Today on Broadway: Monday, Oct. 20, 2025

Podcast: BroadwayRadio
Hosts: Matt Tammaneni (A), Grace Aki (B)
Date: October 20, 2025

Overview

This episode covers major recent news in the Broadway world, focusing on the tentative agreement between Actors’ Equity Association and the Broadway League (averting a potential strike), an Off-Broadway experiment with intimacy coordination, upcoming theatrical events, milestone marketing recognition for Sunset Boulevard, and notable cultural moments crossing over into Broadway.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Actors’ Equity and Broadway League Reach Tentative Agreement

[00:08 – 03:04]

• Headline: Early Saturday morning, Actors’ Equity Association and the Broadway League reached a tentative three-year agreement after marathon overnight mediation, averting an imminent strike.

• Details:

  • Agreement saves the Equity League Health Fund and advances priorities like scheduling and access to physical therapy.
  • The agreement is not final until ratified by union members, whose review comes before public details.
  • Historically, such tentative agreements are almost always approved.

• Quote:

  • “This three year agreement saves the Equity League Health Fund while also making strides in our other priorities, including scheduling and physical therapy access.”
    — Al Vincent Jr., Actors’ Equity Executive Director ([00:22])

• Context:

  • There's a parallel negotiation ongoing with Local 802, the musicians’ union, and both unions have been seeking new production contracts.
  • President of Local 802, Robert Sutman, congratulated Equity and vowed to keep pushing for a good deal for musicians.

• Personal Reflections:

  • Both hosts express relief that a strike was avoided and highlight the stress such negotiations cause across the Broadway ecosystem.

• Quote:

  • "No one wants to strike. The only reason people feel like they have to is because they feel like there's no other choice."
    — Grace Aki ([02:18])

2. ‘Good Sex’: Unique Off-Broadway Intimacy Experiment

[03:04 – 06:58]

• Show Details:

  • “Good Sex” is an Off-Broadway show running for four performances, each with different, unacquainted celebrity actor pairs.
  • Star participants include Cameron Mitchell & Elliot Page (Nov. 6), Morgan Spector & Constance Wu (Nov. 7), Brandon Flynn & Chris Perfetti (Nov. 8).
  • Key twist: actors have never read or rehearsed the material before going on stage and are strangers to each other.
  • Each show is guided live by an intimacy coordinator, especially as the play includes a sex scene, meant both for safety and for audience education.

• Press Release Quote:

  • "Each night, two brand new performers tell a story of desire, betrayal, and loneliness. They are strangers, but they are not alone. To help and guide them, they are joined on stage by an intimacy director trained in the art of teaching people how to touch. So you can rest assured that the sex will be safe, it'll be consensual, and it will be good." ([04:27])

• Host Reactions:

  • Matt finds the concept "awkward" but intriguing, noting it's educational for audiences who are largely unfamiliar with the real nuances of intimacy work in theater.
  • Grace questions the audience’s motivation and raises concerns about the voyeuristic aspects, but hopes it raises respect for intimacy coordinators.

• Quote:

  • "There's a level of, like, voyeurism that is kind of freaking me out personally."
    — Grace Aki ([05:53])

• Background:

  • Play by Emily Pine; conceived during the COVID era as “a love story for a loveless age.” Premiered at the 2022 Dublin Theater Festival.

3. Ben Platt Live at the Ahmanson Announced

[06:58 – 09:58]

• Announcement:

  • Ben Platt to bring “Ben Platt Live” for 10 performances at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre (Dec. 12–21). Format echoes last year’s “Ben Platt Live at the Palace” on Broadway.
  • Expect star guest performers, as in the previous NYC run (which included Cynthia Erivo, Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Hudson, Sam Smith, and Broadway regulars).

• Personal Note:

  • Matt recalls attending the Broadway show where Mikayla Diamond and Shoshana Bean were special guests.
  • Tickets are advised to be acquired quickly as sellout is likely.

4. NYC Theatre Calendar Highlights: Week of October 20, 2025

[09:58 – 12:49]

• No Broadway openings/closings/previews this week, but Off-Broadway is packed:

  • Monday:

    • "Not Ready for Prime Time" at MCC (about early years of Saturday Night Live).

  • Wednesday:

    • First preview for "Art of Leaving" (Pershing Square Signature Center).

  • Thursday (all Off-Broadway):

    • “Archduke” (Roundabout): Dark comedy by Rajeev Joseph about Gavrilo Princip, starring Patrick Page, directed by Darko Tresnjak.
    • “The Baker’s Wife” (Classic Stage Company): Musical with Scott Bakula & Ariana DeBose, already extended.
    • “The Burning Cauldron of Fiery Fire” (Vineyard): By Anne Washburn, about a Northern California commune.

