Grace Aki (6:54)

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.

Matt Tamminini (7:04)

Yep, good point.

Grace Aki (7:05)

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?

Matt Tamminini (9:06)

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?

Grace Aki (13:15)

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.

Matt Tamminini (14:10)

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.

Grace Aki (14:28)

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.

Matt Tamminini (16:21)

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?

Grace Aki (17:23)

No.

Matt Tamminini (17:25)

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.

Grace Aki (18:39)

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.

Matt Tamminini (19:18)

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?

Grace Aki (19:26)

You can find me at Grace Hockey.

Matt Tamminini (19:28)

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