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- [00:00]
T-Mobile Ad Speaker
Oh, hey, welcome to gift wrapping.
- [00:02]
Matt Tamminini
Whoa.
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T-Mobile Ad Speaker
So is Saldana.
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T-Mobile Ad Speaker 2
Hey, can you wrap these please?
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Matt Tamminini
Wow.
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T-Mobile Ad Speaker
IPhone 17s.
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T-Mobile Ad Speaker 2
You splurged at T Mobile. You can get four iPhone 17s on them. The new center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. It's the perfect gift for everyone.
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Matt Tamminini
I'm the worst.
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T-Mobile Ad Speaker
I only got my mom a robe.
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T-Mobile Ad Speaker 2
Well, it's better than socks.
- [00:19]
T-Mobile Ad Speaker
So I have to trade in my old phone, right?
- [00:21]
T-Mobile Ad Speaker 2
No AT T Mobile. There's no trade ins needed when you switch. Keep your old phone or give it as a gift.
- [00:26]
Matt Tamminini
Incredible.
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T-Mobile Ad Speaker 2
In fact, wrap up my old phone too for my aunt Rosa.
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Matt Tamminini
Forget that.
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T-Mobile Ad Speaker 2
Aunt Liz will be jealous.
- [00:32]
T-Mobile Ad Speaker
Like my family drama.
- [00:33]
T-Mobile Ad Speaker 2
Oh, I got it. I'll give it to my abuela. I'll take reindeer paper with. Hey, where are you going?
- [00:37]
Matt Tamminini
To T Mobile.
- [00:38]
T-Mobile Ad Speaker
The holidays are better. AT T Mobile get four iPhone 17s on us. No trade in needed when you switch plus four lines for just 25 bucks a line. And now T Mobile is available in US cellular stores with 24 monthly bill credits and 4 eligible board ins on essentials for well qualified customers. Auto pay + taxes, fees and $35 device connection charge credits ended balance due if you pay off earlier. Cancel Contact Us Finance Agreement 256 GB$830 required Visit T mobile.com welcome to Today.
- [01:03]
Matt Tamminini
On Broadway for Tuesday, December 2, 2025. I'm Broadway Radio's Matt Tamminini and I'm.
- [01:07]
Grace Ake
Tell Me on a Sunday podcast Grace Ake.
- [01:10]
Matt Tamminini
Grace, we are going to dive straight into the news because you are getting ready to host. Well, first to see the show and then to host a talkback for Ariel Stachel's other downtown. We're going to talk more about that show at the end of the episode, but let's dive into the news first. And we do have to obviously start with the fact that the iconic playwright Tom Stoppard passed away last week. Obviously at this point we're not telling you anything you probably didn't already know if you were listening to this. It is a little bit old since he passed away on November 29th. And James, Peter and Michael talked about his legacy and impact on the English language theater on this Week on Broadway. So I will direct you over there if you want a more in depth conversation of that. But of course, Stoppard is one of the most acclaimed playwrights in modern theater history. He won a number of Tony awards. I believe the effect official number is five. But the coast of Utopia's three parts were all counted as one, even though they were three plays. You put that together with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. Travesty's the real thing. And of course, Leopoldstadt from just 2023. Obviously an icon both on stage and screen. Winner of an Academy Award for best screenplay for Shakespeare and love. Three Olivier Awards as well. And obviously somebody Grace, who had an impact on audiences, on writers, on actors, and his presence will be felt on stages for many, many years to come. But a lot of people are grieving his loss right now. All right, well, let's dive into the news. Grayson. Yesterday we had another show announce intentions to come to Broadway this season. And it is a long rumored show that a lot of people assumed was dead after certain controversies that have happened. But this is a new Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. It will as Willy Loman, the one and only Nathan Lane. Playing his wife will be Laurie Metcalfe. Playing Biff will be Christopher Abbott and Ben Ehlers from the Gilded Age. And Last of Us will be playing Happy. This show will be directed by Joe Mantello and will begin a 14 week limited engagement on March 6th at the Winter Garden Theater, which is a gigantic house, Grace. So that's very interesting. The reason this show is going to be controversial is the fact that it is being produced by Scott Rudin and Barry Diller. Obviously, this is not Rudin's first show back after his bullying scandal and all of the accusations that kind of took him out of the theatrical scene for a number of years. He is currently represented on Broadway with another show starring Laurie Metcalfe, helmed by Joe Mantello, Little Bear Ridge Road. But this is a show that we just saw on Broadway, I think, three years ago. Grace, you and I saw it together and it's back on Broadway in a huge, gigantic the house. I think this is an interesting choice, but obviously very big stars, great creative team. But I'm just kind of left asking the question why this feels like.
- [04:06]
Grace Ake
Remember when they did To Kill a Mockingbird at msg? That's what this feels like.
