BroadwayRadio: This Week on Broadway for September 21, 2025

Episode Theme:
A vibrant deep dive into the latest in New York theatre, spotlighting the new musical Saturday Church at New York Theatre Workshop, the Broadway revival of Art, Arena Stage’s Damn Yankees revisal, a rare staging of Ibsen's The Wild Duck, the new musical This Is Not a Drill at the York, and key Broadway news.

Hosts:

• James Marino (Host)
• Peter Filichia (Playwright, historian, columnist)
• Michael Portantiere (Theatre reviewer, photographer)

Main Topics

1. Art Revival on Broadway

[07:19]
Peter reviews the new Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s Art, starring Neil Patrick Harris, James Corden, and more.

• Premise: Modern classic about three male friends whose friendship is tested when one buys an expensive all-white painting.
• Key Insight: The painting acts as a catalyst for old resentments, exposing the fragility of relationships.
• Memorable Moment:
  • "James Corden, playing Ivan, has this incredibly long monologue... He got a few people to stand, a standing ovation for a monologue." — Peter Filichia [09:56]
• Notes on Production: Scott Ellis directs; some directorial choices raise questions (opening with confusion over Serge's role).
• Interesting Fact:
  • Price of tickets and painting in show updated for inflation—the painting now costs $300,000, with tickets up to $571.
• Peter’s Verdict:
  • "If you have the money, art is really quite a good experience." — Peter Filichia [11:59]

2. Saturday Church at New York Theatre Workshop

[12:58]

• Background: A new musical based on the film by Damon Cardasis (involved as book writer/lyricist with James Ijames), music by Sia and Hani Dijon, directed by Whitney White.
• Plot & Themes:
  • Coming-of-age story of Ulysses, a Black queer teenager caught between strict church upbringing and a welcoming queer community dubbed “Saturday Church.”
  • Issues of identity, acceptance, family conflict, and queer community support.
• Musical/Vocal Praise:
  • "Lots of hooks...you might find yourself humming at intermission." — Michael Portantiere [16:28]
  • J. Harrison Ghee plays a double role as pastor and "Black Jesus," providing comedic and dramatic highlights.
• Criticisms & Discussion:
  • Michael questions conflation between flamboyant gay identity and trans/non-binary expression forced late in the story.
    • "I just don’t like the indication that every gay male is a transvestite or a trans person." — Michael Portantiere [18:53]
  • Peter feels the choice of making the aunt more antagonistic than the mother is novel, though some conflicts seem familiar.
    • "So much of the show seems like something we’ve seen before. But...there are people in that audience who are going to need to see this show." — Peter Filichia [21:23]
  • James praises the NY-specific flavor but worries about marketability in a national climate.
    • "I'm not sure that the people who need to see this story will actually go to see the show." — James Marino [25:04]
• Overall Consensus:
  • Enthusiastic hope for Broadway transfer; cited as must-see in intimate NYTW space before a potential bigger stage move.

3. Damn Yankees Revisal at Arena Stage, Washington, D.C.

[29:05]

• Production Details:
  • Directed/choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, with new adaptation by Will Power & Doug Wright, and new lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.
  • Updates: Now about the Baltimore Orioles vs. the Yankees, moves setting to 2000, and foregrounds Black protagonists/racial themes.
• Michael’s Key Take:
  • Finds updated racial angle interesting but questions why the period shift ("The music very much sounds like the 1950s...so incongruous with the date that all this is supposed to be happening." [31:49])
• Notable Production Changes:
  • Overture extended, more diverse couple representation, topical references added (Derek Jeter, Bobby Flay, "art of the deal" Trump nod).
• Casting Highlights:
  • "Jordan Donica as Joe Hardy, Quentin Earl Darrington as Joe Boyd, Rob McClure just as great as you think he would be as Applegate." — Michael Portantiere [43:17]
• Consensus:
  • Potential for Broadway run—especially suited for Circle in the Square.
• Historical Context:
  • Peter notes integration in the 1957 film version ("Really something for 1957" [45:43]).

4. The Wild Duck at Theatre for a New Audience (TIFANA), Brooklyn

[47:26]

• Peter’s Review:
  • "It’s an excellent production of a play that doesn’t get done very often."
  • Praises powerful performances, especially the turmoil of the daughter character ("her whole world is coming apart" [49:49]) and thematic resonance about forgiveness and family secrets.
  • Encourages companies to rediscover this Ibsen classic.

5. This Is Not a Drill at York Theatre

[52:02]

• Premise:
  • Musical based on the 2018 Hawaii false missile alert incident, dramatizing character responses over those 38 minutes.
• Harsh Critiques:
  • Michael: "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."
  • Peter: Compares the improbability of emotional change under duress to his issues with Follies: "Two weeks from now everything’s going to go back to the way it was before." [57:55]
  • Both find the Elvis-impersonator "Mission Control" character especially baffling, and that the production design far outstrips the book/music’s quality.
    • "I was flabbergasted by how much money was spent on something that I just had to say was pretty much worthless." — Michael Portantiere [59:55]

News Roundup

[60:16] (Bullet points summarize the discussion.)

• NYC Council blocks casino plan in Times Square (split amongst Broadway community).
• Dreamgirls is heading back to Broadway with a global casting search.
• Actor Robert Redford has passed away; Peter shares a personal anecdote about his rationale for avoiding Broadway returns, echoing a quote from William Goldman's The Season.
• Peter’s rare annotation-laden copy of The Season still up for charity auction at the Broadway Flea.

Memorable Quotes

• "It's amazing to me to see a person get a standing ovation after a monologue, but [James Corden] does it awfully well." — Peter Filichia (Art) [09:56]
• "I just don't like the implication that every gay male is a transvestite or a trans person." — Michael Portantiere (Saturday Church) [18:53]
• "If you have a theater company and you’re looking for something to do that’s classic, you should look into this one [The Wild Duck]. You might surprise your audience." — Peter Filichia [51:20]
• "I could not quite believe what I was seeing...I was flabbergasted by how much money was spent on something that I just had to say was pretty much worthless." — Michael Portantiere (This Is Not a Drill) [59:55]

Important Timestamps & Segments

| Segment | Start Time | |--------------------------------------------|-------------| | Podcast proper (post-ads/intro) | [01:54] | | Peter introduces Book of Mormon "show tune for today" | [02:32] | | Broadway Flea Market, annotated The Season auction | [03:44] | | Art revival discussion | [07:19] | | Saturday Church NYTW review | [12:58] | | Damn Yankees at Arena Stage | [29:05] | | Wild Duck review | [47:26] | | This Is Not a Drill at the York | [52:02] | | Broadway news roundup | [60:16] | | Memorable moments—musical analysis: Sweet Charity Overture | [65:37] |

Final Thoughts

This episode offers a rich cross-section of current New York theatre, with open-hearted debate on the value and pitfalls of new work and revivals, sharp engagement with issues of representation, stagecraft, and adaptation, as well as strong recommendations for audience members eager to catch the next big thing (Saturday Church)—and warnings about what to avoid.

For New York theatregoers, artists, and fans: this is a packed, thoughtful, and lively listen—full of industry insight, honest takes, and a true pulse on what’s happening right now on and off-Broadway.