This Week on Broadway for June 29, 2025: Transport Group’s Hello, Dolly! in Concert @ Carnegie Hall

Summary

BroadwayRadio Episode Summary
This Week on Broadway for June 29, 2025: Transport Group’s Hello, Dolly! in Concert @ Carnegie Hall

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of BroadwayRadio, hosts James Marino, Peter Felicia, and Michael Portantier delve into the vibrant world of Broadway, offering insights, reviews, and discussions on recent and upcoming productions. The episode primarily focuses on Transport Group’s concert rendition of "Hello, Dolly!" at Carnegie Hall, along with reviews of other notable plays and musicals currently gracing the Broadway scene.

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Transport Group’s "Hello, Dolly!" Concert @ Carnegie Hall

Michael Portantier kicks off the main discussion by reviewing Transport Group's concert presentation of "Hello, Dolly!" at Carnegie Hall. He highlights the concert's ambitious scale, featuring a large orchestra and a substantial chorus that brings an authentic Broadway feel to the performance.

• Notable Quote:
  “...they wound up doing Hello, Dolly! ... it's a great score and it would have been worth it to attend this concert if only for the very large orchestra... Absolutely great.”
  — Michael Portantier [10:31]

Portantier praises the performances of Katie Finneran (“I Put My Hand in”), Gracie Lawrence (“Just Leave Everything to Me”), and Santino Fontana (“Put on Your Sunday Clothes”), among others. He also notes the inclusion of original choreography in key numbers, enhancing the concert's authenticity.

James Marino adds personal anecdotes, mentioning interactions with cast members and reflecting on the show's legacy. He expresses disappointment over certain directorial choices but acknowledges the overall success of the concert.

• Notable Quote:
  “...they did a spectacular job and it was quite a cast... absolutely fantastic.”
  — James Marino [19:56]

Despite some criticisms regarding narration inaccuracies, the consensus remains positive, celebrating the concert as a commendable tribute to the classic musical.

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Review of "Machinal" at Roundabout

James Marino reviews the third iteration of "Machinal" at Roundabout Theatre Company. He reflects on its historical significance and contemporary production choices, though he expresses frustration with certain directorial decisions that he felt detracted from the play’s intensity.

• Notable Quote:
  “...it was so horrifying to see this play mangled in this way. So here's another one where a director had to put her stamp on it.”
  — James Marino [24:14]

Marino underscores the play's ahead-of-its-time themes, but his critique centers on the overuse of tap dancing and chaotic courtroom scenes that, in his view, undermine the narrative’s gravitas.

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Taylor Mack’s "Prosperous Fools" at Theater for a New Audience

The discussion shifts to Taylor Mack’s production of "Prosperous Fools" at Theater for a New Audience. Marino praises the performances of Jason O’Connell and Sierra Bodges, highlighting their portrayal of affluent philanthropists whose questionable money-making schemes are central to the narrative.

• Notable Quote:
  “...they really have no idea what the theater company is about, what the theater is about. They don't care. It doesn't.”
  — James Marino [30:36]

The hosts commend Mack’s incisive critique of wealthy donors in the theater industry, noting the play’s sharp humor and relevant social commentary.

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Duke and Roya at the Lortel

Peter Felicia introduces "Duke and Roya" at the Lortel Theatre, a play that explores the complexities of love amidst the backdrop of war-torn Afghanistan. He lauds the performances of Jel Ellis and Stephanie Knurr, emphasizing the emotional depth and strong character development.

• Notable Quote:
  “...the playing is so good that you really get galvanized by their performances.”
  — Peter Felicia [34:40]

The trio discusses the play's poignant themes and potential for transferring to Broadway, especially with the availability of the James Earl Jones Theater.

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"Drunk Romeo and Juliet" by Drunk Shakespeare Company

Michael Portantier shares his experience attending "Drunk Romeo and Juliet" by Drunk Shakespeare Company. He describes the production as a humorous and irreverent take on the classic tragedy, enriched by strong performances amidst chaotic and comedic elements.

• Notable Quote:
  “...this was extremely enjoyable on a comedic level and a gonzo comedy level.”
  — Michael Portantier [39:55]

The hosts appreciate the blend of modern references and anachronisms, which inject fresh humor into the timeless narrative.

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Upcoming Productions and Industry News

The episode also covers other upcoming productions, including "Thank You, Don Amici" at the American Theater of Actors and "Midsummer Night's Dream" by the Ensemble Shakespeare Company at the Flea Theater. Discussions touch upon casting choices, directorial visions, and the innovative approaches these productions bring to classic works.

Notable Quotes:

• “...it's a unique and intimate style of storytelling.”
  — Michael Portantier [60:22]

• “...our non-traditional casting and focus on the extraordinary language of the play will challenge our audience to meet Midsommar anew.”
  — Michael Portantier [67:00]

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Brain Teaser and Musical Moments

The hosts engage listeners with a weekly Brain Teaser, revealing the answer as Kristin Chenoweth’s Tony win for a revival of "Your Good Man Charlie Brown". They also celebrate musical moments by highlighting Ruth Cobart's contributions to Broadway, featuring selections from her performances in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

• Notable Quote:
  “...two of Ms. Cobart's biggest successes were in two shows with really long titles.”
  — Michael Portantier [73:12]

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Conclusion

Wrapping up the episode, James Marino encourages listeners to subscribe to BroadwayRadio for more updates and insights, while Peter Felicia reminds everyone of the ongoing and upcoming shows featured throughout the broadcast.

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Subscribe and Support BroadwayRadio

Stay updated with the latest in Broadway by subscribing to BroadwayRadio through Apple Podcasts, Patreon, or directly via their website. Supporting the podcast ensures continued coverage of your favorite theater productions and behind-the-scenes insights.

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This summary encapsulates the key discussions and highlights from the June 29, 2025 episode of BroadwayRadio, offering a comprehensive overview for listeners and enthusiasts alike.

Transcript

[James Marino]

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[Michael Portantier]

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[Peter Felicia]

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[Michael Portantier]

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[James Marino]

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[Peter Felicia]

For over 30 years I've cried myself to sleep, assailed by doubts and fears.

[James Marino]

So great the gods themselves would weep.

[Peter Felicia]

The moment I am gone. I wonder where he'll go. In all your simple honesty, you can't begin to know. O I want him, I need him.

[Michael Portantier]

Where is is he?

[Peter Felicia]

That dirty old man is here somewhere Cating with someone young and fair, Disporting.

[Michael Portantier]

In every shameless whim.

[Peter Felicia]

Just wait till I get my hands on him.

[James Marino]

I.

[Peter Felicia]

Hello and welcome to Broadway Radios this week on Broadway for Sunday, June 29, 2025. My name is James Marino, and in the broadcast today we have Peter, Felicia and Michael Portantier. Peter is a playwright, journalist and historian with a number of books. Peter's new Day by Day Desk Calendar, a show tune for today, 366 songs to bright New Year has been released. Peter also has columns at Masterworks, Broadway, Broadway select and many other places. Hello, Peter. Hi, Peter. It has been hot out there in the last couple of days, right?

