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Every week, Matt Tamanini will bring you the biggest news from across the theatrical landscape and will prepare you for what’s ahead over the next seven days. Any and all feedback is appreciated:Matt Tamanini: [email protected] | @BroadwayRadio For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the episode name. Support our sponsors: factormeals.com/broadway50off and use code broadway50off to get 50% off your first Factor box PLUS free breakfast for one year. *Offer only valid for new Factor customers with code and qualifying auto-renewing subscription purchase. 1) ‘Warriors’ officially coming to Broadway in spring 2027https://variety.com/2026/legit/news/lin-manuel-miranda-warriors-musical-broadway-spring-2027-1236788617/ 2) Benton, Miller, Rogers to lead ‘School Girls’ on Broadwayhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/denee-benton-jasmine-amy-rogers-patina-miller-1236627718/ 3) Rogers to lead ‘Sound of Music’ on Broadwayhttps://people.com/the-sound-of-music-sets-broadway-return-with-jasmine-amy-rogers-11971059 4) Whitford, Blyth to lead ‘A Few Good Men’ on Broadwayhttps://people.com/a-few-good-men-returning-to-broadway-with-bradley-whitford-and-tom-blyth-12005443 5) ‘Paranormal Activity’ moves up Broadway premierehttps://playbill.com/article/paranormal-activity-sets-new-opening-date-on-broadway 6) Luke James joins Broadway production of ‘Wanted’https://variety.com/2026/legit/news/luke-james-broadway-musical-wanted-1236788038/ 7) Samantha Pauly sets departure date for ‘The Great Gatsby’https://playbill.com/article/samantha-pauly-sets-final-performance-in-broadways-the-great-gatsby 8) Donica, Boggess join cast of ‘Phantom’ 40th anniversary London casthttps://playbill.com/article/jordan-donica-sierra-boggess-more-will-be-part-of-phantom-of-the-operas-40th-anniversary-london-cast 9) Slater, Wolfe to take over ‘Little Shop’ in Julyhttps://playbill.com/article/ethan-slater-and-betsy-wolfe-will-take-over-little-shop-of-horrors-off-broadway 10) Alex Newell to join ‘Spelling Bee’ Off-Broadwayhttps://shubert.nyc/press/alex-newell-joins-the-company-of-the-25th-annual-putnam-county-spelling-bee/ 11) ‘Heathers’ to close Off-Broadway in Novemberhttps://playbill.com/article/heathers-will-close-off-broadway-in-november 12) ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ musical to launch tourhttps://playbill.com/article/the-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-are-coming-to-a-stage-near-you 13) ‘Mystic Pizza: The Musical’ to launch national tourhttps://www.theatrely.com/post/mystic-pizza-to-launch-national-tour-this-fall

Peter Filichia, James Marino, and Michael Portantiere review Are You Now or Have You Ever Been, An American Docudrama @ New York City Center, That Math Show @ Theater 555. We then talk about Michael’s production of 1776 at College of S.I. Center for the Arts and Ghostlight Players, as well as shows that represent America as we just passed our 250th Birthday. “This Week on Broadway” has been coming to you every week since 2009. It is the longest-running running Broadway and theatrical podcast with hundreds of shows giving thousands of reviews and interviews. Subscribe to BroadwayRadio in Apple Podcasts by CLICKING HERE. Support BroadwayRadio on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/broadwayradio Patreon listeners get This Week on Broadway first, on Sunday afternoon before it is released to the general public on Sunday evening. Panel: Peter Filichia | [email protected] | FacebookPETER FILICHIA is a playwright, journalist, and historian with a number of books. Peter’s new day-by-day desk calendar – A SHOW TUNE FOR TODAY – 366 Songs to Brighten Your Year – is available at finer retailers! Showtune for Today: Best Day Ever from Spongebob Squarepants Michael Portantiere | [email protected] | FacebookMICHAEL PORTANTIERE has been a theater journalist for more than 50 years. The founder and editor of CastAlbumReviews.com. He is also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in The New York Times and other publications, and he writes reviews of cabaret shows for NiteLifeExchange.com. Additionally, Michael is known as a producer and director of shows at 54 Below, the Laurie Beechman Theatre, and other venues. James Marino | [email protected] | FacebookBroadwayStars Note: This week we had listeners join us while recording. These listeners are Patreon members who support BroadwayRadio. If you would like to join us in the future, become a supporter at Patreon.com/BroadwayRadio. Sponsor: Pre: Fifth of July is a 1978 play by Lanford Wilson. Off-Broadway @ Circle