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- [00:01]
Marilyn May
It only takes a moment for your eyes to meet and then your heart knows in a moment you will never be alone again he held me for an instant and his arms felt safe and strong yes, it only takes a moment to be loved a whole life.
- [00:42]
Peter Filicia
Long.
- [00:45]
James Marino
Hello and welcome to Broadway Radio's this Week on Broadway for Sunday, January 4, 2026. 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 bright New Year, is available at finer retailers. Peter also has columns at Masterworks, Broadway, Broadway select, and many other places. Hello, Peter.
- [01:16]
Peter Filicia
Hi, Peter.
- [01:18]
James Marino
So just the absolute amazement when I hit December 31st, the clock stroke struck midnight and I flipped my calendar over and started again at January 1st. Because, you know, a show tune for today is perpetual.
- [01:37]
Peter Filicia
It is so.
- [01:38]
James Marino
It is. And it just. And as soon as I saw this, I said, you know, I like the likes of you.
- [01:45]
Peter Filicia
And I like the likes of you, James, as well as Michael. We've had a lot of good times together. Yes. What James is referring to is that my show tune for today was I Like the Likes of youf, which Liza Minnelli did on her album, It Amazes Me, but actually, the song dates back to 1934 from the Ziegfeld Follies of 1930. But, you know, the song by Vernon Duke and E.Y. harburg of wizard of Oz fame doesn't make much of an impression. An orchestra leader who nobody knows anymore recorded it, but two decades passed before anybody would really rediscover it. And that was Bobby Short in 1955. And then, you know, Vivian Blaine and Debbie Reynolds and Don Upshaw sang it, too. But I love the recording that Liza Minnelli did when she was 19 years old. She solidly disproves George Bernard Shaw's notion that youth is wasted on the young. So she reminds us that she once had an excellent voice and she could hit high notes with bullseye accuracy. So this album, ironically enough, was released on May 10, 1965, just one day before Liza would open in Florida. The Red Menace, her first collaboration with John, Kendra and Fred Ebb, but certainly not the last. And only 34 days later, she won the Tony as Best Actress in the musical.
- [03:08]
Michael Portantier
Oh, that is interesting.
- [03:10]
Peter Filicia
Yeah, yeah.
- [03:12]
James Marino
So much we learn from this calendar. It's my little tidbit of information about today and because I can't remember anything, even the ones that I have read before I get back to it, I'm like, oh, I learned something new today. Also with us, of course, also with us is Michael Portantier. Michael's a theater reviewer and interviewer. He is the founder and editor of cast albumreviews.com he's also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in the New York Times and other publications. He writes reviews of cabaret shows for NightLifeExchange.com Additionally, Michael is known as a producer and director of shows at 54 below the Laurie Beachman Theater and other venues. Good morning, Michael.
- [03:59]
Michael Portantier
Good morning.
- [04:00]
James Marino
Hello. Just want to give folks some housekeeping and 2026 updates for Broadway Radio. We do believe that that tonight for Patreon listeners and tomorrow morning for every all the other listeners, you're going to have a new show by Matt Tamini called Last Week on Broadway, which is going to be a recap of the week's news from last week. Not much news last week, so maybe Matt will catch you up on what's going on at Broadway Radio and other things like that. Also, Matt's going to do the theatrical schedule for the week ahead and later on the week in your feed, you will have other tidbits and fun things from Matt like, like you will have grosses. He's going to continue to do Broadway grosses as a standalone pod on Wednesdays and he is also going to be doing opening nights as he's as he did on Today on Broadway as well. So Matt is going to be well in your ears all throughout 2026. We're excited about that in the news. We saw the New York Times that Stephen Schwartz has decided not to work with and engage in work at the Kennedy center right now under its current leadership. And so we all sort of wondered if what was going to happen and trickle by trickle over the holiday season after this announcement was made, was was made, we saw that Hamilton is not going to perform at the at the Kennedy center and a few other major artists have pulled out as well, leaving it empty on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and various other things. So, Michael, Peter, what do you Peter, you spoke to Stephen a while ago recently.
- [06:11]
Peter Filicia
Yeah, not recently.
- [06:12]
James Marino
A while ago.
- [06:12]
Peter Filicia
Yeah, some years ago when Trump was in his first term, Stephen and I were flying to Atlanta and he said to me, I got to tell you right now, if I were given a Kennedy center honor, I would turn it down. I would not by any means do anything to be associated with this man. So, so this didn't surprise me that he had this reaction and, and that he pulled out. So I've never forgotten that. I can still see the look on his face. He was so serious about it. So we'll see what happens. But I imagine is very good news for the National Theater, which has certainly become a second cousin to the arts in Washington D.C. since the Kennedy center opened. Everybody wanted to go there and if they couldn't get a booking, well, then they'd go to the national, which after all, has served this nation for a long, long, long, long time. And, but I think we're going to see a lot more shows at the national for obvious reasons.
- [07:16]
James Marino
Michael, what do you think about this?
- [07:18]
Michael Portantier
Well, first of all, when I posted about this on Facebook, I noted that what some of the articles did not note that Stephen, aside from his great success since then over the past decades, he has a very close connection to the Kennedy center in that he collaborated with Leonard Bernstein on the lyrics, the new lyrics for the Bernstein's Mass, which opened the center in 70 or 71. I always forget.
- [07:51]
Peter Filicia
Yeah, I think 71 would. I, I, I was there in 72. The first time I was there was Pippen, which ironically enough was a Steven Schwartz show, but so I would guess 71, but I don't know for sure.
- [08:01]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, I think that's right. Anyway, so that's, so that makes this announcement even more significant. But, and by the way, the Hamilton, I mean, that, that is going to really hurt the Kennedy center because that was obviously not a one nighter. I mean, you know, like these other things we're talking about that canceled. But I, you know, everyone I know is just so, so thrilled that Stephen did this. According to the Times, In a statement, Mr. Schwartz cited his long history collaborating with the Kennedy center, saying that it, quote, was founded to be an apolitical home for free artistic expression for artists, all nationalities and ideologies. It is no longer apolitical and appearing there now has become an ideological statement. As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there. And it says at Francesca Zambelo, who's the artistic director of the Washington National Opera, in addition to the director of Guys and Dolls at the Arena Stage, which I reviewed recently. She had asked him, Stephen, to be the, to participate I, I think as host of this gala that's happening in May. And he had agreed then, but that was before everything went to hell as far as Trump taking over the Kennedy center. And, and of course now, you know, not surprisingly, the, the, the people in charge now at the Kennedy center are trying to spin this in, in ridiculous ways. It says Trump. Roma Dharavi, the Kennedy Center's vice president for public relations, said in a statement that, quote, Stephen Schwartz was never discussed nor confirmed and never had a contract by current Trump Kennedy center leadership. And Richard Grinnell, the president of the Kennedy center, wrote on social media that, quote, the Stephen Schwartz reports are totally bogus, quote unquote, saying that the composer, quote, was signed and I've never had a single conversation on him since arriving. But then the very next paragraph of the Times article says the Kennedy center has promoted Mr. Schwartz's involvement in the gala on its website since last spring. So, so, you know, I mean, is there no limit, is there no depths to which these people won't sink? It's just incredible. It, it's, you know, one could, there's.
- [10:48]
James Marino
They'Ve got no shame. No they really whatsoever. So anyway, but this is a, this is a huge stand up in the arts. Absolutely against this. And the Kennedy Center, I believe that I read from a reputable source, I can't cite it here at the, the Kennedy center said that they were going to pursue legal avenues with. People have pulled out and you know, you know, if they go after, if they go after. But Stephen Schwartz and Lin Manuel have the, have the wherewithal to, to fight these things.
- [11:39]
Michael Portantier
Exactly.
- [11:40]
James Marino
I, I feel bad if other, other artists who, who aren't quite as financially successful where do this. That's a hard decision for other artists.
- [11:52]
Michael Portantier
Yes.
