The Broadway Show: Uncut – Star-Studded 'Art', Totally Excellent 'Godot' & 'The Lion King'

Date: October 29, 2025
Host: Tamsen Fadal
Guests & Correspondents:

• Neil Patrick Harris, Bobby Cannavale, James Corden ("Art")
• Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter ("Waiting for Godot")
• Gavin Lee ("The Lion King")
• Paul Wontorek (Correspondent)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into three major Broadway productions:

• The first-ever Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s acclaimed play "Art" featuring Neil Patrick Harris, Bobby Cannavale, and James Corden
• The highly-anticipated "Waiting for Godot" with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter
• A heartwarming segment on Gavin Lee, the new Scar in "The Lion King"

Extended, candid interviews give listeners insight into the rehearsal process, behind-the-scenes camaraderie, and the joys and challenges of returning to Broadway for these star performers.

Section 1: "Art" – A Star-Studded Broadway Revival

[00:57] - 15:43

Key Discussion Points

• The Return to Broadway & Assembling the Cast

  • The cast discusses the thrill of returning to Broadway together. Bobby Cannavale reflects on the privilege of working with Neil Patrick Harris and James Corden.
  • Quote (Cannavale, 02:04):
    "It's a privilege to be with the both of them. I mean, Hedwig and fucking One Man, Two Governors over here, you know, it's a no-brainer...Those were like huge moments in our Broadway history here."

• The Play & Its Themes

  • Neil Patrick Harris describes "Art" as a seemingly highbrow play about contemporary art that "devolves into comedy chaos through...disconnect and contempt."
  • Quote (Harris, 01:17):
    "What you think you're starting to see is not what you wind up leaving with. So I like the surprise of it."
  • James Corden points out the play's modern relevance, despite being nearly three decades old:
    Quote (Corden, 03:37):
    "This feels like it could have been written two months ago. It's so rich. The dialogue is so great...the construct of it is such a perfect theatrical experience."

• Rehearsal Dynamics and the Importance of Audience

  • The actors discuss the challenge of rehearsing an intermissionless, tightly-written, argument-driven play and the anticipation of adding the energy of a live Broadway audience.
  • Quote (Corden, 09:53):
    "There is one massive component that's missing, and that's the 900 people that will be sitting the other side of this line..."

• Performing Masculinity and Relatability

  • Discussion on how the play's dynamic is rooted in masculine perspectives and the universality of its themes (friendship, criticism, ego).
  • Quote (Cannavale, 10:51):
    "He cannot help himself...he's already 20 years into an established relationship in which the roles have been defined...there's a line later on in the play...where he talks about how he is in moral quicksand."

• Appreciation for the Text and Each Other

  • The trio emphasizes their respect for Yasmina Reza’s text and each other's dedication to the material.
  • Quote (Harris, 12:20):
    "It's not like they're coming in saying, 'Well, I know that this is the script, but this is like, I'm gonna do my own thing'...we're all, like, so dedicated to figuring out the written sentence within each scene..."

• Legacy and Joy in Rehearsal

  • Reflection on "living the good days" while creating a new chapter in the play’s notable Broadway history.
  • Quote (Corden, 14:00):
    "These are the good days. I'm living these good days. Because it's inconceivable to me that at some point in five or ten or fifteen years time that I will look back on this time and go, oh my God, it was just a blast. Cause it already feels like that."

• Unexpected Comedy

  • Although "Art" is fundamentally a tragedy, the cast finds themselves laughing more than expected in rehearsals.
  • Quote (Harris, 15:13):
    "We're doing a play that is not constructed as a comedy...I've never laughed so hard in rehearsals..."

Memorable Moments

• The actors good-naturedly debate whether the painting at the center of the play is “just a white square.”
• Candid discussion of their Broadway icons predecessors and joining the "art trio" legacy.

Section 2: "Waiting for Godot" – Keanu Reeves & Alex Winter’s Broadway Debut

[15:43] - 19:44

Key Discussion Points

• Dream Come True for Old Friends

  • Keanu Reeves expresses his long-held dream of performing "Godot" on Broadway, especially with Alex Winter.
  • Quote (Reeves, 16:00):
    "To get a chance to do this play on Broadway...and to do it with you, man...it's a dream come true."

• Preparation and Physical Demands

  • The duo shares how early talks and castings allowed time for in-depth research and rehearsal; their preparation included physical training.
  • Quote (Winter, 18:12):
    "...this is more about physical endurance than anything else...I wanted to make sure I'm in shape. So, yeah, I mean, it is. It's a marathon every night."

• The Importance of Live Audiences

  • They highlight how performing before a live audience informs and transforms the show.
  • Quote (Reeves, 19:06):
    "It's great to have an audience. You learn so much, and it focuses in a way that perhaps you wouldn't do on your own..."