Repertory Company Broadway @ Apollo Theatre (42nd Street) BroadwayRadio Special: Jan Simpson’s 2026 Summer Reading List and Interview with Author Daniel Okrent Jan Simpson’s All The Drama: 1980 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, “Talley’s Folly” by Lanford Wilson released for Patreon members, it will be available next week for the general public. The BroadwayRadio App is available on the Apple App Store! BroadwayRadio’s Android App is in testing. Email if you want to test it! Reviews PF: Are You Now or Have You Ever Been, An American Docudrama @ New York City Center Stage I, through September 11, 2026 PF: That Math Show @ Theater 555, through August 16, 2026 Open Chat MP: 1776 @ Ghostlight Players on Staten Island “Cool, Considerate Men” as performed earlier this week in the CSI Center for the Arts/Ghostlight Players production of 1776, featuring in the front row BJ High (far left), Michael Portantiere (second from left), and Craig Kwasnicki (center) “Cool, Considerate Men” as performed in the Wagner College Theatre  production of 1776 that was presented in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States of America, featuring Michael Portantiere (third from left) and Ed Callahan (fourth from right.) The Most American Episode of the Daily, Ever. – The New York TimesHelen Shaw, chief theater critic, on “The Century Cycle” by August WilsonElisabeth Vincentelli, culture reporter, on demolition derbiesJoshua Barone, culture editor, on “Rodeo,” composed by Aaron CoplandGia Kourlas, dance critic, on “Stars and Stripes” by George Balanchine and “Appalachian Spring” by Martha Graham Peter and Michael, what are your most American shows? (Other than 1776!) Peter: Rags @ Mark Hellinger Theatre (Aug 21, 1986 – Aug 23, 1986), Assassins Michael: Ragtime, West Side Story, Hair, Oklahoma Frank Wildhorn’s The Civil War The Civil War (musical) TONY JANICKI to Host and panelists (11:23 AM)TAKE ME ALONG is a very American showTHE MUSIC MAN is another very American showLeigh Korn to Everyone (11:26 AM)I would argue Caroline or Change is one of the richest examinations of race, class, and social change in America.Robb Johnston to Everyone (11:26 AM)maybe mention Hamilton so as to not be scoffed at by the youngin’s Happy Birthday Doug Sills (and Tony Janicki)! Coming up: The Scarlet Pimpernel in Concert @ 54 Below, Jul 12 & 14, 2026Ben Jones (award-winning singer/actor) as Sir Percy/PimpernelWilliam Michals (The Scarlet Pimpernel, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, South Pacific) as ChauvelinJill Paice (Curtains, 39 Steps, An American in Paris, Gone with the Wind on the West End) as Marguerite The Wedding Singer @ John W. Engeman Theater coming July 9 – August 23, 2026 On Monday, June 29, Peter hosted a book launch @ Symphony SpaceA Very Unusual WayMaury Yeston and His Singular Path to Broadway and BeyondBy Joshua Rosenblum World Cup: quite a lot of acting going on there. Expect Tony nominations. Taylor Swift wedding at MSG; will she come to Broadway? Juliet Green to Everyone (10:40 AM)Kelli and Sutton are appearing together with the SF Symphony soon, if you need a reason to come out to the West Coast… News: Future Episodes: Peter’s Brainteaser: This performer won two competitive Oscars and appeared in just as many Broadway plays. The performer’s last name is also the last name of characters in a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. As for this performer’s first name, it’s the same as the middle name – the middle name – of a character in a musical who was played by a performer who won a 21st century Tony for it. Who’s the star? What were the Broadway shows? What films resulted in Oscar wins? What was the name of the family in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical? As for the other musical, what was the it, who was the performer who won the Tony for it, and what was the character’s middle name? Michael’s Musical Moments 1776 (College of S.I. Center for the Arts and Ghostlight Players) Music Opener: “Is Anybody There” performed by Joe O’Malley Music Closer: “Molasses to Rum,” performed by BJ High Support BroadwayRadio on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/broadwayradio Patreon listeners get “This Week on Broadway” on Sunday afternoon before it is released to the general public on Sunday evening. Explicit: No Contact Info: Email addresses: See above in bios BroadwayRadio Phone / Voicemail: +1-888-285-4666 BroadwayRadio: Facebook | Instagram Subscribe: Patreon | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Pandora | YouTube Music …and anywhere that you can listen to finer podcasts.

