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- [00:00]
Zoe
Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.
- [00:03]
Drew Ski
Zoe, this thing weighs a ton.
- [00:04]
Peter Floyd
Drew Ski, live with your legs, man. Santa.
- [00:06]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Santa, did you get my letter?
- [00:07]
Drew Ski
He's talking to you britches.
- [00:09]
Peter Floyd
I'm not.
- [00:10]
Zoe
Of course he did.
- [00:11]
Peter Floyd
Right, Santa, you know my elf Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list.
- [00:15]
Drew Ski
And elf. I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T Mobile, you can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies, right, Mrs. Claus?
- [00:25]
Zoe
I'm Mrs. Claus. Claus much younger sister. And AT T Mobile, there's no trade in needed when you switch. So you can keep your old phone.
- [00:32]
Peter Floyd
Or give it as a gift.
- [00:33]
Zoe
And the best part, you can make the switch to T mobile from your phone in just 15 minutes.
- [00:37]
Peter Floyd
Nice.
- [00:37]
Drew Ski
My side of the tree is slipping.
- [00:38]
Michael Portantier
Kimber, the holidays are better.
- [00:41]
Peter Floyd
AT T Mobile switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed. And now T mobile is available in U.S. cellular stores with sweet monthly bill.
- [00:50]
T-Mobile Announcer
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- [00:59]
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- [02:00]
Peter Floyd
Me.
- [02:17]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Some days I haven't doubted about whether to get up or nothing twices. When nothing amazes me unless it's scripted. I need a show.
- [02:35]
James Marino
Hello and welcome to Broadway Radios this week on Broadway for Sunday, December 7, 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 five finer retailers. Peter also has columns at Masterworks, Broadway, Broadway select and many other places. Hello, Peter. Hi, Peter. You know, I'm so glad that on Facebook you had brought up that this is a perpetual calendar.
- [03:14]
Peter Floyd
Yes, it is.
- [03:14]
James Marino
You know, the calendar can be reused every year starting January 1st. And in fact.
- [03:24]
This morning I was just having Breakfast at Tiffany's and I.
- [03:27]
Peter Floyd
Was thinking, you can actually. They were very smart to finally do that. And it's a big place that, that's greatly in demand. Getting a reservation to have breakfast at Tiffany's is, is harder than one might think.
- [03:42]
James Marino
Yeah. So what is today's song?
- [03:45]
Peter Floyd
Well, it is grade A treatment from Breakfast at Tiffany's. And the reason I chose it is because actually how now, Dow Jones opened in 1967 on this date. Now you might say, well, what does one have to do with the other? Well, they were both produced by David Merrick. And the thing is that David Mer Merrick's Playbill, for the longest time would say, since Fanny opened on November 4, 1954, there has never been a week without a David Merrick production on Broadway. But this time his Bio simply said, Mr. Merrick is best known as the distinguished producer of Breakfast at Tiffany's. Now, what had happened a year earlier, Merrick had brought the show to Broadway after Philadelphia and Boston, both of which were terrible situations. I saw the show. It was called Holly Go Lightly when it was in Boston. It was at the time the worst musical I had ever seen. It has been eclipsed thousands of times. But anyway, back then it was the worst. So I have to say that when I brought this up to Mary Tyler Moore, she was not amused. Richard Chamberlain, the leading man, was much better about it and told me that he still remembered the sound of the booze that came from the audience. So Merrick didn't open the show after full perform previews. He just closed it up and returned all the money, even though they had a million doll advance, which was a big deal in those days. That's 9 million today. So it cost him a great deal in checks and envelopes and letters of explanation and 5 cent stamps. Yes, indeed, that's what they were in 1967. But you know, it's a shame he closed it because had he not, RCA Victor would have recorded it and would have been nice to have a cast album with Mary Tyler Moore and Richard Chamberlain. Now true collectors will tell you there actually is an album that you can hear with those two luminaries on it. But it was an in theater taping and the sound isn't very good, though the actual album cover is very effective because it does have the. The real logo. But anyway, God bless Robert Shear for doing an album back in 2000 with Faith Prince and Patrick Cassidy in the leads. And I'll tell you, it does sound a lot better than it did at the Schubertheatre in Boston. And. And it's really quite delightful. So anyway, I was very glad that Robert Sher gave it the Grade A and that Bob Merrill's score did come out sounding pretty good indeed.
- [06:17]
James Marino
So be sure to grab your copy of a show tune for today. You can get it nearly anywhere. So. And it's a great present. Great, great present. Good way to support our show. So.
- [06:37]
Also with us is Michael Portantier. Michael is a theater reviewer and interviewer, the founder and editor of cast albumreviews.com he is 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 at shows at 54 below the Laurie Beechman Theater and other venues, which is taking up his time these days because just Tuesday, December 16th, we have an evening with Len Cario at the Laurie Beachman. So Michael, how's that going?
- [07:17]
Michael Portantier
Going well I have recently.
- [07:21]
We'Ve determined that two of Len's co stars from Applause are going to be present for the evening, Leroy Reams and Penny Fuller. So I'm excited about that. You know, we have so little time between interviewing Len and showing clips of his performances and doing Q and A with the that I don't think we have time to actually bring them up on stage. But we're definitely going to try to get them involved at least in the maybe in the Q A session. And I think it will be so much fun to have them there for him. And one of the things I'm going to ask him, which I told him I was going to ask him but I actually he, I said don't tell me the answer now because I'll be curious to hear. You know, he really initially started and gained a certain amount of fame as a classical actor in Canada. And so my question is how did he ever come to be an Applause in the first place? And also Related to that is what was his musical and vocal training because he had such a beautiful voice. But really that's not what his career originally started out as. So I find that very interesting and I'm looking forward to hearing the answers to those questions.
- [08:36]
Peter Floyd
So am I. Because I remember very vividly talking to Adrian hall, one of the great directors of regional theater in Trinity in Providence, what it is today. And so I said, I just saw this Lynn Carry on applause and back in 1970, and he said, I am so happy for him. You know, I mean, he's had this wonderful career in Canada, but isn't it wonderful that he gets a part in a Broadway musical? And I thought this was great that he wasn't being elitist and saying, oh, lens sold out. You know, imagine being in a musical given the fact that he's been doing all this Shakespeare, etc. Etc. So I thought that was really great.
- [09:13]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, I think a smart, great director like Adrian hall would hopefully never say anything like that.
- [09:19]
Peter Floyd
Well, I've heard people like him. But anyway, that's another story.
- [09:23]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, I gotcha.
- [09:25]
James Marino
So if you are getting head over to the Laurie Beachman theater on Tuesday, December 16th to see an Evening with Len Cario, get your tickets now. There's a link to it in the show notes. Also, Christmas came early for Hamilton fans. Jan Simpson did her monthly Pulitzer Prize for drama series called all the Drama where she Talked about the 2016 winner of the Pulitzer Prize, which was Hamilton. It's a great, great listen, of course, because just everything Jan touches is awesome.
- [10:06]
So you can get that on patreon right now, patreon.com broadwayradio and it will be available to the general public later in the month. So check that out.
- [10:20]
With us this morning. We have a very special guest joining us, Jasmine. Amy Rogers is with us.
- [10:28]
Peter Floyd
Hello. Hello.
- [10:31]
James Marino
Jasmine, as Broadway fans will know, starred as Betty Boop last season with a Drama Desk Award, an at a Critics Circle Award, a Theater World award, a Tony nominee.
