This Week on Broadway for January 5, 2025: Best of 2024

Summary

BroadwayRadio Episode Summary: "This Week on Broadway for January 5, 2025: Best of 2024"

Introduction In this engaging episode of BroadwayRadio, host James Marino welcomes regular contributors Peter Felicia and Michael Portentier to discuss the standout moments and productions from Broadway in 2024. The conversation is rich with insights, personal anecdotes, and critical assessments, providing a comprehensive overview for both avid theatergoers and newcomers alike.

1. Calendar Release and Early Highlights At the onset ([01:09]), Peter Felicia introduces his latest creation—a day by day wall calendar titled "A Show Tune for Today: 366 Songs to Brighten Your Year." Released recently, the calendar has garnered positive feedback. Peter shares a notable quote from a Concord Theatricals employee, Zachary Otz, who expressed his commitment to listening to each selected song daily:

“I like what you picked. Or you reminded me of a song.” ([01:45])

2. Metropolitan Opera’s Aida Production Michael Portentier delves into his experience attending the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Aida ([05:44]). Directed by Michael Mayer, the production has sparked mixed reactions. Michael praises lighting designer Christine Jones and costumer Susan Hillfortee for their contributions but critiques Mayer's incorporation of a framing device that interjects archaeologists into the ancient Egyptian narrative.

“It's a very postmodern production in that way.” ([11:30])

Despite structural criticisms, the vocal performances shine. Angel Blue delivers a magnificent performance as Aida, stepping in for the ill Piotr Bexala with remarkable ease:

“He had to fly him in two days ago from Arizona… you would never for a second have known he had basically no rehearsal.” ([12:30])

However, the production is marred by Judith Kutasi’s portrayal of Amneris, which many found off-pitch and disappointing:

“She was singing off pitch about 40% of the time.” ([13:46])

The hosts highlight the resilience of other cast members like Morris Robinson and Harold Wilson, who provided stellar performances despite the setbacks.

3. Best of 2024: Peter Felicia’s Highlights Peter Felicia shares his top picks for the best Broadway shows of 2024, emphasizing both mainstream hits and off-Broadway gems:

• A Hat Full of Rain ([17:51]): Praised for superb direction by Paul Shamplin and exceptional sound design.

• Heart of Rock and Roll ([17:51]): Lauren Lotaro's choreography receives high commendation, though Peter laments its lack of Tony recognition.

• Via Galactica at 54 Below ([17:51]): Galt McDermott’s musical, though short-lived initially, is celebrated for its delightful music, especially the instrumental album featuring "Dance the Dark Away."

• Understudy Performances ([17:51]): Walter Marks shines as an understudy in Golden Rainbow, delivering memorable renditions of "I've Got to Be Me," while Gianna Harris impresses in Hell's Kitchen.

Peter also lauds Jennifer Simard's unique performances and highlights memorable roles by Sarah Paulson and others in various productions.

4. Michael Portentier’s Top Picks Michael complements Peter’s list with his own favorites:

• All the Villains Are Here ([22:01]): Commended for Patrick Page’s dynamic performances.

• Sweeney Todd ([22:01]): Praises for the original cast replacements, notably Jenna Dewal as Mrs. Lovett and Daniel Marconi as Tobias.

• Once Upon a Mattress ([24:37]): Sutton Foster’s portrayal of Princess Winnifred is a standout, with Michael appreciating the close staging that enhances comedic timing.

• Dead Outlaw and Other Off-Off-Broadway Gems ([28:23]): Anticipation builds for Dead Outlaw, an audible production eagerly awaited for its Broadway debut.

Michael also discusses successful revivals like Jersey Boys at the Engemann and emerging hits like Our Town under Kenny Leon's direction, despite differing opinions with Peter on certain productions.

5. Theaters and Production Insights Both hosts emphasize the importance of venue and staging in enhancing a show's reception. They discuss how on-stage orchestras in productions like Once Upon a Mattress allow audiences to better connect with performances compared to shows relegated further back, such as certain alternative productions mentioned critically.

6. Controversial and Underappreciated Shows The conversation touches on productions that did not fare as well:

• Cult of Love ([25:15]): Despite being a favorite of Peter Felicia and gaining popularity through word-of-mouth, there's skepticism about the effectiveness of certain marketing strategies like advertising on shows like Operation Repo.

• Our Town Revival ([52:02]): Peter praises Kenny Leon’s dynamic interpretation, contrasting with Michael’s view that it nearly wrecked the play, highlighting the subjective nature of theater critique.

7. Trivia and Musical Moments The episode includes a trivia segment ([74:17]), engaging listeners with Broadway-related questions, and a tribute to the late Linda Lavin ([77:16]–[78:26]). Michael honors Lavin’s impressive career in theater and television, showcasing clips from her performances in Broadway Bound and Gypsy. He defends her against critical reviews, asserting her prowess in roles like Rose in Gypsy.

8. Closing Remarks and Community Engagement James Marino wraps up the discussion by encouraging listeners to support the podcast through subscriptions and Patreon, mentioning exclusive content like Jan Simpson’s monthly check-ins for members. The hosts also tease upcoming segments, including a musical moment tribute and hints about future episodes.

Notable Quotes

• Peter Felicia ([01:45]): “I have to say that friends have been very intrigued by the calendar…”
• Michael Portentier ([12:30]): “He had to fly him in two days ago from Arizona… you would never for a second have known he had basically no rehearsal.”
• Peter Felicia ([13:46]): “She was singing off pitch about 40% of the time.”
• Michael Portentier ([24:39]): “Audiences love to see family members yell at each other. They love to see family drama.”
• Peter Felicia ([51:47]): “When am I going to be a wife again?”
• Michael Portentier ([52:08]): “That's part of the problem. He could never talk anything out.”
• Peter Felicia ([63:42]): “One has to wonder if indeed this had been produced 30, 40 years ago, their version of it, would it have done spectacularly well because of the book's title?”

Conclusion This episode of BroadwayRadio serves as a vibrant recap of the theatrical year, blending enthusiastic endorsements with thoughtful critiques. Through their dynamic conversation, James, Peter, and Michael offer listeners a nuanced perspective on what made 2024 a memorable year for Broadway, ensuring that whether you’re seeking recommendations or deeper insights, there’s something here for every theater enthusiast.

Listen and Subscribe Stay updated with the latest discussions and exclusive content by subscribing to BroadwayRadio on broadwayradio.com, Apple Podcasts, or Patreon at patreon.com/BroadwayRadio. Join the community and never miss an episode celebrating Broadway’s vibrant landscape.

Transcript

[Unknown Poet or Performer]

If I die it ain't gonna be from sittin'it's gonna be from fighting to get up and get out People can get all thrilled Big sweaters and sitting still that's okay for some people don't you know they're alive Some people can thrive in bloom Living life in a living room that's perfect for some people A one and fine but I gotta try When I think of all the sights that I gotta see at all places I gotta play those are things that I gotta be at Come on, humble, what do you say? Some people can be content playing bingo and paying rent that's pretty cheap for some people for some people to be but some people like me hello and.

[James Marino]

Welcome to Broadway Radio's this Week on Broadway for Sunday, January 5, 2025. My name is James Marino, and in the broadcast today we have Peter, Felicia and Michael Portentier. 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 has been released. Peter also has columns at MA, Broadway, select and many other places. Hello, Peter.

[Peter Felicia]

Hi, Peter.

[James Marino]

Did you flip the calendar?

[Peter Felicia]

Yes, yes, indeed I did. Didn't we all? Yeah. I have to say that friends have been very intrigued by. By the calendar. And I was very glad to see so many of my friends weigh in and say, gee, I like what you picked. Or you reminded me of a song. There's one young man, Zachary Otz, who works for Concord Theatricals, who swears he's going to listen to each of those songs each and every day, which is quite a thing. So anyway, it's received some nice plaudits, I'm happy to say.