In this special July 4, 2026 episode, James Marino and Jan Simpson talk with Daniel Okrent, author of the book, “STEPHEN SONDHEIM: Art Isn’t Easy”This book is part of Jan Simpson’s 2026 Summer Reading list. Jan Simpson | [email protected] | Facebook | TwitterBroadway & MeJan Simpson is a theater journalist who writes the blog Broadway& Me and hosts the BroadwayRadio podcasts Stagecraft and All The Drama. She has twice served as a Pulitzer Prize juror. Theater Books for Summer Reading 2026 James Marino | [email protected] | Twitter | FacebookBroadwayStars STEPHEN SONDHEIM: Art Isn’t Easy by Daniel Okrent Stephen Sondheim (1930–2021) was a towering figure in American musical theater. Celebrated for such iconic Broadway shows as Company, Sweeney Todd, and Into the Woods, his accolades include eight Tony Awards, multiple Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Pulitzer Prize. In this intimate biography, Daniel Okrent follows Sondheim through the tumult of his upbringing and his parents’ divorce, his life-changing relationship with Oscar Hammerstein II and subsequent immersion in musical theater, and his rise to fame as both a lyricist and composer. Okrent shines new light on Sondheim’s complicated emotional life, wavering self-confidence, and alcoholism, drawing on the artist’s intimate correspondence with such notable figures as Hal Prince, Leonard Bernstein, and Arthur Laurents; exclusive interviews with his close friends and collaborators, including James Lapine and John Weidman; and Sondheim’s own oral history, which remained closed until his death. He also reveals a previously unknown (and crucial) aspect of the infamous letter from Sondheim’s mother that made him believe she regretted his birth. As Okrent explores the ways Sondheim’s music and lyrics express the inner man, he shows us a life that was defined by two parallel arcs: the movement from alienation to connection, and from ambivalence to resolution. Publisher: Yale University Presshttps://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300270211/stephen-sondheim/ BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSHOP AMAZON https://danielokrent.com Daniel Okrent had careers as a book and magazine editor and was the first public editor of the New York Times. He is the prize-winning author of six books, including The Guarded Gate: Bigotry, Eugenics, and the Law That Kept Two Generations of Jews, Italians, and Other European Immigrants Out of America, and Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. He lives in New York City and on Cape Cod. Music: Sweeney Todd By the Sea Finishing the Hat – Mandy Patinkin (Sondheim’s 80th) This interview was recorded on June 25, 2026

Listen: Lauren Class Schneider talks with Sally Shaw, who plays Polly in “GIRL,INTERRUPTED” at the Public Theater. Production photos by Joan Marcus Photo 1 – [Sally Shaw] Photo 2- [Sally Shaw, Juliana Canfield, King Princess, & Mia Pak] “Class Notes” actively covers New York’s current theater season on, off, and off-off Broadway. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the episode name.

