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- [00:00]
A
Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.
- [00:03]
B
Zoe, this thing weighs a ton. Drew Ski, live with your legs, man.
- [00:06]
A
Santa. Santa, did you get my letter?
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B
He's talking to you britches.
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C
I'm not.
- [00:10]
A
Of course he did.
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C
Right, Santa, you know my elf Drew Ski here.
- [00:14]
B
He handles the nice list. And elf, I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T Mobile, you can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies, right, Mrs. Claus?
- [00:25]
A
I'm Mrs. Claus Claus much younger sister. And AT T Mobile, there's no trade in needed when you switch. So you can keep your old phone.
- [00:32]
B
Or give it as a gift.
- [00:33]
A
And the best part, you can make the switch to T mobile from your phone in just 15 minutes.
- [00:37]
B
Nice. My side of the tree is slipping. Kimber, the holidays are better. AT T Mobile switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed. And now T Mobile is available in U.S. cellular stores with sweeper. Monthly bill credits for well qualified customers plus tax and $35 vice connection charge credit sentinel balance due to payout earlier. Cancel Finance Agreement. 256 gates, $830 eligible Ford in a new line, $100 plus a month plan with auto. Check out 15 minutes or less per line. Visit t mobile.com welcome to Today on Broadway for Thursday, December 11, 2025 on Broadway Radio is Matt Tamineni and I'm.
- [01:07]
A
Tell me on the Sunday podcast. Grace Aki.
- [01:09]
B
Grace starting the show with some good news. And yesterday, Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids announced that they have raised a record amount from this year's Red Bucket campaign. In total, all of the efforts brought in $7,344,304, which beats the was achieved last spring which was 6.8 million. So they raised more than half a million more than the previous record. The news was announced at the Red Bucket Follies that happened on Monday and Tuesday. The finale was on Tuesday. Hamilton was the show that raised the most money at over $564,000, followed by just in time at 491 and then waiting for Godot at 431 ish thousand dollars. The shows off Broadway that made the most money were led by Prince F at almost 48,000. Little Shop before is at 42 and Heather's at 37. The Wicked National Tour brought in the most at $273,000. So Grace, I'm always concerned about these types of things when the economy is going through whatever craziness it is going through, right now, obviously, people have a lot of concerns financially, but, you know, when it's tough for, you know, Broadway theater goers, it's also tough for everybody who is not doing well enough to go to Broadway shows. So it's really good to know that Broadway Cares was able to raise that much money. And especially knowing all of the incredible work that they do, you love to see a record total coming in so that that money can be used really effectively to all of the different organizations that BCEFA supports throughout the year.
- [02:57]
A
I just love how much people love giving. You know what I mean? Like, I love how much, like, you're already in hundreds of dollars of theater seats, right? And then on top of that, because of the way that different shows incentivize the giving, it's just such a. It's just a great. It's a great thing to happen, especially around these, like, two big touch points of the year. And I think that they've just done an extraordinary job this season. I've loved watching everyone's speech. I've loved watching everybody's giveaways. I've loved watching everyone's bucket stuff. It's just. It's just a great time to. To celebrate this wonderful charitable component to the Broadway community.
- [03:35]
B
Do you have a favorite curtain speech or anything like that that you've ever witnessed, either in person or via social media?
- [03:44]
A
You know, I don't think that I have one favorite, but I think that there's something insane about a silk slip from Sunset bloodied, like, being auctioned off or like, when. When I saw Jonathan Groff, you know, auction off his socks the other day, there was just something hilarious. What do we. But it was just like. Obviously it was to get a photo with him, like, you know what I mean? But, like, he was auctioning the socks. I think I went for, like, at least a thousand plus, but it was just. I don't know. I know that the conceit is to give the money and to donate. The conceit is not the item itself, but sometimes these items are crazy. And I just think it's so. It's such a fun mom moment to kind of, like, play with your audience a little bit, because we don't get to have that direct address in the show often, right? I mean, in just in time, specifically, kind of different. But it's the one moment that everybody's in the same boat. Like, everyone's in the community together. Everybody's speaking to each other, and, like, it's. It's just a good. It's a good camaraderie moment for the community, I think because like, you wouldn't see that at the end of a film where the actor busts out of the screen and then they're like, hey. And also we do this other thing. So, yeah, I just think that it's like, it's just one of those things. It's such like a bucket list, not pun intended, for a lot of actors in shows to say, like, oh, I get to make the speech or I get to, you know, hold the bucket outside the theater. So, yeah, it's just, I don't know, it's a cool thing that I love each season. I love seeing like a new moment that I was like, oh, this brightens my day.
