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Broadway Poster Artist David Edward Byrd Passes Away, LaChanze’s Vision for Broadway, Lin-Manuel Miranda wanted to be a Munchkin in ‘Wicked’, Stranger Illusions, and video of URINETOWN @ CC
Since 2016, “Today on Broadway” has been the first and only daily podcast recapping the top theatre headlines every Monday through Friday.
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Story 1
Broadway Poster Artist David Edward Byrd Passes Away at 83
Byrd created the poster art for Godspell, Follies, Little Shop of Horrors, and more.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Broadway-Poster-Artist-David-Edward-Byrd-Passes-Away-at-83-20250204
Story 2
LaChanze Has an Expansive Vision for Broadway’s Future by Charlotte Alter / TIME
“When LaChanze was publicizing the play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding during the 2023 season, she approached it a little differently than most Broadway producers. Instead of relying on the traditional avenues of theatrical publicity—the New York Times, Playbill.com—LaChanze decided to go directly to the audience she wanted to reach. She drove to Harlem with a stack of flyers, going from one Black hair salon to another, inviting owners and their customers to see the show with a special discount code. Then she invited 25 salon owners to join her for dinner at the famous Harlem restaurant Melba’s to talk to them about the show. “I knew it was going to be difficult to get the women who own these salons to even know that they’re invited to this space, and to feel welcomed,” she said. “I told them, ‘We’re doing a story about your lives on Broadway.’””
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/lachanze-expansive-vision-broadways-future-203048393.html
Story 3
Lin-Manuel Miranda Asked Director Jon M. Chu to Cast Him as a Munchkin in ‘Wicked’: ‘It Would’ve Been Distracting’ by Jack Dunn
During a recent appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Miranda explained that he had his eye on the role of a munchkin who delivers a critical line in the opening scene of “Wicked.”
https://variety.com/2025/film/news/lin-manuel-miranda-jon-m-chu-wicked-cast-munchkin-1236297500
Story 4
Stranger Things: The First Shadow Broadway run reveals new gargantuan Mind Flayer (exclusive) By Nick Romano
Co-director Justin Martin and playwright Kate Trefry tease some of the new additions coming for the stateside debut, including a ‘whole lotta new illusions’.
https://ew.com/stranger-things-the-first-shadow-broadway-first-look-mind-flayer-exclusive-8785087
Story 5
Video: URINETOWN Takes the Stage At City Center
Urinetown opens tonight and runs through February 16.
Get a first look at Encores! City Center’s production of Urinetown, featuring Jordan Fisher (Bobby Strong), Keala Settle (Penelope Pennywise), Rainn Wilson (Caldwell B. Cladwell), and more. The video features highlights from the starry production, opening tonight and running through February 16.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Video-URINETOWN-Takes-the-Stage-At-City-Center-20250205
Bonus:
February 6th Birthdays:
Spencer Liff
https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/spencer-liff-70521
James Gerth
https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/james-gerth-72973
Kathy Najimy
https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/kathy-najimy-77943
Opening Night: February 6th, 1965
Kelly @ Broadhurst Theatre
https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/kelly-3225
Infamous opened and closed on the same night, with Book by Eddie Lawrence; Music by Moose Charlap; Lyrics by Eddie Lawrence;
As Peter Filichia says, “You can’t see them all!”
Sponsor: FACTOR
BroadwayRadio would like to thank this week’s sponsor, Factor.
Feb. 6 Episode: English, from This Week on Broadway
This Week on Broadway for February 2, 2025
(l to r): Hadi Tabbal (Omid) and Marjan Neshat (Marjan) in Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway-premiere production of English. Photo: Joan Marcus, 2025
PF + MP + JM: English @ Todd Haimes Theatre, through March 2, 2025
ENGLISH features Tala Ashe as “Elham,” Ava Lalezarzadeh as “Goli,” Pooya Mohseni as “Roya,” Marjan Neshat as “Marjan,” and Hadi Tabbal as “Omid.”
(l to r): Pooya Mohseni (Roya), Hadi Tabbal (Omid), Marjan Neshat (Marjan), Tala Ashe (Elham), Ava Lalezarzadeh (Goli) in Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway-premiere production of English. Photo: Joan Marcus, 2025
The creative team for English includes: Marsha Ginsberg (Set Design), Enver Chakartash (Costume Design), Reza Behjat (Lighting Design), and Sinan Refik Zafar (Sound Design).
The comedy unfolds in an Iranian classroom where adult English learners practice for their proficiency exam. As they leapfrog through a linguistic playground, their wildly different dreams, frustrations, and secrets come to light. Can they overcome the limits of language to discover what they really want to say?
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