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Today on Broadway: Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025
00:16:20
Krakowski to join ‘Oh, Mary!’, Hannah Cruz joins ‘Chess’ principal cast, Feldman joins ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Since 2016, “Today on Broadway” has been the first and only daily podcast recapping the top theatre headlines every Monday through Friday.
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A
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B
T Mobile welcome to Today on Broadway for Wednesday, September 3, 2025. I'm Broadway Radio's Matt Tamminini and I'm.
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C
Tell Me on a Sunday podcast Grace.
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B
Ake Grace we are back from the long Labor Day holiday week and I hope everybody enjoyed the unofficial end to summer. And while fall is still a few weeks away from like the actual turning of the calendar, autumnal equinox, it does start to feel like we are in the fall season now. We started to get some actual big Broadway news. And Grace, I'm assuming from this point forward we're going to start hearing about shows coming in this fall. We're going to start hearing about castings for shows that are coming in, getting some more announcements about things that are happening in the spring. At what pace do you think we should expect those things? Is it going to be a big floodgate is open now that we're in September, or is it going to be a small trickle like we had a couple today and then we'll have maybe a couple in a week or so? What do you think the volume of announcements is going to be here moving forward?
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C
I think that we're going to start having, you know, like those, those major announcements kind of how they're flooding in kind of like piecemeal right now because we're post holiday break, people are back from the Hamptons if they got to go and I guess have not a care in the world and they're back, you know, at their computer. So I think that there is a high likelihood that we're going to start to get a lot more genuine full casting announcements, full show announcements that people maybe weren't anticipating for those spring slots. The fall feels pretty sleepy. Like I feel like pretty good about the fall. And I don't mean sleepy in a derogatory way. I mean it in the, in a news sense. Like I feel like we generally know the landscape. I don't see any surprise outliers for the fall. You know, count your days. I'm sure in two days I'll be eating my words, but it feels like most people are saying, okay, okay, okay, okay, let's do the spring, let's do the spring. We're ready. Or fall of next year. Like, I haven't seen any surprise. The theater that we always wanted is open. We're starting in November. That just doesn't feel as likely.
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B
Okay, that's interesting because there are still a number of houses open and available for the fall. So I didn't know if we were going to get some of those late openings like you mentioned, like maybe in November. But if you feel like we're mostly set set, then I guess the attention should turn towards the spring in terms of at least new shows. But yesterday we did get some news about a show that is currently on Broadway, welcoming in a new star. And the folks over at Omar have done it yet again because starting in October, taking over the role of Mary Todd Lincoln will be stage and screen icon Jane Krakowski. She will be taking on the role beginning on October 14th for a limited eight week engagement, which means that she will play through December 7th. She joins the likes of Cola Scola, Betty Gilpin, and of course her unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt co star Titus Burgess in playing that role. Jinx Monsoon is currently doing it now and will be the Mary up until when Jane takes over. But I feel like every time we do this, like, oh, they're amazing at casting. This is great. I don't know how else we can say that, Grace, but like, they're still doing it. Like, this is still an incredible way for this show to keep just bringing in more kind of perfect stars. And every time they do a new one, it's just like, oh, yeah, that makes the most sense you could possibly have.
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C
It's such an unhinged, correct casting. It's a shame that we don't have Titus Burgess in Moulin Rouge stuff still, because then we would just really, you know, and Ellie Kemper, I'm sure would be fantastic as well. Like, I, I think this is such excellent casting and she's just so fantastic that of course I want to see her be a, you know, failed cabaret star. Like, I just think it's so wild and funny and what an excellent choice. It really is an excellent choice. I'm thrilled for them.
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B
Could we get Titus back as Abe? Like, I think Titus could. Titus would be great. Let's throw Carol Kane in as the chaperone like that would be Carol Kane.
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C
The last time she was on Broadway, I believe was in Wicked as Madame Morrible, because that was just wild. So that could be fun. Just saying.