[James Marino]

If he works at Concord, then it's actually part of his job.

[Peter Felicia]

I suppose it is. Well, he's working all the time.

[James Marino]

Theater is a full time job. It's 24 7, isn't it? Isn't it? Also with us is Michael Portantier. Michael's a theater reviewer and essayist. He's the founder and editor of castalbumreviews.com he's also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in the New York Times and other major publications. You could see his photography [e-mail]. hello, Michael.

[Michael Portantier]

Hello.

[James Marino]

Hello, Michael. Do you see the confetti cannons from where you are in Times, looking way above Times Square, down on it?

[Michael Portantier]

Well, I have a lot of buildings in my way between 10th Avenue and times Square, so I can't really see Much of anything. So I did watch it on TV from four blocks away. And I have to say I felt bad for everyone out there in the crowd because I was with a friend earlier around, I think, like, eight, and then we went out just to walk down the block and suddenly it was pouring.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

I mean, pouring. Pouring. And I'm not sure how long that lasted, but I think it was a while. And obviously all those people in Times Square already had to be there, you know, because they have to get their hours ahead of time. And I don't think they let them use umbrellas, so they had, like, parkas maybe in those big hat things. So that must have been pretty miserable. And then after that, it actually. I mean, once the rain stopped, it was not bad out. It was 45 degrees. It wasn't freezing. But that must have been a very unpleasant hour or two in the rain.

[James Marino]

I was. It. I guess it was New Year's Eve, New Year's morning, at least on Long Island. We had this really, really weird, unusual thunderstorm.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, yeah, yeah. No, we had that here. We had that.

[Peter Felicia]

Plenty of lightning.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, right. On New year's Eve, around 9, 10.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

Ye. Wow.

[Michael Portantier]

Maybe a little earlier.

[James Marino]

End of times. End of times. You know, the Four Horsemen. That and Starlight Express coming back to Broadway. So it was. It was. A new year has come upon us. And later on this morning, we're going to talk about what we liked best about 2024. But until then, Michael, you got up to the Metropolitan Opera to see a production of Aida, which is. Got a handful of Broadway folks in it in front of the footlights and behind the footlights. So tell us about it.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, it's directed by Michael Mayer, who I've always had very mixed feelings about, and I guess his track record in general, people would say, bears that out. Some great successes like Spring Awakening and a few others recently not having done so well, I guess, with Swept Away, although many people loved that show, even though it was a financial failure. And then I had major issues with his production of Funny Girl, but, you know, I mean, his wonderful Little Shop of Horrors, which is still running off Broadway, Very, very inconsistent in my mind, I guess sometimes the stars align and sometimes they don't. But I was curious to see it because it is also. It's the first new production that the Met has done in decades. They had an amazing, very, very lavish production with, you know, horses on stage and hundreds of people in the chorus and huge sets. And now they have one that's a very good production. Somewhat more minimal, but I still think it will satisfy anyone who wants to see Spectacle at the Met. It uses more projections than the previous production, but there are still actual. You know, I thought it might be all projections like Sunset Boulevard, but there are actual sets and then projections in addition to that. The production staff is set designer Christine Jones, costume designer Susan Hillfortee, lighting designer Kevin Adams, projection design of this collective called 59. And then the choreographer is Oleg Glushkov. You might not know him. And it really was. I think the first thing you need to know about this is something very interesting, but not entirely original. Michael Mayer has added a framing device to the story. As many of our listeners know, it's a story of ancient Egypt. But what happens here is the first thing we see is some guy who looks like he's dressed like Indiana Jones rappelling down into a tomb. And he is an archaeologist, and then he's joined by other archaeologists and they're, you know, supposedly, I guess, in the 1930s sometime, just looking through this ancient Egyptian tomb that they've discovered. And towards the end of the prelude, the orchestral prelude, he. He finds this one artifact and he holds it up to the light and. And the music changes and the lighting changes and then he goes off. And that's sort of where the story flashes back to the actual story of the opera, which, of course, would have taken place thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt. So when I saw that, I thought, this seems vaguely familiar. Why is that? And then I remembered that the Broadway musical Aida also has a framing. It's. The specifics are different in that one. It's to a modern man and woman in the present day meeting at a museum, you know, in the Egyptian section. And they. I mean, they meeting. When I say meeting, they don't know each other. They're two random men and a woman who happened to meet each other and sort of make a connection. Their eyes connect in the Egyptian section of the museum. And then there's the flashback, and they become the two main characters, Radames and Aida. But then in that, as I recall, and I could be wrong, in Elton John's Aida, then we never see the modern people again. The whole thing is a flashback here. I think the big flaw of this concept is that these archaeologist people kept showing up at various points during the opera reminding us, you know, of the. Of the framing device. And in fact, the big triumphal march was not. Normally it's the Egyptians carrying home all the spoils of war from their war with Ethiopia. But Here it was the archaeologists raiding the tomb. So it's a very postmodern production in that way. Interesting idea. I thought maybe was carried a little too far. But it does show at least some thought, you know, on the part of Michael Mayer and his team. And as I said, the production is still beautiful to look at. So on top of all that, there's very, very good news. Angel Blue is singing Aida and doing a magnificent job of it. You may have heard her as Bess and Porky. And Bess, she also was in La Ronde Dine. She was the lead in that at the Met. And I think I got very lucky because this was the second performance of the opera, I believe they just started last week. And the tenor who was supposed to sing, whose name is, excuse me, Piotr Bexala, although I didn't hear the broadcast, it was broadcast on opening night. I didn't hear it, but I heard from everyone that he was very ill and should not have gone on. So he was in fact replaced for the performance I attended by this magnificent South Korean tenor that I mentioned before. His name is Sukyong Baek, and I had heard him in Tosca and he sang Turandot last year. And he is just amazing. I think he's a rising star, maybe already a star, but it's going to take a while before more people learn about him. And the incredible thing about him is this. Aida was only to be done with one cast. Sometimes the operas are double, even triple cast, you know, over performances over a few months. This one only had one cast, I believe. And yo. And Mr. Back was not supposed to sing it at the Met. He was singing it elsewhere, but a different production. And so they had to fly him in two days ago from Arizona, where he was rehearsing another opera with the Arizona Opera. And I guess walk him through this production. And then he performed last night. Now with the role he knows cold from a musical standpoint, because as I say, he's singing it elsewhere, but he doesn't know the staging. You know, he doesn't know. He doesn't know the blocking. And there's lots going on with scenery coming in and out. And you would never for a moment have known for a second that he had basically no rehearsal. So my hat is off to him. I mean, it's just incredible to. It's a difficult role to begin with and then to have to deal with all that happening. So that. That was really wonderful. A very low point, I'm sorry to say, is the singer of Amneris a woman named Judith Kutasi who sang off pitch about 40% of the time.

[Peter Felicia]

Wow.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah. And everyone is talking about, I'm really sorry to say this, people are saying they do not understand why she's at the Met. Somebody suggested it must have been something like a package deal. They must have. There must have been somebody else they really wanted and they took her along with it. But that should not happen in a major opera house. That was really, really unfortunate. But the other, the other singers, there were two more substitutions. So something's really going around in New York, folks. Not just at Gypsy Aida. The role of Ramfist was sung by Morris Robinson and the role of the King was sung by Harold Wilson and they were both fantastic as well. So check the calendar for upcoming performances of Aida. It's not a perfect production, but I think you will be very happy with it. You may not see Mr. Back, you may not see Suk Yong back because I imagine Piete Becala will be back as soon as he feels better. But I still think it's really worth it. And I was very, very happy. Oh, and conducted by the Mets music director Yannick Nezes Seguin just beautifully. So that was another huge, tremendous plus for a very, very special evening at the Met.