[James Marino]

Well, this week, certainly, yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

Does it, does it feel like a Summer in Ohio to you?

[James Marino]

It does. It does feel like a summer in Ohio. What James is alluding to is my show For Today Calendar 366 Songs to Brighten your year. And today I chose A Summer in Ohio because after all, summer did start last week and ironically enough, when I wrote that, I didn't know, of course, that there would be a revival of the last five years that would come to Broadway. But a lot of people heard it recently and it's a marvelous song about a woman who's trying to make the best she can out of a bad situation. And as an actress, actress who is with a company, that does sound a little on the bizarre side. It's possible that James I'm sorry, Jason, Robert Brown exaggerated a little in terms of people playing the roles that he mentions in the show. But nevertheless, it's a fun song and it does express the frustration in a humorous way. And that's always a good way to go to make light of a bad situation. And certainly our heroine does exactly that. So that was the show tune for today.

[Peter Felicia]

Be wary of people who claim to be an understudy for Wayne on the Broadway production of the Last five years. Also with us 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 media of publications. You could see his photography [e-mail] hello, Michael. Hello, Michael. This world is upside down. Upside down. And you know, we need to. To solve all the problems in the world.

[Michael Portantier]

And how are we going to do that?

[Peter Felicia]

We need a celebration. Songs of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. Tell us about what is happening in the upside down world of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, on Tuesday, September 9th at 7pm, we are going to do a celebration of the songs of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, which was to have been at 54 below, but we have had to move the venue because they wound up with a rental for that slot. And so fortunately, I have a little bit of a relationship now with the Laurie Beechman Theater at the West Bank Cafe, where I did My Evening with Sandy Duncan, which was such a wonderful success. So they're more than happy to have us back. And I'm really excited about the show because I really think that Michael Levine and I have ended up with a really great cast. We've got Bob Cuccioli, Ali Ewolt, A.J. shively, Tony nominee A.J. shively, William Michaels, J. Aubrey Jones, all of whom have been on Broadway multiple times. And then some other fabulous people as well, Ben Jones and Megan Stirna. And it looks like we're going to have as our special guest, Michael Glenn Smith. Yeah. Who created the leading role in, well, I guess you'd call it the. The juvenile lead. The juvenile lead in Celebration. And then also he had a wonderful role in Philemon, one of my favorite Jones and Schmidt shows. And then he also. I'm not sure I realized this, but he was in the Fantastics as the boy for a while.

[James Marino]

Yes, he was.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah. Yeah. So he must have a thousand stories and I'm really looking forward to that. And we're not completely. We might even have some more people beyond that, but I'm really excited about it. So you can mark your calendar. We don't have a link yet because the change was just made and we don't have a link for tickets yet, but it should be up soon. And as I say, it's not till September 9th. So we have a while yet. And I wanted to give a shout out before I forget, our friend Debbie Schrager, who lives in D.C. was recently in town to see a bunch of shows, and she told me she went to see just in time. And as people who have seen the show know, there's a point towards the beginning of the show where Jonathan Groff picks out someone to dance with. I believe one of his former dancing partners was Peter Felicia, correct?

[James Marino]

Not quite. I turned him down.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, you turned him down?

[James Marino]

Yes, I guess I had the music that made him dance, but nevertheless, I did. He said he loved me, though. Or was he just being kind? I don't know. He actually said I love you, you know, so who knows? But anyway, Debbie. Debbie was there, huh?

[Michael Portantier]

Yes, she was there. And the person with whom Jonathan danced on this occasion was Ben Brantley. So I thought that was. That sounded cute. So I. I emailed Ben just to, you know, just to ask his reaction, and he says. He said he wrote back, yes, it's true. I was twirled world.

[Peter Felicia]

So.

[Michael Portantier]

It'S interesting. I wonder how Jonathan decides who he's picking. I'm sure some people must be unknown to him, but occasionally he'll spot someone in the audience and think, oh, you.

[James Marino]

Know, I'm just not sure. I mean, we've interacted several times, but I'm not sure that he really knows who I am. But I'm not unsure of it either. So I think there's a 50, 50 chance he did know who I was and tried to entice me to dance with. I don't think it was necessarily an arbitrary choice. So we'll see. Who knows? Maybe we'll talk about it someday.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, you know, what's interesting to me about this is. And I'm not sure if you got into. With Ben Brantley, Michael, Is this the first time Brantley saw the show? It's very deep into the run for. Even though Ben is really not.

[James Marino]

Yeah, he's not really.

[Peter Felicia]

And he's doing these days and things like that.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah. And, you know, he lives outside of New York, so. No, I did not ask him that. I just said. I just said I heard you dance with Jonathan the other night. And he said, yes, I was twirled.

[James Marino]

Does he still live in the state?

[Michael Portantier]

As far as I know. Get into that either. Yeah.

[James Marino]

All right.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

He'S made the. The great move up to Woodstock, New York, where it seems like all the. All the Broadway people and the. And the actors and things like that all live, you know, in that Woodstock area.

[Michael Portantier]

I think it's called Columbia County. Is that right?

[James Marino]

I don't know.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, sounds familiar.

[Peter Felicia]

But anyway, so some housekeeping to do here. Jan Simpson, as well as doing her her wonderful series of podcasts for Broadway radio, also has her blog, Broadway and Me. And every year she puts out a summer reading list. And the summer reading list for this year for 2025 is out. In the past years we have done a special Broadway radio episode to talk about these things, but I blew it this year. Jan asked me to schedule it and I never scheduled it and that's on me. That's my bad. But Jan's list is still out. We'll have a link to that in the show notes the books for summer reading 2025. And it's a great, great list. A lot of stuff to read here. And she's also got a link to all the other lists all the way back to 2007 in case you read all of the books that are on this list. So first up in our review section today, Michael, you were over at Carnegie hall for the Transport Group's concert version of hello Dolly. So tell about this.

[Michael Portantier]

Yes, on Monday evening the 23rd last year around this time, the Transport Group had a huge success with their concert presentation of Follies at Carnegie Hall. And so they trying to make it an annual event to do a concert version of some sort of fabulous musical. And interestingly this is off the record, but I had heard from someone that hello Dolly was not their first choice, nor was it their second, third or fourth choice.

[James Marino]

Wow.

[Michael Portantier]

I mean that's the way it was put to me. This is total hearsay. I can't vouch for it. But it does sound like that might be true because I think we don't feel like hello Dolly's been away that long and so they might have picked something else like for example, Mame, you know. But anyway, whether or not that's true, they, they wound up doing hello Dolly. Apparently they, they got no's on, you know, regarding the rights for lots of other shows for one reason or another. I, I wonder if they asked for Mame and and were denied it for some reason. Anyway, uh, all speculation but uh, you know, but that's all right because hello Dolly is a great score and it would have been worth it to attend this concert if only for the. A very large orchestra, I think about 30 pieces and a very large singing chorus as well as a dancing chorus. So when are you ever going to hear the score like that again? Absolutely great. Joey Chancey was the music supervisor and conductor and he did a spectacular job and it was quite a cast. Just let me go, let me run down the list. Katie Finneran performed I Put My Hand in, and then Gracie Lawrence from Just In Time did just leave everything to me. This concert incorporated basically every song that's ever been written for hello Dolly. Well, not quite, but all of the songs from the original production as we know it, the songs that were written for the movie and as well as the two songs that were originally written for the show. When Ethel Merman, when it was hoped that Ethel Merman was going to star in it initially, and then when she said no, those two songs were cut because they didn't. It wasn't felt that they were appropriate for Carol Channing. And those two songs were Love look in My Window and World Take Me Back. So anyway, I put my hand in, just left everything to me. Then Tom Sesma led It Takes a Woman, Keisha Lewis sang World Take Me Back. Santino Fontana and Zachary, Noah Peyser and Natasha Yvette Williams were featured and put on your Sunday clothes. And that was great because I know Santino went into the recent Broadway revival, the most recent Broadway revival for Gavin Creel, when Gavin was out for a while. But I did not get to hear or see Santino in the role, so I was very happy to at least get to hear him sing a little bit of the show. And it so happens that my absolute favorite music in all of hello Dolly is the. What would you call the introduction to put on your Sunday clothes out there. There's a world outside of Yonkers. And he did a phenomenal, phenomenal job with it, as did Gavin Creel. So that was amazing. Oh, and the full original choreography of of that number was featured in this performance, as was the full original choreography of the waiter's gallop in Act 2 and also the hello Dolly number. So it was not just, you know, a sing through. The only number where they didn't do the major choreography was, ironically, the dancing number. The orchestra just played the dance music, which is really lovely. But anyway, back to the song. Listen, Nikki Renee Daniels, who was a highlight of Follies last year, did a beautiful version of Ribbons Down My Back. Motherhood was Anne Harada, Hannah Ellis and Anna Zabelson dancing. Barbara Walsh, Gray Henson, Jack Malone, Erica Henningsen and Samantha Williams. How do you like this cast, huh? Love look in my Window, Kate Baldwin. And then the amazing Marilyn May came out and she delivered what is called the oak leaf monolog that comes right before the parade passes by. And then she sang that number with the chorus and it absolutely took the roof off Carnegie hall as the end of Act 1, there was an intermission in the concert. And then Act 2, Penny in my Pocket, was also put back in the song that was originally in the show for Horace Van de Gelden and was, believe it or not, supposed to be the end of Act 1, but it was cut and replaced by before the Parade Passes By. Christopher Sieber did that. And then Elegance Ephraim Sykes, Jessica Fontana, Ashley D. Kelly and A.J. shively, the waiter's gallop. Hello Dolly. Jennifer Simard, on 24 Hours Notice, came in and sang and danced the number because Beth Leavel, who was to have done it, that was reported to have gotten Covid. So amazing job on her part. Love Is Only Love. Alicia Umphress, It Only Takes a Moment, Andrew Barth Feldman and Helen J. Shen. So Long, Deary J. Harrison, Yee or G? I still haven't learned how to say it. Do either of you know?

[James Marino]

No, no.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah. I'm sorry, I don't remember how they pronounced it. And the finale, Christopher Sieber and Leroy Reams. The show was narrated by Leroy Reams and by Frank DiLella from New York 1. And, you know, all I can say is they didn't write what they read. And that was a good thing because it turns out there was lots of mistakes, I'm sorry to say, in the narration, which apparently was written by someone named Hannah Oren, who is credited as the creative producer of this production. And as I wrote on Facebook, in Monday's Transport Group concert presentation of hello Dolly at Carnegie Hall, Frank Delilah Leroy Reames went on at length about the inspiration for and creation of the song before the Parade Passes by, but neither of them mentioned the salient point that the phrase was indeed taken from the show source material, Thornton Wilder's the Matchmaker. Nor at any time during the evening did either host acknowledge Bob Merrill as the sole writer of motherhood and the major writer of elegance. I've always read that for the latter song, Meryl wrote the music for the whole thing and the lyrics for the first verse, with Herman then supplying the other lyrics. Both of those songs were performed with no mention of Meryl whatsoever. And elsewhere in Dilella's narration, he gave what I'm told is fals that love is only love, which was added to the Dali score for the movie version, was originally written for a Herman show titled Madame Aphrodite before it was inserted into Mame, where it was sung by Angela Lansbury in pre Broadway performances of that show, but was eventually cut before the Broadway opening. Presumably Dilella. Well, no, we know they did not write what they read. But there were lots of mistakes like that. And so that was really unfortunate that the person didn't apparently do her research as well as she should have. Because, you know, when you're going to say stuff from the. From the stage of Carnegie hall and a major event like this, it can get. You know, I think it's important to get things right. Both the Jerry Herman and the Michael Stewart estates were apparently heavily involved in this show, which I guess accounts for the fact that they didn't. They. They wanted to give all credit to those two and didn't want to mention that, you know, Thornton Wilder, you know, contributed a lot of the. The script verbatim, and that Bob Merrill wrote two of the songs. But. But I don't know, it's. It's just. Can sound like rewriting history to me. And I think that's unfortunate because overall, it really was a wonderful, wonderful concert. And I'm really glad that I attended.

[James Marino]

Well, I often talk about I would love to be a fly on the wall when. And I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Gawa Champion said to David Merrick, the producer, we're not going to do Penny in my pocket. Because there were 106 props that they brought on stage to indicate how much wealth that her, Mr. Van de Gelder had accumulated. So, I mean, that really must have been an amazing thing. But as Jerry Herman once said to me, what we learned is they did not want to learn about Van de Gelder at that point in time. They wanted to know about her. And that's where before the parade Passes by comes in. You know, Richard Skipper, who certainly is no stranger to hello Dolly or Carol Channing. He was certainly a Carol Channing impersonator for a long time, made a very interesting suggestion about this. When it was determined that Bet Lil Level could not go on, said they should have used leroy Reams. Indeed, I saw leroy Reams play Dolly. Yes, indeed, in Florida some years ago. And I think he would have torn down the house. So nothing against Jennifer, God love her, makes you live to be 100. And I've always been a big fan of hers. But I think that would have been really something if leroy had taken that role.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, he was a wonderful presence, you know, as one of the narrators. And he did sing a little at the end, the finale with Christopher Seabrook. I'm guessing that, you know, Leroy is great, but. But, you know, he's also smart. And they think maybe he would have thought that. That the hello Dolly Number is a little beyond him, especially since they did it fully staged, you know, but anyway, also Leroy said afterwards, you know, he acknowledged. I don't know, maybe he was referring to the fact that there were mistakes in the, in the narration. But he, he said afterwards, he said, when you speak of this in the future and you will shut the fuck up. But he did a fine job. So he was, I guess, just being self deprecating.

[James Marino]

I'm not sure I'm right about this, but Madam Aphrodite, I believe, has a song whose melody later became A Little More Mascara in La Casa Fold.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, someone else mentioned that and. And Alan Gomberg, who, you know, always seems to know what he's talking about, absolutely said on that chat that there is a song in Madame Aphrodite called Only Love, but it's a completely different song than Love is Only Love. So maybe that's where Hannah Oren got her incorrect information on that.

[James Marino]

Yeah, I, I have a demo of Madame Aphrodite and I think that that's where I heard the Little More Mascara. So. Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

So one final thing. Beth Leavel, as I said, was reported to be out with COVID And also absent for the evening was Jack Cummings iii, the director of the show and the artistic director for the. For the company. And although no one said so, I'm guessing maybe he got Covid too, because why else would he have missed it? And there was an announcement made from the stage. Someone said thank you to Greg Wiggins for stepping in as director when we. We really needed him most. So I'm guessing maybe he did like the final, you know, the final thing, the final dress rehearsal at Carnegie. Again, I'm just speculating, but no Jack Cummings present. And I'm sure he would have been there, you know, if he could have been.

[Peter Felicia]

Okay, so that was a one night only fundraiser for the Transport Group. And we'll have a link back to the transcript. Transport Group's website in the show notes. Peter, you got to see three different of Broadway productions. We'll start with Machinal right now, is this the first appearance of Machinal since the Broadway production?

[James Marino]

No, that was in 1927. Roundabout did it some years ago. This is a marvelous play about a woman who is not happy with her love life, with her husband, with her job, anything. She's. And she's eventually motivated to actually kill her husband. And she goes on trial and is found guilty and is executed. It's a marvelous play and certainly well ahead of its time. Good Lord. I mean, the issues it brings up and the way it handles it and the stuff about sexuality is extraordinary. So this is the third time I've seen the play play. And I'm sorry to say that I think this was directed by Jamie Lloyd under an assumed name. It's that type of production. So at the beginning we're in the office and the director decided it would be a good idea to have a lot of noise because officers are noisy with typing in those days. Much quieter now with, with our computers. But in those days there was typing. So she really went to town on this one and really made it very, very noisy while people are doing dial. Okay, bad as that was. And more than one person has said gee reminded me of Rock island and the Music Man. And I guess that could be somewhat supportive because after all the guys in the Music man, they're talking in with the rhythm of the train going. And I guess this director decided it was a good idea to have the, the typing do that type of energy. I found it terribly distracting, but not nearly as distracting as what happened next, which was indeed there was a big important speech happen and she had a great deal of tap dancing. A guy tap dance through the entire thing loudly. And I'm telling you, if I were John Q. Theatre goer and not somebody who had to worry about my position in the business, I really would have yelled out, will you please stop tap dancing so we can hear what's happening. I mean, it was so distracting. There was a lot of choreography in this. And in fact, to the point of which they've asked the Chita Rivera Awards to actually consider this as, as a nominee for next season, this season. So it was really quite, quite terrible to be distracted this way. It did calm down for a while. For a while. But, but, but then comes the courtroom scene and it was done ludicrously. There's a Marx Brothers movie where Groucho runs around the courtroom. And more to the point, there's a Woody Allen movie where he plays not only the prosecutor, but also the W. And he's going back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. And that's what happened here. It was. They're running around like crazy while asking these questions. So it's a burlesque. I mean, it's just so horrifying to see this play mangled in this way. So here's another one where a director had to put her stamp on it. And I'm sure that it's one of. Well, I'm not sure, but I mean, directors like this often say I'D rather people be outraged than be bored. Well, I don't think we would have been bored by Mackinaw if we had done as as the way it should be done. But I was totally frustrated by it. Hated it like poison. Needless to say, Linda was gone at the end of the first act and she loves this play too, so I cannot recommend it at all. It has been extended. So obviously there are people who like it, but I am not one of them.

[Unknown]

Thank you, James. As the listeners probably know by now, I am out of town for the weekend. I am in Las Vegas, staying at a hotel on the Las Vegas strip. So as you can imagine, I am using public WI fi a lot. I'm using hotel WI fi, I'm using stuff at restaurants and casinos. And anytime you're using a wireless network that you are not familiar with or does not have your normal level of protection, your digital privacy is under threat. But don't worry, there is a solution that's making headlines for all of the right reasons. Today's sponsor, surfshark vpn. With Surfshark, your online activity is encrypted from prying eyes. Think of it as a secure digital vault for your data. Whether you're researching sensitive topics for work or for personal things, or just browsing the Internet, your activity stays private. Since installing surfshark, I felt so much calmer when browsing online. You all know that I travel a lot, either for business or for pleasure. So knowing that I have the support and security of Surfshark really puts my mind at ease. Especially considering before I had surfshark, I have run into a few situations where my data has been stolen and I've had to worry about closing bank accounts and credit cards and stopping my Social Security number from being used. So it was a mess. So I am so incredibly happy that surfshark came into my life a few years ago. And the other benefit is that all of those weird ad targeting things that you get when you search for how to unstop a clogged toilet, you all of a sudden get all these ads for plumbers in your area. That has really slowed down a lot for me too. I don't have to think about all of the existential dread that is going to happen when I search for something random online anymore. It is a huge win. Also, hello to geoblocked content. As I am traveling, I am able to watch whatever I want from wherever I am, whether it's the latest six episode cozy British murder mystery that I am known to love. While I am on A cruise or watching a sporting event that is normally available to me at home in Florida. When I am in Las Vegas with Surfshark, it is easy. I just switch my location with a click and boom. It's like I'm watching from anywhere in the world. So it's time to take control of your online security. Try Surfshark risk free today and enjoy their 30 day money back guarantee. Go to surfshark.com tob for four extra months of Surfshark. That's codetobsurfshark.com the URL and code can be found in our show notes. Now back to you, James.

[Peter Felicia]

All right, next, you headed over to theater for a new audience to see Prosperous Fools. The new. The new. Is it a play? Is it an event? Taylor Mack gig? You know, it's a Taylor Mack thing.

[James Marino]

It's definitely a play. No question about it. And Taylor Mack certainly has his fans because I'm telling you, when the lights came up on him, the applause was thunderous, which is really quite nice that he has quite a following. I am telling you, I cannot begin to understand where it comes. Here's what the press release says. Prosperous, loosely inspired by Moliere's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. Now, good Lord. I mean, I know that play. I wrote an updated version when I was a high school teacher. The kids did. It was called the Culture Vulture. But I'm telling you, I couldn't begin to see anything that had anything to do with this whatsoever. That said, what he's talking about here, here is the fact that so many people who have a lot of money are considered saints because they donate to theater companies and they keep them going. But one of the points that was made was the fact that these people make money in a very nefarious way. Many times, I'm saying every time. But a lot of people certainly make the money and then give the money, some of it, not nearly enough, to theater companies. And they're lionized for it. And they are certainly thieves needed get awards, all this kind of stuff for donating and all this kind of stuff. And the point is, should they have all this money in the first place? That's the whole point of it. And that's what makes them Prosperous Fools, that they only value money. And two of the people who were getting awards in this situation were played by Jason o' Connell and Sierra Bodges, who, I am telling you, both of them were magnificent in playing these people who are so clueless about the fact that they, that they're giving this Money. And they really have no idea what the theater company is about, what the theater is about. They don't care. It doesn't. They just have to do this so that they can get public relations and get awards and that's what's going to happen. So also as good as they were, so was Jennifer Regan playing somebody who reminded me very much of Cora Hoover or in Anyone Can Whistle. Somebody who really seems to know what, who believes she knows what's going on every step of the way. Jennifer Regan has a marvelous face and she certainly used it to distort in many directions to comment on this type of woman who is the grand poobah of the theater and has made the decision that these people should get the awards and so on and so forth. This was real hit or miss for me. I'm telling you. Every now and then Taylor Mack would come out with an observation that made laugh. I laughed three times. The audience laughed substantially more. Substantially more. But three was enough for me and. But it certainly held my attention and my inexpensive production out there at theater for a new audience. Very expensive production and it was really quite wonderful to see so much given to this play. But again, here we are with Taylor Mack who is considered a genius by many and really wanted to lay it down the law about these people who do give money and really we should ask more questions about where it comes from.

[Peter Felicia]

Okay, so Prosperous Fools at Theater for a New Audience is playing through today. It's been, it was just a month during June and beginning of June was taken up by all the Tony awards talk and shenanigans. So I'm sorry if you missed this, but we'll have a link to Theater for a new audience and Prosperous Fools in the show notes. Finally, Peter, you were at the Lortel to see Duke and Roya. So tell us about this.

[James Marino]

Yeah, this is a very well meaning play and we have a daughter and her father and a son and his mother. They're all grown. We're talking about the son who has become a very famous rapper and has done extraordinarily well. But we flashback to the time when he was a soldier and he was in Afghanistan and he met this woman whose father really wanted to protect her tremendously. And certainly there was some talk about making her look like a boy so that the soldiers wouldn't come on to her. But anyway, they forge a relationship and what's going to happen? Well, she's in Afghanistan. Can she leave the country? Can they get it to America? Well, indeed. The son's mother works in Washington and maybe she can pull some strings. But does the father want his daughter to go? Does he want to go? Should he go? We're in the war torn Afghanistan. It's really quite a difficult place, needless to say. So. But does the girl want to go? Because after all, this is her homeland, this is what she knows. Does she dare? She. She loves the guy, but should she go? All these issues come up. The wonderful thing about it is the fact that it's very, very, very, very, very well performed. So Charles Randolph Wright wrote some very nice parts for people and J el Ellis plays the Duke and Stephanie Knurr plays Roya and they're both terrific but also wonderful. Somebody who I really feel very strongly about who one Olivia was some years ago, Noma Dubuiswini, who I think is a wonderful actress and she is so erudite, wonderfully, powerfully erudite in this role. So. And Darius Kashani plays the father and he's one wonderful too. So while the play, every complication turns out to be one that you might anticipate, the fact is that the acting is so good that you really get galvanized by their performances. And of course we have to say Warren Adams must have had something to do with that given that he directed so a success, certainly. And I have a feeling that this play has a chance of moving. I did hear a rumor that it may very well take up one of our suddenly unoccupied theaters and we certainly have a few on Broadway now that, as somebody pointed out, isn't it interesting that the Tony Awards that are supposed to boost business ultimately wind up in closing shows? When shows don't. When shows don't win, which certainly we have seen three in the past few weeks either close or announced closings. So anyway, so with the James Earl Jones Theater available now, who knows, maybe it'll show up there.

[Peter Felicia]

So, yeah, as a sidebar, we have five Broadway shows closing today. Let me see, I had some.

[James Marino]

We always knew Wood, you know.

[Peter Felicia]

No, exactly. Yeah, it's. So let me see here.

[James Marino]

I mean, Dead Outlaw and Real Women certainly had larger aspirations and.

[Peter Felicia]

But again, yes, so Glengarry Glen Ross, Old Friends, Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends and Picture of Dorian Gray, they were all conceived as limited runs.

[Michael Portantier]

Right.

[Peter Felicia]

And in fact, Old Friends is in a subscription theater. So that was definitely a limited run. Glengarry Glen Roller Ross was a limited run because it was really star based and the stars were all leaving. And pitcher Dorian Gray, same, same thing. So the two real women have curves And Dead Outlaw were commercial open ended runs that are ending prematurely based upon ticket sales. You know, it's a. It's show business. And not sure, you know, did anybody.

[James Marino]

Hear, given that Beth Level was out of hello Dolly, did she finish Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends?

[Michael Portantier]

I was wondering. And I did not hear that.

[James Marino]

Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

Okay.

[James Marino]

Because I know there are a lot of absences in that show in the past week or so.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

So that was. We were just talking about Duke and Roy at the Lortel. It's scheduled through August 23rd. We'll have a link to that in the show notes. And finally this morning, for our review section, at least, Michael, you went out and got drunk with Romeo and Juliet. I wrote this down quickly. I might have gotten it wrong. What happened? Happened?

[Michael Portantier]

Well, no, that's pretty much what happened. Yeah. Yeah. It's actually. This should not be considered an official review because they. They haven't had their press opening yet. But I just wanted to say how much I really, really enjoyed it. Drunk Romeo and Juliet as presented by the Drunk Shakespeare Company, which has been around for a while, several years. Have either of you guys seen any of their pre.

[James Marino]

I don't think so.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah. And I think it's at the same theater where I saw them last years ago. It's called the Ruby Theater at 35 West 39th Street. Kind of out of the way, but an interesting space with the audience seated on all sides and the performers in the middle. And the walls are lined with books. Books, real books. I have to find out a little more about that space. Anyway. It's very silly, but it's meant to be very irreverent and very silly presentations of Shakespeare. And yet what always happens is the story also kicks in. And so this was extremely enjoyable on a comedic level and a gonzo comedy level. Although I think, Peter, I suspect you might hate it only because it's filled with. Well, with modern references and anachronisms, you know, But I mean, that's the whole point of it. It's not meant as a traditional presentation of the text by any means. Anyway, yeah, this Brass Jar Productions is the name of the company and they have announced that they will descend into the boozy depths of Verona's feuding families for a limited 16 week run with Drunk Romeo and Juliet, a delightfully inebriated take on the world's most iconic love story, written and directed by Laurie Walter Hudson. And it is the latest show that they've done at the Ruby Theater, which as I say, is at 35 West 39th Street. And the cast, they have, I guess, a rotating cast that consists of Samuel Adams, as they say, the man, not the logger. Though both pair well with Shakespeare. They say Samuel Adams, Gracie Lee Brown, Ryan Farnsworth, Morgan Haney, Craig Jackson, Sarah Ann Leahy, Travis Rayburn, Ali Reagan, Brandon Salerno and Sky Young. I saw Samuel Adams and Sarah and Leahy as rnj and I have to say, it was amazing to me how their acting chops came in in the midst of all the. The foolishness. You know, there really were moments where they. They. You thought, well, they would both be excellent in a traditional production of Romeo and Juliet and just really fantastic. Lots and lots of fun. I would, I would highly recommend it.

[Peter Felicia]

So it seems that they are playing in five different. Five different cities. New York, Chicago, DC, Phoenix and Houston. You can see this going on right now.

[Michael Portantier]

This one goes. This One goes through September 20th.

[Peter Felicia]

September 20th. And starting on September 24th is drunk Drachia. Just in time for Halloween.

[James Marino]

So totally irrelevant. But September 20th will be the 50th anniversary of my finding the album of Flahooly in a Cambridge record store. It was a very rare album then, but I was very glad to find it. So it's a day that will always live in my happiness.

[Peter Felicia]

So do you still have the record?

[James Marino]

Sure.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh yeah, absolutely.

[James Marino]

Ironically enough, a year or so later it was re released. But. But S284 on Capitol Records. Yes, indeed. It was a big day.

[Peter Felicia]

We haven't talked about this in a long time. Michael, you. You got a turntable a few years ago and we're getting. Yes. Vinyl to play here and there. Anything new to the collection recently?

[James Marino]

Recently?

[Michael Portantier]

Well, I've amassed so much over the. This happened basically during the Pandemic. As I related right before the pandemic, a friend of mine said he was getting rid of lots of his cast albums on vinyl and I didn't have a turntable at the time, but I thought, well, let me see what he has. And you know, if there's anything that's really collectible. And he did have some wonderful stuff. But also while I was there, he said, oh, you know, I have an extra turntable to. You want it? And I said, sure. So I took the turntable home in the records and then the pandemic happened. And then I suddenly realized that that was something I could do to keep myself from going crazy during the pandemic. So I started to go around to secondhand record stores which were, you know, still open, at least some of them Were, you know, I mean, after the initial, you know, the initial weeks of the pandemic anyway, the initial weeks and months and I got. I. God, I must have. I must have thousands of records now that I. Not only cast albums, but also classical and opera and pop as well. So, yeah, that's really. That was something that I honestly credit with keeping me sane and emotionally stable during the pandemic. I'm sure many of us remember how horrendous it was, especially in the beginning.

[James Marino]

Does this mean that there is any that you're particularly looking for or is it just whatever? I find I find.

[Michael Portantier]

Well, I had a few that were on my holy grail and that I did get. One was an original pressing of the soundtrack of Mary Poppins. The one that had that, that marquee art with the lights and that. Those drawing photos of Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke with Julie looking like nothing like she ever looks in the film because it was based on a publicity photo. And what else? Original west side Story. And I love getting, as I mentioned, the really old ones. Sometimes I'll find some of the very, very old Columbia and Decca original cast albums and you can tell their original pressings because the records were so much thicker and heavier.

[James Marino]

Heavier.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah, yeah. And then also the, the labels, you know, you can tell by the labels because they changed over there. So I have, you know, I have like an original Oklahoma. Like the, I have, well, Oklahoma. I have the 78s as well as the original LP pressing. And then one of the earliest albums I have is the Boys from Syrac, that, that studio cast album, Columbia. Yeah. And as I've said, it's so amazing to be able to put on a 70 or 75 year old record and have it sound phenomenal because they, you know, I mean, especially beginning in, in 1948, they had high fidelity. But so what they recorded was really excellent. It's just that maybe that the, the record players of the time were not able to reproduce all of it. But now if you put one of them on and it's in good condition, it actually sounds far better than it would have sounded to someone, you know, in the early 50s. So I just love it. I just love doing that. Sorry for that long winded answer to your question.

[James Marino]

There is another asset to having a certain original cast album and a turntable because the joke was, was in 1970 when the cast album of Coco came out, that if you played it on 45 rather than 33, Katharine Hepburn sounded a little better than she did and the record got over with faster. So. So that was one advantage of having a turntable because we can't do that with CDs. You know, we have to take exactly what we're given.

[Michael Portantier]

So I also found out that that was also the case with the film soundtrack of Mame with Lucy still ball.

[James Marino]

Oh, that's a good point too. Yeah.

[Michael Portantier]

Yeah.

[James Marino]

You know, the other thing, you know, here you are mentioning Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke and isn't it amazing that 61 years later, they're still with us?

[Michael Portantier]

Yes, isn't that wonderful? And of course, this year is. Is the anniversary of the Sound of Music. I lost track 60 or 65. 60, right?

[James Marino]

65. Yeah, it was. It was released in 65.

[Michael Portantier]

It came out in 65. So this is the 60th.

[Peter Felicia]

That's.

[Michael Portantier]

Is that right? Yeah, yeah. And I'm hoping and guessing that. That she's going to be, you know, very much the focus again of celebrations of that they are going to be. There is. I thought there might be a like a major re release of the film to theaters, but I think they're doing it as fathom events I see later in the. In the year, I think in the fall. So keep your eye out for that.

[James Marino]

And Phantom was back in the news this week, wasn't it? Speaking of Phantom.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, God.

[Peter Felicia]

Well, you know, I. We, you know, Michael was just talking about being staying sane and emotionally stable and I. So I wasn't going to bring up Andrew Lloyd Weber and the Phantom of the Opera, but there was news this week, week that something is happening on 57th street and there is a name change. So, Michael, are we okay? Is this triggering for you? Can we talk about this?

[Michael Portantier]

Well, I will say that the initial announcements or teasers for this were very annoying to me because we got a couple of missives from the Opera Ghost that were. Well, I mean, this was all, of course, online, not actual hard copies, but it was blocked black lettering on dark red background. And I, for one, found it very difficult to read them. But there were these teasers from the opera Ghost about this production that's happening. And it turns out this is so interesting and fascinating to me and I guess unprecedented. The show is going to be called Masquerade. I wrote to the press agency to confirm certain things that I was very confused about. So they are reviving in some sort of interactive form one of the most popular shows in history. But they are changing the title so it will no longer be called Phantom of the Opera. It will be called Masquerade. And the venue for the show is not a Broadway theater. So I also wrote to confirm, does that mean that it will not be eligible for Tony Awards? And I was. Then that fact was confirmed to me. Isn't that interesting? I also, I then. I then subsequently wrote back and said, well, would it be able to be eligible for the Off Broadway Awards? And I didn't get an answer to that yet. So it will be interesting to see if that's the case. In the. The press release that finally came for this show, the cast and the production crew are listed alphabetically but with no notation of their roles or positions. And so I guess we'll eventually find out more about that. But for the meantime, one can speculate the cast includes at least two people who previously played the Phantom. You, Pinero and Jeremy Stoll, S T O L L E. And one former Christine whose name is Kaylee Ann Warhees. Someone has suggested that since this is going to be an interactive production, that maybe there will be more than one Phantom as one moves from one room to another other. And indeed, someone else reported that at Broadway by the season. Last night, Scott Siegel announced that Cooper Groden, who was in that show, will, I'm not sure if he said will be one of the Phantoms or will be the Phantom, but he will at least be one of the Phantoms. So. So, you know, I mean, they're obviously doing all this on purpose. They're consciously giving us little dribs and drabs of information, you know, as they proceed. I. For one thing, it's a little annoying, but I don't know how other people are responding to it. And I guess it does get people talking. Right. Because here we are talking about it. So. Yeah. But I wonder what you all think about the title change and the fact that it's. Won't it. No one's going to be eligible for Tony Awards.

