how to write to get you to go see something which in this case couldn't happen because it was a one nighter. But yeah, he's really, really great about that. And it was a wonderful evening. Pretty, pretty full house. Even though, you know, the weather's been horrible and apparently horrific sicknesses are going around all throughout the city and decimating. I just got a notice that I was supposed to see A Picnic at Hanging Rock. But, yeah, they canceled both today and I think yesterday. I'm not sure. Yeah.

[James Marino]

Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

But anyway, so given all that, I was really gratified with the turnout, and Len was fabulous. And his wife was there. She was also great. And we had Leroy Reams and Penny Fuller in the audience to speak during the Q and A session at the end. So it really went very, very, very well.

[James Marino]

Yeah, the. Michael Cerberus is out of Christmas. He's out of Christmas Carol right now because he's sick and he'.

[Peter Felicia]

I know. I.

[James Marino]

So he's so sad about being out.

[Michael Portantier]

So I wrote to him and I said. I wrote. I said, thank you for being so conscientious about, you know, not missing unless you absolutely have to. I said, because I think you're one of a dying breed as far as that's concerned.

[James Marino]

All right, so let's get into our review section. First up in our reviews, Michael and Peter were down at New York Theater Workshop to see the. A new version of the Moliere classic Tartuffe. So, Peter, get us started on Tartu.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, longtime listeners know the two things that I hate most in the world of theater are imperfect rhymes and anachronisms. Both are in evidence here. I'm sorry to say that Lucas Knapp either doesn't know how to rhyme or doesn't think it's important, but it really is grading to those of us who care about this. And what I found very interesting is that the audience tended to laugh at the lines that did rhyme correctly. I maintain that it really is important that people hear correct rhymes. There's a delight just in hearing one word sound exactly like the other. And. But I really paid attention to that early on when I found out that this was not going to be Richard Wilbury, who certainly did do perfect rhymes when he did all of his Moliere adaptations. And, yeah, anachronisms. I. I don't know how Moliere would feel if he came back today and heard the term dip. But anyway, it's there, you know, and it's one of many that I don't think they were saying back in Moliere's time. So. All right, what a shame, because, wow, this could have really been good. And it is good. I mean, if you can overlook those two things, and if you're the type of theatre. Go. Who can't overlook those two things or even enjoy anachronisms, I think you'll have a good time. I think that some of the performances are truly, truly, truly Terrific. I will say that if you're a Matthew Broderick fan, be prepared to wait 40 minutes before he comes on. It takes a while before Tartuffe makes his entrance. Who is he? He's a guy that has really bamboozled or gone, who has a family, a wife, a second wife, Grant, and a daughter who's very much involved with a nice young man. And it looks like they're going to get married. But Ogon has been totally, totally gone under the spell of this Tartuf who really claims to be essentially God's messenger. I mean, he really is a religious man. Or is he? That's what Moliere was getting at. Are all these people who claim to be so Christian really, really what they say they are? Is there more to them? I was very surprised when seeing this excellent cast. Really excellent. Especially Orgone as David Cross. Wonderful as Orgone, just wonderful. And a longtime favorite, Lisa Crone as the maid. And of course Moliere, like Shakespeare too. The people who are not high born are the ones who really know what's going on because they've had to be in the trenches. And as a result they have common sense. Sense, because people regard them as common people. But common people do have the chance to find out what's really going on in the world. So that's going on there. But when you come right down to it, I've never seen a production of Tartuffe. This is my tenth, by the way. I've never seen a production of Tartuffe where Orgone is going to be under a table so he can overhear what indeed Tartuffe really is. Tartuffe will, unaware that Orgon is under the table. Well, usually there's a tablecloth that obscures him, but here he just goes under the table and his wife spreads her elaborate dress far and wide. And that. That would make Chartreuse say, why are you doing that? Why are you spreading your dress like that? It isn't even done in a seductive way. If it were done seductively, you know, like, oh, come on, come get me. But of course, that would be entrapment. And there is some entrapment that does go on in essence, but neverthele. I do feel that we do need a tablecloth when somebody's hiding under a table so that he won't be seen. So I do have a problem with that. Nevertheless, even though I tend to jump every time I hear a false rhyme and moan, when I hear anachronisms, I had a decent enough time. Sarah Benson certainly got a Cast here, by all means. Ryan Haddad is here as the sun who will be a victim of Tartuffe 2 as time goes on. But it was what it could have been, with perfect rhymes and knowing anachronisms haunted me. But beautiful costumes, of course, we expect from this period. And nice lighting that's full up all the time because that's what comedy should have. So if you can ignore the flaws, I think you really enjoy yourself.

[James Marino]

Okay, Michael, what did you think?

[Michael Portantier]

Well, first of all, I haven't seen that many Tartuffs. I guess the last one I saw was.

[James Marino]

The last one's Tartai.

[Michael Portantier]

I don't get it.

[James Marino]

The plural are Tartuffs.

[Michael Portantier]

Tartuffy. Tartuffe. Tartuffi isn't that's the name of a dessert, right? Tartufo. Those ice cream things. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

I've paid service to that many a time.

[Michael Portantier]

I'll bet. I'll bet that has. I'll bet. I'll bet the word origin is the same for those.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

Anyway, I guess maybe the last one I saw was in 2003 on Broadway with Brian Bedford as Oregon and Henry Goodman as Tartuffe and J. Smith Cameron and Jeffrey Carlson.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

Anyway, I enjoyed this one, I guess maybe more than Peter because I guess I'm in the category of people who are not as bothered by those two things that he mentioned. As I've said before, I think if it's. Once you establish that there are not going to be perfect rhymes, then I think you can relax. And I think you might disagree, Peter, but I think there can be an art in imperfect. Perfect rhymes as well. You know, just to the audience thinking, oh, you know, that sort of sounds like that word. And I guess also maybe I feel like they're more acceptable in spoken dialogue than in song. I don't know. Anyway, my. My friend and our esteemed colleague Mark Miller really did not like the fact that the false rhymes were there. He gave a few examples. Leaving is rhymed with speaking people is rhymed with evil. Moment is rhymed with torment. So I don't know. I did not mind it once I realized that was the case. Now, one could argue that if you're going to do that, then there should be no perfect rhymes, because then you're just confusing the audience. So that's one way to look at it as well. And as far as the anachronisms, I guess the reason it didn't bother me, Peter, is that the production is very modern in the sense of that. It's so. It's so Diversely cast in terms of race. And also we have Bianca Del Rio playing a major role on Travesty.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. A major female role.

