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Today on Broadway: Thursday, June 5, 2025
00:15:15
‘Dog Day Afternoon’ to Hit Broadway This Spring, Debbie Allen Directing ‘Polly’ Musical Adaptation, Will Farrell Adapting Musical Film ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ Since 2016, “Today on Broadway” has been the first and only daily podcast recapping the top...
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- [00:02]
A
Welcome to Today on Broadway for Thursday, June 5, 2025. I'm Broadway Radio's Matt Tamanini and I'm.
- [00:07]
B
Tell Me on a Sunday podcast. Grace Aki.
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A
Grace, we are inching closer to the Tony Awards and that means that if you want to get involved in our Tony's predictions pool, you need to do it now. The deadline is Sunday before the telecast starts. So if you want to compete with me, Grace, maybe we'll have to get you in. I don't know if you're actually allowed to be involved with those or not with your day job, but if you want to win a prize pack of Broadway and theater, make sure that you are in that pool. I will have a link in the show notes if you want to check that out. I need to go through and finalize my picks as well. So you will get them there as well as in a Wish, Want and will episode that'll be coming up in Patreon soon. Grace, we've had two of your five show review episodes hit Patreon, so people want to hear you talk about Sunset Boulevard and maybe happy ending. Those are available to listen at the Patreon feed at the mezzanine tier and above. Okay, Grace, we just some breaking news get announced while you were talking. You knew this was coming, didn't you?
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B
Yeah.
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A
Okay, so this is something that has been in the works for a while. We have talked about it on previous episodes over the years. At one point I think they even announced it for a Broadway run and then like it never came in terms of the time. But it was announced just now as we are recording that Stephen Adley Girgis has adapted the iconic film Dog Day Afternoon and the show will be coming to Broadway in the spring of 2020. Rupert Gould is directing and holy crap, the cast in this, they've only announced the two stars and they are co stars from the TV show the Bear, Jon Berenthal and Eben Moss Bacharach. The show does not yet have a theater or any other cast members or creative team or anything like that, but that is an unbelievable combination of talents and properties. Bernthal is going to play Sunny, Eben is going to play Sal. If you remember or have never seen the film, it is set in 1972, New York City, a time when the Vietnam War looms large, Watergate headlines flood the news and one man's desperate act captivates the nation. A Brooklyn bank holdup quickly goes wrong. And with each gut wrenching twist that unfolds, chaos ensues, that ignites the city as they follow the actions of a man on the edge. Dog Day Afternoon is a raw, gritty reminder of what happens when passion and desperation collide. Now, I don't want to, like, spoil, like, there's some pretty important things in this story that are not mentioned here. So, like, I feel like we don't want to spoil things too, too much with this. Although the film is 40, 50 years old and it is based on a true story, too.
- [02:51]
B
I mean, listen, you know, I'm a fan of this film and just the idea of it being adapted for so long and by a really great team. I mean, you've got a similar producing team. Actually, the same producing team is Good Night and Good Luck, which is obvious. An adaptation of a film to stage. So I'm. I'm excited. Obviously, you know, we. We talk about film adaptations especially, but this one is so dear to a lot of people. Like, the idea of, like, Attica being screamed on a Broadway stage is freaking me out like that. I'm telling you, I'm going to transcend, you know, when that happens. But, yeah, I mean, this takes place in Brooklyn. Like, it's in our backyard. This happened. Like, and I think that culturally, as a society, we are in a time that, like, I don't think that this has altered in any way. Like, this is not something that I think people would be surprised if something like this happened again. You know, I don't know. It's just. It's such an incredible story. It's got such great impact that, like, I'm thrilled. And this is a great cast. It's just. It just is. So I'm. I can't tell you how excited I am.
- [03:55]
A
This feels like set in Brooklyn would be a great thing to have a Nighthawk Cinema screening for.
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B
That's so weird that you say that because there is a Dog Day Afternoon hot dog stand nearby that particular Nighthawk. And they may or may not be finding the original film to screen sometime in the near future for maybe that reason.
- [04:15]
A
What an absolute coincidence that is. I can't imagine that there was any forethought and planning put into that. But the original film obviously starred Al Pacino and John Cazale, who also played his brother in the Godfather, Chris Sarandon Charles dooming so many other people. So this is fascinating, and I really feel like there's so many themes in this story that still resonate today. You know, like you said, good Night and Good Luck, Same producing team, also based on a true story, also a movie now coming to Broadway. So really, really excited about that. There is a new musical working its way towards Broadway featuring a phenomen group of creatives that was based on a beloved 1980s television movie. The movie was called Polly and that film was directed by Debbie Allen. This musical adaptation called the Musical is also going to be directed by the two time Tony nominee and entertainment icon Debbie Allen, who will also choreograph. It was a Disney TV movie that was based on the Eleanor H. Porter novel. In the film, it co starred Debbie Allen's sister Phylicia Rashad and Phylicia Rashad's daughter on the Cosby Show, Keisha Knight Poolman. No casting has been announced yet for this upcoming musical, but in addition to Debbie Allen, the rest of the creative team is fantastic. The book will be written by Emmy winner Lena Waite and Michael Benjamin Washington with music and lyrics by Grammy winner Ciara Garrett and Jeria Kwame. The show is set in 1950s Alabama and it follows a plucky orphan Polly, who is forced to contend with negativity and conflict in a small town under segregation. Grace, is this movie on your radar? It's, you know, it's a little older than you, but I didn't know if this was one like you saw on Disney Channel growing up or anything like that.
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B
Yeah, it's a version of Pollyanna. Famously, Disney Original Films had done a Pollyanna film with I think the same actress from the original Parent Trap.
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A
Yeah, Haley Mills.
- [06:30]
B
So this was a different version of a very similar story, but it was called Polly and I think it was really popular in a lot of different communities. And like I, I remember the COVID of it. I hadn't seen it, but there were like tons of Disney original films that were screened on TV and stuff that I just like hadn't seen. Like there are tons that are still coming out of the woodwork that I'm like, oh wait, what like there's like Rocket. Remember like Rocketman or something like that that's now on Disney. There's like a ton. The Rocke, the Rocketeer. Thank you. I had just seen that like two years ago for the first time because F was like, how have you never seen the Rocketeer? Which I was like, okay, but respectfully, you've never seen any movie. So yeah, I'm excited that this is getting like another life with such an exciting creative team. But yeah, this was one that I was like, oh, right, I remember the COVID but I had not seen it.
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A
Sticking for the third story at the top of the show in a row with movies being Adapted for the Broadway stage. This is one we have talked about before as there were rumors. Now it has been officially announced that the 2020 Netflix movie Eurovision Song Contest Colon, the Story of Fire saga is being developed for the Broadway stage. The film was written by Will Ferrell and Harper Steele and they are bringing on Anthony King of Gutenberg in Beetlejuice credits to help write the book. Sivan Kotecha is composing. The music obviously will have a very Euro style feel. Alex Timbers, who feels like the only person who could direct this properly, is on board to helm. We don't exactly know the timeline at this point. We don't theater, we don't know casting. But look, if you're going to do this show, Alex Temperance feels like the right guy and Anthony King, with his obvious silliness that he's employed on Broadway multiple times before, feels like a really good person to kind of bring in and add some stage cred to the film's writing team.
- [08:19]
B
And if and when this thing makes its way to Broadway, if y' all don't call Julia Madison and Noel, y' all are insane. I'm just saying they are incredible actors. They are literally a musical writing duo and they are hilarious. So I don't know what's going to happen there, but I'm just putting it out there. I have nothing to do with any of it.
- [08:40]
A
Yeah, they, Julia Noel are represented as a songwriting team with Death becomes her on Broadway. They are also performers themselves and could be very, very good in this show. So the movie starred Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams and it's just ridiculous and everything that you would like to think of from a Eurovision movie. We will talk about something that has both Eurovision and ridiculous connections coming up later in the show. But for some more traditional show and casting news, yesterday the Broadway revival of Chicago announced some new stars coming in to take on roles. Zach Bravo will make his Broadway debut as Fred Cassley. James T. Lane will take over as Harry. Sean Samuels will play Martin Harrison and Samantha Strum will play Annie over at the Gershwin Theater. Wicked has announced that Carrie Renee Fuller, who was involved with six for a while and then just wrapped up the Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse off Broadway. She will step in to be the Elphaba standby beginning on July 1st. Then we got some news about an upcoming reading for the Bad News Bears musical Grace. You might remember we talked about a previous reading of this show that back in February of last year at that time that reading starred Bonnie Milligan, Ava Briglia, who are both still with it, but it also had Chris Sullivan playing the Walter Matthau coach role. Those two women are still involved. Chris Sullivan is not in his place is Taran Killam. This next developmental reading will happen on Thursday and Friday, and it features an adaptation by Brian Feinstein and Eric Garcia, and it is being directed by Sherri Eden Barber. Also in the cast will be Ryan Redmond, Kevin Pariseau and more. Look, I love Chris Sullivan. I would love to see him do a musical on Broadway. But if he's not going to be involved, Grace, Taren Kill him feels like a pretty good. A pretty good option as well.
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B
What an icon. I love that we go from, like, Walter Mathau to Taryn Killam. Like, I do think that that is a pipeline. Like, I'd like to explore that further into his older age with Grumpy Old Men. You know what I mean? I think we could do it.
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A
Yeah. There is a Grumpy Old man musical that has been done regionally quite a bit and has never made it to New York City, as far as I know. Definitely not on Broadway. So who knows? That will be interesting to see and follow along throughout the years. All right, getting back to something I mentioned earlier about Eurovision and ridiculousness. Yesterday, Variety reported that ABBA's Bjorn Alveus is working on a new musical, which is awesome. Obviously, love all things abba. Love Chess. Glad that it's coming back to Broadway. But he's working on a new musical at the age of 80. But he's not writing it alone. Grace, have you seen who he's writing this musical with?
- [11:31]
B
No. Oh, yes, I have. Yeah.
- [11:36]
A
He's writing it with the help of AI. And on some level it makes sense because ABBA has always really kind of pushed the technological boundaries. They were the first people to use a certain. Certain type of synthesizer, and they were one of the first groups to record digitally and all of that stuff. But what's interesting about it is that Bjorn is talking about how great it is, but he's actually saying, like, it kind of sucks. It's not actually helpful in terms of coming up with ideas. He says, quote, it's lousy at writing a whole song and very bad at lyrics, but that it helps him break through creative blocks. He says, quote, you can prompt a lyric. You have written about something and you're stuck, maybe. And you want this song to be in a certain style. You can ask it, how would you extend? Where would you go from here? It usually comes out with garbage, but sometimes there is something in it that gives you Another idea. You know, I'm uncomfortable with the encroaching use of AI and all things creative, but I guess if you're going to use AI, saying that it's garbage and it doesn't actually work is the best option, but feels a little weird. Don't know that I love it, but, you know, another ABBA centric musical, you know, can't be too, too terrible, I suppose. All right, let's run through a few recommendations for you here. Playbill has a great video that follows along Shannon McPherson, who is one of the main camera operators in Sunset Boulevard as she teaches people how to, like, do the Steadicam, especially during the outdoor walk with Tom Francis. So that's a very, very cool video. And it should be noted that Shayna, while the camera person in Sunset Boulevard, she's like, been a West End performer before. So, like, she's a dancer. So this is a pretty interesting opportunity for her. She's been involved with the show both in London and in New York, and I think that's a very cool way to show just how intricate and how important her work is in the show.
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B
Yeah. And I'll just on that note, like, everyone that was hired to fulfill those roles as like, quote, unquote, camera operators, like, they are all considered actors in the show. All the people that auditioned for the show, like, they are all actors. Like, they understand the flow of a scene. They understand how to be a scene partner. And because the camera acts as an additional scene partner is why it was so integral for them to cast people that had experience physically being in scenes on stage. Just throwing it out there.
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A
Yeah, absolutely. All right. And then we have a couple different looks at two new musicals that are on Broadway. First, Julia Knightle did a performance at Playbill Studio singing A Stranger from Dead Outlaw. So you can check that out in the show notes. And then Just In Time has released its first highlight clips for. For the show. A lot of the TV performances that we've seen so far have been Jonathan Groff doing some splish splash action. There's a little bit in that. There's some more. It's about a minute or so of, of footage. So that was the most fun I had in a new musical this season. So, you know, take a look and see if it's up your alley. All right, that's all that we have for today. Thanks for listening to Today on Broadway. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram broadwayradio. And don't forget to head over to patreon.com broadwayradiobrotherio.com Patreon Grace. Where can people find you?
- [15:02]
B
You can find me at. It's Graceaki.
- [15:03]
A
All right, everybody, have a wonderful Thursday and we'll be back to talk to you tomorrow.