- [11:52]
James Marino
So as it's as, as they say in the news, it's an ongoing story and we'll let you know as it, as it progresses on to better and happier news.
- [12:04]
Peter Filicia
Yeah.
- [12:06]
James Marino
Michael and Peter got over to 54 below to see our friend Charles Korsh's latest Backstage Babble Live. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, he hasn't been doing these because he's been tied up in Boston at that college in Cambridge.
- [12:24]
Peter Filicia
That's right. Indeed.
- [12:26]
Michael Portantier
Correct.
- [12:26]
James Marino
Okay. Yeah. So tell us, what was your experience, life at Backstage Babble Live?
- [12:33]
Peter Filicia
Peter, Go ahead, Michael.
- [12:35]
James Marino
Michael. Okay. Michael.
- [12:37]
Michael Portantier
Oh, well, Peter and I sat directly next to each other, so I guess we had the same experience. And I think it was a wonderful experience. Charles and Michael Levine, his musical director, pianist, always get wonderful people and that no exception this time. Natasha Diaz opened the show with chief cook and bottle washer from the rink as a sort of a tribute to Cheetah and that, you know, I think that went over really, really well. And that was also appropriate because I saw Natasha be excellent in a production of west side Story. So at the Kennedy Center. So things keep coming back. Right. So that was a great way to open. Then we had Gerard Alessandrini doing a little mini medley from Forbidden Broadway. And the audience just loved hearing those lyrics again and hearing Gerard perform them because he, you know, he. He wasn't in the show that much, except at the very beginning. Once it started to become really successful, he really kind of retreated, you know, more just to the directing and the writing the lyrics and had other people perform. But he. He really. He really is a wonderful performer as well. And that came across. Then we had Adam Grouper singing the song Funny from City of Angels, along with telling a. A really, really funny, funny and also harrowing story about how he had lost his voice when he had to go on in that role on Broadway. Annie McGreevy from the Moody Shapiro Songbook. Did.
- [14:33]
Peter Filicia
He bump audience participation?
- [14:37]
Michael Portantier
Yes, yes. And. And that sort of work worked last night. I don't love audience participation, but it sort of work. Kudish, who I haven't seen. I personally have not seen perform in quite some time, did just in Time and I met a girl, a little melding of those from Bells Are Ringing.
- [14:57]
James Marino
Of course, he started in the north country. Last. Last thing he did. I think.
- [15:03]
Michael Portantier
I was wondering, you know, maybe there are things I. That he's done. Oh, you know what Gerard said afterwards that Mark has been involved in singing contemporary operas.
- [15:15]
Peter Filicia
My. Yeah.
- [15:17]
Michael Portantier
And I, you know, I'm a little surprised I don't hear about that because I have a. Footage in that world, too.
- [15:22]
James Marino
Oh, Floyd Collins. Floyd Collins.
- [15:24]
Michael Portantier
Floyd Cut. Yes, he was in Floyd Collins. True.
- [15:27]
James Marino
That's right. I've blotted that out.
- [15:29]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I guess we all did. And he was fine in that. But not much focus on that role, really. You know, children and art. Sung by Danielle Furland, the original Little Red in Into the woods, and among her other credits, Dick Scanlon. That was. This was so much fun. Did a little medley from Pageant, which is the show that he starred in years ago. And that was when I first became aware of Dick, who really started as a performer before he got into writing. And I'll never forget that show. It was a bunch of guys playing beauty pageant contestants. And I don't know how it would go across nowadays because things have changed so much, but at the time, it was absolutely hilarious. Then we had. Oh, you know what was a real highlight last night. Unworthy of youf Love is sung by Annie golden and Will Roland. You know, it must be so hard to make that song work out. Of context, text, think about it. But they absolutely did. You could hear a pin drop at 54 below. And then just to finish up here, larger than Life, wonderfully recreated by Evan Pappas. His big number from my favorite year, Unusual Way sung by Elena Shadow with Michael levine assisting from 9 the man I used to be. A lesser known, far lesser known Rodgers and Hammerstein song from Pipe Dream, Jason Grah. Penny Fuller sang Send in the Clowns from Little Night Music. Night Music, which, you know, I, I didn't get a chance to ask her if she's ever played that role anywhere.
- [17:26]
Peter Filicia
She would have. Oh, really good. Yeah.
- [17:29]
Michael Portantier
Oh, okay. Thank you. Yeah.
- [17:32]
Peter Filicia
White Plains.
- [17:34]
Michael Portantier
Oh, the. Wait, was that the one with Mark Jacoby?
- [17:37]
Peter Filicia
I believe it was. But more to the point, what I really remember was Sheila Smith as Madam Armfeld. She was phenomenal. Yeah, both of them were so really very, very impressive. Anyway, I'm sorry I interrupted.
- [17:51]
Michael Portantier
No, no, that's okay. No, thank you for doing that. Yeah. Penny just did a beautiful job with a song that is not easy to, you know, to make your own. And then, and then the fabulous finale was Stephanie Pope and maybe Duncan Gibbs doing nowadays from Chicago. So it was just a great, great night.
- [18:13]
Peter Filicia
It was. And it's, it's interesting because one would think that people wouldn't be as interested in hearing Send in the Clowns because it would not be the first time that they heard Send in the Clowns to say the least. But the thing was the applause was so, so genuine and heartfelt that they really enjoyed hearing Penny's interpretation of it. And that's what was really quite wonderful about. Was very nice that Will Rowland stepped in to, to help Annie golden on Unworthy of your Love. And he was so wonderful recently in the Baker's Wife playing the Priest in, In that small Town. Really quite wonderful. But you know, one of the things this show proves is in fact that aside from Send in the Clowns, none of these songs are amazingly famous. Granted, Unusual Way gets done a lot. I'll, I'll concede that point. But really, how many times have you heard chief cook and bottle washer since, since you saw the rink wherever you saw it. And it's really quite wonderful that this audience really appreciates hearing the lesser known songs or songs that are brand new to them. It's really quite wonderful that we do have a place where such songs can live and thrive and indeed everybody was up to the task. Was just so wonderful. Who knew that Jason Grok could play the clarinet? But he did. He did. During the Man, I used to be. Which, by the way, I mean, I've never really, really, really taken to Pipe Dream. And I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that when it was reissued in 1965, I bought the three Rodgers and Hammerstein shows that had been out of print, Allegro, Me and Juliet and Pipe Dr. And listening to him in all one fell swoop, it really didn't make much of an impression on me. Also, the sound on some RCA Victor records is brittle to the point of being not as pleasant as it could be. There's not a warm sound often on those RCA recordings, but, boy, I felt like I was hearing that song for the first time last night. And it was really great. When you have a new interpretation and you really, really appreciate something that just struck you as on a SC 1 to 10, a 5, you know, so that's good. It was very nice too to see Daniel Frilland because indeed she certainly did not sing Children in Art in the original production of Sunday in the park with George. We know who did. But the thing was, she made a good case for playing Dot. So in a way, this is a nice audition situation here. You do sit there and say, you know, she would be. He would be good in this. Yeah, boy, I'd like to see a production where he's in that, where she's in that. So I hope that somebody picks up on. On that and in the next production of Sunday in the park with George that indeed we do get the chance to see Danielle Furland in the lead role. So. But you know, what's also great is essentially after the show is over, we have essentially an after party because so many people know each other and it's just so great to catch up with people and say happy New Year to everybody. But finally, yes, indeed, Charles Kirsch knows his onions. He really is prepared to do all this. And he was an excellent host. And it's so funny when he. When somebody brings up, when did you first discover this? And he says something like six years ago when I was 12, you know, so. So it's pretty amazing, you know, and certainly our listeners have heard a lot about him as time has happened. He won't be back until June, he said. And of course, the reason is, yes, he's at Harvard University where he's already appeared in production Merrily We Roll along. So. So he's been busy and he will continue to be. And keep your ey because he's going to go by far, as I said to his parents and I Always do. Could you ever believe that he would have accomplished this much by 18, you know? And the answer is no.
- [22:18]
Michael Portantier
And the thing he announced for June is Dames at Sea.
- [22:22]
Peter Filicia
Right, Right.
- [22:23]
Michael Portantier
Yes, indeed.
- [22:24]
Peter Filicia
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [22:26]
James Marino
So, wow. He continues to amaze. Continues.
- [22:32]
Peter Filicia
You know, I don't even think his parents were born when Dames at Sea open. So as a result, it's really pretty impressive that he does look to the past and embraces him.
- [22:41]
Michael Portantier
Evan Pappas, when he spoke before he sang, he said that he got a call from Charles some years ago. Oh, yeah, when he literally was 12. And, you know, this guy said, I'd like to interview you for, you know, my podcast. And, and Evan said something like, what is he going to ask me questions like, how do you learn all those lines? But he, no, no, no. He's asking me all these questions with deep knowledge of minutia and trivia. And so, yeah, Evan was very impressed by that. And to Peter's earlier point, I had several friends there last night, but I also had one friend who is not so much into, I mean, as far as history, doesn't have a lot of history attending musical theater. And so he said, well, he said, I didn't know what I was going to get, but I loved it. He said, and I, I knew maybe two or three of the songs, you know, probably from Chicago and.
- [23:46]
Peter Filicia
Yeah, right.
- [23:46]
Michael Portantier
Sending the Clouds. And he said, he said, I only knew two or three of them, he said, but I loved all of them. And so he. So he was, I guess maybe the ideal audience for this, to bring someone into it in, in that way, you know.
- [24:06]
James Marino
This week on Broadway is sponsored by Factor. With the wrap up of the holiday season, we are busy again with all the new shows and openings coming up, but eating is one of my New Year's resolutions. So how do I do it with Factor? Factor makes it easy with fully prepared meals designed by dietitians and crafted by chefs so you can eat well without the shopping or cooking. I don't even have to think about it. With quality ingredients, lean proteins and healthy fats, I have hundreds of choices of rotating meals. They are convenient, always fresh, never frozen, and ready in about two minutes. Whether you're a Broadway fan who has a 9 to 5 or somebody in the biz who needs to eat before half hour hour. Be like me and get your meals. From Factor head to factor meals.com broadway50off and use the code broadway50OFF to get 50% off your first Factor box. Plus free breakfast for one year. Offer only valid for new Factor customers with the code and qualifying auto renewal subscription with purchase make healthier eating easy with Factor. We'd like to thank Factor for their continued support of Broadway radio. Peter and Michael, let me ask you, what are you looking forward to this spring?
- [25:37]
Peter Filicia
Well, I'm certainly looking forward to High Spirits at Encores, which I first saw in 1964. I remember walking through Boston Common on February 28th and feeling a little down because I didn't have a girlfriend. And I ran into Steve Boweri and Gene Ryan, who were the golden couple of Arlington Catholic High School and thinking, oh, look at them, they're having such a wonderful time and I'm going to this show alone. And at the end of the night, I didn't care whatsoever that I didn't have a girlfriend. And more to the point, may I point out that Gene Ryan broke Steve Boweri's heart as he brought up at every reunion that we attended. So High Spirits is a wonderful musical. It's a very small show, really. There aren't many people in it because it's based on Blythe Spirit, which has very few characters as well. And as a result, I have to say that the surprise for me ultimately was the fact that I saw High Spirits before I saw Blight Spirit. So it was a brand new story to me. They did fill it out with a chorus, but, you know, it could be done even smaller. And I hope this really spurs a revival. The the score is excellent, Excellent. Really quite wonderful. And with such. Well, I remember Variety saying that it's rare for a show to have two showstoppers in a row in the second act. But certainly talking to you that Beatrice Lillier sang to her Ouija board. Yes, indeed. And Home Sweet Heaven, which is really quite an achievement because the thing is, in Blythe Spirit, it. There is a passing mention that Elvira, who was dead and has come back to life, talked about being in heaven where she was talking to Genghis Khan. It's a quick little joke. And you have to really give credit to you, Martin and Timothy Gray for saying, wait, wait, wait, we can really build on this. And Home Sweet Heaven is the song that Alvira sings when she's going to go back to heaven and she talks about all the people she misses. There is one line that is dated now, but I guess, I mean, we'll let you be the judge. But Emily Bronte doing the Twist with Kipling, you know, I mean, I don't know. The twist was still a very popular dance then, though I have noticed that Every recording session I go to for an original cast album, during the time when they're listening back to the recording, some people start twisting. So I guess maybe because the dance you can do on your own, you don't need a partner, but. But anyway. So certainly I'm looking forward to that. At Encores, it has been rumored for years they were going to do it. In fact, I do believe Mel Miller, when he was doing his Musical Tonight series, wanted to do it and they said, no, no, no, we have a deal coming up with Encores. And every year it didn't happen. So. But finally, finally it has. And for those of us who care about musicals from this era, in the old days, Encores used to do three shows that were of interest from golden age perspective. Now it's going to be one a year. We have to face that fact and. But at least it's a quality work that we'll see. February, Peter.
- [28:49]
Michael Portantier
The only production of High Spirits I ever saw was the St. Barts Players. Did you see that?
- [28:54]
Peter Filicia
Oh no, I didn't know they did it.
- [28:56]
Michael Portantier
No, years ago. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [28:59]
Peter Filicia
St. Barts was really good for that time. It's the only place I've seen plain and fancy, you know, where you're going to see. Well, there was this theater in Pennsylvania, used to do it every year, but they've stopped doing it because it does take place in Pennsylvania. About the Amish. So. So anyway.
- [29:17]
James Marino
Michael, what are you looking forward to?
- [29:19]
Michael Portantier
Well, one thing I'm looking forward to is coming up very soon, which we mentioned before, next Monday, January 12th at Carnegie Hall. Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma in Concert says The Orchestra of St. Luke's brings Rodgers and Hammerstein's first Broadway classic to the Carnegie hall concert stage. Conducted by Emmy and Grammy winning music director Rob Berman, this concert features the original orchestrations by iconic Broadway and Hollywood arranger Robert Russell Bennett, whose contributions to Oklahoma. Were indispensable. So obviously they're really going to focus on the orchestrations, which is fine with me. And it sounds like a great cast. The Curly is someone I'm not familiar with because apparently he's from the opera world. And again, I have a toehold there, but I'm not familiar with him. His name is Emmett o'. Ha. But the rest of the cast, I think most or all of them will be familiar to our listeners. We have Michaela diamond as Laurie. We have the wonderful Jasmine, Amy Rogers as Ado Annie, Andrew Durand as Will Parker, Anna Gasteyer as Aunt Eller Parvish China as Ali Hakim and in my old role of Andrew Carnes from high school, David Hyde Pierce. But also now, this is so interesting to me. I just now found this out. Judd is being played by Jonathan Christopher. Does anyone know who that is?
- [30:59]
Peter Filicia
No, not a fan.
- [31:01]
Michael Portantier
Well, you should because. Well, and now you will, because. Jonathan Christopher is a versatile Bermudian American actor and singer known for his rich baritone voice, acclaimed for roles on Broadway in Sweeney Todd and Hamilton, Off Broadway in Octet and the Black CL. Clown and National Tourist, often performing alongside his actor brother Nicholas Christopher, with recent work including opera and new musical projects. So according to this photo, they look very much alike. I. I would even wonder if they're twins, although I suppose it would say that. But we all love Nick Christopher, I think from Chess and from Sweeney Todd and from yeah, everything Jelly's Last Jam and everything else he's done. So I, I'm, you know, I don't think that Jonathan has been in the spotlight so much until now, but Jud Fry will certainly put him in the spotlight.
- [32:08]
James Marino
Wow. So that is come coming up in just eight. Let me do the math. 12 minus four days.
- [32:19]
Michael Portantier
I checked the and unless I'm doing it wrong, there's not a single ticket left.
- [32:25]
Peter Filicia
Wow.
- [32:26]
James Marino
Like. Well, thanks for telling us now.
- [32:29]
Peter Filicia
I did.
- [32:29]
Michael Portantier
No, I have the trouble. I've been talking about this show for a while, so.
- [32:37]
Peter Filicia
Wow. Isn't that something?
- [32:39]
Michael Portantier
Yeah.
- [32:40]
Peter Filicia
I'm looking forward to Joe Turner's coming Gone. I'll tell you, when this was first produced at the Barrymore theater theater in 1988, I thought it was very sluggish show and it just didn't hold me. And then a few years later, I was at the Pittsburgh Public Theater where I was galvanized by it, and I just thought it was sensational. And this is another example of how regional theaters often have been known to do a better job than Broadway does. So I'm really enthusiastic about seeing it this time around and hoping that the magic that I found back in the the days of the Pittsburgh Public Theater will again happen. And the irony is that it will be playing the Barrymore Theater again starting in April just before the Tony cutoff.
- [33:33]
James Marino
Wow. So, Michael, how about you? What else is coming your way that you're looking forward to?
- [33:40]
Michael Portantier
Well, another thing that's coming up very soon is Bug, the Broadway debut of a Tray that a play that was done some time ago by Tracy Letts, and I saw it off Broadway. Michael Shannon. I'll never forget that. This new production directed by David Cromer on Broadway Again, written by Tracy Letts. And we've got Carrie Coon and Steve K. Namir Smallwood, Jennifer Angstrom and Randall Arnie in it. And it's a Odd play. Yes, it is. Yeah. I don't know if I even want to try to describe this subject matter, but I'll try.
- [34:30]
James Marino
Yeah.
- [34:31]
Michael Portantier
Would you, please? I would actually appreciate that greatly.
- [34:34]
Peter Filicia
Well, the thing is that here's a. A woman, and I think it's an Oklahoma town, and she's living in a motel. It's never really explained about the rest of the motel. Is she the only resident there? The movie would lead you to believe that she's the only one living in that motel. But anyway, she's had a bad relationship with a husband who is the type of guy who hits you and then says, I love you. And he shows up in the movies, Harry Connick Jr. Who you might not expect in a role like that, but there he was. And Michael Shannon reprised his role for the. Indeed the movie that he had done off Broadway as Michael, mine mention. And he meets her through a mutual friend and they seem to hit it off. However, he does have a substantial problem, and that is the fact that he feels that he is contaminated with bugs that when he was in the army, that they fooled around with him tremendously. And as a result, he has become a guinea pig. And they're trying out various things on him. Well, maybe, maybe not. The thing is, the power of the play really is that we can't be sure if he's crazy or if the government really is fooling around with him. And that's the power of the play and the movie too, which is quite good. And so it's very, very strange. It gets stranger and stranger and stranger as it goes along. But how the young woman, Agnes, which is interesting, it's a name I'm sure that Tracy Letts carefully chose because Agnes is the word for lamb in Latin. And she is very much sheepish in some respects in certainly going along with him and really believing what he has to say and even losing a friendship because of it. So as many people do when they get involved with somebody romantically, you often do lose a friend, friendship, because the other person has a different feeling about the person you're with. And, well, you have to make a choice. And so it's a convoluted, crazy play. And it's really interesting the Manhattan Theater Club should choose it because they've been known to have an older audience. Obviously they're trying to get a younger one in. So it'll be very interesting to see if indeed the older, older audience goes with it and goes along for the ride or if there's going to be walk out after walkout. We will see as time goes on.
- [37:08]
Michael Portantier
Somebody who knows the playset to me said that they love the play but they think that it might come across as dated now. And I don't quite.
- [37:17]
Peter Filicia
No, I don't see that. I just watched the movie. So as a result I feel like I'm ah, pretty much up on it. Yeah, I wouldn't be able to speak about it so, so detailedly if indeed I hadn't seen the picture. But, but no, I think the idea of people have a lot of questions about our what's going on. And even though we may not be able to reach any conclusions that hold any type of water, the fact remains that the questions do exist and so, so be it.
- [37:52]
Michael Portantier
Yep.
- [37:54]
James Marino
Peter, what's next on your horizon?
- [37:57]
Peter Filicia
What do you mean what I'm seeing next?
- [37:59]
James Marino
Yeah. Well, what are you looking forward to next?
- [38:02]
Peter Filicia
All right, fine. I'm also looking forward to Giant. I was in London in May and Getting a Ticket was out. Absolutely impossible. This is not the musical by Michael John Locuser. It is not the adaptation of that famous film that James Dean did way back when. An excellent movie. No, this is a play about Roald Dahl, who's a very controversial guy. He, we know he's known as a children's writer from Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. And yet he did have quite the dark side. Just ask Patricia Neal about him who was married to him for a while and she would tell you if she was still around, exactly how difficult a guy he could be. He also had a TV series in the 60s called Way out and just a quick example of the type of humor he had. There was a guy, this is one of the episodes now, a guy dominated his wife life tremendously, tremendously. He. Every decision was his and she, she was just a dish rag. So anyway, he's dying and he doesn't want to die. And part of the reason he doesn't want to die is because he wants to control her. So anyway, he finds out that there is this new. Procedure, invention, whatever, where he can live, but all he's going to get is his brain and an eye. That's it. No body. So he's going to be floating in a tank. But, you know, it's better than nothing, right? And this way you can keep an eye on his wife. Well, by the end of the show she comes in and she's smoking and she's going to learn to dance and smoke a cigarette and she's blowing smoke at his eye and he's going crazy. You see the eye blinking like crazy. So I mean he did have a wild imagination, no question. So let's find out. But both the child like side of Raul Dahl who did create these shows that did these books that did have some crazy underpinnings to them, God knows. And, and also the side that was a little offbeat. Well, a lot offbeat. So it's not going to be here a long time. It's a limited engagement. It's going to run from March 11th 11th to June 28th and I think it's going to be a really hot ticket.
- [40:28]
James Marino
I didn't mention that Bugs Bug had a really has a really short scheduled run. It, it's in previews right now and it's running through February 8th at the Friedman and Giant is you know, of course the Friedman is Manhattan Theatre Club and it's a non profit part of a season. So unlikely to extend much because there's a show right behind it. But Giant is a commercial run and it is scheduled through June 28th right after the Tony Awards. But you know, we'll have to see how the box office does there. But we'll have a link to that in the show notes.
- [41:15]
Peter Filicia
You know, you hear a lot about people who are good leaders in productions that really make the cast feel at home and it and I have to say I know a lot of people who connect with Free Smell of Success and said John Lithgow was so marvelous, so marvelous at really leading that company and being a real cheerleader and he was so dedicated to his performance that everybody else felt that he and she had to be as dedicated as well. So apparently he's a really fine man as well.
- [41:48]
James Marino
Well, yeah, I have, I have heard that and experienced it firsthand.
- [41:57]
Peter Filicia
Oh good.
- [41:57]
James Marino
So yeah, everything they say is true about him. Michael, what is in your future that you're looking forward to?
- [42:08]
Michael Portantier
Well, if we can mention the Kennedy center one more time, at least Schmigadoo is coming to Broadway. Which I saw at the Kennedy center and absolutely loved it. I thought it was.
- [42:22]
James Marino
I believe that you predicted that it was going to come to Broadway when you saw it.
- [42:26]
Michael Portantier
That is true and not always right, but sometimes, yeah, it was such an audience favorite down there that I thought this is not going to be the end of this show. And now remember that I went into it with basically no foreknowledge because I had literally seen One clip of one song from the TV version I did. You know, that's the extent to which I watched the TV series. So I basically went in cold. And yet I still loved it. I didn't need to have anyone explain things to me. I got the concept right away. I think the parodies of famous musical theater song forms are right a hundred percent on the nose and, and done so well and so cleverly that they really enjoy. You know, parodies aren't always great. They have to be very smart. And I mean, it can be a cheap way to get, get to get laughs and to get recognition. But if it's done really well, as, you know, obviously Forbidden Broadway and Here Again Schmiga Dune, I think that it's something that audiences really love. And I'm happy that Sarah Chase and Alex Brightman, who were in the show, starred in the show as the central couple at the Kennedy center, will be back on Broadway. I don't think much else has been announced. We've got. Also so back is director, choreographer Christopher Gattelli, who did such a great job on this, and the production staff, Linda Cho costumes, Donald Holder lighting design, Scott Pask set design, Walter T.R. back sound design. So that's at the Nederlander starting on April 4th, I believe, and scheduled to run through September 6th.
- [44:38]
James Marino
Yeah, Smigadoon at the Needle Lander. And get your tickets now. Peter, what about. What's next up for you?
- [44:49]
Peter Filicia
Well, you know, I don't know if this Private Lives is really going to happen, but there has been some noise about it. And if so, Noel Coward will represented twice on Broadway if it really does happen, because he also has a production of Fallen Angels coming to the Todd Haynes Theater, which is under renovation right now. And this will be the one to reopen it. And it's going to be great fun to see Kelly o' Hara and Rose Byrne in Fallen Angels. But Private Lives, one of the great experiences I ever had in the theater, right up there among the top 50, certainly was Private Lives in 1969 when Tammy Grimes and Brian Bedford.
- [45:31]
Michael Portantier
Yes.
- [45:31]
Peter Filicia
Played the roles. You saw it too, Michael.
- [45:34]
Michael Portantier
Yes, yes, yes.
- [45:35]
Peter Filicia
You know, I mean, I really do believe Tammy Grimes gave the greatest performance I have ever seen in a comedy. And she was so wonderful in the second act where she and Brian Bedford have this knockdown, drag out fight. They destroy the room and suddenly their spouses, their new spouses come in and they're shocked at the carnage and. And Tammy Grimes pulled herself up and said, this is the end. And you knew it wasn't you know, I mean, these people just fought and then made up and fought and made up and fought. So I'm telling you, for a good month, in the middle of the night, my wife would say, are you laughing at this? This is the end again. I mean, because really it's something that still makes me laugh the way she did it. And I judge every production and the movie and the TV specials of Private Lives by that moment. And nobody has touched Tammy Grimes. So I'm hoping that somebody will again. We don't know who's going to be playing the part, but it'd be really nice if somebody could match that experience because it still remains one of the all time greats for me.
- [46:47]
Michael Portantier
I may have mentioned before that years later, I, I met Ms. Grimes when she was, for a while she was doing sort of little cabaret show. Yeah. And I said, Ms. Grimes, I have to tell you that you were in one of the very first Broadway shows I ever saw, Private Lives. And do you know what her comment was on that one? The one thing she said, she said, oh, that was a long one. It really is quite a long play.
- [47:20]
Peter Filicia
Very demanding.
- [47:21]
Michael Portantier
Isn't that funny how she remembered that? But what's interesting about the upcoming production is that the production has been announced with no other information whatsoever. No theater, no dates, no cast. The only real announcement is the producers, Jeffrey Richards et al. And I did confirm. I just looked it up. Guess what, Guess what show just went into public domain? Private Lives.
- [47:46]
Peter Filicia
Did it really?
- [47:47]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, I think maybe like as of literally three days ago. Is that how it works? Does it work by, by the first of the year, I would guess. Oh, yeah.
- [47:57]
James Marino
That's interesting.
- [47:58]
Michael Portantier
Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know if that's the case, but yeah. So, Peter, so we might have, if we have Private Lives and Fallen Angels and High Spirits, that's going to be a lot of Lowell Coward.
- [48:12]
Peter Filicia
Right, Right. Yeah. Can the Girl who Came to Supper be far behind the.
- [48:17]
James Marino
The broadway.com? the broadway.com story about private Lives says it's going to be in the 26, 27 season. So that would be a year from now.
- [48:28]
Michael Portantier
Oh, okay.
- [48:29]
James Marino
But it'll give us a Noel Coward multi year story arc. You know, a drinking game. Yeah. That's interesting. About the, the copyright, maybe January 1st. Peter, do you know about the horse. Horse racing? Horses. All horses. Birthdays for racing purposes are January 1st.
- [48:56]
Peter Filicia
Yes, I did know that. That's of course for things like the Preakness and Belmont Stakes and.
- [49:01]
James Marino
Exactly, yeah. Two year olds, three year Olds, things like that. Imagine being a two year old, three year old has been, you know, Secretariat.
- [49:09]
Michael Portantier
Was walked up at five. Yeah, yeah, I'm just looking up and it says here, works published in the US in 1930 and earlier are generally entering the public domain at the start of 2026 following u. S. Copyright law. So I would assume that may. Yeah, I would assume that means January 1st.
- [49:33]
James Marino
Yeah, it gets sketchy with international things. I mean.
- [49:36]
Michael Portantier
Right.
- [49:36]
James Marino
Yeah. You know, I, I don't, I don't know. I, I don't think that the EU copyright tracks the same way as the US Copyright.
- [49:46]
Peter Filicia
Right.
- [49:47]
James Marino
But anyway, that's a whole other podcast. So Michael, what else is interesting to you coming up?
- [49:54]
Michael Portantier
Well, I do wonder if it will actually happen, Kowalski. On Broadway. I loved it. Off Broadway with Robin Lord Taylor and Brandon Flynn. Story of somewhat fictionalized but largely true, apparently. Story of Marlon Brando traveling up to Provincetown to meet Tennessee Williams and basically audition for the role of Stanley in Streetcar named Desire in 19. What would that have been? 1950? No, 40. 47. I'm sorry. Yeah, the, the play was 47. The movie I think was 1950. So yeah, it's a small show, only four characters, isn't that right? Those two. There's the actress friend who. Girlfriend who Brando brings with him and then there was one other person. But it, you know, if they get the right theater, I think it would work on Broadway. And Robin Lord Taylor and Brandon Flynn were really both amazing in it. So again, nothing definite on that.
- [51:10]
Peter Filicia
It's.
- [51:10]
Michael Portantier
It was just announced in a very, you know, with no details at all. So we'll see when or if it happens. But I would be looking forward to it if, if it does that.
- [51:25]
James Marino
You said the key phrase there, Michael. If it gets the right theater. And that's what is holding up all a lot of really good productions that are looking to come to Broadway is, you know, finding the right theater or finding a theater. Theater at all. All but one theater is spoken for this spring. Right now, of course, things. Things can change, things can close, things can not open, you know.
- [51:53]
Peter Filicia
Yeah, indeed.
- [51:54]
James Marino
Things like that, sure.
- [51:56]
Michael Portantier
Should we start a movement to have a petition to whoever owns and runs the Stage 42 to please add one seat and make it a Broadway theater? Since there is obviously a need for smaller theaters for smaller shows, I think.
- [52:18]
James Marino
That would be a really good idea. Cost that one seat can cost $10 million.
- [52:25]
Michael Portantier
Well, I'm aware, but we also mentioned that that theater apparently has the, the, the odd situation where that some of the contracts already are Broadway level contracts, I think for the stagehands and, and that's often cited as one reason why it's so difficult to have anything run there. But they just recently had yet another incredibly short run of a show. Just been one. One basically flop after another with the only sole exception of the Yiddish fiddler and maybe, maybe one other thing back in the day. So it just, it's, it seems a no brainer to me. I guess they have their reasons. Tax write off. I don't know. I don't know.
- [53:13]
James Marino
All right, Just, you know, say what everybody says. There's no parking.
- [53:22]
Michael Portantier
Actually, there is parking. There is parking. There's that street. Yeah, that's a parking lot place.
- [53:28]
James Marino
Yeah, yeah, that used to be my go to parking spot when it came in from Long Island.
- [53:33]
Peter Filicia
Me too. Yeah.
- [53:35]
James Marino
But it got crazy expensive.
- [53:37]
Peter Filicia
Sure.
- [53:38]
Michael Portantier
Oh, did it?
- [53:38]
Peter Filicia
Oh yeah.
- [53:39]
Michael Portantier
I haven't followed.
- [53:40]
James Marino
Yeah, it got crazy. I, I was like, huh, this used to be my favorite place to come, you know. So, Peter, aside from parking, what else are you looking forward to?
- [53:52]
Peter Filicia
Well, I'm going to be shamelessly, shamelessly self indulgent here and saying I'm looking forward to October 6th in Hopkinton, Massachusetts when indeed my play, Larry, the big time Broadway producer gets his second production. And it's going to be great fun to see what Paul Shamplin can do because he did so well by a hat full of Rain and the Garland show, which he did last June, where he was very smart in just dealing with the TV show and all that went on behind it. It wasn't Francis Gumm was born on, you know, type of thing and Judy Garland died on June whatever, you know, so it. More people should do this when they're writing shows, concentrate on one aspect of the person's life. So it was very, very good. But also the, the Hatful of Rain, a play that rarely, if ever gets done. He resuscitated it. And certainly also I think I have never gone to a community theater and plenty of professional theaters too, where the sound is so extraordinary. Whatever system he's using there and whoever taking care of it does an astonishing job. So I'm certainly looking forward to my play, which is about a young man who invests a little bit of money in Broadway shows. But when he meets an actress, he pledges $10,000 that he doesn't remotely have and where is he going to get it? And he gets into one scrape after another and trying to scrape together the money so we'll see if the audience takes to it. It is set in 1964, which is a long time ago. I was at a party recently where a teacher was set saying, I can't tell you how many times my students say, but that was in the 1900s, you know, making it seem like it's the 1700s, you know, so. So, indeed, we'll see if people can respond to a time when Funny Girl was the second biggest hit on Broadway because a lot of it has to do with that show as well.
- [55:49]
James Marino
Okay, Michael, what's. What else is something you're looking forward to?
- [55:54]
Michael Portantier
I don't think there's much else. Dreamgirls is coming back, and I love Dream Girls, so if that turns out to be well done, I would certainly welcome that. They're having a big talent search for. Is it for all the roles I heard it was.
- [56:13]
Peter Filicia
I don't know if it's still the case. And I don't know.
- [56:15]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, I mean, all of the. Yeah. So. So maybe they'll. They'll find some really exciting new people and then maybe throw. Throw in a few ringers, you know, a few names to help the box office also. Well, I really enjoyed Cats, the Jellicle Ball off Broadway downtown. But I am told, and I don't know if we were supposed to assume this, that it will not have a Runway on Broadway. And if that's true, I could be wrong. I just don't think it'll work. I literally don't think it will work without a run Runway. I think it's absolutely essential part of this concept and production. So I hate to, you know, gee.
- [57:07]
Peter Filicia
But that's so strange. I mean, if. Well, over. Just could have.
- [57:11]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, yeah. I. I don't know. I mean, the person who told me this sounded like they really knew what they were talking about and that the producers were adamant, so. So could be wrong. Could be wrong.
- [57:25]
Peter Filicia
Wrong.
- [57:26]
Michael Portantier
But that is what I was told. So if that turns out to be true, then I think it's not going to work. Well, we'll see. So I hope it's not.
- [57:36]
Peter Filicia
Maybe. Maybe they'll have a hello Dolly staircase and, you know, maybe that might compensate to some degree. But, yeah, the Runway really was an important part of it.
- [57:44]
James Marino
Yeah. As you saw, as we saw in Dave Malloy's show. What the hell was the name of it?
- [57:51]
Peter Filicia
The Natasha show?
- [57:53]
James Marino
No, no. Yeah. What. What was the. Where they built out the theater and built the Runway? Was that Natasha Pierre?
- [58:01]
Peter Filicia
Yeah.
- [58:01]
Michael Portantier
Well, that was one. Yes. Yeah, they.
- [58:04]
James Marino
They. They could do it. And I. I also want to point out that I have an inbox Full of press releases about Dream Girls. That gives us no information. It's not scheduled for this year.
- [58:17]
Peter Filicia
Year.
- [58:17]
James Marino
It's not. It's not scheduled for this summer. They just had an open call Saturday, December 13th at Pearl Studios Productions. Production is seeking the following. Seeking amazing singers, dancers, candidates must be provisioned in all dance style and strong sense of rhythm. Blah, blah, blah. Self tape submissions, things like that. That. Their website is dream girls. B way.com has no information yet. It's vapor show right now.
- [58:56]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, I was just reading from a. Partly from a list of TBA without.
- [59:01]
James Marino
Yeah.
- [59:01]
Michael Portantier
Necessarily things that have been announced for, you know, the. For the spring or even the fall.
- [59:09]
James Marino
Yeah. And the Angelica Ball thing. I don't really recall reading anything about a Runway nay or yay. But those are some really smart people, so I would sort of have trust in them. I think they really understood that that was the part of the success downtown.
- [59:39]
Michael Portantier
Well, that's. That's how I feel. That's why I'm saying that if it's true that there won't be one, then I, I'm. I'm really.
- [59:46]
James Marino
No, I. Yeah, I understand. I agree with you. I agree. I. I think these are really smart people and, and they'll.
- [59:52]
Michael Portantier
I hope so.
- [59:54]
James Marino
They'll figure something out. So, Peter, what are your thoughts on Proof?
- [60:03]
Peter Filicia
Proof?
- [60:04]
James Marino
It's coming back.
- [60:05]
Peter Filicia
Well, yeah, but it's with a black cast, right?
- [60:10]
Michael Portantier
Yes.
- [60:11]
James Marino
Yeah.
- [60:12]
Peter Filicia
So. So this is going to be a. A terrific change of pace and I'm very glad that we're not seeing Proof as business as usual because we do have a good movie of it as well. But I'm looking forward to this to see the Dynamics, because I've seen black productions of the Gin Game, and it's really quite wonderful to see a different take on it. So. So here's Don Cheadle making his Broadway debut.
- [60:38]
James Marino
Love Don Cheadle.
- [60:39]
Peter Filicia
Yeah, indeed. You know, so we'll see if he's up to the task, and I'm certainly hoping he is. It. It starts on March 31st. A good omen because Oklahoma opened on that date. And we'll. We'll see who I, Leo Edebiri, is and Samira Wiley, both of them making their Broadway debuts. And so this is the story of a woman who just doesn't get credit for what she has done, that somebody else took the credit very, very gladly. And it, you know, when I talk about things that I miss that I wish I had seen. This was first done at a reading at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick New Jersey. Jersey. At the time I was the New Jersey theater critic for the Star Ledger, the newspaper there. And I couldn't go to that reading, that one night reading. And one always wonders if indeed when you're at something at just a reading, do you say wow, this one is going to be a Tony winning play and a movie and what have you. Or do you just say yeah, that was good. You know, I mean it, it's very easy to dismiss readings because so many of them amount to very little after that. But so I really regret not going to see proof at that moment in time. But I've certainly had opportunities since and I will again come spring.
- [62:07]
Michael Portantier
You know, I wonder if the idea of doing it with an all black cast, I wonder if it was inspired at all by the movie Hidden Figures.
- [62:16]
Peter Filicia
Oh, good point.
- [62:17]
Michael Portantier
Which is of course about three African American women who are mathematicians working for NASA, you know, in the, in you know, back in the day and, and getting no, not only no credit but just you know, having to use a separate bathroom.
- [62:37]
Peter Filicia
Bathroom. Yeah, I know.
- [62:39]
Michael Portantier
You know, which wasn't around the corner. No, not, no, it was like a quarter of a mile away.
- [62:44]
Peter Filicia
Yeah.
- [62:45]
Michael Portantier
So ye. I did that's just entered my mind if maybe that was version.
- [62:51]
Peter Filicia
Yeah, good for you. Yeah.
- [62:54]
James Marino
Not, not to harp too much on the cats thing but on their website their catchphrase is Broadway meets the Runway. They gotta have a Runway. Right.
- [63:05]
Michael Portantier
Well so maybe my information was wrong but the person, they, they were.
- [63:11]
James Marino
I get it. Absolutely. So all right, let me see.
- [63:21]
Michael Portantier
We should mention, we should mention Beaches.
- [63:25]
James Marino
Yeah.
- [63:26]
Michael Portantier
Because even though I'm personally not looking forward to it, I think that might be a big deal in one way or another.
- [63:34]
James Marino
Right, sure.
- [63:35]
Michael Portantier
Indeed.
- [63:37]
James Marino
So Beaches is going to be running.
- [63:45]
Michael Portantier
It opens, starts previews March 27, opens April 22 at the Majestic. And one thing I am excited about is that Jessica Vosk is playing one of the two central women that she, I think she's acknowledged as one of our greatest talents who maybe hasn't had that much of a showcase yet except among sort of like cony in little you know, show like one nighter things and, and short running shows and cabaret things. But this might really put her into a, you know, a different orbit. So that would be nice. And the other. And her co star is also wonderful Kelly Barrett. So I, you know, I don't, I, I don't don't I. You know I haven't seen the movie since it came out and I remember not liking it very much at all then I thought it was Just overly sentimental and really kind of tear jerking in a manipulative way. So. But I'm sure many other people disagree. So those people who disagree might very much enjoy the musical.
- [65:01]
Peter Filicia
I don't know the picture at all. I've never seen it. And ironically enough, I was in a video store the other day and, well, a used video store. It's hard to find video stores. And there was Beaches and I said, oh, great, you know, and I pulled it out and it was a documentary about the great beaches of the world.
- [65:18]
Michael Portantier
It didn't help me at all, but.
- [65:21]
Peter Filicia
I do hope before, before the show opens that I have, that I ran into it in some thrift shop or somewhere else. If not, well, there's always Amazon.
- [65:33]
Michael Portantier
And another big thing that we should mention, just because it could be a huge, huge. A huge deal is Death of a Salesman.
- [65:45]
Peter Filicia
Sure.
- [65:46]
James Marino
Yeah.
- [65:47]
Peter Filicia
We'll be talking about Nathan Lane here. Yeah. Laurie Metcalf and Laurie Metcalfe, who we've already seen this year, so. This season, so. Indeed. You know, it's funny, you know, I mentioned Linda a lot. Linda says, I will never again see a production a Death of a Salesman. I've seen so many of them, I don't want to see it again. So I said to her, so are you going to go this one? She said, oh, yeah, oh yeah. At least for the first act.
- [66:17]
Michael Portantier
At least.
- [66:18]
James Marino
At least. It's interesting to me that neither one of you has talked about Rocky Horror or the Lost Boys, which seem to be the buzzy buzz, buzz in the Broadway buzz right now.
- [66:34]
Michael Portantier
I did have Rocky Horror on my list. I just had. I hadn't gotten to it. And Lost Boys, I, I guess I didn't, I wouldn't have mentioned it just because I don't know a whole lot about it.
- [66:44]
Peter Filicia
I don't either. Yeah. I don't know the picture or anything about it. So that's why I didn't.
- [66:48]
James Marino
I had. Well, there's your homework assignment.
- [66:50]
Michael Portantier
I suppose it is get caught up.
- [66:52]
James Marino
On the Lost Boys because I, you know, everybody's just, you know, saying that this is going to be the runaway hit. Although that, that conventional wisdom is often wrong.
- [67:06]
Peter Filicia
Sure.
- [67:07]
James Marino
Often. Often wrong.
- [67:08]
Peter Filicia
Sure.
- [67:09]
James Marino
Orphan often.
- [67:11]
Michael Portantier
Oh, by the way, I, I was talking with Evan Pappas after Charles Curse's show last night, and he said, he said, I haven't seen you at the Argyll lately, you know, where he's the artistic director. And I said, yeah, I said, no good reason, Evan. I just, I just, you know, been so busy with other things that I just haven't gotten it. They did a Fiddler I would have liked to see among the other 12 fiddlers I've seen recently. And they did a the Music Man I would have liked to see. They also did Sister act, which I probably would have skipped anyway. But they do have, coming up next, Newsies. So I. I think I'm gonna definitely make a trip out for that because I would not. I would not mind seeing Newsies again.
- [68:03]
Peter Filicia
But in terms of Rocky Horror, I remember the London cast album came out, and I was playing it, and a friend of mine who was into Irish folk music came in to my apartment while sort of Damocles was playing. He said, what's that? I said, it's a new London musical. He said, don't you ever make fun of my music again if you're listening to something like that. And did we know what a phenomenon Rocky Horror would be as a result of those night showings? I was at the. I had just moved to New York in 77, and I was on the ground floor of that because a neighbor down the hall said, listen, you got to see this thing, the Rocky Horror Picture Show. And I said, well, I know the musical, you know, not that I saw it. It didn't last long at what was then called the Beautiful Belasco. It was. But I certainly knew the London cast album. And he said, well, you got to see this. I mean, there's. There's some sort of audience participation. And at that point point, the only audience participation was cigarette lighters during this light in the Frankenstein place and rice at the wedding. And. But, boy, did it change. And, yeah, I. I went with my kid, who hates musicals and. Oh, hates him terribly.
- [69:18]
James Marino
Deeply.
- [69:19]
Peter Filicia
Yeah, deeply ashamed of me. Anyway, I went with my kid, and we actually did the time walk in the, um. In the, um, aisle, both of us together. This was in California. And when it was over, I said to him, you know, Jason, it's a musical. This was a stage musical in London and on Broadway. And a few weeks later, when I talked to him, I said, so you're still going to Rocky Horror? He said, nah, not anymore. I mean, you know, I killed it. You know that. By saying that it was a stage musical. So that was the kiss of death. But, yeah, it's. It's a crazy show. And nevertheless, it's certainly has done, strangely enough, a lot of good because it certainly made a lot of people who walked into that theater come out a little more tolerant than they expected to be. So I. I think Rocky Horror is a cultural phenomenon that really did help a lot.
- [70:15]
Michael Portantier
I was recently talking with a friend, and I'm not sure that I realized that. And I. You probably both know this, but those audience participation versions were done not just at the 8th Street Playhouse.
- [70:28]
Peter Filicia
Oh, indeed.
- [70:28]
Michael Portantier
Yeah. All over the place. I mean, he. This particular friend talked about going to one on Staten Island. They had a theater that started to show it regularly there as midnight shows and. Oh, yeah, yeah. So. So a lot of people have a. A special connection to it in that way. I. I thought the. The Broadway revival. I guess that's what it would be called. Right. The Broadway revival, the one with. That was at Circle in the Square. I loved it.
- [71:01]
Peter Filicia
So did.
- [71:03]
Michael Portantier
And I just thought. I was so sad that they. That that was. I remember that was one of Jordan Roth's first big things. And I was so sad that they couldn't make it work economically because I thought it was just great.
- [71:16]
Peter Filicia
So did I. Because it honored its audience. It essentially said, we would be nothing without that aud. Partition pacing. Way back when, they actually had a little. The stage had some seats on it with some mannequins in the seat represented.
- [71:31]
James Marino
Right.
- [71:31]
Peter Filicia
And, you know, I really thought they were getting themselves in trouble because that revival started with Give me an R. R. Give me an O. O. And I thought, they're asking for audience participation. They're essentially saying, okay, you can. You can participate. And I thought, whoa, this is going to really get out of hand. But I saw it two or three times, and I have to say, the audience did what was expected, but didn't go overboard on it at all. You know, it's always fasc about seeing Rocky Horror. The first time I ever saw was in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was how many people go to the bathroom during Once in a While the song that isn't in the movie, you know, so they feel like they don't need to hear it. What is this strange thing that's propped up here? How'd they get this in here? So I've always noticed that. So we'll see if that happens when we see it on Broadway this year.
- [72:20]
Michael Portantier
One thing I remember about the Broadway revival was that I specifically remember, you know, Dick Cavett was the narrator.
- [72:28]
Peter Filicia
Yeah.
- [72:28]
Michael Portantier
Start with him and Tom. You. It was Frank and Furter, and they both were excellent at. At controlling the audience response.
- [72:39]
Peter Filicia
You know, when you were saying about the. This wasn't just on 8th street or anything like that, or the Waverly. The thing is that the story I was telling about my kid was. Was in some suburban California place. But here's what's interesting, and I brought this up with Rocky Horror freaks who say, no, I don't know about that. But anyway, there's a scene where they're having dinner and there's a lot of cutlery on the table and somebody in the back of the audience said, how come there's only seven forks? And my kid actually was the one who said, because they haven't ate yet. And I'm telling you, everybody I've talked to said, no, no, no, I've never heard that. But it really was definitely a setup that the person said it and my kid knew what to say. I don't. I dare say my kid didn't know who it was who fed him the line, because there was no afterwards going up and saying, yeah, that was great, or anything like that. So I'm wondering, that's something I'm going to put out to our audience here. Does anybody know about that line, that exchange? Because nobody else does.
- [73:49]
Michael Portantier
So, no, never heard of it. But that is quite amusing.
- [73:54]
James Marino
So quickly, so we can wrap up for this morning, one last thing I wanted to mention to you is we have an Off Broadway transfer of Titanique. Now, do I recall that you both liked it off Broadway?
- [74:12]
Michael Portantier
Yes, on my part, yes.
- [74:13]
James Marino
Peter, did you like it off Broadway?
- [74:15]
Peter Filicia
I don't know Celine Dion or the Titanic movie well enough to have gotten the jokes, but I am going to watch the Titanic movie before I go see it, so at least I'll be covered on that ground. But I certainly am delighted with the success because Marlon Mindel is somebody I knew when I was teaching at the College of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She was a student there and her daddy has a musical coming up. Stephen Weiner is the composer of Monte Cristo, which we're going to see in the New York soon. I saw a reading last year. I'm telling you, it really is something how Peter Kellogg distilled that incredibly difficult novel and play and, and. And made it cogent. I mean, I. I always am amazed at what Winnie Holtzman was able to do with the first chapter of Wicked, Gregory Maguire's novel, how she distilled it perfectly, getting so much information, so little time that she had had at her disposal. And Peter Kellogg's achievement, I think, is really tantamount to that.
- [75:23]
James Marino
So my thought about Titanique is going into the St. James.
- [75:27]
Peter Filicia
Yeah, it's a little odd. Yeah, no question.
- [75:29]
James Marino
I mean, you know, comparisons are made between O Mary and Titanique, but O Mary got the perfect theater for that show. I'm not sure St. James is the perfect theater.
- [75:43]
Peter Filicia
Yeah. Indeed. Yeah. I think we'll all agree.
- [75:44]
Michael Portantier
I, I love, I really enjoyed Titan Off Broadway. I think the concept is hilarious that Celine Dion was actually present at the Titanic and also and Marla Mindel's performance was amazing and there were many other wonderful things about it. But I also do think that a lot of it was very, very silly in a way that that is, appeals to an Off Off Broadway audience that has drinks in them and, you know, including a bar that' and might not necessarily work on Broadway. So I will be interested to see how that goes.
- [76:29]
Peter Filicia
Which brings us back to high spirits, because in 1964, that's when they started serving liquor in the theater and at intermission. And Beatrice Lilly, doing high spirits at the time, said, you know, since they've been serving liquor at intermission, the laughs in the second act have gotten longer. People are really responding much more to the jokes, so it doesn't hurt.
- [76:55]
James Marino
All right, so that wraps it up for today. Before we get on to our brain teaser musical moment, I want to remind everybody that you can subscribe to these broadcasts by going to the front page of broadwayradio.com there's a subscribe link that way each and every time there's a new episode of this Week on Broadway, it'll be automatically downloaded to Apple Podcast for you. Of course, you don't have to listen to us in Apple Podcasts as many ways to get us. One way is Patreon P A T R E O n dot com broadwayradio is one way that you can support all of Broadway radio shows, including us getting us a little bit early and some of Matt Tamineni's extra episodes that he will be doing all throughout 2026. 6 and check out last Week on Broadway coming out very soon. Contact information for Peter, for Michael and 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?
- [77:55]
Peter Filicia
Indeed. Here are three phrases. I observe. The carpet bag, the pool of tears. How could these three phrases possibly have any affinity with Neil Simon? Well, in David Copperfield, Moby Dick, and Alison Wonder Wonderland, those three phrases are respectively the titles of each book's chapter two, which was the title of a 1977 hit play by Neil Simon. Lee Korn was the first to get it, followed by Paul Witty, Sean Logan, Josh Israel, Juliet Green, Tony Janicki, Stephen Sokoloff, and Brigad. This week's question. The Oscar winning film Gone with the Wind became a musical. The closed in San Francisco without braving bro Broadway. And 31 years before the Oscar winning film Grand Hotel became the musical called Grand Hotel in 1989, it had become a musical called at the grand that also closed in San Francisco without braving Broadway. However, there is an Oscar winning film that has the exact same name as yet another musical that closed out of town, but it's not an adaptation of that that film. It has nothing to do with that film. Only the name was the same. What's the name of both the Oscar winning film and the musical the Closed out of Town.
- [79:15]
James Marino
Okay, if you have an answer for us, email us@triviabroadrayradio.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?
- [79:25]
Michael Portantier
Well, I can think of no better way to ring out the old year and ring in the new than with some Marilyn in May, who is currently about to finish up her latest run of shows at the Birdland theater. She has two tonight at 7pm and 9:30pm and then tomorrow at 7. I'm really looking forward to this. Marilyn is going to be in conversation with Jim Caruso in the upstairs theater at Birdland at 7pm and she also also is going to perform several numbers. It's going to be one of those programs like Seth Rojet ski used to do and, and I guess like I've been doing at the Lori Beachman lately where it's mostly talk but then the performer gets up and sings as, as well. And Marilyn is a perfect subject for this kind of evening because as I've said many times, she is so, so hilarious and has so many stories and she really could have been a, a standup comedian if she, if she couldn't sing a note. So I'm looking forward to that. But for our musical moments, I found a clip of her hello Dolly medley that she did. Well, she does it often still in her show. But this is from 2019. Uh, at was then what was then called Feinstein's at 54 below. Um, and it's a really good clip. Just we, we're including a link to the the entire medley but the excerpts we're using for our opener and our closer are the opener is it only takes a moment and the closer is before the parade passes by. Marilyn did play Dolly in several major productions regionally along with Mame. Mame was her other roles. So two the two big Jerry Herman roles. But I've seen a video of her in Dol Dolly, and she was just fantastic in it for all those reasons that I that I just mentioned. So please enjoy a few moments with Marilyn May, who, who, you know, will certainly be, you know, is certainly heavily scheduled into the new year already. And so you can check out and see where you can catch her in upcoming months.
- [81:55]
James Marino
Okay, so on behalf of Michael Portentier and Peter Felicia, this is James Marino saying thanks so much for listening to Broadway radios this week on Broadway. Bye.
- [82:05]
Peter Filicia
Bye.
- [82:09]
Marilyn May
Look at that crowd up ahead.
- [82:18]
Peter Filicia
Up ahead.
- [82:20]
Marilyn May
Pardon me if my old spirit is showing? All those lights over there? Seem to be telling me where I'm going? Until expression marks light up the sky?
- [82:39]
Peter Filicia
I'm gonna raise the rope? I'm gonna carry on?
- [82:43]
Marilyn May
Give me an old.