- [10:49]
What an entrance to the larger Broadway community. Jasmine, thank you. What was it like for you? I mean, you with the role of Betty Boop? For a while you did it out of town and then you brought it in. It must have been very exciting for you and your family. Tell us a little bit about that.
- [11:11]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
It was very exciting. I had been with the show in a way since maybe 2020, 2021. I did a workshop, but I was Trisha in that workshop, which is one of the supporting characters. And I had to re audition for Betty. But it was everything to Me. And it still is everything to me. I don't think I fully even grasped that it happened, even though it was with me for so long, but it's. And my family was just the most supportive and the most excited. Sometimes I feel like they were more excited than I was. That was impossible. But it's just been amazing. And, you know, it's. It's passed in a way now, but it's still.
- [11:55]
Just. It's. It changed my life in the most unbelievable way. I can't. I can't believe it. Still, you.
- [12:03]
Peter Floyd
Let me say this. I want to say this, and that is the fact that. That I just arrived in time to see Spelling bee, and I. And I didn't know who was in it, and I didn't know it was you until I read the playbill. And I think that's a really nice thing that you fooled me completely for being the person who was so spectacular as Betty Boop. And by the way, I'm the guy who runs the Theater World Awards, and.
- [12:29]
James Marino
Hello.
- [12:30]
Peter Floyd
So. So, indeed, you know that I was impressed with you with Boop, but I didn't recognize you in this other show. And boy, when an can do that, that's really an achievement.
- [12:40]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Thank you. I really. I really, really appreciate that.
- [12:44]
Michael Portantier
I had the same exact experience. Yes. I had read that you were in the show, of course, but I kind of forgot. And I got to the theater late, and I didn't get a chance to look at the program, and I'm like, who is that woman playing Oliver Ostrovsky? She's really good.
- [13:01]
James Marino
Thank you.
- [13:02]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Thank you. That's kind of the reason I chose to do the show is because it was so completely different from Betty. I also. It's just a brilliant. A brilliant show. And so I wanted to be a part of that, but also I wanted to show myself and I guess the world a little bit, that I could do something completely different.
- [13:22]
Michael Portantier
This production sort of started at the late, lamented Kennedy center where I saw it. You were not in that production. Did you get to see it by any chance?
- [13:34]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
I did not. I wish I had. I remember when it went up and I was like, oh, I wish I could see that. But I did not get to see it.
- [13:41]
Peter Floyd
No.
- [13:43]
Michael Portantier
It was good.
- [13:45]
James Marino
Jasmine, you were a Jimmy Award finalist.
- [13:49]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Yes.
- [13:50]
James Marino
You know, which. Well, you went to the Manhattan School of Music, obviously. So you were here during your college years. But where were you growing up? Which area of the country did you compete in the Jimmy Awards?
- [14:05]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Yes. I came from Houston, Texas. That is where I went to Middle through high school. It's basically where I really grew up and found my calling in theater. I mean, I started doing theater when I was really young, but that's when I got really serious. And I did the Tommy Tune Awards, named after the great Tommy Tune.
- [14:25]
And I won that. And then I got to go to the Jimmy's from there. Yeah.
- [14:29]
James Marino
So growing up in Houston.
- [14:33]
Tell us about your.
- [14:36]
You know, your teen years when you were like, I think I want to be a musical theater performer. You know, how did that. How did that enter? Was it in your blood early? Is it in your family, friends? Where did it go?
- [14:49]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
My father sang and did a little bit of acting on the side, but nothing serious. So there was definitely that creativity there. And my mother, she's a pharmacist, but she always pushed us to do creative things. And I knew from a young age that I wanted to perform, but I didn't really think it was truly possible until I got into high school and I started to really get deep into what I was doing, but I just loved it. And I did, like, every production at my school, and I was one of those kids that had their parent running around, dropping them off at the school, and then community theater.
- [15:28]
Yeah. So Texas really breeds great art. It doesn't sound like it would, you know, knowing all the things that go on there as a whole. But I constantly am meeting so many people that are from either Houston or just Texas in general, who are in the arts and are really, really good at it. And it's really interesting. There's something about it that it just. Maybe it's just like we just have a work ethic down there that's really, really incredible. And when their kids ch something, they. They let them dive into it or something. But that's where I fell in love with it.
- [16:05]
Peter Floyd
But, yeah, let me say this, that I have interviewed thousands upon thousands of people, and I always ask, were your parents behind you? And I found definitely a correlation between parental approval and success, and lack of it and lack of success. So I'm not surprised that this is the case. What were your favorite roles in high school?
- [16:25]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Oh, my goodness. I played. Well, the role that got me to the Jimmies was the witch in Stephen Sondheim's into the Woods. And, of course, that's always gonna be one of my favorites. It's a dream role of mine still. I played. Oh, my God. I played Candy in Zombie Prom. I don't know if you all know Zombie Prom.
- [16:43]
Peter Floyd
Oh, sure.
- [16:44]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Yeah.
- [16:46]
And she's one of, like, supporting leads in that. But that was. I think that was a really big turning point for me because I really got to dive into, like, this character work, and that's where I first. I think a lot of, you know, my Betty character may have started there, honestly, because she was just this, like, goofy, sweet girl that I created, and she had this little voice, and that was really fun. I got to do some straight plays. We did. Oh, my gosh. I was Mrs. Clackett and into the no and Noises off.
- [17:19]
And that was also one that was definitely a favorite of mine.
- [17:23]
Peter Floyd
Wow. Such a ton. Tough show.
- [17:25]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
So fun, though, and so rewarding. It was great. Yeah.
- [17:29]
Michael Portantier
Belling Bee is such a hilarious and charming show, and I'm recommending it to everyone I know.
- [17:34]
Peter Floyd
Me too. Lately.
- [17:36]
Michael Portantier
Lately who's asking me what to see. But it also has a lot of heart in it, and I would say Olive is really the heart of it. So maybe you could talk about that part a little bit.
- [17:46]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Yeah, I think that's, you know, the surprising thing for people is that they come to the show and they're like, oh, it's a comedy. And then sometimes they leave crying because they're just so moved by not just Olive, but the kids. Like, they realize, oh, my gosh, they're like, I was like that as a child, or I remember this, or I see my child in this. And it's a really surprising, really brilliant show. And I was talking to Danny Meffert, our director, about Olive, and he's like, you know, she's kind of our hero, because the heart of her is the fact that this is such a lonely little girl who is so shy and has this kind of very tumultuous relationship with her parents, and they haven't shown up for her, but she still chooses to be kind and to be nice. And that's, like, so heroic of her, in a way. And I love playing her. I love discovering her and finding moments where she's quirky and she is joyful because she does come to the spelling bee to win and to have fun. And she has so much fun on this day. And I think that's just so real. I mean, we talk about it in life. I mean, the most hurt people are sometimes the most kind people or the funniest people or the most joyous people. And so getting to find that nuance in her has been so exciting and so rewarding and just so real.
- [19:09]
And I love. I really do love it. And the cast that I get to work alongside every day, I mean, I don't think it could have been. Been more perfectly cast like these. These people that we've created, these. These characters, and we're trying to really find the honesty in them, even though we're adults playing children. And it is just so. It's so freeing.
- [19:30]
James Marino
Yes.
- [19:31]
Peter Floyd
By the way, are you a good speller in real life?
