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- [00:02]
A
Welcome to Today on Broadway for Wednesday, November 19, 2025. I'm Broadway Radio's Matt Tammanini and I'm.
- [00:07]
B
Tell Me on a Sunday podcast and newlywed. And thank you for letting me be out. Grace.
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A
Aki, welcome back. Grace. Yeah, you had a little bit of a. Of a respite there, but I know you were, for that first week or so, working feverishly to get. I don't even want to call it a wedding. Like, that was not a wedding. That was like.
- [00:26]
B
Yes, it was.
- [00:27]
A
Well, I mean, it was. No, no, no. I'm not saying this in a bad way. I mean, like, that was a fully produced off Broadway performance. Like, that was like, it was wild. And every, like, new thing was a huge surprise. So we don't need to get into it or maybe we do a separate episode to talk about it. But, like, where did the idea to do your wedding like that come from?
- [00:50]
B
I think that if you dissect what a wedding is, it is a performance of love. Right? So for me, of love and for F is storytelling. And I wrote a script, we had songs, we created, you know, a 45 to an hour worth of material, and we asked our friends to contribute with their talents and love. And we. We just thought, okay, well, what's. What's our version of that? Because we aren't going to do it in a church. We are show people. I like writing, they like singing. This just felt logical. So it was. It was the most us. But also, I think if you dissect a wedding, the beats of a wedding, we did them.
- [01:33]
A
Oh, yeah.
- [01:34]
B
We just did it in a more entertaining way. Because nothing is more boring to me than getting together in a room for 20 minutes with, you know, people that, you don't know. Wow. You know what I mean? Like, there's just so much, like, antiquated. And if people are spending money on it, we might as well have a good time.
- [01:49]
A
Yeah. And every single detail about that evening just screamed, you and F. So it was wonderful. It was one of the best shows I saw last week. I saw a lot of good shows, but it was certainly up there. But congratulations. Welcome back. We're going to dive into the news because there was some pretty exciting things that we have to discuss that came up on Tuesday. We're going to start over in London because Baz Bama Boy of Deadline reported that Stranger Things and also John Proctor is the villain star. Sadie Sink is going to make her London stage debut in an upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet. Now, this will not be the version that we saw with Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler do on Broadway. This will be a different version adapted by Robert Icke, who is currently being represented on Broadway with Oedipus. She is going to star opposite Noah Jupe, I think is how you say his name, from a quiet place. He is also going to be seen in Hamnet later this year. The performances will begin on March 16th and it is currently scheduled for a 12 week run. So that'll take it through June 6th. Baz also reports that starting later in 2026, Sadie is going to stick in London and film the new Avengers movie because she's being introduced into the Spider man universe in July of next year. So lots of stuff going on. I wonder what this means for the potential of her being in John Proctor as the villain when it goes to London Grace. But certainly a combination of like, as we talked about last year, like a show that we know people are going to see a star of the highest caliber and an adapter and director who is one of the absolute best at taking classic shows and putting them into a more modern context. With Robert Icke.
- [03:39]
B
Yeah, I think this is brilliant. And I also want to say that Noah in Honey Boy was so phenomenal. Like, I really am just like so obsessed. I think it's. I think it's a great idea.
- [03:51]
A
I don't know what Honey Boy is. What is that? Is that a movie?
- [03:54]
B
Honey Boy was a movie from a couple of years ago. His performance as well, essentially A young Shia LaBeouf, you know, formerly beloved, now disgraced actor. But his performance in that film should not be overshadowed by other people. Like, he is so extraordinary, I think in so much of the work that he's done as a young actor that it's actually like really poignant to me that he's going to be in this adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.
- [04:18]
A
Do you think? And obviously this is maybe not something that you have a ton of insight on, but like, we talked so much about how that other version that we saw here on Broadway last season or whatever appealed to people because everybody knows the title, everybody is familiar with it. Do you think that that's more or less the case or maybe the same as the case in the uk? Obviously they have a much stronger connection to Shakespeare. But is it less special? Because maybe they have more Shakespeare and don't. And don't feel like this needs to be something they have to see because they get Shakespeare so much more regularly at a high level than we do here in the States.
