Today on Broadway: Friday, Dec. 6, 2024 - BroadwayRadio

Summary6 min read

BroadwayRadio Podcast Summary: Today on Broadway – Friday, Dec. 6, 2024

Host: Matt Tammini
Release Date: December 6, 2024

1. Introduction

In this solo episode of Today on Broadway, host Matt Tammini delivers a concise update on the latest happenings in the Broadway scene. Due to Grace’s mother visiting New York City or Hoboken, Matt is handling the episode alone. He briefly mentions an upcoming Q&A session with Grace, encouraging listeners to submit their theater-related questions via email at Patreonrodwayradio.com.

2. "Swept Away" Announces Final Broadway Performance

One of the major news items discussed is the announcement that the musical "Swept Away" will stage its final performance on Broadway on Sunday, December 15th, at the Longacre Theater. The show has achieved a total of 52 performances, comprising 20 previews and 32 regular performances since its opening on November 19th (00:01).

Matt reflects on the potential future of Broadway theaters in the spring, highlighting that both the Palace and the Longacre theaters will remain open. He speculates, “If I had to guess, I have zero inside information on this. I think Dead Outlaw is going to go to the Longacre. That makes the most sense" (00:01). This move could position "Dead Outlaw" as a frontrunner for the Tony Awards for Best Musical, leveraging its critical acclaim from last season.

Despite Matt's personal lack of enthusiasm for "Swept Away," he shows empathy towards the cast and crew affected by the show's closure, stating, “We are heartbroken from all of those people both on stage and off Swept Away, who have to close this show so quickly, especially right before the holidays" (00:01). A cast album is slated for release on February 7th digitally, followed by physical copies in 2025.

3. Off Broadway Updates: "Titanique" Celebrates Milestones

The podcast highlights significant developments in the Off Broadway production of "Titanique", which is preparing to celebrate its 1,000th performance. The production welcomes new cast members in the upcoming weeks:

Anthony Murphy will reprise his roles as Victor Garber and Luigi starting December 23rd (00:01).
Kyle Remar Freeman, known for his portrayal of the Cowardly Lion in "The Wiz", will take on the role of the iceberg beginning January 9th.
Cassidy Pope, a Voice finalist and country music singer, steps into the role of Rose on January 18th.

Other notable cast members include De Rossioli as Celine Dion, Callum Francis as Cal, Max Jenkins as Jack, Joel Wagner as Ruth, and Lisa Howard as Molly Brown. Matt expresses excitement about the show's continued success and the fresh talent joining the cast.

4. J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company's 2025 Season

Matt introduces the upcoming 2025 season for the J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company, an organization dedicated to reviving lesser-seen musicals Off Broadway. Led by artistic director Robert W. Schneider, the season promises a lineup of intriguing productions:

April 10th: "Smile"
- Music: Marvin Hamlisch
- Lyrics/Book: Howard Ashman
- Based on: Jerry Belson’s screenplay
- Noteworthy for the iconic song “Disneyland,” originally performed by Jodi Benson in the show's brief Broadway run of 48 performances.
April 24th: "Zorba"
- Creators: Kander and Ebb
- Based on: The film Zorba the Greek by Joseph Stein.
May 8th: "Drat the Cat"
- Creators: Ira Levin and Milton Schafer
- Synopsis: Set in turn-of-the-century New York, the musical follows a notorious cat burglar targeting the city’s elite, forcing the Keystone Cops to turn to the bumbling Bob Purefoy after the death of his father, Bulldog Purefoy.

Each production is scheduled for a 10-day run, encouraging theater enthusiasts to secure tickets promptly. Matt assures listeners of the high quality of J2’s productions, stating, “I guarantee that if you go see these shows you will enjoy them. They are all a ton of fun and I know J2 does incredible stuff” (00:01).

5. New Play Readings: "The Cowards" Industry-Only Reading

An exclusive industry-only reading of "The Cowards" is set to premiere today, Friday, December 6th. This queer comedy, directed by Michael Wilson and written by Ryan O'Connor, offers a modern, queer interpretation of Noel Coward’s classic "Hay Fever". The play revolves around a four-person dysfunctional chosen family who each invite a surprise guest to Provincetown for a weekend.

Cast Highlights:

Katrina Link (replacing Taylor Schilling)
Vianne Cox
Brandon Uranowitz
Charlie Barnett
Eva Rain

Matt notes the replacement of Taylor Schilling with Katrina Link, adding, “We actually talked about it I think originally because she is replacing Taylor Schilling who is going to be a part of it" (00:01), expressing enthusiasm for the new cast dynamics.

6. National Tour of "Parade" Announces Complete Cast

The national tour of the acclaimed musical "Parade" has unveiled its complete cast. Max Chernin will portray Leo Frank, and Talia Suskower takes on the role of Lucille Frank. The ensemble features talented actors such as Evan Harrington, Ramon Nelson, Andrew Simonski, Alison Ewing, Jenny Hickman, Rob Knight, and others, many of whom are returning cast members from the Broadway production.

