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Today on Broadway: Friday, July 18, 2025
00:13:43
Jean Smart extends in ‘Call Me Izzy,’; Szot, Jones, Wolfe to join ‘Hadestown’; Cherry Lane to reopen in September Since 2016, “Today on Broadway” has been the first and only daily podcast recapping the top theatre headlines every Monday through Friday....
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- [00:01]
Matt Tammadeni
Welcome to Today on Broadway for Friday, July 18, 2025. I'm Broadway Radio's Matt Tammadeni and I'm.
- [00:06]
Grace Aki
Telling me on the Sunday podcast Grace.
- [00:07]
Matt Tammadeni
Aki Grace, because this is a summer Friday, we will not have an episode of Today on Broadway on Monday, but we will have a special episode over in the Patreon feed where you and I are going to answer a question that a listener sent in that I think touches on a lot of things going on in the theater community, both from the casting perspective, but also from kind of a little bit from the social media and influencer persp that you work in so much. So that episode will be in the Patreon feed when the normal Today on Broadway episode drops. So it'll be Sunday at 8pm if you want to hear that and all of our other exclusive content there, head over to patreon.com broadwayradio broadwayradio.com patreon all right, Grace, let's start the show. This is a report that came out just a few minutes ago from Philip Boroff in the Broadway Journal. And it's bad news. Like it's very, very bad news because it's just happening in real time. I'm just going to read from the Broadway Journal article said, quote, the Broadway League held a video meeting with members on Tuesday afternoon to disclose the depletion of the four year old New York City musical and theatrical production tax credit program. Shows that began public performances by September 15th may still receive the subsidy of up to $3 million for Broadway productions, but shows that start later won't be eligible. Representatives of the Broadway League declined to comment for Philip's story. The tax credit generally subsidizes 25% of most Broadway costs and is worth a maximum of $3 million per Broadway show and $350,000 off Broadway. We've talked about this quite a bit in terms of how shows, especially with stars, are able to remain solvent and profitable because of tax credits like this. The state allocated $100 million to this program in May and at the time, the league's government aid guru from the Shubert Organization, Jeff T. Daniel, to members that while the tax credit was extended for two years, quote, we have likely received one year of funding. In reality, that allocation added just a few months to the program's Life. To date, $400 million has been allocated to the tax credit. We will see what comes of this. If there is some sort of lifeline that the city and or state can supply it. Obviously nothing's coming from the federal Government. But Grace, you know that like when it comes to shows recouping and making money and therefore encouraging investors to put money into future productions, this has been huge. And if this is lost, it very well will likely have a significant impact as to what shows are able to come to commercial theaters in New York City.
- [02:47]
Grace Aki
Bad, bad stuff. Hate it here. Love it. Love it here. Hate it here.
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Matt Tammadeni
Yeah, understood. But we do have some news coming out of Thursday, Grace. And we will start over at Studio 54 where there were a couple of announcements made by the Broadway production of Call Me Izzy. They announced that after a two week leave of absence due to her knee injury, Jean Smart will return to the title role on Tuesday. That's July 22nd. In her stead, Johanna Day will continue to play the role through Sunday, July 20th. That is announcement number one. But presumably because at least in part of all of the absences is absences that Jean Smart has had, they are extending the show by an extra and it'll now play through August 24th. I think this is great, Grace that she feels good enough to come out and return to the show. I'm assuming she's gonna have to go film hacks fairly soon. So I don't know if there's an opportunity for her to extend even further. But especially for the people who maybe are New York locals and who really wanted to see her and maybe exchange their tickets, opening an extra week of shows will hopefully get everybody in who wasn't able or didn't want to see Johanna Day. Although I'm sure she is fantastic, but really wanted the opportunity to see Jean Smart on stage.
- [03:58]
Grace Aki
I know it's always hard when there is something that's so incredibly incentivized around a star vehicle. Especially in a one person show. It becomes so impossible to kind of like, you know, reschedule or get those people back in. So I'm grateful that that that company, if you will, is able to extend. I know a lot of people are talking on Reddit, especially saying that they got an email and they were very worried that the run was cancele of the amount of sickness. So they were really thrilled and delighted for the fact that this was not that at all. It was more so an extension and announcement that things would be moving forward so great for them.
- [04:35]
Matt Tammadeni
Yeah, absolutely. All right, Grace, there are some other casting announcements that I want to talk about and I always love whenever Hadestown announces new principles because they generally knock it out of the park. Even if it's not people who are incredibly well known. I think it's a little different than what we talked about on yesterday's show with someone like Kumail Nanjiani joining oh Mary or some of the cool stuff they've done at Cabaret. The casting for Hadestown that was announced yesterday will start on September 2nd and there are five new stars that will be joining the production. Perhaps the biggest name, at least for my co host right here is the fact that Tony Award winner Paulo Zhatt will be taking on the role of Hades. He will be playing opposite former Broadway radio guest Rebecca Naomi Jones as Persephone. Joining them as Hermes will be Grammy winning jazz singer Kurt Elling. I'm not familiar with Kurt Elling at all but they have had such amazing success with people from the music industry coming in to this show. I mean I'm thinking of Betty who Yola. And I'm forgetting the woman who I saw as Persephone who I think is the best Persephone I've seen other than Amber Gray. But they've done a great job of bringing people from across the music industry. I've also seen Ani DiFranco as well. So I think this is very cool. But then in the roles of Orpheus and Eurydice will be Jack Wolf as Orpheus, who you might think, oh, I don't know that name. But if you watched the London production of Next to Normal starring Casey Levy that was aired on pbs, he played Gabe. So that is who's playing Orpheus. And then as Eurydice is Morgan Dudley, who if you're thinking I don't know Morgan Dudley's name. If you have kids who like the Disney musical franchise the Descendants, you probably know her, she is from that franchise and she's a very good friend of our friend Rebecca's. So this is a very cool casting announcement. They do note that Jack Wolf will be out for a couple of weeks in September. So if you're going to see him, make sure that you check the dates that he is going to be in there. But otherwise just a great, really eclectic group of folks joining this production. Grace.
- [06:42]
Grace Aki
I'm thrilled for them. Listen, the Hadestown casting is the gift that keeps on giving. I was thrilled when I heard that Paolo J. Was joining this company. I think that between and Juliet and going to London to be in Here we are and then coming back to do this, it's just been kind of a whirlwind past three years I feel like for him. So I'm excited for his return to Broadway to be in such a beloved show and he's, he's going to crush it. Like I have to see him. I also love Jack Wolf. I famously got to see Next to Normal with him in it with Casey Levy over in London as well. So I think this is going to be excellent. And I know Morgan is so fantastic. So this is, this is a great casting all around. I'm really thrilled.
- [07:23]
Matt Tammadeni
All right. Speaking of some really great casting, this is not going to be on Broadway. Will be out on the road. Yesterday they announced the casting for an upcoming North American tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein Cinderella. This will be directed by Jack o' Brien and choreographed by Danny Mefford. They are returning to the Tour that launched 10 years ago in 2015 starring Kirsten Anderson, I believe at the time led that national tour. And this one is going to star in the role of Maria Kaylee Capaldi, who has also been a Broadway radio guest here. She will be joined by Kevin early as Captain Von Trapp, Tony nominee Christiane Noel as Mother Abbess, Nicholas Rodriguez as Max Detweiler, Kate Lowprest as Elsa, and obviously the kids go on and on from there. Additional casting will be announced at a later date. The tour is going to kick off in Utica on September 5th and then we'll play multiple week and week long engagements throughout the fall of 2025 and into 2026. All right, Grace, in other news that I know that you are very excited about because this is like your mecca, this is your, I don't know, this is like the epitome of all of your hopes and dreams. Yesterday we got official information about what is going to happen with the Cherry Lane under the ownership of a 24. After a two year renovation process, the theater is set to open in September and throughout the month to kind of kick off the new ownership and new focus of the Cherry Lane Theater, they're going to be having a ton of events. It begin with the first of what is going to be an ongoing series called Sundays with Sophia. These are going to be film screenings hosted by Sofia Coppola that she is going to show a film and then talk about it afterwards. That is going to start on September 14th with a screening of Adrienne Lynn's Foxes and there are going to be multiple other installments of this throughout the year. There are going to be a number of theater things happening as well. There is going to be a reading of Robert Nemiroff's iconic 1960 play that originated at the Cherry Lane Theater to be young, gifted and black. There is going to be a production of a show called We're Happening A one woman show happening in the fall that does not have dates yet, but that'll be announced. Also a stand up performance by Ramy Youssef. The band Haim is going to preview their new album. I quit with a listening party. Just a ton of stuff. But I think, Grace, most importantly for you is the theater is open. You can not only continue to take pictures under the awning like you do every time you pass it, but hopefully not only be able to get into the audience of a show there, but eventually we've just got to get you on stage there.
- [10:04]
Grace Aki
I simply must be involved. I am sorry that I am bullying them on social media. And by bullying I mean tagging them in so many things because I am deeply enamored, as many of you know. But this is just very exciting thing and I just want to, I want to be a part of it. To quote New York, New York that was playing on Broadway two years ago. So yeah, that's just, that's all I want.
- [10:27]
Matt Tammadeni
Yeah. All right. I have a couple of recommendations for us here. The first one comes from the Roundabout Theater Company. And this is so cool. I mean, obviously everybody knows how much of a tongue twister modern Major General is in the Penzance musical done by David Hyde Pierce, of course, in this revival. But I can't imagine, as fast as it is as a tongue twister using your mouth, how difficult that must be for ASL interpreters. Well, RTC posted a video split screen of David Hyde Pierce singing it and ASL interpreter Christopher Tester doing it as well for the deaf and hard of hearing audience over at the Todd Haymes Theater. It is very, very cool. So watch that video. It is awesome. And you even see David Hyde Pierce give Christopher head nod at the end of it. So that is very fun. And we also have highlights from BO the musical from out of the Box Theatrics starring Matt Rodin. So if you haven't had an opportunity to check out that show, it is currently playing through August 3rd and you can get tickets now. Grace, anything on your theatrical radar for this weekend or coming up that people should know about?
- [11:39]
Grace Aki
The closing of Sunset Boulevard is July 20th and my heart really goes out to all of it. Oh, God. I really cannot stress.
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Matt Tammadeni
What is. I mean, like, I know you love it and obviously you work on it. Your name's in the credits. But like, why is this one so emotional for you?
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Grace Aki
I've just really loved it. I have really, really cared deeply about just everything from the launch to the. I mean, since before Broadway, like I was meant to do some influencer work on it in London and then it ended up like selling out, so I couldn't do that there. But, like, I, I just love film and I love what this film has lend itself to, like, cinematically in Jamie Lloyd's production. And so many of the people that work on it have just been so gracious. It's not, it's not all the time where I get to work on something where also I'm having a great time with the people that are there. So I, yeah, I just really, I really enjoyed this production. I hate that it's coming to a close, but I understand and yeah, so I'm happy to send it off and hopefully everybody is going to be there. Supporting.
- [12:48]
Matt Tammadeni
I will say if people didn't get out to the Nighthawk Cinema to see your screening of the original Sunset Boulevard film, I don't remember exactly when it is. I think it's in August. But Fathom Events is bringing the original film to movie theaters across the country. So if you didn't get a chance to see it when Grace was hosting her screening and you want to check it out and compare it to the obviously very different musical version that is going to close this weekend, you can check your local listings for when that'll be happening. All right, everybody, that's all that we have for today. Thanks for listening to Today on Broadway. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Rodri Radio. And if you want all of BroadwayRadio, head over to patreon.com broadwayradio Grace, where can people find you?
- [13:22]
Grace Aki
You can find me at graceaki.
- [13:23]
Matt Tammadeni
All right, everybody, have a wonderful Friday, a wonderful weekend, and we'll be back to talk to you in Patreon on Sunday evening and then back here in the regular feed with Today on Broadway on Tuesday.