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[0:08] Richie Grasso: Hello and welcome to Half Hour, an entertainment podcast through Two Worlds Entertainment. I'm Richie.

[0:13] Jeff Malone: And I'm Jeff. Here to bring you the casual conversations on the shows, films, concerts, and music that we see, listen to, and observe throughout our careers.

[0:20] Richie Grasso: Today's conversation may feature some spoilers on the entertainment we're talking about, so you have been warned, as we always like to say.

[0:27] Jeff Malone: Today, we're going to start with pop. As you know, these last few weeks of the new year, we've been putting pop and theater together.

[0:34] Richie Grasso: So every week, you're getting a new episode with new pop and theater news and updates on the latest and greatest.

[0:40] Jeff Malone: Today, we're going to dive right into some pop. We have a new album to discuss that Jeff's going to tell us about, about a pretty big name. Tell us all about it, Mr. Jeff.

[0:50] Jeff Malone: So today, Miss Shania Twain is back with her sixth studio album, Queen of Me.

[0:59] Jeff Malone: So this was released today. It was a pretty fun listen for me. As always, I like to listen to my albums now on my morning dog walk.

[1:07] Jeff Malone: So this was a fun little bubbly album. And it was interesting. While listening, I was like, you know, some of this kind of sounds a little too manufactured.

[1:15] Jeff Malone: And other times I'm like, oh, this is a fun little bop. It has a lot of country influences.

[1:20] Jeff Malone: I think that she's kind of maybe moved a little bit away from the total countryness.

[1:25] Jeff Malone: But it is that country pop feel that Shania has always brought. So it was, you know, it was a fun listen.

[1:32] Richie Grasso: Yeah, it was fun. I thought her vocals were, I think her vocals are pretty good.

[1:36] Richie Grasso: I don't, I thought it sounded clear and I don't really understand what's going on.

[1:40] Richie Grasso: I think we saw her farewell tour, but that was a long time ago.

[1:43] Jeff Malone: That was something, yes.

[1:44] Richie Grasso: Yeah, we did see her, but I didn't remember if that was our farewell one or not.

[1:47] Richie Grasso: And now it's like she's back. And I think there's more of a commentary on just the industry itself.

[1:52] Richie Grasso: And what the whole, I kind of talk about this every few weeks in the podcast, like there's no rules anymore.

[1:57] Richie Grasso: So it's like, can you say I'm leaving and then you go disappear and then you come back?

[2:01] Richie Grasso: And the dramatics of it is I think what I'm talking about.

[2:04] Richie Grasso: I think people have always come and gone from the industry, but to say I'm leaving and it's it does seem marketing gimmicky a little bit.

[2:12] Jeff Malone: And yeah, I do think it has a marketing appeal, especially for some of these older pop stars in the industry, you know, when it's like Madonna's tour and Cher's tour and Elton John's tour and Billy Joel.

[2:24] Jeff Malone: And it's like this is the last time you're going to get to see them.

[2:27] Richie Grasso: And then it's not. Yeah, it's like it's kind of like, oh, I wanted to be at the last tour.

[2:33] Richie Grasso: But then, wait, I need to go to the tour again, the next tour, because maybe that's their last tour.

[2:39] Jeff Malone: Right. It's all interesting.

[2:41] Richie Grasso: You know, I also find like Shania is having a really interesting moment right now because a lot of the millennial pop makers right now are really being vocal about how Shania was such an influence in their life.

[2:54] Richie Grasso: Like people from Post Malone to Taylor Swift, Rina Sawayama, Justin Bieber, like all of these people have said what impact Shania had on them and becoming pop stars.

[3:06] Jeff Malone: Yeah. And I find that so interesting because like we grew up with Shania Twain.

[3:09] Richie Grasso: Yeah. And like I feel like if you were growing up in the 90s and you were in the car, it was either Celine Dion or Shania Twain.

[3:17] Jeff Malone: That's what it was. It literally was.

[3:19] Richie Grasso: Yeah. And to see it now coming full circle, like even when Rina Sawayama featured the like Let's Go Girls in the beginning of this hell, I was like, oh, there's that moment.

[3:31] Richie Grasso: And what I'm finding interesting like in like the TikTok world right now is like the Gen Z kids are loving Shania Twain.

[3:38] Jeff Malone: Right. There is that resurgence a little bit of her.

[3:41] Richie Grasso: And is she now making music for them?

[3:44] Jeff Malone: I don't know.

[3:45] Richie Grasso: Well, she's using like the producers and hit makers that are making music for like Halsey and Pitbull.

[3:53] Richie Grasso: And you can hear it really in her music.

[3:56] Jeff Malone: So, you know, it's interesting. Come on over. That album was such a staple.

[4:01] Richie Grasso: Yeah, it was very successful for her, right? I think it was.

[4:04] Jeff Malone: It's like one of the most successful albums of all time.

[4:06] