C (2:54)

No, it's so exciting. And I think that CSC continues to do what I think, like, you know, people expect often out of, like, the encores of the world. Like, I do think that they are crushing it. Like, they are selecting really thoughtful musicals that might be picked over for, you know, best Broadway revival categories, but are worthy musicals to do in the city. And they're. They're selecting so well. So I think that my hat's off to them again.

B (3:25)

Yeah, it's just a really good one. And I just put it together that Kelly Lester is going to be in this. The last musical I saw there was I can get it for you Wholesale, which starred Julia Lester, and now her mom is in this and maybe the next one, her dad, who I don't remember his first name, but he was in and might even still be in. No, he wrapped up because when I talked with Julia over this in the spring, he had just wrapped up his running Cabaret, but he was in the Broadway revival of Cabaret, so keeping it in the family over at csc, which we love. All right, Grace, Now, I have to admit I got Davenported because I talked on last Friday's show about how the new musical the Griswold's Broadway Vacation was going to be making some announcement. And obviously you don't make a kind of announcement, you know, a preview and announcement like this, unless you were talking about a Broadway production. I forgot that Ken Davenport is producing this show. So he's going to pull out all kinds of tricks to get as much exposure as he possibly can. They aren't announcing a Broadway run. Instead, they announced the first single of their forthcoming EP of songs for the show, concept album type things that is called We Are the Griswolds. But the one nice thing about it is, is that the song is sung by the one and only Santino Fontana, who co starred in the I can get it for your wholesale production at CSC that I just talked about. It's the first song of a nine song album that will be released digitally on November 14th from Joy Machine Records. They did talk about who else was in the cast in the press release when they released this. So this is a pretty good group of people for this concept album. In addition to Santino, we've got Carrie Butler playing Ellen Griswold. We also have Livy Marcus and Nathan Levy as their children. Also in the company are Jennifer Cody, Alan H. Green, Andy Grata, Lucien. Andy Grottolution is playing Cousin Eddie, which, if you know the films, I think that's a perfect casting for that. So a great group of people. But I have to read the statement written by David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, who wrote the show because it is so perfectly them and I think talks about their. Their comedic stylings. They said in a statement, quote, we don't want to hype it up too much, but it might be the funniest, most tuneful score ever written for a musical and the second funniest, most tuneful score ever written for a play. It makes Hamilton look like Carrie. It makes the producers look like Moose Mur. It makes the revival of Sunset Boulevard look like the original Sunset Boulevard. If you listen to one concept album full of Broadway stars that sets beloved characters loose on a new adventure in New York City. Listen to Ragtime or this album. This album is also good. So the song's fun. You know, we've talked about. We love these guys from the other Josh Cohen. Their musical adaptation of 50 First Dates actually began performances in London yesterday on Sunday. So I'm looking forward to this. Like, you know, it's a bonkers idea for a musical, but as I always say, like crazy ideas for musicals. Grace are often the ones that kind of like break through and end up being the most entertaining.

C (6:32)

I mean, that's always been the case, right? And I think that those two know it better than anybody else. I think that you know it. Where was I the other day? Where it was like people were talking about just like the reason. So much of the reason for cast albums is like how we even have like a successful Merrily We Roll along revival is because of the capture of a cast album from that time, because otherwise it wouldn't. It would have been forgotten into the ether. And that's so crazy. And I think that people forget that the investment of cast recordings is often not just for, you know, promotion and marketing of the entity for licensing, but I think it's also for the preservation for future productions of licensing. Like, I'm not just saying preservation in the frou Frou feel good about yourself, kind of. Wouldn't that be nice? Because, like, obviously, like, every. Every. Every preservation thing would feel nice, but, like, does it also do anything for the life of the show besides, like, make everybody have, you know, warm feelings? But for me, I think that, like, this is a perfect example of, like, why I want. I'm hopeful for people to remind, you know, investors and whatnot that, like, this is a crucial part of keeping the American theater alive, is with the preservation, especially of cast recordings. So I'm really happy that we're still doing this, even if it's in a small way, like we're doing it.

