This Week on Broadway for July 13, 2025: Heathers The Musical

Summary

BroadwayRadio Podcast Summary
Episode: This Week on Broadway for July 13, 2025: Heathers The Musical

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Introduction

In this vibrant episode of BroadwayRadio, host James Marino and his guests—Peter Felicia, Michael Portantier, and Jan Simpson—delve deep into the latest happenings on Broadway. The focus centers on the revival of Heathers The Musical at New World Stages, alongside discussions about other notable productions, audience reactions, and behind-the-scenes insights.

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Heathers The Musical Revival at New World Stages

Overview and Cast Performances

The episode opens with excitement surrounding the revival of Heathers The Musical, which originally premiered in 2014 at New World Stages. Peter Felicia provides a comprehensive background, highlighting the show's adaptation from the 1989 cult classic film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. He remarks, "It's a musical adaptation of the 1989 movie... about teens who are at a high school where there's the stereotypical hierarchy of cheerleaders and jocks" ([06:12]).

The cast boasts formidable talent, including Lorna Courtney, Juliet Casey, Kerry Butler, and Mackenzie Kurtz. Felicia praises their performances, stating, "It's got very clever songs by Kevin Murphy and Lawrence O'Keeffe" ([07:00]).

Timing and Sensitivity Concerns

However, the revival isn't without its controversies. Felicia and Michael Portantier express discomfort with the show's timing, especially considering the tragic school shootings like Columbine (1999) and Parkland (2018), which draw eerie parallels to the musical's themes. Felicia notes, "This show raises the idea of the issues of homophobia, date rape, fat shaming, eating disorders, pseudo suicidal inclinations, and tries to gloss over them" ([10:17]).

Audience Reactions and Casting Choices

Michael shares a personal experience of an overly enthusiastic audience, where "girls screaming at the top of their lungs at every possible moment" disrupted the performance ([15:12]). Despite these challenges, both hosts acknowledge the strong cast performances and the show's enduring appeal, leading to its extension through January 2026.

Felicia discusses the casting's colorblind approach, questioning its impact on the portrayal of privilege: "I think that that kind of muddies the point of the show about privilege and, well, white privilege and of course, economic privilege" ([20:27]).

Notable Quotes:

• Felicia: “I felt too uncomfortable to say I liked or enjoyed the show” ([10:17]).
• Michael: “I can't tell you how much I hate that” regarding audience disruptions ([15:12]).

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All Shook Up at Goodspeed Opera House

Production Overview

Peter Felicia reviews All Shook Up, a production at the Goodspeed Opera House featuring music by Elvis Presley. He highlights the show's appeal to baby boomers, who relish the nostalgia of Presley's hits: "Love Me Tender, Blue Suede Shoes, Don't Be Cruel" ([24:00]).

Audience Engagement and Performance

The production opens energetically with "Jailhouse Rock," setting a dynamic tone. Felicia appreciates how the audience connects with the familiar songs, noting, "All they had to hear was Wise Men say Only Fools..." ([26:41]).

Director's Choices and Cultural Representation

However, Felicia critiques the tonal inconsistencies and casting decisions, particularly the interracial elements in a 1950s Midwestern setting: "There is a lot of talk about an interracial romance... It's still there and it still doesn't ring true" ([14:54]).

Notable Quotes:

• Felicia: “But the big hits are there” ([22:22]).
• Michael: “It's a very, very well done production” praising the cast ([14:48]).

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Prince Faggot at Playwrights Horizons

Controversial Themes and Title

Michael Portantier discusses Prince Faggot, a play exploring a speculative future where Prince George is gay. The title itself has sparked debate, with Peter Felicia vehemently expressing disdain for the use of the term "faggot": “I just rail against that word and I just think it's terrible” ([77:42]).

Narrative Structure and Monologues

The play incorporates separate monologues from cast members, blending real-life experiences with fiction. Michael critiques this choice as "very pretentious" and believes it didn't enhance the narrative ([38:00]).

Director and Audience Reception

Despite mixed feelings about the title and certain thematic elements, both Michael and Jan Simpson commend the production's direction and cast performances. Jan notes, “It was beautifully done and ultimately actually very effective” ([42:03]).

Notable Quotes:

• Peter: “It is a big problem” regarding the title and its implications ([61:55]).
• Michael: “This play was by Penelope Skinner... it does show the royal family in a way that the royals don't often” ([42:03]).

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Angry Allan at Seaview Studio

Performance Insights

Jan Simpson reviews Angry Allan, featuring John Krasinski in a powerful solo performance. She compares his command of the stage to Hugh Jackman’s role in Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes: “Both of these men are using their nice guy personas and showing us that people that we usually think of as terrible... are actually just ordinary people” ([54:55]).

Themes and Audience Impact

The play satirizes toxic masculinity and middle-class discontent. Jan cautions that some audience members might misconstrue the satire as support for the depicted behaviors, though she notes an instance where an audience member's reaction shifted as the play progressed ([54:55]).

Notable Quotes:

• Jan: “I thought this play was by Penelope Skinner... and he does do something really good” ([67:09]).
• Michael: “It came across almost as cartoonish” regarding the portrayal of male privilege ([75:32]).

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Delaria at Dr. 2

Character Dynamics and Performance

Peter Felicia explores Delaria, a two-character play focusing on the toxic friendship between Delaria and Georgia. He highlights Ella Stiller's portrayal of the narcissistic Delaria, who manipulates Georgia's insecurities: “She is quite the narcissist and Georgia puts up with it because she doesn't have many friends” ([57:18]).

Themes and Criticisms

While appreciating the honest depiction of relationships, Felicia criticizes the play’s handling of dark themes like virginity and substance abuse: “It gets very dark as time goes on... it's very hard to truly understand what's being said” ([62:51]).

Notable Quotes:

• Felicia: “It's very, very well directed” praising Shayak Misha Chowdhury's work ([42:03]).
• James: “I never say what I say is true. I only tell you what I hear” ([61:37]).

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Low Country

Plot and Production Insights

Peter Felicia reviews Low Country, discussing its unique staging involving a basement-like setting and the use of modern technology such as speakerphone conversations. He points out the play's exploration of trust and skepticism, especially concerning a protagonist branded as a sex offender: “A woman who really is interested in having sex with a guy who's petrified of it for obvious reasons” ([62:51]).

Technical Criticisms

Felicia critiques the technical aspects, specifically the unclear audio from speakerphone conversations, which hampers audience understanding: “Every word... there's nothing wrong with having the caller on the sound system” ([65:47]).

Notable Quotes:

• Felicia: “This play by Abby Rose Brock... isn't quite as satisfying as it might be” ([65:47]).
• Jan: “It's very well performed by the two main characters” ([65:53]).

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Trophy Boys at MCC Theater

Satirical Take on Masculinity

Felicia discusses Trophy Boys, a satirical play where female actors portray members of an all-boys debate team tasked with arguing against feminism. Directed by Donya Taymor, the play attempts to critique white male privilege and toxic masculinity but Felicia feels the execution falls short: “They are trying so hard to act like guys that it just comes off almost as cartoonish” ([72:38]).

Audience Reception

Despite Felicia's criticisms, the play enjoys positive audience reception and multiple extensions, indicating its popularity: “The audience seem to love it and it has been extended two or three times” ([72:38]).

Notable Quotes:

• Felicia: “It's its own genre... expressing the difficulties they have in reconciling who they are in this world” ([69:10]).
• Michael: “It's trying to satirize white male privilege and toxic masculinity” ([72:38]).

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Broadway by the Boardwalk Series

Outdoor Performances and Upcoming Shows

Michael Portantier highlights the Broadway by the Boardwalk series at Hudson River Park's Clinton Cove. This free, outdoor theater series features acclaimed Broadway stars performing in a scenic, open-air setting. Upcoming performances include Max von Essen with Billy Steven, John Lloyd Young, Jasmine Amy Rogers, Zachary Noah Peyser, Anthony Rapp, and Adam Pascal ([73:04]).

Audience Experience

Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or low chairs to enjoy performances under the summer sky. The series aims to bring Broadway's magic into the public's backyard, fostering a communal and accessible theater experience.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael: “It's a very nice setting. Sounds great to me” ([75:32]).

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Brain Teaser

Peter Felicia presents a challenging brain teaser related to two 20th-century musicals:

• Clues:
  • One musical deals with a superstar.
  • Another deals with crime and cross-dressers.
  • The entire title of one can be found within the title of the other.
  • Last week's question involved identifying both shows and their connections.

Listeners are encouraged to submit their answers via email for a chance to be featured in future episodes.

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Musical Moments

Excerpts from Heathers The Musical

The episode concludes with Musical Moments, featuring excerpts from the world premiere recording of Heathers The Musical. Two sections from the opening number "Bullet Beautiful" are highlighted:

• Opening Section: Includes some of the show's controversial slurs, setting a provocative tone.
• Closing Section: Establishes the narrative and character dynamics effectively.

Listeners are invited to enjoy these excerpts to gain a taste of the show's energetic and cutting-edge musical style.

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Closing Remarks

James Marino wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to subscribe to BroadwayRadio for future episodes and exclusive content available on Patreon. He also highlights the significance of the Wicked cast album achieving four-times platinum certification—a testament to Broadway's enduring cultural impact.

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Notable Quotes Recap:

• Felicia: “We were so tiny, happy and shiny. Playing tag and getting chased” ([00:42]).
• Michael: “This musical, and I guess the movie, too, I did not see the movie, but [Heathers The Musical] worked better in the first production” ([13:15]).
• Jan: “It was beautifully done and ultimately actually very effective” ([42:03]).
• James: “I'll put that in the show notes” referencing Peter’s attendance ([23:15]).

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Stay Connected: For more insights, interviews, and exclusive content, visit BroadwayRadio.com or support the podcast on Patreon.

Transcript

[James Marino]

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[Jan Simpson]

September 1, 1989. Dear diary, I believe I'm a good person. You know, I think that there's good in everyone. But here we are, first day of senior year, and I look around at these kids that I've known all my life and I ask myself, what happened?

[Peter Felicia]

Freak.

[Michael Portantier]

Slut.

[Felicia]

Burnout.

[Peter Felicia]

Bug eyes. Poser.

[Michael Portantier]

Lord.

[Peter Felicia]

Ass.

[Jan Simpson]

We were so tiny, happy and shiny. Playing tag and getting chased.

[James Marino]

Freak. Slut.

[Peter Felicia]

Loser.

[Felicia]

Short bus.

[Jan Simpson]

Singing and clapping. Laughing and napping. Baking cookies. Eating paste.

[Felicia]

Bold eyes.

[Michael Portantier]

Stuck up.

[Peter Felicia]

Hushback.

[Jan Simpson]

Then we got bigger. That was the trigger. Like the Huns invading Rome. Oh, sorry. Welcome to my school. This ain't no high school. This is the Thunderdome.

[James Marino]

Hello and welcome to Broadway Radios, this week on Broadway for Sunday, July 13, 2025. Did you guys know that it's the 10th anniversary of the first preview on Broadway of Hamilton?

[Peter Felicia]

Ah, yes, I did. I did see that. Yeah.

[James Marino]

I had Rob Johnson in our chat room just reminded me of that. And I did see Rob. Rob, I saw your post on Facebook this morning of your ticket for Hamilton first.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, I saw that too. Yeah.

[James Marino]

Yeah. In today's broadcast, we have Peter, Felicia, Michael Portantier and Jan Simpson. Peter is a playwright, journalist and historian with a number of books. Peter's new Day by Day desk calendar, A show tune for today, 366 songs to brighten your year has been released. Peter has columns at Masterworks, Broadway, Broadway select and many other places. Hello, Peter.

[Peter Felicia]

Hi.

[James Marino]

So, Peter, what is today's show tuned for today?

[Peter Felicia]

Model behavior from women on the verge of a nervous breakdown because this is Laura Eileen Vidnavic, or shall we say Benanti's birth date. She was born in New York City. On this day, she felt much more loyal to her stepfather. Sam Benanti spoke about him so wonderfully. And so as a result, she took his name. Now, back in 1997, I recall getting a call from Walker Joyce, who ran a theater in Morristown, New Jersey, who said, I'm doing She loves me and you're gonna think I'm crazy, but I've cast this 18 year old girl as Amalia. I mean, I know Amalia is supposed to have some mileage on her. I mean, she's no kid, but I'm telling you, if you saw this girl, you would, you would say she has to be in the show. That's all there is to it. The next day, called me and said she's not doing it because she got into the Sound of Music on Broadway. She only got the role of the postulant. That's it. You know, So, I mean, let me read the stage direction. Act one, scene 13. The mother Abbas addresses two women. Sister Sophia, take our new postulant to the robing room. Bless you, my child. And the stage direction said, the postulant kneels. The mother Abbot blesses her. And that's all we see in the postulate until the curtain call, in which she was undoubtedly the first person to take one. Yep. But it wasn't long thereafter where she got the role of Maria. And I'm telling you, I saw her do it opposite Richard Chamberlain. And she held stage with him in that famous scene where she has to tell off Captain von Trapp about he's not paying attention to his kids. Whoa, was she ferocious. So. But perhaps her most astonishing achievement. I don't know how anybody can do that song in Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Model Behavior, which is all about self making phone calls, answering machines, all that kind of stuff. It's an incredible, incredible thing. And even though that production did not work, boy, did that song work tremendously. Thanks to Laura Benanti.

[James Marino]

Also with us is Michael Portantier. Michael's a theater reviewer and Sas Teach, the founder and editor of kissedalbum reviews.com. he is also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in the New York Times and other major publications. You could see his photography [e-mail] hello, Michael.

[Michael Portantier]

Hello.

[James Marino]

Hello. Finally, Jan Simpson is back visiting with us. Jan is a theater journalist who writes the blog Broadway and Me and hosts the Broadway radio podcasts Stagecraft and All the Drama. She has thrice served as a Pulitzer Prize juror. Hello, Jan. Hi. So, Jan, you have been, you have been so busy in the last couple of weeks. You have all the drama, how to Succeed in Business without really trying. The 1962 Pulitzer Prize winner for drama was released to the public yesterday, but Patreon listeners got it last week. And also you have a stagecraft craft episode with Charles Randolph Wright on Duke and Roya, which is available to Patreon listeners right now and is available to the General Public on July 16th at 6pm Eastern. So queue up your podcast downloaders, so keep them very busy.

[Felicia]

I am good. And it's summer I'm supposed to be lazy.

[James Marino]

Well, you're supposed to be reading summer reading on the beach, you know, or at least as I think I remember, on your balcony drinking tea. Is that correct?

[Felicia]

Or on the balcony, but drinking Tequila sunrises.

[James Marino]

Ah, it's, you know, the times have changed.

[Peter Felicia]

Yep. Big lush.

