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Today on Broadway: Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025
00:19:19
Are new Broadway musicals on death’s doorstep? Celia Keenan-Bolger to kick off reading series, ‘Little Shop’ releases ‘Mean Green Mother’ video Since 2016, “Today on Broadway” has been the first and only daily podcast recapping the top theatre headline...
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- [00:00]
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Matt Tamminini
Welcome to Today on Broadway for Tuesday, September 23, 2025. I'm Broadway Radio's Matt Tamminini and I'm.
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Grace Aki
Tell Me on a Sunday podcast. Grace Aki.
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Matt Tamminini
Grace, you mentioned it at the end of yesterday's show and then posted it on your social media. Now that it has been revealed on Instagram and everywhere, what was the big takeaway that you got from Broadway Flea this weekend?
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Grace Aki
I believe that I have the largest kind of like bulletin board, piece of poster board of F as Olaf as described in the souvenir program from the Frozen first North American national tour cast. It just got some lyrics, some renderings, some production shots, some detail shots, but it's all about Olaf and it's massive. And it's in my home now, so I get to live with this forever.
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Matt Tamminini
So what, what are you going to do with it? Are you going to frame it? You're going to like, hang it? Hang it over your bed?
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Grace Aki
Like, you can't. It's just a massive piece of like, not particle board, but like, just like just a big foam core item that I think was probably used in a boardroom at Disney Theatricals at one point. You really can't hang it. I don't know what I'm gonna do with it. You can't frame it. It's just kind of living on a shelf, which really just adds something else to the room where I live.
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Matt Tamminini
So how did F feel about that purchase?
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Grace Aki
I didn't ask. I just handed over a $20 bill. So I said, you carry this now. And they did.
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Matt Tamminini
Okay. F is nothing if not a trooper. So. All right, well, let's dive in to the news today, Grace. And we're going to start not with like, news per se, but something from the newspaper because the New York Times, Michael Paulson has a really sobering article that was released on Monday and the headline is simply, the Broadway musical is in trouble. And in the story. He runs through a lot of the things that we have been talking about fairly regularly here, Grace about how difficult it is not only to get shows mounted on Broadway, but more specifically to get them to profitability. He notes that there have been there were 18 commercial musicals that opened on Broadway last season and that none of them have yet turned to profit. He does note later in the article that Just In Time is likely to do so. He goes on to talk about the fact that since the return from the COVID pandemic, only three musicals have actually recouped their initial investments. Two of them were jukebox musicals, MJ and and Juliet, and the third one was six. And he also notes that all three of those enjoyed some sort of financial assistance from the government. Six and MJ, because they were open before the pandemic, received $10 million from the federal government in the form of the shuttered venue operator grants, and then and Juliet got the $3 million tax credit from the New York State, which we talked about was, you know, is kind of on its last leg. So if that goes away, who knows how that impacts things in the future. The article details a lot of the issues as to why prices to mount Broadway shows are going up and why ticket sales, as much as we complain about them getting higher, aren't rising at the same level. They talk about the fact that labor is getting far more expensive, not only for the actors, musicians and stagehands, but also the creative teams, but also because of tariffs and inflation. Materials, the lumber and the steel and the technology that goes into like building the sets is getting more expensive. The rent to theater owners is rising exponentially as well. And then fees to the different types of vendors that they work with to put on shows are going up too. Despite all of those increases in prices for the production ticket prices are not rising nearly as fast as you would think. The average ticket price for a musical last season was $127. That's only about 3.25% higher than it was for the last full season before the pandemic. Obviously, a lot has changed since the 2018-2019 season that is now been, you know, seven years ago. To only see a 3.25% increase is startling. He does make a comparison between Something rotten, which opened 10 years ago. That show had an initial capitalization of $14 million compared to Death Becomes her, which actually has five fewer cast members, costs 31.5 million. I don't know that those are necessarily apples to apples, considering Death Becomes her was built on an existing property is much more tech heavy, but still that is something to, to notice there. And you know, kind of going into details, talks to a lot of the different producers and people who are involved with shows. They talk to people from the Broadway League about what is going on with this situation. But he does kind of look at the fact that last season there were 14 new musicals on Broadway. Currently there have only been two that have officially announced their runs for this season. The Queen of Versailles and Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York. And then he says, like, it could only be seven new musicals on Broadway this year. One of the things that he talks about, Grace, is the fact that like coming out of the pandemic, there was just a glut of shows, something that we have talked about. All these shows that were built up and so many of them wanted to come to Broadway as soon as humanly possible, but the audience just wasn't there. Obviously the houses were available and we love seeing Broadway houses filled and we love all 41 theaters being occupied. But if the audience just isn't there, that makes it really hard for shows to break through. So this is kind of a distillation of a lot of the conversations we've been having on this show for the past few years, Grace. But I think it is a good article to give people a nuts and bolts look at where Broadway is right now, especially with musicals. They do note that, like, plays have been a lot more successful because of the limited runs, because of the star power, because of the ticket prices. But it is sobering when you look at the financials and realize that like, there's just not enough audience members or money out there to keep going at this number of new shows every season. And the only way to correct it at this point is probably to pull back on the number of productions that come to Broadway that are new musicals every year.
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Grace Aki
Yeah, you know, the timing of this is not lost on me that there's also like an emergency equity and all these union meetings that are happening currently.
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Matt Tamminini
Yep, good point.
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Grace Aki
I just do want to note that because a lot of those conversations are being had, I guess, with the theater owners who ultimately do have the most power in this situation. It's just, I don't know, it's interesting. I think that we're, we're offering up maybe not, not the most equitable source of like, who could make some of these changes versus being like, less shows coming and more so, like, how are we making it a more sustainable, equitable product in the long term to make sure that we are Having, you know, a better ecosystem of Broadway as a business, that's what I'm currently looking at. But I agree with you, like it is worth noting. And I'm glad that this article is here obviously to kind of say that this is not sustainable in any capacity. But I think that my question is always, okay then how can it be? Are we working on the ways in which we can provide because we do not ultimately control the entire economy of the United States. Right. But you know what, what are within our confines to, to make possible and, and what are, what are the working abilities in which we can, we can make this a better streamlined system, I think is, is the opportunity here for us. So yeah, it's, it's a never ending conversation. I don't have all the answers obviously, but I think it's also like questioning like what policies are being put in place to, to have a better understanding for the, for the sustainability of shows for longer runs. Because is it that we need to have more limited runs that are like, this is the structure of the limited run. Here's how we're paying back investors, here's how we're able to do this, here's how people are able to have days off so that the product is better, you know, et cetera, et cetera. So I don't know, I just think that there's a, there's a lot more that has to kind of like happen and be question. But also, you know, what are we doing to help sustain that product?
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Matt Tamminini
Yeah, it is certainly a conversation that is above my head. I have, you know, just kind of as somebody who lives in the world and in this current economy, it is very hard to ever expect for prices and fees to be rolled back so that things can be more inexpensive. So you do have to kind of think of creative ways to adjust what is happening. So hopefully the smarter minds at the Broadway League and Actors Equity and everybody involved in this conversation can come up with some solutions to keep the business and the art form thriving for many years to come. All right, let's talk about some other things that are going on around New York City. Yesterday a new reading series was announced. It is called Spiritus and it is going to be presented at the Doctor 2 Theater. There will be four, four different dates of this reading and in each one a different celebrated actor will play the role of Virgil. This is based on Dante's Inferno and it offers a fresh, unique and deeply personal interpretation to this moving solo work. It was written by Pulitzer Prize finalist and actor Dale Orlander Smith and Dale is going to be one of the performers, actually, but it will kick off on October 20th with Celia Keenan Bolger. Then Dale will take her turn on October 27th, and then Edie Falco will be on November 10th, and then John Douglas Thompson will be on November 17th. Following each reading, special guests will join audiences in conversation, expanding the play's exploration of life, loss and purpose. I saw Dale and Edie Falco in pre existing condition off Broadway a couple seasons ago and they are both tremendous, so to see them working together in a very different way should be a lot of fun. Then we got some information about shows extending Off Broadway Grace Yesterday, as we kind of assumed would be the case, Classic Stage Company announced that its upcoming revival of the Baker's Wife has extended by a week. They actually either began rehearsals on Monday or they're doing it today on Tuesday, but it was originally scheduled to run from October 23 through December 14. It is now going to play an extra week through December 21st. We'll see if that has any other extensions built in as well. As we said, the show is going to be led by Ariana DeBose and Scott Bakula, with a who's who of fantastic theater talent in the rest of the cast. Another highly anticipated Off Broadway show has extended as well, and this one is House of McQueen, which when it opened starred Luke Newton of Bridgerton fame. With this extension is going to now run from is now going to run through November 2nd and during that extension Luke Newton will be departing the role and and he will be replaced by Liam Tamney. The show is playing at the Mansion in Hudson Yards and then also extending will be Bedlam Theater Company's production of Are the Bennett Girls okay? Which is an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Emily Breeze wrote the adaptation and Bedlam's artistic director Eric Tucker directed. It is going to add one week to its run and instead of closing on October 19th, it will now play through October 26th. And then finally in this little section, Grace we got information on a new developmental reading of a musical from the Paradise Square writer and composer Larry Kerwin. It is called Rebel Girl. It is going to play at the New Jersey's New Brunswick Performing Arts center on September 27, which is this Saturday, and it follows the tumultuous relationship between labor activist Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Italian revolutionary Carlo Tresca. Peter Flynn is going to direct. The cast will feature Chelina Kennedy as Flynn, Miguel Cervantes as Tresca, and it will also include Daniel Yearwood, Van Hughes, Katie Thompson, Jack Rento and Becca Suskower and then Grace. On Monday, we had a couple really big Broadway box office openings with Liberation opening at the James Earl Jones Theater and then Chess over at the Imperial. What have you heard about how these two events went on Monday?
