This Week on Broadway for July 26, 2026: Music City @ St. Luke’s Theatre

Summary

BroadwayRadio: This Week on Broadway – July 26, 2026

Theme: Reviews and reflections on the latest in New York and regional theater, including "Music City" at St. Luke’s Theatre, new plays at MCC and 59E59, the revival of "The Whoopi Monologues", and more.
Hosts: James Marino, Peter Filichia, Jan Simpson
Special Guests: None
Date: July 26, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode features discussions on notable new musical and play openings—stretching from the environmental, country-infused "Music City" to more experimental or revivals like "The Potluck" at Playwrights Horizons and "The Whoopi Monologues" at Lincoln Center. There are also regional festival highlights and broader conversations about trends in casting, the evolving nature of Broadway talent, and critical observations about the state of theater today.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Future Fest in Dayton, Ohio

• Peter Filichia recaps judging five new plays at the Future Fest theater festival in Dayton, Ohio.
• The winning play, "Chagutok" by Vince Gatton, imagined a group of time-travelers on a remote Alaskan island discussing the faults of various US presidents—revealed to be Nixon, Bush, Trump, among others ([01:38]–[04:27]).
• Notable Quote:

  "Community theater is full of people who are just terrific...doesn't mean at all that they don't have the talent to make great theater."
  —Peter Filichia [01:48]

2. "Music City" at St. Luke’s Theatre

Review by Jan Simpson ([08:51]–[13:56])

• Set in a recreated Nashville honky tonk; about two brothers hustling in a bar to become singer-songwriters.
• Plot involves the temptation to sell their song to a fading country star and subsequent involvement in drug dealing for demo funds.
• Jukebox musical with live country music (performed by the cast); praised for authenticity and energy.
• Sparse attendance surprises Jan, despite high entertainment value and affordable prices.
• Notable Quote:

  “It’s a testament to the show that when I left, I thought I should be listening to more country music. I thought this was a terrific little show.”
  —Jan Simpson [08:51]

• Pre-show open mic allows audience members to perform; one attendee astounds, revealing the show’s community feel.
• Both Jan and Peter agree the show thrives in its current intimate setting rather than heading to Broadway ([15:47]–[16:05]).

3. "Birthright" at MCC

Review by Peter Filichia and Jan Simpson ([16:40]–[26:32])

• Play spans 2006, 2016, and post-2023, following six friends whose relationships and views on Judaism and Israel change over 18 years after a Birthright trip.
• Peter: Praises the play for being even-handed; notes Zoe Winters’ standout performance. Draws comparisons to ensemble dramas like "The Big Chill".
• Jan: Finds some arguments too soapbox-y, but considers it a compelling conversation starter. Highlights Molly Bernard’s role swap and dramatic performance.
• Notable Quote:

  “This is the kind of play that when you see it, you can hardly wait to get out of your seat so that you can start talking about it.”
  —Jan Simpson [26:16]

4. "Julia, the Poison Queen of Palermo" at Perelman Performing Arts Center

Review by Jan Simpson and Peter Filichia ([26:57]–[35:45])

• Musical by Jennifer Nettles (her first); tells the legend of Giulia Tofana, a 17th-century poisoner who supposedly enabled abused wives.
• Score draws on a variety of musical styles; staging by Mary Zimmerman is praised as elegant.
• Jan critiques mixed (and notably gendered) reception among critics, defends the show's earnestness, and encourages female audiences in particular.
• Peter praises Nettles’ performance but laments inconsistent rhyming in the lyrics.
• Extended discussion about the importance of perfect rhymes in musical theater.
• Notable Quotes:

  “What’s wrong with being passionate? What’s wrong with being purposeful?”
  —Jan Simpson [31:03]
  “The old pros did it. The only reason people don’t do it now is because they’re lazy...”
  —Peter Filichia on imperfect rhymes [35:06]

5. "Sukkot" at 59E59 Theaters

Review by Peter Filichia ([36:13]–[40:08])

• Family drama set during the Jewish festival of Sukkot; explores generational conflict and secrets.
• Praises cast and script for balance and fairness.
• Notes the clever, evolving set design.

6. "The Whoopi Monologues" at Mitzi Newhouse Theater

Review by Jan Simpson ([40:15]–[48:02])

• 1984 Whoopi Goldberg classic revived with five actresses, each performing a different monologue.
• Highlights strengths in acting and writing; mentions audience enthusiasm.
• Discusses issues with frequent understudy use, reflecting on broader trends in actor attendance and changing industry norms ([48:02]–[53:33]).
• Notable Quote:

  “This is the job. And that for generations people have been committed to being there for their audiences. And I hope this does not become a trend...”
  —Jan Simpson [49:07]

7. Changes & Trends in Broadway Talent ([53:33]–[55:42])

• Discussion about how today’s actors must be 'triple threats' and also have strong social media presences to compete.
• Notable Quote:

  “Being a triple threat is not enough anymore... you need social media followers.”
  —James Marino [54:42]

8. Noël Coward’s "This Was a Man" at the Players Club

Mini-Review by Peter Filichia ([55:42]–[58:38])

• One-night-only reading of a rarely-staged Coward play.
• Notes surprising substance and two standout performances.

9. "The Potluck" at Playwrights Horizons

Review by Jan Simpson ([59:08]–[64:52])

• Meta-musical about the 1979 Greensboro Massacre and its personal impact on the composer’s family.
• Blends documentary footage, experimental storytelling, and a focus on personal and historical trauma.
• Divides its audience (“the audience surrounding me was very enthusiastic. I thought the score was really more of a vibe...”).

10. "The Circuit" – Immersive Silent Disco Ballet in Dumbo

Experience Report by Peter Filichia ([65:06]–[69:07])

• Audience wears headphones and follows dancers through Brooklyn’s riverfront.
• The experience is more athletic than balletic, with some risqué scenes and little narrative.
• Peter finds the setting itself (Dumbo waterfront at night) more interesting than the performance.

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Additional Memorable Moments

• BroadwayRadio App Released ([07:26]):
  Android app now available alongside iOS. “They like our logo.” —James Marino

• Perfect Rhymes/Old School Musicals:
  “Shows with imperfect rhymes would run longer if they had perfect rhymes, because the audience would indeed be able to catch on to the show far more.” —Peter Filichia [35:32]

• Actor Attendance & Industry Change:
  “If I wanted your understudy, I would have hired the understudy. You’re the one I wanted.” —Story relayed by Bayork Lee, via Peter Filichia [48:55]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:38] Peter Filichia on Future Fest and "Chagutok"
• [08:51] Jan Simpson reviews "Music City"
• [16:40] Review discussion: "Birthright" at MCC
• [26:57] "Julia, the Poison Queen of Palermo"
• [36:13] "Sukkot" at 59E59
• [40:15] "The Whoopi Monologues" revival
• [55:42] Noël Coward’s "This Was a Man"
• [59:08] "The Potluck" at Playwrights Horizons
• [65:06] "The Circuit" immersive ballet

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Overall Tone

The episode balances in-depth theater criticism (with both warmth and wit), fondness for tradition, openness to experimentation, and concern for evolving industry standards. The panelists bring personal anecdotes and a sense of continuity across different eras of theater, making the episode especially engaging for theater lovers and practitioners alike.

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Quick Links

• Music City (St. Luke’s): Tickets through October 31 [16:05]
• Birthright (MCC): Through August 23 [26:34]
• Julia, the Poison Queen of Palermo (Perelman): Through August 2 [35:45]
• Sukkot (59E59): Through August 9 [40:08]
• The Potluck (Playwrights Horizons): Through August 9 [64:52]
• The Circuit (Dumbo): Closing soon [70:14]

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For more info and show notes, visit BroadwayRadio.com

Transcript

[Musical Performer]

Tell the mountains I am coming and watch them. I am the river. On the mountains I'm on my way I'm on my way I'm on my way way I'll trust my heart and all it feels as my guide Next time lay it all on what's the real name?

[James Marino]

Hello and welcome to Broadway Radios this week on Broadway for Sunday, July 26, 2026. My name is James Marino and in the broadcast today we have Peter, Felicia 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 bright New Year is available at finer retailers. Hello, Peter.

[Peter Felicia]

Hi.

[James Marino]

Welcome back from the future, or should I say the future Fest in Dayton, Ohio.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, yeah, yeah. This is an amazing thing that happens out there. I, I gave a little speech at the end of this play festival where five shows were, five new scripts, totally new scripts were, were given readings. And I'm telling you, the talent out there is amazing. As I always say, community theater is full of people who are just terrific. They just wanted that paycheck on Friday or they wanted marriage and children, but that doesn't mean at all that they don't have the talent to make great theater. So anyway, tremendous people out there, directors too. I mean, it really is something. But anyway, so we five of us adjudicate and we decided that the best of the five plays, though all of them were terrific, was a play with the odd title of Chagatak that's C H A G U T O K by Vince Gatton. And I'm just going to tell one little thing about it and I think you'll see why it's so terrific. It's for people who have gone to this remote island in the Alaskan area that to watch an aurora borealis type thing. By the way, all fictional. There's no such place, there's no such situation. But anyway, while they're there, one of the things they do is complain about the President, you know, how terrible he is and all the things he's doing wrong and isn't a disgrace and all that. And then you find out they're time travelers and they're talking about Nixon, Bush, Trump. I mean, it's just everybody complains about the President. So that was great fun and was the play that we like the best. But again, who'd expect in Dayton, Ohio, they really are the Green Bay packers of community theater. Because who'd expect a team in Green Bay, Wisconsin, who'd expect a Great, great. Arguably the greatest community theater that I've ever been to and maybe in the country for doing this. I mean, really, would you expect when a guy, John Riley, like, 35 years ago, this been going on for a long time, said, you know what we should do? We should have a festival of new plays. You know, we'll. We'll fly people in from New York. We'll fly the playwrights in, we'll put them up, we'll feed them. It'd be great. I'm amazed that that got even somebody saying, yeah, yeah, what a good idea. I would think there will be so many naysayers saying, what, are you crazy? But it hasn't happened that way. And here we are all these years later with wonderful leadership, just terrific people. So by all means, if you're in the Dayton area, I'll make a point to be in the Dayton area next July. Do drop in if you can. Get a seat.

[James Marino]

Peter. In a small world collision, I have slept on Vince Gatton's floor.

[Peter Felicia]

You have?

[James Marino]

Yes, When Vince was at the University of Illinois. Urbana Champagne. I was over there and met Vince for the first time. Oh, in the 90s or. Or something. Isn't that something back in the 1900s.

[Musical Performer]

Wow.

[Peter Felicia]

Isn't that something?

[James Marino]

And yeah. And small world. It's so amazing. I love seeing, like, people that I met so many years ago. I mean, you know, the obvious ones are Jeff Marx and Jason Robert Brown and things like that that I've known forever. Sure, sure. That have become these huge legends and other people still doing just the incredible work out there. So congratulations to everyone over. Over at Future Fest in the Dayton Playhouse. I mean, Peter, this was nearly a Toledo surprise for me.

[Peter Felicia]

The reason James is mentioning that is because that is what it's on my show tuning for today calendar. Toledo surprise from the drowsy chaperone. If I were really being very egocentric and God knows I could be accused of that, I would have put down something for My Fair lady, because this is the 65th anniversary of my seeing My Fair lady, my first ever Broadway show. So. And that was the first of my theatrical experiences. Never been alive see a live show before. And here we are. And tomorrow night when I go to Othello, it will be shown 13,456. So anyway, they're adding up. So, yeah, the reason James mentioned Toledo's surprises, because that's the selection for today. And the reason is that this is Kurt Deutsch's birthday and he's the one who started a record label and gave us Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. By the way, this is David Yazbek's birthday the last five years, Legally Blonde. He did all those recordings and he did the Drowsy Chaperone. And what's really interesting about the Drowsy Chaperone, this song is that when man in Chair plays this song, the record sticks. It's a broken record and he has to deal with that. Okay. Now eventually there was a vinyl release of the Drowsy Chaperone. I was very interested to see if indeed Toledo Surprise would be done without any problem sticking. No, and God love them, that's what they did. They did the song completely through. It's only man in Chairs vinyl album that has a problem. If you get the vinyl album, you won't have a problem with Toledo Surprise. I hope I haven't spoiled the surprise for anybody in Toledo or anywhere else.

[James Marino]

All right. Also with us is Jan Simpson. Janice, a theater journalist who writes the theater blog Broadway and Me and hosts the Broadway radio podcasts all the drama and stagecraft. She has three times served as a juror for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and currently sits on the executive board of the Outer Critics Circle and is a theater and is a nominator for the Lortel Awards and is a member of the Drama Desk and American Theater Critics Association. Hello, Jan. Hi. Thank you for visiting with us this week. I'm very excited. Michael is away traveling and he'll be back next week. Actually, he's going to be back next week remotely from his sister's place or something like that next week. So Michael will be back. Some Broadway radio news. The Android app has been approved by Google. They like our logo. So you can now get the Broadway radio app in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play for Android Store. And please let me know if you run into any problems or have any suggestions. First up in our reviews, Jan, you were over at St. Luke's Theater to see the latest production of Music City. So tell us about this.

[Jan Simpson]

I went because it was my job to go. I'm going to admit that right at the beginning because I knew that it involved country music. And I'm not a country music person. And so it's a testament to the show that when I left, I thought I should be listening to more country music. I thought this was a terrific little show. It's done in the environment. It's set in a sort of run down honky tonk kind of bar in Nashville. And the playing space at St. Luke's has been turned Into a sort of honky tonk space. The story is about two brothers who want to become singer songwriters in Nashville. And as the show opens, they're just sort of working in this bar, doing any little jobs they can so that they can get some time on stage to sing. A producer comes into the club. Here's one of their songs. And she wants to buy the song for a big country star whose reputation is fading a bit. And she thinks this song is the exact kind of song that will bring in new audiences for him. But the brothers don't want to do that. I'm not spoiling things. This is right up at the beginning. The brothers don't want to sell their song because they want to be the ones to perform it. And so in order to get together money for a demo to show what they can do because they're broke, they start delivering drugs for a local drug dealer who offers to put up the money for the demos. And this leads to a whole series of complications. But the main part of this musical, and it is a jukebox musical. I didn't know that because of course I didn't know. Still don't know country music. But it's a jukebox musical, and the music is terrific. The performers who are playing it and they're playing it in the club are really incredible because all of these people are playing all kinds of instruments, not just guitars, but mandolins, and they're on drums and they're on keyboard while they're singing. And also acting. The story itself becomes a little melodramatic as the cutest of the brothers falls for a girl who's also seeking to become a star. And the big country star also has his eye on the girl. There's some problems with her mother. It's a little bit melodramatic, but the actors are so good. They really put it over. And what saddened me a little bit as I sat there was that the place was not full. And there are so many shows that are, you know, kind of nice and okay. This was a really good time. And I looked around and I thought, the ticket prices aren't that high. The entertainment value is really high. Why aren't more people seeing this show? They. They. They really, really should. So don't be like me. If you think you don't like country music, get yourself over there to Music city. I think you will have a really, really a good time at the beginning of the show also. And then I'll stop. They have before the show, there's a pre show show, and it's an open mic and people in the audience are invited to come up and sing in front of the audience. And this one woman got up and she sang and she was so good that I thought she was a plant until I saw her in the ladies room and realized after the show that, no, she was just a regular audience member who loved country music and also happened to be really good at it. So even the people in the audience are good. Go. See,

[James Marino]

Wasn't Taylor Swift, was it?

[Jan Simpson]

No, she was busy doing other things.

[Peter Felicia]

I see.

[James Marino]

Okay. Well, so the thing about Music City is that it's been kicking around for a few years. It played Bedlam. So, Jan, I'm assuming, because you mentioned that this is your first experience. Did you. Was it on your radar when it was at Bedlam a couple of years ago?

[Jan Simpson]

It was, and I skipped it because, as I said, you know country music. But this time around, as you said in the intro, I'm a Lortel nominator. And this is a Lortel eligible show. So I went to see it for that reason and I'm really glad. Thank you. Thank you, Lortels.

[James Marino]

Peter, did. You haven't seen this St. Luke's production yet, have you?

[Peter Felicia]

No, I have, actually. Yeah. And ironically enough, the show that was there before had a very similar vibe and the type of setting, environmental setting and all that, you know, it's changed from the Bedlam production. I think it's clearer now of what's going on. So they did the work and they really have been successful in making it quite an experience.

[James Marino]

There was quite the buzz around Broadway in the last year or so that that Music City was going to come to Broadway. And here it is at St. Luke's just a couple blocks off Broadway. What do you think? Is it either Janet or Peter? Do you think that this is going to head for Broadway or is it just perfectly at home where it is now?

[Peter Felicia]

I think it'll stay where it is.

[Jan Simpson]

I do, too. I don't know how it would fare on a Broadway stage. I think the environmental feel of the show really helps it, so I don't know.

[James Marino]

I agree with that. All right, so Music City, I had an end date, but I can't put my finger on it. It is like way in October. October 31st. Yeah, October 31st. Right now they are selling tickets through October 31st at St. Luke's and we'll have a link to that in the show notes. Jan and Peter also saw Birthright over a Manhattan class company, mcc. It's actually no longer Manhattan Class Company. They just call it mcc. Right?

[Peter Felicia]

Right.

[James Marino]

I think they think they dropped the name. So Peter, why don't you get us started on Birthright?

[Peter Felicia]

Well, this reminded me of one of my favorite movies of all time, returning to the Secaucus 7, which greatly influenced, I'm told, the Big Chill movie. Which by the way, speaking of the Big Chill, there's actually going to be a pretty hoity toity reading of this on Monday, August 31st at 7 o' clock at Guild Hall. Now this is out in East Hampton. David Saint, who did such wonderful work, the George Street Playhouse while he was there, is going to be directing this Big Chill. So I did want to alert people about that. If you are fans of the Big Chill, here's your chance to, to see this wonderful script done on stage and it is a benefit. So keep that in mind. But all things considered, let's go back to Birthright because it is about a group of friends who certainly enjoy each. At the beginning of the show, it's a three act play. By the end of the show they're arguing. Some are anyway and the arguments are make sense and they're fair to both sides. I'm very impressed by that, that they are so into what they're saying. But nobody says anything stupid. Everybody every time you hear an opinion say, well all right, I can see that point of view. Yeah, that makes sense to me. I get it. You know, and that's the best thing you can possibly hope are in a play like this, or any play for that matter, that they are definitely fair to both sides. So very, very impressive cast. I have to say I really was tremendously impressed by Zoe Winters who really had a lot to say, needless to say. But everybody else is wonderful too. And I also have to say the Scott past setting is very clever. It doesn't just take place in one place, it takes place in two places. The first and third acts are, you see differences in the house that you saw way back when because the people are aging and so does the house. So a lot of squabbles and a lot of surprises in what happens to some of these people. We're talking about Jews and their feelings about Israel and such matters and cogent, cogent feelings things. So. But I will say that even though it's quite fine, I didn't think it lived up to return the Secaucus 7 a big chill. So which just came to my mind every time I was seeing anything happen on that stage.

[James Marino]

Okay, Jan, what did you think?

[Jan Simpson]

Well, I was really looking forward to this show because it's written by Jonathan Spector, who did Eureka Day, which was such a success show a season or so ago. As Peter says, it centers around a group of friends, six people who became friends when they went on a birthright trip to Israel in 2006. The year is important, as some people may know. The government of Israel extends these all expenses paid trips to Israel to young Jews, I think, between the ages of 18 and maybe somewhere in their 30s, so that they're familiar with the country and its connection to their heritage. And these six, all relatively affluent people, but from very different sorts of backgrounds, go on this trip and they become very good friends. And the first scene, this is also a very long play. It's three hours plus plus yeah plus. And the first scene takes place in 2006. They've just returned from the trip. They're really. And they've had such a good time with one another. They really want to hold on to these friendships they make. Then it moves to 2016. They are now a little older. They were in their early 20s, I think all of them had recently graduated from college in 2006. Now they're in their mid-20s. They've got careers, things that are settling down a little bit in their lives. And then. Well, not of course, but it moves up to three years ago, right after the October 7 attack on the settlers by Hamas. Over the course of these three scenes of three acts and these 18 years in the lives of these people, their sense of who they are as Jews changes. And it's an exploration of their Jewish identity. Peter thought of the movies Sakaka 7 and the Big Chill. I thought of the two plays, Brandon Jacob Jenkins, the Comeuppance and Will Arbery's Heroes of the Fourth Turning, where you have a group of like minded friends who bonded over a particular point of view of life. And as they mature, their feelings change and their attitudes toward one another change. There's a lot of arguing in the play and some of it just seemed to me like people getting up on soapboxes and that the arguments were well presented, but they didn't seem to me as well integrated into the play as they should be. Jonathan Spector has been open about the fact that this was not his idea. He was commissioned. He was asked to write a play after the events of October 7th, and I think he's still sort of processing all of that and was trying to work it out in the play. And so it's not as resolved. But I do agree with Peter that the cast was just terrific. And I want to single out Molly Bernard, who plays probably the most firebrand of the group, and I'll just leave it at that. When the cast was initially announced, she was cast in a different role. The actress playing her role left during the rehearsal period and Molly moved over to this new role. They had to delay the opening slightly. Molly Bernard. Some people may know her from the Sutton Foster TV show Younger, where she played sort of a ditzy sidekick. I've seen her in other things and she's always cast as this kooky, funny kind of person. Here she gets a chance to show her dramatic chops and she is, I think, excellent. She

[Peter Felicia]

really,

[Jan Simpson]

when I talked about people being on soapboxes, her character is perhaps the most didactic. But the intensity of what she's feeling is so clear. The ending of the play was a letdown for me. I understand why he ended the play this way and I think a lot of people will like the way he ended this play. But for me, that's not the way life goes. I wish it did. I wish it did, but it doesn't. And having been through similar experiences with friends over the years where our views of life change, resolutions can be difficult. However, this is the kind of play that when you see it, you can hardly wait to get out of your seat so that you can start talking about it to the people that you're seeing it with. So I do encourage people to see Birthright.

[Musical Performer]

Right.

[James Marino]

All right. Jonathan Spector's Birthright at MCC is running through August 23rd. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. Jan, you also saw Julia, the Poison Queen of Palermo at the Peramin Performing Arts Center. So tell us about this.

[Jan Simpson]

This is a musical that's written by the country music

[James Marino]

Jennifer.

[Jan Simpson]

I know, Jennifer, you said you wanted

[Peter Felicia]

to see more of it, so.

[Jan Simpson]

But it is not, it is not a country music play at all. Jennifer Nettles, who is a Grammy winning singer, songwriter, she is part of the duo known as Sugarland. She wrote the book for this musical. She wrote the, the music, both the score, both the music and the lyrics. And she stars in the show and this is her first ever musical, so a really ambitious undertaking. It tells the story of this real life woman named Giulia Tofana who was a 17th century female apothecary in Palermo, as the title says, in Italy. And. And as legend has it, she developed this poison that. The Poison Queen of Palermo that was pretty undetectable for the people who were given it. They didn't taste it or smell it. And the people who were given it were the husbands of women who were abused. Legend has it that this led to the death of some 600 men. Now whether or not that's true, whether or not even Julia developed this poison, is also part of mythology, but it makes for an interesting premise. Jennifer Nettles was able to persuade Mary Zimmerman, who I think most people will still remember, that she was the director of metamorphosis, I guess 20 years ago or so on Broadway. And she has produced a really elegant, elegant staging, very simple but very elegant staging of this musical. The score is not at all country. It ranges from power ballads to comic numbers. There's rap, there's choral anthems of women singing about their terrible husbands. Nettles has worked it out so that each of the main cast members gets a chance to shine. This show, which I found totally entertaining, has gotten somewhat mixed reviews. And I don't usually think in this sense or talk in this sense, but it's gotten mixed reviews from men. Men. Male critics who I think subconsciously don't like the idea that the men are such villains in this piece, don't like the idea that they're poisoned. Every, just about every review I've read has said, this is such an earnest show. Well, what's wrong with being passionate? What's wrong with being purposeful? I mean, did people say, oh, that Ernest, Benjamin Barker, that Ernest Valjean, you know, Jean Valjean? No, they're saying this Ernest Julia. I feel like I'm out there, you know, on the bulwark, just waving the flag for Julia and saying, this is a really entertaining musical. Is it perfect? No. This is this woman's first show. Does she borrow from other shows? She sure does. There's a little bit of Sweeney Todd, a little bit of Waitress, a little bit of Wicked, a little bit of Hamilton. She has stitched her show together. But again, this is a first time a musical and I'm not just grading on a curve because even though it is just a first time musical, it is a really accomplished piece of work and a really entertaining piece of work. So I want to say, particularly to women who are listening and looking for a good time in the theater and a theater that addresses women's issues. Go see Julia. I think Nettles is very open about the fact that she wants to bring her show to Broadway and the that she is going to continue working on it and refining it. And I hope she does, and I hope it does. And I hope that people are Just more open to it, including male critics.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, I'm a cisgender male and I thought the characterizations of the guys were very on target. The only thing I didn't like, of course, was the lyrics, which rarely, rarely, rarely rhymed. But, but I was impressed with the show otherwise, especially with her. She was terrific.

[Jan Simpson]

Yeah, she has an incredible voice and, and good presence and, and also a generosity of spirit because although this is clearly her show, she does not hog

[Peter Felicia]

the, the, I agree with that.

[Jan Simpson]

Yeah, the, the center and has created some wonderful ballads. There's one that's sung by. Why am I blanking on his name? Darrington. Can't remember his name now, and I apologize for that. That's just a wonderful ballad of a hypocritical cardinal who is down on all sorts of vices that he sees others committing, but has committed some of his own. It's quite a show.

[James Marino]

Idra, I have to say that you are consistent to a fault about lyric brimming. It doesn't matter. Male, female, somewhere in the middle. Anything. It doesn't matter.

[Peter Felicia]

It doesn't matter.

[James Marino]

Yeah, no, it doesn't. It's all.

[Peter Felicia]

We all have our values that happens to be mine. I will tell you that. Somebody I know was one Tony Awards for best score says it doesn't matter anymore. I think it does because I truly believe that an audience has a better time when there are rhymes because they can catch on to the lyrics much easier. It's very hard sometimes to hear in the theater what's going on. People lickety split lyrics and all that kind of stuff. Stuff rhymes help.

[James Marino]

I, I, I forget who said this. Maybe somebody could help me out here. Either the two of you are in the chat or the folks in the chat room who, who said, I'm sorry this letter is so long I didn't have a chance to write a short one. Something along those lines, you know, it's, it's like, it's like doing the work, you know, know, getting to the point and making things rhyme. That, that is.

[Peter Felicia]

The old pros did it. The only reason people don't do it now is because they're lazy. They don't want to put in the time, they don't put in the energy. They feel they can get away with it, and to a degree they do, needless to say. But I truly believe that shows within perfect rhymes would run longer if indeed they had perfect rhymes, because the audience would indeed be able to catch on to the show far more. And indeed, when, when they don't, they come out. Instead of saying, gee, that was terrific, they say, gee, that was all right.

[Musical Performer]

Right.

[Peter Felicia]

I truly believe that. Doesn't mean anybody else has to. Doesn't mean anybody else will. But that's my value system and I'll stand by it.

[James Marino]

All right, so there is Julia, the Poison Queen of Palermo at the Perelman Performing Arts Center. We'll have a link to that in the show notes running through August 2nd, so you can check it out for yourself. Next up, Peter was over at 59. He's 59 to see a show called Sukote. So tell us about this, Peter.

[Peter Felicia]

S U K K O T. Yes, indeed, it's a Jewish holiday and indeed it is a holiday where you're supposed to rejoice. That's a great idea for a play and I greatly appreciate that Matthew Levitt has done it. Levitt is in the Jewish name, but he may be Jewish and had changed it, I don't know. But it's very interesting if a gentil wrote this play because it does deal with this holiday. Now Patrick, who's played by Andy Robinson very nicely by the way, is a gentleman who lost his wife some time ago and he's been mourning ever since. But here comes this holiday. As a result, he's going to rejoice with his three children. Or is he? Well, you know, one of them, Asher, has been living with him for a while. He doesn't have a job and doesn't look as if he's going to get one anytime soon. So he's been sponging off the old man and the old man has been reasonably nice about it. We'll see if he'll continue to be. Also is a character named Marad. That's M A R E D A D. Sorry, M A I R E A D. It's a name that I'm totally unfamiliar with, but it had to do with the fact that indeed Patrick's wife decided on the name. She thought it was an Irish name that she liked very much. So now this is a no nonsense lady. This is a woman who has become a doctor, a gynecologist, and she is certainly in the money and has a lot of authority and doesn't mind showing it in the family. On the other hand, Eden is the daughter who's flighty and promiscuous and just out for fun. So needless to say, there's going to be a lot of fireworks on this holiday where you're supposed to rejoice. Joel Zwick directed. Now, ironically enough, Joel's wick Also was a powerful ingredient to Hershey Felder's career. They were vaguely related. And Hershey Felder is currently in the same theater, 59E 59th, downstairs in the bigger theater doing his one person show, which is terrific, by the way. And so here's Joel Dzwick coming back, who's so near yet so far to his relative Hershey Felder. But anyway, with this play, I'll tell you, you really get involved tremendously with what's going on. It's again, another play where everybody is being fair. The flighty Eden certainly reminds us that we are on earth to have a good time as best we can. And May certainly wants to tell us that. Yeah, that only goes so. And Asher Boy, a lost soul who is trying his best to not be lost, but isn't terribly successful. This is a play, as so many are, where there are secrets that are going to be divulged that nobody expects to hear at the beginning of the play. They do it very, very well. I mentioned Andy Robinson. I have to mention Jonathan Slavin as Asher, Liz Seneca as Mered, and Natalie Lander as Eden. Very, very fine performances in this very small space in 59 East 59 upstairs. Very set too, by the way. And the set has a secret as well, so keep that in mind when you go. But I can definitely recommend this play. However, that word is pronounced and I have heard at least seven pronunciations since I've told people that I'm going to see it. So whatever you want to pronounce it, you're well within your rights as long as you go to see it, because you'll have a very, very enervating time.

[James Marino]

Okay, so sukode is at 59.59through August 9th. We'll have a link to that in the show.

[Musical Performer]

Notes.

[James Marino]

Jan, you were over at the Mitzi Newhouse to see the Whoopee Monologues. So tell us about your experience there.

[Jan Simpson]

This is a revival of the 1984 show that made Whoopi Goldberg a star. She had been doing, doing a series of monologues around in smaller venues. Mike Nichols famously was taken to one of these performances and was so struck by them and by her that he said he was going to direct it and bring it to Broadway. And he did. And it created, created a sensation. And again, she became Whoopi Goldberg. I mean, she was Whoopi Goldberg, but she became Whoopi Goldberg. She played a wide range of characters and part of, I think I unfortunately did not see that production live. It has been, it was Recorded. You can see it on YouTube. When I got home from seeing this new production, I did watch it on YouTube. And part of the magic of the original production was watching Whoopi morph from one character, very different character, into another. Whoop. With almost no costume changes, no makeup changes, just seeing how this woman could transform herself. In this new production, they do five of her monologues. Four from the original show and one from an anniversary production that was done about 20 years after the original. So there are five monologues, and they've hired five actresses to do them. Each actress obviously doing one of the monologues. All of them directed by Whitney White, who is obviously making a name for herself as a much in demand director. The thrill, obviously, of seeing one actor transform into so many roles is gone. But what this allows you to do now is to really focus on the monologues themselves, on the characters that Whoopi wrote, that she created. And. She's a fine writer, and. And these are some really beautifully crafted characters and really beautifully crafted pieces of work. The five actors who are named in the playbill are Kerry Washington. People know her. Keisha Lewis, Dominique Fishback, Danielle Pinnock, from a TV show that I don't know, but I think a lot of people will know her. And Kara. Yeah, Young. They. The performance I attended, Danielle. I'm sorry. Dominique Fishback was out, and her understudy, Kaia Heath, played one of the most famous of the roles, which is the blonde girl, a little girl who's 7 years old, a little black girl who's 7, who wants to have long blond hair, because that's what she sees as being received as beautiful on television, and she wants to be beautiful. The other main character is Fontaine, who is an addict and a thief and a thoroughly engaging character and was played by Kara Yan. All of them gave good performances. I do have to say that I read that Keisha Lewis, in some of the earlier preview performances, was asking for lines. By the time I saw the show, she was not. She was fully in command of her role, and she and Kara Young stood out the most for me. And I think that's because they're theater people, they're stage people, and they know how to project, how to move around on a theater stage in an engaging way. When it's a monologue and you're basically talking to the audience, a lot depends on the way your body's moving, the inflection of your voice, the movement of your face. And these two women, both of them Tony winners, really know how to do it, but it was an all around enjoyable experience. And the audience I sat with absolutely loved this show. I was disappointed that I didn't get to see Dominique Fish back and actress I've admired in her television and movie work. And I do want to say that I've been noticing, I don't want to pick on her. I don't want to pick on anybody, actually. But I have been noticing that even in, right around the time that a show has opened that a number of actors are calling out and their understudies are coming in. And I actually saw something on Reddit recently. There was a big discussion about whether requiring actors to do eight shows a week is too much. Yeah. And this is the hill I'm going to stand on with Peter. You know, Peter's over there on his hill about perfect rhymes. I'm going to stand over here on this hill that I really do think this is the job. And that for generations people have been committed to being there for their audiences. And I hope this does not become a trend again. I don't know why Dominique was not able to be in it. And I do want to say that Kai was, you know, lovely in the role. But I again, I do hope that actors commit to being there when they take on these roles.

[Peter Felicia]

Think how many trees have died because we need to make paper for understudy slips in the playbill. I mean, it's astonishing. I mean, and speaking of paper, people call in sick now for a paper cut. So it's really terrible. As you said, say, you know, the old pros, they did it. They didn't think anything of it. Judy Holiday never missed a performance, so bells are ringing. Granted, she took a vacation. Ethel Merman took a vacation, too when she was doing any get yout Gun. But by and large, they were there. They were there. And yeah, I think, I really believe this. I really believe that so many performers think it's, it's a badge of honor to be able to call in. I'm so important. Bayok Lee told me that when she was doing the revival of Chorus Line, the figures, I can't get it specifically, but it was something like somebody called out 68 times out of the first 250 performances. It's something like that. I'm not far off. I know I'm not. And as she said, if I wanted your understudy, I would have hired the understudy. You're the one I wanted. And yet look what happened. So I don't remember if she canned the performer after that, but I do know that that became a big issue and that's really terrible. Well, enough said. So I'm on the hill with you.

[Jan Simpson]

Oh, good. People on Reddit were saying that we should take into account that particularly with new musicals, people are being asked to sing higher, they're being asked to do more athletic dancing than perhaps was asked in the past. And so maybe roles should be shared. But I'm still on my heel.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. In terms of that, I wonder if some of that stuff about the dancing that we now have seems to be excessive from the vantage point that in the British musicals in the 80s and 90s, there was very little dancing, very little. So I wonder if it in comparison, it seems like there's so much now. But before the British Invasion show said plenty of choreography and people did show show up.

[James Marino]

Well, I mean, Cats and Charlotte Express, you know, during the British Invasion had some dancing, but it was interesting because, you know, we have to remember that Broadway is a, is a medium that's a changing art. And what was sure is, you know, once in the day of Oklahoma. And Carousel was different in the day of Jesus Christ Superstar, which is sure, you know, different. But Jan, I, I wasn't sure. Is this the same Reddit thread where they were talking about there should be four shows a week and two, two casts? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I, I, I go absolutely the opposite direction because I was like, okay, when you know, you have a super runaway hit like Hamilton, where, where tickets are literally over a thousand dollars and you can't get a ticket for two years, open up two productions of Hamilton, you know, don't cut it to four shows a week. Have two casts in two theaters of

[Jan Simpson]

Hamilton, you are going the other way.

[Peter Felicia]

There, there is, there was talk of doing that when 42nd street opened, and I believe there was a show.

[James Marino]

Oh really?

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, way back when, way back when, 100 years ago that either considered it or actually did it, I, it was musical that be the letter M if I recall correctly. But that's all I remember. But definitely 42nd Street. Of course it was David Merrick. Maybe he was just looking for publicity and never intended to do it at all.

[Jan Simpson]

David Merrick publicity.

[Peter Felicia]

Imagine shocking, shocking times. So anyway, so yeah, but you know, there's no question that one cast would be judged superior to the other and it would seem like the other cast is damaged goods. Like it or not, I'm not saying which. Of course I have, but, but that would have to happen. Years ago there was something called the Broadway initiative where they lowered prices and they shut off the balcony and all this kind of stuff, and they charged low prices. That was the point, to charge low prices. And people resisted because the feeling was, well, if they're charging low prices, it can't be very good. It's very interesting, you know, that that was the value judgment. It didn't last long at all. Maybe a little more the season, but not much more.

[Jan Simpson]

Yeah, it's also complicated. Yeah. I just saw here in the chat that Rob Johnston said, you know, that we should remember that there used to be separate singing ensembles and dancing ensembles. And so I think what he's suggesting is that, you know, we're asking our ensembles now to do more.

[Peter Felicia]

Sure. But the first one to do that was in 1957, so. Well, so, yeah, look, I mean, that's why this term triple threat. I mean, you know, that's. That's what you have to be. Things change whether we like it or not. And most of the time we don't like it because we like things the way they were, nothing's the way that it was, etc. But so, Peter, you.

[James Marino]

Yeah, you see, you see up and coming performers at CCM every year. How much has that changed? When you used to have a quote unquote singer who moved well, or a dancer who does not really sing. Now the students that you see coming through ccm, they're all triple threats, aren't they?

[Peter Felicia]

That's the goal. No question. You really are encouraged to be good at everything because the more arrows you have in your quiver, the better you are if you'll be. So it's that simple. And competition has been far more intense because there are fewer shows. I mean, on September 21st, once again, the second time this year, no shows will be playing on 44th street between Broadway and 8th Avenue. Not a one, not a one, nothing. So. And that happened in February as well. So I don't want.

[James Marino]

I don't want to derail us totally off track here, but I do want to say one more thing.

[Peter Felicia]

Thing.

[Jan Simpson]

Okay.

[James Marino]

Being a triple threat is not enough anymore.

[Peter Felicia]

You know what else you need go on?

[James Marino]

Social media followers.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, indeed. Yeah. My beloved Linda, who's a literary agent, really looks and sees what your social media profile is before take on a client. Yeah, yeah.

[James Marino]

It's. You know, I talk to actors all the time who were extraordinary actors, and they're like, yeah, no, I didn't even get a call back. They kept on asking me what my Instagram and TikTok handles were. Wow. I don't envy the position that performers Are in these days. Yeah. So some other performers.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

Got a chance to do a one night only. I believe it was a one night only thing at the Players Club. Peter, is this correct that Noel Cowards this Was a Man has never been done in New York since 1926.

[Peter Felicia]

That's right. The 100th anniversary. David Staller, who runs the marvelous Gin Gold Group, which usually does plays by Shaw on Earth. This one that lasted a week and a half when it was first produced here on Broadway. And one can understand why, because it does deal with adultery. But this. What's fascinating about this one is that our heroine is bored with her lover and she's about to break off just as her husband learns that she's having an affair. So that's very clever, you know, I mean, as when, all things considered, the worst is over for the husband. But he doesn't see it that way. And you can understand why. I mean, cheating is cheating. But nevertheless, if she were the. In the passionate throws of the affair and, you know, thinking of leaving him and all that, but she isn't. And that's what makes the play very, very interesting. Other people get involved and it gets more complicated than that. But what has to be mentioned are two great performances. Great. One by A.J. shively as the husband and one always great. Oh, yeah, amazing. And Stella Ed Everett as the wife, somebody unknown to me. Lovely, lovely presence. Terrific. And worth seeing. I don't know if we'll ever see it again, but. But if you can really be in the mind frame of what this must have been like, what white hot stuff it must have been in 1926, one can understand why critics would even consider it immoral. And we want to get rid of it very, very quickly. But God bless David Stoller for things. And, you know, recently I wasn't able to go because of the same night as the Cheetah Rivera Awards, but he did the Chicago play, the play, you know, and I wish I could have been there, but as a nominator for the awards, I couldn't. But he really finds these things and he makes them happen. So. And Lord knows the Skin Goal Group has been in existence for a long time now. And it's really terrific that he's able to keep the ship afloat and come up with interesting and fascinating, even reimaginations, as he did with Pygmalion and as he did with the Devil's Disciple. So I always cannot wait to see what he's going to do next. And I hope he tells me very Soon.

[James Marino]

All right, so as I mentioned, that was a one night only thing. I think it was some sort of fundraiser. I'm not totally sure about that, but it seems like it.

[Peter Felicia]

Anybody who wants to write a check would be very welcome, I guarantee.

[James Marino]

Yes, Jan, you were over at Playwrights Horizons to see a. A collision of a bunch of nonprofit theater, soho Rep Inter, a few other folks put together a new musical called the Potluck from Cesar Alvarez. So tell us about this.

[Jan Simpson]

This is kind of a metamusical because it begins with. With an actor playing Cesar Alvarez talking about the difficulty of writing the musical we're about to see. And the musical we're about to see is based on the real life 1979 Greensboro massacre in which five labor organizers were killed, were gunned down by members of the KKK and the American Nazi Party. The labor organizers were friends of Alvarez's parents who were also part of the group that these people belonged to. His parents had recently moved to New York York. The moment they heard about what had happened to their friends, they moved back to North Carolina. Similarities between the political situation in 1979 in current events and we've had people like Renee Good and Alex Prady being killed are just obvious. And so I was really interested to see what this musical would be, how it would come together. For me, it never did, but for a lot of people it has. It's extended several times. For me, the most powerful part of the production was a seven minute documentary that Alvarez's real mother made at the time of the massacre. And this documentary is shown. It is very, very powerful. So powerful, in fact, that the audience is told that it's coming and that people who don't want to see what's the murders, because it does, there is film of the shootings that they can leave and go into the hall and that there will be a sort of a ritual performed while the seven minute documentary is shown. And then they come back in. I stayed and watched the documentary. The show then meanders as the writer is trying to figure out how to tell this story. Two actors playing his parents are telling him, don't do it. He has an intern who's really more interested in whether or not they are going to get credit for college credit for working with the writer. It goes in. So it meanders in so many different directions. A lot of time is spent on the writer questioning their queerness and how it fits into this narrative. It's a very experimental approach to storytelling. That, again, did not work for me. But the audience surrounding me was Very enthusiastic. I thought the score was really more of a vibe. The actors. Actors, the musicians who are playing the score also act. We're talking about people being, you know, triple threats and so on. They also portray some of the characters, including some of the people who were being killed. But they weren't really songs for me as almost like a movie score, a vibe that was going on. It's, again, it's very, for me, very experimental storytelling. But that's, you know, that's not a bad thing. Just because it didn't work for me does not mean that there isn't some value in it. Soho Rep famously has 99 cent performances on Sundays. That's right, 99 cents. And so people who are interested in where the musical form might be going, a different way to tell a musical story might be interested in this. People who are less open to that kind of experimentation. Like the woman who was seated next to me who scurried out at intermission. I don't know what more to say about it other than it's a different one.

[James Marino]

Okay, so the potluck at Playwrights Horizons is running through August 9th. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. Finally, Peter.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. What happened?

[James Marino]

Your own personal Saturday Night Fever in Dumbo. Tell us about your experiencing the circuit in America. Immersive, silent disco ballet.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. So you show up on Front street, which isn't far from the F train on York Street. It's a very quick rock to get to the walk to get to this place very close to the Manhattan Bridge. And you're given a set of earphones. And you then follow people who are dancing. Well, yeah, I guess so. I mean, the word I think I'd use is athletic. They seem more like calisthenics to me than dancing. But anyway, various people at various spots perform for you. You have to walk here, there and everywhere. You know, there's a famous expression about golf, that golf is a good walk ruined. In essence, this was a good walk ruined. It was fascinating for me to be in the. This part of the world on a Saturday night and see how many people go and just sit by the river. I mean, hundreds. Hundreds just sit there and obviously converse and eat and what have you. But it was amazing to me to see that. I was more amazed by that than I was by the. By the dancing, or so to speak, dancing. But the other thing is that some of it is kind of kinky. I mean, there was a scene where a gentleman is dressed as a dog and is treated as one. This is Certainly something that does happen in some subcultures, and it's the first time I've seen it represented on a stage, if you can call it a stage. It was actually on a table in the middle of the park. So they. They treat you very well. They certainly keep their eye on you to make sure you don't get lost. That's very significant, successful. And the headphones offer disco music. And so that's what it is. You just walk around for 70 minutes and it'll do your world of good doing all that walking, if you're up to doing any walking at all. But do understand you will be walking for quite some time, and that's the respites of standing and watching people dance does mean standing. Rarely will you be in a situation where you can sit down. Down you. There are stones here and big rocks here and there where you can sit and an occasional bench. But for the most part, you're going to be walking, and for the most part, you're going to be thinking, I wonder who thought this was a good idea.

[Jan Simpson]

Is there a story, Peter, or is there a storyline? And do they. Do you just walk around by yourself?

[Peter Felicia]

No, no.

[Jan Simpson]

Do they have you in a group or a group?

[Peter Felicia]

Group.

[James Marino]

Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

Not that many. I mean, I don't know if it's occasional where attendance was light last night. Maybe 400 people a night do this, but I would say There are about 15 to 20 people that I was walking with.

[Jan Simpson]

Huh.

[Peter Felicia]

It's the damn. This thing.

[James Marino]

So can it be.

[Peter Felicia]

It's called the Circuit, by the way. I don't think we said that, did we?

[James Marino]

Can it be somewhat compared to Masquerade without the Stairs?

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, Masquerade is far more interesting and.

[James Marino]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

More elaborate and. And certainly, you know, for all the flack that Phantom has taken over the years simply for being successful, I mean, it does have a lot of wonderful music in it. So. This is. This. You know, whether or not we'll consider for Drama Desk consideration, the only category has to be unique theatrical experience. I've never seen anything like it. Not looking forward to seeing anything like it again.

[James Marino]

Oh, is. Is Drama Desk limited to the boundaries of Manhattan? No.

[Peter Felicia]

Brooklyn.

[James Marino]

I thought it was.

[Peter Felicia]

No, Brooklyn's okay, I think. And we've certainly taken into consideration theater for a new audience, which is in. We had a meeting yesterday, and we certainly talked about Hamlet at bam. So. No, it's. It's. That's okay. And occasionally, I think, think, you know, if. If a show runs long enough, even in long Island City. We've been known to trek out there too.

[James Marino]

For shame.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh no. I love going here, there and everywhere. So I will be in, I think it's called Eldridge, Maryland in a couple of weeks to see him in some of my nice stream. Basically because Linda's nephew's getting married. But the night before I'm definitely going to go. I, I love going here, there's. And everywhere. So to see shows, you never know.

[James Marino]

Goodness for Linda's extended family marriages.

[Peter Felicia]

That's right.

[James Marino]

Taking you to Australia.

[Peter Felicia]

That's right. That's right.

[James Marino]

Around the world.

[Peter Felicia]

That's right. Your brother got married in Australia where I saw five shows. So yeah.

[James Marino]

All right. So the circuit, an immersive silent disco ballet from their website. Seems like it's wrapping up soon. I want to say next week, week, this week, something like that. But we have a link to that in the show notes. There's a video, lots of photos and things like that. You know, certainly they focus on their Instagram there and, and there are lots of really good young, good looking young people in it. So. All right, that wraps it up for today. Before we get on to our brain teaser. Brain teaser. Brain teaser. I was, I was trying, you know the thing, it's so much muscle memory. I almost said in our musical moments and I was trying not to. I was focused on not saying in our musical moments that I stumbled on Brain Tease. So before we get on to our brain teaser and Michael's musical moments, we'll be back next week. I want to remind everybody that you can subscribe to these broadcasts by going to the front page of broadway radio.com there's a subscribe link. That way each and every time there's a new episode of this week on Broadway, it'll be automatically downloaded to Apple podcasts for you. Of course, you don't have to get us an Apple podcast as many ways to get us, like the new Broadway radio apps on iOS and Android, we have links to all of them in the show notes and how to get the apps directly. Contact information for Jan, for Peter, for me and even for Michael can be found on the show [e-mail] as well as links to some of the things we've talked about about today. So Peter, do you have an answer to last week's brain teaser?

[Peter Felicia]

I do. She was a beloved Broadway star who appeared in an early 1950s comedy that featured a lesser known but respected actress. After they did the play, their next joint appearance was in what became a well known musical that has been much revived on Broadway. What they also have in common is that the first three letters of their first names are identical. The star's first name was a common one even before the first millennium began, but the lesser known actress's first name is one that no other Broadway performer has ever had. Well, the play is Kind sir on Broadway in 1953. The musical is Peter Pan on Broadway in 1955-1979-1990-1991, 1992, 1998, 1999. The star of both the original productions was Mary Martin, and the featured player, whose first name began with mar as well was Margolo Gilmore, the only Margaret Galo that Broadway has ever known. Steven Sokolov vaulted into first place, followed by Juliet Green, Tony Janicki, Sean Logan, Alan Burnett, Joss Israel, Seth Kristenfeld, Lee Korn, Arthur Robinson and Brigadoon. This week's question the play in which he starred opened on the sixth anniversary of the opening of one of the world's most famous music musicals. His wife opened a comedy 22 days later on the 16th anniversary of a hit musical that's more remembered for its film version. His play was a flop. Hers wasn't. Who are these people? What are the plays and what were the musicals that celebrated their anniversaries?

[James Marino]

If you have an answer for this, email us at trivia @broadway radio radio.com. we'll let you know if you're on the right track. So on behalf of Jan Simpson and Peter Felicia, this is James Marino saying thanks so much for listening to Broadway radios this week on Broadway. Bye bye.

[Jan Simpson]

Bye bye.

[Musical Performer]

We are young and so is the night we are young and so is the night it's time to make it right we are young and so is tonight we are young and so is the night we are young and so is the night it's time to roll's gonna make it right we are young and so. This time to roll's gonna make it right we are young and so is the night we smile like sun fall out of bed sing like a bird dizzy in my head feel like a record crazy on a Sunday night you make me dance like don't forget breath like golden FL like a be just another of you can drive me wild oh you make it don't know how I live without you Every time that I get around you see the best of me inside your eyes you make me smile.

[Jan Simpson]

Make me dance like a fool forget how to breathe shine like gold and buzz like a be Just the thought

[Musical Performer]

of you can drive me wild oh, you make me smile, Make me smile like sun fall out of bed, Sing like a bird dizzy in the hill Spill like a record crazy on a Sunday night. You make me dance like a fool Forget how to breathe Turn like golden Dance like a be just another you can drive me wild. Got some party people, Got some crazy mothers. Got some freaking good looking country music lovers. Hacking and dragging all wrecking ball Shaking the walls gotta sing it all damn y' all. Up my cheek and my drink. Whenever I think about you and somebody new in love.