Half Hour with Jeff & Richie (Post-Show Broadway Discussions and Interviews)

In this episode of “Half Hour,” we discuss Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway revival of Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid, adapted by and starring Bill Irwin and directed by Brandon J. Dirden at the Todd Haimes Theatre. A comedy about a man convinced he is dying has one big test in front of a modern audience: is the joke still funny? Spoilers ahead. Maybe you saw it and walked out unsure what you thought. Or maybe you couldn’t get to the theater before it closes on November 22. Either way, you want an honest take on what works and what doesn’t. Our verdict is mixed, and we get into why. We praise Irwin’s physical comedy as Argan, Rachel Bloom as the sharp-tongued Toinette, scene-stealer Brooks Ashmanskas, and strong turns from Daniel Croix Henderson and Hiram Delgado. We also admire Beowulf Boritt’s dollhouse of a set and the lavish period costumes, hair and wigs. Then we get honest about a slow first half, staging that kept circling one center chair, and two beautiful doors that never got their farce moment. We also talk about the play’s satire of medicine and money, the 90-minute cut, Tony chances, and who we’d cast in the title role next. Then comes the real diagnosis: which one of us is the bigger hypochondriac? Listen, then cast your vote for Team Jeff or Team Richie in the Spotify comments. No second opinions allowed. Follow and connect with all things @HalfHourPodcast on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Share your thoughts on this production in the Spotify comments, and let us know what you would like us to cover next. If you enjoy these post-show discussions, follow Half Hour and leave a rating and review so more theater lovers can find the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of “Half Hour,” we discuss The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the Olivier Award-winning London musical now making its North American premiere at The Public Theater through December 20. Folk-scored musicals are everywhere right now, from Hadestown to Swept Away, and it is getting harder to tell which ones are worth your night out. If you love an onstage band and a story told through song, you want to know whether this one earns a spot on your list before it closes. We share our three bold words for the show, the 15 actor-musicians who sing, dance, act, and play live, and the standout performances from Andrew Durand and Kelsee Kimmel. We look at the work of Jethro Compton, Darren Clark and Chi-San Howard, compare the production to Once, Come From Away and Merrily We Roll Along, and tackle the big question: is folk oversaturating musical theatre? Plus, will it make the move to Broadway? And how did our first full production at The Public measure up? Follow and connect with all things @HalfHourPodcast on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Share your thoughts on this production in the Spotify comments, and let us know what you would like us to cover next. If you enjoy these post-show discussions, follow Half Hour and leave a rating and review so more theater lovers can find the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of “Half Hour,” we discuss New York City Center’s Annual Gala Presentation of In the Heights, the Tony Award-winning musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes that opens City Center’s 2026–2027 season. City Center gala productions are here and gone in a matter of weeks, and this one closes November 15. Whether you’re deciding if it’s worth a ticket or you won’t make it before it closes, you want to know one thing: does this new staging live up to the show you love, and could it have a life on Broadway? We break down David Mendizábal’s direction, Mayte Natalio’s choreography, and the full orchestra on the bridge, plus standout performances from Matte Martinez as Usnavi, Natalie Venetia Belcon as Abuela Claudia, Ashley De La Rosa as Vanessa, Aaron James McKenzie as Benny, Ivan Hernandez as Kevin, Ishmael Gonzalez as Sonny, and Linedy Genao as Daniela. We also talk about why the show still feels timely, how the stage show compares to the film, and what’s coming next in City Center’s Encores! season. And we ask the big question: what would you do with $96,000? Follow and connect with all things @HalfHourPodcast on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Share your thoughts on this production in the Spotify comments, and let us know what you would like us to cover next. If you enjoy these post-show discussions, follow Half Hour and leave a rating and review so more theater lovers can find the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is there still no Tony Award category for wig design? Most audiences never even realize the actors on stage are wearing wigs, and that is exactly the point. On this Spotlight Series episode of “Half Hour,” we sit down with Nikiya Mathis, the first wig designer to receive a special Tony Award, for Jocelyn Bioh’s Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Nikiya takes us from doing her classmates’ hair as an acting student at NYU Tisch to designing Schoolgirls; or, The African Mean Girls Play on Broadway. She shares how her crews get actors salon ready in about five minutes, how she pulled off a full hair transformation on an actor who never leaves the stage, and why her wig design journey taught her more about leadership than acting ever did. Plus, we hear about her Tony night and a wig moment with Andre De Shields at Cats: The Jellicle Ball that we will not be forgetting anytime soon. Follow Nikiya on Instagram at @nikiyamathis and her hair page @our_black_tresses. Follow and connect with all things @HalfHourPodcast on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and YouTube. If you enjoy these discussions, follow “Half Hour” and leave a rating and review so more theater lovers can find the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of “Half Hour,” we discuss Midnight, the new musical written and directed by Todrick Hall at the Daryl Roth Theatre. Few new musicals take risks like this, and Midnight takes them on purpose. That ambition has divided audiences online, and we wanted to know whether it lands. We talk about the score, the scale of the storytelling, standout lighting, costumes, sound, and scenic design, and the ensemble that carries it. We also ask what the show needs before a possible move to Broadway. Have you seen Midnight, or only read about it? Let us know in the comments. Follow and connect with all things @HalfHourPodcast on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠, and YouTube. Share your thoughts on this production in the Spotify comments, and let us know what you would like us to cover next. If you enjoy these post-show discussions, follow Half Hour and leave a rating and review so more theater lovers can find the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices