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This Week on Broadway for December 8, 2024: The Light and The Dark @ 59e59
01:05:02
Peter Filichia, James Marino, and Michael Portantiere talk about The Light and The Dark (the life and times of Artemisia Gentileschi) @ 59e59, Wicked Movie, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol by Neil Bartlett @ Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey,
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- [00:07]
John Rubinstein
Everything has its season Everything has its time show me a reason and I'll soon show you a rhyme Cats fit on the windowsill Children fit in the snow why do I feel I don't fit in anywhere I go? Rivers belong where they can rest Eagles belong where they can fly.
- [00:40]
Peter Falish
I've got.
- [00:41]
John Rubinstein
To be where my spirit can run free Gotta find my corner of the sky.
- [00:54]
James Marino
Hello and welcome to Broadway Radios, this week on Broadway for Sunday, December 8, 2024. My name is James Marino, and in the broadcast today we have Peter Falish and Michael Portantiere. Peter is a playwright, journalist and historian with a number of books. Peter's new Day by Day Wall Calendar, a show tune for today, 366 songs to brighten your Year will be released soon, but is now available for pre order on Amazon. Peter Ursa has columns at Masterworks Broadway, Broadway select and many other places. Hello, Peter, Good morning. Hello. Welcome back to New York. We'll talk a bit, a little bit about your trek and travels on the road here later on this morning. Also with us is Michael Portantier. Michael's a theater reviewer and essayist. He's the founder and editor of castalbumreviews.com he is also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in the New York Times and other major publications. You could see his photography work@followspotphoto.com hello, Michael.
- [01:54]
Michael Portantiere
Hello.
- [01:55]
James Marino
Hello. So for our Patreon supporters, we had a special episode come out yesterday continuing in her series, Jan Simpson. So all the drama Talked about the 1969 Pulitzer Prize winner for drama, the Great White Hope. So, Peter, have you, have you seen productions of the Great White Hope?
- [02:24]
Peter Falish
I'm so embarrassed I missed the original production. And of course, it must have been epic. It had a million people in it. And not to mention James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander who got to play their roles on film. And I always said, if there's ever a revival, I will be there. And arena staged in a revival and I didn't get down to Washington to see it. So all I have the knowledge of is the movie, which I think is very, very powerful. And, but I, I think this is one Pulitzer Prize winner that I'm destined not to see. You can't see them all. And this was one I, I really regret missing because I was in town to go to a backers audition right around to see a Beck's audition for a musical called Up Eden, which played off Broadway. Judges serving was in it. Patty Carr was in it anyway, but it was the opening night of Great White Hope. So I wasn't able to see it because there were no tickets available. So. Yeah. But, boy, it's quite a story about a black fighter who everybody hates because he's black, and so he really has to give up the championship in the ring because if he doesn't, he'll just be harassed and maybe even killed. So. And needless to say, Jane Alexander being a white woman who is in love with him, and he loves her, too. Whoa. Complications as well. So it won the Pulitzer Prize, and I'd like to know the voting that, because 1776 was the same time period, and I've often wondered why that didn't win. So. But again, maybe if I saw the Great White Hope, I'd say, ah, ah, it had to be the Great White Hope. So that's the best I can do, which isn't good at all.
- [04:19]
James Marino
How is it possible that it's a Pulitzer Prize winner and an acclaimed mov that it hasn't been revived? There's no, no revival on Broadway because.
- [04:34]
Peter Falish
There'S a million people who have to be in it. It really had a. Oh, yeah, that's.
- [04:38]
James Marino
Jan talks about that in the discussion. She talks with a scholar on. On the piece. And they do talk about how large the cast was in. At Arena Stage when they did the.
- [04:51]
Peter Falish
Yeah, when they.
- [04:53]
James Marino
When they restaged it, they cut down the cast a lot. But that's interesting. Well, but anybody tried to musicalize it?
- [05:02]
Peter Falish
Not that I think so.
- [05:04]
James Marino
Michael, what are you going to say?
- [05:05]
Michael Portantiere
Well, just the large cast would not be a problem for Lincoln center, you know, or a place like Lincoln Center. And interestingly enough, not long ago, they did another. A new play about a black boxer called the Royale.
- [05:21]
James Marino
Remember? Yeah, I saw that. Yeah.
- [05:23]
Michael Portantiere
Yeah. But also, I don't have much helpful to add to what Peter said because I've never seen the play in any form, not even the movie. But we did mention, when the last time we discussed it, that there is an audio recording. There was an audio recording, and I just looked and it is up on YouTube in a rather odd way. It's the whole thing, but it's. Someone recorded it while listening to it on their. On their. On their record player. And the video is of the record player. I guess they did it that way, too, because they think it gets around copyright that way somehow.
- [06:05]
Peter Falish
I don't know.
- [06:06]
Michael Portantiere
But if you choose, it is there, and it's the whole thing. And when we mentioned it a week or two ago, James, when you talked about Jan doing her, you know, her podcast, I Think somebody said then that. I thought somebody said that the movie was considered to not be very good.
- [06:27]
Peter Falish
It did get Oscar nominations, though. Oh, yes, over time I have heard that as well. Michael, a lot of people don't think much of the movie. I saw it on this initial release and I thought it was terrific. But it was a long time ago, needless to say.
- [06:41]
Michael Portantiere
Well, as I say, I have not seen it. But my point is. So you do have this option of the audio recording with the complete Broadway cast.
- [06:51]
James Marino
Oh, Michael, if Lincoln Center Theater does it, Bart Scher can direct it, Aaron Sorkin can rewrite it, and Kelly O'Hara can star in it.
- [06:59]
Peter Falish
She'd be good.
- [07:00]
Michael Portantiere
Actually, some of those things might be okay.
- [07:06]
James Marino
All right, so in our review section, Peter was over at 59. He's 59 to see the light in the dark. So tell us about this.
- [07:18]
Peter Falish
Well, the subtitle is the Life and Times of Artemisia Gentilisi, who's a painter from way back when in the 17th century. And I have to admit, even though I'm not smart about painters, this is one that was totally new to me. Never heard of her. So this is the story about a woman whose father is a painter. And she becomes obsessed with painting as well, being Daddy's little girl, wanting to emulate what he can do. And she begs him to let her go to the studio and learn how to paint even better. And Matthew Salivar plays a near duel who falls in lust with her. Not love, but lust, and ruins her, so to speak. And so there's a trial that ensues. And what happens at that trial? Well, that's part of the excitement in the play. Now, this is written by Kate Hamill. Now, we know her from doing adaptations of Little Women and Pride and Prejudice and Sensibility. No, those are adaptations. Here she is starting from scratch and writing an original, original play. And not only that, she's playing the lead role, too. She wrote a Fat park for herself. Now, I will admit at the beginning, when she's a young, enthusiastic girl, everything's wonderful. Life is so great, you know, she may drive you a little bit crazy. And I remember across the aisle, I saw two women during the. When she was going on. When Kate Hammond was going on, Norm, with excitement and the world is beautiful today and all that, that they looked at each other dolefully. And I am telling you, when intermission came, it was like they were hit with cattle prods, electric cattle prods. They got out of their seat and got out of there very fast once that is over and she calms down and she has real conflict in her life. I mean, real conflict. There was conflict early, yes, but real conflict in her life. She gives a very, very impressive performance, and I'm sorry the ladies didn't stay to see this. So in a way, this sounds like another play about a woman who was victimized by men and didn't get her chance to be as successful as she could be. But there is a twist in this. There is at one point when she really says, essentially, the hell with it. There's no sense in going on. And that's when the play gets very, very interesting. So I was able to put up with the perkiness in, and I was glad that I was indulgent. I mean, I don't walk out anyway. But nevertheless, I was very indulgent in saying, okay, I have a feeling she's going to mature and her performance was going to be very different in the second act, and she certainly made good on that. So Matthew Salivar, as an actor, I really enjoy seeing. I mean, he plays this bastard very well and. And really is so cocksure that he's going to win the trial that she takes him. So. And it's very, very interesting when you see how the judge reacts at that trial. So this is. This is a pretty good show, and it has another week to go, and I think it's certainly worth a visit.
- [10:45]
James Marino
All right, so the Light in the dark is at 59.59through December 15, 2024. Just about three or three and a half weeks ago, Matt and Grace interviewed the writer of the in the Dark on Today on Broadway. I'll include a link to that in the show notes in case you're interested in getting over there and listening to it. Michael, you got over well. Where did you see. Did you see it at the Paris or where did you. Oh, to the Wicked movie. Where did you see the Wicked movie?
- [11:22]
Michael Portantiere
No, no, no, it's not at the Paris. Actually, what I saw at the Paris was the new Maria Callas movie with Angelina Jolie.
- [11:29]
James Marino
You know, I was going to ask you about that. I saw a feature in the Times, and I meant to ask you about it last week, but we can table that for right now.
- [11:40]
Michael Portantiere
Yeah.
- [11:41]
James Marino
Where did you see Wicked?
- [11:42]
Michael Portantiere
At the amc.
- [11:44]
James Marino
At the amc. So you have a block away, you know.
- [11:48]
Michael Portantiere
Yeah, the one on 42nd. And I chose a 3D presentation because I thought it might be a good movie to see in 3D. I like modern 3D. And, yes, I thought it was quite wonderful. Overall, I can understand why everyone is so excited about it. I think overall that John M. Chu did a magnificent job with adapting it to the screen. And so did everyone who worked with him on, on every level and in every department, I would say. Interesting. I, you know, I've always thought of Steven Spielberg and it's been said of him by others, absolutely one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. But he seemed to have one repetitive flaw in that a lot of his movies have one or two sequences that are kind of overly sentimental. And when you think about it and go through his oeuvre, except for Jaws. Yeah, I suppose that is very true. There's a sequence in Schindler's List that's a little too much and there's one in Net. So, et cetera, et cetera. So I always agreed with that assessment of him. And I think that John M. Chu, based on this movie and in the Heights, he has a flaw in that sometimes he lets things go on a little too long. He doesn't have the best grasp of pacing and what an audience will tolerate and enjoy in terms of that. In in the Heights I thought it was an absolutely phenomenal movie until it got to the death of that one major character. And then after that it seemed to me that everything that was after that was almost like an anticlimax. And there was like another half hour after that. And so I thought that was a big flaw. And I thought maybe that was partly responsible for the fact that that movie was not a big hit, which it should have been overall because I thought it was absolutely fantastic. And here in Wicked, I think it's absolutely great. There are maybe a few moments where you feel like they added stuff that wasn't necessary in order to basically pad the first act of the musical so that it would be a full length 2 hour and 40 minute movie on its own. But just a few like passing moments where it seemed like there was unnecessary stuff. But then when they get to Defying Gravity, they drag it out so much. The song starts and it stops and there. And there's all this dialogue in the middle of it and all this superfluous shots of all this other stuff happening. And I thought it was really counterproductive. It was still, you know, it still made an incredible effect because of the performance of Cynthia Erivo and the special effects and the filming. But I thought it would have been even better if it had been edited a little bit. And on that note, I don't know the show all that well and I have not seen it since it opened. All those years ago. And I frankly haven't listened to the album recently, so I had to go back and remind myself. I think it's so weird that Glinda sings part of Defying Gravity.
- [15:36]
Peter Falish
Wow.
