Episode Overview
Podcast: BroadwayRadio
Episode: Today on Broadway: Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025
Hosts: Matt Tamanini & Grace Aki
Theme/Purpose:
This episode covers major Broadway news, particularly the premature closing of Queen of Versailles at the St. James Theatre. The hosts delve into the implications for the Broadway season, upcoming casting news (including Shea Joey at Arena Stage), a new LaBelle-inspired rock opera in development, Off-Broadway updates, and a festive musical recommendation. The tone is candid, empathetic, and filled with industry insight.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Queen of Versailles Closing Announcement
[01:09 – 04:36]
- Queen of Versailles will end its Broadway run at the St. James Theatre on January 4th, 2026, despite robust weekly grosses.
- Opened: October 8, 2025
- Official opening night: November 9, 2025
- Closing: January 4, 2026
- Budget: Reportedly up to $22.5 million to mount
- Reason: Weak reviews, poor word of mouth, and soft advance sales.
“Despite the fact that it is making over $1 million, clearly the show is not feeling great about its chances to survive the winter.”
— Matt Tamanini [01:17]
- Strategy behind early announcement:
- Hoping for a holiday box office boost.
- Time for Tony voters to see the show.
“I am glad that everybody that is a part of this show will have an opportunity to do it through the holidays and hopefully get to play this show in front of as many people as humanly possible.”
— Matt Tamanini [02:19]
- Emotional perspective:
- Grace expresses empathy for the cast and crew, especially with the impact of the closure during Thanksgiving week.
- Notes the resonance of the closure, especially given the association with Wicked for Good, Stephen Schwartz, and Kristin Chenoweth.
“Peace and love to everybody in that building. They are truly some of the best in this business. Just bare minimum.”
— Grace Aki [03:00]
- Discussion on timing of closure announcements and its impact on ticket sales:
- Waiting until after Black Friday may be a misstep for shows planning January closings.
- Implications for Broadway house availability and future productions.
2. Other Broadway and Regional Theatre News
Casting for Shea Joey at Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.)
[04:57 – 07:12]
- Tony Award winner Miles Frost cast as Joey in the reimagined Pal Joey (titled Shea Joey).
- Production runs January 30–March 15, 2026, at the Krieger Theater.
- New book: Richard LaGravenese
- Co-directed & choreographed: Savion Glover (with Tony Goldwyn as co-director)
- Show is in development for possible commercial or nonprofit Broadway transfer.
“They really are working on it to make it get to a place where they could bring it back to New York and have a commercial or at least a nonprofit Broadway run… it doesn’t feel like they're just going to continue to grind away at this piece if there wasn't some larger goal.”
— Matt Tamanini [06:37]
- Grace highlights the importance and difficulty of robust musical development, using this as a model for other new works.
“That's what it takes to develop good products. So I'm grateful that they have had the infrastructure to do so and that they're continuing to develop the piece.”
— Grace Aki [07:09]
New LaBelle Rock Opera in Development
[08:39 – 10:32]
- Broadway-bound rock opera inspired by the music of LaBelle (Patti LaBelle, Sarah Dash, Nona Hendryx).
- Book by Nona Hendryx and Lynn Nottage.
- Story: Focuses on the group’s boundary-breaking impact on race, gender, and genre.
- No production timeline yet.
- Matt celebrates “jukebox” musicals about lesser-known acts — considers LaBelle an exciting, fresh choice.
“These are the kind of bio musicals that I actually like… rather than saying Carole King or Michael Jackson… I like some of these lesser known stories.”
— Matt Tamanini [09:40]
- Grace delivers a lighthearted plea:
“I need someone to recreate the Clinton Christmas White House moment of Patti LaBelle singing ‘This Christmas.’”
— Grace Aki [10:32]
- Matt admits unfamiliarity; Grace jokes about future podcast reenactments.
Off-Broadway: Meet the CarTozians Extends Run
[11:09 – 11:28]
- Meet the CarTozians (Signature Theatre/Second Stage) extends to December 14th.
- By Talene Monahon; directed by David Cromer.
- Notable cast: Will Brill, Andrea Martin, Rafi Barasumian, Nael Nasser, Susan Porfar, Tamara Savants.
- Strong reviews and audience buzz.
“The show has gotten great reviews and honestly some of the word of mouth of this is tremendous and it makes me really sad that I missed this show.”
— Matt Tamanini [11:20]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“I just think it's also difficult. With the heels of Wicked for Good with Stephen Schwartz and Kristin Chenoweth, I know this is quite devastating for all of them.”
— Grace Aki [02:51] -
“Here's a show that's doing the work right. So like, I'm grateful for this to have happened and just to show patrons and investors… how much work is still desired.”
— Grace Aki [07:05] -
“The moment we end this recording, you have to go to YouTube. It's my favorite thing in the world. I could quote it verbatim.”
— Grace Aki, on the Patti LaBelle White House viral moment [10:57]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [01:09] – Queen of Versailles closing news
- [03:40] – Broadway houses available for Spring 2026 / speculation
- [04:57] – Shea Joey at Arena Stage casting and development news
- [07:12] – Discussion on musical development and workshop process
- [08:39] – LaBelle rock opera in development
- [10:32] – Patti LaBelle “This Christmas” moment & banter
- [11:09] – Meet the CarTozians Off-Broadway extension
- [11:40] – Wicked covers and recommendations
- [12:40] – Closing remarks/teasers for future episodes
Tone & Atmosphere
- Candid and warm: Open sympathy for shows closing; respect for artists and creators.
- Conversational and witty: Friendly banter—especially over musical nostalgia and pop culture references.
- Insightful and pragmatic: Clear-eyed discussion about business realities, development processes, and audience trends in Broadway and regional theater.
In Brief: The Takeaway
This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the flux of Broadway: the heartbreak of show closures despite box office success, the demanding process of musical development, the excitement over new and original projects (highlighting LaBelle), and the ongoing vibrancy of Off-Broadway. Listeners get knowledgeable, empathetic analysis, peppered with humor and sincere recommendations from Matt and Grace.