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Grace Aki
You know, I get so excited by these because I've been working on them for so long. And this one got to, you know, head up with Lindsey Falgue and a couple of other team members for Liberation specifically that I can speak to. They had this great, like, button giveaway and $19.70 tickets for, like, when, you know, the show starts and takes place obviously in 1970. This is just super cool. And I love ticket initiatives that also just get people at the door. They did, like, Polaroids, and it was just really, really sweet to see all these outside of the James Earl Jones in support of the show. I know that the Chess was also having theirs. And again, it's just reminding people that, like, going to the box office is the cool thing to do, in my opinion. Like, I love getting people to go if they're able to. Obviously, there are a hundred other ways to get tickets to things, but I love when initiatives like this get approved and that people can get, like, a cool takeaway.
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Matt Tamminini
How complicated are these things to make happen? Because, like you said, like, not everyone does something like this, but we are seeing them more and more become a part of the launch for a show's, you know, major marketing push to the beginning of performances. Into the beginning of or into opening.
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Grace Aki
Yeah, it depends on the goal. You know, some shows don't even have the inventory to facilitate something like that in previews. And obviously, like, most shows would like for there not to be inventory and previews, but, like, if they're not in that place, you know, is there a ticket incentivized, you know, part of this. Is there a giveaway that you can, you know, entice people to come show up? I remember when we did the one for the Heart of Rock and Roll and there was Huey Lewis was there, and you could take a photograph with him. I mean, that was unbelievable. You know, you couldn't even do that during the run of the show. And sometimes it's like a cool giveaway. There's collateral involved. You know, everyone's trying to figure out that little thing that also isn't such a massive cost associated. Like, are you spending more on the collateral that's given away than you would in the ticket sales of the day? Because that doesn't make sense, you know, like, what. What makes sense for everybody? Involved and what can be possible. And it's also a programming thing. Can the box office program this kind of ticket initiative in person because you can't run it online and how long can that be in place? So there's like multiple factors that have to be involved in terms of all the teams that work together to accomplish them. So when you do see them happen, and I've said this a thousand times, so there's probably Broadway radio listeners that are like, we've heard you say this, but just to say it again, if and when you are privy to a moment like this or if you have taken advantage of these box office opening sales, like, talk about them online, make sure that you invite a friend. Like, the only way to make sure that they happen in the future is if they are successful. Right? Because then the teams that are involved are able to go back and say, like, we had an increase of sales by X amount when we did this previously. So the investment is worth it to make sure that there are buttons or coffee or a performance. Like, we got this earned media impression. There's a hundred different factors. So I think that, like, as a reminder, if you like it, talk about it.
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Matt Tamminini
All right, Grace, I've got a couple of recommendations. They are both wildly different. The first one came out on Sunday from the Off Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors. Not only was Sunday, 21st September, and that's huge for all Earth, Wind and Fire fans, but it was also the 21st day of the month of September, which is obviously important for Little Shop of Horrors as well. To celebrate, the show released a music video focusing on Major Attaway, who's the voice of Audrey ii, currently singing the song Mean Green Mother, which is a song that was added for the film version. A little shot before us is not seen in the stage version, so it's a very cool music video with him, Morgan Ashley Bryant, Savannah Lee Birdsong, Haley Thomas, Teddy Yudane and John Riddleburger. So very fun thing going on there. And then the other thing that I wanted to point out is something that I'd never heard of, but apparently there has been a new experience launched called Broadway After Dark, the Curtain Call Crawl. Have you heard about this at all, Grace?
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Grace Aki
No.
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Matt Tamminini
So it is a nightlife tour that is designed to kind of keep the excitement of a Broadway show going after the curtain comes down. For $69, theatergoers will be paired with a drag queen host who will meet them outside of their theater and then lead them on a walking tour through Times Square. In hell's Kitchen. Along the way, they will get, like, cocktails. They'll get insider Broadway gossip, There'll be photo ops, and then VIP access to a drag show, including meet and greet. It sounds like a blast. Sounds like a lot of fun. It is something that I've never heard of anything like this at all. Like, just anything. Trying to kind of extend the theatrical night in a unique way that's, like, super structured. Obviously, there are tons of restaurants and clubs and bars that, like, want Broadway theatergoers to come and visit them. But to actually have somebody show up at the theater door and take you to these places is brilliant, especially when it's drag queens. So I'll have information on this. It was an article that I found from the Broadway Briefing from the website Gaiety. But if you want more information, I will have that in the show notes. But that sounds like a ton of fun. Grace.
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Grace Aki
Yeah, I'm curious to see how this works. I know that there are a bunch of different VIP opportunities and programs that are led by different companies and that are, like, extensions of things. So I'm. I'm excited for whatever that could mean. And also, like, just like, as a person who's had to do events like post show in the Times Square area, like, there is a safety concern that I often think about just because, you know, New York City, baby. So I. I hope that they are. Are getting to have that, like, level of protection and in doing something like this, because I do think it's cool. Cool. But I also do have experience leading people around in. In. In that time.
- [19:18]
Matt Tamminini
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. BroadwayRadio. If you want more BroadwayRadio, head over to Patreon.com BroadwayRadio Grace, where can people find you?
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Grace Aki
You can find me at Grace Hockey.
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Matt Tamminini
All right, everybody, have a wonderful Tuesday. We'll be back to talk to you tomorrow.