- [15:38]
Michael Portantiere
And I actually said that to a friend and he said, oh, I don't think that's in the show. And I said, oh, I think it is. And I went back and listened to the cast album, and there it is. It's as if they. They're trying to balance, completely balance Elphaba with Glinda and making sure that one doesn't outshine the other. And maybe it was, I don't know, maybe it was a nod to Kristin Chenoweth because she was already a star sort of by that time. Yeah. There's a point in Defying Gravity where Elphaba says, come with me, Glinda. And it looks like she's going to come with her. And they both sing Defying Gravity and then Glinda says, no, I can't come. So I think that was a flaw in the writing and I don't think it should be there, but it's preserved in the movie, for what it's worth. And as I said, Cynthia Erivo's vocal performance is. Is just amazing. And so is her performance throughout the movie. Ariana Grande, who knew that she could be so funny? She turns out to be quite a very talented comic actress and in the dramatic moments as well. But that role is, I guess, maybe more comedy than dramatic. Jonathan Bailey, absolutely great as Fiero. Everyone else, Michelle Yeoh as Morrible. And it's just well done overall. It doesn't have any of those moments that you sometimes get in modern musicals where it seems like the transition into the singing and dancing is jerky or makes you feel uncomfortable. I didn't feel any of that. And I'm so happy. I'm really, really, really, really so happy for Stephen Schwartz, for the phenomenal, phenomenal success of this movie and how wonderful that they, you know, I mean, Part two is already completed as far as the filming. And now all they have to do is wait and let anticipation build for a year. I think the box office of that might dwarf this one, which is just beyond comprehension. The box office receipts of this movie so far. So that's my report on Wicked.
- [18:08]
James Marino
Galinda, the Guh is silent and Galinda versus Gladiator in the movie world right now. Just anecdotal. I took my daughter to a party yesterday. She's 16 and she's almost 17. 16 going on 17, 16 going on 17. Exactly. And with her high school friends. And I drove a few people home and they at the party were all singing Wicked songs. It was a big thing. And on the whole ride home was, you know, Idina blasting, belting Wicked songs. It's funny, they went back to the Broadway cast recording. They didn't go to the movie soundtrack, which they could have easily gotten on Spotify.
- [19:13]
Michael Portantiere
But, oh, on that note, as you may have heard, some people have described it as that Adina and and Kristen have cameos in the movie. I would say it's more than a cameo. They're featured in one of the songs, like, kind of throughout the song. So how wonderful to have them in it. Oh, and Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holtzman are also in it.
- [19:40]
James Marino
There's a lot of people that. There's a lot of Broadway cameos in this. So it's going to be fun when it comes out on streaming for us to be able to deconstruct it. And you kind of find all the little Easter eggs that seem to be in there.
- [19:57]
Michael Portantiere
Yes.
- [19:58]
James Marino
All right, so I, you know, I think it's very, very tough to meet the expectations next year of Part two. So Part one is, you know, it's going to be the Sophomore Jinx. So. But, well, yeah, still have already made the money, you know.
- [20:19]
Michael Portantiere
Yeah.
- [20:19]
Peter Falish
But.
- [20:19]
Michael Portantiere
But it will be interesting to see because as I think we also mentioned last week, Stephen schwartz has written two new songs for it. And part two does have @ least one beautiful song for good already. And what else is in Part two? Well, the wizard song.
- [20:41]
James Marino
Yeah.
- [20:42]
Michael Portantiere
Yeah. So we'll see.
- [20:45]
James Marino
No good deed. All right, so next up, Peter, you were at the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey where you saw a production of A Christmas Carol. So tell us about this.
- [20:58]
Peter Falish
Well, it's my policy to go see some Christmas Carol each and every December. That has meant Illinois, it has meant Connecticut, it has meant Alabama. I'll never get all 50 states, but that is a minor goal of mine because I don't think I will be able to accomplish it. But anyway, this year I went to the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, which always does excellent work. And we have a new artistic director there named Brian B. Crow, who is so imaginative, I want to bring that up. Even though he did not direct this production, Paul Mullins, a long time, he's been associated with that theater for about 30 years, maybe more. So he directed this and this, the Neil Bartlett script. As Brian B. Crow says, this is the one that really speaks to me most. And it only requires a cast of eight and needless to say, there's a lot of doubling. So Tiny Tim is played by Emily S. Chang, who's a grown woman, but she carries it off very, very well. Of course, every one of the Christmas Carols is going to be judged by its Ebenezer Scrooge. And Anthony Marble is marvelous at being curmudgeonly. But. But, you know, it's. It's very, very nice that everyone who does this Christmas Carol makes sure that he or she as. As the adapter includes the part where, though he begrudges his employees the day off for Christmas, he does give it to them. And that's almost like a little hint that there is some ray of hope there. And Anthony Mar that moment so well that you really can say, oh, you know, maybe there is hope for this guy. Andy Patterson, another longtime associate of the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, plays Bob Cratchit. And he's very endearing in a way. He resembles Eddie Corbitch and therefore Michael Portantier. So he really is adorable in his own right. And he's very, very good in playing a number of roles, as everybody else is. I said so. I very much ad. Admire Ty Lane, too. Ty Lane. And because he's Fred, the nephew who tries to get his uncle involved. So if. If you care to see A Christmas Carol and you happen to be In Madison, New Jersey, this is an excellent one. It runs through the 29th, and I'm delighted to me, I. I remember one person saying to me once, I don't feel like it's Christmas until I hear the 12 days of Christmas Song. I don't feel it's Christmas until I see A Christmas carol. So I'm. Gl. Did it on December 7th.
- [23:51]
Michael Portantiere
And speaking of A Christmas Carol, I don't think I'm going to get to it, unfortunately, but the Argyle Theater in Babylon is doing the. Yes. Is doing the Alan Menken, Lyn Aarons version. Yeah. Which I really liked. I did, too, when I saw it years ago.