[James Marino]

So the Metropolitan Opera website has Sekyoung back as performing Tuesday night, the 7th.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, interesting 7th.

[James Marino]

And they have a new Radames coming in in March, April and May. Looks like.

[Michael Portantier]

What's that one's name?

[James Marino]

Brian.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, yeah, yeah. I forget how you pronounce it. Yeah. J, A, G, D, E. Is that right?

[James Marino]

Yes, that's correct. Yeah, yeah. So Peter Big Sala, if I got that correct, it has a five dates in later in January, but that seems to be the end of the run for him. And the Judith that you were talking about, she's got a number of dates but they do have two other one other Omnaris in April and May. So again, the Metropolitan Opera website is great. And tickets start at $10.

[Michael Portantier]

And yes, my front row, the top tier at the Met is called the Family Circle and then the balconies in front of that. So the Family Circle is the back, back and it's the, you know, of course the less expensive tickets. But we were in the front row of the Family Circle, which is really not bad. And the ticket price was $37.80.

[Peter Felicia]

I love the 80 cents.

[Michael Portantier]

For, you know, a 90 piece orchestra, 150 voice chorus. It's just amazing, just amazing.

[James Marino]

So definitely not the Elton John Aida which. No, keep on hearing off and on rumors.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. Don't back to Broadway.

[James Marino]

So.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, first I've heard of that.

[James Marino]

Yeah. No, here and there. Keep on getting here and there.

[Peter Felicia]

Exactly. Right.

[James Marino]

Here and there.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, his other shows, unfortunately, keep flopping. So maybe. Yeah, maybe they'll bring that one back.

[James Marino]

So. All right, well, you know, that could make next year. This time it could make the list of the best of 2025. But that's right this morning we're talking about the best of 2024. And, Peter, why don't you get us started on some of your thoughts about what were the best things you saw of 2024.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, you know, I'm going to start with a very strange one, and that is the fact that I was in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and I went to see a production of A Hat Full of Rain at Interstage Left Theater. And it was superbly directed by Paul Shamplin. But also, the one thing I want to point out is given that so many awards now today organizations give out an award to best sound. I also want to say the sound on this was extraordinary. The microphones did exactly the right thing. Anyway, I know that more people are interested in what happened in our neighborhood here in the 10036 zip cod. So I will concentrate on that. But the one thing that stands out immediately, and I was very sorry it didn't get a Tony denomination. Lauren Lotaro's choreography for the Heart of Rock and Roll, which I thought was quite extraordinary. So I enjoyed that quite a bit. For music, I'm going to mention that at 54 below, Galt McDermott's Via Galactica was given a presentation. It was mostly a memory show. James dibus and some others who were in the original cast talked about what experience was like. For those who don't know, we're talking about Via Galactico was a musical written by Galt McDermott, who did Hair and Two Gentlemen of Verona. And it only lasted a week. It opened what was then the Urus Theater, now the Gershwin. And supposedly it was a big mess. I missed it. What can I tell you? Anyway, but the music was delightful and it was great to hear such songs as Dance the Dark Away. There is an album that simply gives music no lyrics, just music. And I recommend it highly. I'm also going to point out that my favorite understudy performance of the year came from Walter Marks. That name may be familiar to you because he wrote the score to Bijoux and Golden Rainbow. And when Max von Essen was able unable to Do Golden Rainbow for a performance or two at the York. I went to see Walter Marks, and there's always something wonderful about hearing a composer do his own work. And it was especially effective when, of course, he got to the big song that everybody knows, I've Got to Be Me. So that was great as well. And for another understudy who I thought was magnificent was Gianna Harris, standing in for the lead in Hell's Kitchen. I thought she was really quite good, too. So nice to see Len carry you again in Tuesdays with Mari playing a teacher who gets afflicted. And there's a very loyal student of his who comes to see him quite often. Sarah Paulson was astonishing and appropriate playing the matriarch of a family who certainly won't let go. She has a million opinions and expresses them very powerfully. So I thought she was great, too. Patrick Page and All the Villains Are Here, in which she did a show about Shakespeare, but also talked about things in contemporary terms as well. So that was very entertaining. So those are some of the ones that come out to right in mind. I'm interested to hear what Michael and James has to say. But before I turn that over, I will also mention that it was great fun seeing Jennifer Simard, who's always so wonderful and just. It's wonderful to see her get now a lead in the show. You might say Megan Hilty is leading. Death becomes her. And I understand that, too. But this might be a situation where we actually have two nominees in the same category for the Tonys. I wouldn't be a bit surprised, because Jennifer is truly an original. There's nobody like her. And that is one of the greatest compliments you can give any performer. And so that's what comes to mind immediately. I will go on, but I want to turn it over to our colleagues.

[James Marino]

Okay. Michael, what do you think?

[Michael Portantier]

I have several overlaps with Peter, including some very specific ones. Let's see, the first thing on my list is all the Devils Are Here. Wonderful show. Which Patrick has done elsewhere. Yeah, not only New York. I'm so glad he's brought it for other people to see. Some of my best. Well, I don't think. Let's see, they weren't all understudies, but after seeing Sweeney Todd with the original cast, I went back to see it with Nicholas Christopher as Sweeney, Jenna Dewal as Mrs. Lovett, and Daniel Marconi, whom I know slightly actor friend of mine as Tobias. And all three of them were absolutely magnificent. Oh, and also Raymond Lee played Pirelli in that performance. And it was, I would say, equivalent, if not better, to the experience I had with the original cast. There seemed to be more energy with these substitutions. And I was very happy to see Jenna De Waal get that Plum role, if only as a temporary replacement because she was so good in Diana, even though I thought that show overall was hot.

[Peter Felicia]

I agree entirely. Yeah, she was very good.

[Michael Portantier]

Yes. And I love it when someone survives something like that and gets to go on. So I hope we keep seeing her in other things. She was really, really wonderful as Mrs. Lovett. Once upon a Mattress. I enjoyed both at City center and on Broadway. I think maybe a little bit more at City center because it was more of a. You know, it was the first time. And so it was more of a surprise at how very, very good it was with a wonderful cast, including Sutton Foster and. And Michael Urie, you know, two really comic geniuses. Appropriate was a wonderful surprise, as I've said repeatedly, and I think just last week or the week before, in discussing the Zachary Quinto play. What's the title?

[Peter Felicia]

Cult of Love. Cult of Love.

[Michael Portantier]

Cult of Love.

[James Marino]

Yeah, that's right.

[Michael Portantier]

Audiences love to see family members yell at each other. They love to see family drama. You know, I think maybe it's a catharsis because of what we have in our own lives.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, yeah. As I like to say the term relative humility. Yes. It's. It's when my parents. My parents and I and everybody else got together and everybody got hot under the collar. So that's relative humidity. Yes, indeed. Go on, Michael.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, so that. I think they really tapped into that. I mentioned seeing two. Two. Two very good Titanics, one at nyu, and then later there was, of course, the. The City center version. I was so pleasantly surprised by two shows at Circle in the Square, both directed by Sam Gold, An Enemy of the People and Romeo and Juliet. Because, again, like Michael Mayer, I suppose I have been very much back and forth on Sam Gold's previous directorial efforts. He did a wonderful job with, you know, when he took on At Circle in the Square, Fun Home, I thought he did a really great job with that. But then there were other things that I thought he was completely at sea with. But both of these shows, I mean, they had some of his signature trademarks of very odd staging and odd conceptions of certain scenes and characters and things like that. But yet I thought they both worked absolutely beautifully, largely because of excellent cast. Jeremy Strong was amazing in An Enemy of the People, and Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler and many of their other very Young cohorts in Romeo and Juliet, which I think turned out to be one of the biggest hits of this season. I haven't been following the grosses lately, but I think it's like way, way, way, way up there. I mean, you know, bearing in mind that the theater is smaller than some other theaters. What else? Jersey Boys at the Engemann I mentioned was a stellar production. It was fun to see that show again after so long. O Mary, I think I would have to say worked as well off Broadway and on. And I'm still flabbergasted at how well it has worked on Broadway and how well it has gone over and what an incredible, phenomenal, stupendous hit it is. This is why I'll never be a producer. Would never, ever, ever, ever have got. And I wasn't alone. So that makes me feel a little better.