[Felicia]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[James Marino]

Oh, good to hear. So you got. You could have brought the Tequila sunrises with you over down to New World Stages where it seems the rest of the audience was drinking them as well. And you saw the. This revival of Heather's the Musical at New World Stages. Michael and I also saw it, but Jan, give us your thoughts on Heather's.

[Felicia]

Well, as people probably know, because this show was done at New world stages in 2014. This is a musical adaptation of the 1989 movie with Winona Ryder and Christian Slater about teens who are at a high school where there's the stereotypical hierarchy of cheerleaders and jocks and then, you know, the rest of the people who are sort of like Drudge and having to pay homage to the beautiful people. And these two characters take revenge on what they perceived to be the bullying of the popular kids at the school who are led by a trio of girls who all have the name Heathers, hence the name of the show. I looked back at my review in 2014 when I got home from seeing this show because I was so conflicted about this show. I, I think it's very entertaining. It has a lot of high energy dance numbers. It's got very clever songs by Kevin Murphy and Lawrence o'. Keeffe. It's got a really all star cast led by Lorna Courtney, who had her breakout in, and Juliet Casey likes from both Almost Famous and the car show.

[Michael Portantier]

Back to the Future.

[Felicia]

Thank you. Back to the Future. And it even has sort of a cameo for Kerry Butler and also a really sort of standout performance by Mackenzie Kurtz. Most of these people have led Broadway shows on their own, so a really stacked cast and yet. But I felt really uncomfortable with this show and I felt uncomfortable with it in 2014, and I think not. I think it's because of the timing of the show. The movie came out in 1989. Columbine. The Columbine shootings were in 1999. The sort of characteristic costume of the guy who plays JD Dean is his name who instigates the revenge. And the revenge includes shooting their fellow classmates planning to bomb the school. His costume is a long, dark trench coat. And people may remember that's what the Columbine Guys wore right when the revival came on. The revival was in 2014, as I said. And then four years later, we had the Parkland shootings at that high school. It's very.

[Michael Portantier]

When you say the revival, you mean the original production of Heather's.

[Felicia]

Yes. I'm sorry. Thank you, Michael. And that's. It's just very uncomfortable. This show raises the idea of the issues of homophobia, date rape, fat shaming, eating disorders, pseudo suicidal inclinations, and tries to gloss over them so that it can get to the song and dance numbers. So there's a tonal problem here that was never reconciled for me. And so although I appreciated the work that went into it, I just felt too uncomfortable to say I liked or enjoyed the show.

[James Marino]

All right, Michael, what did you think?

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, I had very similar feelings. Jan mentioned. I think she phrased it as. That the jocks and the cheerleaders are perceived as bullies. Well, they're more than perceived as that. The opening number features words like homo, slut. I don't think they say faggot, but we'll get to that one later with another show. Yeah, so they're definitely portrayed that way, and we're supposed to hate them. But one of the main problems with this show is that almost none of the characters are likable. Even Rebecca, the one who. She starts out as just another outsider. This is the court Lorna Courtney role. She starts out as just another outsider, but then she does something that causes the Heathers to invite her into their circle, and she goes with it. And for a while, she just behaving just as badly as they are. So that, I think, is an issue. There is a one character who's likable. Her name is Martha Dunstock, played by Aaron Morton. She's one of the main targets of the bullies. But also this. I don't think this is a spoiler, but I'm going to say it anyway. This musical, and I guess the movie, too, I. I did not see the movie, features a. An attempted suicide by that character, which I think is a bit much, you know, for a musical that's then going to have some other really big production numbers after it. Do any of you know the movie? And do you know if she also tries to kill herself in the movie and do you know if she succeeds?

[Peter Felicia]

I did see the movie way back when, but I have no memory of it. I remember the ending because it's so dramatic and.

[Michael Portantier]

Right.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. Anyway.

[Michael Portantier]

All right, well, I'll have to check that out. But, yeah, it seemed to me that the whole thing worked better in the movie. And it also seemed to me that the musical worked better in the first production. I can't quite put my finger on exactly why, but my main problem is the material, specifically the book. I actually like the score quite a lot, I think, if you sort of remove it from the mix and examine it on its own merits. But the credits here, just for the record, are book music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Lawrence o', Keeffe, based on the film written by Daniel Waters. So I do enjoy listening to the album, or I did when I first got it. I can't say I've played it a lot lately. This show, you may all know this, was recently quite a hit in London, and I think many people feel that's what spurred this return to New York at the New World Stages where the show played originally. But interesting that they responded. Responded so well to it over there. Maybe it has something to do with, oh, you know, those awful Americans. Let's go see.

[Felicia]

It's getting quite a response here, too, from its audiences.

[Peter Felicia]

It really.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, yes.

[Peter Felicia]

It's amazing to me that it closed so quickly way back when, because when I saw it back then, people going crazy for it. And I do know that the word of mouth has been tremendous in terms of people's enthusiasm. So there is an audience for it.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah. And we should mention that now. We discussed it a bit before we started recording. I can only speak from my own experience and the night that I attended. I would say the response of the audience was unacceptable. Just these girls screaming at the top of their lungs at every possible moment, every time a new character was introduced, when people started singing, of course, when they stopped singing after every single number. There was even the wonderful Erin Morton, who plays Martha Dunstock. She gave a wonderful performance. And her number, her big number, which is a very dramatic number, includes a high note that, you know, it's not gratuitous. It should be there. It's where it should be. It wasn't that she didn't hold it that long, and it wasn't like a vocal display or anything, and yet the audience insisted on screaming for it, and she had to stop and wait for a minute. So I can't tell you how much I hate that. And I really almost came close to saying something to the young women who were sitting behind me, but I refrained from doing this.

[Felicia]

They call themselves the Corn Nuts, in reference to a snack food that has a little role in the show. And I looked around at the Corn Nuts at my performance and Some of them came dressed, cosplay dressed. And I think as I looked around at these kids, I think a lot of these are kids who are bullied at their schools, and they are seeking or expressing or appreciating the revenge through this show. And I say, you know, better that they express their revenge this way than some other way.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, that I'm, you know, of course, I'm sorry if that's part of their life experience, but it just was extremely unpleasant for me to have my ears screamed in all night long. And what else do I. I think the show is very well cast and very strongly cast. As Jan mentioned, Ben Davis is also in it. And Lorna Courtney really is fantastic. And I think Casey likes. He deserves all the credit in the world for his performances in all three of the shows that Jan mentioned. Almost Famous, Back to the Future. And this one, because he. Especially this one, because that role of JD Is so such a fine line, you know, to. To. To walk, to make that role work. And I think he does it beautifully. And he's still. God bless him, he still looks so young that I would say he's 100% credible as a teenager. I. I'm not sure what his actual age is at this point, but. Oh, and one last thing, I probably don't want to get really into it, but is the way that this production is cast in. In such a way that I would say it's completely colorblind to the point where there are the two dumb jock characters and their two fathers. And one of the jocks, it looks very white, and the other one is a person of color. And same with the two fathers, but they are the opposite of the ones that you would think would be the fathers based on how they appear to. What their races appear to be. So I don't know if I guess they did that to make a point. It might have been more interesting to do it the other way. And then of course, that enters into this story because in the movie, certainly at least, all of the Heathers are white. And I think that certainly enters into their. That has a lot to do with their feeling of privilege. But here, actually, I saw one understudy, but one of them, the one who played well, anyway, one of them was a person of color. And I thought to me that that kind of muddies the point of the show about privilege and, well, white privilege and of course, economic privilege. And because Lorna Courtney is a person of color, it might have been more interesting if they kept the three Heathers white and had them reach out to this person of color and bring her in to the circle.

[Felicia]

I have to say, that didn't bother me much. I mean, there are rich black kids, and they can be just as terrible as rich white kids. So that didn't. That didn't really bother me. Although the fathers. I thought that was just too. That was just too performative, you know, too much value signaling. Because it was confusing.

[Michael Portantier]

Yes, it was. Yeah. And when confusing is the. Is what we don't want.

[Peter Felicia]

I dare say it's what sunk the Notebook.

[James Marino]

I was just gonna say that. Exactly. But I couldn't. Yeah, I couldn't remember. I was like, there was another show. What was it? It was the Notebook. Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

So that was. Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

I mean, I don't know enough about. I thankfully, I guess, don't know enough about current high school culture to know if. If a black student would ever be a member of a group like the Heathers. So I, I, so I, you know, I, I just want to say I'm not an expert on that. So I. That was just my impression is that seemed a little off for that reason.

[James Marino]

So I, I had a very similar experience to Michael and Jan. The audience was out of control. I also can't imagine what the production can do about that, you know?

[Michael Portantier]

Right, right.

[James Marino]

I don't know what they can do. Maybe it'll just settle down. This got pretty good reviews and was immediately extended from September through January. So it seems it's going to be around for a while. Very enjoyable score, as Michael pointed out. Outstanding, outstanding talent on the stage.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

And I had to laugh because is it just me, or does Kerry Butler get younger and younger? Every time I see her, you know, I was like, is that a student or a teacher? Oh, that's a parent. Oh, that's a. Kerry Butler is, you know, she's Dorian Gray.

[Michael Portantier]

So she was just on stage there in another show. Mama, I'm a big girl now.

[James Marino]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So Lauren Klash Schneider, who does class notes for Broadway radio, just interviewed Aaron Morton from Heather's that we just talked about. Aaron, it's a great interview. So catch up with that. I'll put that in the show notes. But Heather's the Musical playing at New world stages through January 25, 2026. And Peter sees Peter. You have it scheduled?

[Peter Felicia]

No, but I am going. I just have.

[James Marino]

Okay, so we'll talk about it again after Peter goes. All right. And Peter was in the Felicia Mobile, headed up to Goodspeed Opera House to see All Shook Up. So Peter, did it shake you up?

[Peter Felicia]

It certainly shook up the audience. It's funny. Goodspeed, when it started in 1965, did shows that were about 40 or 50 years old and musicals by Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Vincent, Humans. And the funny thing is now they're doing songs that are 60 and 70 years old. Granted, all Shook up is not a show that is that old, but nevertheless the music is suddenly. And the baby boomers who are in the audience had a wonderful time reliving their youth as they were going back and hearing the Presley songs that they knew and loved. Well, be you ain't nothing but a hound. It was so great when, when the audience heard the first line of a song and they. They cooed and gushed in pleasure. All they had to hear was Wise Men say Only Fools, Russian and Ah, you know. So because they know these songs well. They know some of these songs well. Granted, Joe DiPietro chose 11 number one hits that Elvis Presley had had during his 23 year career. But he also chose a lot of obscurities because after all, he had a book that he was writing. Book is somewhat based on Twelfth Night and as you like it. Meaning that we have a woman who's pretending to be a man. She's Natalie and she's certainly in love with Chad, who comes to town to the misery of Dennis, who loves her dearly. You know, ironically enough, for all the talk about Shakespeare, this show is amazingly Chekhovian because people are in love with the wrong people. It really is astonishing. Everybody wants somebody that he or she can't have. And of course it all works out by the final curtain. Though there is one surprise at the final curtain that really is quite good and I really give dpietro credit for it because everybody doesn't have to wind up with somebody. There's also another alternative that's really quite good. But anyway, back to the music. So he had to choose a lot of songs that fit the story he was telling. And as a result there are plenty of songs that were not known to much of the audience and most of those show up in Act 2. So I have a feeling that there may have been subconscious effort that if he had put so many unfamiliar songs in act. Act one, maybe people wouldn't stay for act two. I don't know, that's just the theory. But anyway, so. But the big hits are there Love Me Tenders, there. Blue Suede Shoes is there Don't Be Cruel. If you don't know what songs I'm talking about, let your youth be a consolation because again, this is for a baby boomer audience and indeed. But it's very, very well done, happily enough to say names that I don't think will mean much to many people. But nevertheless, Ryan Mack did a good job as Chad, even though he wasn't as Elvis, one might think. But again, the person is not supposed to be Elvis Presley. His name is Chad and he, he is a motorcycle guy, you know, that type of thing. But one of the things that Joe D. Pietro has changed since the original production is he starts off with Jailhouse Rock. So as a result, Chad is in jail.

[James Marino]

Wow.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, that's a big change, isn't it? You know, I mean, I understand the idea of starting a show with a dynamic number. And ironically, when I saw Jailhouse Rock, which I saw because Judy Tyler was in it, who was a Broadway Sensation back in 1955 when she was in Pipe Dream, I did think, boy, you know, this almost looks like a Broadway musical number. So I think that might have been part of the decision to open with it. However, the thing is, he's in jail now. It is semi established that he was just in for the weekend. So it was a minor infraction. Still, he was in jail, you know, and here he is going to town and people are falling in love with him and he's falling in love with people too. And it's never brought up what he did, you know, that's sort of swept under the rug and I think that's not such a good idea. So even though Jailhouse Rock is an iconic Elvis song and from an iconic Elvis movie, in fact, believe it or not, not, it is in the National Film Registry. Jailhouse Rock. Yeah, you know, along with, you know, the Oscar winning pictures that we all know and love. So. But anyway, he's supposed to be an Elvis character and this guy's a little more benign than any Elvis, so. But, you know, another one thinks that the Pietro has toned down, which I think is good, even though there's still too much of it. It's said this takes place in a Midwestern town in the 50s, in a square state. And yet here's Sylvia's Cafe. And here are white men talking to black women. Sylvia is a black woman. She. She owns the cafe. And gee, I don't know about. Yes, I do know that in 1955, I would think Sylvia's Cafe would cater only to blacks. I would think that a lot of white people wouldn't want to go there. And this was an unfortunate in our history, but I think that's what would happen if Blacks and whites were walking down the street. I don't think they'd even acknowledge each other. So here they are talking to each other. There is talk about an interracial romance and a lot of talk about it, in fact, because the mayor of the town hates the idea that Chad has come to town and is. And he's the devil in disguise. So. But there's just a little too much familiarity for a square state in the Midwest in 1955. Not as much as there originally was. He's toned it down, but it's still there and it still doesn't ring true. That said, a very, very fine production. And if you're a baby boomer who loves those songs from way back when, now's the time to get Good Speed. It's been extended by an extra week, so it's obviously selling well and it's certainly pleasing the people. And it was so nice at the end of the show to see people who. A lot of gray hair, a. Of dyed hair, a lot of bald heads coming up the aisle and just swinging and swaying to the music of the out music coming out. They just had such a wonderful time. So if you are the audience for that, you're gonna have a wonderful time. It all shook up.

[James Marino]

Oh, Kilty Reedy's in this.

[Peter Felicia]

Yes, he is. Oh, that brings up another point, ironically enough, there's. I'm not saying that Jody Pietro stole from Once Upon a Mattress, but it's a similar situation because has a husband and that's Kilty Reedy who says nothing in the entire show. And then finally at the end of the show, he speaks up. So it does remind you of Once Upon a Mattress. The same type of thing going on there. So. Because she's quite an aggravaned and he is quite a septimist. The silent until the end of the show.