  • Weekend highlights:

    • Friday: “Did You'd Eat” opens at the Public (autobiographical solo show by Zoe Kim).
    • Friday: “The Seat of Our Pants” begins at the Public — a new musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s Skin of Our Teeth (notable cast: Damon Duano, Michaela Diamond, Ruthie Ann Miles).
    • “Saturday Church” closes at NY Theatre Workshop (Grace’s involvement acknowledged).
    • Saturday: "Playing Shylock" opens (Theatre for a New Audience); "Sulphur Bottom" closes (Matt mentions Grace’s interview about the show).
    • Sunday: Closings for "Ginger Twinsies" and "Unconditional" Off-Broadway.

• Personal Moment:

  • Grace is attending the closing of "Ginger Twinsies" ([12:49]); expresses fondness for sharing the experience.

5. Marketing Recognition: Sunset Boulevard Campaign Shortlisted for Clio Award

[13:04 – 15:51]

• News:

  • The company Grace works for (AKA) received 11 Clio Entertainment Award shortlists, including for the Sunset Boulevard “close up” campaign Grace directed.
  • Clio Awards: Referred to as "the Tonys of national marketing."

• Quote:

  • "Just because I'm so deeply connected to it, I just thought it was a great opportunity and especially for the cinematic value of the show and what Jamie did, I was very excited to execute this."
    — Grace Aki ([14:25])

• About the Campaign:

  • Created an “influencer campaign” by designing an experience for content creators that fit both their craft and the show’s tone, rather than hoping for passive posts.

• Next Steps:

  • Campaign is now up for consideration; winners announced at an LA ceremony two days after Grace’s upcoming wedding.

6. Broadway-Adjacent Cultural Moments

[15:51 – 17:54]

• Encore’s City Center ‘Batboy’ Preview:

  • New video features Gabby Karuba and Taylor Trench singing "Mine All Mine," a song added for the West End run.
  • The song is new to audiences familiar only with the original New York cast album.

• Spotlight on Laufey and Lin-Manuel Miranda:

  • Icelandic-Asian singer-songwriter Laufey (pronounced "Le Vey"), who built a following during the pandemic via TikTok, performed a duet from Hamilton (“Best of Wives and Best of Women”) with Lin-Manuel Miranda at her Madison Square Garden show.
  • The night before, Rachel Zegler was Laufey’s guest, revealing strong theater connections.

• Quote:

  • "[Laufey] has this gorgeous jazz timbre... created this kind of viral sensation... and now she's performing on Radio City Music Hall and... with Lin-Manuel Miranda."
    — Grace Aki ([17:10])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On labor negotiations:

  • “Now we will bring the deal to our members for ratification and in the meantime, we are putting our full support behind AFM local 802 as they work with the league to reach a deal that averts a strike.”
    — Al Vincent Jr. ([01:14])
  • “No one wants to strike. The only reason people feel like they have to is because they feel like there's no other choice.”
    — Grace Aki ([02:18])

• On ‘Good Sex’:

  • "So you can rest assured that the sex will be safe, it'll be consensual, and it will be good." ([04:45])
  • "There's a level of, like, voyeurism that is kind of freaking me out personally."
    — Grace Aki ([05:53])

• On influencer campaigns:

  • “Why not create an atmosphere that is conducive to not only the show, but also what [influencers] do for a living?”
    — Grace Aki ([14:01])

• On Laufey’s rise:

  • "Of course, ultimately theater kid dreams. So it makes—it's no surprise to me that she had Lin on stage with her.”
    — Grace Aki ([17:33])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| MM:SS | Segment | |----------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:08 | Actors’ Equity/Broadway League tentative agreement, context | | 03:04 | ‘Good Sex’ Off-Broadway and intimacy coordination experiment | | 06:58 | Ben Platt Live at the Ahmanson announcement | | 09:58 | NYC Off-Broadway openings/previews/closings rundown | | 12:49 | Grace on "Ginger Twinsies" closing | | 13:04 | Sunset Boulevard Clio Awards recognition interview | | 15:51 | Batboy City Center Encore video recommendation | | 16:40 | Laufey/ Lin-Manuel Miranda performance at Madison Square Garden |

Tone and Style

The episode alternates between direct, newsy reporting (Matt) and thoughtful, sometimes skeptical, but always supportive commentary (Grace). The dynamic is conversational, often personal, and leans into both breaking down information for a theatrical insider audience while remaining accessible to fans.

In Summary

This episode will most interest anyone tracking Broadway labor news, fans of experimental theater, Off-Broadway diehards, those working in show marketing, and Broadway-pop culture crossovers. The most pressing news: Broadway avoids potentially disastrous strike as union leaders hammer out a last-minute deal, with musicians’ fate still undecided. Meanwhile, the creative community juggles provocative new theatrical events and celebrates the ever-closer collaboration between Broadway and influencer culture.