- [05:15]
B
Yeah, I think the biggest, the most amount of money that I've ever seen was back at Hugh Jackman's one man show. That wasn't really a one man show. They had all the background singers and dancers. When I might get some of the details wrong, but he like auctioned off his sweaty shirt. And like when I, the day I was there, there was like a bidding war between people and I think it got up to like $11,000. And because both the person who won and somebody else had gone up to $10,000, he was like, you know what, if you go 11,000 and you go 10,000 where you were, you will both get a shirt. I'll give you one from act one and act two. It's like they just made $21,000 just from that. It was just an absurd amount of money. And this was, I don't know, 12, 13 years ago whenever that show was on Broadway. So you're right, it's wild to see what people will do, but it is, of course all going to a very, very worthwhile cause. So especially heading into the holidays. That's lovely to see.
- [06:20]
All right, let's get into some other news. And we previously talked about the fact that two time Tony Ward winner Shayna Taub is going to take a leave of absence from the Broadway revival of Ragtime just after the new year. She's going to continue playing the role of emma Goldman through January 6th, but then she is going to take a break on that day, return after March 29. She's going to come back on the 31st. She's going to take those 3ish months off to kind of deal with some physical and mental things that she has been going on to. She had posted a very moving Instagram post when she announced the leave of absence detailing three lost pregnancies that she's had over the last couple of years. But yesterday we found out who is going to be taking over the role of Emma Goldman in her stead, and it will be none other than the phenomenal Julie Benko. She's going to step into the role, and I think she is going to be fantastic in that she posted a post on social media where she had, like three books about the real life Emma Goldman and she was gonna be diving into it to be able to take over the role here in just about three weeks. Of course, you might know that she is actually currently starring in a production of Guys and Dolls as Sarah Brown at the Shakespeare Theater Company. So they announced that when Julie leaves for Ragtime, she will play her final performance on December 28 in her stead. Emma Fly is going to take over the role for the duration they had previously extended through January 8th. So Emma Flynn originated the role of Cher Horowitz in the London West End production of Clueless the Musical. So she is going to be joining Jacob Dicke as Sky Masterson, Rob Coletti as Nathan Detroit, Haley Podcun as Miss Adelaide, and Kyle Taylor Parker as Nicely Nicely Johnson. But in terms of Julie Banko stepping into Ragtime, Grace, if you're going to replace Shayna Taub, like, bringing a talent in like Julie feels like an actual, like, bucket list kind of thing. If you were going to dream cast.
- [08:19]
A
A replacement in that role, oh, yeah, it's genius. And I think that, like, I'm excited to see her get to have this moment again, like, where she is just, like, so well lit on stage and also just in this moment, she's just such a hero of the community and I think this is just a great moment for her.
- [08:41]
B
All right, Grace, being the cinephile that you are, what are your thoughts on the iconic 2000 film Coyote Ugly?
- [08:51]
A
Oh, I don't know that we have time in today's show, Matt. I mean, there's. There's nuance, there's, like, prose. There's. When I tell you I care deeply about the property, it's just, It's. It's an iconic piece of film and women's dance history. I'll just say it. Yeah.
- [09:10]
B
Okay, so the 2000 film Coyote Ugly, which was based on a 1997 GQ article by Elizabeth Gilbert, is being adapted into a musical shocker. The original screenwriter, Gwen Wendkos, is going to adapt her screenplay and is doing that to write the book along with Olivier winner Vicki Stone. The show is going to be directed and choreographed by Take a Guess. I bet you you could guess if you just heard Coyote Ugly getting a musical treatment. Jerry Mitchell is going to be helming this production. The score will feature the songs written for the original film by Diane Warren. Will she get a Tony Award before she gets an Oscar? Obviously, the songs that she wrote for the movie version won't be eligible, but she is pinning new songs for it. So if more than 50% of the score is new material, she would be eligible for a Tony Award if the show comes to Broadway. But, you know, I feel like in this day and age, Grace, we're getting a Coyote Ugly musical. It feels almost like overdue at this time. Like, I know, like 20 years isn't that long. 25 years isn't that long to wait from a film to a movie or from a film to a musical. But it seems like that film, if anything from that era, was ripe for a musical adaptation.