[James Marino]

All right, so all shook up at good speed. What is it, at the Terrace or in the big.

[Peter Felicia]

No, no, the real place. No, the real thing. Yeah, the Good Speed Opera House that we've known since the 60s.

[James Marino]

It's. It's interesting because the press release says. Yeah, it was in the. It says both things. It says it's in the terrace and it says it's in the main opera house. So anyway, the Opera House. Yeah, I'll have a link to that in the show notes. Plus they have some pretty good videos there. Some really nice videos. You can check that out as well. Next up, Jan, Michael and Peter were over at Playwrights Horizons to see Prince Faggot. So who Jan went first on Heather's. Peter just finished. Michael, it's your turn. Okay. It's up to you, Michael.

[Michael Portantier]

See what I did? Well, I resisted even going to see this show because of the title and, I guess the subject matter of what I had read about it. But then I heard very positive things from a lot of people I respect in addition to the reviews, and I thought I really should go, if only to be part of the conversation. And basically, I was very, very, very pleasantly surprised. What it is is, for the most part, written by Jordan Tannehill as a. A very traditional linear play about what would happen if, in fact, Prince George, who is now 11 years old, did turn out to be gay, as many people have speculated, based on beginning with a. A famous photo of him that was published in which people felt that he looked maybe stereotypically gay, even though he was very, very young at that time. I think he was only five. And if he. So, yeah. So it's set. It starts in 2032, the action of the play. And. And it postulates what would happen if indeed George fell in love with a man played by Mihir Kumar. George is played by John McCrae, and how mom and dad, William and Kate would react and how the world would react. And I found that play very, very, very compelling. I thought it was just extremely well written. Now, for whatever reason, the playwright has also chosen to include separate monologues by each of the cast members that occur at various points throughout the show. They literally step out of the action, each actor and give a monologue which is presented as if they're telling their own story. So it's very important. I actually had not read the program note beforehand, and so I was a little confused by some of the things I heard. But then if you read the note, it says performers. Well, oh, I should also say the cast is identified in the cast list only as Performer one, Performer two, et cetera, through Performer six. No character names, as in George, Ker, Kate, Charlotte, whoever. And that. I think. I mean, I guess they did that because there's a certain amount of doubling in addition to the monologues where the actors are not supposed to be the characters. So I guess that's why Jordan Tannehill decided to identify them that way. But I thought it comes across as very pretentious to me. And I don't like that the playwright chose to do that for whatever that score. But anyway, the program note says Performer one's opening monologue features details from actor Mihir Kumar's real life mixed with fictional Elements written by the playwright Performer four's final monologue was inspired by a rehearsal hall interview with actress Naomi Allure Stewart. All other text in the show, including the direct address monologues, is fictional, written by the playwright, and any resemblance to real events is purely coincidental. So, for example, Kate Todd Friedman, who plays William very, very well in this show, he at one point comes out and gives a monologue that I was at first assumed was about his own experience. And I believe he says it was a college production in which he was playing Henry V and he was given a direction by the. By the teacher slash director, which he. Which he thought was very racist. So, and of course the, the audience reacts accordingly. But I said, oh, that's really interesting that, you know, that that happened to Kaytot Freeman, but then it turns out it may not have happened to K. Todd Freeman or something similar might have happened or maybe it happened to someone else. So I, I found all of those monolog compelling, but I don't see how they fit in and I don't think they enhanced the narrative of the play proper. Interestingly enough, I got to speak with Miracumar, who plays Dev, the love interest, the one whom George is planning to marry afterwards, and we had quite a lengthy discussion about it. And interestingly enough, he told me that when he first saw the play in its earliest incarnation, none of those monologues were there there. It was just a straightforward, in terms of the writing, it was just a very straightforward play as, as we see the rest of it unfold on the stage there. So I said, well, that is, that really interested me. And I wonder what the playwright thought was gained by putting the monologues in. And Mir Kumar, who presumably has spoken with him about it, said, well, I think he thought that it was. It would help the audience to get these various outsiders views of what's happening with the royal family and you know, from very different perspectives of all of these different types of people who were commenting on it. And then I thought about that for a while when he said that after I went home. And then I thought, well, that is true, but you could say that about any other, other play. I mean, almost any other play, you could say, well, maybe we should put monologues by the characters, by the actors in Streetcar Name Desire to bring us another perspective on that show. So it's a very postmodern play and production and I urge everyone to see it, be prepared for incredibly explicit it. Sex scenes, and not only sex scenes, but S and M scenes, as in, you know, bondage etc. Cass is very, very strong. In addition to the two I mentioned, Rachel Crowell, Naomi Allure Stewart, David Greenspan and John McCrae. David Greenspan primarily plays two roles, one of whom is the press secretary of. For the. For the Royals and Boy, that is one of the most bravura, hilarious turns on stage that I have seen in a long time. David Greenspan, of course, is one of our great treasures in the New York theater, and so wonderful to see him as part of this. I'm sure the rest of the cast and everyone else involved is thrilled to have him involved. I. And very, very well directed, I would say, by Shayak Misha Chowdhury. With all of the disparate elements that I mentioned, it must have been hard to direct this show and have it seem at all cohesive, but a very, very excellent job of that as far as I'm concerned.

[James Marino]

Okay, Jan, what'd you think of this?

[Felicia]

I was taken with it, but once again, I'm gonna sound like a party because I was a little uncomfortable with the show centered so much around young Prince George. If they had changed all of the names, we would have known who they were talking about. And yet it wouldn't have, to me, been so unfair speculating about this young child's future. Not so much the gay part, but he's a bit unhinged. He's into drugs. He's into, as Michael just said, into S and M to the point that you have to put your phone in a yonder pouch when you go into the. The. So that photos aren't taken. And I do think that the points could have been made just as effectively without those extremely explicit scenes. However, the lighting and the way that they are staged is really actually quite beautiful. And so, yes, I agree with Michael that Chowdhury, who some listeners may recognize as the playwright behind the show Public Obscenities, which was a Pulitzer finalist last year. And I think he also. There's another play that he just staged. He's a very busy guy, and he's doing really very good work. I thought it was very interesting and a little different to have all of these proudly, openly gay actors in. Or I should say queer actors, because there are some trans actors in it as well.

[Michael Portantier]

Yes.

[Felicia]

In a production where they're not making fun of or satirizing, these actors are portraying, for the most part, dramatic roles, interesting roles, and just doing it beautifully. I thought the entire cast was very strong. I think also one of the points that the play is making, the fiance, lover, potential partner of the prince is a mixed race man. He is Indian and British. And that also factors into the dynamics, the different kinds of relationships. And I think. I don't know, I think maybe part of the reason that the playwright sort of crowbarred the monologues in there. Excuse me. Is that there have been so many gay royal romances recently. There's the Netflix show the Young Royals. There's that. I think it's a movie that Matthew Lopez wrote called Red, White and Royal Blue that stars Uma Thurman as the President of the United States and her son falls in love with the Prince of England. And maybe the playwright just sort of felt, ooh, I don't want to be part of this whole trend. I want to do something a little different to make my show just a little extra, a little different. But the bottom line is that I thought it was beautifully done and ultimately actually very effective. I don't think it's a show that, you know, the palace in Buckingham palace is going give it stamp of approval, but it does show the royal family because it's in the future, obviously, when George is in his 20s and his parents are now the King and Queen of England. And it shows them as sympathetic, supportive, loving parents. It shows them in a way that the royals don't often. In a. In a positive light, that the royals don't often get shown. And. And so a really worthwhile show. I agree with Michael. Go see it. But it's hard to get a ticket.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, didn't mention that.

