Today on Broadway: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024

Summary

BroadwayRadio Podcast Summary: Today on Broadway – Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024

Host: Matt Tamminini
Co-Host: Grace Aki
Release Date: December 17, 2024
Podcast: BroadwayRadio
Episode Title: Today on Broadway: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024

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1. Recent Podcast Highlights

Grace Aki opens the episode by sharing updates on previous podcast releases:

• Fabian Alois on Sunset Boulevard
  Grace mentions a compelling conversation with Fabian Alois, the choreographer of Sunset Boulevard, urging fans of the production in London or New York City to give the episode a listen.
  Timestamp: 00:07

• Jan Simpson on The Great White
  Matt highlights Jan Simpson's episode that delves into the Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Great White from 1969, which was later adapted into a film starring James Earl Jones.
  Timestamp: 00:45

• This Week on Broadway – Cabaret
  Another episode covers the production of Cabaret featuring Adam Lambert and Ali'i Cravaglio, providing listeners with in-depth discussions on various Broadway topics.
  Timestamp: 00:47

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2. Broadway Premiere: Eureka Day

Overview:
Eureka Day made its Broadway premiere at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater, produced by the Manhattan Theater Club. The play, written by Jonathan Spector and directed by Anna D. Shapiro, explores the contentious vaccine debate within a day school setting. The cast includes notable talents such as Ebony Flowers, Amber Gray, Jessica Hecht, Bill Irwin, Thomas Middleditch, and Chelsea Akura Kurtz.

Reception:
The show has received predominantly positive reviews:

• Jesse Green, The New York Times [02:14]:
  Green praises the Broadway scaling of the production, highlighting the set design, costumes, and the cast's performance.

  "The library, which is the setting, is much bigger and brighter, the costumes telegraphic and the sociology and the bassoon heavy interstitial music are almost cartoonishly apt. The cast, too, hits the sweet spot beyond the broad and deep..."
  Timestamp: 02:12

• Sarah Holdren, Vulture [02:59]:
  Holdren commends the performances of Jessica Hecht and Amber Gray, as well as the overall direction by Shapiro.

  "Hecht and Gray are excellent here and throughout, as is Shapiro's whole company. They're not clowning..."
  Timestamp: 02:57

Criticism:

• Juan A. Ramirez, Theaterly [04:10]:
  Ramirez critiques the thematic execution of the play, suggesting that it struggles to maintain its comedic momentum.

  "The first monster it encounters is thematic... The jokes at their expense start off strong but lose steam quickly despite strong performances..."
  Timestamp: 04:10

Additional Praise:

• Adam Feldman, Time Out New York [04:55]:
  Feldman finds Eureka Day both timely and valuable in contributing to the public discourse on vaccines.

  "Eureka Day is often very funny, but it also contributes valuably to that discourse. Even as it needles the left, it offers an invigorating shot in the arm."
  Timestamp: 04:55

Host Reflection:
Grace expresses her intention to see the show despite initial reservations about its subject matter, reassured by the positive reviews.

"Grace, the reviews are great and the cast is awesome and they are pretty widespread reviews. If I'm going to get a positive review from both Jesse Green and Sarah Holdren, that makes me feel a little bit better..."
Timestamp: 05:32

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3. Casting Updates in The Great Gatsby

Departures and Replacements:

• Matt Tamminini announces that two-time Tony nominee Obozada will conclude her role as Daisy Buchanan on January 30th.
  Timestamp: 07:03

• Jeremy Jordan's Departure:
  Matt mentions Jeremy Jordan will leave his role on January 19th, to be replaced by Ryan McCarten.
  Timestamp: 07:15

• Meyer Wolfsheim Replacement:
  Eric Anderson will finish portraying Meyer Wolfsheim by January 5th, succeeded by Terrence Mann.
  Timestamp: 07:20

Speculation on New Casting:

• Suggestions for Daisy Buchanan:
  Grace speculates potential replacements like Lorna Courtney or Haley Kilgore, praising their talents and fit for the role.

  "What about Lorna Courtney, like, would she not be really, really great in the role?... I think that she's, like, fresh."
  Timestamp: 08:06

• Unknown Speaker's Input:
  Adds enthusiasm for proposed casting choices, expressing confidence in the show's future.

  "What about Lorna Courtney... I think she's, like, fresh. I just, I don't know what they're going to do, but if they go kind of in the route of a young person..."
  Timestamp: 08:01

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4. International Spotlight: UK Premiere of Here We Are

Production Details:

• Directed by Joe Mantello, the UK premiere of David Ives and Stephen Sondheim's musical Here We Are boasts an impressive cast including Tracy Bennett, Dennis O'Hare, Rory Kinnear, Chamisa Dornford-May, Richard Fleeshman, Cameron Johnson, Carrie Hayden Patton, Martha Plimpton, Jane Krakowski, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Paulo Jot.

Reception and Cast Dynamics:
Grace and an Unknown Speaker discuss the eclectic and star-studded cast, praising the diversity and talent each actor brings.

"It's so random, but... that is why the show works. And I think this is going to be fantastic."
"I love how kooky this cast is... it's absolutely there, if not more so on, like, the acting pedigree of it all."
Timestamp: 09:30 - 13:08

Director's Influence:
The collaboration between Joe Mantello and Sondheim is expected to attract a wide audience, enhancing the show's appeal in London.

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5. Wicked Sequels Update

Announcement:
Grace reveals that instead of a direct sequel (Wicked Part 2), the production will release Wicked: For Good in November of the following year.

"We are getting Wicked: For Good, which I think is really smart, and I think that that is a really good way to juxtapose..."
Timestamp: 13:08

Discussion:
Grace and Matt humorously debate the naming conventions, expressing surprise and amusement at the unconventional sequel title.

"How the hell are they gonna call it 'For Good'? It's two. You're telling me you skipped two and three?"
Timestamp: 13:18 - 14:15

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6. Broadway Schedule Highlights

Openings:

• Gypsy at the Majestic Theater:
  Directed by George C. Wolfe with choreography by Camille A. Brown, starring Audra McDonald as Madame Rose, Danny Burstein as Herbie, and a stellar supporting cast. The show is receiving high ticket sales and excellent previews.
  Timestamp: 14:16

• Comedy About Love on Sunday, Dec. 22:
  Written by Simon Rich and featuring songs from The Magnetic Fields, the show boasts a star-studded cast including John Mulaney, Fred Armisen, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Richard Kyne, and members of the Bengson family. Additional guests include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Annaleigh Ashford, Hank Azaria, David Cross, Jimmy Fallon, Chloe Fineman, Nick Kroll, Tim Meadows, and Andrew Randles.
  Timestamp: 16:12

Closings:

• On Broadway:

  • Hills of California concludes its run.
    Timestamp: 17:26

• Off Broadway:

  • Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now at New World Stages closes on December 20th.
  • Babe starring Marisa Tomei from the new group Give Me closes.
  • Hold on to Me Darling starring Andrew Driver ends.
  • Merchant of Venice starring Alexandra Silber at Classic Stage Company wraps up.
    Timestamp: 16:05 - 17:32

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7. National Tours Announcement

• The Sound of Music National Tour:
  Directed by Jack O'Brien, the tour launches in September at the Kennedy Center and will traverse 55 cities through 2025 and 2026.

• Miracle on 34th Street Tour:
  Meredith Willson's classic is set to tour in 2025, running through the holiday season, directed and choreographed by Antoinette DiPietro Polo.

Grace expresses excitement for these tours, anticipating broad audience engagement.
Timestamp: 17:56 - 19:19

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8. Feel-Good Recommendations

• CBS Sunday Morning Segment on Gypsy:
  Matt and Grace recommend watching a feature on the production, highlighting its excellence.

• Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's Broadway Debut in Ann Juliet:
  Grace shares that Justice Jackson made her Broadway debut, which was even featured on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update segment. This unique crossover between law and theatre garnered significant attention.

  "She sounded great. I genuinely thought it was going to be a walk-on... She sang 'Is This the Meaning of Being Lonely' exceptionally."
  "It got a mention on Saturday Night Live, which is very fun."
  Timestamp: 19:33 - 21:10

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9. Closing Remarks

Grace and Matt wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to follow them on social media and stay tuned for future updates.

"Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Roddyradio. You can follow me on Instagram @bww. Matt, Grace, where can people find you?"
Timestamp: 21:37

"All right, everybody, have a wonderful Tuesday, and we'll be back to talk to you tomorrow."
Timestamp: 21:46

---

Notable Quotes:

• Jesse Green, The New York Times on Eureka Day [02:14]:

  "The library, which is the setting, is much bigger and brighter, the costumes telegraphic and the sociology and the bassoon heavy interstitial music are almost cartoonishly apt. The cast, too, hits the sweet spot beyond the broad and deep..."

• Juan A. Ramirez, Theaterly on Eureka Day [04:10]:

  "Jonathan Spector's 2018 comedy Eureka Day mostly loses in its bright and bubbly Broadway premiere. The first monster it encounters is thematic..."

• Adam Feldman, Time Out New York on Eureka Day [04:55]:

  "Eureka Day is often very funny, but it also contributes valuably to that discourse. Even as it needles the left, it offers an invigorating shot in the arm."

• Grace Aki on Wicked Sequels [13:08]:

  "We are getting Wicked: For Good, which I think is really smart, and I think that that is a really good way to juxtapose..."

---

Conclusion:
This episode of Today on Broadway offers a comprehensive look into current Broadway productions, casting changes, international premieres, and upcoming national tours. Highlighting both critical acclaim and constructive criticism, Matt and Grace provide valuable insights for Broadway enthusiasts. Additionally, their feel-good recommendations add a delightful touch, celebrating unique moments where theater intersects with broader cultural milestones.

Transcript

[Matt Tamminini]

Welcome to Today on Broadway for Tuesday.

[Grace Aki]

December 17, 2024 on Broadway Radio's Matt Tamminini.

[Unknown Speaker]

And I'm telling me on a Sunday.

[Grace Aki]

Podcast, Grace Aki Grace, we were off yesterday because I was floating across the Caribbean Sea ocean somewhere in the Bahamas, but I had my episode with Sunset Boulevard choreographer Fabian Alois come out. That was a fantastic conversation. If you are somebody who has enjoyed.

[Matt Tamminini]

That production, whether that is in London.

[Grace Aki]

Or in in New York City, I think you will definitely want to give that a listen. We also had other podcast episodes come up in the feeds over the weekend. First, Jan Simpson's episode on Saturday of all the drama looking at the Pulitzer.

[Matt Tamminini]

Prize winner from 1969, the Great White.

[Grace Aki]

Hope, obviously a classic show that was eventually turned into a film, both starring James Earl Jones. Listen to that. And then on Sunday we had this Week on Broadway in which they talked about a bunch of things, but the production of Cabaret again with Adam Lambert and Ali'I Cravaglio. So make sure if you want to hear any of those things, you check out the podcast feeds now. Grace we are coming to everybody fairly.

[Matt Tamminini]

Late on Monday night because we had.

[Grace Aki]

The Broadway opening for Eureka Day. This show is currently scheduled to run.

[Matt Tamminini]

Through January 19th at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater.

[Grace Aki]

It is from the Manhattan Theater Club.

[Matt Tamminini]

And it is a new play written by Jonathan Spector. It is not the world premiere.

[Grace Aki]

It has had other productions, but it.

[Matt Tamminini]

Is the Broadway premiere and is directed.

[Grace Aki]

By Anna D. Shapiro and has a really fun cast, including Ebony Flowers, Amber Gray, Jessica Hecht, Bill Irwin, Thomas Middleditch.

[Matt Tamminini]

And Chelsea Akura Kurtz. The show takes audiences inside the hotly contested vaccine debate.

[Grace Aki]

Eureka Day is a day school, so these are all parents of young children having to go over all of these different anti vax conversations that we've had.

[Matt Tamminini]

To deal with over the last few years.

[Grace Aki]

But Grace, the As of now, the Did They Like It? Review roundup has not been posted, but as I'm going through all the reviews.

[Matt Tamminini]

They'Re all really positive. There's a couple negatives and I'll throw.

[Grace Aki]

One of those in there, but the.

[Matt Tamminini]

Vast majority of them are positive, starting.

[Grace Aki]

With Jesse Green of the New York.

[Matt Tamminini]

Times, who did make the show a critics pick.

[Grace Aki]

He said, quote, that the intimate downtown.

[Matt Tamminini]

Version directed by Adrian Campbell Holt instead ended softly. Did not make the play less incisive, but Shapiro's production has been majorly and satisfyingly scaled up for Broadway.

[Grace Aki]

The library, which is the setting, is.

[Matt Tamminini]

Much bigger and brighter, the costumes telegraphic and the sociology and the bassoon heavy interstitial music are almost cartoonishly apt. The cast, too, hits the sweet spot beyond the broad and deep, with Erwin a clown by training, especially good at.

[Grace Aki]

Fatuousness and Hecht at steely ditziness and.

[Matt Tamminini]

A slightly underwritten role. Gray beautifully counters the others with sly wit.

[Grace Aki]

He is not alone.

[Matt Tamminini]

Sarah Holdren of Vulture was also positive.

[Grace Aki]

Saying quote hecht and Gray are excellent.

[Matt Tamminini]

Here and throughout, as is Shapiro's whole company.

[Grace Aki]

They're not clowning, though there's a delightful.

[Matt Tamminini]

Wink of a moment in which Irwin's Don waxes misty eyed over the actually quiet, subtle mime work of a former colleague. Rather, they're performing that crucial aspect of.

[Grace Aki]

Theater, its function as a space of civic practice, quite literally a place where.

[Matt Tamminini]

We rehearse the hardest conversations, where we experiment with how to put together a community.

[Grace Aki]

In his Scripps epigraph, Spector quotes from.

[Matt Tamminini]

Eula Bliss's On Immunity, where Bliss herself cites a doctor who describes a certain vaccine as quote, important from a public health standpoint but not as critical from an individual point of view. In order for this to make sense, writes Bliss, one must believe that individuals are not part of the public. It's this cognitive dissonance, so widespread and so clamorous and so tragically American that theater by its very nature is always addressing.

[Grace Aki]

And in Eureka Day, that essential refutation.

[Matt Tamminini]

Takes on explicit and eloquent form. Now, I did mention there was one.

[Grace Aki]

Or two negative reviews.

[Matt Tamminini]

The one major negative review comes from.

[Grace Aki]

Juan A. Ramirez of Theaterly saying, quote.

[Matt Tamminini]

Jonathan Spector's 2018 comedy Eureka Day mostly loses in its bright and bubbly Broadway premiere. The first monster it encounters is thematic.

[Grace Aki]

As with last season's the Thanksgiving Play.

[Matt Tamminini]

Which mocked a well meaning elementary school drama teacher's attempt to mount an even handed history of the holiday, there are only many laughs you can wring out of liberal cluelessness. Here it's the board members of a bougie California day school when faced with a mumps outbreak among its students. They're the sort of people for whom things like holding space and feeling seen are paralyzing conundrums instead of useful frameworks in the fight for equity. The jokes at their expense start off strong but lose steam quickly despite strong performances from a cast including Jessica Hecht and Thomas Middleditch.

[Grace Aki]

I'll wrap up these reviews with Adam Feldman of Time out in New York.

[Matt Tamminini]

Who was positive, giving the show four out of five stars.

[Grace Aki]

He said, quote eureka Day was already.

[Matt Tamminini]

Timely when it made its local debut off Broadway in 2019. It is even more so in this Manhattan Theater Club revival, now that vaccine denier Robert F. Kennedy has been chosen to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in the next administration, it seems more important than ever to engage with this issue and to understand the.

[Grace Aki]

Views of those who disagree.

[Matt Tamminini]

Eureka Day is often very funny, but it also contributes valuably to that discourse. Even as it needles the left, it offers an invigorating shot in the arm.

[Grace Aki]

Grace, I'm coming up to New York this week and I'm still rearranging things as you and I talked about offline earlier. I think late last week. I am hoping to see this one. I was a little put off by.

[Matt Tamminini]

The whole idea of having to see.

[Grace Aki]

A show about anti vaxxers, but these.

[Matt Tamminini]

Reviews are great and the cast is awesome and they are pretty widespread reviews.

[Grace Aki]

If I'm going to get a positive review from both Jesse Green and Sarah Holdren, that makes me feel a little bit better about seeing a show that otherwise kind of was making me feel a little icky.