Performances will commence in Schenectady on January 11th, followed by the official opening at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis on January 21st. Matt shares his personal excitement about the tour, saying, “I absolutely have to. I love this production and there is no chance that I could miss Max and Talia doing this show" (00:01), emphasizing the show's significance and his anticipation to see the familiar cast in action once again.

7. International Spotlight: Kevin McHale in London's "The Frogs"

Transitioning to international news, Matt announces that Kevin McHale, known for his role in "Glee", will make his UK stage debut in Stephen Sondheim's "The Frogs". McHale will portray Xanthias at the Southwark Playhouse from May 23rd through June 28th. The production is adapted by Bert Shevelov and incorporates additional adaptation work by Nathan Lane for the 2004 Broadway revival. George Rankham will direct the revival, with the remainder of the cast to be announced later.

8. Recommendations: "Elf the Musical" Performance on "The View"

Matt recommends watching "Elf the Musical" to gain a glimpse of the show's festive charm before seeing it live. The cast members—Gray Hinton, Ashley Brown, Kayla Davion, and Kai Edgar—performed a medley of songs, including “There Is a Santa Claus” and “A Christmas Song,” on "The View". He suggests that this performance serves as an excellent preview for those considering attending the Marquee Theater's holiday run, which concludes in early January.

9. Closing Remarks and Call to Action

Concluding the episode, Matt thanks listeners for tuning in to Today on Broadway. He encourages following BroadwayRadio on social media platforms—Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram—and invites listeners to submit their Q&A questions for the upcoming episode with Grace. Matt signs off with warm wishes for a wonderful Friday and a reminder to engage with the show’s interactive segments.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

“We are heartbroken from all of those people both on stage and off Swept Away, who have to close this show so quickly, especially right before the holidays.” – Matt Tammini (00:01)
“I think Dead Outlaw is going to go to the Longacre. That makes the most sense.” – Matt Tammini (00:01)
“I guarantee that if you go see these shows you will enjoy them. They are all a ton of fun and I know J2 does incredible stuff.” – Matt Tammini (00:01)
“I absolutely have to. I love this production and there is no chance that I could miss Max and Talia doing this show.” – Matt Tammini (00:01)