[James Marino]

Okay, so, Peter, what did you think?

[Peter Felicia]

You know, yes, it's a very hot ticket, but let's go back literally 100 years when the hot ticket on Broadway was the student prince. And, you know, there's a similarity between the two shows because indeed, the Student Prince is about a guy falling in. A prince falling in love with a commoner. And can this ever work out? Well, that's part of what's going on here, too. The fact that the prince has to be very careful about the fact that he's fallen in love with somebody who the royal family will not approve of. So there is some similarity, as strange as that may seem. You know, for all the talk about how the boys from the band is so terrible, I'm amazed that this word is part of the title. It does not show gay men in a very good light. And I'm very surprised that that hasn't been criticized much more than I think it should be. There are so many other ways that this title could have been. I. I imagine that here I am talking about the Student Prince. I guess it could have been called the Gay Prince and maybe that's not as exciting a title, but nevertheless, I. I really rail against that word and I just think it's terrible that an artistic would even director would even look at this script with this title and say, okay, I got to read this. So the label on the bottle is often very important and I just think it's a big problem. But yes, indeed, there's another factor here as well. There are a lot of homophobic people who really do believe that every gay relationship is very much into S and M and bondage and discipline, et cetera, you know, and this reinforces that and I think that's unfortunate as well. Sure, the writing is good, sure the cast is terrific. Yes, indeed. As Jan said, the lighting is quite wonderful as well. But boy, I'm not sure that this play really does a lot of good and helps in today's climate.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, thanks for mentioning that last thing, Peter. I also wanted to say, say that aside from everything else, I. I think it's a little on the nose that George is the bottom, the submissive one, you know, in, in the, in the relationship. And I'm sure that's. That was done very, very much on purpose there. There are some incredible things that are said during the very explicit sex scene. Yeah, that and I think shock value you is the explanation for that as well as for the title that you hate so much. And I certainly understand why you hate.

[James Marino]

It so much on the, in. In the press release for this show. It's got a tagline here. Produced by special arrangement with Jeremy O. Harris and Josh Godfried of bb2.it. I'm not finding it on the wet. This was in the press release, but I don't see it on the website. Jeremy O. Harris's connection to the production. But I wonder, given what was just said in the comparison to Slave Play, if there was, you know, some sort of influence that Jeremy O. Harris had on this production. You know, it. He's not included in the creative team, but he is listed there. Produced by special arrangement with. So somehow he's in the mix there. So that's interesting. The other thing that I wanted to point out from the, from the website and you guys just brought it up is it's a hard ticket to get. They have 99 cent Sundays. Yeah, you can get a ticket for 99 cents because they're part of Soho.

[Felicia]

Rep and Soho Rep has always done that.

[James Marino]

So. But next.

[Michael Portantier]

But what is the deal?

[James Marino]

How does it work next Sunday, July 20th at 7pm here's how to get the 99 cent evening Sunday performance. 99 cent tickets only available at the door on the day of the performance. Ticket tickets will be distributed on a first come first serve beginning 40 minutes before the performance. Nobody will let in the building till hour prior. How early people get in the line varies from show to show, but audiences typically start lining up at least an hour before curtain. Each person may purchase up to two tickets, but all parties must be present at the time the ticket is bought. Cash only, please. $1 bills are strongly preferred. Please bring $1 bills. You know, you can't even use $1 bills at Broadway Bears anymore, you know, so we have lots of $1 bills left over because Broadway Bears, you know, anyway, that's a whole different podcast. Please be nice to your fellow line standers. So if you did like the reviews that we had this morning, there is a 99 cent possibility next Sunday evening, July 20th. And we'll have a link to that in the show notes so you can check that out.

[Michael Portantier]

I'm sorry, did you say how does it say how many they set aside?

[James Marino]

It does not say. Yeah, it does not say how.

[Michael Portantier]

Probably I. It can't be made because the whole theater is only what, 99? 99, I believe. I just. Yeah, yeah.

[James Marino]

You can see them in the grosses. That performance gross $99. Well, it wouldn't even be 99.

[Michael Portantier]

That's right.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

Getting too deep into this. 99 times 99. Anyway, so something that is definitely not 99 cents or even 99, but north of 99 is angry Allen at Seaview Studio. Studio or Studio Sea View. Michael. Michael and I talked about it last week. Peter hasn't seen it yet. Peter, you see it this afternoon. This evening.

[Peter Felicia]

This afternoon.

[James Marino]

But Jan has seen it. So I want to get Jan's point of view on Angry Allen. And I have a special question for everybody after Jan's review.

[Felicia]

So I'm going to whip through this review because I want to get to the question. Okay, I like it. I liked it a lot. I wasn't sure what I would think of John Krasinski. And you kind of gotta like him because he takes up 90% of the play where he's on stage alone. And I was totally impressed by his performance, his command of the stage. And I thought about how similar what he's doing was what Hugh Jackman did in Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, which Audible did earlier in the summer and is going to soon be releasing as an audio play. That people can download. Both of these men are using their nice guy Personas and showing us that people that we usually think of as terrible, those kind of people are actually just ordinary people, maybe people that in other circumstances, in normal circumstances, we would like and showing us how they go for most of us astray. And I thought this play was by Penelope Skinner about a regular middle age, middle class white guy, about his descent into the most toxic and self pitting parts of the manosphere, was just beautifully rendered, beautifully done. The only danger I saw was that some people might not get that it was a satire and think that this is supportive of this kind of journey. But there was a guy in front of me at the performance that I attended and he was loving the first part of it and he was just nodding along. And as the character Roger comes under the sway of the person, angry Alan, who's an online sort of guru in this man's movement. And as it becomes clear where the show is really going, this guy in front of me became very quiet. So I think it's a really interesting play. And I think my major criticism, and then I will be quiet is that the New York Times makes everything a critics pick and it did not make this show a critics pick. And I don't know. I don't know what the hell is going on over there. So ready for the question.

[James Marino]

Does everybody. Except for Peter, because he hasn't attended yet. Have you got your place, Bill?

[Michael Portantier]

Not in front of me.

[Felicia]

No. No, I don't have it in front of me.

[James Marino]

Why did you. Did you recognize anything special about the playbill?

[Felicia]

I don't remember now.

[Michael Portantier]

No, don't know what you're referring to.

[James Marino]

If you. So the playbill was like an 11 by 17 folded into quarters or something like that?

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, right. If you open it up, it's like almost like a poster.

[James Marino]

Yeah, it's a poster that you can go hang on your bedroom wall. So for those who won't be lucky enough to get there, I'll include in the show notes a photograph of the posters so you can print it out and hang it on your bedroom wall. So I was like, that's so random. It's so weird. So random. And so as I mentioned last week I only got a single for this show and my wife wanted to go, so we bought a ticket and my wife and I went and she loved the show. She also hated Heather's. But that's a different discussion. For much to the points that everyone has brought up about the timing of it and the cruelness of Heather's and things like that. She loved the performances, hated the storyline and how it was portrayed. But back to John Krasinski is that she found all these videos online of John Krasinski doing a lip sync battle with Anna Kendrick and they are hysterically, hysterically funny. And so I'll throw those into the show notes as well. So onto a show that Peter did see. Peter, you were over the Dr. 2. Oh, that's a short commute for you to see DeLaria. So spelled different than Leah DeLaria but nothing about Leah DeLaria. What is this about?