[Peter Felicia]

But boy, no, that has been said many times, many ways.

[James Marino]

Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

No question. Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

Saw a wonderful, very small, semi professional spring awakening musical at the center at West Park. Oh, Dead Outlaw, which I think we've mentioned, has only recently finally been announced for Broadway. Everyone I know loved it when we saw it down at the Off Broadway.

[Peter Felicia]

At the Minetta Lane.

[Michael Portantier]

Manetta Lane. This audible production of Dead Outline, as we mentioned before, they haven't made a cast album, but since it's an audible production, the whole thing has been recorded. And I was told. We were told by. By Andrew Durand. I was told by Andrew Durant, the lead, that they were waiting to release that until they had more information on when the show is going to come to Broadway. So I think you can be looking for that as well. That recording will be a wonderful thing to have and I can't wait to see how Broadway takes to Dead Outlaw, but I think it's going to be a big hit as well. Teeth very much enjoyed. Another one that Peter mentioned was Tuesdays with Maury and specifically for the chance to see Len carry you again on stage, which is always a pleasure and a privilege. Another one Peter mentioned, the heart of rock and Roll. Makes me very sad that that show closed so quickly. I thought it was utterly delightful and pretty much a model of a jukebox musical. And I guess it's just poor marketing. No big star in it, although Corey Kot should be. Well, you know, we could speculate. I don't know what happened exactly. I hope that show has a future life. Let's see, I did my two shows at 54 below Jerry Orbach's Broadway Reprise and 54 Loves cast albums, but also Saw many, many, many, many other wonderful shows there at 54 and other venues. Marilyn May, Melissa Erico, Christine Petty, Norm Lewis, Ben Jones. A toast to Steve and Edie. Liz Calloway, with two different cohorts, Jason Grah and her sister, Anne Hampton Calloway, Telly Leong, Santino Fontana, Sam Harris, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

[Peter Felicia]

Michael. May I ask about this Steven Eady show, because I saw one that was at the small Carnegie hall space. This is a different one still.

[Michael Portantier]

No, that was it.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, all right. I thought. I thought you meant 54. All these.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, no, I was. Yeah, I was just. Yeah, doing it.

[Peter Felicia]

That was good. That was good. Yeah. And what a wonderful word. Good for you.

[Michael Portantier]

But.

[Peter Felicia]

Yes, Well, I love it.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, and on the cabaret front, I have to apologize. I mangled my notes last week when I was talking about Marilyn May and also talking about Melissa Erico and Billy Stritch, and I mentioned Marilyn's three phenomenal musicians, but I assigned them to the wrong show. I assigned them to Melissa and Billy. So it was Marilyn, who was with the great Ted Firth as her pianist and musical director, and Tom Hubbard, excuse me, Tom Hubbard on bass and Daniel Glass on drums. And that was in the downstairs theater, the theater at Birdland. And Marilyn. Then I saw her on 28 December, but she also rang in the New Year there with her New Year's Eve show. And now she's off to some other city, but I'm sure she'll be back soon and we'll. We'll enjoy seeing her again, won't we?

[Peter Felicia]

No question about that. I also like Rachel McAdams very much in Mary Jane. Very tough play about a woman who has a child with many, many disabilities, an infant, really. And whether or not he'll survive much longer is a good question. But the fact that she is inured to this life, that she is, she takes it for granted now because she's been doing it day after day after day. It was. Was amazing to watch the. The strength that she had and the forgiveness that she had when talking about the fact that her husband had to leave. He just couldn't do it. And she understood that that was his failing and she didn't castigate him for it, which is quite the thing. Most people will castigate a mate for this, that, and the other thing, but this was a case where she wouldn't do that whatsoever. The choreography of Illinois was quite. Quite startlingly wonderful, and it told the story rather well. I also was very impressed. Oh, by Once Upon a Mattress. But this brings up something I wanted to say. One of the wonderful things about shows that travel from encores, be it Chicago or into the woods or what have you, is the fact that the orchestra is on stage, leaving very little playing space for the actors. That would sound like a liability. But the thing is, it's always so wonderful when shows are played up front, up front and close. The audience can see it better, can enjoy it better, even to the point at which a lot of people say in the first rows, the expressions that people give on their faces, they're so wonderful. Yeah, yeah, you can see it much better. One of the biggest problems with the show that was recently, York, that will go nameless, that everything was played so far upstage. So. And you can't do that when an uncle's production is either done at City center or moves. So that is one of the wonderful assets of having an orchestra on stage. And it was one of the reasons why a show that relies on such comedy, comedy definitely profits from being close to the stage. Once Upon a Mattress, with this oh so witty book and magnificently witty lyrics, played very, very well there. So, yes, that Sutton Foster was marvelous, so was Michael Urie. But also the fact that it got to play it close was no small achievement either. We've gone a long time before mentioning Stereophonic, which was an amazing surprise hit, especially because the fact that it had a number of people in the cast, more than the average Tony winning play, I would say. And. And it was really great to see that move from Playwrights Horizons to Broadway and do so well there. And what's really amazing to me, this is a tangent, but I'm going to go on it because this is. I want to bring this up. It is so bizarre to me. For whatever reason, my television, when I turn off a DVD, defaults to station 2550, on which there is often a show called Operation Repo. And Operation Repos shows low life people taking cars away from low life people. Now it's what's. Also, there's a show called Trucker Hell. Okay, you get the point. Why am I bringing this up? Because Stereophonic advertises on this channel in the middle of Operation Repo and Trucker Hell. So did Yellowface, so does Cult of Love. And I wouldn't think that the audience that's interested in these shows would be willing to shell out 100, 200, $300 a tick ticket for these plays. I'm amazed that they show up. So I'm pretty startled. And people say to me, well, I Guess it's a package. I guess it is. But nevertheless, has any ticket been sold to any of these shows as a result of these commercials? Okay. It was great fun to see Mia Farrow come back on stage and in the Notebook. So I like that quite a bit, even though I didn't like the play very much, I have to say. And Michael and I will always do battle on Cabaret. Yes. Which indeed, as I've mentioned many times, I like for four elements in the show which I thought were quite innovative and I appreciated them immeasurably so. And Michael hasn't been yet, but I have, and that's Gypsy. And the thing about Gypsy, as I've mentioned, is that there are so many deft touches that George C. Wolf has put in. There is. Especially the one where they're in the burlesque house. They just got there, and Tessie Tour is furious with one of the girls for picking up her G string and putting it around her neck, thinking it's a necklace. By the time they have to leave the burlesque house, Tessie Tour is giving it to her as a present. What a wonderful thing. I'm telling you, there are so many wonderful touches and Audrey McDonald makes an their own, so that's really wonderful, too. And Danny Burstein, you know, I. I always wonder why so many actors of note are willing to take this part. Because it's a small part, considerably speaking. And, you know, when you're up against a powerhouse like Rose, you're not going to come out smelling like roses. I mean, you're just not. Except, you know, some people really know how to do this role. I mean, after all, Boyd Gaines wanted Tony for it and. But Jack Klippman was very well known when he originated way back when. Anyway, Danny Burstyn is quite wonderful and you understand why he took it when his confrontation scene with Rose deep in act two, he's magnificent in it. But I think it's an extraordinarily worthwhile production and. And we'll see if Michael agrees with me or he feels that this is Cabaret reborn. That indeed we're going to do battle on that. So I also like the projections and the settings of the Great Gatsby quite a bit, which has really turned out to be a powerhouse hit that many people didn't after the. The critics got through with it. But nevertheless, it has turned out to be a real popular success. And it's really nice when a show can originate at the Broadway Theater. That's the actual name of the theater. I wish they'd Rename it anyway, and. Because it's a big house, you know, and. But that big house is accommodating a lot of people, and so that's really quite fine. Suffs. Making the move from off Broadway, too, I thought was very effective. I'm sorry that this is. Stay for it. Aside from the fact that they made a mockery of Woodrow Wilson, which didn't have to be done. It was very effective and certainly a lot of work was done on it. And I was delighted that Chain of Top got Tony's best score. And, you know, that's. It's funny, I just said Tony's for best score. Maybe they should give two of them. I mean, I throw for music and lyrics. That's never occurred to me before, but maybe that'd be a good idea. So. So those are some others that I liked. Michael.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, didn't there used to be separate Tonys for that? Or am I thinking of the Drama desk?

[Peter Felicia]

That's only happened once, and it's ironic it happened. And the winners. And the winners are. Stephen Sondheim for Company. That was the only year they separated them.

[Michael Portantier]

One year.

[Peter Felicia]

One year. That was it. That's it.

[Michael Portantier]

How interesting, isn't it?

[Peter Felicia]

You know, but it is. How fitting, too, that the only person to win two awards, two Tonys for a score, would be Stephen Sondheim. I mean, what could be more fitting than that? So, yeah, the drama desk does separate music and lyrics, and I think it's a good idea. I do. I mean, after all, there are plenty of shows where we like the music and not the lyrics and vice versa. So, I mean, they are two separate things. So I don't. I. I do believe that that should be reinstated, and I'd love to know how it happened that one year and how it hasn't happened since or before. So that'll be of interest to me. Be.

[Michael Portantier]

Before I go on with my list, I actually have a question, Peter, prompted by your remarks about. Well, actually about Once Upon a Mattress with the. With the orchestra, you know, being featured. I. As. As you said, I have not seen Gypsy yet, and it has not occurred to me to ask, and I don't think I've read, is the orchestra featured in Gypsy in any way?

[Peter Felicia]

Well, there's a passerelle.

[Michael Portantier]

There is a passerelle.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. Like hello, Dolly. So.

[Michael Portantier]

So they're in between, and so they're sort of visible. If you're. Especially if you're sitting upstairs, you can.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, upstairs, sure. But I can't say that I. I noticed them I was sitting reasonably close in the orchestra. I can't say that I saw them at all. I didn't even see the famous interaction between Rose and the. And the conductor, the first scene. But sometimes you. You do see that. But I. I didn't. That may be that I was looking somewhere else at that moment in time. But nevertheless. But that's where the orchestra is.

[Michael Portantier]

But. And the passerelle is open. It's not covered. I mean, you can see the musicians are. Are. Are not covered.

[Peter Felicia]

No, they're not covered.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay, that's good.

[James Marino]

Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

I was wondering how they dealt with it, because in the. In the last production, it wasn't the orchestra on stage and then like, rode down and then rode back.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, people on the move from encores. Yeah, yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

Right.

[Peter Felicia]

So. Yeah, yeah. But there is value to that. I mean, I. I know that nobody wants to see stripped down productions. You know, for all the talk about people using the term trappings, both sets and costumes, I don't see where those are traps. I think those are fonts. But anyway, we do hear that, you know, when an encore show moves that, gee, you know, you're really being shortchanged. And I'm not disagreeing with that. The prices are awfully high for something that is a glorified concert. But nevertheless, nevertheless, the asset you do get is that everything is played close and it makes a big difference.

[Michael Portantier]

Yes.

[James Marino]

A question that has nothing to do with anything you're talking about, because I must.

[Peter Felicia]

That should be a line in a play. Really, somebody should do that, you know, because that's real life. You know, We've all said that, you know, so. Yeah. Playwrights, Are you listening? Incorporate that in your next play, because.

[James Marino]

I'm pedantic and simple. You were talking about the passerelle, and then my mind went wandering to, of course, Forbidden Broadway. And Randy Graff fell into the band. And the turntables making us dizzy and things like. Did anybody. Did Randy Graff actually ever fall into the band?

[Peter Felicia]

I find that as a rumor, but I don't know. I run into her into the subway every now and then. I'll have to ask her.

[Michael Portantier]

I saw her at a diner last week. I wish I had known.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, really?

[James Marino]

Oh, Michael, you wrote the book on forbidden Broadway. You didn't know this Randy Graff fell into the band.

[Michael Portantier]

Is he. I assume he just made it up and he used her name because he. He knew it would be recognized. And also that it would be recognized. Yeah, but I will ask. I will. I will research.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. By the way, when People say he wrote the book. They usually mean that as a metaphor. But Michael really did wrote the book on Broadway. So a terrific book and it's well, well, well worth getting.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, thank you.

[James Marino]

Oh, it's funny the way that you guys were talking about the Tony Awards. You know, just on certain years they just make up their own rules that go off a whole different direction.

[Peter Felicia]

Absolutely. Yeah. Y. Every committee is different. So.

[Michael Portantier]

And wasn't there, I forget, did they actually in state for one year their.

[Peter Felicia]

Replacement Tony, that never happened. They did say it was going to.

[Michael Portantier]

Happen and then it didn't. Right.

[Peter Felicia]

You know, it's funny, there's. There's a furniture store in, on 7th Avenue like around 15th street and I always think of the replacement Tony. That never happened when I'm there, when I'm passing by, because I was. Because after the Tonys were nominations were announced that day I was driving to work and it was at that point on the street where I said, wait a minute, what about the replacement Tony? There was no explanation given at the, at the actual press conference where they announced the Tony nominations. None at all. They were just pretending like it never happened and was never mentioned. The reason given eventually was the fact that you'd have to have all these people come back to these shows, you know, a big hits, you know, that didn't want to accommodate all these free people. So, so that was the, the real reason. It's not that they feel that replacements are not worthy and you will find from Ron Castler's wonderful new book the Show Goes on that quite many replacements are quite worthy.

[James Marino]

It just makes me, makes me laugh because every industry has their own thing.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh indeed.

[James Marino]

You know, they, they like we're making up our own rules. I was, I was at dinner the other night across the street from Camden Yards in Baltimore.

[Peter Felicia]

You were?

[James Marino]

Yeah, and I was with my, my family, my wife and kids and my son said you, they, they moved the outfield fence in Camden Yards. They moved it back in because not enough people were hitting home runs and they wanted to beat the Yankees. So. So Peter, as you having actually written the book book, you know, I just wanted to get confirmation on this, you know.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, as a long term Baltimore Oriole fan, I have mixed emotions about that. Especially the last two years with. They've done so well during the season and not well at all during the playoffs. But that's another story and thanks for reminding me. James, any question?

[James Marino]

You know, it's, it's only six weeks to pitches a gacha.

[Peter Felicia]

Isn't that Amazing. Boy, boy, time really does flew at supersonic speeds. So really something.

[James Marino]

Michael, what else is on?

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, go ahead, Michael.

[James Marino]

Yeah, Michael, what else is on your list?