[Michael Portantier]

A major female role. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. On Travesty. Is it so, so, so to me, it was not, you know, there was, they were not obviously trying to present it in a completely traditional manner. And I suppose for that reason I really enjoyed the anachronisms. I, I think overall I'm a big fan of Lucas Nath. I think that's how it's pronounced. I' H N A T H. Many of our listeners may know him from Adult's House Part two, or Hillary and Clinton or his play Red Speedo, which was also done at New York Theater Workshop. I think he is very talented and I, I do too. Yeah, yeah. So, so, you know, so I guess we can agree to sort of disagree on those two points, but I agree with you on everything else. My, my, my major thing was the only thing I really didn't like about the show was Bianca Del Rio's makeup. I thought it was so garish that I, it just was very off putting. I have absolutely no objection to, you know, to a trans person or a male playing a female role, but I just thought that the, the, the actual makeup was very, very weird and, and took, and took a lot of focus. I thought Matthew Broder, well cast, he's using that same voice, that same delivery he's used for the past, what is it now, 25, 30 years? Well, certainly since the, certainly since the producers. But I, I thought it worked very much for Tartuffe and I thought that David Cross's Oregon was absolutely hilarious. Someone, another reviewer objected to the fact that he, he thought Orgon is supposed to be, you know, portrayed as a, as a zealot. And I, you know, I can certainly understand that. But here I, I actually thought it was funnier that he seemed like kind of a normal guy who was just so incredibly deluded. So I, I, I just overall enjoyed it very much. I, I thought it was the funniest Tartuffe I've ever seen. There's some choreography by Raja Fe, directed by Sarah Benson. Very nice, simple unit set. I do agree about the, the table and the tablecloth. I have no idea why they did that. Oh, and there's lots of other wonderful people in it. To Francis Jew client. Lisa Crone was absolutely fabulous as the maid Doreen. And Amber Gray.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, I should have mentioned her. Absolutely.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, yeah. Emily Davis. Just, just a fantastic cast. I, I highly recommend it. And just bear in mind that you know those things that Peter mentioned that might or might not bother you a lot.

[James Marino]

All right, so Tartuffe at the New York Theater Workshop is running through January 25, 2026. We'll have a link to that in the show notes.

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[James Marino]

Michael, you, you, you were in another role in I should say a different role on Monday, December 15th at Carnegie hall where you were a audience member, not a tour of the grand hall to see the Bridges of Madison county in concert. So tell us how that went.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, the most interesting thing about this evening for me was the audience response. It was like you felt like everyone there thought this was the greatest show ever written. It was absolutely sold out and it just was a rapturous audience response for a show that had a very brief Broadway run, but I'm happy to say has had a very strong life in regional theater and I suppose the colleges, etc. I've seen several productions since the Broadway and I remarked that everyone I've seen since Broadway seemed to make a better case for the show. So I don't know exactly why that is, but I think it might have had something to do with Bartless Shear's direction of the original. So this was mainly a concert version. There was a fair amount of dialogue, but you know, as written by Marsha Norman. But it was advertised as an edited version of the script and there were some lines I remember that were not in it, but nothing greatly missed. And the entire score was performed. And I suppose the reason that it was sold out or a large part of the reason why it was sold out was not only the fact that that almost the entire original cast was reassembled, including Kelly o' Hara and Steven Pasquale Kelly, but also it was conducted by Jason Robert Brown conducting an orchestra of I think I would say about 20, which they made the point was larger than what they had on Broadway. So it was great to see and hear all those people back. Kelly singing better than ever. And Stevens same thing. Whitney Bashore stopped the show with her performance of her one song in the role of the leading man's ex wife. I, I've always loved that song. And clearly the audience did too. We, we. It really did stop the show in the sense of we really had to wait. The applause just kept going on. After she sang the song, she sat down. The cast stayed on stage throughout, seated in chairs when they weren't performing standing up. So Whitney sang the song, she went over to her chair, she sat down, and I almost thought she was going to have to stand up and take another bow. She didn't do that. But the applause just kept coming. It was absolutely wonderful. And everyone else was really great. Derek Klaina back as the sun. Cass Morgan as the neighbor. She was terrific. I was so glad I was there. And there's nothing equivalent to being in an audience like that where everyone just absolutely loves what they're seeing and you can feel the love just, just washing over the theater. I think the performers were very, very moved by it. And especially in a case like this where the original was not a success. I'm reminded of when I saw the 20th anniversary reunion concert of Merrily We Roll along with the entire original cast. And this was really long before Merrily had started to, you know, be revised and become, start to become part of the repertoire again. And, and obviously very, very long before the recent Broadway production, which really seemed to cement it as finally, you know, a hit and a viable property. So that, that concert of merrily the 20th anniversary, same thing, Just, just it. Ecstatic audience response. And I, I remember speaking to Jim Walton afterwards, you know, several weeks afterwards, and saying, how, how did you all get through that without crying? And he said, we were crying. He said, you know, you have to understand, the last time, you know, we, we. The last time we performed that show, people were walking out. I don't think he means the very final performance, but there were a lot of walkouts during the original, as we've heard. And I don't know if there were walkouts during Bridges in Madison county, but the point is it had a very brief Broadway run and it must be so gratifying to Jason and all of the cast to now have it so rapturously received.

[James Marino]

Okay, so the Bridges Madison county in concert at Carnegie hall was a one night only event on December 15th. We told you about it repeatedly before, so don't yell at us if you didn't see it. There's like, what's. Michael, you could tell us. There's 17,000 seats in Carnegie Hall. How many seats?

[Michael Portantier]

No, no, no, no. It's not Madison Square Garden, but It's just under 2,800.

[James Marino]

Yeah. Okay. All right. Official word, official fact checking because facts matter.

