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This Week on Broadway for September 21, 2025: Saturday Church @ NYTW
01:10:29
Peter Filichia, James Marino, and Michael Portantiere talk about Art @ Music Box Theatre, Saturday Church @ NYTW, Damn Yankees @ Arena Stage (DC), The Wild Duck @ TFANA (Theatre for a New Audience), and This Is Not a Drill @ The York Theatre Bryson Bat...
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- [00:00]
James Marino
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Peter Felicia
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James Marino
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Peter Felicia
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Michael Portantier
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James Marino
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Michael Portantier
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James Marino
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- [00:29]
Peter Felicia
From the Cascades to PDX to your kitchen, we recycle like we live here. That's why governments, brands and recycling companies are all joining together to bring change to make recycling better. As in trusting that your recyclables end.
- [00:43]
Michael Portantier
Up in the right places to be.
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Peter Felicia
Made into new things and having brands.
- [00:47]
Michael Portantier
Help fund the cost of recycling.
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Peter Felicia
You can find the Latest updates@recycleon.org Oregon. From Mount Hood to the bin under your desk, together we can do this.
- [01:54]
James Marino
Hello and welcome to Broadway Radios this week on Broadway for Sunday, September 21, 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 tuned for today 366 songs to bright New Year is available at finer retailers. Peter also has columns at Masterworks, Broadway, Broadway select and many other places. Hello, Peter.
- [02:25]
Peter Felicia
Hi.
- [02:26]
James Marino
Hello. So Peter, what is our show tune for today?
- [02:33]
Peter Felicia
Well, in 1823 on this date, Joseph Smith claims that male angel named Maroney paid him a visit and told him the existence of some golden plates and he found them and published them as the Book of Mormon. So that's how the Church of Christ, later the Church of Latter Day Saints started. Now, one of the new religions demands is that its members never engage in homosexual sexual activity. This song in the Book of Moment explains the oh so simple and presumably foolproof way of avoiding any such temptation. Of course there are those who say this approach doesn't work, but that's another story entirely.
- [03:15]
James Marino
All right, so also pulling back the curtain a little bit, we are recording on a Saturday morning rather than a Sunday morning, because Sunday morning, Peter, you are going to be in Times Square manning the table at the 2025 Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS Broadway flea market. Tell us what you expect.
- [03:44]
Peter Felicia
Well, the Theatre World Awards takes a table every year and what we're doing this year is auctioning off a book. And that book is the Season by William Goldman. Longtime listeners know that I've been taking notes in the margins of the book. Each has at least one comment. Many have as many as a dozen comments, all in different colored flare pens. And we're auctioning the book off. We have had bids of $250, $300.25, and now $1,000. So now the money does not go to me. It's a tax deductible contribution to the Theater World Awards. That's who you make the checkout to. But tomorrow, if you're there, at least you can see my first draft of the book. I did one book, and it was my original book and it was so distressed. I mean, the binding was breaking, all that kind of stuff. So I had to get a second book. And so the second book is in nice shape. But I'm bringing the prototype book tomorrow so you can get an idea of what it looks like. And indeed, we will be taking bids until next Saturday. So even if you're not around and this sounds interesting to you, and if you go on Facebook, you'll see a sample page on my page and you'll see, see what's going on and perhaps you'll help the Theater World Awards. That'd be nice. But so far, $1,000 legitimately. So we will see what we shall see.
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James Marino
Wow, that sounds. That sounds great. What, what are the times that you expect to be there?
- [05:22]
Peter Felicia
From about 10 to about 4, because I have to see a show at Five Way downtown on Second Avenue and Ninth Street. So I mean, I'll step away for this, that and the other thing, but I'll be there virtually day.
- [05:37]
James Marino
All right, so check that out. That sounds very exciting. Also with us is Michael Portantier. Michael's a theater reviewer and essayist. He's the founder and editor ofcastalreviews.com. he is also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in the New York Times and other major publications. You could see his photography work@followspotphoto.com. hello, Michael.
- [06:04]
Michael Portantier
Hello.
- [06:05]
James Marino
And we should say that Michael is once again our roving reporter on the road right now. Michael, you're in the Washington, D.C. virginia area, right? Yeah, I'm in D.C. you're in D.C. okay. And we will talk about why Michael is in D.C. because he's, you know, I guess in D.C. they would say, Damn Yankees.
- [06:34]
Michael Portantier
They would say with the emphasis on the first word.
- [06:38]
James Marino
Yes, yes.
- [06:41]
Michael Portantier
Rather than on the ladder.
- [06:43]
James Marino
Yes.
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Peter Felicia
This has been Such a strange year for Major League Baseball. There's only one team that's playing 600 ball. That's astonishing. Anything can happen in the next few weeks. Anything.
- [06:58]
James Marino
Who's playing 600? Is it the Dodgers?
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Peter Felicia
No, the Brewers.
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James Marino
The Brewers?
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Peter Felicia
I think so. I may be.
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James Marino
Interesting.
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Peter Felicia
That's who it was.
- [07:07]
James Marino
It sounds about right. That's.
- [07:09]
Peter Felicia
That's.
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James Marino
There's a lot of surprise. Lots of surprises, you know, 182 games. 182 or 100?
- [07:17]
Peter Felicia
182, 81. 162.
- [07:20]
James Marino
162. 162 games. So it's nearly always baseball season. Something that doesn't go out of style is art. And Peter has seen the revival of art on Broadway with three very buzzy gentlemen. So tell us what you thought about this revival.
- [07:45]
Peter Felicia
Well, it's always hard reviewing a show, and your review comes out later than some other review that makes the same point you do. But Elizabeth Vicentelli noticed what I did, and that is, if these guys are in France, why are they talking about dollars rather than Euros? Yeah. So, yeah. So the thing is that Serge has paid $300,000 for a painting, and the painting is simply white. That's it, just white. And when Mark, his good friend for years, sees it, he mocks it. Well, let's see what happens when the third party comes in, and that's Ivan. And we'll see what he thinks. So what's really interesting about this play, and always has been, is the fact that the painting turns out to be a catalyst to destroy a friendship. And in that sense, Yasmina Raza, who did the. The script verse play, God of Carnage, does the same thing where people start off very civilly and it really devolves. So that's something that she's really into, and she does it very, very well here in showing how one little. Well, you know, in Fiddler, how Tevye says, you know, you pull a thread and where does it lead? It's that type of thing that each moment they're suddenly bringing up ideas that they've had for years about each other, they've never expressed or they've pushed under the rug. And. But little by little by little by little, it all comes out. And at the end, they're. They're going to make an attempt to mend the fences, and we have no idea whether or not they will. But that's the power of the play, showing how a little thing like a painting can really be the thing that opens up all the floodgates. And, boy, are there floodgates now, something happened at the performance I attended on September 15 I have never seen before, and that is the fact that James Corden, playing Ivan, has this incredibly long monologue about the fact that he's getting married and all the problems he has with in laws and all. Anybody who's been married knows all the problems you have. You're planning a wedding. So chaos always does show up. He goes on and on and on and on. And what happened that I've never seen before. He got a few people to stand a standing ovation for a monologue. I mean, yeah, we've seen him for. And I'm telling you, I'm not going. And we know we may see it again next year when Dreamgirls happens. But. But it's amazing to me to see a person get a standing ovation after a monologue. But he does it awfully well. It's the showiest part. There's no question. It's no accident that when art was first done in 1990, the only person to get a Tony nomination and the only person to get a Drama Desk nomination and award was Alfred Molina, who played this part. So it really is the showiest role. I'll tell you one mistake that I think Scott Ellis made. Okay, so the play starts with Mark telling us, fourth wall, breaking the fourth wall, and telling us that, indeed, his friend Serge bought a painting that was all white. Okay, eventually we get to see that painting, and there's Neil Patrick Harris standing in front of it, looking very confused, turning around, squinting, putting out his hands as if to say, what is this? And we find out that he's Serge. He's the guy who bought the painting. I don't understand why they start with this confusion. It's so bizarre to me. But after that, things really do get on track. And it's an hour, 10 minutes, no intermission, goes like a freight train. And it really is quite worthwhile. Now, of course, what's very interesting to me, too, is that when this play was produced in 1998, the best seat, meaning the best seat, was $45. Now, this was two years before we had this odious practice of premium seats. So now a premium seat on a Saturday night is $571. So there's been quite a mark there. In fact, there's been a markup of the painting because originally it was 200,000 francs, and they did say francs, which was about $40,000 then, but almost 80,000 now with inflation. But still 300,000, they really upped it tremendously. And that Wasn't a bad idea either. But anyway, if you have the money, art is really quite a good experience.
- [12:20]
James Marino
Okay, so art is. Where is it playing? It's at the Music Box. It's at the Music Box. It's limited run and we'll have link to it in the show notes. Michael's going to see it later on in the run and I will see it as well sometime and we'll talk about it again down at New York Theatre Workshop. There is a new musical called Saturday Church. Michael, Peter and I have seen it. So, Michael, why don't you get us started on Saturday Church.
- [12:58]
Michael Portantier
I think this is a very, very worthwhile show and might possibly be another big hit for New York Theater Workshop. It bears the marks of hope, a hopeful Broadway transfer. It's quite a large cast and it is musical and it just seems to have a lot of audience appeal. There was a tremendous response from the audience when I attended. It's a story based on a movie I have not seen. The movie of the same title was written and directed by Damon Cardasses, who is billed as the author of the book and additional lyrics for this musical version along with James Iams. As we have learned, his name is pronounced Iams.
- [13:57]
James Marino
James Iams?
- [14:00]
Peter Felicia
Yes.
- [14:02]
James Marino
Like, like times. He, he. He describes it himself as times without the t. So it's James Iams.
- [14:10]
Michael Portantier
All right, well, now maybe I've learned how it's pronounced James Iams. And this is a very collaborative show because in addition to. So it's book and additional lyrics by Damon Cardazis and James Iams, music by Sia and additional music by Hani Dijon, directed by Whitney White, choreography by Daryl Grant Moultrie. And it's about a young black boy who is very much involved with his church, you know, his conventional Sunday church. The other two people, main people in his life are his aunt and his mother. And the aunt in particular is, you know, very much promoting him to take part in church as much as possible. But he does not really feel comfortable there. And he somehow comes across this alternative thing called Saturday Church is the informal way it's referred to. And it's a bunch of. Of queer young people getting together. It's almost a support group more than anything else. And so it's him trying to find a safe space for himself and a space where he's accepted for what he is in the conventional church. He especially everyone, the pastor played by J. Harrison Gee and his aunt, they're always reminding him not to be quote unquote, too flamboyant. Because he is gay or queer, whichever word you want to use. And of course, that's not something that they can accept. So he's always chafing against that. Whereas at Saturday church, he can. He can be who he wants to be. So it's a wonderful story as far as all that. I thought that the score was really quite wonderful overall. Lots of hooks in it that are repeated so that they kind of go into your brain and you might find yourself humming at intermission. Well, there was no intermission, was there? Afterwards, really? Yeah, go on.
- [17:04]
James Marino
I had an intermission.
- [17:06]
Michael Portantier
Oh, okay.
- [17:07]
James Marino
Maybe that was the change that they made because they did push back opening for a little bit.
- [17:16]
Michael Portantier
No, I see a note here. Saturday churches perform at one intermission. I just. I forgot.
- [17:21]
James Marino
Okay. Okay.
- [17:22]
Michael Portantier
I guess. Anyway, it really is a great. But like many other scores I hear nowadays, I would say the music is better than the lyrics. Although overall, I thought the lyrics here were quite well done. So that's a big plus. I think it's the kind of score that everyone would really enjoy hearing on a cast album. And the cast is quite excellent. We have Primo the Ballerina Bryson Battle, Viancy De Leon, Michael Cimmeri George the aforementioned Jay Harrison G. In actually a double role as the pastor and as a character who is referred to as Black Jesus. And that gets quite a laugh because of the way it's presented. Multiple laughs then. Ja K. Gibbs, Fernell Hogan, Dave Huesca Oraya Joel. Oh, Wakina Kalukongo is in the show as the aunt, the aforementioned Aunt Kristalln Lloyd, Kareem Marsh Jackson Howa Perry, Caleb Kazin B. Noel Thomas, Damani Van Rensselaer and Wade Watson. I really enjoyed it. I thought it maybe could have been a little shorter, trimmed a little bit, but no major issues they had. There was one thing, I will say. There are a lot of people, characters in the show involved in the Saturday church who are either trans or transvestites or trans people. I would say there are at least three. And that's absolutely fine. But the one thing I didn't think was necessary is that the main character, Ulysses is his name. Right? He's presented as. As an effeminate. You know, we would. We say. Or we would have said flamboyant gay boy. But there is no mention that he wants to be either. That he. Either that he wants to transition or wear women's clothing until the end of the show, and then the others kind of push him into it. And I thought, you know, just. I just don't like the indication that every gay male is a transvestite or a trans person. I didn't think they needed that, especially when there were these other. Several other trans characters. So I wish they had rethought that. But otherwise it's a very, very moving and often very funny and very rousing musical. And I think you will probably. I imagine you'll get to see it at some point because I don't think this will be the end of its life.
- [20:47]
James Marino
Okay, Peter, what did you think?
- [20:49]
Peter Felicia
I agree with everything about the music, the lyrics, the performances. Absolutely. We're on the same page with that. The one thing that struck me is a little problematic, but I can understand in a meeting where they would say, let's do it the other way, because here we are, the boy is living with his aunt and his mother. And the thing is, his aunt is more stringent about his being gay than the mother. And I wouldn't think that she would take that much power that she would have to say, well, he's your son. Yeah, but that doesn't seem to be happening here. But again, if indeed it were a case where the mother were the bad guy, so to speak, and the aunt was saying, no, no, no, you got to lighten up. That would seem like something we've seen before. So much of the show seems like something we've seen before. But that said, there are going to be people in that audience who are going to need to see this show. It'll make them happier. It'll make them more self actualized. It's a good thing. It's a very good thing that this exists. And I do hope that it has a subsequent life.
- [21:53]
Michael Portantier
Thanks for bringing that up, Peter, because that was one other thing I wanted to say. I mean, I think we're supposed to think that the aunt takes the lead because the mother is almost not an absentee mother. But it's repeatedly mentioned that she's working so much that she doesn't get to spend a lot of time with her son. But also I felt that. I felt that we didn't need to have both of those characters. And I imagine they're both in the movie from which it is taken. But yeah, but I thought it just was really unnecessary to have his mother and his aunt. I think they could have cut one of them and saved, you know, streamlined the show that way and had one less cast member also.
- [22:45]
James Marino
Really, I. I thought it was. I thought, I thought the conflict between the. The mother and the aunt. And the aunt. So the father has passed away, right? And the aunt is the father's sister. The mother and the and are not related by blood. So I don't know if I would take one. I think that conflict and understanding is interesting. I think there's some really big leaps of faith and coincidence with the subway scene. You know, there are two subway scenes. You know, actually there's a number of subway scenes and a lot of New York City insider joke type of things. I don't think that people from out of town are gonna get some of these jokes. But I loved it. I thought it was great. And I think it's set for a transfer to Broadway.
- [23:57]
Peter Felicia
And.
- [23:59]
James Marino
I would. As far as I understand, it's like very tough ticket to get down at New York Theatre Workshop right now. I don't know if they could extend or if what's coming in behind it. I meant to look at. See what was coming in behind it at New York Theater Workshop. But as Michael said, I don't think this is the last we've seen of Saturday Church. I think it's interesting. I thought a lot about the Saturday church concept of a kind and accepting place where you can have a good meal, you can get some warmth, you can meet your people, meet your community, stay in touch, have your second family. And I thought, wow, this is sort of like the story inside the song of YMCA so and so. And as Peter and Michael both pointed out, this is a. This is a story that needs to be told, and it would be good for people to see it. I'm not sure that the people who need to see this story will actually go to see the show. That's true. I am interested how they would. If it does transfer to Broadway. I'm interested to see how they would market it and how it would go. You know, what, you know, what would they try to say, especially with such a conservative hush falling over the nation right now, I wonder if they would have problems getting investors. I think, you know, investing on Broadway is a tough racket as it is, and it's getting even tougher right now.
- [26:02]
Peter Felicia
So.
- [26:05]
James Marino
James Iams, who was part of the creative team here also, you might remember, wrote Fat Ham and it. And I loved Fat Ham. And I understood 99% of it up until the last five minutes. And then I was like, what in the world happened there? And we've talked about that at length before, and listeners have emailed me to say, to explain, you know, the celebration part of it, but that same sort of thing, sort of like a Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Megamix happened at the end of Saturday Church as well. Which sort of brought me back to the Jellicoe Ball. You know, you guys saw Jellicoe Ball, right? Would you agree with that? The way the Runway.
- [27:03]
Peter Felicia
Yeah, definitely, to me.
- [27:06]
James Marino
So it seems like the movable runways and the clever staging and Whitney White directed. And I'm so excited because I normally love everything that Whitney does, but I didn't love the last five years on Broadway. The direction of the last five years. And as Michael pointed out, could it have been a little bit shorter? I think they could have lost two songs or maybe they work on it and tighten it up two and a half hours.
- [27:39]
Peter Felicia
Yeah.
- [27:42]
James Marino
It is a bit on the long side, but we'll see what happens with it. But I hope that we don't. I hope this isn't the end of Saturday Church. And I wouldn't expect Michael and Peter to know Sia, but Sia is globally known. Oh, is that right, Recording Officer? I mean, with, you know, dance hits that are amazing. I loved, loved, loved the music. And they have it streaming right now. They have sort of. I don't know if they actually call it a cash recording. I guess maybe they do call it a cash recording. So, Saturday Church, New York Theater Workshop. Hard ticket, ticket. Hopefully, if you're able to see it, you will get a chance to see it in this small, intimate space before it gets to a larger Broadway stage. So, Michael, as we mentioned at the top of the show, you're in Washington D.C. where you're. You have. You've already seen Damn Yankees. Yes, you've already seen Tam Yankees last night at Arena Stage. So tell us about this.
- [29:05]
Michael Portantier
Well, here's another show that I don't think is going to end at the end of this current run. It's a very, very, very well done revisal. And billed is the revisal of Damn Yankees, directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo. Music supervision and arrangements by Greg Anthony Rassen. New adaptation by Will Power and Doug Wright. Additional lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. And as I've given some spoilers.
- [29:43]
James Marino
Or.
- [29:43]
Michael Portantier
Maybe not spoilers, some advance word on this production in the past because my friend Giuseppe Basilio was in it. Unfortunately no longer in it due to injury.
- [29:56]
James Marino
Oh, no.
- [29:58]
Michael Portantier
Yeah. Really, really disappointing for him and me and many other people, I'm sure. But it's set in. The main change here of several is that the action is now set around the year 2000 and the team that is up against the Yankees is not the Washington Senators, which no longer exists and did not still exist in the year 2000, but the Baltimore Orioles. So that's the team that Joe Hardy longs to play for and to help the Orioles win the pennant over the Yankees. I. My main thing about this production, I loved everything about it, but I don't quite understand why they felt the need to update it in terms of the time frame, because I think the other changes they made would have worked perfectly well if it had remained set in the late 1950s or early 60s. And the reason I think I personally wish they had left it in that time frame is because of the music. The music very, very, very much sounds like music of the mid to late 1950s as written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and as reorchestrated here by our friend Doug Besterman. I think his new orchestrations are absolutely fantastic and would certainly all be considered to be in line with the kind of orchestrations you would hear back then. Because in my view, and I understand that not everyone looks at it this way, but I just don't get watching something happen that's supposed to be happening and 2000 and hearing all these songs that are so much reminiscent of pop songs of the 50s and early 60s. There's a mambo, there's a. The big dance number at the end of Act 2, towards the end of Act 2, is two lost souls. And it's done fabulously here in terms of the choreography, the direction, the orchestrations. And it takes place in a jazz club, basically. And all these incredible dancers are dancing all this amazing choreography by Sergio Trujillo. And I was like, what? Where is this supposed to be in the year 2000? You know, so I don't know why they did that. I think it has something to do with the fact that they wanted to add this racial aspect in this conception. Joe, Joe Boyd and his wife Meg are black African Americans. And Joe really longs to, you know, he wishes he could join the Orioles and, you know, he wishes he was, you know. Well, actually, what he first wishes is that they had one long ball hitter. That he feels that if they just had that they would be able to be a great team and maybe win the pennant. And so then this, the devil appears in the form of Mr. Applegate and offers to make Joe a young into a young long ball hitter. And that's his bargain with the devil, his deal with the devil. So anyway, and then there's also a backstory. We learned that Joe's father had played in the minor leagues, but was never able to go into the major leagues because of the, you know, the racism at the time. I mean, there were some black players even in his father's day. I mean, as we know, Jackie Robinson, but there were far fewer. So all of that makes sense. But. Yeah, so I don't know why they, they didn't just leave it in 1958 or whatever and say that Joe, you know, he, he, he, he, you know, he would like to be in the big leagues, but, but because of the color of his skin, you know, that he has that, that, that barrier to anyone hiring him. So. And like I said to me, the music was so incongruous with the date that all this is supposed to be happening. But for what it's worth, the friend who I brought with me to see the show, who had never seen Damn Yankees in any incarnation before, said that didn't bother him at all. And he also couldn't understand why it bothered me. So. Yeah, so, you know, when you all see this, which I hope you will, because I think it will have a future life, you can make your own decision on that. I just personally wish that they had not decided to update the action. Along with anything else, there are a few contemporary references, not many. There's a reference to Derek Jeter. There's a reference to Bobby Flay, the celebrity cook. Oh, and there is. Well, I will give away one line if you don't want to hear this. I mean, it's not a plot spoiler, but towards the end, Applegate, he has his power over Joe and he's trying to keep him in his power. And he has a triumphant moment towards the end of the show, and right after it, he turns to the audience, he says, and that is the art of the deal. And that was the only Trump reference, for whatever that's worth. But anyway, everyone did a really, really great job here, including Lynn Ahrens, who wrote some really excellent new lyrics and new lyrics, some lyrics to replace existing ones, and then some additional lyrics as well. Let me read just the notes that I made as soon as I get it up. Excuse me. Pardon?