- [19:34]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Nope. I am. Not at all. Oh, my goodness. Not at all.
- [19:41]
Peter Floyd
Interacting with the people who come up from the audience is that great fun? I would think it would be.
- [19:47]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
It really is. Last night, we had this little boy. He couldn't have been more. He couldn't have been more than 11. He had to be, like, 10 or younger. And he was so sweet. And it's just, like, so inspiring to see these different little kids just exist and have so much fun. But even with the adults, it is so, so fun because they're so nervous.
- [20:13]
And. And they. We make them do all these silly things and jump around and find joy. It is really just like, the most joyful thing that I've ever gotten to do on stage.
- [20:24]
Michael Portantier
When I saw your show, one of the people who came up was a girl, I think she. She seemed like she was about 9 or 10.
- [20:31]
Peter Floyd
Oh, my gosh.
- [20:32]
Michael Portantier
And she did so well that they had to, you know, they had to manufacture getting her out of it.
- [20:38]
A lot by getting. By giving her a really difficult word.
- [20:43]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
You know, it's been happening a little bit more frequently where just, like, for some reason, someone will really stump you on a word that you just. That no one has spelled right before. It happened yesterday, or I think yesterday the day before, where somebody spelled something and they were not expecting him to spell that right, and they were trying to get him out, and so they moved things around, which is like, you know, such a.
- [21:04]
Peter Floyd
The.
- [21:04]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
It's such an improv show where you just have to go with the flow. And they figured out a way to get him out, and it was a huge audience hit. It was hilarious.
- [21:11]
Peter Floyd
But. Yeah.
- [21:14]
What did you know about Betty Boop before that happened? Did you know the cartoons? Had you seen them?
- [21:22]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Yeah, I had seen a little bit of them. Obviously not in the way that I did once I booked it. I always knew of Betty. I'd always grown up seeing Betty. I had a Betty Boop doll when I was really little.
- [21:33]
Peter Floyd
Oh, all right.
- [21:34]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Yeah. Because my family were big theme park, amusement park people, and we always go to Universal Studios in Orlando, and there's a whole toon land there. And I remember seeing Bet Boop there in a doll form and begging my mom to buy it for Me. So she's always been in my life, kind of in the background. Yeah, it is. I think the universe always has a plan, and you don't know what that is, but it somehow. It somehow makes it all happen.
- [22:05]
James Marino
You are.
- [22:09]
I'm reading your. Your book. Boop. Bio from the Playbill. And at the end of the boot bio, it says, thank you to my team, my friends, my family, for guiding me on this journey. We made it.
- [22:23]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Yes.
- [22:23]
James Marino
Tell us about your team around you.
- [22:26]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Oh, I just have the most wonderful group of agents.
- [22:32]
And all of the things. I mean, I'm with Paradigm.
- [22:36]
And, you know, I have three agents, Tim, Allen and Rachel, and they are just my favorite people on the planet. I chose them because when I met them, I was about 20 years old, 1920. And I immediately felt at home with them, and it's just grown so much over the years. They're my favorite people ever. And, you know, I have a brilliant music team at Melody Place Records, who I love so dearly, and they're like family to me, and I'm just lucky. I'm just very, very. I've been so lucky that my life has brought really incredible people around me, and of course, my family. I feel very strongly about my family and my friends. I'm a lucky girl that I've been supported my whole life, and I come from a very long line of very strong, amazing women. And so it's important to me that these successes, you know, while they are mine, they come from the people around me who have lifted me up because life has not always been easy, and I've had my ups and downs. And these are the people who have made.
- [23:46]
My life so much easier and have helped me forge this path and get to where I am. And so it's really important to me to give them their flowers, too. And I'm just so grateful for them. I know a lot of people don't always have the best relationship with their teams, but I love every single one. My publicists. Everybody is so perfect. I'm really happy. Yeah.
- [24:09]
Michael Portantier
Oh, that's great.
- [24:10]
James Marino
Tell us about. What's the first Broadway show that you saw?
- [24:14]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Oh, my goodness. It was Phantom of the Opera. And I remember my high school brought us to New York and we saw a bunch of shows. We saw Phantom, we saw School of Rock, and I think beautiful on that trip. And then we came back and saw some other things, but I remember seeing Phantom, and I remember crying during Masquerade because I was like, oh, my gosh, I want to sing like that. I can't believe these people are making this sound right now. So, yeah, that was my first show.
- [24:41]
Michael Portantier
I've seen a lot of the Jimmy Awards, but I don't remember when you were in it. What theater did you perform in?
- [24:48]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Oh, my gosh. It was the Minskoff. The Lion King stage. Yeah. And I'll never forget that pattern on that floor.
- [24:55]
Peter Floyd
It's.
- [24:56]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Oh, yeah.
- [24:58]
So incredible.
- [25:00]
James Marino
You said your high school brought you. Was it like a general New York trip or was it a theater focused trip?
- [25:07]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
It was theater focus. It was. Our theater department brought us.
- [25:10]
Peter Floyd
Oh, wow.
- [25:11]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Yeah. And it was. I don't remember. There were. There were a good amount of us that came up and we explored New York and obviously saw theater and took classes and tours. It was amazing. Yeah.
- [25:22]
James Marino
And now, you know.
- [25:26]
You went through the development of a new musical. You were at Manhattan School of Music. So you've had a number of years here in New York. When you walk into a room and you're doing whatever it is, a reading or a workshop or even auditioning and things like that, do you ever walk in and say, oh, my God, I'm in the room with so and so and. And I've been a huge fan of them forever.
- [25:50]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
I do.
- [25:54]
Sometimes you forget. And then I'll have these moments because you grow to learn these people as, these are my colleagues, these are my friends, most importantly, my friends, because everybody's so lovely. But there are these moments where I'm like, oh, my gosh. Even right now I'm working with Lilli Cooper.
- [26:10]
And she's become my friend and we sit together in the dressing room and I'm like, I can't believe that I get to work with her.
- [26:19]
And with Faith Prince in Boop, like, that woman has become like family to me, and she's just such a role model, but she's also Faith Prince. I definitely have those moments. And with Jerry Mitchell, it never gets old, and I hope it never does.
- [26:42]
Michael Portantier
During the run of Boop, ran into Faith at the West Bank Cafe one night, and I was with a group and we all complimented her on a performance, but the first thing she said was, you have to come see this show for Jasmine. Amy Rogers.
- [26:57]
Peter Floyd
Oh, yeah.
- [26:59]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
I love her. She's just. She's so funny and just the kindest, most down to earth real human being you'll ever meet. And I just can't thank her enough for just being herself. And she tried to give me my space on Boop because she knew I was doing a lot. But I wish she didn't. I wish she Hadn't I wish she'd been in my face all 24 7, because I just adore her.
- [27:24]
James Marino
So you're in 25th annual spelling bee right now. What is coming up for you? Do you have anything planned for 2026 and beyond?
- [27:36]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
I do next year. The beginning of next year. Really exciting already.
- [27:43]
I will be doing Oklahoma at Carnegie Hall.
- [27:47]
Michael Portantier
That's right. That's right. I got my tickets.
- [27:50]
Peter Floyd
Yay.
- [27:50]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Directed by Shuler Hensley. And I'm so excited. That cast is already. I mean, it's cast, but it's just the most incredible group of people.