[Michael Portantier]

Yes.

[James Marino]

All right, so we'll have a link back to that in the show notes. It was a benefit for mcc, so hopefully that all went well for MCC as well.

[Michael Portantier]

I think it did.

[James Marino]

All right, so Peter, you were over at the Barrow Group to see Diversion, or is it Diversion version Diversion. Tell us what you thought about this.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, the title may surprise when you hear the what actually goes on, because it is about a different type of diverting. This is in an Office Building, 520 Eighth Avenue. You gotta take. You gotta show your ID at the desk. You gotta go up to the ninth floor. You go into a room that isn't a theater per se. There are comfortable enough chairs, not seats in an arena style setting. And what happens after that is one of the best plays of the year. It was amazing to me and again, proof that theatrical magic can strike anywhere. Let me also point out that I went on a Saturday night and I had to leave at intermission and I came back the next day at intermission to see how it finished. Believe me, there are plenty of plays under those circumstances that I would have left and not returned. There was no question I was returning for this one. So I was astonishingly impressed by what I saw here, partly because the cast is so magnificent. There are ensemble awards that are given by various groups and I hope that this one is on the nominator's radar because boy, do these people work well together. Okay, so what has Scott Organ written? He's written a play that takes place in a breakout room in a hospital. Most everybody's dressed in that. Those blue uniforms and a traditional start where you have somebody new who doesn't know the ropes nearly as well as everybody else. And some people want to be helpful, including Amelia, who's very nice. Some people are just contemptuous of the fact that, that, that the person's new because that person's seen it all. It's not easy to work at a hospital because after all, you don't see people at their best, do you? So really this is a tribute to how hard nurses work as well. And boy, do they ever. Okay, so Amy is the one who's not very nice to our. Our newest recruit. Her name is Mandy. She's played by an actress whose first name is west. As you know, as opposed to east, that type of West Duchovne. So we think that this is going to be about how difficult it. It's going to be to be a nurse and all that, and that's part of it. But what's happened is somebody's been stealing Fentanyl. And which of the group is the one who's guilty. The boss comes in, the head nurse and gives a beautiful speech indicating, look, if you have a problem, please come to me before it gets really severe, because the law is going to come into this if. If you don't own up soon. So damage control, do the best you can right now. She's so lovely, just absolutely lovely in the way that she delivers this speech. Her name is Thais T H H A I S this is the actress's name, Bass, B A S S Moore. Tremendous. You can really tell she should be a leader. So that's tremendously effective as well. Okay, so nobody owns up. Now. The irony is you would think in a play like this, it would be in the last five minutes you would find out who's the guilty party. So that doesn't happen at all. No, what does happen is you find out at the end of the first act. In fact, there's a moment where you're rather surprised that I'm trying to not give away who's the bad guy. You're rather surprised that somebody on the staff would do what the new person wants her to do. Why she wouldn't do that, but there's a reason she does. So that's. So you think so again, I left it into mission. Where could this possibly go? We know who did it. You know, usually it takes a while before you know who done it. Well, well, not necessarily here. And what happens in the second act is even more. Just more galvanizing. One surprise after the other. So a tremendously successful show. Director Seth Barish, who of course is a big wheel at the Barrow Group, co founder, I believe, beautifully directs it, and again chose a cast if 90% of successive productions direct casting, which we often hear, fine, but he certainly delivered the other 10% as well. So a wonderful experience and you feel so much for these people. And I also want to give a shout out to the person who comes in to investigate her name. The actress's name is Colleen Clinton, and she is really good because she's trying to find information. She's also trying to act as if she's on your side. And she ingratiates herself into each of the people's lives, seeming to be this nice, good guy's curious, you know, I mean, that type of thing. Just out of curiosity, it comes that she knows what she's doing. She's very skillful in getting what she needs to know out of people without them realizing that she just did it. You know, it's not until after. Oh, I shouldn't have said that. Wow. But the way she asked the question. Yeah, so it's very skillful. I'm telling you, this show is supposed to close today. I am so glad that it's extended to January 11th, and I wish it extends beyond that. But the real bottom line is, again, as I've often said, if tourists who come to New York, yeah, of course you want to see the big Broadway shows. Of course you do. But donate a night to Off Off Broadway because you will find such riches there too. There's so much talent to go around. There aren't that many opportunities. So a lot of amazing people work off Off Broadway and here is a perfect example of that in diversion.

[James Marino]

So as Peter mentioned, it did get extended to January 11, but there is a break. Today is the last performance and then they're taking a break for a few days. They start up again December 29th and go through January 11th. We'll have all of this information in the show notes. Also, Janc Simpson interviewed Scott Organ.

[Peter Felicia]

A.

[James Marino]

Couple of weeks ago and that is on Broadway radio as well. And I'll have a link to that in the show notes as well. So you can listen to Jan's interview with Scott. So next up, Michael, you were back at the Lori Beachman to see Christine Petty's snow business. Was it the day that it snowed or did she, did her press person pull that off?

[Peter Felicia]

Off?

[Michael Portantier]

No, no, it was several days after. But it was delightful.

[James Marino]

Stories about when she drives a plow truck, right?

[Michael Portantier]

No, it's just her annual holiday show. She does it every year. And I always like to go because she always switches it up a bit. It's never the exact same content, but always delightful. The, the hit of this one was she does an absolutely hilarious version of Frosty the Snowman as it would be sung by Barbra Streisand. You know, it's, it's, if you can imagine, Stefan the Snowman. And then she goes into the patter section of that song. Is Barbara talking about, well, Frosty, you know, he, you know, despite global warming, he perseveres. And it just, just goes from one highlight to another. Also, Christine is famous, of course, for doing her impersonations of dozens of celebrities. Spot on impersonations. And when she's added only recently, surprising that she added her only recently because I think she's pretty Famous and also rather easy to do is Gwen Verdon. So that was fun to hear. But then there were also the old favorites like Stritch and Liza, Eartha Kit, Rosie o', Donnell, Catherine o'. Hara. And these are all impersonations that you hear in the context of Christine singing the Twelve Days of Christmas. She has people pull the name of a celebrity out of a hat, and then she does that verse in the voice of whoever, Stritch or Liza or whoever. So that was absolutely fantastic, and I really love being there. Oh, another cabaret show I saw last week was Susie Clawson, also known as Saxy Susie because she plays the saxophone and she is a student of Marilyn May. In addition to. Recently, she's been acting as Marilyn's assistant, and she did an utterly delightful show at Don't Tell Mama. As I say, she. Susie is primarily a saxophonist, but she's been studying with Marilyn, and she really. She did a very good show where she sang a lot. And. And I know that she has improved greatly under Marilyn's tutelage, because I just compared to a show that I saw a couple of years ago, and I think everyone had a great time. Susie picked the songs, or Marilyn picked the songs very well. Nothing out of Susie's vocal range. And so I think the whole thing was. Was very successful and entirely delightful. And one of the most fun things about it was that Marilyn tends to rewrite lyrics to famous songs when she performs them, you know, sections of famous songs. And here she did a lot of that for Susie for lots of songs that we know very well and in.