[Unknown Speaker]

A lot of people have had this on their list though of things that they wanted to see and I think that these reviews are excellent. I think it just, you know, and I know that I agree with you, like the conversation is icky at the same time, it's constantly happening and nobody seems to like address its ickiness. And I think that it seems as though this show is doing that and that's very exciting. So maybe this will help Matt, maybe this will, this will carry your, literally and figuratively, your willingness to be around those uncomfortable chats.

[Grace Aki]

Thank you. Yeah, I don't like uncomfortable at all. I try to avoid those things. So although I don't like uncomfortable, but I do have a doctor's appointment for two days after Christmas to like my annual checkup and to get both the latest Covid and flu shots. So I don't mind though, that kind of uncomfortable.

[Matt Tamminini]

But these conversations are weird.

[Grace Aki]

But all right, let's dive into the news. Grace and it was announced over the weekend that two time Tony nominee Even.

[Matt Tamminini]

Obozada will wrap up her run as.

[Grace Aki]

Daisy Buchanan in the Great Gatsby on Broadway on January 30th. No replacement for the role has yet been announced, but we know this will come just like a week and a.

[Matt Tamminini]

Half after Jeremy Jordan leaves. He will wrap up his run on January 19th.

[Grace Aki]

We know Ryan McCarten will replace him. Eric Anderson will finish playing meyer Wolfsheim.

[Matt Tamminini]

On January 5th and Terrence Mann is.

[Grace Aki]

Going to replace him. I'm surprised they didn't try to Coordinate these dates a little bit more. There very well might be a reason for that, but I thought it probably would have been nice to have them all go out together. But maybe they wanted to give everybody their individual day in the, you know, in the spotlight. But based off of the replacements we.

[Matt Tamminini]

Know already with Ryan McCarten and Terence.

[Grace Aki]

Mann, I have no doubt that whomever they bring in for Eva is going to be very exciting. Grace, do you have any thoughts on.

[Matt Tamminini]

Just like, random names to throw out.

[Grace Aki]

There that you think would be great to replace her as the next Daisy Buchanan on Broadway?

[Unknown Speaker]

This is. I don't know anything. I cannot stress that enough. I don't know anything. But I. But I said this to Ashley Huffer last night so she can back me up. I said, what about Lorna? Courtney, like, would not. Would she not be really, really great in the role? Like, young, like, ingenu. Tony nominated? I think that she would sing the hell out of it. I think that she's, like, fresh. I just, I. I don't know what they're going to do, but if they go kind of in the route of a young person, I feel like, to match Ryan, I feel like that's the vein, but I don't know.

[Matt Tamminini]

No, that's a, That's a very good one.

[Unknown Speaker]

What about you?

[Grace Aki]

No, I don't.

[Matt Tamminini]

I have no, I have no thoughts.

[Grace Aki]

I actually asked Ashley when this was.

[Matt Tamminini]

Announced and she didn't get back to.

[Grace Aki]

Me, so I'm going to complain to her about that. But, you know, I, I would have thought that, like, Haley Kilgore would be great, but we know she's going into to Hadestown, but that is somebody who I would have thought actually would be really good in that, but Lorna kind.

[Matt Tamminini]

Of fits that as well.

[Grace Aki]

So I like that.

[Matt Tamminini]

We'll see what happens.

[Grace Aki]

I imagine we'll get an announcement fairly soon because this is only six weeks away, and I'm sure that that announcement will come fairly soon since we got even longer of an announcement for Ryan's debut. All right, let's go over to the other side of the Atlantic, Grace. And we got further principal casting for.

[Matt Tamminini]

The upcoming UK premiere of David Ives.

[Grace Aki]

And Stephen Sondheim's musical Here We Are.

[Matt Tamminini]

Your boy, Joe Mantello, as he did.

[Grace Aki]

Off Broadway, has put together an incredible cast. We already knew that Tracy Bennett and Dennis O'Hare would be reprising their roles that they did off Broadway and that they were going to be joined by, honestly, one of my favorite actors, Rory.

[Matt Tamminini]

Kinnear in the show.

[Grace Aki]

But the rest of the folks that they have announced are just beautiful. And I know you're a huge fan of at least one of them, but I'm guessing multiple people start off with some of the names that you might not be as familiar with, but are also very exciting.

[Matt Tamminini]

Chamisa Dornford May will be joining the.

[Grace Aki]

Production, as well as Richard Fleeshman, who is great, Cameron Johnson, then Carrie Hayden Patton, who was Henry Higgins on Broadway and My Fair Lady a couple seasons ago. He will be joined by Martha Plimpton, Jane Krakowski, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Ya boy Paulo Jot. This production is going to begin performances at the Littleton Theater on April 23rd and is currently scheduled to run through June 28th. I have no doubt that a Sondheim show directed by Joe Mantello, but especially the final Sondheim show, was going to attract people, but this cast is arguably.

[Matt Tamminini]

Just as, if not even more a.

[Grace Aki]

List heavy than the New York version. Grace, I don't.

[Unknown Speaker]

I don't know that it's like a list the same because, like, you had a lot of, like, quote, movie stars. And granted, Martha Clinton is absolutely a movie star. You know what I mean? But, like, with the Bobby kind of ally of it all, like, there were like, multiple where I was just like, damn, you're going to come do this. But I do agree that it is absolutely there, if not more so on, like, like the, the, the acting pedigree of it all. Like, 100% agree with you. Like, I love, I love how kooky this cast is. I don't think that in any other production you would have this cast in anything, like, together assembled in one place. Do you know what I mean? Like, it just kind of feels like a, like a brain jumble of, like, I like this guy in that thing. He'd be great. And then she's really funny. You know what I mean? Like, it's so random, but it's. But that is why the show works. And I think that this is going to be fantastic. I also just like Joe Mantello. You, you short king. You, you, you magician. Like, I just really, really.

[Matt Tamminini]

You wizard, almost.

[Unknown Speaker]

He's a wizard. Where is his cameo? I'm mad. I'm, like, actually mad. We got Woody Holtzman.

[Grace Aki]

Yes.

[Unknown Speaker]

We got Stephen Schwartz. Where's Norbert?

[Grace Aki]

I was going to say, like, I was honestly a little annoyed that Norbert wasn't there. Like, you know, he's busy.

[Unknown Speaker]

He's busy. But I'm also, like, holding out for, for good. Like, there's a part of me. That's like, what if he's one of the guards that's trying to, like, hold off Fiyero when it. When they, like, finally find Elphaba? Like, I'm holding out hope. I don't think that's true because we. I feel like we would have leaked that by now. Or Chris Fitzgerald, like, where my guy. Like, you could have also been saying, the wizard will see you now. Like, I would have eaten that up. But guess what? It's expensive to fly people over. And I get that. And I get that. But all this to say, I think this is a really cool cast. I love that this is happening in London. It feels like they're gonna eat it up. And I just. I like that this production has had this type of life. I was actually listening to the album the other day, and it really, really took me on a spin, because I think experiencing it in the room is one thing, but, like, actually going back and listening to it, it's even more interesting. So just recommend.

[Grace Aki]

Okay, good. You did drop in a little bit of a nugget in there that I wanted to mention as well, but I'll do it here. We are not Getting Wicked Part 2.

[Matt Tamminini]

In November of next year.

[Grace Aki]

We are getting Wicked Colon for Good, which I think is really smart, and I think that that is a really good way to juxtapose. I don't know if they're just going.

[Matt Tamminini]

To be calling the first one Wicked.

[Grace Aki]

Now or if it's going to be Wicked Part 1 still. Like, I think if it's just Wicked and Wicked for good, I think that.

[Matt Tamminini]

But Matt makes sense.

[Unknown Speaker]

But Matt, how the hell they're gonna call it for Good? It's two. You're telling me you skipped two and three? How dare they? It's too much for me.

[Grace Aki]

It's too much for you.

[Matt Tamminini]

The people who named the Fast and.

[Grace Aki]

The Furious movies are probably not very happy about that.

[Matt Tamminini]

You're.

[Grace Aki]

You're very right.

[Matt Tamminini]

You're very, very right.

[Unknown Speaker]

Y'all couldn't have gone with Wicked again? The Wicked.

[Grace Aki]

The Squeakle, Wicked two, Electric Boogaloo. Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker]

Too wicked. Too Furious. It's right there for good. I can't believe they're messing with me like this. I'm sorry.

[Grace Aki]

I mean, who knows?

[Matt Tamminini]

Maybe there'll be two movies in between, and this will actually be number four.