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, announcements, and insights shared in the December 6, 2024 episode of Today on Broadway. Whether you're a theater enthusiast or simply curious about the latest Broadway news, this overview provides a clear and engaging snapshot of the current Broadway landscape.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:02]
Matt Tammini
Welcome to TODAY on Broadway for Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, on Broadway radio is Matt Tammini. I am coming to you on my own today because Grace's mom got into New York City or probably most likely Hoboken on Thursday. So they are spending the evening together. And I'm running through just a little bit of news that we have. There is not a lot out there. So I'm going to do this fairly quickly for you. But in the meantime, don't forget that Grace and I will be recording a Q and A episode coming up this weekend. So if you have questions that you want to ask us about shows that we've seen, shows that we are looking forward to, rumors that you might have heard, rumors that we might have heard, anything that is theater related or not, feel free to ask. You can do that by emailing Patreonrodwayradio.com all right, I am breaking into myself talking because as I was editing this episode, I got the press release that announced that Swept Away will play its final performance on Broadway on Sunday, December 15th at the Longacre Theater. At that time, the musical will have played a total of 52 performances, 20 previews and 32 regular performances after it opened on November 19th. That means that there are now officially two theaters that are open in the spring, the palace and the Longacre. The Palace. I have been led to believe that the only other show that is officially announced for the spring is going to take that theater, even though I think that that theater is probably too big for that show in that production. But nonetheless, that is what they got. That means the Longacre is open. That is a just under 1100 seat theater. If I had to guess, I have zero inside information on this. If I had to guess, I think Dead Outlaw is going to go to the Longacre. That makes the most sense. It's a perfect size for that show. They want to get it in. They want to ride the momentum of being the critical darling off Broadway last season. And they come into a season where there's really no front runner for best musical. Buena Vista Social Club is kind of the one that everybody assumes will be there. Maybe Operation Mincemeat, if it is able to translate for American audiences. But I think with Dead Outlaw, if they're able to sneak in, they immediately become the leader of the pack in terms of the Tony Awards for best musical. So we will see what happens. Obviously, we are heartbroken from all of those people both on stage and off Swept Away, who have to close this show so quickly, especially right before the holidays. Just, you know, awful timing and we feel for them and we send our thoughts over to them. And, you know, I didn't care for the show much at all, but a lot of people did and it got great reviews. So I am sorry that those that loved it aren't gonna have a ton more opportunities to see it. But there will be a cast album released on February 7th on digital and then later in 2025 for the actual physical CDs. All right, I will now return you to your regularly scheduled episode of Today on Broadway. All right, the biggest news as it is is that we got some new principles announced for the Off Broadway production of Titanique. That show is getting ready to celebrate its 1000th performance off Broadway and they're going to be welcoming some new stars over the next coming weeks. Anthony Murphy is going to rejoin the company as Victor Garber and luigi starting on December 23rd third, while Kyle Remar Freeman, who most recently was seen on Broadway as the Cowardly lion in the Wiz, will step into the role of the iceberg beginning on January 9th. Then the one that is kind of out of the box a little bit more than maybe you might expect. The Voice finalist and country music singer Cassidy Pope will take over as rose beginning on January 18th. They will join at least one point the longest reigning Elphaba in Wicked history, De Rossioli as Celine Dion, Callum Francis, who just took over as Cal on Thursday, and then SAG nominee Max Jenkins as Jack, Joel Wagner as Ruth, and Lisa Howard as Molly Brown. Sticking off Broadway earlier This week, the J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company announced their 2025 season. J2's mission is very similar to what Encore's mission used to be, is taking shows that you can pretty much not see anywhere el and giving them productions off Broadway. Our old friend Robert W. Schneider is the artistic director. He's been on here to talk about it in the past. But this season will kick off on April 10th with the musical Smile. It features music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics in a book by Howard Ashman. It is based on the screenplay by Jerry Belson. This is one of those shows that is kind of iconic in musical theater lore. It closed after only 48 performances on Broadway. I believe they never officially recorded a cast album, but there is a demo CD of it and I have it. Like, I don't know if that was like an unreleased cast album, but the big song from that show was Disneyland. So you might have heard that song sung in multiple places by multiple people. Jodi Benson did it originally in the show in addition to Jody in the original cast was like Jeff McCarthy and Van Cox and Tommy Daggett. So there were definitely some folks that you would know and this should be a very fun show. The next show that they're going to do will happen later in April on the 24th and it will be Zorba. This is obviously the Kander and Ebb show with a book by Joseph Stein based off of the film Zorba the Greek. And then the final one to close out the season will be the Ira Levin and Milton Schaeffer musical Drat the Cat that'll begin performances on May 8th. These each only run for like 10 days apiece, so if you want to see them, you have to get in there. The story is set in turn of the century New York where a notorious cat burglar is targeting the richest families in town. When old Bulldog Purefoy, the sleuth on the case dies, the Keystone Cops turn to his good hearted but incompetent son Bob. I guarantee that if you go see these shows you will enjoy them. They are all a ton of fun and I know J2 does incredible stuff. Coming up today on Friday the 6th, there will be an invited industry only reading of the new play the Cowards, a marvelously queer new comedy. It will be directed by Michael Wilson and it is written by Ryan O'Connor. It is a queer modern take on Noel Coward's Hay Fever and it centers on a four person dysfunctional chosen family who each invites a surprise guest to join them in Provincetown for a weekend. Katrina Link is joining this production. We actually talked about it I think originally because she is replacing Taylor Schilling who is going to be a part of it, but she is joining the aforementioned Vianne Cox along with Brandon Uranowitz, Charlie Barnett, Eva Rain and more. So if you want more information about that, you can check out the show notes heading outside of New York City Yesterday they announced the complete cast for the upcoming national tour of Parade. Of course we already knew that Max Chernin was going to be playing Leo Frank and Talia Suskower was going to be playing Lucille Frank. Joining that company will be the likes of Evan Harrington, Ramon Nelson, Andrew Simonski, Alison Ewing, Jenny Hickman, Rob Knight, Prentice E. Mountain, Danielle Lee Greaves, Bryn charrington, Emily Rose, DiMartino, Bailey Edinburgh, Caroline Fairweather, Trevor James, Sophia Manicone and others. A number of these folks were a part of the Broadway production as well. So that's always great when folks who have history with this production are able to continue with it when it goes on tour. The performances will begin up in Schenectady on January 11th. It'll be followed by its official official opening at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis on January 21st. Still not sure how I'm going to see this, but I absolutely have to. I love this production and there is no chance that I could miss Max and Talia doing this show. It's not coming anywhere to Florida and the closest is it's coming to Atlanta. But getting in and out of the Fox Theater is a mess in Atlanta, so I might try to figure out how to sneak in a trip to one of the other cities, depending on my schedule, in 2025. But I will not be missing this one now Bouncing across the Pond we recently saw Glee star Kevin McHale as a part of the Kennedy center production of the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Now he's going to be taking his next stage role, but it will not be in the US it will be in London, where he is going to be a part of an upcoming revival of Stephen Sondheim's the Frogs. He will make his UK stage debut as Xanthias. I don't know. My Greek is out of practice here. That is me playing at the Southwark Playhouse from May 23rd through June 28th. Originally adapted by Bert Shevelov, the Southwark production will use the additional adaptive work done by Nathan lane for the 2004 Broadway revival. George Rankham will direct and the rest of the cast will be announced at a later date. All right, that's all of the news that I have for you, but I will have one little recommendation for you and that is the fact that the cast of Elf the Musical performed on the View. They did a medley of songs from the show. If you are thinking about checking this show out over at the Marquee Theater for the holidays, this will give you a very good indication of what the show is like. Gray Hinton, Ashley Brown, Kayla Davion and Kai Edgar were all on hand to do a medley of There Is a Santa Claus and a Christmas Song. So check that out in the show notes and get over to the Marquee to see this one before it closes in early January. All right, that's all that I have for you today. Thanks for listening to Today on Broadway. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Broadway Radio. You can follow me on Instagram @bww. Matt, thanks for listening. Have a wonderful Friday and send in those Q and A questions and we will talk to.