[Peter Felicia]

Fact.

[Michael Portantier]

So much of it that afterwards I got to see Marilyn. I said, marilyn, I said, did you write all. Rewrite all of those lyrics? She said, yes. And I said, seems like you rewrote like 70% of them. And she goes, well, maybe not quite. And I said. I said, you missed your calling as a lyric writer. And she said, I didn't miss it. I'm doing it. So I had two really nice evenings at Cabaret this week in addition to our own Len Cario show, if that counts. But it was a good week to catch up on stuff like that because, you know, I mean, everything that's opening on Broadway for the fall has already. And now I guess we're going to have a quite a lull until. When's the next opening? February or March or. There's nothing in January, is there? Probably not.

[James Marino]

Probably not. But it could be one of the nonprofits.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, yeah.

[James Marino]

Maybe a subscription type of house that would have done something right. So Christine Petty snow business.

[Michael Portantier]

She has another one. Yes, go on.

[James Marino]

Okay, she's got another one. Saturday, September 27th at 7:00pm we'll have a link to that in the show notes. Were you going to say something else, Michael?

[Michael Portantier]

No, no. It's. It's really a fun show. And you know, they did such a beautiful job in renovating the Laurie Beechman. It's just so. Someone who was at Christine's show and had not been there since the renovation remarked on how well it has been redesigned. And it's just a really wonderful place now to. I mean it always was, but more so now. It's just so attractive with curtains on the stage and the lighting is fabulous and the sound system is really good. So I think you'll enjoy the venue itself, aside from whatever show you see there.

[James Marino]

So January 8th, Tracy Letts new show bug is opening at the Friedman, which makes sense. Manhattan Theater Club subscription house. That exactly what I was saying. And then the next one after that is every. Every brilliant thing at the Hudson. And we had lots of other announcements this this week. Interesting. And today of course is the final performance of Versailles.

[Michael Portantier]

So Versailles. Also a Little Bear Ridge Road.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

Oh, a little Bear Ridge Road. That's early. Early announcement. Yeah.

[Kimber]

So guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.

[Drew Ski]

Zoe, this thing weighs a ton.

[Peter Felicia]

Drewski, lift with your legs, man. Santa.

[James Marino]

Santa, did you get my letter?

[Drew Ski]

He's talking to you britches.

[Peter Felicia]

I'm not.

[Kimber]

Of course he did.

[Peter Felicia]

Right, Santa, you know my elf Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list.

[Drew Ski]

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[Kimber]

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[Peter Felicia]

Or give it as a gift.

[Kimber]

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[Peter Felicia]

Nice.

[Drew Ski]

My side of the tree is slipping, Kimber.

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[James Marino]

Visit t mobile.com Peter, you headed down to St. Aaron's Warehouse in Brooklyn to see Anna Christie. So tell us what you think of this.

[Peter Felicia]

The play itself is remarkable when you consider that it was written in 1920. And it won a few surprise because it is about a prostitute. Prostitute. And late in the play a gun shows up. So is there any doubt that the prostitute is going to die because she's a prostitute? I mean, after all, the prostitutes have to get their come up doing this terrible line of work where. Which God. Of which God would never approve. And it really is something when you look at it in that way and realize that this is not what's going to happen at all. That this is not going to be an indictment of prostitution. And these girls who don't know how to keep their legs together, blah, blah, blah. No, that's really the wonder of the play. So. So what's it about? All right. Anna comes back to New York where her father runs a barge by the sea, the old devil. See, he says many, many times it's very easy when things go wrong. Say, well, you know, that's the old devil sea. And. And he certainly indicates that living by the sea, living on the sea, it's responsible for the. The many miseries you have in your life. Well, maybe there's a lot more to it than that, that people make their own miseries. But anyway, Anna's been pretty down and out. And when you're down and out, you often go home. And that's what she does. And the father is delighted to see her. He hasn't seen her since she was a child. There is some talk about the fact that he essentially abandoned her and. But now he's going to make up for it. It's going to be this doting father and he just sees her as this lovely thing. While that's going to happen too, with one of the sailors who is going to get involved with her. So what's going to happen when they find out the realities again? It's. It turns out to be a little more surprising than you might think. Think what's really great is the fact that Tom Sturridge playing Matt, the sailor who falls in love with her when she owns up to who she is. He's at first furious and is not interested anymore. But he essentially says to her, look, if you tell me you were just kidding, I'll believe you. I don't think he would believe her. But if she were to say that, that would be enough to keep going. And that's very human. When we hear bad news, if somebody Tells us. No, I'm only kidding. We will grasp at that because it's what we want to believe. So that's very good. Michelle Williams has taken some criticism for the fact that Anna is 20 and she's more than twice that age. Yeah, but if you're a prostitute, you lived a tough life and they age fast in that occupation. So that's not a problem at all. I think she's very, very Ryan. Darcy James playing her daddy. Yeah, he's gotten to the point. Now he can play a daddy of a 20 year old and has a big bushy beard to prove it. Wonderful as well. Wonderful as well. The direction is by Thomas Kael, who by the way, is married to Michelle Williams. And of course we know him from Hamilton, which I definitely view as one of the 10 greatest stagings of a musical I have ever seen. And here he gets a little pretentious every now and then because there are platforms, wooden platforms that stretch up six, seven feet maybe. And what has happened is that characters go to the edge of the platform and they just free fall, but there are other sailors there to catch them. I don't know why this is important to do, but anyway, this production got off to a very rocky start back in November. I don't know exactly what happened, I don't know if I can describe it very well, but there were bottles upon bottles upon bottles on the back wall. And at a performance, an early preview or maybe the first preview, they started slipping and crashing to the floor and breaking. So now if you go, you will see all those bottles in the background, just in pens, if you will. Iron pens, where they just sit there. And I have to say that I was wondering, gee, when look at all those things and they're really in the background. I don't even know if people can really see them in, in different seats. Well, this was a stopgap measure. They had to do something with the bottles and so that's where they are. So if you're wondering why they're there, it's. It's because they need to do something in a hurry and that's how they solved it. So I think it's a very worthwhile production. But even so, what I really came away with was, isn't this something? This play didn't do what was expected in 1920. Oh, I forgot. Mayor Winnie Hare, who is just wonderful as a barfly, who certainly comes by simply to drink and reminds us that so many people who have fallen to drink really are very nice people. And she wants to do the Right thing when it comes to Anna and her daddy. And she's a loyal customer in the best sense of what that means. So. So I think it's a solid revival. And I was very glad I went.

