Podcast Summary
BroadwayRadio
Episode: Today on Broadway: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025
Hosts: Matt Tammanini & Grace Aki
Date: October 29, 2025
Main Theme
This episode of BroadwayRadio focuses on Broadway's latest headline news, with in-depth coverage of the Broadway transfer of Liberation, key updates from London's Royal Court Theatre, new casting and concert announcements—including the star-studded concert version of Jane Eyre—and the latest Broadway grosses. The episode also touches on notable touring productions and new musical projects, providing insight and opinions on the shifting landscape of American and international theater.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Broadway Opening of Liberation
- Liberation officially opened at the James Earl Jones Theater on Tuesday evening. The hosts waited for reviews before recording, underlining the show's significance.
- Production Details:
- Written by Bess Wohl, directed by Whitney White.
- Original Off-Broadway company made the transition to Broadway.
- Lead cast: Susanna Flood as Lizzie, with notable ensemble members including Betsy Adam, Audrey Corsa, Kayla Davion, Kristalyn Lloyd, Irene Sofia Lucio, Charlie Thurston, and Adina Verson.
- Set in 1970s Ohio, focusing on a group of women gathering to discuss liberation and societal change.
- Synopsis: The narrative centers on Lizzie’s daughter, who steps back into her mother’s memories, seeking the answers within an unfinished revolution.
- Critical Reception:
- The show received widespread acclaim, echoing its successful Off-Broadway run.
Notable Quotes & Reviews
- Elizabeth Vincentelli, The New York Times (Critics Pick)
"If there is a show that can make the case for a Tony Award for Best Ensemble, it's this one. White directs the actors like a conductor leading an orchestra. Each one gets to shine in at least one aria or speech... When these women talk, we want to hear every, every word." [01:30]
- Aramine Tamubu, Variety
"...it can be challenging to deliver something fresh and unique to the memory play genre. However, in writer Bess Wohl's new Broadway show Liberation, she manages to do just that." [02:15]
- Emilyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly
"Liberation might not be able to answer life's difficult questions, but it knows that it's important to foster these conversations and to come together to try our best to make the world a better place..." [02:33]
- Matt Winman, AM New York
"Wohl strips away nostalgia and ideology to examine how the 1970s women's liberation movement reshaped lives, where it fell short, and what its legacy means today... probing questions of identity, sacrifice, and progress with the precision of a social scientist and the empathy of a dramatist." [03:00]
Hosts’ Remarks
-
Matt Tammanini:
"...we've seen a lot of really good Off Broadway shows that people loved... lose something [on Broadway]... but it seems like Liberation... has been able to maintain all of the hype..." [03:31]
- Liberation looks poised for a healthy run and possible Tony attention next spring.
-
Grace Aki:
"...tooting every horn for Whitney White to be able to have transferred that in such a great, intimate way... I'm really, really glad that it's still resonating for audiences." [04:08]
2. Royal Court Theatre (London) 70th Anniversary Season
- Big news from London: a star-heavy season was announced at the Royal Court.
- Highlights:
- Tilda Swinton returns to the stage after 35+ years in Man to Man, directed by Steven Unwin (original director), running September 2026; transfer to NYC in 2027.
- Gary Oldman returns to the stage to star in and direct Krapp's Last Tape, limited engagement starting May 8.
- John Proctor is the Villain (Kimberly Belflower's Tony-nominated work) will have its London debut, directed by Donya Taymor with a future West End transfer rumored.
Hosts’ Opinions
- Grace Aki:
"I'm really excited but very curious about how the transfer of John Proctor... it's such an inherently southern and... American play... so curious about how that will transfer... to UK audiences." [06:41]
3. Jane Eyre in Concert at Lincoln Center
- Event: Jane Eyre in concert at David Geffen Hall, February 15, 2026.
- Cast:
- Leads: Erica Henningsen, Ramin Karimloo
- Supporting: Caroline Bowman, David Michael Gary, Ellen Harvey, Mark Kudisch, Richard Mason, Emily Skinner, Elizabeth Stanley.
