» This Week on Broadway for April 12, 2026: Cats: The Jellicle Ball BroadwayRadio

BROADWAYRADIO

04/12/26

Carey Purcell,James Marino,Michael Portantiere,Peter Filichia

This Week on Broadway for April 12, 2026: Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Subscribe: RSS

Peter Filichia, James Marino, Michael Portantiere, and Carey Purcell talk about Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Becky Shaw, Titanique, 1776 @ Papermill, Death of a Salesman, Giant, and Dog Day Afternoon.

“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] | 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 – is available at finer retailers!

Showtune for Today: Someone Else’s Story from Chess

Michael Portantiere | [email protected] | Facebook
MICHAEL 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] | Facebook
BroadwayStars

Carey Purcell | Website | Instagram
Carey is a writer and editor whose nonfiction writing on theater, film, feminism and health care has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Vanity Fair, The Nation, TDF Stages, Theatermania and The Village Voice, among others. She has also served on the editorial staffs of Playbill and People. Her nonfiction book, From Aphra Behn to Fun Home: A Cultural History of Feminist Theater, which was published in 2019 by Bloomsbury.

VOGUE: Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney Can’t Resist a Doomed Love Story By Carey Purcell (April 8, 2026)

BroadwayRadio Special: Interview with Carey Purcell, Author of “From Aphra Behn to Fun Home: A Cultural History of Feminist Theatre”

Carey’s previous appearances on BroadwayRadio

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:

Where we have been:

Mar 12, 2026: Every Brilliant Thing – Hudson Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant – Music Box Theatre
Mar 30, 2026: Dog Day Afternoon – August Wilson Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw – Hayes Theater
Apr 07, 2026: Cats: The Jellicle Ball – Broadhurst Theatre
Apr 09, 2026: Death of a Salesman – Winter Garden Theatre
Apr 12, 2026: Titanique – St. James Theatre

Where we are going:

Apr 15, 2026: The Fear of 13 – James Earl Jones Theatre
Apr 16, 2026: Proof – Booth Theatre
Apr 19, 2026: Fallen Angels – Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 20, 2026: Schmigadoon! – Nederlander Theatre
Apr 21, 2026: The Balusters – Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Apr 22, 2026: Beaches A New Musical – Majestic Theatre
Apr 23, 2026: The Rocky Horror Show – Studio 54
Apr 25, 2026: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone – Ethel Barrymore Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: The Lost Boys – Palace Theatre

Reviews:

MP + PF + CP: Cats: The Jellicle Ball @ Broadhurst Theatre

Paris Is Burning (Film)

PF + CP + MP: Becky Shaw @ Hayes Theater, through June 14, 2026

CP + PF: Titanique @ St. James Theatre, through July 12, 2026

MP: 1776 @ Papermill, through May 2, 2026

PF: Death of a Salesman @ Winter Garden Theatre, through August 9, 2026
Directed by Joe Mantello; Associate Director: Lily Dyble
Nathan Lane as Willy Loman
Laurie Metcalf as Linda

CP + MP: Giant @ Music Box Theatre, through June 28, 2026

CP: Dog Day Afternoon @ August Wilson Theatre, through June 28, 2026

News:

Grammy Winner Pink Will Host the 2026 Tony Awards by Logan Culwell-Block

P!NK To Host The 79th Annual Tony Awards

Tony Award Productions announced today that music superstar and global icon P!NK will host the 79th Annual Tony Awards. The triple threat and lifelong theater fan will bring her unparalleled performance skills and magnetic stage presence to Radio City Music Hall when The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards return on Sunday, June 7, 2026. The 79th Annual Tony Awards® will broadcast LIVE to both coasts on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+* (8:00 – 11:00 PM ET/5:00 – 8:00 PM PT).

“It is the honor of an entire lifetime to host a night celebrating the literal hardest working people in showbiz,” said P!NK. “Broadway has shaped my life and how I put my own shows together – it is a community that is supportive, and inclusive, and full of talent and love. These people give magic every single day, and I cannot wait to celebrate them with the entire world.”