[James Marino]

What do you think about a possible transfer?

[Peter Felicia]

Is there a theater available for it? I don't know. I. I don't know. It's. You know, a lot of people today have very short attention spans. And this is, you know, a lengthy play. You're going to be there for a little more than two and a half hours. And that's a long time today for a lot of people. And so I. I don' its commercial possibilities. I would be wary of it paying back a dime. But it's certainly in a. In a better theatrical time. It would be nice to see it run. The first time I ever saw it was back in 1977 when Lee Bulman did it. And that was a commercial production. And it didn't last all that long. And given that Alex Cohen produced it, I'm not sure that it paid back. But. But that was a good production too. And there was one in the late 90s.

[Michael Portantier]

Yes.

[James Marino]

Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

That indeed turned out to be very good. That Natasha Richardson did it because she wound up marrying her leading man. And for that matter. And Mira was wonderful in that barfly role. Really terrific. So. So that was going as well, but suddenly. That's 26 years ago. But that was a limited engagement too. So.

[Michael Portantier]

I've always said that other than a Wilderness. Anna Christie is the only o' Neal play I can stand. And. And of course, he disowned it.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, that is true.

[Michael Portantier]

He disowned it in later life.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, he did. Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

I guess it wasn't long enough for us.

[Peter Felicia]

We're all our own worst critics, you know, so. So he was too. Yeah.

[James Marino]

All right. Anna Christie is at CN's warehouse. It's scheduled through February 1, 2026. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. Michael, what's becoming a recurring segment here? You got over to Lincoln center to see Porgy and Bess again. So you said that you had some additional comments about this. So this is not Groundhog Day for listeners. You know, we've heard. We've heard Poggy and Bess before, but this is additional. So, Michael, tell us what you thought.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, you won't have to hear me go on about it again after this for a while. Because this was the final performance of the season. It's just such a wonderful production of such a masterpiece. And I had to Go back to hear this. Those singers and that incredible orchestra and really, really solid production with a huge. I don't know if I mentioned this. There's a huge. The entire stage is basically a revolve. Can you imagine the entire Met stage, a revolve, you know, with this unit set, basically. But. But because it's constantly turning and reconfiguring, it doesn't seem like a unit set at all. So it was absolutely fabulous. Again with all of the leads. Brittany Renee as Bess, Alfred Walker as Porgy, Denise Graves as Mariah. And so many wonderful, wonderful artists throughout. There was one new person this time, Clara, who sings Summertime. So that's a. That's a pretty plum roll. Just only because she gets to sing that and she gets to sing it two or three times during the opera. On this occasion was playing play by a woman sung by a woman named Jasmine Saunders. So she was new, brilliantly conducted by Kwame Ryan and so well directed by James Robinson. I had recommended this production highly to Gerard Alessandrini because, you know, he's in town a lot more lately. And he actually went, he got tickets for the same final performance that I did, it was last night at the Met, and he and his husband went and we were talking afterwards and he absolutely loved it. And he also said, now this is a paraphrase, bear that in mind. But he basically said, something is wrong with Broadway when you can pay about $100 at the Met for a very good seat to hear some of the best singers in the world performing and some of the greatest works ever written with an 80 piece orchestra and top level production values. But on Broadway you can easily, easily pay twice as much or more for tickets to see something that's often mediocre at best. So I, you know, I mean, there are arguments to that, but I think that there's a lot of truth in it. I urge those of you who have not been to the Met to try to get there and see something that you think you might enjoy. The Magic Flute they're currently doing in an edited version, and that's the Julie Taymor production that they've been doing for years that is now considered a classic. So that's one possibility. And then Turandot is coming back in the spring, so I'll probably be going back to see that again. Also, Madame Butterfly is coming up, lots of presentations of that beautiful Anthony Minguela production. So really it's just a wonderful place that maybe not everyone has explored and I urge you to do so.

[James Marino]

I Might take exception with the statement Mr. Alison Dreamy. It's apples. And in my opinion, it's, it's, it's apples and oranges. I mean, Metropolitan Opera does not do eight a week. Just, it's a non profit, it's 2800, 3000 seat auditorium. It there, there's so many different variables there.

[Michael Portantier]

That is true. That is all true.

[James Marino]

I mean, and it's not a for profit enterprise. Broadway for 90%, 95% is for profit. Even the non profits, when they bring in things to Broadway, they are sort of for profit.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, it's not for, I mean, that's absolutely true. It's not for profit. But they, you know, they do have to sustain themselves. And as we have all read, they're in great trouble lately because they have.

[James Marino]

Have large donors that write six and seven figure checks.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

What I think Jerry was getting at was the fact that from the consumer's point of view, who doesn't care whether anything's profit, nonprofit, whatever, the fact that you get a better deal there is what's important.

[Michael Portantier]

Right.