- [28:00]
And I'm just so lucky that they thought of me to be a part of that. And I'm playing Ado Annie. And also in January, I'll be going to JTF Atlanta Junior Theater Festival, and I'll be headlining for them, which I'm really excited about. We just built that concert a couple weeks ago. And then in I believe in March, I will be at City center doing encores for. Oh, my gosh. My brain just went blank. I'm so sorry. I'll be doing the Wild Party, but I'll be doing the Laquisa version at CityCenter. And I am so excited. Yeah. So it's already setting up to be an incredible year, and I'm just. I can't believe it. Yeah.
- [28:45]
Peter Floyd
Well, we're delighted with your success.
- [28:48]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Thank you so much.
- [28:50]
James Marino
So, Jasmine, Amy Rogers is appearing in the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee over at New World Stages. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. Jasmine, thank you so much for joining us on Broadway Radio. We really love talking with you.
- [29:04]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Thank you. Thank you for having me. This has been amazing, guys.
- [29:08]
Zoe
Thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.
- [29:10]
Drew Ski
Zoe, this thing weighs a ton.
- [29:11]
Peter Floyd
Drew Ski, lift with your legs, man. Santa.
- [29:13]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Santa, did you get my letter?
- [29:15]
Drew Ski
He's talking to you britches.
- [29:16]
Peter Floyd
I'm not.
- [29:17]
Zoe
Of course he did.
- [29:18]
Peter Floyd
Right, Santa, you know my elf, Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list.
- [29:22]
Drew Ski
And elf, I'm six three. What everyone wants is iPhone seven and at T Mobile, you can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. Right, Mrs. Claus?
- [29:32]
Zoe
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- [29:39]
Peter Floyd
Or give it as a gift.
- [29:40]
Zoe
And the best part, you can make the switch to T Mobile from your phone in just 15 minutes.
- [29:44]
James Marino
Nice.
- [29:44]
Drew Ski
My side of the tree is slipping.
- [29:45]
Michael Portantier
Kimber, the holidays are better.
- [29:48]
Peter Floyd
AT T Mobile, switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on on us with no trade in needed. And now t mobile is available in U. S cellular stores with three 4 monthly.
- [29:57]
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- [30:06]
James Marino
Visit t mobile.com first up in the review section, Michael and Peter got over to irish rep to see a radio play version of it's a wonderful life. So Peter, get us started on this.
- [30:18]
Peter Floyd
Well, you know, I have to say that everybody has a property that, that everybody loves and they don't love. I mean, and it's a wonderful life as one that has never really, really made me very, very happy or looking forward to seeing it. It's just one of those things and we all have those. So I didn't go to this with much expectation that I'd have a good time, especially because I have seen two previous versions of it's a wonderful life done as a video play. And what does that mean? That we're going to see microphones, we're going to see costumes that replicate the late 40s. It's very specific here that it's 1946 and we, we see them reading. So this is an easier show to do. And I think that's one of the reasons why people do it too. So it was really something to. To be so delightfully surprised that indeed I, I was really taken with it. And it was really great also to sit right behind Michael port and see him responding as well. Michael, am I correct that you even sang along at the end? It seemed to me you were.
- [31:28]
Michael Portantier
Well, yes, although no one else joined in. It seemed to me that one of the actors, I believe it was Lena rideout at one point sort of motioned to us to join in on the last song, which was.
- [31:43]
It was.
- [31:45]
Not auleng song. What was it? I don't remember.
- [31:47]
Peter Floyd
Anyway, it was aule song sign.
- [31:49]
Michael Portantier
Oh, oh, yeah, that's. That's right. Yeah, it was. Yeah, yeah.
- [31:53]
Peter Floyd
So. So anyway, I, I was quite taken with it. I will say that there was a detail that struck me as very odd. I'm going to bring this up first and that is the fact that there's a big sign over the action saying w I R T.
- [32:09]
The wearing of the green. So in other words, the IRT, of course comes for Irish repertory theater. That's what it means there. I was surprised that there was so much orange in the sign because orange is a color you don't really associate with the Irish, do you? I mean, I think that's a real problem. Anyway, I'll tell you, one of the things that really made me very pleased was to see how charming Ali ewold was playing Mrs. George Bailey and doing a wonderful job of it, singing beautifully. And I'm sorry, I never saw her do Phantom of the Opera as a result of this. She really does have tremendous charm. So it's pretty much the story you see all the time. Yes, indeed. No real surprises here. Yeah, Billy loses the $8,000, et cetera. God, imagine how much money that is. I don't know. The film I haven't seen in a long time. Is it $8,000 in the film?
- [33:04]
T-Mobile Announcer
Because that's.
- [33:04]
Michael Portantier
Yes.
- [33:05]
Peter Floyd
Is it really?
- [33:06]
Michael Portantier
Well, and so we're talking. It's supposed to be. Let's see, at that point, it's supposed to be just after the end of the war. So we're talking like 1945. Six.
- [33:17]
Peter Floyd
Yeah, yeah. They. They established 1946. So that's really something. I'm actually looking at my inflation calculator now.
- [33:28]
Michael Portantier
Oh, yeah, I love those things.
- [33:29]
Peter Floyd
And I am seeing that that's $133,251 and 28 cents. So the rate of inflation is 1565%. So a lot has happened since 1946. So as a result, I mean, my God, what a lot. But it's wonderful to see these people play so many different characters. I mean, yes, indeed, George Bailey is. And Mrs. Bailey, Ellie, Walter, they're definitely the main events. But, boy, the supporting characters really make you so proud of them because they have to play so many different roles and so many different voices, and they are certainly up to the challenge. So it's very nice when you go to something saying, well, you know, I have to see this, you know, for awards consideration, but chances are I'm just going to sit through and that'll be that. But it really was a delight and I'm very glad I started for awards considerations because I'm certainly going to do my part to nominated for this, that and the other thing.
- [34:35]
James Marino
All right, Michael, what did you think?
- [34:37]
Michael Portantier
Well, I'm so glad you loved it, Peter, because I did, too. I thought it was just absolutely lovely. I was recently talking with a friend and he said, you know, he said.
- [34:48]
For years, of course, the. The whole point of Irish Rep has been to do shows that had some Irish Connection, you know, usually in the authorship, but I don't think there's any here. So I'm, you know, I. I don't know if they're gonna eventually think that they have to. That they have to abandon that. Because the original story on which It's a Wonderful Life was based was written by Philip Van Doren Stern. That doesn't sound like an Irish name. And this current radio play adaptation was written by Anthony Palermo.
- [35:30]
By the way. I did look it up and there was a radio version of It's a Wonderful Life as far back as 1947. And then there was.
- [35:38]
Peter Floyd
I'm surprised. They used to do that all the time.
- [35:41]
Michael Portantier
And then James mentioned that there was another stage radio play version that was kicking around for a while, but this is a new one, one I thought.
- [35:50]
Peter Floyd
I wonder if Charlotte Moore is thinking, well, you know, they're the Baileys and we have Bailey's Irish Cream, so maybe that's the connection. Who knows? Anyway, go on.
- [36:00]
Michael Portantier
Yes. And Thomas Mitchell played Uncle Billy. So anyway, I thought it was a lovely adaptation and amazing, really, how they got so much of the story and. And. And it was less than an hour and a half, wasn't it?
- [36:16]
Peter Floyd
Oh, indeed. I think it was about an hour 20. Yeah.
