The Daily: Sunday Special – Bringing Broadway Home
Date: October 12, 2025
Hosts: Gilbert Cruz (B), Jesse Green (D), Elizabeth Vincentelli (C)
Special Topic: How to Experience Theater at Home
Overview
This Sunday Special of The Daily explores the many ways people can experience the magic of Broadway and theater without setting foot in a traditional theater. Host Gilbert Cruz is joined by Jesse Green (NYT theater critic) and Elizabeth Vincentelli (arts and culture contributor, former chief theater critic for the NY Post) for a lively, nostalgia-filled, and practical discussion. Together, they trace the evolution of “home theater” experiences — cast albums, TV and streaming captures, Tony Awards, pandemic pivots to digital, and beyond — culminating in a friendly Broadway-themed quiz. The episode is a must-listen for fans wondering: If you can’t make it to Broadway, how can you still bring Broadway home?
Key Discussion Points and Insights
Childhood Gateways to Theater
- Memorable School Experiences (00:35)
- Gilbert recounts a teacher playing Les Misérables in math class, which, despite initial skepticism, sparked a lifelong appreciation ("Theater has proven much more useful to me in life than math" — B, 01:37).
- Cast Albums: A Generational Ritual (02:42)
- Jesse describes growing up surrounded by Broadway LPs (“Guys and Dolls, Carousel, Oklahoma”) and meticulously hand-transcribing Sondheim lyrics due to the lack of lyric booklets in tape recordings (03:54).
- French TV as an Entry Point (04:28)
- Elizabeth grew up in rural France where televised theater, especially comedies of “cheating husbands and mistaken identities,” provided her first taste (05:18).
- Notable mention: Boulevard farce as a television staple in France and the role of family in sharing theater.
The Porous Border Between Pop and Broadway
- Crossover Performances (06:22)
- Both speakers recall TV variety shows with long Broadway segments (Supremes' Broadway medley, “Music Man” covers by The Beatles) highlighting the fluidity between pop culture and theater.
Limited Access: The Pre-Streaming Era
- The Scarcity Problem (07:32)
- Elizabeth underlines how the industry historically resisted live captures, fearing it would “cannibalize” live audiences, a fear now proven unfounded.
- Recording Cast Albums (08:34)
- The economics: Recording a cast album costs $200-700k but was critical for licensing and keeping shows alive. Capturing full live shows was even pricier.
Discovery and Inspiration Through Broadcasts and Awards
- Tony Awards’ Influence (09:30)
- Jesse and Elizabeth agree: “100% of [Broadway performers] refer to seeing the Tony Awards show as the way they knew that they had to be in a Broadway show” (D, 09:43).
- Quote: “I was nine and I knew that was going to be my life. Wild!” (C, 11:07)
The Pandemic Transformation
- A Global Stage Emerges (12:02)
- Jesse reflects: “It was kind of a vibrant time. Not always excellent, but vibrant. I learned a lot about what was going on in the world, particularly in musicals.”
- Extraordinary digital events: Meryl Streep, Audra McDonald, and Christine Baranski in “Ladies Who Lunch” during Sondheim's 90th birthday (12:52).
- “You’re never gonna have that on a stage. You couldn't afford those women.” (D, 13:12)
- Innovators in Digital Theater (13:43)
- Elizabeth: “We saw the emergence of people like Josh Gelb... putting on plays in a closet in his [East] Village apartment.” (14:08)
- Jesse jokes that magicians and mimes flourished in the limited format era, while some experiments were as good as any live stage production (14:40).
On-Demand, Streaming, and Audio Theater
- PBS, National Theatre, and Streaming (16:00)
- PBS’s Great Performances, the UK’s National Theatre streaming, and live captures on-demand are now crucial access points.
- Audio Theater as New Frontier (16:46)
- Audible is praised for producing and recording new works, including their first Tony-nominated show (Dead Outlaw). “They’re... giving to theater by producing all those shows.” (C, 17:42)
Viral and Fan-Driven Engagement
- TikTok Theater and Fan Art (17:42)
- Re-creations of Broadway moments and viral dance challenges bring musical theater into millions of homes.
- “The need and the power of putting that art form into your own body in your own home.” (D, 18:45)
- Fan-Fueled Success Stories (18:57)
- Be More Chill: Started as a regional show, its cast album went viral and led to a Broadway run, “entirely fan-fueled.”
- Six: The Musical: Began as a mixtape and found international fame as fans arrived knowing every lyric.