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B
I'm all for it. I think that's all great and I misspoke. Jenx Monsoon is actually ending her performance on September 28, and then the understudy, Hannah so Hollow will play the role from September 30 through October 12. And then Jane Krakowski is taking over. So in terms of the headliners, it's going to be Jinx, then Hannah and then into Jane. But moving on to some other news about shows that are in fact still happening in the fall. And I've been talking about the fact that, hey, it looks like Chess has started rehearsals, at least with the principles of Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele and Nicholas Christopher. When are they going to announce the rest of the ensemble? And now we know because yesterday they confirmed what I have been teasing now for weeks, that the delightful and wonderful Hannah Cruz is going to be taking on the role of Svetlana as the kind of the fourth point in that love square in Chess. And she's going to be joined by three of the gentlemen who co starred in the One Night Only concert a couple years ago that preceded this full Broadway revival. Playing the arbiter will be Bryce Pinkham. I think this, I think this is going to really kind of surprise people at how funny Bryce is in this role. Bryce is very funny. We know that from Gentleman's Guide. But like the way that this character has been rewritten to be a little bit more humorous than in past productions, I think will surprise people. Bradley Dean will play Molokoff, and Sean Allen Krill will play Walter. And then the ensemble for the show is filled with a bunch of very talented, familiar names, including Shavi Brown, Emma Durgerstead, Casey Garvin, Adam Halpin, Sarah Meal, Samantha Paulino, Katie Weber, and more obviously a lot of dancers in there. So if you're like thinking, oh, what kind of production is this going to be? Seems like there's going to be a lot of dancing in this show which will be very exciting. I'm sure One Night in Bangkok will be a full out smorgasbord of stuff happening at the top of Act 2. So this is a great cast. Grace, you and I love Hannah Cruz. Didn't love the Connector, but we, we saw her in that. I've seen her in Hamilton, saw her obviously in Sephs, both on Broadway and off Broadway in two different roles. I think she's tremendous And I think she will absolutely kill this role because she is, I certainly believe, an up and coming star for her generation as one of the best voices out there.
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C
Yeah, like I. There's so many great people. I just want to shout out Michael Montcanan, who. They are so good. They were incredible in the Frozen national tour, obviously. Just saw them in the Little Mermaid at Mill. They were excellent in Lempicka, which I think was. I don't know if that was their Broadway debut. Maybe it was, but either way, I am thrilled that they are joining this cast. It's just going to be such an incredible ensemble. And having never seen the show, I've only sung Anthem in high school chorus. I can't wait to know what the show's about.
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B
It's about chess.
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C
Oh, for fuck's sake.
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B
Yeah, I know. Anyway, let's. Let's go from Broadway to Off Broadway because on Monday it was announced that the current Off Broadway revival of Heather's the Musical will be heading out on a US national tour not next year, but the year after. It'll be heading out on its first ever US national tour beginning in spring of 2027. Obviously, the dates and all of that stuff is still yet to be announced. It is also going to be going out on tours in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand starting next year. Obviously, it has toured the UK numerous times before, so. So it won't be the first time there, but it will be the first time in the US which is really interesting because this is a show, grace that has had over this past decade a, you know, a fairly strong life both regionally and professionally and. And in amateur theaters as well. But now that it has a return in New York City to be able to go on a national tour, I'm sure will do very well in different parts across the country. But I do wonder if it is going to be like the full big national tour like you would expect from a Broadway show, or if it will be something that's a little smaller and maybe just plays a handful of cities in smaller regional houses rather than doing, you know, a full big one. Do you have any thoughts on which variation of a tour that we'll get from that?
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C
No, I think that everyone's strategizing different, differently right now. Like, I think that obviously, you know, the days of these big, long sit downs, I think are over for the time being in a more like, you know, ubiquitous way. But what I'm noticing is that people are wanting to do much longer tours in like a bunch of cities. Does that make sense? I'm seeing shows do like, all right, one week here, one week there, one week and it's just like, and then two years of that and I'm not seeing as much like three months in this spot, three months in this city. Do you know what I'm saying? So I think it just differs, it depends on the markets. And that's why these spring road conferences and all of those conversations are so important come the spring because you know, these, these touring houses are making really big swings and their funding, you know, has been cut sometimes. And so I'm just, I'm kind of monitoring that. They're all doing different things and they, because they have to, their communities are very different. All of them.
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B
Yeah. It'll be interesting to see if this plays like a place like for me, the Dr. Phillips center or if it plays in a smaller venues across the country. Because I, you know, it's a, it's an off Broadway show and those don't often really get the big full first class national tour that, that the Broadway shows do. So it'll be fun to see what happens. But I can't wait to see it in New York and I can't wait to see it on tour as well. All right, Grace. There's not a whole lot going on on Broadway this week in terms of like new things getting started. But that will be coming very, very soon, obviously. But I do want to point out that this is the final week of the Broadway run of Jon Proctor is the Villain over at the Booth Theater. Obviously we've been talking about this show since it began performances back in March. So if you haven't had an opportunity to check this one out, you do have just until Sunday the 7th over at the Booth in Shubert Alley and then Grace, this is a day, honestly as we're recording here on Tuesday before shows get started. This is a day that I didn't know was actually going to come. But despite all of the controversy, despite all of the protests, despite all of the petitions, Andrew Barth Feldman is stepping into the role of Oliver and maybe Happy Ending on Broadway for a limited run before Darren Criss returns on November 5th. It's a nine week run for Andrew Barth Feldman starring opposite his real life partner, Helen J. Shin. Obviously a lot of controversy that has come with this. I don't think anyone doubts that Andrew will be wonderful in this role, but obviously it's a lot more fraught than just that. But I think I at least had said on air that I didn't Think that there was really any way that they could continue to move forward with Andrew taking over the role. I was clearly wrong. And, you know, for however else people feel about it, obviously we wish everybody involved with the show a wonderful run during this nine week stretch. And Grace, I don't know, have you ever. Have you ever gone to this show, Schitt's Probe before? Have you heard of this?