[James Marino]

Yeah. Ironically enough, I remember when I saw the show in London back in 1986, and I went looking for the album. There was a highlights album. There was the real album. The problem with the real album at that point was it wasn't tracked right. Webber wanted us to listen to it. Soup to Nuts, so. Which drove me nuts because Masquerade was a song that I really, really, really liked. And I thought about buying the highlights album and I said, if Masquerade's not on, I'm not going to buy it. Frankly, I don't remember what if it was or it wasn't. But I finally did break down and buy the one track. One. And I was very Glad later, when it was tracked and I got another one. But so in a way, I'm very pleased that Masquerade gets its due. In a strange sort of way, I imagine that if indeed you've already heard that they're not going to be eligible for Tonys, that indeed it will be eligible for the Off Broadway Awards, the various ones that are around, I see no reason why it wouldn't be. As long as you have, I guess, under 499seats, you're an Off Broadway show and it doesn't matter. What if the venue used to be an art shop and it's been used for a lot of other things? Downton Abbey did a thing there, I believe.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, really?

[James Marino]

I think so, yeah. Yeah. That place has not been empty since Lee's Art Shop left it. There have been various things here and there that attributes to one show or another.

[Michael Portantier]

And by the way, the address which I did not yet give is 218 West 57th Street.

[James Marino]

Yeah. Did you ever use Lee's Art Shop? It was terrific.

[Michael Portantier]

Yes, once or twice back in the day.

[James Marino]

I won terribly. It's lost because I used to live very close to there, but it's a space with an escalator, so I imagine we're going to go at least to two floors to see this, that and the other thing. But. But anyway, I'm up for it. Let's see what it's like. I will say this. People who have met me know that it doesn't take long for me to say, what show does everybody love that you don't like? And the answers used to be so much more interesting when I was a kid because Andrew Lloyd Webber hadn't been on the scene yet. Almost every time I ask that question, it's an Andrew Lloyd Webber show that I heard. So I. I know the Phantom success is one reason why there's been such a backlash against it, but maybe this will be a way of people reclaiming. I'm, after all, who expected that Cats production to be so acclaimed and.

[Michael Portantier]

Exactly.

[James Marino]

And everybody loved it. So who knows? Maybe lightning will strike twice here and there'll be another Andrew Lloyd Bubba show that we will see be very successful on a very different level. So we shall see what we shall see.

[Michael Portantier]

And as he said on the Tony Awards, I'm paraphrasing, but I love it when the old shows are re envisioned and done again. Well, yeah, I mean, and all your shows are being re envisioned and done again.

[Peter Felicia]

So. Question for the two of you. They keep on making comparisons from. Of Masquerade to Sleep no More. Was Sleep no More eligible or did it win awards in like Drama Desk or Out of Critics or things like that? Do you recall?

[James Marino]

Can't say that I recall.

[Michael Portantier]

Me neither.

[Peter Felicia]

So, yeah, Peter, anything happening?

[James Marino]

And I, I, I don't know if the audiences were more than 4.99 for that matter.

[Peter Felicia]

I mean, no, I don't think, think so.

[James Marino]

No, I have.

[Peter Felicia]

No, I don't. Yeah, I don't, I don't think, I don't think they, they approach that level.

[James Marino]

I was so bored by Sleep no More they had told you you had to turn off your cell phones, which everybody does, of course. But I figured I'd turn my on and somebody would come over to me and say, you have to turn that off. And I'd say, how can I get out of here? So that's exactly what happened. Sleep no More. So saved by a cell phone.

[Michael Portantier]

All right.

[Peter Felicia]

Right. You didn't have Linda with you to get guide you out?

[James Marino]

Linda go. She refused to go? Is that the question?

[Peter Felicia]

So Masquerade I, I, Forgive me. Did we, I don't remember if we talked about this previously or just now. Did anybody talk about Diane Paulus?

[James Marino]

I didn't mention, I didn't see her connected with the production until now.

[Peter Felicia]

So Diane Paulus directing this, you know, who is no stranger to this sort of reimagining site specific type of thing. And they keep on saying that this is not Phantom of the Opera, this is based upon Phantom of the Opera. So I don't think that we're going to see that same story or hear those same songs. But like you think about what Diane and Randy did with the Donkey show so many years back, 25 years or so ago already. Yeah. So donkey show was 2000, 1999. A young Jordan Roth, his first foray into producing.

[Michael Portantier]

So, and I read, I just read somewhere that, that Randy Miner or Weiner. Yeah, her husband is one of the producers of Masquerade as well.

[Peter Felicia]

Yeah, they, they pretty much do everything together. I, I think that wherever Diane.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, okay.

[Peter Felicia]

Is listed, Randy will be listed. And wherever Randy's listed, Diane will be listed.

[James Marino]

I think they stays together. Yeah.

[Peter Felicia]

Yes, exactly. So, Michael, you were gonna talk about thank youk, Don Amici in a sort of reminder, not a review of it. So tell us about this.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, yeah, no, this is an upcoming show, July 7th through the 13th, that a friend of mine, Ben Batchelder, is producing and it sounds like it could be really interesting. Thank you, Don Amici. The taglines are a brand new comedy about old time radio, when the writing was on the wall, the writers room was there. Aside asylum and a new play about love, laughs and the chaos of 1930s radio. And it says, step into the zany world of a 1938 radio comedy writer's room with thank you, Don Amici, written and directed by Lawrence a. Herman. Running July 7 through 13 at the American Theater of Actors, Sargent theater, that's on 54th Street. This whip smart comedy throws audiences into a writer's room where jokes fly a mile a minute and where personal drama threatens to derail the next big sketch. So Ben told me about this and I immediately said, have you ever seen laughter on the 23rd floor? And he was unaware of it. I actually have never seen laughter on the 23rd floor. No. Nope, I missed it. But I know that it's about a TV writer's room. So this is not quite the same thing. This is much earlier set in the thirt. But it'll be interesting, especially for people who know that play, to see this one. A cast includes Dylan Smith, Ryan Scott Thomas. Do you all know him? Yeah. Emma Miller, Joe Castinato and Mark Simonoff. And again it's July 7th through July 7th through the 13th at the @ that the American Theater of Actor, Sargent theater on West 54th.

[James Marino]

So I'm looking so amazing because what had happened was sometimes people say, why print flyers? Then they don't do any good. I saw a flyer for this and I said, whoa, you know, good, because Don Amici was in Silk Stockings on Broadway as well as Goldilocks, both of which are Masterworks Broadway albums. And I do a column every Tuesday for Masterworks Broadway. I thought I'd. Oh, this is a good spurring to write about this. And I thought, you know, there was a time when people were actually referring to the telephone as the amici because he had starred in the story of Alexander Graham Bell, the guy.

[Michael Portantier]

Right, right.

[James Marino]

And the thing was I said, gee, I wonder. I'll have to Google and find out. There was a movie I saw once where this was mentioned. So anyway, there I am in my hotel room because I've been my apartment apartments being going through a lot of renovations and I turn on turn a classic movie this Ball of Fire. And there's Barbara Stanwyck referring to the Amici and Gary Cooper saying, what are you talking about? Well, he invented the telephone. No, he didn't. Well, he did in the movies. So my question having to Google. So that's going to be part of my article which will run not this Tuesday, but the following Tuesday. And will also give me a chance to revisit Goldilocks, which I think is terrific and terrible title. And, you know, looking about Goldilocks. Goldilocks, by the way, looking at the synopsis, it's about a silent movie guy named Max and the star is Maggie. I mean, so Max and Maggie, Mac and Mabel, you know, I mean, they should have done that because a lot of people thought Goldilocks was a children's show and that was really injurious to it, especially because the logo showed Elaine Stritch dancing with a bear. And after all, Goldilocks was no strangers to the bear situation after, after she was entering. There's no other way to put it. I mean, you know, so when you think of it as such a bizarre fairy tale to give kids, you know, teach about breaking and entering, it doesn't seem to be a problem.

[Michael Portantier]

I mean, anyway, Don Amici, of course, had a very long career and some people know him, if only from Cocoon.

[James Marino]

Indeed.

[Michael Portantier]

But I, I asked my friend Ben, who's producing this play, I said, how, you know, how does he feel figure in to this, the action here? And he's said, well, you'll just have to come and see.

[James Marino]

Oh, I see.

[Michael Portantier]

But that could be interesting. I don't know. I think it's a great title. Thank you, Don Amici.

[Peter Felicia]

And finally this morning, Michael, you're going to tell us about an upcoming Midsummer Night's Dream.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, yeah. Gerard Lobo, who was on, I guess on our podcast several years ago, an actor that I know and like, is involved in a production of Midsummer Night's Dream by the Ensemble Shakespeare Company. And they are doing this show with a, they say, a unique and intimate style of storytelling. Executive director Dylan Deal directs an ensemble cast of 15. And it's going to be at the Flea Theater, which I haven't been to in a while, down on 20 Thomas street and the quote from the, from the director is, while a Midsummer night's dream can so often be reduced to a romp with glittery fairy wings, our Midsummer is expansive in every way. A 15 member cast in an unabridged scene script allow us to create Midsommar in all its colors. The play's magnificence lies in its size. It traverses worlds, class and gender through the deftness and beauty of Shakespeare's words. Every character touches the heights of intellect and imagination, but also falls into abject confusion and absurdity. Our non traditional casting and focus on the extraordinary language of the play will challenge our audience to meet Midsommar anew. As for the non traditional casting, I know Gerard told me he's playing Helen up, so it is definitely going to be non traditional. But and also although it says an unabridged script, it says the runtime is two hours with a 15 minute intermission. So you know, a lot of those plays are not that long if you keep the pace up. And I guess this is is one of them. So looking forward to that as well.

[Peter Felicia]

Okay, so that wraps it up for this week. Before we get on to our brain Teaser, our musical moment, I want to remind everybody that you can subscribe to these broadcasts by going to the front page of 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'd be automatically downloaded to Apple Podcast view. Of course you don't have to get us an Apple podcast. There's many ways to get us. One way is by Patreon P-A-T-R-E-O-N.com BroadwayRadio is one way that you can support all of Broadway radio shows as well as get us early and have a few extra advantages getting us early, being able to join us live on on Sunday mornings, a few bonus episodes here and there, various different things. Contact information for Peter, for Michael and me can be found in the show [e-mail] as well as links to some of the things find out we'll We've talked about today. So Peter, do you have an answer to last week's Brain teaser?

[James Marino]

Yeah, I talked about the fact that somebody won a Tony for appearing in a musical that had been done on Broadway previously. And it would be impossible for the first production to have had this person win a Tony. This character win a Tony because indeed this character did not exist. A lot of people thought what I meant was a show that predated the Tonys. There were a lot of answers about Pal Joey and Oklahoma. And shows like that and those that that's fine. What I was really getting at was the fact that in 1999 there was a revival of your Good Man Charlie Brown. And that seems a little tricky because most people don't remember that in 1971 Charlie Brown moved from the the theater 80St. Mark's to Broadway, lasted no time at all, but nevertheless it did play a Broadway engagement. So. So this revival in 99 had Kristin Chenoweth win for playing Sally, who wasn't a character in the original. You're a good man Charlie Brown. So that was the answer to the question. But believe me, there were many answers to the question. All right, Rob Johnson was the first to get it, followed by Paul, Paul Whitty, Tony Janicki, Josh Israel, J. Aubrey Jones, Wayne Bell, Kathy Jones, and Brigad. To this week's question, there's a song in a Strauss and Adams flop that could apply that these people could actually say the title of this song to each other. Ava and Juan Peron, Gaston and Julie, Gigi Kayami and Manjiro and Kringlein and Flemchin could all say this title of this song to each other and be perfectly accurate.

[Peter Felicia]

Okay, if you have an answer for that, email [e-mail] we'll let you know if you're on the right track. So, Michael, what do we have in this week's musical moments?

[Michael Portantier]

Well, last week I went on about the 1930 film version of Lillian, and I mentioned that it starred Charles Farrell, but I misidentified the actress who played Julie Jordan. I kept calling her Ruth Hobart, but her name is actually Rose Hobart. And what I was doing was confusing her with Ruth Cobart. So I apologize to both, but I felt really bad about it. And I wanted to. Wanted to give Ruth Cobart her due because I think she's, you know, was a pretty fabulous character actress. I looked her up. Her Broadway career began in 1955 in Pipe Dream, and then she was in something called Maria Golovin, which I think was an opera. Then she was in how to Succeed in Business without really trying as Ms. Jones, a role that she would go on to repeat Heat in the film version of that musical. And then right after that, she was domina in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which she unfortunately did not get to repeat that role in the movie, although the movie was cut all of the songs anyway. So, you know, I'm not sure it hit me until this moment that 2. Two of Ms. Cobart's biggest successes were in two shows with really long titles. Isn't that just a coincidence? And then she was later in A Flea in her Ear in 1969, a production of the Three Sisters, also in 1969. And then she went away for a while. I don't know where she was, what she was doing, but she was a replacement Ms. Hannigan in Annie, which I had forgotten. How wonderful. I'm sorry I didn't get to see her in that. But anyway, she is very much a presence on the original cast, and film soundtrack albums of how to Succeed in Business without really trying. And on the original Broadway cast album of Forum, funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. So our opener is big of the opening section of her solo number in Forum, that Dirty Old man. And from from the original cast album. And the closer is from the soundtrack, the film soundtrack of how to Succeed. We also including a, a link to the clip of the. Of that number from the movie which recreates, I believe, the original choreography. So. And also has Robert Morris, of course, and Rudy Valli and Sammy Smith, all from the original cast in the movie and in this number. And that number is Brotherhood of Man. So please enjoy those two selections featuring the great Ruth Cobart.

[Peter Felicia]

All right, so on behalf of Michael Portantier and Peter Felicia, this is James Marino saying thanks so much for listening to Broadway radios this week on Broadway. Bye bye.

[Michael Portantier]

Bye bye.

[James Marino]

Thanks.

[Peter Felicia]

Our lifelong membership is free.

[James Marino]

Keep giving each other all you can? Oh, aren't you proud to be you? You got me me.

[Michael Portantier]

Oh, that double fe These black belts.

[James Marino]

Are feet down with double D O bro, I love you you.

[Michael Portantier]

Your life I never give is free. Keep giving each brother you can. Oh, aren't you proud to be.

[James Marino]

Ra.