Deep Dive: Cast Albums
Segment starts at 22:36
- Cast albums as the “gateway drug” for Broadway fandom. (B, 22:36)
- Essential Recommendations (23:28)
- Chicago: “Every single song... I don't think Chicago has a single dud.” (D, 24:53)
- The Most Happy Fella: “On record is a very little known one... it’s about a mail order bride... a catfishing musical before its time.” (D, 25:19)
- Hairspray: “Can’t go wrong... is there a dud on Hairspray? No.” (C, 26:38)
- On the Town and Gypsy: Elizabeth goes “no notes, honey” on the latter (C, 28:11).
- Company: “It's a series of little vignettes... I’ll take whichever [recording] comes first, honestly.” (C, 29:04)
- D.A. Pennebaker’s documentary on recording Company cast album is lauded as “the most famous theater documentary.”
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Called a “peak of musical theater” by Elizabeth; Jesse calls it “insane drama” (C, 31:19).
Notable Quotes
- “Rule number one, get the original Broadway cast” – Jesse Green (07:01)
- “The only way to experience theater live was to go and see it live for decades.” – Elizabeth Vincentelli (07:32)
- “When you want to be part of the musical theater and you can’t be there yourself, you will find these weird ways to incorporate it, almost physically — in my case, into my body by writing it...” – Jesse Green (04:03)
Full Performances: Captures and Movie Adaptations
Segment begins at 31:54
- Hamilton’s Impact on Streaming
- Kids are “streaming the hell out of it” and seeing the live show doesn’t kill enthusiasm — it enhances it (B, 31:54).
- “Those captures make people want to see the shows more, not less.” (C, 33:09)
- Latest Captures and Notables
- Clooney’s Good Night and Good Luck capture on CNN/streaming: “It works really well as this hybrid of film theater.” (C, 35:32)
- UK’s National Theatre Live productions like Uncle Vanya with Andrew Scott.
- Heather’s the Musical and Little Shop of Horrors movie versions, with the latter highlighted as an excellent adaptation.
- Movie Musicals
- Best ones are often not direct Broadway adaptations (Singin’ in the Rain, Bandwagon).
- The film of Chicago is divisive: “Not a fan of chopping off body parts and editing.” (C, 39:16)
Broadway Quiz: Memorable & Fun Moments
Begins at 41:29
The hosts engage in a Broadway-themed quiz, covering musical overtures, MCU actors in musicals, most-performed high school plays, Tony performances, and more. Highlights:
- Elizabeth correctly IDs Jesus Christ Superstar overture. (42:23)
- Jesse dominates in identifying Tony moments and musical trivia.
Prize: A “Gilby” trophy (“just the right size for some liquor”) goes to Jesse.
Elizabeth on the MCU round: “A nerd sandwich... with a very thick layer of nerd jam... and some nerd icing on top.” (49:22)
Recommendations & Takeaways
- Broadway and theater are more accessible than ever, through:
- Cast albums
- Performance captures and streaming (PBS, National Theatre, Disney+, Audible, TikTok, YouTube)
- Film adaptations (choose wisely)
- “Engagement in other forms of theater does not eat into ticket sales. It enhances the experience when you do go.” – Jesse Green (38:08)
- Discover, participate, and enjoy the many ways theater can come into your home. As Liz puts it, “We’re coming full circle… theater on television used to be big in the 50s and 60s... and now maybe it’s coming back.” (35:32)
Useful Timestamps
- 00:35 – Gilbert’s “Les Mis” math class story
- 02:42 – Jesse & Elizabeth’s first encounters with theater
- 07:32 – Barriers to accessing theater pre-streaming
- 09:30 – The Tony Awards as inspiration
- 12:02 – How the pandemic transformed theater access
- 16:46 – Audio theater and fan-driven platforms
- 22:36 – Cast albums: history, favorites, recommendations
- 31:54 – Full performance captures and their new role
- 41:29 – Broadway quiz: overtures, MCU actors, high school classics, Tony performances
- 49:03 – “Gilby” trophy awarded
Conclusion
This episode is a celebration of the myriad ways fans and newcomers can experience theater from home. The hosts blend personal nostalgia, deep knowledge, sharp wit, and a genuine love of the artform. Whether you’re a vinyl completist, a digital native, or somewhere between, Bringing Broadway Home proves you don’t need to be in New York to revel in great theater — just bring the spirit of Broadway to wherever you are.