[James Marino]

Whereas bang for the buck. Absolutely.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

The bang for the buck argument. Absolutely.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

You know, sure. So as Michael said, Porgy and Bess is wrapping up for the season right now. And we'll have a link back to the Metropolitan Opera website for more information. Peter, you over at Lincoln Center Theater, just across the way from the Metropolitan Opera, just hopefully not have to go through the fountain to get to Lincoln Center Theater and to see Amal and the, the Night Visitors, which I am seeing here is in conjunction with the Metropolitan Opera.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, unlike Michael, I know beans about opera. The only thing I know is Phantom of the Opera and Threepenny Opera. So I am not the ideal person to be talking about the worth of this production. However, my good friend Richard Sassenow, who is a reviewer of opera, said the real reason to go is Joyce. This before the show, Joyce Dinato, who he says is really a magnificent performer in opera. And she plays Amal's mother. This is a story about a mother and her son. The son is disabled, walks with a crutch, and they're living at the time when suddenly, in a manger in Bethlehem, a kid is being born. And as a result, three kings are going to come and deliver gold, frankincense and myrrh. But they stop at this house along the way. And what happens after that, I'm not going to reveal. Something pretty miraculous happens. Something pretty miraculous happens with Amal. And I'm talking about the performer, a kid named Albert Rhodes Jr. I don't know, 10, 11, maybe not even sensational. I mean, he's got to walk with a crutch and he has to have that foot jutting at a very strange angle to show that that's what the problem is. But here he is, self assured and singing opera and doing it beautifully and an amaz performance. So while Joyce Studio certainly delivered the goods, maybe I would have been more impressed with her if Richard hadn't told me in advance how magnificent she was. But this kid, now this is in, this is a slip of paper in the program where I'm told that Albert Rhodes Jr. Is performing. So as a result, my guess is they alternate kids. Frankly, I didn't get a playbill and I got involved with a. Talking to a, a person who listens to these podcasts. By the way, he recognized my voice when I was speaking to Richard, so. So as a result, I don't know what the schedule is or how often this kid does it, but if the other kid is better, I'll be astonished if there is another kid. So what a delightful surprise to see somebody I know from Broadway, Philip Boykin, who certainly has been on the town and was recently in Hadestown and was in the Gershwins Porgy and Bess. And here he is playing King Balthasar. So it was wonderful to see him and his magnificent presence. Just terrific. And for that matter, the Kings really do have beautiful costumes. I'm a little surprised at what happens as the show continues, that the mother does something she shouldn't do. And I'm a little surprised that's in there because after all, it's not as if Giancarlo Minotti was adapting a story that I, I don't. Michael, do you know this is an original musical, isn't it?

[Michael Portantier]

Original opera, Correct. Yes. That it premiered on, on tv.

[Peter Felicia]

Right. I remember how vividly I remember it being on TV in, in 1956. I was a little boy and before it came on, they said this show will be broadcast in color. And my parents and I got so excited we were going to see color on tv. We didn't know there was such a thing as color TVs, so, so we were stunned when it was simply in black and white. So, yes, I, I know about that. In fact, it was first on TV in 1951 and they did various productions of it along the way, but, but anyway, I'm very surprised that the mother does something she shouldn't do. And I will admit that it wraps up rather conveniently for everybody. But nevertheless, it really is something. You notice I haven't talked about the music. I don't know if it's magnificent or wonderful. I mean, it certainly was listenable to me, but as opera goes, I have no idea where this fits in the canon, whether it's good, bad or indifferent. Michael, do you have an opinion on this? I imagine you know this property very well.

[Michael Portantier]

I do. I. I think it's considered to be, you know, a solid work by Manati, who also wrote several other things that gained popularity. The console and the medium.

[Peter Felicia]

Telephone.

[Michael Portantier]

The telephone, yeah. You know, I'm. I'm. I'm checking here. And as far as I can see, there is no alter Albert Roads. But. But. And that would be unusual except that I don't think you mentioned. Isn't it correct that the running time is only about an hour?

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

So it's not like it's extremely taxing.

[James Marino]

Sure.

[Michael Portantier]

You know, and of course, Umal doesn't sing throughout the evening. I always love that opera, though. And there's some really beautiful, beautiful music in it.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. Well, the only reason I came to that conclusion, or at least made that guess, because I did get this slip of paper when I was leaving. Somebody threw it out. So again, no playbill, but you know, at this performance. So that's. And usually it's kids that are the ones who alternate. And especially in an opera, I would think it would be. But if he's doing it, more power to him, and he's got plenty of power in him already.

[James Marino]

Okay, so Amal and the Night Visitors is at Lincoln Center Theater. It is running through January 4, 2026. And we'll have a link to that in the show notes. We have a few little quick news tidbits and hits here. Michael forwarded me the New York Times article, the breakout stars of 2025, where Jasmine Amy Rogers was named as a breakout star. And we'll have a link to that in the show notes as well, so you can check that out. Excuse me. And Michael also forwarded that the San Francisco Giants acquired the current theater. I'm pretty sure that the baseball Giants acquiring a theater would almost require Peter Felicia to fly out there to open it.

[Peter Felicia]

Really? Who saw this coming? It's such a bizarre thing. And we will see if this does any good. I mean, the current theater is one of those theaters that, like so many venerable houses around the country, isn't as booked as much as it was in. In the heyday when touring companies used to come quite often to the major cities in this country. So let's hope for a renaissance. That'd be great.

[Michael Portantier]

I guess we should think of it as sort of similar to the way that Madison's. Well, that Radio City Music hall is owned by the corporation that also owns Madison Square Gardens. And the way this is being built is if it makes any difference, the San Francisco Giants organization has acquired the current theaters. So I. There's, I guess, some speculation as to exactly what they're going to do to it. But they're not going to make it a hockey arena or something? I don't think so.

[James Marino]

So Carol Schorstein Hayes is the owner of the. Of the current theater. Yeah. And I suspect that there's, you know, some sort of friendship, if not formal relationship between the San Francisco Giants and that. I mean, Madison Square Garden, the parent corporation of Madison Square Garden, is Cable Vision, you know.

[Michael Portantier]

Right.

