B (1:45)

Yeah, it's great. It's fantastic. Former Broadway radio guest Mark Sonnenblick is now a Golden Globe nominee for writing some of the songs. I don't think he wrote all of them, but from that film. So lots of musical theater connections there. But while you were out, we did the reviews for Marjorie prime, which is officially open on Broadway. At the end of the episode. I'm gonna have you give your thoughts on the show because I know you saw it. So we will keep people on pins and needles for that until the end of the show. But we are going to start with news that was just announced a little bit before we started recording. And despite the fact that the show had previously announced that it would wrap up its run at the St. James Theater on January 4, now we know that the Queen of Versailles is going to be moving up that closing date and it will be closing in two weeks, less than two weeks now, on Sunday, December 21st. So if you want to make sure that you have an opportunity to check out this musical, it leaves Broadway. You have 16 shows left or a little bit less by the time you're hearing this. Kristin Chenoweth has been in and out of the show with some injuries. Sheri Renee Scott has gone in a little bit more than had been previously planned. So if you want to make sure that you see one of those two musical theater icons as Jackie Siegel before it wraps up over at the St. James Theater, you just have until Sunday the 21st. Now, Grace, I don't think you were on the show when this was originally announced to be closing, but just as an update, there are from my calculations, just three Broadway houses that are going to be open.

B (3:16)

In the spring. The James Earl Jones, the majestic and the St. James. From what I understand as of now, I think all three of those are spoken for. So unless with shows that have not been announced as of yet, one London transfer, one Off Broadway transfer, one show that's been kicking around doing out of town tryouts for the past six, seven years, that's the rumors that I've heard. So unless we get another show to close, I think we know everything except for those three unannounced shows that's gonna be coming in the spring. Are we thinking that there could be some other things closing that could open up houses, or are we pretty locked in for what the spring is going to look like? Except for those three things that have have those houses that haven't been announced yet, do you think?

A (4:03)

No, no, no, no. And also, I can't possibly, you know what I mean? Like, it's, there are so many. But also the holidays can change everything for a show. So even if people are speculating, oh, this is going to close, like, I know we're getting an even earlier closure for Queen of Versailles, but no, I think it's very much like people playing a little bit of like Tetris on how long they're out of town has had time for whatever and it just.

B (4:28)

Depends on yeah, I am fascinated by what these three houses could be doing in the spring and obviously we'll see what happens if anything else opens up. But everything to me seems pretty solid in at least trying to run through the spring. But Grace, let's talk about some things that we do know that are going to be coming in and that is the 2026 New York City center encore season. We already know some of the cast members for each of the shows, but yesterday they released a ton of other stars that will be joining each of the three product in this season. The season will kick off on February 14th with the musical version of the iconic play Blythe Spirit. We already knew that Philip Assu and Steven Pasquale were going to lead that with Katrina Link and others in that cast. We now know that one of the absolute greats of both stage and especially screen and sketch comedy, Rachel Dratch, will be joining that production along with Campbell Scott and Jennifer Sanchez. Then the production of Michael, John Lachiusa and George C. Wolfe's wild party, which will run from March 18th through the 29th, has welcomed Claiborne Elder, Evan, Tyrone Martin and Joseph A. Bird. They are joining the previously announced Jasmine, Amy Rogers and Adrian Warren, and then the season will wrap up on June 17th through the 28th with La Caja Fall. We already knew that Billy Porter was going to be playing Albin and opposite him as George will be the one and only Wayne Brady. A ton of other fans, fantastic people, including Michael McElroy will be in that production as well. So everything over at City center always draws really good stars. But with a new artistic director, the second one in the past five or six years, I'm really optimistic to see what these shows look and feel like now with a different artistic voice leading the way.

A (6:20)

It's certainly exciting. I think that anytime there is a changeover in artistic directors or anyone on the board, like, those things just like help freshen whatever it is, right? Whatever property, whatever subscription, house. I always think that they're positive moves. Even if, you know, someone comes from another, you know, institution. I just think that those things always have to happen in order to keep things moving in a contemporary way. So I think I'm very excited for them.