B (7:54)

Yeah. And especially, like, the idea of concept albums being released ahead of major productions obviously did have its production in Seattle that we talked about last week, but, like, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita Chess only exist because of concept albums. They put the concept albums out first, and then that got people excited for what became stage shows. And that's not something that is done on the same scale as it was with the Andrew Lloyd Webber stuff, although Andrew Lloyd Webber wasn't necessarily Andrew Lloyd Webber when those were announced or when those were originally released. But, like, the idea of getting people excited, having something to hang your hat on and to and to push, isn't usually the way it's done, at least not for shows with Broadway ambitions so quickly. But it's exciting, and I'm hopeful that it is very, very successful for this one. All right, Greece. Big news coming out of the Broadway Journal. Philip Boroff over there has an exclusive report that came out on Friday evening. And it's going to be good news for producers because the Broadway League told everybody on Friday that New York's Empire State Development Fund has confirmed that it has enough money to extend the Broadway tax credit by five weeks and more extensions are still possible. So applications for the New York City musical and theatrical production tax credit have been extended from September 15, which is today, when it was supposed to end, through October 20th. So that means Liberation and Little Bear Ridge Road, those are plays along with musicals. Chess and the Queen of Versailles are now going to be eligible because they have to have had their first paid performance by the end of that period, October 20th. These credits will subsidize 25% of most production costs, up to $3 million for Broadway shows, $350,000 off Broadway. So this is a huge boon for those shows specifically. And Jeff Daniel, who is the Shubert president, but also kind of the person who leads government subsidy stuff for the league, said in an email to Broadway League members on Friday, quote, this new date takes into account current projections and ensures that all eligible applications can receive their expected credit. Additionally, ESD Empire State Development will continue to monitor the availability of funds and may extend the period further if funds allow. This would obviously be a major deal for Broadway and for Off Broadway as well. The program is technically expected to expire on September 30th of 2027, but the Broadway League has told their members and everybody who will listen that they are going to continue to lobby the state to not only keep the program going forward, but also to retroactively credit shows that might get lost in any shutdown shuffles if there is a lapse in the credit. But Grace, you know this far better than I do. But the amount of money that shows are able to save with this credit or get reimbursed for technically goes a long way to they're planning to being able to spend on the show that itself, but also to the marketing to hopefully get more people in the theater.

C (11:12)

Yeah, it's. It's pretty seismic like. And, and very necessary, I think, to continue the ability to. To do shows. I know that there's a lot of conversation going around about this. There's a lot of conversation around the casino install of it all. It's really kind of like bizarrely critical and unfortunately like political moment in the literal, physical, like, spaces of Broadway theaters, Broadway theater owners and so on and so forth in Times Square in the theater district. So I really do think that we need to be paying close attention to who is doing what and voting in favor of certain things because it is pretty. This. Yeah, this could be. Yeah, I got. I got. I got nothing.

B (12:02)

