Podcast Summary: "Today on Broadway: Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025"
Podcast: BroadwayRadio
Hosts: Matt Tamminini, Grace Aki
Date: October 1, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode delivers a lively update on the latest happenings in the Broadway world, peppered with the hosts’ characteristic wit and camaraderie. Matt Tamminini and Grace Aki discuss upcoming shows, recent reviews, box office grosses, casting and theater news, as well as their personal cultural experiences in New York's theater scene. Highlights include the Broadway arrival of “Schmigadoon!,” an in-depth review roundup of “Masquerade: The Immersive Phantom,” Cherry Lane Theatre’s successful reopening, and Broadway’s weekly grosses.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Halloween Planning and Broadway Banter
[00:11 - 01:00]
- Grace is in the midst of Halloween planning, juggling it with wedding preparations. She teases a Disney throwback costume.
- Matt doesn’t dress up but enjoys hearing about Grace’s plans and relates it to Broadway’s creative spirit.
2. "Schmigadoon!" Coming to Broadway
[01:00 - 03:52]
- Major announcement: “Schmigadoon!” will premiere on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre (April 4 - September 6, 2026).
- No official cast yet, but Matt predicts returnees from its Kennedy Center and workshop runs.
- Focus on the logic of a limited engagement as a financially wise move:
“If you think you’re going to be an open-ended run, you start to budget things out for one, two, maybe even more years to recoup... If you’re saying we are only running from April 4 through September 6... you’ve got to make sure you are set up to be financially successful during that period.” — Matt [01:18]
- Discussion of the Nederlander Theatre’s challenging history:
“Probably also really smart since it’s in the Nederlander, which is, like, where good shows go to die. But hopefully they are able to buck that trend...” — Matt [02:29]
- Grace shares enthusiasm and nostalgia for Nederlander (notably for “Newsies”):
“I’m excited for it to have...this really lovely several months, you know, hopefully with, you know, success kind of moment there at that theater.” — Grace [02:46]
- Playful riffing on entering “Schmigadoon” as a portal at the Nederlander.
3. Review Roundup: "Masquerade: The Immersive Phantom"
[03:52 - 09:01]
- Matt summarizes major reviews for "Masquerade":
- Alexis Soloski (NYT):
“For better and for worse, Masquerade is Phantom Remixed... It’s all very sexy, provided you are comfortable excusing the bad behavior of powerful men and decentering the experience of a woman deceived... This is vibes-based theater.” [04:40]
- Vulture (Sarah Holdren & Jackson McHenry):
- Loved the immersive, campy, “spirit Halloween” vibe, but criticized efforts to over-explain the Phantom’s backstory.
“I think this is where the sentimentality of our own era runs up against the gothic, which is actually so much more hardcore. We’re desperate to provide psychological explanations for our phantoms, our Heathcliffs, our Cathys...” — Sarah Holdren [07:20]
- Loved the immersive, campy, “spirit Halloween” vibe, but criticized efforts to over-explain the Phantom’s backstory.
- TimeOut NY, NY Post: Both surprisingly positive.
“A few smart, artful additions raise Masquerade to something far greater than a jolly tourist attraction.” — Johnny Oleksinski [NY Post, cited at 07:55]
- Alexis Soloski (NYT):
- The hosts dissect whether centering the Phantom is novel—Grace prefers Christine’s viewpoint and is intrigued by the narrative shift.
“I love going to musicals where the title is not actually the focal point of the person... Her voice is literally, like, ripped from her... I’m curious how that feels in the setting.” — Grace [08:11]
- Matt notes this version “reorganizes the focus” and credits director Diane Paulus’ storytelling instincts.
4. Broadway Grosses & Ticket Sales
[09:01 - 11:55]
- Broadway grosses are down 4% this week (attendance 6% down), though ticket prices rose slightly.
- Top grossers:
- Hamilton ($3.77M), Wicked ($2M), Art ($1.65M), Mamma Mia ($1.65M), Waiting for Godot ($1.6M).
- Ragtime had only three performances but strong sales extrapolated out.
- Many shows are still playing to 90%+ capacity, but grosses are “not very good, to be quite honest with you.” — Matt.