B (6:46)

All right, let's dive in real quick to the Broadway grosses. Obviously, coming off of the Thanksgiving week, everything is down. Not a surprise, but Broadway still grossed $42,629,351 across its 34 shows. The attendance actually didn't dip too, too much, about 6,300 people or 2% to come at 291,637 people. The big drop was in the average ticket price which fell 10% to come in at $146.17. No longer is Hamilton at the top of the grosses chart because Leslie Odom Jr. Has left. They have been usurped by Harry Potter and the Cur, obviously with Tom Felton kind of taking like the star returning to a role title that is currently on Broadway. Curse Child did $2,939,627 last week. Hamilton was second in All Fairness at 2.75 million, Wicked in third at 2.7, Lion King at 2.41 and Chess coming in at 1.96. The rest of the shows north of seven figures in descending order were Mamma Mia. Art, Death Becomes Her MJ Just In Time, Aladdin, Stranger Things, the First Shadow, Waiting for Godot, Ragtime, oh Mary maybe Happy Ending, the Outsiders, Moulin Rouge, the Great Gatsby, Buena Vista Social Club and the Book of Mormon. A really pretty healthy number of shows north of seven figures for last week. So overall everything was pretty much down except for a couple of the the plays here or there. Just In Time was up as well because they got a full week of Grof Groff back in the show. But obviously coming off of a holiday it is a surprise that things were down a little bit, but it still seems to be pretty healthy. All things considered.

B (8:31)

Let's dive into some show and casting news here. Grace We've talked about this Shay Joey Reimagining of Pal Joey Miles Frost is going to play Joey in the production that is going to run at the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. coming up in starting on January 30th running through March 15th. We now know some of the other principals that'll be joining that production. As Vera Simpson will be Samantha Miselle, as Linda English will be Alys Sal Sika, as Lucille Wallace will be Angela hall and as Melvin Schneider will be the great two time Tony nominee Kevin Cahoon. This of course is the reimagining of Pal Joey that is being co directed by Tony Goldwyn and Savion Glover. Glover will also choreograph. It features a new book by Richard Le Gravinae and has all of those standards from Pal Joey, Bewitched, Bother and Bewildered what Is a Man. Also some songs from the film adaptation like the lady is a Tramp and other Rogers and Hart classics like My Funny Valentine. Speaking of Rogers and Hart. Grace, have you seen Blue Moon yet?

A (9:37)

No, I can't wait to see it though. It's on my list.

B (9:41)

Yeah, that's a. The movie starring Ethan Hawke as Lauren's heart. Kind of like coming to grips with the fact that Richard Rogers moved on and is working with Oscar Hammerstein. But I know. I think you posted the clip of. Of. Of Ethan Hawke talking about CBS Sunday Morning. Yeah. Explain what that was.

A (10:02)

Yeah, it's just him talking about and I think that he put it in a way that I've had trouble figuring out the. The words for. But I loved that he was able to kind of like condensely say, like why he was like uninterested in it was because he was like, you know, there's. He says it much better than me. But he was on CBC uninterested in what? Uninterested? Yeah, he said that he was just uninterested in artificial intelligence usage, especially when it comes because inherently, like art is created. And he was just uninterested. He was like, look, I know it's a part of this future. I'm just not interested in entertaining it. Like, I don't enjoy art that derives from AI. Like, it was just. I was grateful that he wasn't just like boycott at all because it's very much a part of a lot of the things that we use that we don't realize. It was his disinterest in utilizing it as a creative person. And I was just really grateful that he said it in such a fabulous way. Watch the clip.

B (10:59)