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Yes, yes, I have. Josh Lamon started this at the Magnet Theater, I believe. Yeah.
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Okay. Wonderful. Yeah. This is a show that is an improvised musical where no two shows are the same. Every song, every lyric, every line of dialogue, every dance move is wholly improvised. It's accompanied by a live band creating the score on the fly. The press release actually says that it was created by Kiki Michaelson, Ali Reed and Adrian Pellerin. And Josh Lehman is actually part of the current cast of the show, along with former Broadway radio guest Anissa Folds and AJ Holmes, who's also been on the show before as well. But after five years downtown, they're actually moving up to the Laurie Beechman theater beginning on September 29th. It'll play twice a month with each performance featuring a special Broadway guest that joins the cast. Tons of people have been involved with it over the years. James Monroe Iglehart, Chris Sieber, Jessica Vosk, Jackie Hoffman, Talia Suskower, Izzy McCullough, Barrett Wilbert Weed. I think this is one of those things I would see pop occasionally. Be like, oh, I'd like to go see that sometime. But I never really knew when it was or where it was. Now that it's over at the Lori Beachman, like right there off of Times Square, in the theater, did a In the heart of Off Broadway. I think this is great for them. Like, I think this is a really big opportunity for them to grow and to continue to find an audience of people who I feel like this could be something that turns into like one of those things. Especially if it happens only twice a month and maybe even late at night and after a show. I think people will love seeing this as. As kind of an alternative to the traditional Broadway stuff they have just a few blocks away.
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C
Yeah, I agree. I mean, anytime you can see. Here's the thing, I just want to remind everybody that people have to come from somewhere and you might see a person that you just like, absolutely fall in love with as a performer that you want to see over and over again. And maybe they'll end up in some Off Broadway or Broadway show that you wanted. Maybe they have already been in one of Those and then they, you know, appear in the show. But, like, you know, as a reminder, there's talent in New York City beyond 8th Avenue, you know. And so I just want to encourage everybody that kind of pushes back on Broadway ticket prices often, which totally understandable. Our economy is constantly in flux. If you love seeing performances and you don't always have premium ticket budget, you can see amazing talent like Schitt's Probe and all of these other great comedy shows that happen within the city for less than $30 sometimes. So, like, I just want to encourage everybody that there are other opportunities and this one is an excellent piece of programming. So I highly recommend going.
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B
All right. There is going to be public readings held this week starting on Thursday through Sunday, September 4th through the 7th at the IRT Theater in New York, produced by Moxie Arts New York for a new play called I Know why Iris Chang Died by Esme Maria Ng. They describe it as a tragic comedy two hander told from the perspective of Mei, a transmasculine Chinese American graphic artist, and explores legacy, family suicide, genocide, and healing from generational trauma. Starring in the show as April is Star wars favorite Kelly Marie Tran. And starring as May is Sagan Chin. If you want more information on this show, head over to the show Notes and then, Grace, I don't have a recommendation. Was there anything exciting for you that happened over the holiday weekend? Anything theatrically related or not that you want to make sure that people know about?
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C
No, I did a lot of wedding planning, so that's the theatrical endeavor that I chose to do over the weekend because I am just a few months out now. So I've got to figure it out.
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B
That feels like putting on a show anyway, though.
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C
It sure is. Oh, yeah. I'm just. It's just producing another event, Matt. Only the budget is not up to someone else. It's up to me. And that is not fun.
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B
No, I would imagine. I mean, you did, you. You did your show in Edinburgh, so that was almost like a trial run for producing your own wedding.
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C
No, it's 100% the same thing. It is exactly the same thing.
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B
Oh, well. Well, I hope that's all going well and we wish you the best. Best. And hopefully producers get on board to help produce that as well.
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C
Thank you so much.
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B
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.
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C
People find you, you can find me at Graceaki.
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B
All right, everybody, have a wonderful Wednesday. We'll be back to talk to you tomorrow.