[Peter Felicia]

Well, it's about a woman whose first name is DeLaria. Now what's interesting. Interesting is basically it's almost a two character play because I would say about 85, 90% of it has two people on stage and it's Delaria and her friend Georgia. Now this is one of those situations that we have seen so many times where the better looking young woman has a friend who's not as accomplished and not as secure in herself and she's a hanger on in that sense. Sense. So that's what we have going on there because Delaria is super confident, she believes she's beautiful, she convinces people that she is. Eventually Georgia will come to the conclusion that she really isn't beautiful in any way, shape or form. But that comes much later. But she is quite the narcissist and, and Georgia puts up with it because she doesn't have many friends and this woman at least is paying attention to her. So that's the dynamic that Julia Randall is dealing with with here. Oh, there is a guy who does come in who supposedly is involved with Jewel Delar. I'm sorry, delaria, but maybe he is, maybe he isn't. There's a lot of talk about virginity. There's a lot of talk about, shall we say, semen? A lot. And I don't mean people who are belong to the Coast Guard. So. So there's a lot about that. It does get very dark as time goes on. It gets darker and darker and what seems to be be kind of funny at the beginning turns out to be quite serious by the end of the show. Certainly has its moments. Certainly grabs your attention. It continues to grab your attention all the way to the end. I won't say it's a particularly satisfying play but it does seem to tell the truth about relationships and that's good enough. So it, it does the work very well. Well now Achiara Aurelia, who played Georgia, I understand, has left so and I, I Wish the replacement well, but nevertheless, she was quite good. But this really is. After all, it's called Delaria, Ella Stillers play. And she is quite, quite fine in getting all the narcissism, all the confidence, all the belief. Belief that she is hot, hot, hot. And it's. It's very. You'll recognize the character from your own life, I'm sorry to say.

[James Marino]

So that is Delaria at the Dr. 2. It's running through August 8, 2025.

[Felicia]

So, Peter, this is another Nepo baby who does well, well, okay.

[Peter Felicia]

You know, I didn't want to mention that, but yes, there is. Julia Randall is related. Randall, so.

[Felicia]

No, no, no, no, no, no. I'm talking about Ella Stiller.

[Peter Felicia]

I see.

[Felicia]

Who is the daughter of Ben Stiller and the granddaughter of Jerry Stiller and Anna Mara and so on.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, but Julia Randall is related to Tony Randall in some way. I think it might be a granddaughter. So I was told. That may not be true, but that's what I was told. Isn't that something? So we have tonight two of them there. Okay.

[Felicia]

And good.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, yeah. Okay, sure.

[James Marino]

What was the Tony Randall Theater? It was the National.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, the National Actors.

[James Marino]

National Actors Theater.

[Peter Felicia]

You know, that got such a bad break. I don't know why people were so down on that. It amazed me. He tried to do something really good, and every step of the way he seemed to be criticized. And I. I thought it was really quite bad that. That such a noble venture didn't get the consideration that I believe it should have received.

[Felicia]

Totally agree.

[Peter Felicia]

Do you. Good.

[Felicia]

Yep.

[James Marino]

So I can't confirm the Julia Randall. There's a Julia Randall in Wikipedia, but who has passed away.

[Peter Felicia]

No, I don't. This, as I always say, listeners know that I say this all the time. The time. I never say what I say is true. I only tell you what I hear.

[James Marino]

It says Tony Randall's daughter on Google. Tony Randall's daughter. All right. Yeah. Why?

[Michael Portantier]

Why? Why is that hard to believe?

[Peter Felicia]

Well, it's not so much hard to believe. It's just a case that we didn't know the truth. Oh, that's all.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay.

[Peter Felicia]

That's all.

[Felicia]

I wouldn't this young woman be very young to be Tony Randall's daughter? Aren't these two young women.

[James Marino]

Tony Randall had a 70. 80 year old. When he was 70 or 80, he had a child. His wife was very, very young. Yeah.

[Felicia]

Ah, okay. Interesting.

[James Marino]

All righty. So let's move on to low country. It's got a low, low, low, low. So Peter, Peter just did Delaria So, Jan, I'm sorry, I don't know.

[Felicia]

Pete. Peter wanted to talk about this show, so I'm okay.

[James Marino]

So, you know, Sunday is a good time for a double header. So, Peter, Felicia up at bat again. Peter, you got to see low country. So tell us about this.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, don't sit on the extreme right hand side because there's a curtain that separates the main room from the bedroom. There's no real bedroom. It's a studio apartment. And it isn't a traditional studio apartment because it's all cinder blocks. So we get the impression we're in a basement. And the guy who's there is not a rich man. It. It's a twist on what usually happens when people meet online, because usually it's the guy who's hot to trot and the woman, who, of course, is not remotely interested at this point in time. Here we have a man who certainly is not the aggressor. And the woman is. She certainly plays around with his. And wants to play around with more than that. And the reason he does not is because indeed he has been branded as a sex offender for something in his past. So he is super cautious because Lord knows, anything could go wrong and the woman could claim rape and where would he be then? So that's a very interesting situation, I have to say. An interesting setup. Anyway. I can't say that what happens after that is particularly interesting. But the real problem. Problem for me was the fact that the opening scene involves the guy on a cell phone conversation that's on speakerphone. It seems to me they actually are using the technology that we all would have if we put our phone on speakerphone. And I think it's a very, very fuzzy beginning because it's very hard to truly understand what's being said. There would be nothing wrong with having the caller on the sound system that's actually in the Atlantic Theater. So we. And every word. Because obviously there's something of importance that happens here. Granted, so many times exposition isn't quite needed at the beginning of the play. But we certainly have an inclination to believe that exposition is going to be delivered early in the play. And maybe this stuff we're missing. And I think by the end of the play you will find out that there is something missing. Because I believe that character who's speaking at the beginning on the cell phone is indeed somebody who should shows up. Does he ever show up? Inexplicably shows up, shouldn't show up, perhaps. And the play takes a turn that isn't unlike the Turn, ironically enough, in delaria, on many other plays you've seen, for that matter. So. So this play by Abby Rose Brock and directed by, after all, Joe Bonney, who sort of certainly does wonderful work, isn't quite as satisfying as it might be. But I do admire the idea of a woman who really is interested in having sex with a guy who's petrified of it for obvious reasons.

[James Marino]

Okay, over to you. Jan, you're up. Second.

[Felicia]

It'S well performed by the two main characters who were played by Babak Tafti and Jodi Balfour. And they work very, very hard to cover a lot of holes in this plot. But my basic, I guess, take on this show is that Abby Rosebrock has read too many Sam Shepard play. And you know, there's only one Sam Shepard, if you don't have Sam Shepard's gift. And having read a lot about Sam Shepard this year, I can't quantify exactly what it was that spark he had, but it was a gift. And it's very hard to make this kind of play work if you don't have that gift. And I don't think this, at least for this play, I don't think this playwright had it.

[James Marino]

Okay, so that is low country. It is running through today at 2 o'. Clock. So either you have to be very quick or you will have missed it already. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. Also, Laura Klashchneider spoke with Abby Rosebrock on Broadway radio. And I'll have a link to that in the show notes. You can listen to that if you're interested in that.

[Peter Felicia]

Jan.

[James Marino]

You got to see the gospel Gospel at Colonis, Colonis Gospel at Colonos.

[Felicia]

And I can't review it because reviews are embargoed to tonight. What I can say is that it's playing at Little island, which is that park on the river that Barry Diller created a couple of years ago. And if you go on a beautiful summer night, as I lucky too, it's just lovely to be out there. The ticket prices are $25, standing room for all seats, $25. Standing room is $10. And although, again, I can't review this gospel version of the Greek tragedy of Oedipus, not the first Oedipus, but Oedipus Colossus, the second in the installment of that really doomed family, I can say this. Go.

[James Marino]

Okay. All right. And finally this morning you did see a production of Trophy Boys. So tell us about the boys.

[Felicia]

This is a show. Did you guys talk about Trophy Boys. Have you seen?

[Peter Felicia]

I don't think so. I haven't seen it.

[Michael Portantier]

I know. The boys are the girls. Yes.

[Felicia]

This is at MCC Theater and the premise is that the four members of a debate team from an all boys high school are given just an hour to come up with arguments to defend why feminism is bad for women. The boys in this play are all played by actors who were assigned female identities at birth of their gender identities may be different now, but they were all given those identities at birth. This play was done in Australia in 2020, written by a woman named Emmanuel Martana, and she plays one of the characters. It is directed by Donya Taymor, who has been making just a career of directing young people in plays that are expressing the difficulties they have in reconciliation, reconciling who they are in this world. She won her Tony for the Outsiders. She was nominated for a Tony for John Proctor is the villain. I think maybe she's just taken on too many of these shows because this one really needed to be combed through more. I say that this play, play is sort of a version of what I've been calling the angry young woman play. And you will instantly recognize these plays because it's a group of women, although in this case they're supposed to be boys, get together in some sort of activity in school, in a dance studio, in a self defense class, on a debate team, and then they express their anger at how society is treating them and then for some reason they all perform a ritualistic dance. This is, it's its own genre and in this one it's trying to satirize white male privilege and toxic masculinity. But the actors are trying so hard to act like guys that it just comes off almost as cartoonish. However, I am a minority point of view. The audience seem to love it and it has been extended two or three times. It's now extended through August 3rd. And so I guess you should go and make up your own mind.

[James Marino]

Okay. Trophy boys at MCC, as Jan mentioned, through August 3rd. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. So just a little bit of a follow up on. We talked last week about Broadway by the Boardwalk. Broadway by the Boardwalk, Yes. And Michael, tell us about what's coming up with Broadway at the Boardwalk.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, yeah, I just wanted to mention it again. I wasn't sure how thorough we were. It sounds like a wonderful series that started this past Monday, the 7th, with Jennifer Holiday. And it's a group of. It's a series of outdoor performances at what's called Hudson River Park's Clinton Cove, which is the Hudson River. The closest entrance is West 55th street and it is as it mentions, the northernmost part of Hudson River Park. This is right just north of where all those piers are, where the cruise ships come in and where the Intrepid is docked below that. And it's an I've been to that area. It's very nice, very lovely. And what it says is last year Hudson river park introduced Broadway by the Boardwalk series that transforms the scenic Clinton Cove lawn into a welcoming open air theater by inviting Broadway's biggest stars to perform right in Broadway's backyard. The series returns this summer for encore performances free for all. And Clinton Cove is the northernmost section of Hudson river park near the recently opened Pier 97 with the closest entrance at West 55th Street. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets for seating on the grass. I think people also bring those low chairs if you prefer that. Yeah, you know. But yeah. So this past Monday was Jennifer Holiday and I did not attend but I heard she was fantastic and in really great form. And coming up I'm definitely planning to be there tomorrow, July 14th at 6:30 for Max von Essen with Billy Steven and then upcoming after that. These are all 6:30. Monday, July 21st John Lloyd Young the 28th Jasmine Amy Rogers. I hope I can make that. I loved her so much in Boop.

[Peter Felicia]

Me too.

[Michael Portantier]

Monday, August 4 Zachary Noah Peyser and Monday the 11th Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal. Totally free. Very nice setting. Sounds great to me. So maybe I'll see you there, some of you there tomorrow or at one of the subsequent events.

[James Marino]

All right. And we will have a link to Broadway by the Boardwalk and all the listings of what's coming up in the show notes. So that wraps it up for this week. Before we get on to our musical moment in our brain teaser, I want to remind everybody that you can subscribe to these broadcasts. 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 be automatically downloaded to Apple Podcasts for you. Of course you don't have to listen to us in Apple podcasts as many ways to get us Patreon is one way P A T R E O n dot com broadwayradio is where you can support all of Broadway radio shows and get us a little bit earlier than everybody else. Plus Matt Tamini is really going the extra mile and doing a ton of extra content. That's Patreon only Exclusives contact information for Jan, for Michael, for Peter, and for me can be found in the show notes at Broadway radio as well as links to some of the things we've talked about today. So, Peter, do you have an answer to last week's brain teaser?

[Peter Felicia]

In fact, I do. One 20th century musical dealt with a superstar. One 20th century play dealt with crime. Cross dressers. The entire title of one can be found within the title of the other. What are the two shows? Well, they're Tina the Musical about Ms. Turner that can be found in Casa Valentina about a cross dresser side away. Paul Whitty returned to first place, followed by Tony Janicky, Stephen Bell, Josh Israel, Ray Ustra, Sean Logan, J. Aubrey Jones, Jim White, Kathy Jones, Lee Korn, Deb Pople, Brigadoon, and Ingrid Gammerman. Some of them said that was much too easy. Easy. All right. No more Mr. Nice Guy. He was a household name in the early 20th century. His nickname was mentioned in two musicals. In both cases very early on in the shows, each musical had a score by the same team. What was his actual name? What was his nickname? What were the musicals? Who wrote them?

[James Marino]

Okay, if you have an answer for that, email us at trTriviaBroadwayradio.com, let you know if you're on the right track. So, Michael, what do we have in this week's musical moments?

[Michael Portantier]

Well, before we do that, I just wanted to mention very exciting news that I'm sure many of our listeners caught up with. The Wicked cast album has been certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry association of America, which means it has sold at least 4 million copies. So, you know, obviously cast albums don't dominate the recording industry or don't have a play such a high place in the, in the recording industry as they used to in the, in their, in the heyday of the golden age. But obviously when one does hit, it right, really, really hits. And I just think that is so fantastic that news. I'm sure that a lot of it has to do with the, that the release of the, the film, the, the incredibly popular film version only helped to, to spur sales of the original album. And I, I, I just, I just think it's great for everyone concerned and something that those of us who love the art form should, should really take pride in. So anyway, but our musical moments for this week are from the original recording of Heather's the Musical and which was billed, by the way as the world premiere recording. I can guess they preferred that to original off Broadway cast from when it was done at the New World Stages back in the day, as opposed to the current revival at that same venue. And as I said, I really do like the score of Heather's. So I hope that you will enjoy these two sections of the opening number, which is called Bullet Beautiful. And this contains Be prepared, because it opens with some of the slurs that I mentioned earlier. So that section is the opener. And then we have the closer of that number, which I think is a really good way to start the show and kind of set up the story. So, yes, please enjoy these moments from the opening now of Heather's the Musical.

[James Marino]

Okay, so on behalf of Michael Portentier, Jan Simpson, and Peter Felicia, this is James Marino saying thanks so much for listening to Broadway radios this week on Broadway. Bye. Bye. Who's that with Heather? Whoa.

[Felicia]

Heather.

[Jan Simpson]

Feather and someone. Veronica.

[Felicia]

Veronica. Veronica.

[Jan Simpson]

And you know, you know, you know life can be beautiful. You hope, you dream, you pray and.

[Peter Felicia]

You get your way.

[Jan Simpson]

Ask me how it feels Looking like hell on wheels. My God, it's beautiful. I might be beautiful. And when you're beautiful, it's a beautiful.

[James Marino]

Forget.

[Jan Simpson]

I'm.

[Felicia]

Veronica.