- [04:56]
B
I think that the only pushback I guess I have is the fact that Romeo and Juliet can be adapted and replayed and adapted and replayed every single month of the year. And people will go because it's such an incredibly timeless, beautiful, tragic story. Like I have never seen a Romeo and Juliet like, as Romeo and Juliet not be something that people flock towards. And I think that's due to schools teaching it. I think it's because young actors usually like, you know, the fresh faced folks, like do such a great job at it. But it's just so relatable to a lot of people and it just is. It's one of those things that just continues to work. So I think that regardless of across the pond or not, it's just a, it's kind of an anomaly piece. Regardless of Shakespeare.
- [05:44]
A
Yeah. Very cool. All right, let's go back across the Atlantic Ocean and hit Broadway because yesterday we found out that the one and only Jinx Monsoon will be returning for another admin at the Lyceum Theater in Omar. She is going to be taking over the role of Mary Todd Lincoln from Jane Krakowski. Jane will finish her run on January 4th and then Hannah Solow will do two performances on the 6th and 7th. And then Jinx will step back into the role for 30 performances beginning on January 8th. So her run will take her through February 1st. The current Mary's teacher, not to spoil anything, Cheyenne Jackson, has also extended his run in the show through January 25th. And then Mary's husband, Mary's husband, John Andrew Morrison has extended his run through jinx's run on February 1st. This feels to me, Grace, like it's one of those, hey, we need somebody to fill in a gap here because we have somebody else scheduled to come in on February 3rd or whatever. So Jinx will come in and fill that spot. So it seems like we will probably get a new fresh cast for February 3rd or whatever date they start. And this is kind of like, oh, Jinx is coming in to fill a. To fill that hole. But having seen Jinx in the role, I think she is fantastic in it. So people hopefully have an opportunity to check her out again. And pairing her with Cheyenne and John Andrew should be very fun as well. Sticking with extensions on Broadway yesterday we found out that Operation Mincemeat will extend for a fifth time. This was supposed to be a short little run that was going to just kind of play through the fall, but it is extended, extended many, many times. And it will now add four more weeks to its run on Broadway at the Golden Theater. It is currently on sale through April 26th. This is the fifth extension and the second within a month, which was originally only supposed to be 16 weeks. Now Greece. Like, at what point do we stop saying that we're just doing these extensions and just say what it is and like it's an open ended run and we're like releasing new ticket blocks. Like, is there a difference or is this just a marketing thing to say, like it's extended, which means, you know, in people's mind people love it, so I better check it out quickly. Or is there like some more logistical reason why we just keep saying that shows extend rather than release new blocks of tickets?
- [08:04]
B
You know, it just always feels like a great feat. Like, and it's also, you know, who knows with people's contracts they have to announce these things in a certain manner, their extensions, their, you know, staying on topic, whatever. So I think that it just, it's semantics, but it's also something that I think that produce sorially matters. By being, say, by being able to say that they extended six times is so much stronger than saying it's an open ended run.