Memorable Moments

• Reeves and Winter’s warmth and mutual admiration are evident, including a running joke about "killing it" on stage and stories about training regimes for Broadway endurance.

Section 3: "The Lion King" – Meet Broadway's New Scar, Gavin Lee

[19:44] - 29:39

Key Discussion Points

• Landing the Role of Scar

  • Gavin Lee recounts his journey from putting out his wish to play Scar in the universe to the extraordinary audition process that landed him the role.
  • Quote (Lee, 20:37):
    "...just start putting it out there into the world. If ever this role comes up anywhere around the world, I want to be seen...and so it's like, hello, this is Julie Taymor, originator of everything Lion King. We loved your audition. We'd like you to be our next Scar on Broadway."

• The Appeal and Challenge of Scar

  • Lee describes finding joy in embodying Scar’s "despicable" nature and the thrill of performing "Be Prepared" surrounded by an "army of 50 hyenas."
  • Quote (Lee, 22:03):
    "He's just despicable. Every line is sarcastic...he wants to be king and he's going to do anything...When you've then got 50, an army of 50 hyenas all dancing around you...I call it my Evita moment."

• Audience Reactions and Stage Experience

  • Lee shares behind-the-scenes details on entering after "Circle of Life" and how the audience's excitement sets the stage for Scar's dramatic entrance.
  • Quote (Lee, 23:58):
    "The audience has gone wild before I even set foot on stage...I have my stick, I have this massive costume...And I just go, voom. And I'm in that mode, and I'm like, here we go, audience. You were all. Everything was joyful. Now I'm about to kill a mouse."

• Reality of Broadway Life

  • Lee talks about his post-show routines, from commuting home to New Jersey to balancing family life and the unique anonymity offered by Lion King’s heavy makeup.
  • Quote (Lee, 26:24):
    "You can walk out, straight out stage door with a cap on and walk out, and no one would know it was you."

• Family’s Reaction

  • While his kids aren’t theater-obsessed, announcing the Scar role to them brought a rare moment of excitement.
  • Quote (Lee, 28:38):
    "So I pulled up this photo and I said, guess what I'm playing. And I just went like that. And they went, you're playing Scar. So they were, oh, good. So you got some, you got some..."

Memorable Moments

• Lee's playful description of being "horrible to a little young cub" on stage, and the inside scoop about being unrecognized at stage door without his character makeup.
• The mutual affection and humor between Lee and Fadal as they look back at his path from Spongebob to Broadway villainy.

Timestamps: Key Segments

• [00:57] – Interview with the "Art" cast begins
• [03:37] – James Corden on why "Art" still resonates
• [06:54] – Discussing the rehearsal process and challenges of "Art"
• [13:02] – On the legacy and audience expectations for "Art"
• [15:43] – Transition to "Waiting for Godot" with Keanu Reeves & Alex Winter
• [16:00] – Reeves & Winter reflect on friendship and Broadway dreams
• [18:12] – On the marathon-like physical prep for "Godot"
• [19:44] – Gavin Lee on becoming Scar in "The Lion King"
• [22:03] – Lee on relishing the role’s villainy
• [23:58] – Describing the magic of "Circle of Life" and Scar's entrance
• [26:24] – Anonymity at the stage door and family life
• [28:38] – Telling the kids about the Scar casting

Notable Quotes

• Neil Patrick Harris (on the play's surprises, 01:17):
  "What you think you're starting to see is not what you wind up leaving with. So I like the surprise of it."

• James Corden (on the rehearsal process, 09:53):
  "There is one massive component that's missing, and that's the 900 people that will be sitting the other side of this line."

• Bobby Cannavale (on universality, 10:51):
  "I think anybody can recognize themselves on this play...I'm positive that anybody can get down with this play and see themselves in any of these characters."

• Keanu Reeves (on realizing a dream, 16:00):
  "To get a chance to do this play on Broadway...and to do it with you, man...it's a dream come true."

• Alex Winter (on Broadway stamina, 18:12): "This is more about physical endurance than anything else...it's a marathon every night."

• Gavin Lee (on 'Be Prepared', 22:03): "When you've then got 50, an army of 50 hyenas all dancing around you...I call it my Evita moment."

Episode Tone & Takeaways

The episode is warm, candid, and full of the camaraderie, respect, and excitement that comes from artists at the top of their craft returning to the stage. Listeners come away with an inside look at the dedication, humor, and occasional insecurity that even Broadway veterans experience, as well as a sense of the legacy and joy that these iconic productions continue to bring.

For more interviews and Broadway stories, visit thebroadwayshow.com.