This Week on Broadway for June 22, 2025: Beau the Musical

BroadwayRadio

Peter Filichia, James Marino, and Michael Portantiere talk about Beau the Musical, The Wash @ NFT at WP Theater, Dancers Over 40 Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Chicago @ 54 Below, Call Me Izzy @ Studio 54, Melissa Errico Sings Sondheim @ 54 Below, and 54 Sings Broadway’s Greatest Hits!

Cory Jeacoma, Matt Rodin in Beau The Musical. Credit: Valerie Terranova Photography

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Panel:

Peter Filichia | [email protected] | Facebook
PETER 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 – has been released! Peter also has columns at Masterworks Broadway, Broadway Select, and many other places.

Showtune for Today: Nobody Makes a Pass At Me from Pins and Needles

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Michael Portantiere | [email protected] | Facebook
MICHAEL PORTANTIERE is a theater reviewer and essayist. He is the founder and editor of CastAlbumReviews.com. He is also a theatrical photographer whose photos have appeared in The New York Times and other major publications. You can see his photography work at FollowSpotPhoto.com.

Celebration: The Songs of Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt @ 54 Below, September 9, 2025

The Life of Chuck (film) — with Benjamin Pajak!

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James Marino | [email protected] | Facebook
BroadwayStars

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.

Pre:

Stagecraft: Kelundra Smith on “The Wash”

Special Episode: Kelsie Watts on fitting into Broadway and pop music

Some Like It Pop Free Episode: Best of May 2025

Reviews:

Cory Jeacoma, Matt Rodin in Beau The Musical. Credit: Valerie Terranova Photography

MP + PF: Out of the Box Theatrics’ Beau the Musical @ 154 Christopher Street, through July 27, 2025

Out of the Box Theatrics’, in association with The StoryLine Project, LLC; Bryan McCaffrey, and Leah Michalos, present the world premiere of Beau the Musical, conceived and written by Douglas Lyons (Broadway: Chicken and Biscuits, TV: “Fraggle Rock”), with music by Ethan D. Pakchar (Broadway: Back to the Future: The Musical) and Douglas Lyons, and lyrics by Douglas Lyons. The production is directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes (Broadway: Spamalot; Regional: Regency Girls).

Beau the Musical features eight actor-musicians telling the story of Ace Baker (Rodin) – a young queer man whose life is forever changed when he discovers his deceased grandfather is actually still alive. Family secrets unravel as Ace rushes to make up for lost time with a man who changes his life by putting a guitar in his hand.

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“The Wash” by Kelundra Smith, presented by Woodie King Jr.’s New Federal Theatre. L-R: Bianca Laverne Jones, Alicia Pilgrim, Kerry Warren, Rebecca Haden. Photo by Hollis King.

PF: The Wash by Kelundra Smith @ NFT at WP Theater, through June 29, 2025
Elizabeth Van Dyke, Producing Artistic Director, New Federal Theatre
The Atlanta Washerwomen Strike of 1881 was a labor strike in Atlanta, Georgia, led by African American washerwomen. It began on July 19, 1881, and lasted into August of the same year. The strike aimed to secure better pay, greater respect and autonomy, and a standardized base salary for their work.

Kelundra’s website

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MP: Dancers Over 40 Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Chicago @ 54 Below

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PF: Call Me Izzy @ Studio 54, through August 17, 2025

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MP: Melissa Errico Sings Sondheim @ 54 Below, June 20 & 21, 2025
Stephen Sondheim is the musical north star of Tony®-nominated Broadway star and writer Melissa Errico. In a sparkling evening of his sublime songs side by side with engaging stories of his craft and life, Errico’s admiration for her friend and teacher — she refers to his wisdom and inspiration as “life-saving, sheer joy, giving us all creative courage ” — is always evident. This 2-night only New York engagement is a preview of her upcoming concert hall debut in London.