- [08:34]
A
Yeah, because to be quite honest, like from our standpoint, it gets us to talk about it and maybe people more notice it more because on the same day I know that Buena Visa Social Club released more tickets. But we're not talking about that because it's an open ended run. It was always expected to keep putting more tickets out occasionally rather than a show that has said this is when we're closing and then they change their mind and push back a little bit more. So I guess there's probably a lot of good reasons why they do it that way. All right, let's head down to the Benedellane Theater where Audible has announced that it will produce the world premiere of the new play by Erica Schmidt called the Disappear. It will be written and directed by her and it'll begin performances on January 8th, and it will run through February 15th. Of course, everything that Audible Theater does at the Mineta Lane, they also record and put on their streaming service later. This show tracks a power couple whose seemingly perfect life goes completely off script, getting their friends, affairs and daughter mixed up in the process. No casting has yet been announced, but generally anything Audible does has some at least fairly decent names in there. This will be the second time that Audible has produced a play by Schmidt. They did her play Lucy in 2023. So exciting. And anytime they do something there, it's always fun. Because it's one of those rare occasions that even though it's just audio streaming. To have any kind of play, especially new work, preserved is pretty cool. And then making the way a little bit more uptown over to New World Stages, we got an update on the casting changes that have been happening, both temporary and permanent at the Off Broadway revival of Heathers. Mackenzie Kurtz, who had been out for a little bit of, is ending her leave of absence, I think earlier than had originally been planned. And she's actually back in the show as of last night on November 18. She had stepped aside at the end of October, but she is now coming back. Also at the time, Olivia Hardy, who is playing Heather Duke, had gone on a leave as well. That leave has now been made permanent and taking over the role from her will be Jakira Davis. She is going to take over on December 11th. Understudy Kira Michelle Lee will play the role through December 10th. In their stead, Kuhu Verma is going to take over as Veronica Sawyer on December 11th as Lorna Courtney leaves to get ready to go and do the Greatest Showman in London. So lots of changes over there, but it's extending and everything. So another one, Grace, that I guess it seems like people are excited about Off Broadway. And then two real quick bits of developmental news. Grace, before we turn it over, I want you to talk about what you did on Monday night. There's going to be an upcoming industry reading for a new musical from John d' Agostino and Michael August called every Wednesday night. That will happen on Friday. It is a new musical that has like a pop rock score that dives into life, love, loss and the magical healing of music. It will feature performances by Maria Bilbao, Robert Cuccioli, Carrie Renee Fuller, Lance Robert, Katie Sexton, Rima Webb and Jared Zerilli. And then on a play front, there will also be a reading on that same day on Friday of a new play called Life is Small. Austin Pitt Pendleton is directing. Douglas Gearhart is the playwright. The cast of that will feature Thomas Sadoski, David Mongentail, Bubba Wheeler and Gabby Beans. Now, Grace, Monday night you went over to Lincoln center for a very wonderful evening. So tell us about the Wicked for Good New York premiere. All of the festivities, all of the sights, all of the sounds that you saw over at Lincoln center on Monday night.
- [12:20]
B
I took a video with Legos. I literally, it was so beautiful. It was so magical. I'm very grateful to Universal Pictures for inviting me. We had F and I had the most amazing time. I did sneak F's Bach headshot into my purse. They did not know, till we got there. They were thrilled to say the very most not real thing ever, but they were fine to take photos with me with it because I'm like, no, the legacy continues. And I wanted to be an all silver in Support of Act 2 box turn spoiler as the tin Man. So, yeah, it was just. It was a really magical night. There were so many wonderful people in that theater at the Lincoln center for the New York City premiere. I got to see tons of familiar faces and tons of people that I was just so happy for. So it was a really magical night, and people should be so proud of their work. It's such a nice thing to have, like, this legacy piece that is currently still running on Broadway. Have all of these moments, and I hope that people are flocking to go see the show on stage.
- [13:21]
A
Did you see a bunch of other former Wicked alums in the audience?
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B
Because I remember in Jenna Claire Mason, Mary Kate Morrissey. Yeah, there were a lot of people there that have been previously, but, you know, it. It vacillates. I know that there were, like, Wicked cast family screenings. I did see the company manager of 20 years hanging outside, and it was just like everybody that helped make this, I hope, you know, got to be a part of that special evening for sure.
- [13:53]
A
Yeah. And Gina Claire Mason also now, like a Hallmark regular Hallmark getting to the point of, like, royalty. She does some great movies over at Hallmark, so always glad to see her in one of those films and hopefully we get to see her on stage again soon. 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 Broadway radio, head over to patreon.com broadwayradio Grace. Where can people find you?
- [14:17]
B
You can find me at Grace Hockey.
- [14:18]
A
Everybody, have a wonderful Wednesday. We'll be back to talk to you tomorrow.