This Week on Broadway for September 29, 2024: Chad Beguelin

BROADWAYRADIO

09/29/24

Chad Beguelin,James Marino,Michael Portantiere,Peter Filichia

This Week on Broadway for September 29, 2024: Chad Beguelin

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Peter Filichia, James Marino and Michael Portantiere talk with Chad Beguelin about his debut novel, SHOWMANCE. Reviews include Scotland PA @ Theater Latté Da (Minneapolis, MN), The Roommate, Fatherland @ New York City Center Stage II, The Beacon @ Irish Repertory Theatre, and Monte Cristo (Staged Reading)

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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 wall calendar – A SHOW TUNE FOR TODAY – 366 Songs to Brighten Your Year – will be released on October 15th, but is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Peter also has columns at Masterworks Broadway, Broadway Select, and many other places.

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.

James Marino | [email protected] | Facebook
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Pre:

Jan Simpson’s Stagecraft: Luis Quintero on “Medea: Re-Versed” will be released tomorrow (September 30, 2024)

Chad Beguelin: website | IBDB | Amazon | Penguin Random House

Six-time Tony nominee Chad Beguelin’s debut novel, SHOWMANCE (Penguin Books; October 1, 2024), is loosely inspired by his background as a queer kid and a musical theater writer from a small town and his experiences as a Broadway playwright.

Beguelin’s Broadway credits include Disney’s Aladdin, Elf, The Wedding Singer, and The Prom. SHOWMANCE is both a comedic take on the process of developing a musical and a frothy queer rom-com.

Reviews:

PF: Scotland PA @ Theater Latté Da (Minneapolis, MN), through October 20, 2024

MP: The Roommate @ Booth Theatre, through December 15, 2024

PF: Fatherland @ New York City Center Stage II, through November 23, 2024

The Fountain Theatre production of Fatherland, conceived and directed by Stephen Sachs, will debut Off-Broadway at New York City Center Stage II (131 W. 55th St, NYC). Fatherland is produced by Judy Miller, J. Todd Harris / Amy Powers, Barbara Herman, Karen Kondazian, Jenny Warburg, and Sonia Friedman Productions. The limited 10-week engagement will launch Sept. 18, running through Nov. 23. The official opening night is Thursday, Sept 26 at 7:30PM. For tickets and further information, visit nycitycenter.org.

Reprising their roles from the Los Angeles’ Fountain Theatre production, the Off-Broadway cast of Fatherland features Ron Bottitta as Father, Patrick Keleher as Son, Anna Kahja as U.S. Attorney and Larry Poindexter as Defense Attorney.

“Fatherland is the true story of a young man who must summon the moral courage to speak the truth at the risk of upending his life and casting his family into turmoil,” says Stephen Sachs. “Unlike characters in a scripted play, the people you meet in Fatherland are not made up. They are real. Every word spoken comes from court testimony, public statements, and case evidence. In this urgent election year, when the fate of our nation teeters before us, Fatherland reminds us of the human cost of cult worship and dangerous ideology. A warning cry for our country, at its core, Fatherland brings home the struggle of a father and son, each called to take action without losing his soul. What would you do?”

Off-Broadway, Fatherland features a Scenic Design by Joel David; Lighting Design by Alison Brummer; Sound Design by Stewart Blackwood; and Costume Design by Danyele Thomas. Evan Bernardin Productions is General Manager.

LISTING INFORMATION: Fatherland plays a limited Off-Broadway engagement, Sept. 18 through Nov. 23, at New York City Center Stage II (131 W. 55th St, NYC). The official opening night is Thursday, Sept 26 at 7:30PM. Running time is approximately 80 minutes. Performances are Tues. – Sat. at 7:30PM, with matinees Wed, Sat. and Sun. at 2:30PM. Tickets, ranging from $45 – $75, are available at nycitycenter.org, by calling (212) 581-1212, or at the box office.

MP: The Beacon @ Irish Repertory Theatre, through November 3, 2024

Irish Repertory Theatre’s North American Premiere of The Beacon, by Nancy Harris (The Dry, BAFTA writing nomination 2023) and directed by Marc Atkinson Borrull (Little Gem). The Beacon will begin previews September 11, 2024, with an opening night set for September 22, for a limited run through November 3, 2024, on Irish Rep’s Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage (132 West 22nd Street).

A tragic accident, a dead husband; accusations resurfaced by a true crime podcast. Everyone will have a different interpretation. When you look at it, what do you see?

Beiv, a renowned artist, has left her suburban Dublin home for a secluded cottage on a rugged island off the coast of West Cork, Ireland. Here, there is no escaping the rumors of her shadowy past, and Beiv lets everyone see right in. Her relative peace is disrupted when her estranged son, Colm, returns home with his new wife, searching for answers about his father’s mysterious death. Prying into the past comes with a cost, however, and returning to the island will leave some people searching for a light – and others avoiding its glare.

The Beacon will feature Kate Mulgrew (“Orange Is the New Black”) as Biev, Zach Appelman (War Horse) as Colm, Sean Bell (Harmony) as Donal, David Mattar Merten (An Enemy of the People) as Ray, and Ayana Workman (Rustin) as Bonnie.

The Beacon will feature set design by Colm McNally (Afternoon), costume design by Orla Long (Philadelphia, Here I Come!), lighting design by Colm McNally (Afternoon), sound design by Liam Bellman-Sharpe (The Smuggler), and properties by Nicole Rozanski (Philadelphia, Here I Come!). Pam Brusoski (Molly Sweeney) is the Production Stage Manager, Karen Evanouskas (The Saviour) is the Assistant Stage Manager, Jane Guyer Fujita (Philadelphia, Here I Come!) is the Dialect Coach, and Rick Sordelet (The Seafarer) is the Fight Director. Casting is by Geoff Josselson, CSA.

PF: Monte Cristo (Staged Reading, musical version of The Count of Monte Cristo)

Discussion:

Next Week:

Peter’s Brainteaser:

Let’s say you met Neil Patrick Harris or Daniel Radcliffe or any of the children or the former boyfriends of Babylove, a character in THE GRASS HARP.

What four words might you say soon after meeting them that is also the name of a song that was dropped from a Tony-winning Sondheim musical?

Michael’s Musical Moments

Maggie Smith, Grande Dame of Stage and Screen, Dies at 89 By Anita Gates and Robert Berkvist
She earned an extraordinary array of awards, from Oscars to Emmys to a Tony, but she could still go almost everywhere unrecognized. Then came “Downton Abbey.”

Music Opener:

OPENER: “It’s Your Wedding Day” from The Wedding Singer