[James Marino]

That was about conduct content. So interesting to see there. I. Peter, have you seen many shows at the Current? I've seen one, maybe two shows at the Current.

[Peter Felicia]

I believe I saw Children of a Lesser God there and Arsenic and Old Lace, the one that was with Gene Stapleton. I think those are my two trips to the Current.

[Michael Portantier]

I think I saw Richard iii with Ian McKellen there.

[Peter Felicia]

Ah.

[Michael Portantier]

Pretty sure that was the Current.

[James Marino]

So, yeah, we'll keep our eye out there and maybe send Matt Tamini out there to say to shake the legs of the curtains and see what falls, see what's going on there. More information. The Times Square Theatre on 42nd Street. Some new news about the. That Michael.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, I don't know if it's new, but I. I just called actually, I called the new 42nd street, you know, that organization, for an update, and they didn't really want to tell me much, I guess. I don't know, maybe. Maybe I should have said that I was a journalist, you know, I. I just called as a person. I guess I should have said I'm doing an article on it. But anyway, I looked it up and it seems like. It seems to me like nothing is happening at the Times Square Theater or which is just to the left of what's the current name of where the Harry Potter.

[Peter Felicia]

I knew that. I knew that was why you were pausing. Yeah, really.

[James Marino]

Ford center for the Performing Arts.

[Peter Felicia]

No, it's. It's not the Lyric.

[Michael Portantier]

The Lyric, yeah, it's just to the left of that and there's been scaffolding up there for the longest time and it really looks to me like nothing is happening. But I was told by the person at New 42nd street who told me very little, but he did said he did say it is tenanted. And there's a sign on the, you know, on the, the boards covering the, the theater that says that it was supposed to be some sort of, you know, reconstruction was supposed to be completed in 2020, which obviously that didn't happen it up. And it said, in brief, it says the Times Square Theater, 219 W. 42nd St. Is undergoing a major redevelopment for adaptive reuse as retail entertainment space involving preservation of historic features like the proscenium arch and dome. But the project faced delays post2019 with no final completion date set as of early 2023. The work resumed on parts of the extensive renovation. As I said, I don't see anything happening, but maybe it is, I don't know. And it says status update as of early 2023. Construction halted due to the pandemic. Well, that was before. Yeah. And other issues. But work was expected to continue with plans to finish. The project aims to honor history while creating new attractions. So I hope they do something with it. It's just what you can see of the, of the old theater is really kind of impressive and it's a pretty large space. So I hope that goes forward at some point.

[James Marino]

So I don't know if you can visualize in your mind that theater with the scaffolding and everything, and if you step back and step back and step back and look up, what do you think is there?

[Peter Felicia]

What?

[James Marino]

Nothing.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, and that is significant, isn't it, James?

[James Marino]

Yes. There's nothing above that theater.

[Michael Portantier]

Correct.

[James Marino]

Also in the news, Studio 54 had some, I'm going to say, boy who cried wolf. But Michael, you tell us more about it.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, Crane's business and other people did an article at Studio 54, the famous disco that has become a theater in recent years needs a special zoning permit for repairs or will have to close for good. According to a new filing by its owner, the Roundabout Theater Company company. The theater says renovations done in the late 1970s to turn the former opera house into a late night dancing hotspot, like leveling its floors make viewing the stage difficult. According to the filing, which was submitted Tuesday to the Department of City Planning, there are numerous other structural and operational problems, including the lack of an orchestra pit, a poorly placed block bar and a lighting control area that can only be reached by ladder. Well, some of that is news to me. I'm not sure exactly what they mean by a poorly placed.

[Peter Felicia]

I don't either.

[Michael Portantier]

And also, were either of you aware that there were sight line Issues in the orchestra?

[Peter Felicia]

No, all that was a surprise to me.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah. They say that they claim that they have had to give refunds to people because of sight line issues. And I just never heard that that was an issue. The part about not reaching the lighting control booth except by ladder. I could see why that's a problem. And also the lack of an orchestra pit can obviously limit what they do there. So they're requesting a rezoning in order to give them back the air ride rights to the theater, which is what James alluded to because those rights were sold before the Roundabout bought the theater. I. I was not aware that air rights could be regranted after they're already sold. But, you know, I suppose anything is possible if. If. Well, if you know, the money's right. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Yeah. So.

[James Marino]

And this we finally find out what's happening next at the Majestic. Did you ever know that you're my hero?

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

The music.

[Peter Felicia]

I don't know this movie. Do you know this movie?

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, yes, I saw it.

[James Marino]

Sure. So the movie Beaches is been turned into a musical and that will be the next tenant at. At the Majestic.

[Michael Portantier]

So I haven't been following that closely. But am I correct that it's a jukebox musical?

[James Marino]

I don't know.

[Peter Felicia]

I don't.

[Michael Portantier]

I think maybe it is. And if it doesn't have that song.

[Peter Felicia]

In it, I guarantee you'll have that song no matter what happens.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, okay. Okay.

[Peter Felicia]

Guarantee.

[Michael Portantier]

I suppose. Yeah, they could.

[Peter Felicia]

Course.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

Because who knows? We do make mistakes because I just checked and no Children of the Lesser God I saw at the Gary. But it was Les Miserables that I are at the current. So anyway.

[James Marino]

I see. So did I have this right? Voska. Jessica Voska is going to be in it. Kelly Barrett.

[Michael Portantier]

That's correct. Yes.

[Peter Felicia]

Directing.

[James Marino]

Lonnie Price, directing. So world class team happening there.

[Michael Portantier]

One interesting thing is that Lonnie Price is co directing.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, is he?

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, someone else who. With who. Who served as his assistant when he did Lady Day.

[Peter Felicia]

I see.

[Michael Portantier]

So I guess maybe he's. I don't know, maybe he's trying to. To give that person a leg up.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

Guy's name is. Just let me get it right. Matt Cowart. C O W A R T. Yeah.

[James Marino]

And it's got music by Mike Stoller.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, right. Who is Mike Stoler? The legendary Mike Stoler. Who I'm not sure I knew he was still alive.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, me either.

[James Marino]

These days you don't have to be alive.

