Bottomless Broadway

Cindy had some mic problems, so she’s phoning it in this week to the very first Bottomless Broadway Phony Awards, where we award shows we’ve seen this season, both on Broadway and off! So grab a drink (or two) and join us in celebrating the past year of theater in less time than it would take to watch the usual Tonys telecast.

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Support black theater-makers! Check out the first inaugural Antonyo Awards (and vote on your picks): https://www.broadwayblack.com/snax_poll/vote-antonyo-awards/

Follow along as we go through our list of nominees: https://bit.ly/2AX428o

We included some shows that we hadn’t talked about on previous episodes:

• Emojiland: https://www.emojiland.com/
• Lightning Thief: https://www.lightningthiefmusical.com/
• Scotland, PA: https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/2019-2020-season/scotland-pa/
• Soft Power: https://publictheater.org/softpower
• Evita: https://www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/2019-2020/evita/
• Road Show: https://www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/2018-2019/road-show/
• Judgment Day: http://www.armoryonpark.org/programs_events/detail/judgment_day

The costumes of SIX are insanely detailed, so take a look at just some of the components that make up each queen’s look: https://www.rachaeldickzen.com/blog/2020/2/14/six-previews-on-broadway-costumes-update

We unabashedly loved the NYCC production of Evita, so take a look at some clips from the show: https://youtu.be/9UTmwFwZ3rk

We’re obsessed with the SIX Olivier Awards performance (https://youtu.be/WJbaU4j0JCo), so maybe someday Seth Rudetsky can do one of his deconstructions (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZaxDof-gjgzgV2u5248OnMOdSpZ1ack7), but while you’re at it check out his Stars in the House series, raising money for NAACP LDF (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQxZX9II3m0YaF7Kvt1FjA).

Someone else we’re in love with is Samantha Pauly, who made her Broadway debut as Katherine Howard in SIX. She’s posting a new cover every day so check out her YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/samanthapauly89) and Instagram (@sampauly) accounts!

If you happen to need a drinking game, take a sip every time Christine mentions Raúl Esparza and “charismatic” in the same sentence. But you can watch him in action in clips from Road Show: https://youtu.be/HYfDSKyU0Hw

If there’s one thing we learned by doing this, it’s that New York City Center is one of our new favorite theater companies, so check them out! https://www.nycitycenter.org/

Let us know what your favorites were on Twitter or Instagram @BottomlessBway or email us at [email protected]! You can also leave feedback in this quick survey https://forms.gle/BXUqJiNdjAWaQRCJ9

From London to Milan, people all over the world clamor for Kinky Boots...but it’s only in New York til April 7, so go watch it and join us as we recap this 2013 Tony Best Musical winner track by track!

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Check out part 1 of our Closing Best Musicals episode on The Band's Visit here.

Want to know more about the making of this show? Check out the Broadway Backstory podcast.

Watch the Tony Awards performance of “Everybody Say Yeah”, complete with conveyor belt choreography

We used selections from both the UK and Broadway cast albums, so see if you can guess which is which and tell us which one you like better @BottomlessBway

UK: iTunes / Spotify

Broadway: iTunes / Spotify

We've used up our well of musicals, so we'll be play-ing it by ear for the next two episodes! Take a listen to our thoughts on Sea Wall/A Life, Slave Play, The Minutes, and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune in this episode.

Some spoilers WILL occur, so if you'd like to avoid them, heed the timestamps below:
6:01-7:44 - spoilers for Sea Wall, none for A Life.7:51-23:37 - spoilers for Slave Play, might also be some minor allusions to events that happen in the rest of our discussion.27:05-36:14 - spoilers for The Minutes, may also be minor allusions as well.Some discussion of the ending for Frankie and Johnny, but no major spoilers.

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Sea Wall/A Life is now on Audible (https://www.audible.com/pd/Sea-Wall-A-Life-Audiobook/B0875MV37V)! But if you don't want to subscribe, you can also hear Jake Gyllenhaal doing a selection of A Life: https://youtu.be/PmTXgAkgCl8

The New York Times review that Cindy mentions about an alarm going off during Sea Wall: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/theater/sea-wall-a-life-review-broadway-gyllenhaal.html

If you want to hear more about the process for both Tom Sturridge and Jake Gyllenhaal in approaching the work, they did a fantastic talk at Google: https://youtu.be/cTCFhiNMKFI

Sam Sanders spoke to Jeremy O. Harris about writing Slave Play and some of the subsequent controversies, as well as his own experience of seeing Slave Play as part of an interracial couple: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/795198086

Jeremy O. Harris talking about some of his efforts in making his play more accessible to a diverse audience: https://youtu.be/wxg3semVaK0 as well as his Plus One initiative: https://twitter.com/jeremyoharris/status/1204245805361745920

Slave Play will be playing at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, dates TBA: https://www.playbill.com/article/slave-play-will-make-its-west-coast-debut-at-los-angeles-center-theatre-group

Tracy Letts on appearing in his own play after its original run: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/26/theater/tracy-letts-the-minutes.html

Both Slave Play and Frankie and Johnny utilized intimacy director Claire Warden to ensure all parties felt safe, a first for Broadway: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/26/theater/frankie-johnny-audra-mcdonald-michael-shannon.html

Work by Rihanna played a pivotal role in the development of Slave Play and the text itself.

Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy features in A Life as well as Frankie and Johnny.

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Does anyone know the song we talk about in the intro? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram @BottomlessBway, or email us at [email protected]

A lot of pretty, pretty girls have graced the Broadway stage, but is Diana the main event?

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While a cast album has been announced, so far only two songs have been released, but you can listen to them here:

• Underestimated: https://youtu.be/5_YuxRGGLg4
• If: https://youtu.be/7yZjS1DadLs

Christine also talks about the original opening number, Once Upon a Time, which you can hear the instrumental of here (or stick around at the end of the episode): https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1153502634824560

Cindy mentions the cape dance from Cursed Child, which you can see in action: https://youtu.be/jViplYpkKwc

It doesn’t seem like the tabloids have changed much since Diana married Charles, with what they’ve said about Meghan Markle: buzzfeednews.com/article/ellievhall/meghan-markle-kate-middleton-double-standards-royal

A playlist of songs with alternate parenthetical titles (and feel free to let us know about ones that we missed!): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/51ZsCaZTdGXZxFm5xZV0s9

Check out what William Ivey Long has to say about his designs for Diana: https://www.playbill.com/article/with-38-costumes-for-princess-di-alone-william-ivey-long-sets-a-new-bar-with-his-design-for-diana

Other Songs Featured:

• Dear John - Taylor Swift: Apple Music / Spotify
• Don’t Forget Me - Smash: Apple Music / Spotify

Get more information or buy tickets here: https://thedianamusical.com/

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway or email us at [email protected]! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey: https://forms.gle/BXUqJiNdjAWaQRCJ9

Pretty woman, walkin' down the streets of Broadway. But will she charm theatregoers of New York City like she did the Beverly Hills elite?

This is another two-parter that got split into two separate parts, so keep an eye on your feeds for our episode on Be More Chill next week!

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If you want to know how Samantha Barks, Orfeh, and Andy Karl actually got cast, check out the episode from Billboard on Broadway!

Take a look at the tribute to Gary Marshall and some of his original ideas for the Broadway show.

Listen to the Broadway cast recording and let us know what your favorite songs are over on Twitter @BottomlessBway!

iTunes / Spotify