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, yeah, There are some I didn't want to fail to mention. I saw that wonderful tick tick boom at George street again starring Daniel Marconi, who was really just fantastic as John. And I saw that amazing, amazing production, tiny little production of A view from the bridge by the soup theater company. That's s O P seat of our pants Theater company and a tiny little space downtown with just this phenomenal, phenomenal cast. Directed by Francesco Campari and with Paul Romanello as Alfieri, Douglas Dickerman as Eddie Carbone, Sarah Romanello as Catherine, Leah Bonfigo as Beatrice, Danny Geraldo as Marco, Patrick Clark as Rodolfo. And then Trey Shields and Lucas Gust taking up the rest of the cast. One of my favorite plays that I've directed myself and just an absolute, absolute gem of a little production that I reviewed magnificently. And they, they were all thrilled by that. They unfortunately, they tried to either transfer it or extend it and they were denied because I think because, and they think because there was a recent production in London that there was rumors, you know, there's always rumors or hopes or what that it might come in. And I have heard no word of it. So I don't, I don't think that is going to happen. But now it's too late for this production. But I, I, I just can't tell you how, how wonderful it was, every single aspect of it and kind of helped that it was in this tiny, tiny little space.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, that's a very good point. That because the Carbones are not wealthy people and as a result they would have a small of apartments. One of the big problems years ago at paper mill was they did the Diary of Anne Frank and I mean, good lord.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh God. Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

There was the father walking around upstairs. Upstairs in what looked like an airplane hangar. I mean, it was just so. But you know, I want to bring up something else and I'm not sure I would take this advice that I'm giving if indeed I were an out of towner. I've often said that if you're out and out of town and you come to town, yes, of course you want to see the Broadway shows, of course you do. I get it, I understand, I do. But if you can find it in your heart, and you will certainly find it better in your pocketbook to go to one off Broadway show and one off off Broadway show, if indeed there's a Title you like. For example, here's Michael saying, I directed View from the Bridge once. And so it obviously means something to him. If there's a title you like and it's being done off off Broadway, give it a chance. Going back to the baseball, the Yankees used to have this ad campaign saying, at any moment, a great moment, meaning the team could be down 9 to nothing and you'd see the longest home run of a hit or an astonishing play, what have you. Anything can happen at any given time. And that's true of theater, too. At any moment, a great moment. And as a result, if you can tear yourself away from the shows that you have heard are wonderful on Broadway, and if you can do it. And again, I'm not sure I would have when I was living in Boston. I understand, I understand. But I don't think this is such bad advice.

[Michael Portantier]

No, absolutely. And. And to go back to what you said, I mean, the tiny space was perfect. Not only because they're poor and they, you know, they have a small apartment, but the play is a pressure cooker.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

You know, you have this guy living initially with his wife and his wife's niece, and he's falling in love with the niece, but even though he's not admitting it and not, you know, and then these two immigrants from Italy come to stay with them, and then the girl winds up falling in love with one of the guys. And let's just say that things do not go well. So. And, you know, to have it in this tiny space where you felt like, oh, my God, what's going to happen next? It was incredible.

[Peter Felicia]

I think of you from the Bridge as one of the smartest lines ever, and that because we're talking about a family that does keep a lot of secrets, and it's hard for them to express what they really mean. It is so effective when the wife says to the husband, eddie, when am I going to be a wife again?

[Michael Portantier]

Right.

[Peter Felicia]

Meaning when are we going to have sex again? And that's exactly what that woman would say. She would not be able to say, you know, when are we going to bed again? It's too frank, you know, And I think that's really so clever about the Millets who have done that.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, that's an excellent point. And yeah. And the fact that Eddie is, I think, extremely inarticulate, articulate.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

And that's part of the problem. He, you know, he could never talk anything out, so. And when he goes to meet those two scenes where he meets with a lawyer, he just can't quite make it clear, you know, what the problem is.

[Peter Felicia]

That's right. Yes. That's an excellent scene. Yeah. Yeah. And also the fact the famous kiss also comes from not being able to express what he's saying.

[Michael Portantier]

Absolutely.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. Yeah. That's an example of show don't tell. But it's not the way he really wanted to do it. Not really. So that's. That's some. I will never forget being in Israel and seeing a production of it there. And when that kiss happened, that audience reaction was unlike any I have ever seen. It probably 10 productions of a View from the Bridge in which they almost mocked Rudolfo for letting it happen to him.

[Michael Portantier]

It was.

[Peter Felicia]

It was so bizarre. Yeah. By the way, Linda once wrote an article called Being the girlfriend of a show Freak. And she. Her. Her big line was the fact that I went to see A View from the Bridge in Israel in Hebrew, and I came back and said I had a hell of a time. And I did. But anyway, to.

[Michael Portantier]

To go through the rest of my best. The rest of my best. There was that incredible one night Follies at Carnegie hall as a benefit for the transport group. That was kind of amazing with all those stars. And then on a much smaller note, there was that delightful surprise of the Sabbath Girl that Neil Berg's musical, which I was delighted, got such a wonderful response and now has a wonderful cast album. And I'm sure that show will have a future life. Two shows I saw at Kennedy Center 9 and the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, both wonderful productions. We have to mention. What a phenomenon. I think people, theater historians, will look back on 2024 and say, well, this was the year that not one, but two Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals were completely reimagined in a way that almost threw out the original concepts of the shows. Keeping the score, but the original conception of the staging and the characters, pretty much. And Cats and Sunset Boulevard, both huge hits. So that doesn't happen very often. And I wonder if it'll lead to a lot more radical deconstructions of shows. We'll see.

[Peter Felicia]

I mean, maybe Will.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah. And. Well, especially if Jamie Lloyd, you know, Cats was not Jamie Lloyd. But. But, yeah, yeah, we'll see with that. Hold on to me, darling.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

A lovely.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Adam Driver, really excellent and quite a powerful play. But the final scene with Frank Wood, where a rock and roll a country star meets the father he hasn't known, was astonishingly effective. But Adam Driver was very good in playing a guy who was so wanted to do the right thing and didn't know how and often stumbled and didn't quite see that the ramifications of what he was doing was so severe. And. But. And the title turned out to have a wonderful meaning as well. So that was really something. That was a revival. It was originally done at the Atlantic Theater Company, though not with Adam Driver. But the year got off on Broadway to a great start with the revival of Prayer for the French Republic, an excellent play that really started up with such gangbusters. You come to visit your distant relatives. You barely know who they are. You come to visit and within five minutes there's an eruption of an argument. And you imagine being in the middle of an argument when you're a visitor. People are hot and heavy arguing. And what's the argument about? Well, the grown son walks around town with a yarmulke on. And indeed his mother says, can't you wear a baseball cap over the amica? Well, that destroys the point of showing your own identity and you should have the right to wear whatever you damn please. And he doesn't want to do what the mother says because indeed, then you might as well not be wearing the yarmulke. So that is just the first few minutes of this magnificent play. And we are very, very, very, very lucky to have Joshua Harmon writing plays for us because of his best. And it was great to see it come from the Manhattan Theatre Club to their theater on Broadway.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, I was not as positive on that play, but I thought there were some wonderful things in it. And he has a new play coming up, doesn't he?

[Peter Felicia]

Yes. I forget what it's called, but yes, we'll look forward to that.

[Michael Portantier]

And then finally to close out my best of the best, in no particular order. Well, we mentioned Cult of Love and Eureka Day. How great that right at the end of the year, these two wonderful plays open to such great acclaim and just really getting humor from unlikely sources, you know, But. But so wonderful to hear. And I don't know if y'all agree with me. There's nothing like sitting in a theater and just hearing waves of laughter from an audience one after another. I don't think you could possibly even clock the laughs in Eureka Day especially. But also Cult of Love. And then what a beautiful surprise was maybe happy ending indeed. Oh, gosh. And I have not been following. Maybe. Maybe you guys have. I've heard that it started off very slowly at the box office and now is picking up greatly just on magnificent across the board rave reviews and what I'm sure must Be phenomenal. Word of mouth.

[Peter Felicia]

I am literally getting thank you messages from people suggesting it. It's a. Emails at New Year's Eve at the party. The. The hostess pointed out that on my. My recommendation that she go. And she was so glad she did. And I think she sold a few tickets to the party that night because so many people were so impressed by what she had to say. Yeah. A delightful surprise. And it was also a wonderful experience with seeing Gray Henson and Elf. A tremendously committed performance. Oh, it so good. He really captured the character. But you really. You really felt he was a leader, that this is a guy who. It's often said that you really need a leader in production. And I remember when Sweet Smell of Success happened, everybody connected with it was saying to me, but John Lithgow is such a great leader. I got that impression from Gray Henson too, so. So I was very glad to see him so in control of not only what he was doing, but somehow it seemed like he was in control of the whole show, which really something. Yeah. I really admired Our Town. A lot of people complained it was too quick. They really didn't like that at all. Kenny Leon did do it at a breakneck pace, but I really believe that indeed he was trying to say that life goes by quickly, which indeed is part of the message of the play. It wouldn't surprise me if indeed I met Kenny Leon and said, oh, I love that's what that meant. And he said, no, that isn't what I meant at. That happened once with the sisters Rosenzweig when I was doing a panel with Wendy Wasserstein, Jane Alexander, Madeline Kahn and Frances McDormand. I brought up something and I said, oh, wow, I love that scene. They all looked at me and said, we didn't mean that at all. So it's possible we all read things into things. And maybe I'm reading that into that quick pace, but I don't think I am. I think that's what he really meant. And it was really something to see Our Town again done very differently. It wasn't business as usual at all. And for those of us who've seen many in Our Town, and I think that probably includes many of our listeners since it's a staple in high schools and colleges, it was very refreshing to see it be done in a very different way that worked. Certainly there were shows this year that were done in a very different way that I felt didn't work. Enough. Enough said.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah. Now, as I've mentioned, we. We part ways on Our Town. I Thought they, they almost wrecked the play, I. And I. And when I hear people say that they like it, I, I. Well, I think. I think it's just a case of the script overcoming the direction. But, you know, that's. Yeah, I did not have been telling everyone that that would. Yeah, basically that would not be on my list of things to go see what else, you know, rest in peace. But Lempicka I just did not. Just did not relate to at all. And the Great Gatsby is fascinating to me because I think it's so poorly written. And I suppose the tremendous success is partly because it's such a familiar property. I'm told it is still taught in schools on the reading list lists. And then partly because, I guess, of the tremendous apparent star power of Jeremy Jordan. So we'll see how it goes without him. And. And I did really love the physical production as much as. As much as Peter did. Although I don't know how much that had to do with the. You know, the. The success of it.

[Peter Felicia]

No, I don't either. I wouldn't attribute the success to the projections or the sets or anything like that, but. But they were great as they were. Yeah, yeah, no question. Even unique, we could say. But I. I believe the title is Drawing Them in. Which brings up a good point because there were plenty of Gatsby musicalizations that were happening along the way. You know, after all, Carolyn Lee. Lee. I mean. Yeah.

[James Marino]

Down at the public.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. Yeah.

[James Marino]

So was that eight hours?

[Peter Felicia]

No, that's.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, that was the non musical.

[Peter Felicia]

Right.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, that's just reading. The reading the reading the entire book. But then, but then there's the other one, the one that's coming from.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, yeah. And there was one at Art, which I also saw, which had its assets as well. But. But one has to wonder if indeed, the Great Gatsby by Carolyn Lee. Definitely. I think Lee Pocris, who wrote Tavarich in Earnest in Love, was her composer on that. Or was it Morton Gould? Anyway, whoever. But one has to wonder, if indeed this had been produced 30, 40 years ago, their version of it, would it have done spectacularly well because of the book's title? It may very well be that. Who knows? And so, so it's because I would think the title even meant more than 40 years ago than it does now. Though of course, Michael is right when he says that it's still taught. Would F. Scott Fitzgerald have ever thought that would have been possible when this novel came out? That maybe he did? Maybe. I remember a friend in 1967 saying he had dinner with Stephen Sondheim. Now understand that 64 was the last Sondheim show until company in 70. So we're talking 1967. And my friend said Sondheim said to him, someday they'll catch up with me. They will. And we did. And we did. So maybe Scott Fitzgerald felt that time will prove me right with Great Gatsby. And indeed, needless to say, it has not just in publication, but certainly on Broadway at the moment. Moment.

[James Marino]

So Peter, when you were talking about the, the panel with the Wendy Wasserstein play. Uhhuh. A couple of weeks ago I was having dinner in Manhattan with my wife and, and there was a, a few folks at the next table over from us and uh, they stopped and interrupted us and they, they said, oh, oh, did you know, did you see Sunset Boulevard? And they had a British accident accent and it was a handful of middle aged men. And I said yeah. And they said, what did you think about it? And I had to stop and say, are any of you Jane Lloyd? Because I don't know what Jamie Lloyd looks like. Anyway, so let's wrap up the best of 2024. Any more that you need to, either one of you feel like you have to throw in before we wrap?

[Peter Felicia]

Igor Goliak did a terrific job in directing our class, a play that was first seen at Bam. Was it? I think it was. And then came to Classic Stage. Wonderful direction of a play that also dealt with some tough issues involving Jews and the Holocaust, etc. Etc. So I thought he really did a marvelous, marvelous job and I thought that was great. Out in New Jersey, I saw Christopher Sutton do A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder playing all those many roles. And, and full disclosure, Chris was the leading man of my play, God shows up some years back off Broadway, but boy, you know, I mean, anybody who has to tackle eight roles really has to do a good job of it and he certainly did. So that was at the New Jersey Shakespeare Fest. Well, sorry, it's called the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. They changed their name along the way and really tremendous production. Brian Crowe, Brian B. Crow actually took over for Bonnie Monti as artistic director there and I predict great things will happen there because he is an innovative director. He didn't direct Gentleman's Guide, but nevertheless, I guarantee you that he's going to do some innovative productions as the years go on.

[James Marino]

Michael, anything else to throw in?

[Michael Portantier]

Well, I hate to end on a divisive note, but actually I had hour class on my worst of the year List.

[Peter Felicia]

Wow. It's funny. I will say that I was with a group of people, let's see, six people, in fact. And one person had that reaction. Did you see it at Bam?

[Michael Portantier]

At bam. And specifically. Specifically the direction which you lauded. Yeah, I mean, I thought it was. I would have loved to see that script, you know, with somebody who didn't decide to direct it in such a gonzo way. I just thought everything he did was about calling attention to, oh, look how clever I am, and look at the device I'm going to throw in now. And, you know, because apparently thinking that this story alone was not. Was not strong enough. And I thought it was a wonderful story about people who start out, you know, as children and great friends, and then as they get older, all these horrible divisions. I mean, in this case, case, it's, you know, it's a. It's about Nazism and then separation in terms of religion and. And politics. So I thought that. That the story didn't need all that stuff. And another unfortunate show on generally the same subject was. Was that show, I think I. We've all forgotten it, called White Rose Rose, which was a musical about young people resisting the Nazis. That was at Theater Row.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

So there, you know, I mean, when. When you, you know, I. I've said before, when you. When you deal with something as monumental as the Nazis and the Holocaust, you know, I think you have to be so, so, so, so careful to. To be respectful and not be sensationalistic and to do the best possible job that you can. And in those two cases, I did not think those people did well.