She continued, “When I was asked to host the Tonys, I immediately thought, ‘I have to get permission from my daughter.’ I’ve never been on Broadway, and shouldn’t you have to have been on Broadway in order to host? That seems fair and right. But when I asked my daughter, she was really excited about being able to have a ticket to go to the Tonys, so I’m hosting the Tonys and I’m really, really, excited and very nervous because that girl is a tough crowd!”

“Each year, the Tony Awards creates new theater fans around the world, expanding Broadway’s reach and shaping its future,” said Heather Hitchens, President & CEO of the American Theatre Wing, and Jason Laks, President of the Broadway League. “Over the course of her extraordinary career, P!NK has built one of the most passionate and enduring fan communities in the history of popular music, giving her a unique ability to bring even more people into this growing family. Simply put: we could not be more excited to get this party started.”

“We are thrilled to welcome the incomparable P!NK as the host of this year’s Tony Awards—a fearless artist whose powerhouse voice, electrifying stage presence, and undeniable authenticity embody the very spirit of live performance and theatre,” said 2026 Tony Award executive producers Raj Kapoor, Sarah Levine Hall, and Jack Sussman. “A passionate fan of Broadway, she brings a genuine love for the art form alongside her bold creativity and deep connection to audiences around the world, and we know she will deliver a fresh, dynamic energy to Broadway’s biggest night!”

“P!NK is an extraordinary artist, and her fearless creativity makes her an inspired choice to host this year’s Tony Awards on CBS,” said Mackenzie Mitchell, Senior Vice President of specials at CBS. “Her dynamic presence and deep respect for live performance will undoubtedly shape a powerful and memorable broadcast that celebrates the remarkable achievements of this Broadway season.”

Since bursting onto the scene in 2000, P!NK has achieved record-breaking success, using her platform to shape pop culture and champion humanitarian causes worldwide. She continues to evolve while remaining a global pop icon, a grounded mother and a trailblazer who has inspired millions worldwide.

She has built a career defined by fearless honesty, unforgettable live performances and a refusal to fit the mold. Her nine studio albums and greatest hits collection have sold more than 60 million album equivalents globally. She has earned 15 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including four No. 1s and she has filled arenas and stadiums around the world with her high-energy, high-flying, record-setting shows.

P!NK’s work has earned three Grammy Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award and seven MTV Video Music Awards, including the 2017 Vanguard Award. In 2019, she became the first international artist to receive the BRITs Outstanding Contribution to Music Award and she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Additional distinctions include the Billboard Music Awards Icon honors (2021) and the iHeartRadio Icon honors (2023), reflecting not only chart success but lasting influence and longevity.

In 2021, she released ‘Cover Me In Sunshine,’ a heartfelt duet with her daughter Willow Sage Hart. The documentary “P!NK: All I Know So Far” (Amazon Prime) and the companion live project, “All I Know So Far: Setlist,” followed, offering fans an intimate look at life on the road, the joys and challenges of motherhood, and the electrifying energy of her live performances.

Her ninth studio album TRUSTFALL set the stage for the Summer Carnival Tour, which became the second highest-grossing tour ever by a female artist. The stadium tour ran across 2023 and 2024 with 131 shows in 15 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S., playing to more than 4 million fans.

Her music is featured in two current Broadway productions – “Raise Your Glass” in Moulin Rouge! The Musical and “F**kin’ Perfect” in & Juliet.

P!NK is equally recognized for her activism and philanthropy. She has long championed causes such as Autism Speaks, the Human Rights Campaign, Make-A-Wish Foundation, No Kid Hungry and Planned Parenthood. She serves as a UNICEF USA ambassador. In 2025, she was honored with the Humanitarian Award from Action Against Hunger.

The Tony Awards are produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. Raj Kapoor, Sarah Levine Hall, and Jack Sussman will produce this year’s show. Kapoor and Levine Hall will also serve as Co-Showrunners. Patrick Menton and Rob Paine will Co-Executive Produce, with Menton also serving as Head of Talent.

Future Episodes:

April 19: Jena Tesse Fox!

Peter’s Brainteaser:

What do these Broadway revivals have in common:

FINIAN’S RAINBOW IN 1960

HAIR IN 1977

A TOUCH OF THE POET IN 1977

CHICAGO IN 1996

and JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE IN 2026.

Michael’s Musical Moments

CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL