This Week on Broadway for June 22, 2025: Beau the Musical

Summary

BroadwayRadio Podcast Summary: This Week on Broadway for June 22, 2025: Beau the Musical

Introduction In the June 22, 2025 episode of BroadwayRadio, host James Marino welcomes regular panelists Peter Felicia and Michael Portantier to discuss the latest happenings in the Broadway scene. The conversation delves into recent performances, reviews of standout productions, and upcoming events, providing listeners with insightful commentary and recommendations.

Show of the Week: Beau the Musical The centerpiece of this episode is a detailed review of Beau the Musical, an Out of the Box Theatrics production running at Theater 154 on Christopher Street until July 27th.

• Overview and Plot James Marino introduces Beau the Musical as a heartfelt story about Ace Baker, a young gay country rock star from Nashville, who travels to Memphis to reconnect with his estranged grandfather, Bo. "Beau the Musical" explores themes of family, identity, and acceptance, set against the backdrop of the American South.

• Performance Highlights Peter Felicia praises Matt Rhoden's portrayal of Ace Baker, noting his exceptional talent both as a singer and a guitarist. "Matt Rhoden... sings like a dream and also plays guitar quite frequently during the show" (11:39). Michael Portantier echoes this sentiment, highlighting Rhoden's versatility and emotional depth in his performance.

• Production Quality The musical's direction and choreography by Josh Rhodes and music supervision by Chris Gurr are lauded for their seamless integration into the narrative. "The whole company is wonderful," Peter comments, emphasizing the strong ensemble work that brings the story to life.

• Final Thoughts Both hosts unanimously recommend Beau the Musical for its engaging storytelling and compelling performances. James adds, "I certainly wish it well," underscoring his enthusiasm for the show's success.

Spotlight on The Wash Next, Peter reviews The Wash, a production at the WP Theater running through June 29th.

• Historical Context The play delves into the 19th-century strike of Black laundresses in America, highlighting their fight for fair wages and recognition. James Marino summarizes, "a group of black women went on strike... they're laundresses and they take in white people's laundry, and the white people don't feel they need to pay them on time."

• Character and Performance Analysis The focus is on Anna, portrayed impeccably by Eunice Woods, who owns property—a rare feat for women of that era. Peter notes, "The characterization is really good... you will feel sympathy, you will feel empathy for these women."

• Directorial Insight Calendra Smith's direction is praised for its authentic portrayal of the characters' struggles and triumphs. "Every line rings true with the character, and that's really what's most important," James emphasizes.

Review of Dancers Over 40 Celebrate Chicago Michael Portantier shares his experience attending the 50th-anniversary celebration of Chicago at 54 Below.

• Event Highlights The event featured selective performances, including "All I Care About is Love" and "I Move On", creatively navigating the limitation of performing only three songs from the musical.

• Guest Appearances Notable attendees included Mary Lou Henner, who hosted the evening, and Melora Hardin, who performed Roxie's iconic numbers. Peter adds, "An amazing evening... they really creatively got around that restriction."

• Tributes and Performances Tributes to Chita Rivera and Bob Fosse were highlights, with performers delivering heartfelt renditions of classic numbers. Michael praises the musical direction, stating, "This is an example of sheer brilliance."

Call Me Izzy: A Mixed Review Peter Felicia recounts his experience watching Call Me Izzy at Studio 54, while James Marino had a less favorable view due to technical issues.

• Performance Breakdown The play centers on Izzy, a woman oppressed by her husband, portrayed by Jean Smart. Peter appreciates the storytelling but acknowledges James' struggle with sound quality, which hindered his understanding of the performance.

• Character Analysis Jean Smart's portrayal is met with mixed reactions. While Peter admires her performance, James expresses frustration: "It was a very, very hard show to understand."

• Technical Difficulties James Marino criticizes the poor sound quality, saying, "The sound was atrocious... I really do believe I, at best got 75% of it."

Upcoming Shows and Announcements The hosts discuss several upcoming Broadway events and noteworthy announcements:

• Closing Shows Recent closures include Dead Outlaw, Real Women Have Curves, and Smash, attributed to soft sales post-Tony Awards. Conversely, Spelling Bee is excitedly announced to be returning to Broadway at New World Stages.

• New Productions Jeff Ross is set to bring his one-man show, Take a Banana for the Ride, to the Needle Theater from August 5 to September 29. Additionally, Matthew Broderick and David Cross will star in a new chart series at New York Theater Workshop in Fall 2025.

• Special Performances The 50th anniversary of A Chorus Line will be celebrated on July 27th at the Schubert Theater, featuring original cast members and special guests like Charlottembois and Jessica Vosk.

Listener Engagement and Support James Marino reminds listeners to subscribe to BroadwayRadio via broadwayvideo.com or Patreon to receive updates and support the show. He also encourages participation in their brain teasers and musical moments segments.

Closing Remarks The episode concludes with Peter sharing a musical moment featuring excerpts from the 1930 film version of Lilliam and the 1965 Lincoln Center production of Carousel. This segment bridges the historical and contemporary Broadway narratives, offering a rich musical experience.

Notable Quotes

• "Matt Rhoden... sings like a dream and also plays guitar quite frequently during the show." — Peter Felicia (11:39)

• "Every line rings true with the character, and that's really what's most important." — James Marino (22:15)

• "The whole company is wonderful." — James Marino (19:31)

• "The sound was atrocious... I really do believe I, at best got 75% of it." — James Marino (32:05)

Conclusion This episode of BroadwayRadio offers an in-depth look at Beau the Musical and other significant Broadway productions, enriched by the hosts' expert analyses and personal experiences. Whether you're a seasoned theatergoer or new to Broadway, this summary encapsulates the vibrant discussions and insights shared by James Marino, Peter Felicia, and Michael Portantier.

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For more updates and detailed discussions, subscribe to BroadwayRadio on broadwayvideo.com or support us on Patreon.

Transcript

[James Marino]

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[Michael Portantier]

Thanks. And here's my old phone to trade in.

[Peter Felicia]

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[James Marino]

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[Peter Felicia]

You still get to keep it. There's always a trade in. Not right now.

[James Marino]

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[Michael Portantier]

I feel like I have to give you something in return for karma.

[James Marino]

That's okay.

[Peter Felicia]

I don't really have much in my purse. Oh, let's see.

[Michael Portantier]

Hand sanitizer.

[James Marino]

It's lavender. I'm good. Seriously.

[Peter Felicia]

Let me check this pocket.

[James Marino]

Oh, mints. Really, I'm fine.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, I have raisins. I'm a mom. Wait, wait one sec.

[Michael Portantier]

I've got cupcakes in the car.

[Peter Felicia]

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[James Marino]

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[Peter Felicia]

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[James Marino]

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[Peter Felicia]

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[James Marino]

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[Peter Felicia]

Cancel CT mobile dot com.

[Michael Portantier]

Have you got a sweetheart?

[James Marino]

No.

[Michael Portantier]

Don't lie.

[James Marino]

I haven't.

[Peter Felicia]

If I had, I'd tell you I've never had one. What an awful liar you are.

[James Marino]

Why do you insist I have?

[Michael Portantier]

Because you came with me the first time I asked you.

[Peter Felicia]

You know your way around.

[James Marino]

You do. I don't, Mr. Lenient.

[Michael Portantier]

You wouldn't have stayed so quick if you hadn't done it before. With some soldier, maybe.

[Peter Felicia]

What did you stay for anyhow? So you wouldn't be left alone.

[Michael Portantier]

Alone?

[Peter Felicia]

You're dumb.

[Michael Portantier]

I don't need to be alone.

[Peter Felicia]

I can have all the girls I want. Say, tell me something. Ain't you scared of me?

[James Marino]

I ain't scared.

[Peter Felicia]

That your name? Julie. Julie something. Julie Jordan.

[James Marino]

You're a queer one.

[Peter Felicia]

Julie Jordan, Ain't you sorry that you didn't run away? You can still go if you wanna.

[James Marino]

I reckon that I cue to choose to stay. You couldn't take my money if I didn't have any. And I don't have a penny, that's true. But if I did have money, you couldn't take any.

[Peter Felicia]

Cause you'd ask and I'd give it to you.

[Michael Portantier]

Hello and welcome to Broadway Radios, this week on Broadway for Sunday, 6-22-20. My name is James Marino, and in the broadcast today we have Peter, Felicia and Michael Portantier. Peter is a playwright, journalist and historian with a number of books. Peter's new Day by Day desk calendar, A show tune for today, 366 songs to brighten your year has been released. Peter also has columns at Masterworks Broadway, Broadway select and many other places. Hello, Peter.

[James Marino]

Hi.

[Michael Portantier]

Hello. So what is our show tune for today?

[James Marino]

Well, in 1940, pins and needles closed after 1108 performances, which was enough to make it the longest running review in Broadway history since, of course, eclipsed. But nevertheless, at that time, that was quite the run. So, in fact, it was the longest running musical in Broadway history. But, you know, it's kind of a cheat because it started out as an amateur show. Lewis Schaefer, who headed the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, essentially said, hey, let's put on a show. And they did. But it really turned out to be a sensation. Now, of course, 1936 and 1940 are a little early for original cast album. So it didn't get one. But in 1962, when I can Get A Few Wholesale was running its composer, lyricist, also had written Pins and Needles. And because Barbara Streisand made such a sensation on I Can Get A Few Wholesales recording, he decided that, well, wouldn't she be great? Great singing a song that was very much like Ms. Marmalstein from wholesale, one called Nobody Makes a Pass At Me, which indeed could have been Ms. Marmoldein's song just as easily as Ms. Marmoldstein. So that's the recording. It's a terrific recording and it's a very good recording for late night because it's very simply orchestrated with piano, guitar and not much more. You know, late at night you really don't feel like listening to Lorelei. So this is a very good album, very quiet album. Needless to say, nobody makes a Pass at Me as a little on the uptempo side in the B section. But. But still, it is a terrific recording. I should say C section. Now that I think that's another story. Anyway, that's the show tune for today.

[Michael Portantier]

And our listeners wish you a happy birthday week there.

[James Marino]

PETER yeah. Oh, well, time wins.

[Michael Portantier]

One of our one of our listeners in the chat, in the chat room. It's also their birthday, but we want to w everybody happy, happy birthday. So also with this is Michael Portantier. Michael's a theater reviewer and essayist. He's the founder and editor of castalbumreviews.com he is also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in the New York Times and other major publications. You can see his photography [e-mail] hello, Michael.

[Peter Felicia]

Hello.

[Michael Portantier]

And Michael, you said you were watching a little bit of film called Life of Chuck. It's got a tie into theater.

[Peter Felicia]

Yes, the Life of Chuck. I think our listeners know I rarely see films just because of being so busy seeing theater, but I heard about this one from a friend and I wanted to check it out and I'm so glad I did because I didn't even know when I went into it. One of the most interesting aspects about it, but it is a film called the Life of Chuck, written and directed by Mike Flanagan, based on a short story by Stephen King, and it's about a guy named Chuck and his life, his short life and death. There were all kinds of odd metaphysical things happening in the course of the story, which, by the way, is told in reverse chronological order. So it opens up and there's a title on the screen saying Act 3. And then that goes on for quite a while. And then we have Act 2 and then we have Act 1 and Act 3 is as Chuck is dying. But then the, the other two show him obviously younger and much younger. And one actually Chuck is played by four different actors, one very young one who appears only briefly and then another one who plays him at about age 13 and another who plays him at, I would say maybe like 17, 18. And then the adult Chuck is played by Tom Hiddleston. Yeah, exact. But the bulk of the story, I would say is about Chuck when he is about 12 or 13. And I'm watching the film and I'm gosh, that guy looks familiar. And I, I'm a little embarrassed that I didn't realize who it was, but I hadn't seen the person in a while and, you know, blah, blah, and I'd never seen the person on screen. And but I, but even not knowing who it was, I thought this is one of the best performances of someone that age that I really have ever seen in my life. He really carries the film. And guess who it is.

[James Marino]

Johnson Groff.

[Peter Felicia]

No, no, this is a new. This is a new film. So it would be someone considerably younger than Jonathan. Any other guesses?

[James Marino]

God know who.

[Peter Felicia]

Paycheck, that's who.

[James Marino]

No shit. No kidding. I got it right.

[Peter Felicia]

Yep.

[James Marino]

Oh, isn't that funny?

[Peter Felicia]

That's him.

[James Marino]

Wow.

[Peter Felicia]

So I would say see this movie, if only for him. He's just amazing in it.

[James Marino]

Oh, that's great.

[Peter Felicia]

It's also got Mia, Sara, Chiwetel, Elia 4, if that's how you say that name. And it's very interesting film. I don't know if it hangs together for me so much in terms of the actual supernatural and metaphysical elements and what they mean, but it's also. Oh, another reason you should see it is dance is central to the film, even though it's not a musical. And I won't say too much more about that, but it really is very central, very, very central to the plot. And the choreography is by Mandy Moore, who I don't think has worked on Broadway, but she has done a lot and is pretty well known for her work in film and tv, et cetera. So ye. I highly, highly Recommend it for Mr. Pajak.

[James Marino]

Isn't that something?

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

I didn't realize he left town, but I guess it was reasonably inevitable. But anyway.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, I'm thinking this must have been filmed right after the Music Man.

[James Marino]

I see.

[Peter Felicia]

I mean, I'm just guessing, you know.

[James Marino]

Yeah. I was at the recording session of Music Man. I'm telling you, he was such a pro.

[Peter Felicia]

Yes, you've mentioned.

[James Marino]

Yeah, it was worth mentioning again, I think, because it was really something.

[Michael Portantier]

All right, so a little housekeeping year of what's been happening in the last seven days on Broadway radio. Jan Simpson's other series called State, this one's called Stagecraft. Of course, her Pulitzer Prize series is called all the Drama. But her Stagecraft series, she interviews Calendra Smith about the Wash. And we're going to talk about about the Wash a little bit later. Also, Matt talked to Kelsey Watts about pop music and Broadway and. And Matt and Jennifer McHugh had a some like it pop episode where they talked about the Tony Awards. So it was interesting to get Jen's perspective from Los Angeles and productions that were. And how the Tony Awards impacted her thoughts about these shows. So those are all in our feed. First up in our reviews today, Peter and Michael both saw the out of the Box theatrics musical Bo the Musical. So, Peter, why don't you get us started on Beau.

[James Marino]

You know, one of the wonderful things about life is that your grandparents love you far more than your parents do because, of course, your parents see you 247 and they're the ones who have to frown at your report card. And your grandparents don't care if you don't know the cosine 0 equals 1. They're just happy to see you. And of course, they go home and they don't really deal with problems. And you seem adorable. So a young man who's named Ace, Ace Baker, in fact, travels from Nashville, where he lives, to Memphis, where his grandfather Bo lives. And it's. It's a little testy at first. Well, the other thing, too, is the fact that Ace is gay. He's interested in a guy named Ferris who's been mean to him. But nevertheless, Ferris is. Yes, he is. No, he isn't. Is he? Isn't he? Could he be? What's the reality? Frankly, I think you'll reach a certain conclusion about his sexuality. But for a while there, it is a little surprising that a guy who turns out to be a bully at the beginning turns out to be possibly a lover at the end. We'll see what happens there. It's done very much like Dead Outlaw. And if you. Or if you're a London listener, the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. So we're all in a bar, a license plate, festoon bar. And they're on stage. Musicians are playing the instruments and telling the story. And it's done that style. It's. It's very entertaining and it's very nice to see a story about a gay young man in down south who, after all, it must be a little harder to be gay in Nashville than it is in other cities. And so there is one surprise after another. And the music is very amiable. And Douglas Lyons, who wrote Chicken and Biscuits, was involved in this one. Both involved with the score as well as the book. So, by and large, it's a very entertaining evening and I certainly wish it well.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay. Michael, what did you think?

[Peter Felicia]

Well, I saw the show on Father's Day, so I think it had even more emotional content. For that reason, I really. Overall, I really loved it. I think maybe some of the storytelling, some of the elements are a little blunt, but not so much that they destroyed my enjoyment of the show. I think it's interesting, and it's an interesting setup to begin with because Ace Baker is apparently an openly gay, successful country rock star. And I don't think there were too many of those. I think there are maybe one or two. I'm obviously not familiar with that. That genre of music. In that world, but that's where we are. So, you know, we, we obviously get the idea that it's set in the present day, not in the past. And yeah, Ace has a, I guess a somewhat contentious relationship with his mother. You know, there's a lot of love there, but also a lot of hurt involved. And he's very, very upset when it turns out that he has a grandfather that was never mentioned to him because he had always been led to believe that he had no family other than his mother. So he does go to visit this fellow beau. Ace is played by Matt Rhoden, Bo is played by Chris Blissett. And they develop, they slowly develop a relationship and it's very, very moving I thought, with all kinds of flashbacks to, to Bo's younger life and, and all those scenes as Peter mentioned, between Ace and this very odd guy Ferris, played by Corey Giacoma, who starts out as a full on bully and then morphs into something else. He's obviously a very, very troubled young man, this character. So I, I just thought it was very, very well done. And Matt Rhoden, he's really something. He's so talented. He not only sings like a dream, but he also has to play guitar quite frequently during the show. So. And I just saw him in a. Recently in another new, well, another new musical called all the World's a Stage. I think we talked about that one and I wasn't aware of him until that. But he's just a super, super talent. He's apparently been involved with this show which is not brand new. It's been around in one form or another, kicking around for seven, according to the bio. And Matt also, by the way he played, he was in the national tour of Company, the recent production of Company, and he also played lots of credits. But one major credit is he played Roger in Rent at Paper Mill. So he doesn't always play gay roles, but he, he is openly gay also. And, and he announces that in his bio. So it's nice to see that in this day and age, especially with what's happening in the world today, you know, so keep your eyes and ears on him. He's really, he's really going to be major. I think my only negative, my only slight negative in of him in this role is that somehow he seems a little too urban to me. I think it had a lot to do with his haircut. He didn't, he didn't strike me as the way that a country rock star would, would necessarily look, but that was a very minor consideration considering how beautiful his Singing was and how great his acting was. And really the whole company is. Is wonderful. Directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes, music supervisor Chris Gurr. And this is at what is now called Theater 154 at 154 Christopher street, which was the former site of, I think, several different theater companies, including the. Which are the new Ohio. Is that right?

[Michael Portantier]

Yes.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah. But it's an out of the box theatrics production, as Peter mentioned, and I really, really highly, highly recommend it. And I'm going to have to get. Peter said there was an album that was made in 2019. Is that right?

[James Marino]

Right. Yeah, yeah. Masterworks Broadway has it. Jen Colello, Repose. And it's. It's not a cast album. It's various singers come on to sing a song or two and then they went home. So. But it is a good album.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, yeah, I'm gonna have to pick that up and maybe they'll make a cast album of this one because there's just the perform. The performance of the. I mean, everyone in the show basically plays an instrument. I didn't quite mention that. And all of them are outstanding, both as actors and musicians and singers in some cases. So really, really highly recommended by me.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay, so that is Beau the musical. It's at 154 Christopher street through July 27th. And we'll have a link to that in the show notes. Peter, you headed over to the WP to see the Wash. So tell us about this.

[James Marino]

Yeah. Calendra Smith took a trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and discovered a very interesting thing that once upon a time, back in the late 19th century, a group of black women went on strike. Now really think about that. I mean, it's not that long after the Civil War, and here are these women daring to go on strike. And what are they striking about? Well, they're laundresses and they take in white people's laundry. And the white people certainly don't feel that they need to pay them on time. When I get to you, that'll be fine. So on and so forth. So as a result, they had a strike. And I will say that the show is rather boilerplate in the sense that every time a line comes out, you'd see, say, yeah, that's exactly what would happen in this moment in time. So there aren't very many surprises once the situation is set up. But, boy, the characterization is really, really good. We're really concentrating on Anna. Anna is the one who owns the property. Yes, indeed, she owns the property, which of course, was very rare for a woman to be owning a property. Eunice woods plays her terrifically. And the thing is, the taxes are going up, so she may lose the place. So that's a big consideration as well. And of course, there are people who say, yes, let's go on strike. And there are other people who say, no, we can't. No, we shouldn't. Are you crazy? It's not going to work out. Yes, it will. We have to do this if we lose everything. So what? I mean, we really have to take a stand. So, yeah, I'm making it sound perfunctory because so much of it does seem to be a perfunctory situation. But. But every line rings true with the character, and that's really what's most important. And, boy, these characters. Wow, beautifully played. I have to give cred credit to Bianca Laverne Jones, Margaret Odette, Alicia Pilgrim, and Carrie Warren, who played various facets of the characters who say yes and no. But while you won't feel that, oh, my God, what a surprise. Oh, I didn't see that coming. You'll never feel that. But you will feel sympathy, you will feel empathy for these women, and that's certainly a job well done by Calendra Smith.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay, the Wash is playing at the WP Theater through June 29th. We'll have a link to that in the show notes as well as a link in the show notes to Jan Simpson's discussion with Calendra about the Wash.

[Peter Felicia]

Sounds like it would be a good show to see after or before Real women have curves.

[James Marino]

Yeah, yeah. Which.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, you'll have to. Yeah, yeah, you have to see it after.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, you have to see it after.

[Michael Portantier]

You have to see real women. Quickly, quickly. So next up, Michael, you were over at 54 below a couple of times, but this right now, we're just going to talk about 54 below. Dancers over 40 celebrate Chicago. So tell us about this one.

[Peter Felicia]

Yes. Celebrates the 50th anniversary of Chicago. This was on Tuesday, June 18, at 54 below. Yeah, I can hear Peter reacting to the 50th anniversary. I was there, too. I didn't see. As I've mentioned, I never saw Gwen Verdon in the show, but I did see Liza.

[James Marino]

Me, too. I'm not complaining.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, no, no, no. That's something we both have in our pockets, right? This was a wonderful evening, despite a great challenge because Chicago, the revival of Chicago, is still running on Broadway and is now the longest running American musical ever to have played on Broadway. They were only allowed in this show to do three songs from Chicago. It's interesting. I had actually spoken to John Sifakis, who sort of produced this show for dancers over 40, which is a really wonderful organization. I had spoken to him a while ago about the possibility of me directing it, and I said, well, I could do that, but I think this just obviously would be so wonderful if you could get someone who's been associated with the project. And, I mean, of course they agreed and they just weren't sure they could get anyone. But they did wind up getting Stephanie Pope to direct and maybe Duncan Gibbs to assistant direct, both of whom have history with Chicago and Bob Fosse. So that turned out really well. But anyway, when it was first mentioned to me, I don't think it was mentioned. Maybe they didn't know back then that they could only do three songs. So they got about. Around it quite creatively. They. They did three songs. They did. Oh, let's see. They did All I Care about is Love as a full production number. I mean, meaning Billy and the Girls. Billy was to have been played at in this concert by James Naughton, who of course, created the role in the revival. But I'm not sure why he wasn't there. He couldn't make it. So Michael Kabala did that number with Michonne Peacock, Candy Brown, Cheryl Clark and Candace Tovar. And then there was a running joke throughout the show because they could only do three songs. This wonderful woman, Marcia Bagwell, came on and she kept starting to sing when youn're Good to Mama. But then Michael Levine at the piano would say, marcia, no, we can't Stop. Get Off. So she really was very game with that and handled it beautifully. David Sibella, who played Mary Sunshine in the revival, was there, but again, because he couldn't sing that song, he sang I Move on, which is the song that was written especially for the film version of Chicago by Cantor and Ebb. And I was glad to hear that because I don't think that song gets a lot of attention. And it was also interesting to hear it sung by a man in the film. It's done over the closing credits as a duet between Catherine Zeta Jones and Renee Zellweger. But here was David Sabella, so that was great. What else, leroy? Several people came on to talk about. Give reminiscences about various, you know, all of the leading lights of Chicago. So leroy Reams came out and spoke about Gwen Verdin primarily, and he also spoke about. Well, several people spoke about Cheetah. Javier Munoz did the primary tribute to Cheetah Rivera and, oh, I should say this whole show was hosted by Mary Lou Henner, who played Roxy early on in the, in the current revival. And she was really a delight as a host, I have to say. She did a wonderful, wonderful job. And then we also had Melora Hardin on hand. She sang, she performed Roxie. That was another song that was done. And Michael Demby Kane did a Bob Fosse tribute and then performed Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries, which was from one of the. Was it the one that was called Fosse? I think it was in one of the.

[James Marino]

It was the opening number of Fosse. I think it was also used in Big Deal.

[Peter Felicia]

Oh, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. So it was, as I say, it was a wonderful evening that they really very creatively got around that restriction of being able to do only three songs from the show, which I personally think is silly, but, you know, but whatever. I think it might be like kind of boilerplate language in the contracts for a show that, you know, not within and by, I should say, if it wasn't Manhattan, they wouldn't have had any problem. If they had done this even in, you know, Staten Island, I don't think, I don't think it would have been an issue. But anyway, a wonderful night. Two performances on Wednesday, June 18th at 7pm and 9:30pm.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay, so that was a one night only thing. But we keep telling you about the great things happening over 54 below. We have two more things to tease you with later on this morning. But for right now, if Michael was sitting at 54 below and looked up, he might have seen Peter at Call Me Izzy.

[James Marino]

That's right. Yeah. Yeah, good point.

[Michael Portantier]

So, Peter, you we saw Michael and I talked about Izzy last week. You saw it this week. What did you think?

[James Marino]

Well, you know, it's funny. Literally. That is true. I, I was there the night because when I came out, I ran into Virginia Seidel, who was in the, the 1976 cast of Very Good Eddie.

[Peter Felicia]

Very Good Eddie, yeah.

[James Marino]

Who said that? Boy, I just came from the Chicago thing and it was really great. So, yes, indeed, I did not have a good time and call me Izzy. Now you might say, well, how can you. I mean, this is not a show that means to give you a good time. After all, it is about a woman who's terribly oppressed by her husband. And there's a very smart thing when she's doing his laundry. When you see his underwear, you know that he is not a thin. So it tells. It's very smart of, of the character Jamie Wax to the author Jamie Wax to let us see that something about this man, that he isn't necessarily a prize in the way he looks, but he's worse, worse, worse as, As a husband. Now, the thing is that, as Michael mentioned last week, she wanted to be a writer. She had a tough time with that because of him. Opportunities because of him. And it really is a cautionary tale about watch out who you marry, because marriage is supposedly for life. Or as Katharine Hepburn famously said, marriage is not a word, it's a sentence. So. And it certainly has been a sentence for Isabel Izzy, and it's. It's really ruined her life. No question about that. It is a little strange and hard to believe that in the bathroom that she would write on toilet paper with an eyebrow pencil, but that's what she does. And she does store it in Tampax box, leading us to believe that, well, believing herself that he's not going to look in there. I would think, though, that this character is a little old to be having a Tampax box, but maybe he doesn't think in those terms and she can get away with it. So it is an oppressive tale. And, and certainly the ending, which Michael and James talked about last week, I don't think it's as questionable as I, I reached a conclusion about it, and you may reach another conclusion. Is Gene Smart good? Sure, but, but. And let me ask you guys, if this was a problem for you. Maybe it was where I was sitting. I thought the sound was atrocious.

[Peter Felicia]

No, it was fuzzy.

[James Marino]

It was echoey. And I, I found it a very, very hard show to understand. Part of that, too, has to do with the fact that Jean Smart has to adopt a South comes from the same part of the world as Ace Baker and Bo, apparently. And so, whoa. Maybe it was an off night, but I had a terrible time.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, I, I think it was probably an off. No, I had no problem. Maybe it was just an off night. So frustrating when that happens.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

You know, afterwards I, I said to Linda, indeed, did you have a problem with sound? She said, absolutely. You know, so it was really, really quite bizarre that something happened apparently. And it ruined the evening for me because I really do believe I, at best got 75% of it. And I think that's a generous estimate. So whatever woes are happening over there on that very night, I do hope that they're righted by the time any of you go see, Call me Izzy, because again, we did hear beforehand, friends and readers told me Aha. If Jean Smart had opened a little earlier, Sarah Snook would have gotten a run for her money. And I understand that point of view, but nevertheless, boy, I was in agony trying to figure out, what did she say? What was that? Huh? So that was Brahman, by the way, Gene Smart certainly has a great fan base, because let me ask if you guys had this experience, too. It's one thing to get applause after a song. Sure, we all do that. We know we're supposed to. But every scene, at least on this night, after the lights went down and she went off stage and a new scene was about to start, she got applause. Did that happen the night you were there?

[Peter Felicia]

It happened when I was there. I. I mean, I primarily attributed it to the fact that maybe many people in the audience were not theater goers. Yeah, not regular theater goers.

[James Marino]

I see. Yeah, that's a good theory. But, boy, the. The entrance applause when she came out was quite sustained. And so I. I discovered Jean Smart early on and last summer at Bluefish Cove. So it's. And I thought she was tremendous. So it's really quite nice to see that that Modest Stuff Off Broadway show did launch her and got her other roles. And of course, as I say, that entrance applause shows that people know her now, and I hope they're going to know her for a long time to come.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay, so call me izzy running through August 17th at Studio 54. We'll have a link to that in the show. Notes. Michael, the second of your troika visits to 54 below this week. How many times have you seen Melissa in concert? 20, 30 times?

[Peter Felicia]

Quite a few. Well, cheat Melissa Erico, we're discussing. She's been so active in those kinds of venues over the past several years. She had such an interesting career. Made a big splash in a revival of My Fair lady, but that was a troubled production. And then she had vocal problems during it and had to be out for a while, and then maybe not such great luck after that. She was in High Society, which was not a hit. And she also starred in one of the Stars of Dracula, which was also not a hit. That's Frank Wildhorn Dracula.

[James Marino]

But may I say that she was a big sensation in One Touch of Venus and in fact actually got a Lucille Lortel Award. I don't know if Uncles has ever received any Off Broadway award, but I wasn't on the committee that year, but apparently everybody said, look, you know, it's not Broadway, we can include it. She was that good. And not only was she nominated but she won. So that's pretty impressive.

[Peter Felicia]

Yes, and I'm glad you mentioned that because that was one of her earlier successes that really put her on the map. But then as I said, there were those flops and then she also, she was married and having children and raising them so she wasn't that active for a while. But we would see her in, you know, some one night things and she did eventually, I think of her comeback in a way as when she did Finian's Rainbow at the Irish Rep. That was a wonderful little production. And then she did Passion Off Broadway which again there was some issues there with vocal problems. But somewhere in the middle of all this she also, she started writing for the New York Times really, really well, really, really interesting articles. And then she began maybe what you could look at as a third act of being very, very successful in cabaret and concert venues throughout the city and the country and really all over the world. She's mentioned that she's headed to London very soon and I didn't check it out but she said, she didn't say the venue but she said it's a very large venue and we're sold out. So just really doing really, really well. So it was wonderful to see her again on Saturday. Last night at 7pm she did a show called Melissa Erico Sinks Sondheim. She has a very good history with Sondheim. She worked with him several times, most notably in Sunday in the park with george where she played.in the wonderful production that was part of that Sondheim festival that was done at the Kennedy Center. Gosh, wow. I didn't look up the year. It was quite, quite a few years ago. But that was an amazing thing of the type of which we can only dream and hope of seeing again at the Kennedy center in the future. So she was amazing in that in Sunday in the park with George opposite Raul Esparza. And then she later did Do I Hear a Waltz at Encores and those are only two of her, her Sondheim credits. So she really knew him quite well and worked with him and is eminently qualified to do a Sondheim show this evening included song such songs as Everybody says Don't another hundred people can that boy Foxtrot, which had been cut from Follies and eventually replaced with I'm Still Here, Nothing's going to harm you from Sweeney Todd. Good thing going. Then somewhere around there in the program, an absolutely amazing thing happened. She brought Len Cariou on stage. He is quite old now, walking with a cane, quite frail, but absolutely 100% there in terms of being able to deliver a. A major, committed, beautifully acted performances of several songs and despite his obviously diminished vocal capacity. So he sang as a solo. He sang Anyone Can Whistle. And then he did, after he told the story of how he first met Steve, went over to Steve's home at the beginning of. Before the beginning of rehearsals of Sweeney Todd, because Len was going to be away on another project. And so he asked to get some. At least some of the music as early as possible. So Sondheim invited him over and he played for him and sang There Was a Barber and His Wife. That beautiful, beautiful section at the beginning of Sweeney Todd. And Len said he just thought it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. And he knew then that this was going to be something really, really special. So it was great to hear him, to hear Len Cariou sing Sweeney Todd again. I wasn't sure I was ever going to hear that again. And then with Melissa, he sang. They did you Must Meet My Wife from Little Night Music, another Sondheim role that Len Cariou created. And then they did. This was really. They did the version of Send in the Clowns that we all know, with those lyrics as sung by Glynis Johns and so many other people. But they did it as a duet because the original thought was that it was going to be Frederick's song, Len Cariou's song. And then he told this again, a fascinating story about how about how the scene. That scene was rewritten by Hugh Wheeler and everyone felt that it now should be Desiree's song. So she, as it turned out, she does wind up singing the. The whole song herself. And then there is later, several scenes later, there is a brief dual duet reprise of Sending the Clowns. But the original statement of the song, as we all know it, is a solo for Desiree. But here, after explaining all of that, after Len explained all of that, he and Melissa sang it as a duet. And it, you know, it does work as a duet. Also. She sang Isn't It Rich? He sang Are We a Pair? She sang. She sang Me Here At Last on the Ground, and he sang Me in midair and etc. And they kind of switch back and forth throughout. So. So this is. This is an example of sheer brilliance because it would have worked fine as a duet. And I imagine they must have considered that. But. But someone probably realized, no, it's better if it's all her. And he's just sitting there listening to her, and it Is. So I just think that's. That's a really great example of people who absolutely know what they're doing and how to achieve it. So after that, Len exited the stage to a tremendous ovation, and Melissa ended the show with Uptown, Downtown being alive, Move on, and a song that Sondheim wrote at age 18 that she somehow managed to get her paws on. And it's called Nice Town, but. And it's about New York, very much in the vein of, well, once I hated this city, now it can't get me, you know, what more do I need? Right, right. And also, oh, by the way, I hadn't mentioned one delightful thing in the show was that Melissa started to sing that song that we hear just a tiny bit of in Merrily We Roll Along. Who wants to live in New York? Who wants to worry? The noise, the dirt, the. And then she went from that into what More Do I Need? Which starts with Once I hated this city, now it can't get me down. So I said to her and Ted Firth, her musical director afterwards, I said, I don't think I've ever heard anyone do that before, but obviously that was perfect. And I said, whose idea was that? And they said. And they both claimed to not remember whose idea it was, so that was sweet of them. Anyway, I. A really great show. And my guest for the show was Ben Jones, the wonderful singer who it looks like is going to be appearing in my upcoming show at 54 below, on September 9th, the tribute to Jones and Schmidt. So he was my guest for that and I invited him because I knew he was going to sing in the 9:30 show show last night, which was 54 sings, Broadway's greatest hits, one of Scott Siegel's, actually the 161st show in that series that he's presented there. So that was another great evening. And Ben sang three songs. He did all of I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face, just like you hear it on the cast album, with all of those extended middle section and all of that. And it's a really great acting piece when it's done complete like that. And he. He played it to the hilt. Then he sang Kiss her now from Dear World and a real crowd pleaser for him and many other singers. You'll be back from Hamilton. So. But we also had the amazing John Easterlin with his. His incredible operatic voicing without a song, and he did that unplugged. Michael Winther, who has appeared in many shows For Scott at 54 below, did who Can I Turn to? And almost like being in love. A wonderful young woman who Scott had introduced before. Alison Megan Joyce sang and danced Anything Goes. And the audience really appreciated when she started tapping. It was. It was really fun. And then. And then I will remember this night forever because two very young, unbelievably talented people were introduced by Scott. I'm talking people who are just around college age. And one of them is named Damaya Latrice, who did an incredible job with Be Aligned from the Wiz. And then I got Love from Pearly and the other fellow named Christopher Scanlon, who started out with a little ditty called Gethsemane from Jesus Christ Superstar. And then. Are you ready for this? He sang I am Changing from Dreamgirls in the original key, which means when a man does that, it's either going to be very low baritone or very high tenor. Very, very high tenor. And he chose the latter option. And he was absolutely stupendous. The audience was after Gethsemane. He got an ovation that. I think he was very moved. I thought I saw tears in his eyes. It was really amaz. And Scott Siegel deserves all the credit in the world for bringing people like this to the public's attention and giving them that kind of a showcase. So a great, great, great night with Ron Abel, the wonderful Ron Abel at the piano. Just superb.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay. And you can't see it because it's so over.

[Peter Felicia]

It's over. That one's over. But the series continues. The series continues.

[Michael Portantier]

The series does continue.

[Peter Felicia]

So.

[Michael Portantier]

You know, everything that Scott Siegel does there, I mean, each time, each month that Michael sees a new one, and we talk about it here, we keep telling you, go get. Go get the next one before. So you don't miss it. Because inevitably, we will get a handful of emails that say, oh, I can't believe I missed it. I wish knew it was coming. We tell you.

[Peter Felicia]

We do. We do.

[James Marino]

I do believe he has one coming up at Merkin hall next Saturday. Yes, maybe that's true. Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

Yes.

[James Marino]

Okay, good. And what's Michael, you seem to know about this?

[Peter Felicia]

Well, he mentioned that last night, but also he has a he. The next. The one. The next one at 54 is on. Let me just make sure I get it. Yeah, you've got it there.

[Michael Portantier]

July 12th.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, July 12th. Right.

[Michael Portantier]

July 12th. With Ben Jones, Sammy Kennert. Moi.

[Peter Felicia]

Moi. Yes. Albert Nelthrop is in it, who is in one of my shows.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, exactly. And if you look on the right side of that page, there are all the different dates and times. So we'll have a link to that in the show notes so you can check it out. It's definitely. That's a ton of fun to see a Scott Siegel show. All right, so we alluded to this last week. Actually, I don't even know. I don't know if. No, if we were. We were recording, but Dead Outlaw announced their closing. Real women have curbs announced their closing. Previously, we already knew that Smash announced their closing. These are all due to soft sales after the Tony Awards. So we'll see what happens on a. On the flip side of it, we have an announcement that spelling bee is coming back. So that's exciting.

[Peter Felicia]

And as some of our listeners may remember, I saw the show at the Kennedy center last summer, not that long ago. And this one shares the director, I believe. So I don't know. But this is going to be. Not on Broadway, as we had maybe guessed that there might be a transfer. Right. It's going to be at. Is it New World Stage?

[Michael Portantier]

New World Stages, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I mean, given what Little Shop of Horrors has done.

[James Marino]

Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

You know, take Taken and Taken, a show that, that we thought was going to, you know, have a, A good life on, on Broadway. Not a huge long run, but maybe it'll come back to Broadway. And they put it into the west side Theater and it has run for years.

[Peter Felicia]

Yes.

[Michael Portantier]

With great, great casts in it. And everybody wants to be in Spelling Bee. So I think we're very surprised.

[James Marino]

You know, I would think it by this point, it's an overexposed title, but obviously there are people who still want to see it or have missed it along the way. But I have to admit, I never expected a run of this proportion.

[Michael Portantier]

Peter, when were you in. When were you in London? You.

[James Marino]

Just three, four weeks ago, May 5th. May 6th, somewhere around.

[Michael Portantier]

There was Evita running when you were in London?

[James Marino]

No. No, it was.

[Michael Portantier]

No, it wasn't.

[James Marino]

No. And given the Jamie Lloyd, I'm not sure that I would have gone.

[Michael Portantier]

So, yeah, the Jamie Lloyd Evita is getting a. That's open on the West End now, is getting a buzz about a transfer to New York. We'll have to see what happens again. They do a gimmick where she does the balcony scene outside of the theater so that the people that are paying $500 a seat to see it are watching it on a video. And it's outside of a theater in London because that's the. That's Buenos Aires.

[Peter Felicia]

You know what's interesting? I just saw a clip of Tom Francis doing the Sunset Boulevard number walking through Times Square. And one thing I hadn't realized, but it makes perfect sense is if you just watch that video, there's no orchestra because he's listening to it through a Bluetooth or whatever. But I don't think that's the case for Don't Cry for Me Argentina, because all these people are gathering outside to hear her sing it. Although maybe she also doesn't have an orchestra. I mean, maybe it's only in her ear and they're just watching her sing. Well, not acapella actually, but you know what I mean. Without being able to hear the orchestra. That's something I'm unclear of. Of.

[James Marino]

That hadn't occurred to me. Yeah, that's a very good point.

[Michael Portantier]

So we also heard that Billy Porter's going into Cabaret and that Cabaret is going to be wrapping up their run. So if you. Yeah, if you're interested in seeing Billy or Cabaret one last time, you now have a clock. So make sure you get there.

[Peter Felicia]

And if you want to come and celebrate the closing with me, I'll certainly be happy to join.

[James Marino]

Looking forward to July 20th.

[Peter Felicia]

What's that, Peter?

[James Marino]

I'm looking forward to July 20th. That's when sunset Boulevard closes.

[Michael Portantier]

No, no, it doesn't Sunset close sooner than that. Or is it July 20th?

[James Marino]

It extended a week.

[Michael Portantier]

It extended exposed.

[James Marino]

I'm paying attention to this, you know.

[Michael Portantier]

So, okay, do you guys either one of you know who a comedian named Jeff Ross is?

[Peter Felicia]

No.

[Michael Portantier]

Neither do I, but he's coming to Broadway. He's going to be playing the needle and theater Aug. 5 to the Sept. 29 for a limited run for his one man show, Take a Banana for the Ride.

[James Marino]

Yes, I did see that.

[Michael Portantier]

So that's going to be coming up at the Needle Lander. Maybe he'll break the Needleander curse there.

[James Marino]

It wasn't cursed in 1996, but anyway.

[Michael Portantier]

That'S true ever since then. Ever since then. Jinx Monsoon is going to be playing Mary Todd in oh Mary. So if, if please let you, you know, let you guys know if, if you're interested in seeing Jinx or oh Mary. There's yet they've extended again, so check that out. And we have 50th anniversary of a Chorus Line. The performance is going to be July 27th at the Schubert. Michael, will you be. Be there?

[Peter Felicia]

Oh gosh, I would only dream of being there. I. Okay, I. Yeah, I don't think I can afford that.

[Michael Portantier]

The concert is gonna be with some of the 1975 Broadway cast. Kelly Bishop, Wayne Salento, Bayer Kalia Priscilla Lopez Donna McKechnie, Shellaton Special performances by Charlottembois Jessica Lee Golden Robin Herder Francis Jiu Christa Rodriguez Jessica Vosk. Jessica Vosk out on vocal leave right now, right back in time. Anthony Wayne, Tony Yazbeck, Lee Zimmerman.

[Peter Felicia]

And by the way, the announcement of that answered a question because did we discuss there was to have been some sort of quote unquote site specific production of Chorus Line in a, in a dance studio somewhere? Yeah, yeah. And it was announced. And then the following day was announced, sorry, we're not, we, we can't do it. So I think that, yeah that, I think we have our answer as to why that was announced.

[Michael Portantier]

And then unannounced I see a note in our chat from Rob Johnston. It just says Jeff Frost. Did I not say Jeff Ross? Did I say Jeff Somebody else?

[James Marino]

I thought you said Jeff Ross.

[Michael Portantier]

Jeff Ross. Okay. And finally coming to Off Broadway, Matthew Broderick and David Cross in a, in a chart too. So that's very exciting at New York Theater Workshop in the fall of 2025. So, so there's, yeah know, there's the things coming up that you guys should plan for. So. All right. You guys have anything else before we wrap up for today?

[Peter Felicia]

No.

[James Marino]

Swing it for me.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay. Before we get on to our brain teaser and our musical moments, very special musical moment. Took hours and hours and hours to prepare.

[Peter Felicia]

I'm sorry, It's a one off. It's a one off, I promise.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, it's a special. It's a very special blossom. That's a 80s joke for anybody who.

[Peter Felicia]

Used to watch TV.

[Michael Portantier]

You ever watch Blossom television show? You guys didn't. But some of the listeners might have, might have listened watch Blossom. Before we get on to our brain teasing our musical moments, I want to remind everybody that you can subscribe to these broadcasts by going to the front page of broadwayvideo.com this is subscribe link. That way each time we there's a new episode of this week on Broadway be automatically downloaded to Apple podcasts for you. Of course you don't have to get us an Apple podcast. There's many ways to get us. Patreon.com P-A-T-R-E-O-N.com BroadwayRadio is one way that you can support Broadway radio's. All of our different shows that we've been talking about. Plus get us a little bit earlier. Plus get us without those pre roll and post roll ad ads that some of you have commented on. Contact information for Peter from Michael and me can be found in the show [e-mail] as well as links to some of these we've talked about today. So, Peter, do you have an answer to last week's Brain teaser?

[James Marino]

In fact, I do. A neoclassic British musical that gets plenty of American productions every autumn mentions in its opening number a property that became a 21st century Broadway musical. Well, I'm talking about the Rocky Horror Show, a Halloween favorite for many theaters around the country. And in its opening numbers, science fiction double features, mentions King Kong, which played the Broadway theater some seasons ago. The ever reliable Tony Janicki was first followed by Lee Korn, Matthew John Mate, Sean Logan, Ingrid Gammerman, Lorraine Molson, Fred Abramowicz and Brigad. This week's question. For this musical's second appearance on Broadway, a performer won a tour Tony. When the musical was first brought to Broadway, no one could have won in the part that this performer played. Explain why as well as the musical, the character and the Tony winner.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay, if you have an answer for this, email [e-mail] we'll let you know if you're on the right track. So, Michael, tell us about this week's musical moment.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, we had talked about the fact that I recently caught up with the 1930 film version of Lilliam, the play on which Carousel is based. And I was so struck again by the fact that so much of the script of Lillium is reproduced word for word in Carousel. It's absolutely astonishing. So I did a little bit further research because, because I find it very, very interesting that how much of it is exactly the same. And then of course there are some major changes in the story as well, aside from the addition of the incredible Rogers and Hammerstein score and the shift of locale from Budapest to Maine. But it's really, I urge everyone to look into the history of Lilliam and also check out this film version which you can see absolutely complete on YouTube starring Charles Farrell and Ruth Hobart as Lillian and Julie. Our character is still called Julie, not Jordan, but Julie. It's an amazing film. It's done at the dawn of the sound era. So it's going to look and sound very antique in, in many respects, but the performances and just the how well the whole thing is done. There's a very strange thing where the actors don't seem to pick up their cues. And I think maybe that, I think that's maybe because sound was so new on film that they made maybe had this idea, oh, we have to give the audience a moment to process a line after we say it. I mean, that's my only explanation for it. So give it a look and see what you think. But as I mentioned recently, Charles Farrell plays Lilliam, and he's really quite charismatic and sexy and just perfect for the part. A woman named Ruth Hobart plays Julie. And in the role of the chief magistrate, which is sort of a combination of the Heavenly Friend and the Star Keeper, but more the Heavenly Friend, that role is played by HB Warner, who we all know as Mr. Gower in it's a Wonderful Life. So that's fun to see him several years before that movie. And I didn't know till seeing this film that he was British. HB Warner, his few lines in. In It's a Wonderful Life certainly don't sound British, so I. I guess he worked on that. There's a. A Mr. Snow character in. In Lilliam, his name is Wolf W L F here played by Burt Roach. But on Broadway, in the original Broadway production of Lilliam, that robe was played by hen lovers who played Clarence in It's a Wonderful Life. So. And I mean, I could go on. The original 1921 Broadway production also had Ava Le Gallian as Julie and a fellow named Joseph Schiltkraut as Billy. But the 1940 Broadway revival of Lilliam had Burgess Meredith as Billy and Ingrid Bergman as Julie. And in the role of Fixer, who is the Jigger Cragan equivalent, Ilya Kazam. So, I mean, I think if you have any interest in Carousel that you will find researching Lillium as fascinating as I have done. And one other point I want to make, and I can't get into this too much because I could talk for half an hour, but it's so interesting to. So interesting to see how the various versions of the story handled the. The business where Billy comes back to earth and to try to help his daughter and winds up slapping her instead. For what it's worth, you know, I. I think people have a big problem with that in Carousel because Julie said.

[James Marino]

Says.

[Peter Felicia]

Because the daughter Louise, asks her mother after. After the slap happens, she says, is it possible for someone to hit you, hit you really hard and not have it hurt at all? And Julie says, yes, yes, child, it is possible to have someone hit you really hard and not have it hurt at all. But also, a lot of people interpret the end of Carousel as that after all of this happens. And they sing, you'll Never Walk Alone. And he gives an inspirational speech to his daughter and to Julie that he goes to heaven. Well, that is not, you know, that is not clear. And for what it's worth, the Wikipedia entry Lon Lillium says 16 years later, he is allowed to return to earth for one day to do a good deed for his now teenage daughter, Louisa Louise, whom he has never met. If he succeeds, he will be allowed to enter heaven. He fails in the attempt and is presumably sent to hell. The ending, though, focuses on Julie, who obviously remembers Lillian fondly. So anyway, I'm going on. Check out how these various versions handled that. And by the way, in Lilium, in the play, play, and I think almost in the movie as well, the very last lines are the ones I quoted about. Is it possible for. For someone to hit you really hard? And. And Julie's response to that. So that's where Hammerstein got it from. It's not his fault. It's really just how we're supposed to interpret it. Anyway, so our musical moment, our opener is. James was kind enough to help me put this together. It's a dialogue excerpt from the film, the 1930 film of Lillian with Charles Farrell and Ruth Hobart. And it's the equivalent of the bench, the so called bench scene in Carousel. So you'll hear it start with several lines that you will be very, very familiar with if you know Carousel, because they're word for word. And then we go into a little bit of the music for the musical version of that scene. And this is from. We took it from the 1965 Lincoln Center Theater, Music Theater of Lincoln center, excuse me, production of Carousel that starred John Rate recreating his original role 20 years after the. The original. The original production. And a woman named Eileen Christ as Julie. And then our closer, just to bring it full circle for that scene is the ending, John Rate's sing through of if I loved you. So please enjoy these musical moments.

[Michael Portantier]

And then when I was in third grade.

[Peter Felicia]

All right.

[Michael Portantier]

So that wraps it up for today's. On behalf of Michael Portantier and Peter Felicia, this is James Marino saying thanks so much for listening to your Broadway radios this week on Broadway. Bye.

[Peter Felicia]

Bye. Bye.

[James Marino]

Nothing.

[Peter Felicia]

I know what it'd be like. It'd be awful. I can just see myself kind of scrawny and pale, picking at my food and love sick like any other. God, I'd throw away my sweater and dress up like a dude in a dickie and a collar and a tie if I loved you.

[James Marino]

But you don't.

[Peter Felicia]

No, I don't. But somehow I can see just exactly how I'd be.

[James Marino]

If I loved you.

[Peter Felicia]

Time and again I would try to say All I'd want you to know if I loved you Words wouldn't come in an easy way Round in circles I'd go Longing to tell you but afraid and shy I'd let my golden chances pass me by.

[James Marino]

Soon you'd leave.

[Peter Felicia]

Me off you would go in the midst of day Never, never, ever to know.

[Michael Portantier]

How I loved you.

[Peter Felicia]

If I loved you Ra.