BroadwayRadio: Today on Broadway - Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025

Hosts: Matt Tamanini & Grace Aki
Podcast: BroadwayRadio
Episode Date: November 20, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on major happenings and buzz from the world of Broadway and Off-Broadway. Main focuses include the much-anticipated opening of Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York (with a delayed full review pending embargo), the Off-Broadway debut of Tom Hanks in This World of Tomorrow, an analysis of the latest Broadway grosses (noting trends and star-driven financial spikes), leadership news out of La Jolla Playhouse, a unique new theater import (Australia’s Burnout Paradise), the announcement of a high school edition of Hamilton, and the three-year anniversary celebration of & Juliet on Broadway.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Upcoming Broadway Opening: Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York

• The show opens at the Longacre Theater, and the podcast will record a later episode post-embargo for reviews.
  • [00:39] “... we are going to record later tonight after the reviews are out ... if you normally listen in Patreon, that will be fairly late ...” (Matt)

2. Off-Broadway: This World of Tomorrow at The Shed

• Star Power: Written and led by Tom Hanks, with Kelly O’Hara co-starring, directed by Kenny Leon; based on Hanks’s own short stories.
• Synopsis: Time-travel narrative: Hanks’s character repeatedly returns to a single day at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
• Critical Reception:
  • Mostly mixed reviews with one notable positive from the New York Times; otherwise, reviews from outlets like Vulture, The Guardian, and The Washington Post were less favorable, particularly critiquing the play’s reliance on Hanks’s celebrity.
  • Notable Quotes:
    • [01:48] “The play's futuristic framework notwithstanding ... connoisseurs of Nora Ephron's movie, You've Got Mail, will detect several echoes ... because Hanks ... is the one speaking the lines.” — Laura Collins-Hughes, NYT
    • [02:23] “There are plenty of talented folks around Hanks ... but they don't factor into the equation. This thing is entirely about admiring its star. Hey, at least there are some fun hats.” — Jackson McHenry, Vulture
    • [02:45] “It's a loosely familiar tale of time travel ... that tries and half succeeds to bring something new to a table we've sat at many times before.” — Benjamin Lee, The Guardian
    • [03:06] “...let's keep Hanks co-star Kelly O’Hara above this fray, where she belongs...She is the lone lighthouse in this sea of slop...O’Hara’s delicate radiance ... is the only part of the story that makes sense.” — Naveen Kumar, The Washington Post
• Host Reactions:
  • [03:55] “I think people are going to pay to see this show no matter what...It's Tom Hanks off Broadway.” (Matt)
  • [04:13] “It's challenging ... is the work good? Is this necessary? ... They're building on nostalgia ... but it's hard.” (Grace)

3. Broadway Grosses & Financial Watch

• Recent Trends (34 shows running):
  • Broadway overall was flat; grosses down slightly, attendance down 3%, average ticket up 1%.
  • “...$40,196,250 ... Attendance was down 3% to 297,542 people. And the average ticket price was just up 1% to $135.09.” (Matt) [05:07]
• Top Shows:
  • Hamilton leads ($3.85M), buoyed by Leslie Odom Jr.’s return.
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (#2, $2.6M for a 7-show week with gala performance, speculating it might hit $3M once fully up to speed with Tom Felton’s return).
  • Wicked, Chess, and The Lion King round out the top five.
• Noteworthy:
  • Average/top ticket prices are very high — Cursed Child at $900, Hamilton at $1,500 for prime seats.
• Mamma Mia! Watch:
  • Strong grosses ($1.5M), sparking speculation whether it will extend past its planned closing. Matt asks:
    • [07:39] “At what point do we see Mamma Mia! ... do you think producers will start to actively consider maybe not closing it after the new year?”
  • Grace responds:
    • [08:03] “It's such a challenging thing. It's such a real estate market right now...the holiday season is going to be very telling for a lot of shows. I'm very hopeful for shows like Two Strangers Carry a Cake...”