Yeah, we'll throw the clip in there from CBS Sunday Morning if you want to see it. All right. In some other casting news, this is going to be happening in your neck of the woods. Grace over the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, New Jersey, they will have a completely new staging of Come From Away that'll begin performances on February 4th. They announced the cast of this one. And what's interesting is that all of the actors in the show will be playing their instruments. Will be playing instruments live in the cast that will include Jeanette Baerdel be playing the Beverly Annette track along with Andrea Burns. John L Jor, which dating back to we live in Cairo when he was in that, like I see his name. I know it is John L Jor, like E L Dash, J O R. All I can think of is Jor? El, though from my Superman love. So anyway, besides that, we also have the indomitable Lisa Howard, Remo Webb and others. But I'm really interested in this they're also doing a non replica production of Come From Wait over at the Oslo Rep in Sarasota. I don't know that I'm gonna make it over there before it's done for the holidays. But like, I'm interested in seeing this show that to me was just so expertly and wonderfully staged and that staging is such a huge part of it that I'm interested to see what it looks like with a new set of creative eyes kind of doing something different. So whether it's in Sarasota or in Melbourne, wishing both of these productions a lot of luck because I love that show and excited to see what they look like. Like, speaking of things that I'm excited to see, yesterday they announced what I think is going to be the last pairing for the Off Broadway return engagement of Pen Pals. We told you a bunch of the other stars set to start actually today is Donalyn Champlin and Emily Skinner, Vann Cox and Melissa Gilbert, Sharon Lawrence, Maureen McCormick, Randy Graf, Beth Leavel, Gina Torres, Carmen Cusack, Jodi Benson, Marsha Mitzman, Gavin and others will be a part of it throughout the run. But they announced yesterday that Brooke Adams and our friend Mary Lou Henner are going to be joining that rotation for a couple weeks over at the Doctor 2 theater from February 3rd through the 15th. They've been friends for decades, dating back to the 70s. They did mad Woman of the West Off Broadway together as well. So it'll be fun to see those two doing that show side by side for a couple weeks and then getting into some news that, like, I don't know, like, I feel like we have to talk about this, Grace. Although it is weird and complicated and I don't know a whole lot about the details of these things, but since mid November, Tony nominated playwright Jeremy O. Harris has been under arrest in Japan for suspicion of attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country. Japan has one of the strictest drug laws in the world. It apparently, according to police reports, Japanese custom officials found 780 milligrams of ecstasy in Harris's carry on bag. He was apparently traveling there from Taiwan to do research for a future project of his. He was released on Monday. Law enforcement officials declined to say whether or not he had been charged or not, although Harris's representatives said that no charges were filed against him, that he is going to remain in Japan for work and to research things. Apparently, Harris was facing up to seven years in prison if he was found guilty under the drug laws. I don't know enough about this. But it is something that I think we certainly need to bring up because that is a fairly serious charge coming out of Japan, especially crossing international borders.

A (14:46)

It's just, it's just tedious. And I hate that we even have to like that this is a news thing. Like, I hate that it's happened to this person. And also I just, it's just all good grief. Like, I don't know. I just especially respectfully and you know me. Drug. We're all doing drugs all the time. What do we like, what do you mean? Like, why is this the thing, you.

B (15:09)

Know, so just.

B (15:12)

I mean, we're all doing drugs. I think you mean in like prescription. Everybody is on some sort of drug.

A (15:18)

Everyone in the world is on something. It's just like whenever people are detained and stuff, I'm just like, oh, I hate that there's international law stuff. I wait, I wish that all of us just, as, you know, the world would just agree that like, people just have stuff. Moveon.org I don't know.

B (15:35)

Yeah, well, I mean, we saw what happened with Brittney Griner in Russia. Obviously that's a little bit of a different situation given the international politics between Russia, the United States, but neither here nor there. Glad that he is free and hopefully this can be resolved without too much more issue. But moving on to something that I think is actually really good and interesting news. Yesterday the New Yorker announced who would be replacing Helen Shaw as their theater critic. Helen Shaw previously held that position for the New Yorker, now is taking over as the chief theater critic of the New York Times. Well, the New Yorker looked internally to name a new theater critic and they just so happened to find a Pulitzer Prize winner that was already on their staff that is going to be taking over as the theater critic. And that is Emily Nussbaum, who had been a TV critic for years. She had kind of moved more recently into writing profiles and she's also written a number of books. But she's going to be taking over as a theater critic, which I think is fantastic. Like, I followed Emily on Twitter or whatever for years when I was still over on Twitter. She was always one of the most, I thought, insightful, but also kind of like funny voices and like, like navigating the serious prestige type stuff that's on TV as well as the like, she's written books about reality tv and so I just kind of always thought like, she kind of got the fact that like, not everything had to be serious and ultra important. So I'm like, I'm kind of Excited about that dynamic being brought to the New Yorker's theater coverage. So I think she's great. I've been a fan of hers for a long time and so this was very exciting news to see her moving from more TV coverage into theater Greece.