Melissa worked with Stephen Sondheim on productions of Sunday in the Park with George, John Doyle’s hit production of Passion, and Do I Hear A Waltz? at City Center. She played the Baker’s Wife in a concert run of Into The Woods. She has sung Sondheim on PBS, “Finishing The Hat” for Poetry In America, and on her own filmed solo special. She sang and spoke a tribute to him in her Carnegie Hall debut in 2022 with The New York Pops. She has made two all-Sondheim albums, with a third on the way. Musical direction by Tedd Firth.

Featuring Tony winner® Len Cariou (original Sweeney in Sweeney Todd) on June 21 only.

Jazz trumpet star Bruce Harris (“one of 5 young jazz musicians you should know”- Wynton Marsalis) is featured in the jazz quartet. Also joined by David Finck on bass and Eric Halvorson on drums.

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MP: 54 Sings Broadway’s Greatest Hits! @ 54 Below, June 21, 2025
“Scott Siegel’s 54 Sings Broadway’s Greatest Hits is among the most successful series of cabaret shows of the 21st century. The reason for the series’ success (every show is sold out) is that Siegel gathers together some of the very best voices from the Broadway, cabaret, and for this show, the opera world to perform a well-thought-out collection of some of the best songs from Broadway musicals,” Ron Forman, Cabaret Scenes Magazine

If you skip through cast albums just to hear the very best songs in each show, this is the nightclub concert event for you. If you love the classics of the Great White Way, come and hear the songs that made Broadway great, that made your heart soar, that you used to sing (maybe still do) in the shower! But at 54 Below, you will hear the greatest Broadway songs of all time performed by today’s greatest stars, singing them straight up, the way you want to hear them!

And who better to produce/direct/host this show than the creator of Town Hall’s critically acclaimed Broadway by the Year series, Scott Siegel, creator of more than 500 major concert events centered on Broadway music! 54 Sings Broadway’s Greatest Hits! will be a thrilling night that you won’t forget…

Music direction by Ron Abel on June 21 and by Michael Lavine on Jul 12.

The performance on June 21 featured:

John Easterlin (4-time Grammy winner, The Phantom of the Opera)
Ben Jones (Musical theater, opera, & symphony concert star)
Allison Megan Joyce
Demiah Latreece
Chris Scanlon
Michael Winther (Drama Desk nominee, 7 Broadway shows)

News:

‘Dead Outlaw’ Musical to Close After Disappointing Run on Broadway
The show was shut out at the Tonys after being nominated for seven awards, including best musical.

Broadway’s ‘Real Women Have Curves’ to Close Because of Soft Sales
The immigration-themed musical is the second show to announce a plan to close in the aftermath of this year’s Tony Awards.

Broadway Musical ‘Smash’ to Close After Tonys Disappointment
The musical, which follows a group of theater artists putting on a show about Marilyn Monroe, opened in April to mixed reviews. It has struggled at the box office.

‘Spelling Bee’ announces New York return

JamieLloyd’s ‘Evita’ open in West End

‘Cabaret’ to close with Porter and Wallace

Jeff Ross to bring solo show (Take A Banana For The Ride) to Broadway

Jinkx to play Mary Todd

A Chorus Line Official 50th Anniversary Celebration to Reunite Original Broadway Cast Members July 27 at Shubert Theatre

Matthew Broderick, David Cross to Star In ‘Tartuffe’ at New York Theatre Workshop

Next Week:

Peter’s Brainteaser:

For this musical’s second appearance on Broadway, a performer won a Tony.

When the musical was first brought to Broadway, no one could have won in the part this performer played.

Explain why, as well as the musical, the character, and the Tony-winner.

Michael’s Musical Moments

Liliom to Carousel

Music Opener:

Liliom~1930 Fox filming starring Charles Farrell and Rose Hobart. VINTAGE PRECODE FEATURE MOVIE

Music Closer:

If I Loved You · John Raitt · Eileen Christy

Carousel (Music Theater of Lincoln Center Cast Recording (1965))

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