Peter Filichia, James Marino, and Michael Portantiere talk about The Loved Ones @ Irish Rep, La Cage Aux Folles @ City Center Encores!, Madame X – The Musical! by Gerard Alessandrini and Robert Hetzel @ 54 Below, West Side Story @ Paper Mill, The Last Out Gate @ The Chain Theatre, and Misterman by Enda Walsh (Origin Irish Theatre Festival) @ Theatre Row. “This Week on Broadway” has been coming to you every week since 2009. It is the longest-running running Broadway and theatrical podcast with hundreds of shows giving thousands of reviews and interviews. Subscribe to BroadwayRadio in Apple Podcasts by CLICKING HERE. Support BroadwayRadio on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/broadwayradio Patreon listeners get This Week on Broadway first, on Sunday afternoon before it is released to the general public on Sunday evening. Panel: Peter Filichia | [email protected] | FacebookPETER FILICHIA is a playwright, journalist, and historian with a number of books. Peter’s new day-by-day desk calendar – A SHOW TUNE FOR TODAY – 366 Songs to Brighten Your Year – is available at finer retailers! Showtune for Today: Third Finale from The Threepenny Opera: 1976 Revival Cast Album Tomorrow Night @ Symphony Space, Peter will be hosting a book launch @ Symphony SpaceA Very Unusual WayMaury Yeston and His Singular Path to Broadway and BeyondBy Joshua Rosenblum Michael Portantiere | [email protected] | FacebookMICHAEL PORTANTIERE has been a theater journalist for more than 50 years. The founder and editor of CastAlbumReviews.com. He is also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in The New York Times and other publications, and he writes reviews of cabaret shows for NiteLifeExchange.com. Additionally, Michael is known as a producer and director of shows at 54 Below, the Laurie Beechman Theatre, and other venues. July 1-3: See Michael in 1776! @ Ghostlight Players on Staten Island Support Aaron Lazar in His Fight Against ALS James Marino | [email protected] | FacebookBroadwayStars Note: This week we had listeners join us while recording. These listeners are Patreon members who support BroadwayRadio. If you would like to join us in the future, become a supporter at Patreon.com/BroadwayRadio. Sponsor: Pre: The BroadwayRadio App is available on the Apple App Store! Reviews PF: The Loved Ones @ Irish Rep, through August 2, 2026 MP: La Cage Aux Folles @ City Center Encores!, through June 28, 2026 PF: Madame X – The Musical! by Gerard Alessandrini and Robert Hetzel @ 54 Below, June 22, 2026 MP: West Side Story @ Paper Mill, through June 28, 2026 (2nd viewing, reviewed last week) PF: The Last Out Gate @ The Chain Theatre, closed June 27, 2026 Grant Dine is from Columbus, Ohio and is currently studying Biochemistry at St. John’s University. His recent credits include Ben and Dante in Someone Else, a world premiere production at Teatro Latea, Percy Jackson in The Lightning Thief, and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. Grant is expanding his craft onto the screen, where he appears as the lead in the short films Behind!, Growing Apart, and The Will. He would like to thank his parents, brothers, and friends for their unwavering support! MP: Misterman by Enda Walsh (Origin Irish Theatre Festival) @ Theatre Row, through July 5, 2026 News: Future Episodes: Peter’s Brainteaser: This performer’s Broadway debut was in a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Ten years later, this performer had the title role in a film based on a Tony-nominated musical. And yet, despite having the lead, this performer didn’t sing a note. Who’s the performer? What was the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical? What was the film? Michael’s Musical Moments THE KING AND I (film premiere June 28, 1956) Music Opener: Music Closer: Support BroadwayRadio on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/broadwayradio Patreon listeners get “This Week on Broadway” on Sunday afternoon before it is released to the general public on Sunday evening. Explicit: No Contact Info: Email addresses: See above in bios BroadwayRadio Phone / Voicemail: +1-888-285-4666 BroadwayRadio: Facebook | Instagram Subscribe: Patreon | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Pandora | YouTube Music …and anywhere that you can listen to finer podcasts.