- Director: Tony Yazbeck [07:11]
4. Broadway Grosses Report
-
Industry Status: 32 shows running; box office essentially flat, grosses down slightly over $1 million.
-
Top Five Grossing Shows (last week):
- Hamilton: $3.45M
- Wicked: $2M
- The Lion King: $1.88M
- Chess: $1.86M [in just 7 performances]
- Waiting for Godot: $1.8M
-
Liberation’s Broadway debut: $245,942 (lower tier, but positive reviews could boost numbers).
-
18 out of 32 shows played to 90%+ capacity.
5. Show & Casting News
Extensions and Premieres
- Oratorio for Living Things extended at Signature Theatre through Nov 23.
- Jennifer Blackmer’s Predictor (with Tony-nominated Caitlin Kinnunen) at the AMT Theater, opening Dec 14, running through Jan 18.
Notable Off-Broadway News
- NYTW’s Tartuffe starring Matthew Broderick and a star-packed cast has extended again; now running Nov 28 to Jan 24, directed by Sarah Benson.
New Projects & Concerts
- A Beautiful Mind: The Musical (Concert version, Indianapolis, Nov 21)
- Stars: Derek Klena (Dr. John Nash), Krysta Rodriguez (Alicia Nash)
- Creative: Sarah Treem (book), Zoe Sarnak (score)
- Host Reactions:
- Grace:
"Leading A Beautiful Mind, it's so beautifully random...two fabulously talented individuals..." [11:37]
- Matt:
"Definitely not necessarily who I would have had in mind, but also not not who I would have had in mind..." [12:37]
- Grace:
Touring
- Richard Thomas authorized to perform Hal Holbrook’s famed Mark Twain Tonight!—starts in Tulsa, hitting 45 cities. [13:16]
Quick Bits
- Jessica Vosk and Philip Johnson Richardson to leave Hell’s Kitchen on Nov 30; Kelsey Kimmel and Lamont Walker Jr. to step in.
- Mary Lou Henner to lead a reading of new musical sequel Still Getting My Act Together (by Gretchen Cryer & Nancy Ford) opposite Peter Gallagher (Nov 7, invitation only). [14:36]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Liberation’s Sonic Ensemble:
"White directs the actors like a conductor leading an orchestra. Each one gets to shine in at least one aria or speech..."
— Elizabeth Vincentelli, NYT [01:50] - On Broadway Transfers:
"...the hope...is that the translation to a larger stage and audience size is still just as impactful."
— Grace Aki [04:08] - On A Beautiful Mind Musical's cast:
"It's like, you know, the fun mad libs of, like, incredibly talented people existing...Everybody rolls the dice a little bit and then they go, okay, here it is."
— Grace Aki [11:37]
Timestamps for Important Segments
| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:09 | Liberation Broadway opening and reviews | | 01:30-03:00 | Detailed critic quotes on Liberation | | 03:31 | Discussion of Off-Broadway to Broadway transitions | | 04:08 | Grace’s insights on Liberation on Broadway | | 04:37 | Royal Court Theatre 70th season and headline announcements | | 06:41 | Grace’s curiosity about John Proctor transatlantic transfer| | 07:11 | Jane Eyre concert casting | | 07:36 | Broadway gross numbers and analysis | | 09:42 | Off-Broadway news and extensions | | 11:09 | A Beautiful Mind musical casting and hosts' reactions | | 13:16 | Richard Thomas’s Mark Twain Tonight! tour announcement | | 14:36 | Quick casting notes (Hell’s Kitchen, new musical readings)|
Episode Tone & Style
The hosts deliver rapid-fire, informed takes with mutual excitement and curiosity, balancing industry news with critical joy and wry observations. They maintain a conversational, in-the-know yet accessible tone throughout.
For Listeners
This episode is essential listening for anyone tracking new powerhouse plays, the London-to-Broadway pipeline, or looking for sneak peeks at hotly anticipated musical adaptations, concert stagings, and evolving casting landscapes. The hosts’ blend of reporting with insider reaction provides both authoritative news and passionate context.