- [36:21]
Michael Portantier
There are some things you might miss. The character of Violet Bick, played by Gloria Graham in the movie. She's not in it. And others, some other minor characters and some other minor plot points. But overall, I thought that Anthony. Anthony Palermo did a really fantastic job. I did not expect. I guess it wasn't paying very close attention. I did not expect to be. Find so much music in this. It really is basically a musical, I guess, a jukebox musical version of It's a Wonderful Life. Because the songs include look for the Silver Lining, Let It Snow, music by Julie Stein, lyrics by Sammy Khan, what it seemed to be that song that Sinatra made famous. We'll meet again, brother can you spare a dime? Blue skies keep the home fires burning. There was a zippity doo dah Pat parody that was done as a commercial. They had they take like maybe two or three commercial breaks, quote unquote, during the show. Silent Night and the aforementioned Auld Lang Syne. So that, you know, I think that really helped the holiday cheer of the thing for the audience. And also there's. I should mention, there's a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Huge Christmas tree just off the. Just, you know, off stage. Just like stage right off, off, off of the stage. So you can enjoy that as well. And the cast. Yes, the Aforementioned Ali Ewelt. She's so wonderful and charming and lovely to hear her sing again. There were only five actors playing all of the roles and, and Ali plays only. I think this is correct. Ali plays only Mary Bailey and, and Reed Lancaster plays only George Bailey. So Collins, Lena Rideout and Ashley Robinson have to play everyone else. And one minor Law or Cavil I have with this production is I wish they had maybe one more guy. It seemed a little slightly underpopulated, especially when Lena Rideout had to play some of the male characters because, I mean, I don't want to be pedantic or anything, but I don't think those radio dramas would ever have had, had women playing male characters or vice versa.
- [38:42]
Peter Floyd
That's a very good.
- [38:43]
Michael Portantier
And you know, and since they were trying to make it period.
- [38:47]
I think, you know, I think that's an issue. And I wish they had been able to hire one more guy, but everyone was wonderful. And Reed Lancaster. Peter, I'm, I'm sure you noticed his vocal resemblance to Jimmy Stewart.
- [39:02]
Peter Floyd
Absolutely. Yeah.
- [39:05]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, yeah. I, you know, he didn't sound as much like Jimmy Stewart as, as Sean Hayes did when he was trying to sound like Oscar Levant in that other place. But I wonder. I would, I'd like to meet this Reed Lancaster off stage sometime and find out if he actually talks like that. I'm thinking maybe not. He has very few New York credits, but I think you're going to be seeing and hearing a lot more of him. He was just wonderful in this and I'm so glad I went to this. And I would highly, highly, highly recommend, recommend it as a holiday time theatrical event.
- [39:43]
James Marino
Okay.
- [39:46]
So this It's a Wonderful Life at Irish Rep is running through December 31st. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. Michael, you went back for a second helping of the Queen of Versailles.
- [40:00]
Michael Portantier
Yes, I did.
- [40:02]
James Marino
Not many have done that, but there seems to be a very good reason why you did because you saw.
- [40:11]
Ms. Sherry Renee Scott.
- [40:13]
Michael Portantier
Yes.
- [40:14]
James Marino
As the standby for Jackie Siegel. So tell us about this.
- [40:19]
Michael Portantier
Well, Sherry had several scheduled dates on which she was going to be performing, and some people who attended her first performance described her as almost a revelation. So I was a little skeptical about that. But I thought, well, you know, I do always enjoy her, her on stage and I am very curious to see.
- [40:40]
If her performance makes any kind of a difference and how much so I, I attended and I would say she was absolutely fantastic. I think I wouldn't describe it as a revelation compared to Kristen Chenoweth's. Performance. But I did think, it seemed to me that maybe.
- [41:03]
Sherry was getting a little more of the subtext.
- [41:07]
Because the main issue here is exactly what, you know, what does this woman really feel in her heart after everything that's happened to her? And that, that 11:00 clock number that she has, her final number, as I have mentioned before, I don't think it's all that well written. I don't think it makes it really clear where she stands after she has, you know, presided over the building of the, the largest house in America. And her whole life and her husband's life has all been about wealth and ostentation, but at the same time she's experienced tragedy with, in regard to her daughter and, and some, some other really bad things that happened. So, so I think that.
- [41:57]
I do applaud, I very much applaud Sherry for maybe filling in some of those gaps just with her acting. I should also say I was in the second row because we got Rush tickets to see her. And so maybe it was, you know, maybe it was more evident to me that she was doing subtle things to play the subtext. Uh, but whatever it was, it, it was a great success of a performance. And, and as it turns out, she's doing more of the shows than anticipated because we have heard that she has been on this whole weekend.
- [42:40]
And those were all unscheduled performances, the, the, the more recent ones. So I'm not sure. I, I, I read somewhere someone said that they thought that there might have been. Well.
- [42:53]
I don't know why, why Kristen has missed further performances. So we really, we really shouldn't say that. But for whatever reason Sherry has been going on and just briefly, I don't want to re. Review the show again, but, but I do remember Peter said, and I absolutely agree with him, that the show would be, be vastly improved if they did nothing but cut all of the Versailles scenes. You know, except maybe the one where, where Jackie and her husband go to actually visit Versailles.
- [43:28]
Peter Floyd
Oh, yeah, that's really important.
- [43:29]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, yeah. I mean that, that is important. And you know, they could have just kept that one and they could have kept all the Versailles characters in that one scene. And I think that would have helped greatly. I also think it would have helped greatly if they cut out entirely the role of the niece because I think it just seems like almost like a replay of the whole subplot with the daughter and it just, it just drags down the show and is unnecessary. So I think if they could have done those two things and also if. Maybe. If the. If that closing number had been more clearly written to provide a point of view of the character, I think all of those things would have been tremendously helpful to this show, which, as it, as it did turn out, received largely negative reviews and is closing. Scheduled to close now in just a few weeks.
- [44:31]
James Marino
All right, so.
- [44:35]
Sherry Renee Scott in the Queen of Versailles is getting.
- [44:40]
Lots of good word of mouth around town. So you can check that out if you can fit it into one of the performances that she's in. And we'll have a link to that in the show. Notes.
- [44:51]
Michael Portantier
You might want to check. I did not do this myself, but you might want to check that understudies.org to try to. Try to keep tabs on, you know, when or if she's going to be going on again.
- [45:10]
James Marino
Let's see.
- [45:13]
Michael Portantier
Sounds like you're doing that right now.
- [45:14]
James Marino
Yeah.
- [45:17]
Let'S see. It doesn't. It's only got the past stuff. It doesn't have any future stuff right here.
- [45:27]
Michael Portantier
Oh, okay.
- [45:28]
James Marino
Yeah, for right now. But, you know, this stuff. Stuff updates all the time, right? All right, Peter, you saw Gotta Dance. Michael talked about it last week. Give us your take on it.
- [45:44]
Peter Floyd
Well, I had as wonderful a time as Michael did, certainly. I was delighted to see all these memories come back to me. And there were some surprises. It was. I never thought I'd see another.