- [04:11]
Matt Tamminini
Yeah, it's just, you know, I mean, we saw the Death of a Salesman with Wendell Pierce a couple years ago. He was unbelievable and so good. And it brought something new to that production because it was about a black family and it was not a black family as in everybody in the cast was black. This was a black family in a white world. And I think that that brought so much more depth to that piece. And I'm not exactly sure I see as great as Laurie and Nathan are. I don't know that I see the need for this, especially produced by Scott Rudin. But we'll leave that for other people to discuss. But I will say, Grace, what's interesting about this is that this leaves now only three houses currently in the spring on Broadway. The first is the James Earl Jones. Obviously Liberation is there and is currently scheduled to close on January 11th. Then we have the Majestic, nothing there right now. And then the St. James Theater, which is where Queen of Versailles currently is, and that's obviously announced its closing date. I have heard some pretty interesting things about some of these. I have heard one that a play starring a very, very loquacious awards acceptance speech giver will be making a transfer, having played Lond in last season. And then I heard a rumor that was then kind of teased by producer Ken Davenport on social media yesterday that involved a musical that features a big boat, an iceberg and songs by Celine Dion. So we will see if either of those things actually come to fruition. But we are getting to the point now that unless some things announce closing, and I think it's getting kind of late in the game for that to happen, we kind of know what the spring is going to look like. Although there is one show that has been announced that I'm hearing might be teetering on actually pushing back its Broadway arrival. But we will see. So anything, any thoughts on the spring schedule and what may or may not be there or anything like that on the top of your mind?
- [06:05]
Grace Ake
Grace, I've said this before and I will say it again. The fact that this has always been a real estate market is truer than it's ever been. We are currently in a very strange time and you're going to see some announcement that you're not expecting.
- [06:21]
Matt Tamminini
Okay, I like that. That's a good tease. I like that. Speaking of some things that were announced and one that I think that probably a lot of people could have guessed that they put their mind to it. But yesterday it was announced that the star of the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and a semi finalist on Dancing with the Stars, Whitney Levitt, will be making her Broadway debut. And if I just stopped there, I guarantee you that 99% of the audience could guess what show she is going into. And that is because she is heading over to the Ambassador Theater to take on the role of Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago. She will begin her role on February 2nd and is currently scheduled for a six week limited engagement through March 15th. This will be her first professional theatrical role. I have to Admit, like, I have heard about her and her whole like, Dancing with the Stars run with Mark Ballas, but I don't know anything about, like, other than having heard the name of the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Like, I don't know what this is, but I know it's huge. Grace, are you able to supply any insight into how big this is? Like, is she going to be like an Ariana Maddox level star?
- [07:31]
Grace Ake
I think, I think could be. I actually think could be. At this point, it's kind of like a peak time for the Mormon Wives. So it wouldn't shock me if the level of fandom for her, especially post Dancing with the Stars is going to be on that level. It feels like it. So good for them.
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Matt Tamminini
What is the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives? I don't know if you actually watch that show or not, but probably no more than I didn't think you would. Well, is it like, are they secret agents? They're actually Mormons, I think. I don't know.
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Grace Ake
No, I think that they all were like, sleeping with each other. Yeah, I think that that was the original conceit. It seems like a very public life if you ask, but I don't know.
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Matt Tamminini
Okay, well, she's gonna be on Broadway. Good for her. All right, let's dive into this week's tactical schedule. Grace. And there's not a lot going on because obviously everything that is gonna be running during the holiday season wants to have primarily already begun performances. But we do have one show in annual tradition over at the Irish Repertory Theater, beginning performances on Wednesday and that is A Wonderful Life Colon, a live radio play. This one, as I said, will begin on Wednesday, December 3rd and it is currently scheduled to play through December 31st. This is a live radio play with a great cast including former Broadway radio guest Ali Ewoldt, along with Rufus Collins, Reed Lancaster, Lena Rideout and Ashley Robinson. So you get the whole thing. You get the Foley artist, you get the live radio broadcast including vintage commercials, homemade sound effects, nostalgic songs and all of that. So this one should be a lot of fun and like I said, just running for the rest of the month. And then Grace on Saturday over at the Greenwich House Theater, Other is going to be wrapping up its off Broadway run. As I mentioned at the top of the show, this is a one person show featuring Tony Award winner Ariel Stachel. Grace, you are going to do the talk back tonight. Any insight into this show that you want to give people before it wraps up at the end of the week?
- [09:23]
Grace Ake
I know I was literally asked because we are doing kind of a conversation between solo artists and people with different backgrounds. So I'm very excited to literally head in as we speak.
- [09:35]
Matt Tamminini
Yeah. This is a show that's described as from childhood reinventions to performing through chronic pain in front of thousands, Ariel Statchel navigates identity, self acceptance, and the pursuit of his dreams with hilarity and heart, delivering a performance as relentlessly funny as it is vulnerable. And then two other shows closing Off Broadway. The first is the Saturday Night Live play Not Ready for Primetime that will wrap up its run Off Broadway at the MCC Theater that'll close on Sunday. Also closing on Sunday will be Initiative Off Broadway at the Public Theater and then Queens, which is a Manhattan Theater Club production at New York City Center. That is a play by Martina Mayo and has a phenomenal cast. I wish I had an opportunity to see it. But that features Anna Chlumsky, Marin Ireland, Julia Lester, former Broadway radio guest Andrea Siglowski and more. So if you have an opportunity to see any of those four Off Broadway shows wrapping up this week, we recommend it. All right, Grace, any, any big things happen over the holiday weekend for you?
- [10:31]
Grace Ake
Nothing for me. Just watched all the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade stuff and all of that great coverage, which made me happy.
- [10:37]
Matt Tamminini
Yeah, I really enjoyed all of the performances that we saw from Broadway shows. Little disappointed that there's only three. Hopefully we'll have more next year when the the parade gets announced. So. 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, rodwayradio. If you want more Broadway radio, head over to patreon.com broadwayradio Grace, where can people find you?
- [10:56]
Grace Ake
You can find me.
- [10:58]
Matt Tamminini
All right, everybody, have a wonderful Tuesday. We'll be back to talk to you tomorrow.