[Michael Portantier]

And lyrics by. And lyrics and book. Well, Book co author Iris Rayner Dart.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

The other co author is deceased. That was the. You know, the person who co authored the. The script. The film script. Yeah. And lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart. So. So I guess not. I guess not a. Not completely, anyway. A jukebox musical.

[Peter Felicia]

Unless she's just rewriting songs of his that she's putting lyrics to the songs that already existed. Because I was just putting the finishing touches on my. My book and I was writing about Smokey Joe's Cafe and I. I mentioned that they went. Lieber and stolen were both 19 years old in 1950. I'm gonna have to check that fact. But if that were the case, that would mean that he was born in 1931, which would make him close to 100.

[Michael Portantier]

He is close. Yeah. And yes, I just looked it up. Exactly.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. Okay. But he's still with us.

[Michael Portantier]

That's what I. That's what I found.

[Peter Felicia]

Okay. And it may very well be. I remember a guy going up to Julie Stein late in Julie Stein's life and said, give me all your sheet musical songs, nobody knows, and I'll put lyrics to them. And then he died. The person who did this, who went up to Julie Stein, died before Julie Stein did. But anyway, maybe it's that type of thing. Who knows?

[Michael Portantier]

Who knows? I'm a little surprised that none of us know more about it because this show has been around for a while. It was done at the Signature down in arlington, Virginia in 2014. Then it was done at the Drury Lane Theater, not in London, but in Illinois. And just last year, 2024 at Theater Ken Calgary. So I, you know, I. I guess it won't take us long to find out a little more about the score and all of that stuff.

[James Marino]

A show that we know a lot about is Sunday in the park with George and that is rumored to be coming to London in 2027 with the Ariana Grande, the Jonathan Larson Project.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. How about that?

[James Marino]

In l. In the UK as well.

[Michael Portantier]

I was so glad to read that. At the. I think at the South. Out. The work. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

So nice for Jennifer.

[James Marino]

Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

Actually Tepper and John Simpkins, who runs a wonderful program out.

[Michael Portantier]

Yes.

[Peter Felicia]

At Penn State.

[Michael Portantier]

Nyu. Oh, no, he.

[Peter Felicia]

He left there. He's at Penn State. I think it may be University of Pennsylvania, but I think it's Penn State.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay.

[Peter Felicia]

But yeah, he did wonderful work at NYU and did go out to take the Penn State job. Wow.

[James Marino]

All right, so let's wrap it up for today before we get on to our musical moment in our I almost said trivia there, but our brain teacher. Our brain teacher and our musical Moment. I 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 we each and every time there's a new episode of this Week on Broadway 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. One way is Patreon P-A-T-R-E-O-N.com BroadwayRadio is where you can support all of Broadway radio's shows as well as get them a little bit earlier, have a few extra bonuses and things like that. Contact information for Peter from Michael and me found in the show [e-mail] 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]

Drop the first letter of this hit musical's title and you'll get the name of one of its songs. In fact, someone who has five Tonys recorded it. Well, if you drop the H from Hair, you'll get air, which you can hear Harvey Fierstein sing on the recording of a 2004 City Sentient mounting. Yes, Harvey has only won four Tonys. Let's put the word only in quotation marks. But he has an honorary one too. So Sean Logan was first, followed by Tony Janicki, Lee, Kim Horn, all witty Josh Israel, Steven Sokoloff, Avery Clements, David Oris. New names Jack Lester, Jeff Hossenfeld, Michael Portantier, who does not get any inside information from me, Juliet Green, Brigad and Ingrid Gammerman. This week's Question Its original production ran over 1800 performances. With a run like that, you'd think that the title would be kept now in forever. And yet fewer than 11 years later, after the show's original opening, that title was changed. Name the show and explain the reason for the change.

[James Marino]

If you have an answer for that, 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, recently we've been showcasing Christmas songs from Broadway shows and also Christmas songs written by composers who are associated with Broadway. I mentioned that the Radio City Music Hall Spectacular, the current edition, includes two songs with music by Julie Stein. One is the Christmas Waltz, which is a bonafide Christmas song and the other was Let it. Oh, I'm sorry, Let it slow, Let it Snow. Let It Snow is not in that, in that show. But that's another song with music by Julie Stein that we frequently, frequently here at Christmas for obvious reasons. But I wanted to Showcase this week two songs from Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, which has music by Julie Stein and lyrics by Bob Merrill, of course, also famous as the team that wrote Funny Girl and also Sugar and Aside from Everything, I mean, I love that special. But also it's considered very historically significant because it was, was the first example of a holiday animated Christmas family special that was nationally telecast and it later led to such other famous, famous ones as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, how the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, A Charlie Brown Christmas, et cetera. So it really is very historic in that sense. And, and I think the success of it certainly spurred other people on to create similar animated entertainments. It's a wonderful, it's not a long score but it's, I mean the whole, the whole thing is less than an hour long. The whole, the whole film, but it's lovely. What is there is church, as they say. So we're accepting two songs here. The opener is we'll have the Lord's Bright Blessing which is sung by Bob Cratchit and his family to express their joy at Christmas time. And the voice of Bob Cratchit, I'm sure many of our listeners know, is actually Jack Cassidy who of course had several Broadway credits. And the Closer is a song that is in the score, but is not again not actually a song that has anything to do with Christmas per se. But it's this beautiful song called Winter Was Warm that is sung by young Belle when, when Scrooge goes and with the ghost of Christmas Past who shows him, you know, moments from his past that, that really shaped him. And Scrooge gets to see how he was so much in love with this young woman who actually I think has a different name in different versions of the show, but here she's called Belle and she is in love with him, but she eventually gives him up because she feels he's become so mercenary and he doesn't really care about anything but money. And she sings an absolutely gorgeous song called Winter Was Warm that I have always loved. So our opener, as I said, is we'll have the Lord's Bright Blessing. And our closer is the end titles version of Winter Was Warm as sung by a chorus with a beautiful orchestration. And I already rewatched Mr. McGrew's Christmas Carol. So I've done that because I do that traditionally every year. And, and if, if you haven't done it, I, I recommend it to you as well. I think it's probably pretty easily accessible.

[James Marino]

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

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