- [46:00]
Segment from Swing, but it was really quite good. And, you know, ironically enough, it's the right time for that because Swing will celebrate an anniversary this week, the 26th anniversary. It's hard to believe that swing was already 26 years ago, but figures don't lie. And Laura Benti was like 14 or so. She wasn't much. I will grant you that she wasn't much older than that. That so. But it's really quite nice that. That the. What was really great, as far as I was concerned, was just not looking at the Playbill, not seeing what was coming next. So it was a compilation that was really a surprise to me, and that's what I really enjoyed. It's amazing to me how many good dances we have that people that. Names that meant nothing to me. But I. I really hope, hope that we're going to see more of them. But you know, what also impressed me was the fact that there is an entire generation of theatergoers who grew up at the time when the British musicals were happening. The Phantoms, the Les Mis, and these were shows that had very little choreography, Very, very little choreography as we know it on Broadway. So I'M hoping that these people will go and really enjoy seeing what choreography was really like once upon a time. God knows it's made a comeback. But nevertheless, the idea of going back and seeing what these numbers pretty much look like and by a pretty large cast by contemporary standards, I have to say, and I agree with Michael, the orchestra really sounded terrific. And so one after the other, I'm not going to tell you what the numbers were because I want you to be as surprised as I. But I do believe that Got a Dance is certainly worth attending at the Theater of St. Jean's which is on Lexington Avenue and 76th Street. Easy to get to by subway and definitely worth going to.
- [48:00]
Michael Portantier
Well, I told everyone what the numbers were, so I guess I spoiled it.
- [48:10]
James Marino
All right, so gotta dance at the York through December 28th. Michael talked about it last week. Peters got it this week and we'll have a link to that in the show notes. Michael, you, you last week talked about the preview of Porgy and Bess at the Met and you have seen it this week. So tell us about your return visit.
- [48:37]
Michael Portantier
Oh, yeah, yeah. And actually, let me say I had a very Gershwin week because before that, a couple of days before, I went to the New York Philharmonic for a really fantastic program that featured three dance episodes from on the Town Down, Leonard Bernstein, Dvorak, the New World Symphony, and Gershwin Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra, which is not heard all that often. So that was really great. And actually I forgotten, but I remembered when they played it, there are a few bars in the Concerto in F that are exactly the same as some music in Porgy and Bess.
- [49:22]
So I, I, I imagine Gershwin did that as a little in joke.
- [49:27]
Just, you know, literally like maybe four measures. But it, it's, it's really interesting. Pon Bess, what can I say? One of the great, great masterworks of musical theater ever and a wonderful production here directed by James Robinson. Set design, get this, get this. Technical team set design Michael Yeargen Costume design Katherine Zuber Lighting design Donald Holder Projection designer Luke Halls Choreographer Camille Brown Fight director David Leong. Just great. I mentioned last week that I have loved this production since it debuted a few seasons ago. But.
- [50:15]
One law that it had in the first few seasons was that the fellow who was playing Porgy during those seasons, although he had an absolutely beautiful voice, Eric Owen, he was really too old for the role and I, I did not think his acting was very compelling at all. But I saw that they were going to have a much younger, younger fellow singing the role. Now and his name is Alfred Walker. And I hoped that that would make a tremendous difference in the overall production. And indeed it did in terms of his energy and his acting. And also he sang it beautifully as well. So that was a tremendous plus. We have Ryan Speedo Green back as Crown and the new Bess was absolutely phenomenal. Brittany Renee.
- [51:10]
Also latonya Moore as Serena and.
- [51:18]
Oh.
- [51:20]
I'm sorry, Denise Graves is back as Mariah and I think she recently announced that she is retiring soon after a great operatic career. So I was very glad to see her again because I'm not sure if that will happen again. Again. And oh, this I'm not going to be able to pronounce it correctly so I'll spell it. The new.
- [51:43]
James Marino
Can't pronounce it. Then who can?
- [51:45]
Michael Portantier
Well, well I, well okay, the new Clara is. Her first name is I guess Vu Wu V U V U And then well I guess it's Mpofu M P O F U.
- [52:01]
And finally, Frederick Ballantyne is sport and life just, just fantastic. Amazingly phenomenally conducted by Kwame Ryan. And I, I do have to report there were lots of empty seats when I went. Probably because they have been, it seems like they have been doing this production pretty much every season for the last several seasons and a lot of people who wanted to see it have already done so. But I urge you to, to go. Especially if you have not seen it and heard it yet. But even if you have, I, I, I actually think I'm going to try to go back again. During this run you can get in for, you know, at a full price ticket you can get in for as little as maybe 40 bucks. And so I, I think that's, you know, to hear.
- [52:55]
80 or 90 piece orchestra play that phenomenal score with world class singers in a real, really phenomenal production that I, I forgot to mention is very judiciously edited. The unedited Porgy and Bess would, would certainly probably run about five hours with you know, if you took two intermissions, this one has only one intermission and it still runs three and a half.
- [53:24]
So.
- [53:26]
So that the edits are very well done and I don't think you'll miss, miss any music that you love because it's, it's just cut so judiciously and intelligently. So please, please, please go. Just an incredible experience.
- [53:44]
James Marino
Okay, so Porgy and Bess at the Met is this particular production is scheduled through January 24th. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. Peter, you were down at the Perelman Performing Arts center, where Nancy Opel is taking the stage by storm in A Christmas Carol. So tell us about this.
- [54:07]
Peter Floyd
Why don't you mention Nancy? Because one of my favorite memories was many moons ago at North Shore Music in Beverly, Massachusetts, seeing a production of Honk. And what I learned, love, was the enthusiasm she had at the end during the curtain call, the way she was dancing. You could really tell she was having a wonderful time. Same thing is true here. The dancing at the curtain called. You can tell she really had a wonderful time playing these different parts. Michael Cerberus is Scrooge, and he's wonderful. But here's the thing. The adaptation is not business as usual. You are going to see scenes that, at least to me, were new. I mean, maybe they're in the original story, but I don't think they are. I haven't read the original story in a long time. But there's a scene where Scrooge, on Christmas Day, actually goes to see Belle, the person who it didn't work out with, that he was very much in love with, but she knew that he was more interested in money than in her. So he goes to see her, and she has a lot to say, and it's really worth hearing. I think it's a very smart thing. Does. Do either of you know if that's in the. The original story? I mean, that sounds new to me.
- [55:24]
Michael Portantier
The original has a. The original has a scene where he. Where one of the ghosts brings him to see Belle in her present life with her, you know, with her husband and her children.
- [55:37]
Peter Floyd
But. Doesn't happen.
- [55:39]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, but not what you. You seem to describe that he actually speaks with her and. And. And. Oh, yeah, yeah. No, no, I think that's new. I think.
- [55:47]
Peter Floyd
Yeah. So there are a lot of surprises in this one. So it's really quite good. And you also get a cookie, by the way, so you might even get two. So. And it's wonderful when the snow falls and all that goes with that. But really, I mean, it's funny. Linda had a friend who said she wanted to see A Christmas Carol, and she asked me.
- [56:10]
How was it? And I said, if you want to see A Christmas Carol, you're not going to do any better than this because it's very ornate. Very ornate. There are literally 300 lanterns hanging from the ceiling. How do I know that? Because the lighting designer was there and talking to somebody and saying, we have 300 lanterns up there. So very ornate in that way. I will admit that the actual set, when we're in people's houses is quite modest and the door frames will have to suffice for many of them. But it's very, very well done and it, I, I would say of the many Christmas carols I've seen because when you're a theater critic, you know, every December you're going to see one production, you're going to see a musical production and see a one man show reading Dickens and, and you're going to see a new adaptation. I've seen one called Humbug, you know, so Scrooge and the Spirits. Yeah, I've seen them all. So. But this would have to be in the top tier of the ones I've seen and I guess I've seen about two dozen.