Yeah, I mean, it's a big deal. It's a legitimately big deal not only for the money crunchers and the accountants on those shows, but it certainly, to borrow a term that has never actually worked in other aspects of economics, it trickles down to the audience because not only does it potentially increase the cost of tickets, but it also lowers, you know, what they're able to actually do on stage in terms of maybe some of the design, some of the tech, the size of the cast, the people who they're able to employ. So it definitely has a material impact on what we see on Broadway and off Broadway. Speaking of Broadway and off Broadway, let's dive into this week's theatrical schedule. Tonight down at the New York Theater Workshop, we have the official opening night for the new musical Saturday Church, based off of the independent film of the same name. It features a Book and additional lyrics by Damon Cardassis and James I, with music both existing and new by the iconic singer songwriter Sia, with additional music by Honey Dejon. It is directed by Whitney White and choreographed by Daryl Grand Moultrie. The show is already been extended through October 19, and it tells the story of Ulysses, a New York City kid, devoted son and the fiercest tenor at his aunt's church. A chance encounter on the subway introduces him to the world of Saturday Church, a sanctuary for LGBTQ youth. Caught between two worlds, Ulysses wrestles with family and faith as he strives to find the place where he can love and be loved in all his fabulousness. Some really fantastic names, some you might know from theaters, some you might not. J. Harrison, G. Jaquina Cola Congo, Kristallyn Lloyd, just to name a few. One of my favorite voice contestants of the last few years, Bryce and Battle, is in there as well. So obviously, Grace, this is one that a lot of people are excited about. I know you're excited about. And, you know, anytime New York Theater Workshop puts up a show, I'm like, oh, this is probably really, really good. But then when you get a cast and creative team like this, it certainly shoots that up very, very high onto the radar.

C (14:10)

It's just cool. Like, I haven't been excited about a new musical like Downtown in this kind of capacity in a second. So I think it's. I think it's exciting all around. I'm interested in the reception and of course, like, I know that they are working through it. That is the point of doing York Theater Workshop is that that is where musicals are fostered. So, yeah, I'm curious to see what happens next.

B (14:33)

Then on Tuesday night, Grace, we have the next opening night on Broadway as the first Broadway revival of Yasmina. Reza's play Art officially opens at the Music Box Theater. Directed by Scott Ellison, starring three newcomers who hopefully will have careers after this. Bobby Cannavale, James Corden, and Neil Patrick Harris. Two of those three, of course, have Tony Awards, and Bobby Cannavale is probably a better actor than both of them, so that's fine. I know, Grace, you have seen this. Obviously you can't talk about it until it is officially open, but hopefully we'll be able to do that later this week. Certainly excited. It is becoming quite a hot ticket, so if you want to see it, I would recommend purchasing tickets now because if reviews are as positive as reviews normally are for this show, it might be very, very difficult to get a ticket. And even if they aren't super, super positives. I think once more people realize that these three folks are in a show on at once, it's going to shoot things up even more. Also happening on Tuesday, we have two shows beginning performances off Broadway. I'm going to run through them really quickly. The first is over in Brooklyn at St. Ann's Warehouse. It is a new show called Weather Girl written by Brian Watkins and starring Julia McDermott, is directed by Tyne Raffaelli and it focuses on Stacy, who is a California weather girl, an oversexed and underpaid harbinger of our dying planet. But today her regular routine of wildfires, prosecco and teeth whitening descends into a scorched earth catastrophe before she discovers something that will save us all. This is being produced by the same people that produced Fleabag and Baby Reindeer. So if you want to see the next really cool stage show that will eventually probably get turned into an Emmy winning series, check out Weather Girl. Then downtown at the Public Theater there's a new play called when the Hurly Burly's Done. This is written by Richard Nelson who has done a lot of shows at the Public Theater. But what's interesting about it is is that it is performed in Ukrainian with English subtitles which is very cool. This is only running for a very short time September 16th through the 21st. So if you want to see this play that is set in 1920 and follows a Ukrainian theater troupe as they leave a war torn Kyiv and go out and perform shows across the country, including Macbeth, the first Shakespearean production ever done in Ukrainian. This sounds very cool, so if you want to check it out, we will have information in the show notes. Then on Wednesday we start previews at Irish Rep for the New York premiere of Leo McGann's play the Honey Trap. It is set initially in Belfast in 1979 at the height of the Troubles, when two off duty British soldiers think they've hit it off with two local girls at a Unionist pub on the city's outskirts. But what begins as a night of flirtation and playful sparring soon turns dark. Then decades later, as one of the soldiers recounts the events for an American oral history project, long buried memories resurface, drawing him back to Belfast in search of answers and revenge. The show is currently scheduled to play through November 9th and is directed by Matt Torney and then Grace. Last week we talked about the new musical Mexico, which is kind of a live looping hip hop musical about like an underground railroad that went south leaving the American south and ran into Mexico crossing the Rio Grande. This One will officially open at the Medellin Theater on the Thursday, September 18, then going off Broadway on Saturday. We have two shows. That's very, very exciting and I think we'll have a lot of people talking. We'll begin previews first at the Lucille Lortel Theater. We have Dylan Mulvaney's the Least Problematic Woman in the World, directed by Tim Jackson. It is going to be playing there through November 30th. And this one woman show features actress Dylan Mulvaney making her Off Broadway debut in a dazzling solo play with original music about self discovery, fame and life beyond girlhood. Then over at the Cherry Lane Theater, Grace, your favorite theater, the new play we're is going to begin performances. It is set on New Year's Eve 1999. I God I remember that was my freshman year of college. I remember New Year's Eve 1999. Y2K and it all. It features star crossed lovers and a quarrel at the strike of midnight. It is written by Natalie Palmitis and is going to open on September 28th. I will note that they do recommend this show for ages 18 and up due to nudity, sexual content and mature themes. And then unfortunately, as we've talked about Grace on Sunday, the Broadway revival of Cabaret will unfortunately wrap up its run a little bit early. So if you want to have a chance to check out this production before it heads out, you have one more week. All right, Grace. And then I just have a little bit of show and casting news. Last week the Flea announced that they will host a rare revival of John Patrick Shanley's Italian American Reconciliation this fall. It is going to run from October 3rd through October 26th and is going to be directed by Austin Pendleton, who is always great. It will star the great Mary Testa, Wade McCollum and more. Wade McCollum just steals every show that he is in. He did it in Water for Elephants and he did it in Floyd Collins. So anytime you can see him, anytime you can see Mary Testa is highly recommended. And then also this show is going to begin performances in February at New York City Center Off Broadway. And it is Bigfoot, all caps, exclamation point. It is a new musical comedy by Amber Ruffin, David A. Schmoll and Kevin Scoretta and it is going to be performances on February 11th. It is an eight week limited run presented in association with Manhattan Theater Club and the cast will be announced obviously at a later date. But Amber Ruffin, writing for the stage is always incredible to me that she is doing that. She has Worked on Some Like It Hot and the Wiz revival, but this show just sounds bonkers. It is set in the town of Mud Dirt. Like Mud Dirt, but one word. A glow in the dark oasis that exists somewhere between a chemical dump site and a nuclear power plant. It is billed as a larger than life musical tale of corrupt politicians, small town paranoia, and misunderstood youth. I love Amber Ruffin. I loved her TV shows, her own TV show, a black lady sketch show on drunk History on Seth Meyers. She's a regular guest on a show on CNN that's very funny. But I would just love her to continually write for the stage Grace because I think her voice is so specific and so unique that we need it on Broadway.

C (21:10)

I couldn't agree more. You said it all. I mean, yeah, that's the thing is like, she's got a great style. She's hilarious. I think that she understands comedy in a. In a really contemporary, progressive way. And I look forward to more people trusting her with books, whether those are old books or new books.

B (21:29)

Yeah, exactly. I think this is really interesting because even though Some Like It Hot had never been a musical before, it was obviously based on a movie. And obviously she worked on the Wiz as well. So having her work on an original story is exciting. So I'm looking forward to seeing what this is all about early next year. All right, everybody, that's all we have for today. Thanks for listening to Today on Broadway. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram rodwayradio. And if you want more Broadway radio, head over to patreon.com broadwayradio Grace, where can people find you?

C (21:54)

You can find me at graceaki.

B (21:56)

All right, everybody, have a wonderful Monday, a wonderful week, and we'll be back to talk to you tomorrow. Support American made tariff free clothing with American Giant. With American Giant, they aren't affected by tariffs because their clothing products Never left the U.S. get 20% off your first order when you use promo code stapletenty@american-giant.com.