A (17:16)

Anytime a woman gets a place in that space, I am happy, hopeful that, you know, we'll continue to get diverse points of view in, in a lot of these roles. And I don't just mean gender diversity. I think that oftentimes people are like, oh, we, we have diverse. And it's like all white women. And I'm like, well, is it? So I, I am, I'm excited for the furthering of new voices in the artistic spaces.

B (17:45)

Before we talk about Marjorie prime again, we've got two shows that are currently in development that are gonna be having readings coming up. The first one happens today on Wednesday the 10th. It is a new play by Ben Andron called Broken Snow. Colin Hanlon, who is always one of my favorites on stage, is going to be directing. It will star Tony Danza, Michael Longfellow and Thomas Sadoski. And it follows James, who's a volatile drifter and Steven, a tightly controlled officer, as they dig through the remnants of their father's secret life. And then the other one is a new musical that's going to be having its reading on Friday. It is called Small Town Boy. It is a new musical that features original orchestrations and arrangements of pre existing music from recent Broadway star Orville Peck. And it is coming to us from director and choreographer Jacob Carr, who co wrote the book along with Cassie Mauer. And in that show for the presentation, Carr will be in it as well as Adrienne Lee, Chase Madigan, Mariah Reeves, Michael Kilgore, Daniel Kadrino, Bradley Dean, Tyler Hardwick, Zamani Rose and more. So I'm very excited to hear all about that because I don't really know Orville Peck's music, but obviously he was a huge hit at Cabaret earlier this year, so that should be fun.

B (19:03)

All right, Grace. The reviews for Marjorie prime were mostly pretty positive. Did they like it? Has collected 15 reviews. Ten were positive, five were mixed and none were negative. So overall, very strong reviews for this play. What were your takeaways? Which similarly enough, I guess does kind of overlap with the Ethan Hawke conversation that we had earlier in the episode.

A (19:25)

You know, I really, I think that the piece was, is incredibly smart. I've not talked to a single person that didn't really like, appreciate the premise. I think it's incredibly well Acted. I never once was like, wow, like, June Squibb, amazing for her age. June Squibb is an excellent actor. Like, it was just so poignant. I didn't care any. Anyone's age. I thought that they were all just really perfect. I think that is it. Christopher.

B (19:55)

Christopher Lowell.

A (19:57)

Can he just live at Second Stage? Can he just, like, take up an apartment upstairs? He is such an asset to that theater company at this point. I've loved him and everything that he's been in there, and I love him on Broadway. I think he's just a really great ensemble actor. But I don't mean that in the way that some people say ensemble. Like, it's less than. I mean, he. He collaborates with every single person that he's on stage with. And I don't know if it's because he's hot that he's not getting that amount of the same way, you know, someone else would, I don't know. But he's just really excellent, and I want him to be just as much of the conversation as Danny Burstein, who is just, you know, a God's gift to the theater. And Cynthia Nixon. Being back on Broadway is important to me after the Little Foxes. So, yeah, I don't know. It was just. It's a really great piece of theater. I'm not unique in saying that, and I think that the play aged even better throughout the years because now we're at a point where people are so optimistic about AI and we are equally as troubled because of the environmental impact. There is a lot of conversation around how we are using it and how we are using things responsibly and how we want to use it, you know, to remember things and people. And I just. I loved what the story said, and I liked the conversation that happened after. I think that a great piece of theater makes you want to talk about it afterwards. And I think that theater that doesn't do that is the kind of theater that you want to talk about in three blocks. So, you know, the second I burst out of those doors, my friend and I were just like, oh, my God. And then this. And then also we were seeing the show at the same night. Two rows over was Steven Root, which is just one of the best, like, actors that we have as well, that I was like, hey, you should do this one. You know what I mean? But anyways, no, I just. I could go on and on. And full disclosure, I do have the privilege to work with Second Stage often, but in this capacity, I have to say, just, like, for Broadway radio hat. Grace. It was just. It's really, really well done. And I think that anybody that has the ability should be seeing this play.

B (22:04)

All right, everybody, that's all we have for today. Thanks for listening to Today on Broadway. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, BroadwayRadio. If you want more Broadway radio, head over to patreon.com broadwayradio Grace, where can people find you?

A (22:11)

You can find me at Grace. Aki.

B (22:13)

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