- [10:31]
A
It's an interesting choice. I think it makes sense from, you know, a property standpoint because it has famous. I mean, a lot of people, you know, often forget that, like, not only is it a film, but, like, there are Coyote Ugly saloons. Right. Like, I think that it's. It's. I don't want to say Hooters or like Chippendales or.
- [10:52]
B
No, but it's a. It's a. Like it's a destination. Like, it's a. Yeah.
- [10:56]
A
Like, people are familiar beyond the property name of the film. Like, they're familiar with what happens at these establishments. There is a bar component. There's a dance component. Right. So I think it's smart. I think if done the right way. And I love Diane Warren music. Great. I think that, like, stylistically there's like a grittiness that I hope exists that is earnest in the film.
- [11:20]
B
Yeah.
- [11:21]
A
And that just on spec. I don't think that that's the vision. Seemingly, it feels like capital B Broadway and not like what I think could be like, with the music of, like, Kelsey Ballerini or something. You know what I mean? Like, I. There's just something else to it that I think that it could. Could be exciting. Did we learn about book yet?
- [11:45]
B
Yeah. The original screenwriter is writing the book with Olivier Wynter, Vicky Stone. So that's cool. Yeah. When you talk. Yeah. When you talk about grittiness, Jerry Mitchell is not the first person that you come up with also, I mean, let's say it, because I do think it's something that people will probably talk about. Like, this film is in this story, the real life story, the real life Coyote Agathe is like about a bunch of young women and I do think it's interesting that a man is helming this production. Although all of the writers are women. Jerry Mitchell obviously has done very well with some women focused properties, of course, my beloved Legally Blonde chief amongst them. But I do think that's interesting that you talk about the grittiness, the women centric story and Jerry Mitchell maybe not necessarily fitting with that, but if you want a big capital B Broadway show like you were talking about, he certainly fits that bill.
- [12:37]
In other developmental news, this one is not nearly as close to having a production as Coyote Ugly apparently is, but another film is making its way to the stage with hopes of coming to Broadway and that is the Oscar and Grammy nominated 2007 film August Rush. This one is going to be helmed by Kathleen Marshall and later this week on Thursday and Friday, today and tomorrow they are going to do industry presentations. Nick Blaymire has written the new book and contributed new songs to the score that also features some of the music and compositions from the platinum selling soundtrack by Mark Mancini, John Legend, Chris Trapper, Luke Reynolds, along with new songs from Tom Kitt, Van Hughes, John Androsky from the band Five for Fighting, Bonnie McKee who is a collaborator with Katy Perry. If you remember, this film featured Freddie Highmore, Robin Williams, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Terrence Howard and had a lot to do with, I mean it kind of felt a little bit like Oliver, but it was also about a musical prodigy. So it's a really interesting story that they are diving into here. The workshop is being led by Christopher riley as the 11 year old musical prodigy August Rush. Jeremy Kushner is playing wizard, which is the Robin Williams character. Also in the cast are Matthew James, Thomas, Talia Suskower, Jeffrey Cornelius, Wade McCollum, Heath Saunders, Vishal Vita, who I just saw in the filmed version of Mary Libby roll along last night. So this one is very interesting. Like I think this has been kicking around for a while, Grace. And again, not dissimilar from Coyote Ugly, a movie that has a musical component already built in does seem like it makes it a little bit more logical to transition to a musical theater stage.
- [14:29]
A
I agree. I know I've known about this one for quite a while and I think that what's interesting about it is like I think that there is a vein or there's a genre of movie, not musical but musical element films from this particular era of movies that is like this. You've got August Russian development and you have begin again. That has just gotten the green light. So I'm. And then like what's happening with music and lyrics? Like there are all these early 2000s movies. And I've had this theory forever and you've heard me say it ad nauseum. I'm reminding everyone that I'm right again, that every 20 years we evaluate the, you know, the studios are evaluating what movies are prime for. Kind of like, oh, and here's how we can make the next step to continue whatever that franchise is. So it is quite literally, if you look at the early 2000s, you should be examining, you know, the years 2000 to 2008 to see what is going to be developed. And that's all.