- [57:12]
Michael Portantier
That's great.
- [57:14]
James Marino
Okay, so this Christmas carol at the Perlman Performing Arts center downtown is running through January 4th. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. It's an Old Vic production. Ah, so if you are, have seen it in London, then.
- [57:37]
Perhaps you've seen it. Okay, Michael, you got over.
- [57:46]
To see this World of Tomorrow at the Shed. Peter talked about it a few weeks ago.
- [57:54]
Is our friend Kelly still in this?
- [57:57]
Michael Portantier
Yes, she is. And you know, I think she's the best thing about this show.
- [58:02]
James Marino
That is what everybody's saying.
- [58:04]
Michael Portantier
Peter remarked on, aside from everything, how perfect her New York accent is magnificent. You know, I mean with everything that we've seen her do in the past, I don't think she's ever done a New York accent. And for it to be, you know, I mean, I think I'm pretty much close to an expert on that.
- [58:27]
It sounded absolutely perfect to me. So, you know, I don't think there's anything she can't do. She was absolutely wonderful. And of course her acting as well in this role of a woman who goes to the.
- [58:45]
World's Fair in 1939, the 1939 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens, and where she meets this fellow who has dropped in from the future played by Tom Hanks. And, and they sort of make a very, very strong connection. And then the Tom Hanks character named Bert Allenberry.
- [59:10]
Well, the, the modern scenes of the show are set in 2056, I believe, or some sometime around there. And he is supposed to be a very, very, very, very rich person to the, the point where he can afford $6 million.
- [59:28]
Necessary to go to this company that transports people back in time for limited amounts of time. And so he, he, he loves meeting Kelly so much that he returns again and again to the same, the same place at the same time on the fairgrounds in 1939 in Flushing Meadows, Queens. And the question is this going to end? Now? This is based on a, well, a book, a book of short stories and one short story in particular that Tom Hanks himself wrote the new play. The play version is credited to Tom Hanks and James Glossman, but I am told that the ending is very different. I'm told that the ending of the play is much more upbeat beat than the ending of the story. And I find that especially interesting because, as I say, Tom Hanks himself, you know, was involved in the adaptation. You know, sometimes when things are adapted for the screen or the stage by another author than the original, we can expect changes like that. But I think, I think it's quite unusual for that to be the case when the original author does the own adaptation. So I'm gonna have to see if I can get my hands on story and see how, how it ends.
- [60:57]
I thought it was a lovely story. I, I love those kind of stories, those, you know, a love that's stronger than time story. And you know, there were several of them. There's the movie Somewhere in time.
- [61:12]
Brigadoon. Yes, yes, yes. There, there's really quite a few of them. There's, there's a real power to them and a real romance to them. So I, and I think this one is very well done with the, with the addition of the science fiction component.
- [61:32]
I thought for the most part the cast was very strong. Always love seeing Jo Sanders on stage. He plays multiple roles. I did not get to see Ruben Santiago Hudson. He was out when I attended, and the role was played by Kevin Morrow, who did a fine job. Job. I, I, I didn't mention I paid full price for this production because critics were not, well, not all critics were, were invited, as is the case with shows at the Shed, because this won't be eligible for a Drama Disc Award, Drama Desk Awards. So I did pay, you know, and, and I guess it's, you know, it's a tribute to the show for me to say that I really enjoyed, enjoyed it.
- [62:16]
Even though I paid really good money for it. I, I will say I, I was, I have to say I was very disappointed in the direction of Kenny Leon. I, I, I, I, I think I have decided that I really overall do not like his work. And there were several things here that I thought. For the example, the, the ending of the first act, I thought was terribly unclear and very abrupt. I think he could have addressed that. There was one performance I' person, actually one performance in the cast that was so egregious that I thought, well, you know, no good director would have allowed that. And so I, I wish someone else had been at the helm here because I think that would have improved it greatly. But I do think that the writing of it is quite good and the acting as well. Tom Hanks, I thought, seemed very much at home, home on stage when he appeared in his, in his Broadway show, the title of which I can't immediately remember anyone say again?
- [63:23]
James Marino
Lucky. Lucky guy.
- [63:25]
Michael Portantier
Lucky guy. Thank you. Lucky guy. You know, for someone who really does not primarily do stage, I thought he seemed very comfortable on, on stage in that and that. And here again, you would never know that he is. That he does not constantly, constantly do stage like Kelly does. And so I'm glad he came back. Some people have called this a vanity production, I guess, because, you know, partly because he, he also wrote it, but I don't think it qualifies. I just, I, you know, because I think it's, it's really good. And, and I think it, you know, he, he, he did give a, a wonderful, wonderful opportunity to Kelly and the other actors as well. So I wouldn't describe it as a vanity production and I, if you can afford it, I would very much recommend it as well.
- [64:17]
James Marino
Yeah, I think a lot of vanity productions are pejorative in the term. Doesn't need this.
- [64:27]
Michael Portantier
No, no.
- [64:28]
James Marino
You know, George Clooney didn't need Goodnight and Good Luck, but correct.
- [64:32]
Peter Floyd
Yeah.
- [64:32]
James Marino
You know, it's like it's something that they wanted to do and they are certainly.
- [64:40]
You know, if they were using their time in any other way, could make a lot more money and do a lot more things. They want to do this and this and the shed is, you know, they're not doing it for awards. They're not. It's not a Broadway house. He's not going to get a. He's not going to get a Tony nomination or an award for this. He's not going to get anything for this. He wants to do this.
- [65:02]
Michael Portantier
That's right. Not only is it not eligible for Drama Desk because they're not inviting people, critics, but also it's not eligible for a Tony because it's not Broadway. So. That's a very good point. Yes. And how wonderful to give, you know, the mass audience, you know, tourists and New Yorkers the ability to see Tom Hanks on stage and correct me if.
- [65:25]
James Marino
I'm wrong, Pete, theater. But he's not angling for a Theater World Award because he might really want.
- [65:31]
Michael Portantier
He got one oh, he got one.
- [65:33]
Peter Floyd
Too late.
- [65:35]
James Marino
No, but seriously, I. I thought.
- [65:40]
Peter Floyd
This.
- [65:40]
James Marino
Is a whole other discussion and we're running late, so. But I thought when these. This series was announced at the Shed, that this was supposed to be inexpensive, expensive, but tickets are $504 at the box office.
- [65:56]
Peter Floyd
Really?
- [65:57]
Michael Portantier
When you say this series, what do you mean?
- [65:59]
James Marino
I thought that they were bringing a bunch of shows to the Shed with huge stars to be affordable theater.
- [66:07]
Michael Portantier
Oh, I don't recall.
- [66:09]
Jasmine Amy Rogers
I.
- [66:09]
James Marino
Maybe I'm remembering that wrong. Rob Johnston in our chat room. Correct me?
- [66:13]
Michael Portantier
You're not. You're not. You're not thinking of audible, are you?
- [66:17]
James Marino
No, no, no, because that's what they're doing.
- [66:19]
Michael Portantier
Doing.
- [66:19]
James Marino
Yeah, yeah. You know, maybe I. Maybe I swapped the two. Maybe I crisscrossed the two. Yeah. All right. Anyway, so anywh who this World of Tomorrow, it is playing through December 21st at the aforementioned Shed.