4. Industry Rumblings & Theater Economics

• Speculation about theater real estate, production costs, and set design challenges due to tariffs and import costs.
  • [09:15] “Heard... certain shows ... have had to pare down their sets because of tariffs ... a show like Mamma Mia! ... the set has long been paid for ... just wonder if that's a better financial opportunity ...” (Matt)

5. Leadership News: Jessica Stone to La Jolla Playhouse

• Jessica Stone (Tony-winning director for Kimberly Akimbo) will become Artistic Director at La Jolla Playhouse in 2026, succeeding Christopher Ashley (moving to Roundabout).
  • [10:05] “Excited to see what she does ... and interested if she's able to keep a foot in both New York and La Jolla ... Congratulations to her. That is very exciting.” (Matt)

6. Unique Theater Announcement: Burnout Paradise returns to NYC

• About: Four performers collectively run 20km on treadmills, undertaking tasks like cooking, reciting Shakespeare, dog walking, etc. If they fail, audience gets their money back.
• Run: Astor Place Theatre, Feb 18–Jun 28, 2026.
  • [11:17] “This is such a cool, unique thing...reminds me of that one music video...But this is cool and I am looking forward to hopefully getting a chance to check it out...” (Matt)

7. Big News: ‘Hamilton’ High School Edition Announced

• Concord Theatricals + Lin-Manuel Miranda:
  • Rights for a high-school edition to be available starting 2028.
  • No major content changes expected, just a possible trim in length.
  • [12:40] “Interested to see how they pare this down for high schoolers. ... excited to see ... what different schools ... do ... make it more of a school-friendly show.” (Matt)
  • [13:31] “You know, it was time and I knew this day would come. So let the children have it. You know, the churches got to it first. Let the children have it.” (Grace)

8. Three-Year Anniversary of & Juliet: A Special Performance

• Celebration: Featured all three Broadway Juliets (Gianna Harris, Maya Boyd, Lorna Courtney) performing Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?” in a new choreographed number.
  • [14:11] “...with 48 shows that opened right after COVID, [it’s] one of three that has survived ... just, you know, to celebrate. ... this was an amazing thing ... I got to see my friend Jumin do a full breakdance solo ... a spectacular thing ...” (Grace)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tom Hanks’s Off-Broadway Debut:
  • “I'm not sure that this matters. It's Tom Hanks off Broadway. I think people are going to pay to see this show no matter what, but interesting that it is not getting ... the reviews ... you would probably expect from a show led by one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.” (Matt, [03:55])
• On Star-Driven Theater:
  • “It's just this tedious nature of, like, is the work good? Like, is this necessary? ... They're building off of the nostalgia ... but it's hard.” (Grace, [04:13])
• On Mamma Mia’s Fate:
  • “The new year, I think the holiday season is going to be very telling for a lot of shows. I'm very hopeful for shows like Two Strangers Carry a Cake.” (Grace, [08:03])
• On Hamilton for High Schools:
  • “Let the children have it. You know, the churches got to it first. Let the children have it.” (Grace, [13:31])
• On & Juliet’s Milestone:
  • “This was just. It was a spectacular thing. It was great to see everybody in the house ... I'm just so grateful to be a part of that.” (Grace, [14:11])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:39] – Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York opens tonight
• [01:00 – 04:13] – Reviews and reactions to This World of Tomorrow Off-Broadway
• [05:07] – Weekly Broadway grosses, Hamilton and Cursed Child observations
• [07:39] – Mamma Mia! grosses & speculation on extension
• [10:05] – Jessica Stone announced as new AD at La Jolla Playhouse
• [11:14] – What is Burnout Paradise?
• [12:40] – High school edition of Hamilton announced
• [14:11] – & Juliet three-year anniversary celebration

Conclusion

This episode offers a deep dive into the intersection of star power, economics, and creativity shaping Broadway and Off-Broadway as 2025 closes out. From the allure of Tom Hanks live on stage, to the lasting appeal of Mamma Mia!, new experiments like Burnout Paradise, and the democratization of Hamilton for high schools, Broadway is depicted as ever-evolving, with both nostalgia and innovation at play. The episode closes with an inside look at the joyful, enduring energy of & Juliet’s Broadway run—reminding listeners why theater continues to captivate.