5. Announcements: Roundabout & Off-Broadway News
[11:55 - 12:54]
- Roundabout Theatre dates:
- “Chinese Republicans” (Off-Broadway, Feb 5-Apr 5)
- “Rocky Horror Picture Show” revival (March 26, Studio 54)
- “Fallen Angels” starring Kelli O’Hara and Rose Byrne (March 27)
- “Sulfur Bottom” extends at the Theatre Center (through Oct 25)
- Shoutout to Grace’s interview with playwright Rishi Varma
6. Cherry Lane Theatre Reopening & Cultural Notes
[12:54 - 16:15]
- Grace recaps “WEER” by Natalie Palamides at newly renovated Cherry Lane (pulled off by A24).
“It’s hilarious, it’s moving, it is funny. It’s perfect for anybody who lived through the 90s... poking fun at 90s rom coms, at human interaction in plays, at some audience participation... I cannot recommend it enough.” — Grace [13:33]
- Spike Lee hosts an emotional, no-phones-allowed post-show discussion after his documentary “Four Little Girls.”
“[Spike] was giving such great advice to [film students]... ‘Have a conversation before you put a camera in their face... It’s just like basic communication and human instincts.’” — Grace [15:25]
7. Broadway in Wider Culture
[16:15 - 18:20]
- 2025 TIME 100 Next includes theatermakers Jonathan Bailey, Helen J. She, Sanaz Tosi, Lola Tung, Kara Young.
- Bailey is interviewed by Ariana Grande for TIME.
- “Ragtime” cast (Joshua Henry & Michelle Lewis) performed “Wheels of a Dream” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
“I like this better... just Broadway people come and do just like versions of the songs wearing normal people clothes, not costumes. That’s really, really effective...” — Matt [17:53]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
Halloween and Broadway Spirit
- “Who knows if it’ll actually come together because it’s just simply days before I get hitched.” — Grace [00:18]
- “I am doing a Disney throwback and I’ll leave it there.” — Grace [00:53]
"Schmigadoon!" on Limited Run
- “You’ve got to make sure that you are set up to be financially successful during that period or at least, you know, part of that plan.” — Matt [01:30]
Nederlander’s Reputation
- “Probably also really smart since it’s in the Nederlander, which is, like, where good shows go to die.” — Matt [02:29]
Immersive Phantom Reviews
- “This is vibes-based theater, which I think is something that a lot of people thought as well.” — Matt [05:42]
- “I think this is where the sentimentality of our own era runs up against the gothic, which is actually so much more hardcore... Okay, just tell me a good ghost story. And quickly.” — Sarah Holdren (Vulture), via Matt [07:35]
New Cherry Lane Experience
- “A24 has done an amazing job with the Cherry Lane Theater to the shock of literally no one... I cannot recommend it enough.” — Grace [12:54 & 13:33]
Spike Lee’s Human Approach
- “Have a conversation before you put a camera in their face... there’s a level of humanity to that storytelling that I think can also be transferred into theater as well.” — Spike Lee, relayed by Grace [15:25]
Broadway on TV
- “I like this better... just Broadway people come and do just like versions of the songs wearing normal people clothes, not costumes. That’s really, really effective...” — Matt [17:53]
Important Timestamps
- Halloween Chatter: [00:11–01:00]
- Schmigadoon! Announcement: [01:00–03:52]
- "Masquerade" Review Roundup: [03:52–09:01]
- Broadway Grosses: [09:01–11:55]
- Show & Casting News: [11:55–12:54]
- Cherry Lane & A24 Reopening: [12:54–15:10]
- Spike Lee Post-Show & Documentary: [15:10–16:15]
- TIME 100 Next/Theatermakers: [16:15–17:05]
- Ragtime Performance on Colbert: [17:05–18:20]
Tone and Takeaways
The hosts maintain a brisk, friendly, and occasionally tongue-in-cheek tone, balancing newsy rundown with personal asides and opinionated critique. They’re candid about box office struggles, enthusiastic about theater innovations (like immersive “Phantom” and renovated spaces), and draw thoughtful connections between art forms, as seen in the Spike Lee segment.
For Broadway and theater fans, this episode is a succinct pulse check on the major news, with welcome doses of critical perspective and firsthand excitement.