- [37:10]
Peter Felicia
While we're. We're talking about this. While you're doing that, may I point out that I've never understood why, indeed it was such a big deal for the team to win the pennant and only the pennant. I've never known any sports fan who has been satisfied with the team winning the pennant. Now they want to win the World Series. And at least in the original show, Joe disappears. And we have no idea what's going to happen to the Washington Senators after he leaves and did they win the World Series? Did they lose it in four games straight? I mean, that is a good question. But the real point is that it would have been nice if there were some sort of epilogue in the original production where we find out that the Senators, even without Joe Hardy, were so motivated and came through and won the World Series.
- [38:02]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, you made that point before, and I think it's a valid one. I don't know why Douglas Wallop, who, believe it or not, is the name of the person who wrote the original book.
- [38:12]
Peter Felicia
That's right.
- [38:13]
Michael Portantier
I have always loved the title the Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, which was so clever because it implies that they won it so often that when they didn't win it, it was notable. Anyway, here are my notes on. Just random notes that I made about changes and stuff. The overture is longer. There are all kinds of. This is really clever. There are all kinds of different couples in the six months out of every year. Number. This is the number where Meg is lamenting that during baseball season, Joe pays no attention to her and he's constantly sitting in front of the television watching baseball. So in this production are. The couples include one gay couple, you know, who. 1. One baseball fan and one non baseball fan. But it also. The couples include one couple in which the. The wife is the baseball fan and the husband is lamenting.
- [39:16]
Peter Felicia
Oh, that's great.
- [39:17]
Michael Portantier
Isn't that great?
- [39:18]
Peter Felicia
Yeah, very smart.
- [39:21]
Michael Portantier
I thought that was really great. And when that happened, I thought, oh, you know, this is. This is going to probably be fun. These people are probably going to come up with some really, really good ideas. There was a little reprieve. There are several reprises in the show. Applegate sings a reprise of six months out of every year. There are lyric changes. I always was bothered by the lyric in. A man doesn't know. Joe sings. A man doesn't know what he has until he loses it. When a man has a. The love of a woman, he abuses it. And then, as originally written, Meg repeats that, but it never sounded right. That's fair.
- [40:08]
Peter Felicia
Yeah.
- [40:09]
Michael Portantier
Meg, sing. When a woman has the love of a man, she abuses it. Because it certainly doesn't. It's not what happens in this show anyway. So. I remember when we did Damn Yankees, we had Joe sing that line again. We had. You know, because they're singing a duet at that point. And what they did here is they changed the word. And in this production, Meg sings. A woman doesn't know what she. Oh, I'm sorry. When a woman has the love of a man, she Confuses it, which, you know, okay, in this production, Jo does not move in with Meg. In the original show, he, young Jo, shows up looking for a room in which to live and happens to, you know, know that she has one, and nobody really questions that. But here, he doesn't move in with her. He moves in down the street, and then he offers to help paint her fence and fix her fence and things like that. In Whatever Lola wants, the Latina stuff is downplayed to the extent that Anna Villefani does not use a cartoonish Latina accent. And I think that was a good idea. As I said, references to Derek Jeter, Bobby Flay. At the intermission, they had. We had the mascot, the Orioles mascot, doing the da da da, da, da da stuff with the audience. And that was really funny. The audience loved that, and they really loved it when the mascot took his head off and it was Applegate.
- [41:46]
Peter Felicia
Oh, that is terrific.
- [41:48]
Michael Portantier
Really, really great. The Star Spangled Banner is worked into the show in a very moving way. I would say. Take me out to the Ball game is. Is in it different. There are different lyrics for the game, making it less about sex, and not only about sex, but also about drink, more about drinking and gambling and things like that. In, oh, in those were the good old days, there are no longer references to Indians attacking covered wagons. And there are also. No, no, there's no longer a reference to cannibals. And I think we can probably understand why that is. This plot point has been added that Joe. There's a scandal, people insisting that Joe is taking steroids. And that. That I really think was completely unnecessary. So when you see the show, let me know what you think. Lola has a different ending in this production, which I thought was a little less satisfying. They cut one of the funniest lines in the original show. Lola has a new backstory in this show, but in the original, Joe asks her, lola, what were you meaning before the devil, you know, made her a young sex pot? And she says, I was the ugliest woman in Providence, Rhode Island. And it always gets a big laugh. And for some reason, they cut it here. I don't know why they did. And, oh, and the line. There's that other line where a bunch of fans are waiting outside the stadium for autographs. And at one point, Applegate comes out and they don't recognize him. So somebody says to him, are you anyone? And he says, not a soul that's not in it either.
- [43:46]
Peter Felicia
Oh, really? Wow. Yeah.
- [43:49]
Michael Portantier
But a lot of really funny ones. I'm sorry. I realize I'm going on, but this is. There's so much to say about this production. I should cut it short, but the leads are really, really fantastic. Jordan Donica as Joe hardy. Quentin Earl O'Darrington as Joe Boyd. Nial Yoshi or Joshi as Van Buren. Brianna Marie just really, really wonderful as Meg Boyd. She broke my heart. I think she's the best Meg Boyd I've ever seen. Kenan McCarter is Welch. Rob McClure just as great as you think he would be as Applegate. Perfect part for him. And all of the guys playing the baseball players, many of whom you've seen on Broadway. Jay Savage. I mentioned Anna Vilfana as Lola and Alicia Umphress as Gloria Thorpe. I don't want to. Failed to mention her. So just. The audience was in heaven. And I can't imagine you won't see this on Broadway. As I mentioned before we started recording. Would be absolutely perfect and could, like, immediately slip in to Circle in the Square. If that didn't have a mega hit in it, that'll probably be there for quite some time.
- [45:28]
James Marino
All right, so Damn Yankees is playing at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. through November 9th. And we'll have a link to that in the show notes.
- [45:38]
Peter Felicia
I want to add something here, and that is the fact that when the movie was made, I thought it was really terrific that in six months out of every year, one of the couples was black. And later you see a black person walking on the street. And that was really something for 1957.
- [45:53]
James Marino
So.
- [45:54]
Michael Portantier
And. And he also had a black dancer featured as one of the baseball players.
- [46:00]
James Marino
Huh?
- [46:02]
Michael Portantier
Yes.
- [46:02]
Peter Felicia
So that's really great.
- [46:03]
Michael Portantier
Yeah. Fosse was. Was progressive, is that's the word there?
- [46:08]
Peter Felicia
Oh, I thought it was a Judge Abbott decision, but I have no idea.
- [46:13]
Michael Portantier
Oh, well, it could been. Could be both.
- [46:15]
Peter Felicia
But.
- [46:15]
Michael Portantier
No, but Fosse. Yeah, I mean, that. That was really. And actually, if you watch the movie and you watch that number, Shoeless Joe, the black dancer, whatever his name is, he really stands out.
- [46:33]
James Marino
Peter, very quickly, because we have to move on. I think that the focus on the pennant is because every team wants to beat the Yankees and the fact that the Senators were in the same league.
- [46:49]
Peter Felicia
All right, all right.
- [46:51]
James Marino
You know, and as a Yankee fan myself, I don't care if we win the World Series as long. As long as we finish higher than the Red Sox.
- [47:02]
Peter Felicia
I see. Well, at the moment, you are so.
- [47:07]
James Marino
You know, see what happens. I know that sounds weird, but some call me a wild duck. So, Peter, you got down to Brooklyn to theater for a new audience, or as we affectionately call them, Tifana, to see the Wild Duck. So tell us about it.
- [47:27]
Peter Felicia
It's an excellent production of a play that doesn't get done very often. And the funny thing is, way back when Lincoln center was just getting started, Elia Kazan was involved with the company and he said, you know, we're going to be doing very adventurous things. We're not going to be doing the Wild Duck. And Robert Burstein, who was in his wonderful book Seasons of Discontent, really took him to task for that. And I am now on Burstein's side because I had never seen the Wild Duck. In fact, I have a feeling that maybe statement caused people not to do the Wild Duck. I don't know. It was done in 67 at the APA repertory company. But it is very much a worthwhile play because it really does say that if you don't forgive when you should forgive, disaster can truly strike. Okay, what's the story here? Well, it really deals with a fact that we have a family. Okay, so it's a very nice family. This father, mother, the daughter. And the daughter loves her father so much. So much. And of course, he's very pleased with her, too. But there's more going on than that because indeed, the father's father was betrayed by his partner in business and there's been a lot of bad blood between them. And will they ever reconcile? Yes, indeed, there was a token payment that the scrupulous partner did give, but nevertheless, it wasn't nearly enough. And it. He did it without even consulting him and all that, which partners, of course, shouldn't do. So. And really, you know, the money went away and our scrupulous, unscrupulous guy is living high in the hog and dresses magnificently. There's one point where he comes in with a coat like you wouldn't believe. Played by Robert Stanton, by the way. Very nicely done. And so disaster does strike as time goes on. I'm not going to say how at all, but I will say this is a very, very powerful production. And. And I do think that it's very nice to see this young girl named Make, I guess M A A I K E Lanstra two ways in the beginning. Lanstra, Corn hyphenated name. And I have a feel are going to think that she overreacts in one scene. Maybe I'm not sure of that. But she really is very, very effective, I think, in reacting the way she does because her whole world is coming apart. What fun to see. David Patrick Kelly Who I first remember is a pianist in Working the Musical, working way back in the 70s. And of course, we all age and now he's playing the. The betrayed partner as an old man who has a lot of issues being old and. But anyway, Ibsen was just terrific in commenting on things that happen in society. And this is one that should be seen more often. So I am with Robert Burstein and not Ilya Kazan. And I hope that you take this opportunity to go out to Tifana, which is a beautiful building if you've never been there. And the seats are very commodious with stadium seating, so you'll have a good view no matter where you are. I wasn't that close, but it didn't matter. So I can recommend the Wild Duck heartily. And I do think that if you have a theater company and you're looking for something to do this classic, you should look into this one. You might surprise your audience a great deal by. By doing this one.
- [51:37]
James Marino
All right, so the Wild Duck at Theater for a New Audience is playing through September 28th. And I'll have a link to that in the show notes. Finally this morning in our review section that Peter and Michael were over at the York to see. This is Not a Drill. So, Michael, why don't you get us started on this is Not a Drill.
- [52:02]
Michael Portantier
Yeah, well, we are running long, so that will give me an excuse to say as little as possible about this show. I've always said that the worst shows are the ones that deal with serious subject matter in a very inept and or offensive way. I mean, for example, if you write a musical about a picnic and the lyrics and music are just awful and the book is silly and stupid and not funny at all, it's still about a picnic. But if you write a musical about a bunch of people who think they're about to be hit by a nuclear warhead and it's really, really bad, then I just kind of cringe. And unfortunately, I have to say that that's the case here. The show is called this Is Not a Drill, music and lyrics by Holly Dubay, Kathy Babylon and Jon Vester. Book by Holly dube and Joseph McDonough. Names that I wouldn't be surprised if you never hear again. It's just an incredible. You know those shots in the movie of the producers of the audience when they're watching Springtime for Hitler? I think that was kind of the thing here. It was also imagine for those who saw the Seth Bradetsky show disaster, imagine if that show were done Seriously, that is the attempt here. It's very much like a musical disaster movie. All of these separate little micro dramas are set up between various characters. There's a woman who has come to Hawaii by herself. She was supposed to come with her husband or partner. I forget how he was identified. But then she. But then he stayed home at the last minute and she thinks he's having an affair with another woman, so she's very upset about that. Then there's a couple who. They're having. They're having marital problems. And also one of the problems is that their son apparently is gay and the father can't accept that. Then there is also a gay couple, a gay male couple here. And all these other people will. All their little dramas. And a tremendous amount of time is spent on their. Their little. Their. Their own little dramas before this ridiculous character comes in who is sort of like an Elvis Presley character who. His job is to. To. To alert people when there is the threat of an upcoming nuclear attack. And somehow he makes a mistake. There's a drill, but he doesn't think it's a drill. So he sends the alert to Hawaii. And for about 38 minutes, I believe they said they all think they're going to die. Now, I have read that this actually happened. Yeah. I did not have a chance to look up the real story. It's probably a lot more interesting than this. I don't think that anyone needed to write a musical about it. And if they did, I don't think it should have been these people. The cast is excellent. Caitlin Burke, Victor E. Chan, Bill Coyne, Matthew Curiano, Chris Dube, Gary Edwards, Felicia Finley. Nice to see her back on stage. Kelvin Moon Low, Sam Poon, Lucas Poust, Javier Race, Tisha Vaughan Stewart. Marianne Tatum. Great to see her back on stage. And Aurelia Williams, directed by Gabriel Barry. But I could not quite believe what I was seeing. And I guess this is as good a time as any for me to hand it over to Peter.
- [56:31]
James Marino
All right, Peter, what do you think?
- [56:33]
Peter Felicia
It reminded me of my first reaction to Follies. I know that sounds bizarre, but let me explain. When I first saw Follies at the Colonial in Boston, I thought, I don't care that these people at the end of the show are saying, you know, let's move on and we'll be fine, and let's. Let's continue our marriages. I really thought they should have shaken hands and. And gone their separate ways because they know everything about each other. Okay, how does that apply here? Well, yes, indeed. When you find out you're going to die and there's no hope, all the conflicts you thought that were important in your lives turn out to be unimportant. So indeed, the couple in marital trouble, a black couple now suddenly are back in love again. And indeed, the gay couple, one of them wants to get Marri them doesn't. I can understand why the guy wouldn't want to marry this guy. I don't even know why he's with him because he is so over the top. So. But anyway, you know, now at the end of the show, since they've gone through all this, now they're going to get married. See, my feeling is that two weeks from now everything's going to go back to the way it was before. That this thing is going to be quickly forgotten. And so I don't think things like this solve anything. So that's a big problem there. I agree with Michael that I. I didn't see this as a musical. I thought, you know, this might make an interesting play. But the. That was. The songs weren't interesting to me and the moments weren't interesting to me at all. And yes, perhaps the worst performance of the decade is the one given by the guy who's playing the Michigan troll guy. And again, you know, this is obviously what they wrote and this is obviously what the director wanted. And. But my God, he's such a buffoon. And what would really be interesting is if he made a mistake that we could understand, that we would have made ourselves. That's an important thing, you know, then we could have some sympathy for what's going on. But he's such a clown that we would think he'd have to be incompetent. What else could he be? And yes, Michael has a point with the Elvis thing. Imagine a guy at Mission Control doing Elvis like moves and adopting the voice, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. What is this? I mean, it is so bizarre. So I'm sorry to say that this is quite a misfire. And I'm very sorry that it turned out to be as bleak as it is.
- [59:11]
Michael Portantier
We should mention the production values are incredible. They're so much more than anything we've seen at the York recently. I don't know who financed this, but. Set design by Edward Pierce. Costume design, Joanna Pan. Lighting design, Alan C. Edwards. Sound design, Shannon Slayton. And most of all, incredibly elaborate projection design by Peter Brooker and Brad Peterson. They had a false ceiling, this huge set piece of a ceiling that covered the whole top of the stage. And could rise and fall at various points to reveal or not the orchestra that was at the back of the stage. I was flabbergasted by how much money was spent on something that I just had to say was pretty much worthless.
- [60:16]
James Marino
Okay, so this is not a drill at the York Theater. It is running through October 11th, I believe. Link to that in the show notes. Three quick items in the news just to get through them, just to acknowledge that they happen this week is that the New York City voted down putting a casino in Times Square. And they brought in community with.
- [60:45]
Michael Portantier
And also in.
- [60:46]
Peter Felicia
Also Hudson. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [60:51]
James Marino
In Midtown. Yeah, yeah. Which was a little bit split in the Broadway community. Actors Equity came out in favor of it and. And the theater owners came out against it. Nobody, nobody wants more traffic in Times Square. And so we'll see what happens with the casinos in Times Square. There was an announcement that Dreamgirls is making its way to Broadway step by step, link by link. And they're going to have a worldwide search for the women in it. So we'll see that as it progresses. And also that famed, more or less known as a Hollywood star, Robert Redford had passed away. And, Peter, you had a quick story about Robert Redford.
- [61:51]
Peter Felicia
Well, back in 1972, I met him and I said to him, when are you coming back to Broadway? And he said, well, all the scripts I get, they always center on the girl. And there I am supposed to be at the end of the show holding my hat and saying, you're wild and crazy and mad and I love you. Said they're all like that. Well, what's really interesting is that I had read that exact same explanation in the aforementioned book, the Season, where William Goldman quoted Redford saying that why he wasn't coming back to Broadway. So one of two things happened. Goldman quoted him perfectly. Or Redford read what Goldman wrote and said, hey, this is good. I'm going to use it from now on. I don't know. But anyway, that was my experience. And it brings us back to the season, which again is up for bids.
- [62:42]
James Marino
Somebody bid $1,000 and $0.01. You know, get the next bid. You know, this is the Price is Right here we have Robert Redford's Broadway credits include include the Tall Story, the Highest Tree, Little Moon of Albin Sunday in New York, and Barefoot in the Park.
- [63:08]
Peter Felicia
Yeah, well, she did the movie, and it's quite wonderful. And it.
- [63:11]
James Marino
Yeah. All right, so that wraps it up for this week. Before we get onto our brain teaser and our musical moments, I want to remind everybody that you can subscribe to these broadcasts by going to the front page of broadwayradio.com there's a subscribe link. That way each and every time there's a new episode of this Week on Broadway, you'll be automatically downloaded to Apple Podcast View. Of course, you don't have to listen to us in Apple Podcasts as many ways to get us. One of the ways is Patreon P-A T R E O-N.com BroadwayRadio is one way that you can support Broadway Radio's offerings. All of our shows plus get us a little bit early and get some few bonus extras here and there that are now available to others. So check it out there@patreon.com BroadwayRadio contact information for Peter, for Michael and me can be found in the show notes@broadwayradio.com as well as links to some of the things we've talked about today. So Peter, do you have an answer to last week's Brain teaser?
- [64:12]
Peter Felicia
I do. Many, many musical performers start out by playing multiple roles in a show and then when they rise through the ranks, eventually play one character. But in the 80s, when this performer appeared in three Broadway musicals, he did it the other way around. One role in the first musical, four in the second, and seven in the third. I'm talking about Jason Alexander, who played Joe Josephson in Merrily we roll along in 1981, then four characters in the Rink in 1984, and seven in Jerome Robin's Broadway in 1989, which, by the way, got him a Tony. Paul Whitty was the first to get it, followed by Steve Bell, Sean Logan, Josh Israel, Tony Janicki, Juliet Green, Arthur Robinson, Lee Korn, David Robinson, Mike Meaney, Ingrid Gammerman, and Brigad. Okay, this week's question the Chorus Line was a Tony winning musical whose script mentions two dates that were the official openings of two previous Tony winning best musical. Not best musical revivals, mind you, but best musicals. Name the dates, the shows, and the two characters who mentioned them in A Chorus Line.
- [65:25]
James Marino
Okay, if you have an answer for that, email us@triviaroadreyradio.com we'll let you know if you're on the right track. So Michael, what do we have in this week's musical moments?
- [65:38]
Michael Portantier
Well, with all respect to Peter, our musical moments are the beginning and ending of the Overture of Sweet Charity, which I actually have always thought is one of the more underappreciated Broadway overtures. Peter said last week that he didn't like the fact that it begins with that. That theme of which is the theme that represents the dance hall and is so prominently featured in the song Vic Spender. We kept calling it a vamp. I'm not sure if it's actually written as a vamp in the score, but it is a recurring theme, and I disagree. I think it's perfect that the overture both starts and ends with that theme, because I love overtures that are almost symphonic in the sense that they tell a little story within the overture itself. And when you think about it, I think that's the case with the screen. Sweet Charity Overture. It starts with that theme which represents the fact that Charity works in a dance hall, which, it's more than implied that. That she's a sex worker and she doesn't like it there, but that's what she does, and she has no skills, and so that's a lifestyle that she's a part of, but she really wants to get out. All right, so we go from that, and then we go into an uptune, which is, if my friends could see me now. Because Charity winds up having this little dalliance with a film star, and for a few precious moments, she gets to see another. Another life, and someone treats her really well. And. And it's a wonderful thing that happens. So let's see. Then after that, the next thing we hear is the title song, Sweet Charity, which represents her meeting a man who she finally thinks she has met, someone who really loves her. And that's Oscar Lindquist. And let's see. And then after that, there's this. There's something better than this, which is the song that Charity and her friends sing at the dance hall about how they all want to escape from that world. And then after that comes Where Am I Going? Which is Charity really just examining her life and figuring out what she wants and how she can get out of where she is, followed by I'm a brass Band, which is the joyful song she sings after Oscar finally proposes marriage to her. But then after that, at the very end of the overture, returns the theme, the ba ba ba ba ba ba, which represents, again, the dance hall. Because as it turns out, she cannot escape that world, at least not during the time that what we see in the show. And I think that is just really genius. And actually, I. I actually get kind of emotional every time I hear that overture, especially the end of it, because of the way that it ends and what that means for Charity. So I love that overture. Based on the music of Syke Coleman. I'm sure he didn't write it himself. I did not check who.
- [69:24]
Peter Felicia
Yeah, they usually don't.
- [69:26]
Michael Portantier
It's usually the orchestrator or the musical director. But I. I think it's great. And those. So our musical moments are. The opener is the beginning of that overture with. With that theme, and then the closer is the end of it.
- [69:45]
James Marino
Okay, 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.
- [69:56]
Peter Felicia
Bye, bye.
- [71:28]
Michael Portantier
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James Marino
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Michael Portantier
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James Marino
Crazy, funny ones.
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Michael Portantier
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James Marino
It's a great show.
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Michael Portantier
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