BroadwayRadio: Today on Broadway – Monday, September 29, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of "Today on Broadway" focuses primarily on the star-studded Broadway revival of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot (pronounced "Godo" in this production), directed by Jamie Lloyd and starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. The hosts, Matt Tamminini and Grace Aki, discuss opening night reactions, review highlights from major outlets, Grace’s firsthand experience at the opening and after-party, and then move through other major Broadway news—including casting announcements and upcoming show openings for the week.

Main Segment: Waiting for Godot Revival Opens at Hudson Theatre

Key Details

• Director: Jamie Lloyd
• Leads: Keanu Reeves (Estragon) and Alex Winter (Vladimir)
• Supporting: Brandon J. Dearden, Michael Patrick Thornton, Zayn Aurora, Eric Williams
• Venue: Hudson Theatre
• Unique Approach: Pronunciation of "Godo" and creative set/staging choices

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• This production marks one of the season’s first high-profile, star-driven revivals, leveraging the longstanding partnership between Reeves and Winter (“Bill & Ted”).
• Jamie Lloyd ditches traditional Beckett staging, forgoing the famous tree and road, instead opting for a minimalist, tapered tunnel set.
• The nuanced takes of critics are highlighted—both in praise and critique.

Review Roundup

New York Times – Laura Collins-Hughes

• Notes Jamie Lloyd’s playful inclusion of an air-guitar moment, a nod to the actors' "Bill and Ted" history.
• Criticizes a relative lack of directorial boldness by Lloyd:

  “…the textual distillation that we have come to expect from Lloyd is largely missing. So is his interpretive stamp. For the most part here, he doesn't seem to have anything to say.”
  (Laura Collins-Hughes, [03:20])

• The performances by Reeves and Winter are seen as in flux:

  “These feel like performances that are still taking shape, Winter’s in particular, with Dee Dee grim-visaged throughout. Reeves has a tentativeness too…”

• Highlights the potential for growth as the performers settle in.

Time Out New York – Adam Feldman

• Gave the show three out of five stars.
• Suggests Reeves and Winter’s presence makes the show "critic proof."

  “The pleasant prospect of seeing Reeves and Winter together makes this production to some extent critic proof. …it is this Revival's other assets, the direction, the set, and above all, Durden and Thornton, that keep it from being an exercise in metastasis. For me, those elements make the production worth seeing.”
  (Adam Feldman, [05:30])

New York Post – Johnny Oleksinski

• Praises Lloyd’s departure from the classic bleak aesthetic.

  “Designer Sutra Gilmour's set is a bright giant wooden cylinder that looks like something Timothy Chalamet might pilot in Dune."
  (Johnny Oleksinski, [05:55])

• Is more critical of Keanu Reeves’ suitability for Beckett:

  “…cool scenery doesn’t go very far when one of the actors on it simply cannot handle Beckett.” (About Reeves, [06:05])

Grace Aki’s Firsthand Account

• Admits first time seeing Godot live, describes the stage as an “open, liminal, never-ending skate park into abyss.”
• High praise for Michael Patrick Thornton:

  “He is, without a doubt, just… just an incredible highlight of this production” ([07:13])

• Notes the mood of the audience: filled with “people that really love theater and people that really love play. Lin Manuel was in my row. Danielle Brooks was behind me. …It was just a really special evening.” ([08:37])
• Comments on famed guests and the “star-meets-theater-nerd” vibe of the event.

Notable Moments & Quotes

• The meta Bill & Ted callback:

  “Jamie Lloyd is Jamie Lloyd, he threw in a little air guitar bit, harkening back to the Bill & Ted days…”
  (Matt, [02:19])

• On Jamie Lloyd’s visual style:

  “…no customary tree as part of the scenery, for one thing, and no country road. This Dee Dee and Gogo while away their endless days inside a kind of tapering tunnel…”
  (Laura Collins-Hughes via Matt, [03:00])

• On the theatre community atmosphere:

  “It was just a really special evening of people that probably did this show in college or have done it in scene study… It was just kind of a nice filled theater with theater folk.”
  (Grace, [08:28])

• Partial View Ticket Advice:

  “…if anybody, like, sees partial view online and it’s a more inexpensive ticket, I got to see the show and… I was pleasantly surprised by my seat actually not being as obstructed as I thought it might be.”
  (Grace, [07:50])

Other Broadway News & Announcements

Moulin Rouge! Casting

[09:51]

• Meg Donnelly (Disney’s Zombies, American Housewife) to play Satine, starting Nov 11.
• Hosts discuss “youthful casting” for Satine and the appeal for younger fans.

  “If Kenny Ortega has selected you for a Disney Channel original film, I trust you.” (Grace, [11:30])

• Ashley Loren’s final performance is Nov 9.

This Week’s Theater Openings

[11:55–15:28]

• Punch (Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club): Opens tonight; based on Right from Wrong by Jacob Dunn.
• Masquerade (Phantom of the Opera immersive, Off-Broadway): Now open, strong word of mouth.
• Caroline (MCC): A straight play by Preston Max Allen, with Amy Landecker and Chloe Grace Moretz.
• Oratorio for Living Things (Signature Theatre): Off-Broadway, returns for a limited run.
• Tartuffe (House of the Redeemer): Starring André De Shields, only 100 audience members nightly.
• Nothing Can Take You from the Hand of God (Playwrights Horizons): First preview Thursday.
• Are the Bennet Girls Okay? (Bedlam): Extended run.
• Not Ready for Primetime (MCC): Saturday Night Live-inspired play, preview starting Sunday.

Grace’s Busy October

[15:28]

• Grace humorously laments her “100 events” for work and upcoming wedding:

  “I have 100 events for work in October. I’m working on a theater event for the day after my wedding. I can’t handle it… It’s all great stuff. I’m so privileged. I’m so grateful to even have that work. But it is work.” ([15:40])

Quick Show & Casting Notes

[16:22]

• Sophie Carmen Jones returns to Chicago as Velma Kelly.
• Mike Bartlett’s Bull (Off-Broadway) extends run.
• Cathy Rigby joins Peter Pan Goes Wrong (La Mirada Theatre), as the narrator.

Performance Recommendations

[18:02]

• Video: Alicia Keys and Jessica Vosk duet at the Shubert post-Hell’s Kitchen concert.
• Video: Stereophonic national tour preview performance at The Bitter End, “Masquerade.”

Episode Wrap

The hosts wrap up with social plugs, encouraging listeners to check out their Patreon for extended conversations and to stay tuned for further theater news and interviews.

Timestamps

• [00:31] – Episode intro; Godot opening
• [02:19–06:09] – Critical reviews of Waiting for Godot
• [06:09–09:51] – Grace’s review, opening night & after party vibes
• [09:51–11:55] – Moulin Rouge! new casting
• [11:55–15:28] – This week’s Broadway and Off-Broadway schedule
• [15:28–16:22] – Grace’s personal updates & upcoming busy season
• [16:22–18:02] – Quick show/casting news, performance recommendations

This episode provides a lively, behind-the-scenes look at one of the most anticipated productions of the new season, thoughtful engagement with reviews, and a broad sweep of upcoming theater highlights—blending critical analysis, personal experience, and industry news for Broadway fans and theater professionals alike.