Peter Filichia, James Marino, Michael Portantiere, and Jan Simpson talk about Chess, Little Bear Ridge Road, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee @ New World Stages, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), This World of Tomorrow @ The Shed, Oedipus @ Studio 54, MasterVoices Sweet Smell of Success @ Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, and The Baker’s Wife at Classic Stage Company

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Lea Michele (Florence Vassy) and the cast of CHESS
CREDIT: Matthew Murphy, 2025

“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.

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Panel:

Peter Filichia | peter@broadwayradio.com | 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! Peter also has columns at Masterworks Broadway, Broadway Select, and many other places.

Showtune for Today: Fran and Janie from Is There Life After High School?

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Michael Portantiere | michael@broadwayradio.com | Facebook
MICHAEL PORTANTIERE is a theater reviewer and interviewer. 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.

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Jan Simpson | jan@broadwayandme.com | Facebook | Twitter
Broadway & Me
Jan Simpson is a theater journalist who writes the blog Broadway & Me and hosts the BroadwayRadio podcasts Stagecraft and All The Drama. She has thrice (that is three times!) served as a Pulitzer Prize juror.

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James Marino | james@broadwayradio.com | Facebook
BroadwayStars

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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.

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An Evening with Len Cariou @ The Laurie Beechman Theatre
Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Len Cariou is well known and beloved for his indelible performances in musicals and plays on and off Broadway, in classical theater, and in other media.

His major credits include Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, and Applause on Broadway, Blue Bloods on television, etc.

Join us at the Laurie Beechman Theatre as he shares reminiscences of his storied career and the many legends he has worked with in an on-stage interview conducted by theater journalist Michael Portantiere.

The evening will include clips of Mr. Cariou’s greatest roles, plus live performances of a song or two, followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

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Reviews:

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Lea Michele (Florence Vassy) and Nicholas Christopher (Anatoly Sergievksy).
CREDIT: Matthew Murphy, 2025

PF + JS + MP: Chess @ Imperial Theatre, through May 3, 2026 (that is an odd end date!)

Link to BroadwayRadio discussion of CHESS at Kennedy Center in 2018 (first presentation of “Broadway Center Stage”):

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Laurie Metcalf and Micah Stock. Photo by Julieta Cervantes

JS + MP: Little Bear Ridge Road @ Booth Theatre, Febrary 8, 2026

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