[Grace Aki]

All right, so we. Let's dive into this week's Broadway schedule. We obviously know that on Monday night, Eureka Day opened on Broadway. We do have another Broadway opening on Thursday, and this one is Gypsy They've already released some images from this. It looks fantastic and it is currently playing at the Majestic Theater and selling incredibly well, as you would expect. This production is directed by George C.

[Matt Tamminini]

Wolf and features choreography by Camille A.

[Grace Aki]

Brown.

[Matt Tamminini]

And it is led, of course, by.

[Grace Aki]

Audra McDonald as Madame Rose. It features Danny Burstein as Herbie, Joy woods as Louise, Jordan Tyson as June, Kevin Solak as Tulsa, and has the always fantastic Leslie Margarita as Tessie, Tora, Lily Thomas as Mazeppa, and Melinda hall as Elektra. That one will open on Thursday night. But here's the thing, Grace. Do you know when the review embargo is for this show?

[Unknown Speaker]

No.

[Grace Aki]

I mean, you do, because you told.

[Matt Tamminini]

Me, but you are a very good actor.

[Grace Aki]

I was very impressed with that. No, it's at midnight.

[Matt Tamminini]

So here's the thing.

[Grace Aki]

I'm not staying up for that. That's way too late for me. Even though I will be in New York City.

[Matt Tamminini]

That's too late.

[Grace Aki]

So we will get you those reviews as soon as possible. Whether that is in a standalone episode or on our next episode after that, I'm not sure. But folks, stop, please. Just stop with that. Then on Saturday, we have an Off Broadway closing. I'm kind of surprised that this one hasn't extended even more, but it has extended at least once already and it is now scheduled to close on December 20before the holidays. Mitch, maybe all three of these people want to get back to their families.

[Matt Tamminini]

And celebrate Christmas, but is Mama, I'm.

[Grace Aki]

A Big Girl Now. Off Broadway at New World Stages. So much fun. Go see it if you have a chance. But then, Grace, we have another Broadway.

[Matt Tamminini]

Opening this week and it is on Sunday, December 22.

[Grace Aki]

It is all in Comedy About Love, which I think on Monday they had like, just like a bunch of, like.

[Matt Tamminini]

Famous people show up.

[Grace Aki]

So I don't know if that's like, their gala performance or whatever, but this.

[Matt Tamminini]

Is a show written by Simon Rich.

[Grace Aki]

And featuring songs from the Magnetic Fields.

[Matt Tamminini]

Is directed by Alex Timbers, and it.

[Grace Aki]

Just has a bonkers cast.

[Matt Tamminini]

Starting off the production is John Mulaney, Fred Armisen, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Richard Kyne and the Bengsons.

[Grace Aki]

I've heard conflicting things about what this show is, so I'm not even going to say anymore. Like, are they skits?

[Matt Tamminini]

Are they script in hand?

[Grace Aki]

I don't know. Well, someone who's seen it tell me. Like, I've heard things from multiple people associated with the production that contradict each other.

[Matt Tamminini]

So I'm giving up guessing as to.

[Grace Aki]

What this is until we actually know for sure. But what I do know is it's probably at a hilarious time because all of those people and then everybody that is set to come in afterwards, Lin Manuel Miranda, Annalee ashford, Hank Azaria, A.D.

[Matt Tamminini]

Bryant, David Cross, Jimmy Fallon, Chloe Feynman.

[Grace Aki]

Nick Kroll, Tim Meadows, Andrew Randles are hilarious and I love them all. And if you get a chance to see it, I'm sure you'll love it. But we also have a bunch of closings on Sunday. They are both on Broadway and off. The one on Broadway show that is.

[Matt Tamminini]

Closing is Hills of California.

[Grace Aki]

Loved it.

[Matt Tamminini]

Go see it if you can.

[Grace Aki]

Off Broad we have Babe starring Marisa.

[Matt Tamminini]

Tomei from the new group Give Me.

[Grace Aki]

Carmelita Tropicana from soho Rep, hold on to Me Darling, starring Andrew Driver as Lucille Lortel, and then Merchant of Venice starring our friend Alexandra Silber at Classic Stage Company. All right, Grace, a few more little bits of news that I want to run through. Have you seen Seleno and Barnes yet? No, I want to fortunately for you, it has extended again. This is now the third extension that.