- [24:08]
Peter Falish
Oh, I think. I think God Bless Us Everyone is one of Al Mankin's best songs.
- [24:12]
Michael Portantiere
Oh, and that other beautiful. Saw A Place Called Home.
- [24:15]
Peter Falish
Sure.
- [24:16]
Michael Portantiere
Gorgeous.
- [24:17]
Peter Falish
Gorgeous. Yeah. So. All right.
- [24:20]
James Marino
So as I was mentioning yesterday when I. I drove my daughter to this. To this sweet 16 party, I drove by the Argyle Theater and they refaced the theater. They put in a huge amount of money into the. I haven't been inside the Argyle Theater recently, but. But they put a digital marquee out front of the theater and they reface the whole theater and it's beautiful. In fact, I took a photo of it from my car when I was driving by and I will put it in the show notes of the Argyle Theater. And. But it's beautiful. And I was really, really encouraged because I saw they had scaffolding and construction up and everything and I was like, oh no, did the Argyle close? No, they didn't. They are spending even more money on it and it's beautiful and the digital marquee is wonderful.
- [25:21]
Michael Portantiere
So yeah, as I, as I've mentioned, they, they did seem to be struggling for a while. But, but every like the past five shows I've seen there have been full. The audience has been full and I think they really found their, their audience and their stride and they're doing really well, I hope.
- [25:42]
James Marino
Yeah. So get over to the show notes@broadwayradio.com I'll have a picture of the Argyle Theater in there so you can see what the new digital Barkey looks like. Michael, you headed out the opposite direction from Long island out to the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, New Jersey. Just a quick ride on New Jersey trip from Manhattan to see their production of White Christmas. So tell us about it.
- [26:13]
Michael Portantiere
Well, I have always thought that this was one of the least successful of the jukebox musicals and I think it's fair to call it that because although it's of course it's based on the film, it has many more songs, many, many more songs than the film has all of them taken from Irving Berlin Catal. I think they were able to use anything from his catalog other than Annie, get your gun and maybe Call me Madam. And probably, you know, they wouldn't have even wanted to use anything from Mr. President. So we don't have that in here either. But yeah, you know, I mean the really amazing all time evergreen Irving Berlin hits, whether or not they have anything to do with Christmas, are in this show. And I don't think actually, I think for the most part the insertion of the songs was done pretty well. That task was made easier here because this show of course has a show business team. It's about performers, you know, who actually end up putting on a show in a barn, you know, which we've heard of before. So that made it somewhat easier to put in all these songs. And as far as that, I think it's done. But as far as the actual book, I think it's kind of from hunger, I hate to say the book by David Ives and Paul Blake, as far as the actual writing of it and the dialogue and these Ridiculous plot points that make absolutely no sense whatsoever in order to drag the story out to a full length. Now, I will say some of that is from the movie script. It's not, not by any means one of my favorite Christmas movies. So they inherited some of it. But then I think they. I'm sorry to say, I think that David Ives and Paul Blake made it all far, far worse. So you may ask, why did I go see this show? Because the songs that have been added and, you know, plus the originals are absolutely the greatest. I mean, because we are talking about Irving Berlin. So you have Happy Holiday, White Christmas, Love in the weather, Sisters. I'm not going to name all the songs, but just let me sing and I'm happy. Count your blessings instead of sheep. The actual title is just count your blessings. Absolutely beautiful Christmas. Well, not really a Christmas, but. But it's certainly appropriate for Christmas. Blue skies, I love a piano Love you didn't do right by me Let me sing and I'm happy How deep is the ocean And I've got my love to keep me warm. So there are all those wonderful songs. And I knew that if I saw the show at Paper Mill, I would get a nice size orchestra playing all that. And also, I guess the main reason I went because I wanted to see the two Broadway veterans in the leads. So we have Max Clayton as Bob Wallace and Casey Garvin as Phil Davis. And they were both utterly charming and really, really came through. The women I didn't enjoy as much, I think mostly because although they both seemed very talented, they didn't have much period style as far as I was concerned, in their performing and their singing. But. Yeah, but Max and Casey were really excellent. And another plus of Paper Mill, of course, is that you can always count on the sets and the costumes being Broadway level as they were here. So. So I did go for those reasons and I was not disappointed. And if you have a higher opinion of the movie and the stage adaptation itself, as far as the book, I think you'll enjoy yourself even more than I did.
- [30:41]
Peter Falish
Funny, Linda was talking the other night about Max Clayton at dinner, making the point that understudies are usually wonderful because we did see him when Hugh Jackman was indisposed, play Harold Tilton, the music man. And she talked about the fact how the audience was on his side like crazy because he was so wonderful. So I'm not surprised to hear that he's wonderful here too.
- [31:04]
Michael Portantiere
Oh, I forgot that you had actually seen him go on.
- [31:06]
Peter Falish
Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, because when I was at the University of Cincinnati. He was a student there, so I did say the press station. Look, I have a history with him. May I go? And indulgently they. They allowed it.
- [31:18]
Michael Portantiere
Well, he really has a beautiful voice, which might not have been so obvious in the Music man because of the way those songs are written, but he did a gorgeous job with both Count your Blessings and White Christmas.
- [31:31]
Peter Falish
How nice.
- [31:32]
Michael Portantiere
Yeah.
- [31:34]
James Marino
So from 50 90s, 59, to the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey to University Cincinnati, Peter also got to Maryland, where you saw a few productions that we want to touch upon briefly. So tell us your trip to Maryland.
- [31:59]
Peter Falish
The reason I went had to do with seeing a play called Never too Late. This was an enormous hit back in 1962. I never saw it. I have seen the movie, by the way, if you see the movie of Never Too Late, make sure you notice the scene where they're standing in front of a record store and in the window. There are two albums. One is the soundtrack to My Fair lady and the other one is where the grease paint smell of the crowd. This shows you how powerful cast albums and soundtracks were back in the mid-60s. Anyway, back to Never Too Late. It's never done anymore. And I understand why fully. I. I knew that I was going to see a play that was horribly dated. But the thing is, the gentleman who was playing the lead had played the young man way back when, so he was sentimental about it. This was not a production. This was in Haber Grace, Maryland, and it was simply a reading at music stands. And the cast certainly did well by it. Again, you know me with community theater, I. I'm always impressed with the level of talent, and the level of talent was definitely there. But this is a very, very strange play for this era because what does it deal with? It deals with a man who's in his late 40s, early 50s, so is his wife, and he impregnates her. And needless to say, they're both surprised. Equally surprised are his daughter, their daughter and their son in law who live with them. Not only that, the young man works for his father in law. And you know, that can be a very hazardous thing. So the father in law thinks, of course, the kid's a moron because he has an idea or two. So it's very interesting to see that even so many years after Life with Father, Life with father was 1939, that we still had a situation where a wife was considered to be a bubble head. Now, in Life with Father, there's a thing about returning something to a store and Getting your money back or. Right. All that business. Business. And the whole point of it is to show how women are just so incompetent when it comes to matters like that. Amazingly enough, that happens in Never Too Late, too. Why? Because the husband, Harry, runs a lumberyard. That's his business, a lumber yard. So once the wife find out she's pregnant, she wants to make some renovations, so she needs some lumber. So she calls her husband's firm, and they know who she is because she calls all the time and says, I want to buy some lumber. And they say, okay, well, it costs, blah, blah, blah. And she thinks that's too expensive. So she calls his competitor and buys it from the competitor because his price is lower. Now, really, I mean, I'm asking you, do you do that? Any wife would do this. She would say to her husband, bring some lumber home. All right. The other part of the story that's supposed to be so funny is the fact that now that the mother is pregnant, she's going to have to take it easy, put her feet up. And so the daughter, who has done nothing. Nothing, no job, no ambition, is suddenly thrust into being the chief cork and bottle washer. Cook and bottle washer. So. And that's supposed to be funny, too. So I. I understand why this play is never revived. And I was grateful for the opportunity to at least see it. On his feet. By the way, there's a wonderful scene in the movie that. That isn't done in the play, and I knew it wouldn't be. What happens in the movie movie is that she goes to the doctor, she finds out she's pregnant. She's walking down the street and she's dazed, and she's just. All the. All the what's going to the ramifications just overwhelm her. And then suddenly she starts smiling and the music swells up because now she feels young. It's a wonderful moment in the movie. So while the movie still has the same flaws that the play does, I do recommend it high.
- [36:04]
James Marino
Okay. And you also saw Witness for the Prosecution.
- [36:08]
Peter Falish
Here's another one where. I think. This was at the Bowie Community Theater where I was a few months ago seeing Arsenic and Old Lace. They did such a nice job, I thought I'd return here to see Witness for the Prosecution. The thing is, this is another one where. I hate to say it, but the movie is better because the movie brings in a whole different level of characterization with the lawyer who was defending our bad guy, and he's. He's a man who's Had a heart attack. And everybody wants him to take it easy. He shouldn't be doing any work at all, really. But he's so intrigued by the case that he's going to do it. And so you have to worry about him and what's going on there. And there's a lot of conflict. And this was played by Charles Lawton. I almost said Cooper. Charles Lawton and Alison Lanchester, who are a couple in real life. And so they're bickering about, take it easy. No, I'm not. I gotta do this. Leave me alone, I'm on a smoke, Leave me alone, all that kind of stuff. But it's really interesting that Billy Wilder, you know, you think of Billy Wilder as a very good director, needless to say. But isn't it fascinating. And I think it is. Anyway, isn't it fascinating that he was involved with so many stage plays that he adapted, adapted into. Into movies, I mean, even. And also ran. And I mean, and also ran like Avanti, which ran no time at all on Broadway. Nevertheless, he made a movie of it, changed it greatly, I'll grant you. But really, Sabrina, you know, that was. That was a stage play. It was called Sabrina Fair, but it was. It was a movie. Even Kiss Me Stupid, a movie that I admire a lot. It's. You'll. You'll see it slammed here, there and everywhere. But what I really love about Kiss Me Stupid, based on an Italian farce, is that at the end of the picture, I'm always in tears because every person gets what he wants. Everyone. So. So really, it was something that Billy Wilder took this on and made it substantially better, substantially better with this Charles Lawton character. And so I really have to admire so much what he did in helping Broadway to get to the communities that usually don't see Broadway shows and sometimes approving them. So. But it was quite a thing to go and see these two shows that you don't see very often, certainly not never too late and get the chance. And that's one of the great strengths of community theater, that there will always be somebody who has seen a show and wants to revive it. And because the actors aren't getting paid, you can really do it. I mean, some years ago in Falmouth. Was it Falmouth? I think so. Falmouth, Massachusetts. A woman did Bajour because indeed, she saw it on Broadway when she was a kid and she always loved it. And so she was going to do it again. That type of thing happens. And that's why it's worth going Especially on the Concord Theatricals website. Gopher now playing at the bottom. And the map they have is so magnificent in the way that they tell you what's playing and where. That's how I discovered Never Too Late just by going on that map. So I recommend that highly. And Witness for the Prosecution has a week to go. If you're anywhere in Bowie, Maryland. And Never Too Late, needless to say, was a one night reading, which I think many people would say is all.
- [39:51]
Michael Portantiere
It just Never Too Late is one of those plays. To me that is only a title, but yet I'm aware that it was incredibly popular at the time.
- [40:01]
Peter Falish
Yeah, yeah, really. Paul Ford was and Maureen O'Sullivan are both in the movie as well. So Orson Bean played the young man on stage, but not in the movie.
- [40:12]
James Marino
Okay, so next up, Michael, I have to ask you a question. When you got over to the green room 42 last Thursday a couple of days ago, did you sing your face off?
- [40:29]
Michael Portantiere
Well, did I? No, I did not. I was not in the show. What do you mean?
- [40:35]
James Marino
Well, you know, that's the tagline of Broadway Session with Ben Cameron. He's your Broadway buddy and he wants you to sing your face off. So tell us, you saw Broadway Sessions the other day. How's it going?
- [40:50]
Michael Portantiere
Who did it? Was great. Well, first of all, Ben is a delightful host. I saw him do a few of these when they used to do them at the Laurie Beachman Theater. I'm not sure if they permanently moved to Green Room 42, but that's where this one was. And he really is a lot of fun. He was an original cast member of Wicked. And so he talks about how he spends a lot of time dining out on stories about. About Wicked, especially now, you know, now that it's renewed popularity. Yeah. So, yes. So first of all, his hosting was really wonderful. I went to this edition primarily because my friend Giuseppe Basilio, who has been a guest on our podcast, was in it. Giuseppe's innocent in Sunset Boulevard and he's the dance captain there. And this edition, other than there were two spots for newcomer people, but this edition, other than that, was entirely made up of people who are in the ensemble of Sunset Boulevard. And it really was a great evening. The thing that heartened me most was the. That there were so many classic Broadway songs sung in it by these very, very young people. If anyone who's seen Sunset Boulevard will attest to how young the cast is for the most part, especially the ensemble. So that really heartened me. And yes, I mean, there was for me the low point was when someone chose to sang to sing. Excuse me, Someone chose to sing what I think is one of the worst songs from one of the worst scores to be heard on Broadway in decades. And that was the song Astonishing from Little Women. So that was disheartening. But first of all, if I can make a parenthetical detour on that, have you all heard there's a new version, a new musical version of Little. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [43:07]
Peter Falish
It's London, right?
- [43:09]
Michael Portantiere
Well, I don't know. No, I don't know about that. It says Joanne M. Hunter, who choreographed Broadway's Bad Cinderella School of Rock Disaster and the 2011 revival of On a Clear Day, you Can See Forever, has been named the director of the Broadway aimed Joe, the Little Women musical.
- [43:27]
Peter Falish
Yeah, yeah, I think it's gonna be done in London first.
- [43:30]
Michael Portantiere
Oh, okay. Well, it says Willette and Manny Klausner are producing the new musical, which features music by Dan Redfield, lyrics by Christina Harding and John Gabriel Koladic, and a book by Koladzic and Harding. Ken Davenport serves as producing consultant. So I don't know. I mean, those credits of Joanne M. Hunter, that not the best track record in the world. So we'll see as far as that. But I hope it's better than the musical of Little Women that got to Broadway because I just. I really do not like that show at all. So end of parenthetical statement. Somebody sang Astonishing from Little Women and I. And I do not like that song. But someone else sang Losing My Mind from Follies. And then a wonderful beautiful woman named Sydney Clark, C Y D N E Y. Clark sang Gorgeous from the Apple Tree. And then these two young men in the cast, who I believe are a couple, sang as a duet, a song that I have never heard as a duet before. And it didn't completely work, but I was still so thrilled that they sang it. And that was 50% from balloons room, so that was really heartening. And then Giuseppe himself sang of all things I'm Coming out of My Shell from A Year With Rockets and the audience just loved that. But one of the absolute highlights was this fellow, Diego Andres Rodriguez, who is in the ensemble of Sunset Boulevard. And I think he's one of the jokes covers and has gone on at least once as Joe since the show opened. But he sang two things. First of all, he was savvy enough to sing Dancing Through Life from Wicked, and of course that went over like gangbusters. But then he said, this next song I'm going to sing because I Love the song and I love the singer. And then he sang what Do I Need With Love from Thoroughly Modern Millie, which of course was Gavin Creel's song. And it turns out that Diego went to the University of Michigan. And so I went up to him afterwards and I said, thank you for singing that song for Gavin. And I said, have you, you know, had you met him? And he said, oh, I've met him several times. Because Gavin came back to the school more than once. You know, he was very big on that and he spoke with and worked with the students there. So I also asked Diego if he was at the memorial for Gavin, and he said, yes, he was as I was. And that was a really unforgettable event. It was extraordinary in the sense, aside from everything else, that it was held at the St. James Theater, which is quite a large theater to begin with, with a balcony. And not only did that theater completely fill on a weekday afternoon, but they had overflow at the Schubert Theater. Apparently they had it there on a, you know, a closed circuit telecast or whatever. And I'm not sure how, how full that theater got, but I. But apparently pretty much so. So it was, was amazing, the outpouring of love. Just a really beautiful, beautiful celebration. It opened with a welcome and meditation by Gavin's sisters. Then the Broadway inspirational voices with whom Gavin had performed sang Sunday from Sunday in the park with George. Sara Bareilles got up and spoke about him.
- [47:36]
Peter Falish
And wasn't she funny?
- [47:38]
Michael Portantiere
She was, yes. Yes. Someone subsequently said that if she, if she ever stopped singing and writing songs, she could have a career as a stand up comedian.
- [47:48]
Peter Falish
Absolutely true.
- [47:50]
Michael Portantiere
But also, not only was she so wonderfully funny with her anecdotes about Gavin, but then she also could shift, you know, and broke your heart once or twice during her speech. Then there was a performance of a song that Gavin wrote because as I, as I mentioned last week, he was such a wonderful songwriter in addition to his other talents. A song called Unspoken Heart performed by a bunch of people that he had worked with. There was a speech by one of his teachers, Melody Racine, and then three people who were not actually his nephews and niece, but apparently they were sort of adopted in that way. Just these children of a very good friend of his who spoke, Gus Charlie and Beatrice Peterson. Then Joshua Henry and friends performed Neverland and Children Will Listen. And then Celia Keenan Bolger spoke and she, I mean, I already knew that she was absolutely one of Gavin's closest, closest friends ever since, I dare say.
- [49:04]
Peter Falish
Appeared in more pictures that were shown on the screen more than anybody else. She really was an important force in his life. And she spoke for about 20 minutes, wouldn't you say?
- [49:15]
Michael Portantiere
Yes, yes. Very movingly, yes, because she knew him since they went to the University of Michigan together and they had been fast friends ever since. And in fact, I treasure one night I somehow wound up going out to a restaurant in a group that included Celia and Gavin. And of course, now I treasure it even more. But she spoke just beautifully. Then we had something odd happen. According to the program, what was supposed to happen next was that Audra McDonald was going to sing How Glory Goes with Mary Mitchell Campbell accompanying, but instead, with no announcement whatsoever, however, Kelly O'Hara came out and sang the song.
- [50:03]
James Marino
Oh, Kelly.
- [50:04]
Michael Portantiere
Yeah. So I'm not sure what happened with that, especially because I saw Audra in the lobby before the show talking with her husband, Will Swenson, and one of their children. But I guess she felt, I don't know, maybe she just felt vocally not up to it that day. I know she also was very close, very close with Gavin. And then Gavin's partner, Alex Temple Warrior Ford spoke. And the finale was Will Swenson and Casey Levy and Nadia de Giallo Nardo and the cast of Hair, the production that Gavin was in, obviously leading Let the Sunshine In. So it was just an unbelievable, incredibly moving, but also at times hilarious, obviously funny event in memory of Gavin. And also, I have to say, the photo of him that was used on the marquee and also on the COVID of the Playbill is a really great photo. And so I'm glad they picked that.
- [51:14]
Peter Falish
Wasn't just one marquee either.
- [51:16]
Michael Portantiere
No.
- [51:17]
Peter Falish
Yeah, a few marquees around town had it, so it was very nice to see that as well.
- [51:21]
Michael Portantiere
Because actually, event, the memorial event was on Monday, but then they decided to dim the lights, quote, unquote, on Tuesday, I guess, so that people could see both and that one wouldn't conflict with the other. Yeah, so those were two beautiful, well deserved tributes to the beloved, beloved Gavin Creel.
- [51:54]
James Marino
All right, in other news, Deadline had a story where I guess it can be basically summed up as, you know, the rumor of Broadway's death has been greatly exaggerated. So, Michael, tell us, what was the box office like if somebody was trying to get a ticket on Thanksgiving week in New York?
- [52:20]
Michael Portantiere
Well, apparently it was impossible. Possible. No, I. What I liked about this article was, as I. As I've mentioned, I always get annoyed when, when articles are printed that say that, you know, a record has been broken in terms of the amount of money that was spent, you know, on a movie or we've seen a lot of it with, with Wicked lately, you know, that the, the phenomenal box office take of Wicked. And then that's absolutely true. But my point is that you really, in order to get a clear picture of it, you have to compare not the amount of money, but the attendance. Because tickets for movies and Broadway shows are so much more expensive now than they were in the past. I mean, and it's impossible to overstate how far they have risen in price and certainly far more than the rate of inflation.
- [53:25]
Peter Falish
You bet.
- [53:27]
Michael Portantiere
That's another significant fact. So this Deadline article says Broadway had its best attended and highest grossing Thanksgiving week in the industry's recorded history. The Broadway League said today with its 38 productions grossing a combined $46,046,759, a huge increase over last year's Turkey holiday take of $34,512,033. Now, first of all, that's significant because the ticket prices haven't probably not risen that much from last year to this year. But also it then goes on to say attendance for this year's Thanksgiving week, the Broadway week ending December 1st was 312,143 people compared to last year's Thanksgiving week attendance of 228,711. So that for me is the real, really, really significant figure. And that can be taken on face value without having to do all these calculations about adjusting for inflation. Inflation.
- [54:44]
James Marino
You know, the, the film buffs out there talk about, you know, the box office for film, you know, and, but yeah, if you take into attendance into account attendance, Gone with the Wind is still.
- [54:57]
Peter Falish
Yeah.
- [54:58]
James Marino
The biggest, the biggest movie ever, you know, you know, it's not Titanic, you know, and then we might point out that you talk about all these great movies that are, that have been done, incredible box office, but they're still dwarfed by Phantom of the Opera and Lion King, you know, live productions.
- [55:23]
Michael Portantiere
Right. If you do. Right. If you do it by attendance.
- [55:26]
James Marino
Yeah.
- [55:27]
Michael Portantiere
Yes.
- [55:28]
James Marino
So. And last this morning we got some news at a city center about you're in town. So, Michael, why don't you catch us up on that?
- [55:41]
Michael Portantiere
Well, I thought it was great that the tagline that they're using now to promo this show is it says, quote, shaping up to be the number one show in town. Get it?
- [55:56]
James Marino
Only if you know the show.
- [55:59]
Peter Falish
Yeah, well, the title tells you something.
- [56:02]
Michael Portantiere
Well, yeah, it is in the title, but yes. So previously already had been announced Jordan Fisher as Bobby Strong. Taron Killam as Officer Lock Stock. Keela Settle as Penelope Pennywise. And Stephanie Stiles as Hope Gladwell. But now the full cast has been announced. Jenny Barber, Josh Breckenridge. Yemen Brown, Kevin Cahoon, Pearl, Scarlet Gold, Greg Hildreth, Jeff Hiller, Tiffany Mann, Daniel Quadrino, Graham Rowett. Myra Lucretia Taylor, Rainn Wilson and John Yee. So that sounds like a really great cast to me. I'm not sure that you're in town needed to necessarily be done by encores, but I do like the show so I'm looking forward to seeing it with that cast.
- [57:08]
Peter Falish
You know, we talk about maybe happy ending being a surprise hit and then the jury's still out on that, of course. But boy, has there ever been more of a surprise hit than you're in town. I mean, really.
- [57:23]
James Marino
Urinetown was. Am I remembering this correctly, that it was sort of cut short because of 9 11?
- [57:32]
Peter Falish
Well, go ahead, Michael.
- [57:35]
Michael Portantiere
Oh, no, maybe what you're remembering is that, I mean, of course it closed along with everything else, but then it was, I think it was one of the first, if not the first to reopen after 9 11. And I saw it that night and it was just an incredible experience to be in that audience, you know, for any show. I thought it made it seem like it was the best show I'd ever seen in my life just because the audience was so happy to be there and, you know, come together as community and enjoy a show after that incredible tragedy. And I also remember that they, the one thing they changed, I think there is a scene where Bobby is thrown off of a building to his death and they, they cut. They still kept the reference, but they didn't have the effect of it happening.
- [58:35]
Peter Falish
Yeah, I saw it on 910 and oh, wow, we all emerged from that theater so happy because it was such a great experience. And little did we know how the world would change because it was supposed to open on 9 11. That was the original opening date.
- [58:53]
Michael Portantiere
Oh, so that's what's. What James is remembering.
- [58:56]
Peter Falish
Yeah, and they didn't open till the 20th as a result of that. But boy, we were exhilarated because again, we didn't know what to expect. You know, I mean, the title is so off putting and strange. So. So yeah, a nice success and that really should happen more often.
- [59:16]
James Marino
Okay, so that wraps it up for this week. Before we get on to our brain teaser, our musical moments, 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 way each and every time we have a new episode of this Week on Broadway, it'll be automatically downloaded to Apple Podcasts for you. Of course, you don't have to listen to us. An Apple podcast has many ways to listen to us. One of the ways is Patreon P A T r e o n.com Broadwayradio is one way that you can support all of Broadway radio's offerings. Plus get us a little bit earlier than everybody else. And I talked a little bit about Jan Simpson's all the drama that at the top of the show the Great White Hope, the 1969 winner for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, was released to Patreon listeners only this week, and the general public will be able to listen to it next week. Contact information for Peter from Michael and for me can be found in the show notes@broadwayradio.com 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?
- [60:24]
Peter Falish
He wrote a number of hit plays and a few hit musicals. His first name is the same as the leading character in the 90s musical that won best score. Well, I'm talking about Marvin. He was in the 199192 Best Score winner, Falsettos. He shares his first name with a playwright whose hit comedies include the Odd Couple and whose hit musicals include Sweet Charity. Yes, we're talking about Marvin Neil Simon. Simon for indeed. Marvin is his first name. So Paul Witte was the first to get it, followed by Juliet Green, Sean Logan, Josh Israel, Tony Janeki, Isaac Blevins, Deb Poppel, Jeff Hassenfeld, and Brigadude. So this week's question in two different Tony winning musicals with scores by Stephen Sondheim, a character makes an atypical sound in the middle of singing. Who are they? And in what songs and shows do they do it?
- [61:23]
James Marino
Okay, if you have an answer for that, email us@triviadrayradio.com and we'll let you know if you're on the right track. So Michael, should we start the musical moments by singing Happy Birthday to one of our favorite listeners?
- [61:40]
Michael Portantiere
We can if you wish, because the person in question is John Rubenstein and.
- [61:46]
Peter Falish
Today is his birthday.
- [61:47]
James Marino
I've already sent my Happy Birthday, John.
- [61:50]
Michael Portantiere
Yes, happy we won't sing for you.
- [61:52]
James Marino
Okay?
- [61:53]
Michael Portantiere
We won't. That's our subject.
- [61:55]
James Marino
That's our present to you. Our present is us not singing. So Michael, tell us about the song she picked out.
- [62:02]
Michael Portantiere
Oh, well, first of all, we're putting in the show notes a wonderful link to a video clip of John and Ben Vereen performing three songs from Pippin. This was on some TV show about a year into the show's Broadway run. So if you haven't seen that clip, it's a wonderful time capsule from a time when Broadway shows were less well documented than they are now in terms terms of video clips that you can find. So I was really happy when I first found this a year or so ago. And both John and Ben Vereen have been guests on our podcast, so I love to watch it for that reason. But the audio of this clip is really not very good. So separately, we're having as are opener and closer tracks from the original Broadway cast recording, which of course has much better fidelity. So the opener was Corner of the sky, sung by John Rubinstein, and the closer is the final section of on the Right Track, as performed by Ben Vereen and John Rubinstein. So again, happy birthday, John, and we really, we love having you on the podcast and hope all is great with you.
- [63:35]
James Marino
All right, so on behalf of Michael Portantier and Peter Felicia, this is James Marino saying thanks so much for listening to Broadway radios this week on Broadway.
- [63:46]
Michael Portantiere
Bye bye.
- [63:55]
John Rubinstein
Night shine all night shiny when things get dank we'll feel their grip go we stay tranquil Spirits high, pulses low but what I've left behind looks trifling what's ahead looks black Am I new to spend my life A lingering on, lingering on Just lingering on A lingering.
- [64:42]
Peter Falish
On.
- [64:44]
John Rubinstein
Oh, I'll never find it Never, never, never Easy baby, you're on the ride.
- [64:58]
Michael Portantiere
Track.