[Peter Felicia]

One man's name is another man's pearly. Anyway, so quickly they got Brandon Uranowitz and Ragtime at City Center. A terrific job. The choreography by Jacob Carr in Ain't Done Bad was very impressive. I love the fact that Marco Pinet totally revamped and added his own personality and wit to Death Becomes hers book. I like that quite a bit. I like the music that in Swept Away by the Avnek Brothers. I thought it was really very effective. Also, I. I would also like to point out that since I mentioned Prayer for the French Republic, which. Which basically starred the so impressive, always impressive, Betsy Adam that she also did a play at the W, which is way, way near First Avenue, maybe one that I think is like Avenue B, called the Ask, about a woman who was asked to give money to a cause, and she has reasons why she doesn't want to do it, even though she's done in the past. The person asking Her Colleen Lichtfield was equally impressive. I hope we see Bob Cuccioli show the Brat of Stratford, which deals with. With Shakespeare, needless to say. And it was done as a backer's. I saw it and I liked it quite a bit. Table 17 at MCC, a very funny comedy. And Carrie Young, who's always wonderful, had another chance to be always wonderful again, Though Michael Richon, playing a few roles, was equally good. Nobody much liked McNeil, but I certainly liked Andrea McMartin, Andrea Martin in it. And playing a literary agent, of course, because Linda is a literary agent, I know a lot of the territory and I thought she got it quite right. And I also very much liked the direction that Thomas G. Waits gave to a very small off off Broadway production of Much Ado About Nothing. So I would like to mention that as well. Finally, what I will say is something that may come up again and it may be something that nobody wants to see, and I will understand why, but good Lord, an actor named J.L. coven, C A U V I N in a play called Dictator for Day was so amazing as Donald Trump. Caveat emptor.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, I remember you really went on about how much you love that.

[James Marino]

All right, Michael, any last words?

[Michael Portantier]

No, I think that's it.

[James Marino]

Okay, so let's wrap it up here. Before we get on to our brain teaser, our musical moment, I want to remind everybody that you can subscribe to these broadcasts by going to the front page of broadwayradio.com there's a subscribe link. That 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 Apple podcasts as many ways to get us. One way is Patreon P A T R-E-O-N.com BroadwayRadio. That way you can get our shows earlier than everybody else. And to be able to support all of the Broadway radio shows just out yesterday on Patreon only is all the drop drama Jan Simpson's monthly check in with the Pulitzer Prize for drama this month is the 1992 winner the Kentucky Cycle. And so that's available for Patreon members only right now. It'll be available to the general public later in the month. Contact information for Peter for Michael and me can be found in the show [e-mail] as well as links to some of the things we've talked about today. So, Peter, do you have an answer to last week's break screen teaser for.

[Peter Felicia]

The most controversial musical of the 30s, Rogers and Hart wrote a song whose title could have been the name of a song in a musical that Oscar Hammerstein wrote, but not one that he wrote with Rogers. Well, what I'm talking about is that Rogers and Hart most controversial musical in the 30s was I'd rather be right because it dared to include a living president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, which no show had done before. One of its songs was called have you met Ms. Jones, which has been recorded dozens upon dozens of times, including by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, who appeared in the Cold Porter film High Society. That was part of the question, too. And have you met Ms. Jones? Is the title that Oscar Hammerstein could have used in his 1943 musical Carmen Jones. Okay, now here's the irony. The Saturday before I asked this question, I was at a party and there was J. Aubrey Jones, who answers a lot of these questions. And this was the motivation for me to see if J. Aubrey Jones would put two and two together and figure that Jones was part of the answer for last name. But no, he didn't answer. Now, maybe it's because he's busy. I know he's about to do a reading of a play by a very talented playwright named Thalia Cunningham. So maybe he. He just wasn't listening. But anyway, Arthur Robinson was, and he was the first to get it, followed by Tony Janicki, Juliet Green, Sean Logan, Jack Leshner, Jake Leonard, Brigade, and Paul Whitty. Paul usually comes in higher, but he was in Belize and he was taking it easy. Now he's back to the real world, and he's back to answering questions. Okay, this week, audiences first heard this song on West 42nd, 46 Street, 46th street, in the 70s. It starts with nonsense syllables, then goes into patter with music playing underneath. The first sung word gives you 25% of the song's title. The second sung line gives you 50%, the third, 75%, and the fourth gives you 100% of the title. And. And more. What's the song? And from what show does it come?

[James Marino]

Well, you're going to have to give 110% of your brain thought for this. If you have an idea, email [e-mail], we'll let you know if you're on the right track. So, Michael, tell us what is in today's musical moments before I do.

[Michael Portantier]

Just parenthetically, I might offer one of the. Maybe. Perhaps one of the reasons why J. Aubrey Jones didn't respond was because he was gossiping with me about Aida at the Met.

[Peter Felicia]

I see. All right.

[Michael Portantier]

And you know, there's only so much time.

[Peter Felicia]

There really is.

[Michael Portantier]

But yes, for our musical moments, we'd like to pay tribute to Linda Lavin. I think it was quite an unexpected death after quite a short illness a apparently. And she really was one of the greats. A stellar example of someone who started in theater, as far as I know, then went on to great success on television, but kept coming back even as she continued to work in tv. I didn't do a tally, but I've seen her so many times on stage, both off and on Broadway. She was one of the best things in a somewhat problematic Broadway revival of the Diary of Anne Frank. And she just, you know, just last year was in that show, you will be sick. What was that?

[Peter Felicia]

The title?

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Doing Again. I mean, I had issues with the play itself, but. But she was just stellar in it. And one thing I'm glad I found on YouTube, I had forgotten that this existed. I've often said, aside from all her other credits, musical and non musical, that she delivered one of the biggest laugh like lines that I have ever seen and heard on Broadway in Neil Simon's Broadway Bound. And I had forgotten that this has been preserved in a way on YouTube. Well, you can see it on YouTube because on the 1987 Tony Awards, she and Jonathan Silverman, her co star, did a little excerpt of that scene in question that includes the line in question. So you can see it. We're put gonna. I forget if I sent it to you, James, but I'll send it to you as soon as we finish here, if I haven't already. The link to the YouTube link. And I'm not gonna tell you what the line is because I'm not gonna spoil it, but it's really amazing. It doesn't go across quite as well in this Tony Awards club as it did when I saw it in the show. Of course not, because it's not in context, but it still gets quite a laugh from the audience and I think you'll really appreciate it. But also we're including our opening and closing audio clips are from Gypsy when Linda did it on Broadway, a live performance. The opener is Some People and the closer is Everything's Coming Up Roses. And I do have to say I thought she was absolutely great as Rose. And I was very, very upset when Frank Rich in the New York Times not only did not like her, but actually labeled her performance a washout. I mean, I don't even like to repeat that because I thought it was so disrespectful. And I, you know, maybe she had a really bad night the night that he went. I wouldn't think so. You know, I think she would have been aware probably, probably that the New York Times critic was there. And. And I. I think it was maybe just that he. She interpreted the role in a way that. That he just did not like. She was very. There were many moments in the show when she was extremely unlikable. She would do that thing that she does where she speaks in a whiny voice like this, what are you doing? You know, and it. And it. It can become very, very unpleasant. But that's what Rose is in certain moments, certainly. So I just thought she was one of the best roses ever. And hopefully you can judge by these two clips. And hopefully. Well, you judge for yourself, but you can see whether you. Whether your opinion is more in line with my own or with Mr. Frank Rich's.

[James Marino]

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

[Michael Portantier]

Bye.

[Peter Felicia]

Bye.

[Unknown Poet or Performer]

Can do it My is gonna see true her blood like the light we got nothing but the height I can tell we will see there's a bell Follow me and nothing's gonna stop us, honey Everything coming on sunshine and Santa Claus Everything.