[Matt Tamminini]

This show has had and it is currently scheduled to run through January 26th.

[Grace Aki]

At the new asylum NYC, which is not the old asylum NYC. So don't be confused. If you go to the place where you saw Titanic for the first time, that ain't it anymore. But it is currently scheduled to play through January 26th. Eric William Morris and Noah Weisberg, who I interviewed early in the show's run, are fantastic. Go see it then. We also found out some more of.

[Matt Tamminini]

The folks that are going to be joining the rotating cast of the Off.

[Grace Aki]

Broadway play Pen Pals. We'd already talked about the fact that Johanna day and Nancy McKeon are in it.

[Matt Tamminini]

Katherine Curtin and Sharon Lawrence are going.

[Grace Aki]

To join it here in a couple of weeks. Nievar Dallas, Mary Beth Peel and Paulette Washington are joining. Now we know that the always incredible Kate Burton is going to be a part of the production. She's going to be sparring with Pauletta Washington in this show.

[Matt Tamminini]

Ellen McLaughlin and Gail Weiner are also.

[Grace Aki]

Going to be a part of it. If you want to see who is doing the show when you can check out the show notes, then a couple shows are getting ready to head out.

[Matt Tamminini]

On national tours next year. First, the Sound of Music is going to head on a new national tour. This is Directed by Jack O'Brien. This is a previous version that has.

[Grace Aki]

Toured, but it is going to kick.

[Matt Tamminini]

Off in September at the Kennedy center.

[Grace Aki]

Before hitting 55 cities throughout 2025 and 2026.

[Matt Tamminini]

Then we have Meredith Wilson's Miracle on 34th street is going to tour in.

[Grace Aki]

2025, is going to run through the holiday season. It is directed and choreographed by Antoinette DiPietro. Polo. I didn't know this existed. So this should be a lot of fun. I hope I get a chance to see it. And then finally, Grace, two feel good recommendations.

[Matt Tamminini]

The first is there was a CBS.

[Grace Aki]

Sunday Morning, the segment on Gypsy that is very cool. Watch that. I love that. And then the other one is the video of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown.

[Matt Tamminini]

Jackson making her Broadway debut in Ann Juliet.

[Grace Aki]

Tell us about that. Like, what are your thoughts on this? How did it come together? Anything you can share some insight on?

[Unknown Speaker]

I think this was the workings of Grapevine Press. Shout out to them. They're always amazing. But no, I mean, like, listen, she's gone on the record. Pun intended that she was a theater kid. She was a reading partner with Matt Damon at Harvard. She, you know, she always dreamed of being on Broadway, obviously. Unfortunately, she chose a different path, but thank God she did. But I think that over at Angelia, we were like, well, there's time. We can, we can still make that happen. And they threw her into a rehearsal. And there's some BTS footage I'm sure that you're sharing as well. That's like, you know her at the, like a table read, working with like the music director and all this stuff. And like the, the backstage photos and videos I was seeing. The cash share that evening was just spectacular. Like, they had like a sign on her door that was like the honorable Katanji Brown Jackson. Like, you know, like, this is where she can like, get ready in her, you know, her dressing room. And it's just really cool. And also, she sounded great. I genuinely thought it was going to be a walk on. Just in a scene, she fully had a line or two. She sang in. Is this the Meaning of Being Lonely? Like, there was a whole lot that she did and it was excellent.

[Grace Aki]

And it got a mention on Saturday Night Live, which is very fun. Yeah, Paul and Jost mentioned it in Weekend Update. Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah. So the writers obviously pull all of these Weekend Update bits from, like headlines and they selected that one unbeknownst to us. So imagine everybody that works on that team screaming, texting each other, oh, my God, snl. Oh, my God, snl. You can't buy that kind of advertising. And it was even like. And Juliet had a commercial in the first 40 minutes, I think of the show's airing. So it's a really. It was a really amazing thing that even happened. So, yeah.

[Grace Aki]

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. Roddyradio. You can follow me on Instagram @bww. Matt, Grace, where can people find you?

[Unknown Speaker]

You can find me at. It's Graceaki.

[Grace Aki]

All right, everybody, have a wonderful Tuesday, and we'll be back to talk to you tomorrow.