- [15:28]
B
And probably a number of those are already in development that we just don't know about. All right, so on Wednesday, the Broadway league released the 2024, 2025 audience demographic information. We will have a link to the full, full survey of information that was released, but it does point out some really interesting numbers. Now I, before we get into this, I want to remind people that these are all self reported numbers. So these are things that actual Broadway audience members told the Broadway League via surveys. So because of that, you have to kind of just compare them to each other. For when you're looking at things like ticket price, this is not necessarily going to coincide with the official grosses because what audiences paid for a ticket might not be what the actual ticket costs at the box office because they could have got them from third party ticket agents and stuff like that. So just realize that because these are self reported, both in terms of the financials but also some of the other details, this is not coming from like granular data that the Broadway League combed through. This was all from survey information. But to start off, less than 13% of tickets came from people who lived in in the New York City suburbs, which is the lowest percentage of the last three decades. I don't know what exactly that means, but it continued to go down the previous year. 2023, 2024 had been the previous from that past three decades, but it went down again this year. And the percentage of international theater goers did dip a little bit, going from 21% last year to 20% the following year, with the remainder of everybody else coming from other places in the United States. So looking at people in and around New York City, they're going to the Broadway shows a little bit less and people internationally are coming a little bit less. But on the positive side of things, the Data represented showed that last year was the highest percentage of self identifying people of color that came to the theater for the past 30 years at 34% of the Broadway audience. I don't know what the like average of people of color is in the United States, but I think that's probably a pretty good percentage, especially considering how white we tend to think that Broadway audiences have been historically. So having some movement there is also pretty good. I want to run through a few of these real quick, Grace, and then you can chime in on any of these that pop out. But the average age of a Broadway theatergoer also continued to get younger and went from 42 years during the previous season to 41. The average household income more or less stayed the same at $276,465. The average ticket price also, which is pretty interesting, fell by about 8 bucks. The average ticket price was $145.70 compared to $154 the previous year. And one of the things that you talk a lot about, Grace, is how far in advance people are buying tickets. The average reported date for ticket purchases of a Broadway show was 33 days before performance, which feels like, oh, a month. That seems like a long time. But when you factor in the fact that a lot of people are getting them day of that live in New York City, that, you know, kind of pushes that down when a lot of other people are getting them further out for longer trips. So pretty interesting stuff. Instagram is the most widely cited source to get theater information. Personal recommendation was the strongest motivator to, to pick a show. So like I said, we'll have the complete report in the show notes courtesy of Deadline. But some pretty good overall macro numbers and information in there. Grace.
- [19:06]
A
I think it's worth noting that like, if you have any interest and are a theater goer, whether it's once a year, once every five years, or 15 times a year minimum, like you should be looking into how you can support these data collection surveys. Like, I grew up at any phone call to my mom's house growing up, she would say it's really important that like I take the survey because most people like don't do that. And that data helps inform what happens in the world. And so I genuinely have seen this, like in theater specifically, that like the data that is collected from a lot of these types of surveys are really important to like help navigate, like what audiences are going to be seeing, what you want to be seeing. You have buying power. Just at minimum when you, you know, you're making theater purchases often. So, like, if you have opinions on some of these things, like, try to find ways that you can contribute to surveys because they genuinely shape how shows come in, like, and when and what they are. You know, I hear all the time, oh, well, I hate that there are all these adaptations. I'm like, do you go buy tickets to see original work? Do you like Off Broadway or on Broadway? Like, you know, you have to kind of, like, support a lot of these things with either data or money. So I'm grateful that these reports exist.
- [20:31]
B
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 at Broadway Reading. If you want more Broadway reading, you can hit us to patreon.com broadway radio. Grace, where can people find you?
- [20:39]
A
You can find me at Grace Aki.
- [20:41]
B
All right, everybody, have a wonderful Thursday. We'll be back to talk to you tomorrow.
- [20:52]
C
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