- [66:39]
And we'll have a link to that in the show notes. So maybe a Christmas present for yourself or a holiday present for yourself? Yourself.
- [66:47]
Michael Portantier
Yes.
- [66:49]
James Marino
So this can't be right. I wrote my. I wrote in the notes here that Peter was reading dirty books. Wait, what was that? No. Oh, no, no. Peter saw a dirty book. No, no. Peter saw a production of Dirty Book with Bated Breath. I don't. Peter, tell me what I did here.
- [67:10]
Peter Floyd
Sure. Bated Breath is the name of the theater company that's on West 14 street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. And no, I often mention the fact that Linda leaves at intermission.
- [67:23]
Linda set a record a few seasons ago when she walked out of Jamie Lloyd's Cyrano de Bergerac after 12 minutes. She eclipsed that by walking out of some Off Broadway. Off Off Broadway show. I don't remember what it was for nine minutes, but this time she set a record that will never be broken. Broken? It may be tied, but it will never be broken. Because Linda left before the show began.
- [67:49]
What had happened is when you go in, they give you a paper saying, we have audience participation. And she gave you the paper and said, good night. So frankly, the audience participation isn't arduous. At the most, you're going to be called on and you can refuse to read a passage that I doubt even takes 30 seconds. But. But nevertheless, I don't feel also that Linda missed very much because it was a pretty ordinary show about two guys writing a pulp novel and somebody trying to suppress it. And of course, that person turns out to be a hypocrite. And. And we all went home. So not nearly as interesting As I would like it to be. The set was kind of interesting from the vantage point. The one wall was completely papered with pages from pulp novels and there were pulp novels, full pulp, no, on bookcases and on shelves and what have you like that you could go around, you could see video displays of problems that have cropped up over the years because of people suppressing books. And Lord knows we're in an era where this is going on, so that's relevant too. So everything about it was most interesting except for the show itself, which I thought was terribly predictable. So Linda was better off home watching Laura and Order.
- [69:11]
James Marino
Well, at least you weren't far away. So also, Peter, you got a. You caught up with messy White gaze, which Michael talked about a few weeks back. So tell us what you thought of this.
- [69:25]
Peter Floyd
Certainly the audience had a phenomenal time. They. They laughed generously and superbly. And the thing is.
- [69:36]
It'S a show I would definitely recommend for young gays because there are so many cultural touchstones in it that mention contemporary places, things, people, et cetera, et cetera. So I wish that it weren't so scatological.
- [69:52]
It reminds you of Rope, because when the play begins, there's a dead man lying on the floor and it's clearly a dummy, believe me, because they could have done a better job in having hands the door, they don't look so plastic. But anyway, he's lying face down on the floor and they put him in a cabinet, just as in Rope. He's. He's right there on the. On the set as people arrive. So there is a similarity. And I have a feeling that Drew Doach wrote it and is in it.
- [70:23]
Sort of had that in mind. But good Lord, must it be that they have to establish that he had a bowel movement? I mean, there is. Every now and then there's an occasional reference to something smells funny in here.
- [70:35]
Michael Portantier
Yeah.
- [70:36]
Peter Floyd
But the other thing is that they say sit at. At the actual place where he's resting and they're eating. And I mean, it's just so unpleasant. And there is no reason whatsoever why he had to have a bowel movement. If you eliminate that from the show, you would lose very little of any. When you lose nothing, let's face it. And I. I just thought that that was so off putting to be reminded that in indeed the place is smelling. It's too bad. Beautiful set.
- [71:08]
You wonder how indeed the people here could afford something that looks over Central park west, even though there's talk of Hell's Kitchen, that they're in Hell's Kitchen. But I'm sorry, Central park south, because you see the park in the distance, and it's. The wall is all windows. So it's quite stunning to look at that, that.
- [71:32]
How did these people get that money to get there? It's explained. It's. It's explained. It does. So we don't have to wonder about that. But, you know, another problem is one of the things that made boys in the band wonderful was the fact that there was one.
- [71:49]
Truly effeminate character, and that was Emory. The other guys weren't as effeminate. There was a nice orchestration of character. There were different types, and Mark Crawley was very smart to do that here. There are more than one Emory. There are at least four emeries. And as a result, that becomes pretty ordinary as time goes on. You know, you just can't do that, have the same type of character making the same type of observations. It. It just becomes very artificial. And so that's a problem with Messy White Gaze.
- [72:24]
James Marino
Okay, so Messy White Gaze is playing at the Duke on 42nd Street. It's running through January 11th, 11th. And we'll have a link to that in the show notes. All right, so that sort of wraps it up for this week. Before we get on to our brain teaser 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 show. There's a subscribe link. That way each and every time we have a new episode of this Week on Broadway be automatically downloaded to Apple Podcast for you. Of course, you don't have to listen to Snap. A podcast has many ways to get us. One way is Patreon P-A-T R E O-N.com BroadwayRadio is one way that you can get us early. Get Jan Simpson's Hamilton, all the drama episode that's out right now for just Patreon listeners, and you can support all of Broadway radio's offerings. Contact information for Peter from Michael and me can be found in the show notes@broadwayradio.com as well as links to some of the things we talked about today.
- [73:26]
So.
- [73:28]
Peter, do you have an answer to last week's Brain Teaser?
- [73:33]
Peter Floyd
Yeah, Well, I asked about a number of shows and asked why certain plays were linked with certain musicals, and I'm going to give the answer this way. Michael Brandon appeared in Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? And Mera appeared in Eastern Standard. Richard Castellano in Love is Another Straight Strangers Ann Jackson in Love, Floris Leachman in Masquerade, Bonnie Bedelia and My Sweet Charlie, Diane Keaton and Play It Again Sam, Gig Young and There's a Girl in My Suit, Perry Guadino and Anyone Can Whistle, Bob Dishy in Flora the Red Menace and Bea Author in A Mother's Kisses. And the answer is that all of those people appeared in the 1970 film version of the aforementioned 1968 comedy Lovers and Other Strangers, which I did mention, and I said this would be a hint. So only Tony Janicki got it, none of our other regulars. Some made a stab at it, but Tony was the only one to get it. Well, here's hoping you'll all do better this week. Cole porter in the 40s and Lee Adams in the 60s each mentioned this famous movie star in the last line of a lyric in one of their comedy songs. Who was the star Star? What were the lines? What were the songs? What were the musicals? And for that matter, who did the same thing in the 50s? What was the line? What was the song? What was the musical?
- [74:57]
James Marino
If you have an answer for that, email us at trivia@broadwayradio.com we'll let you know if you're on the right track. So, Michael, what do we have in this week's musical moments?
- [75:06]
Michael Portantier
Well, we really were delighted to have Jasmine Amy Rogers as our special guest today. And although Boop was not as successful on Broadway as some of us might have hoped, I think it was still a superb vehicle, a star vehicle for her. And anyone who saw her in it will not forget that performance. So the opener, our opener today. Well, our opener and our closer are both sections, the opening and closing sections of one of her big numbers in the show called Something to Shout About. I think you'll really enjoy it. We have a link to the video in the show notes and the audio we're using for our opener and our closer. So please enjoy this. I think it's a great, great performance.
- [75:59]
James Marino
Okay, so on behalf of Michael Portantier and Peter Floyd, Felicia, this is James Marino saying thanks so much for listening to your Broadway radios this week on Broadway. Bye bye.
- [76:54]
Peter Floyd
J.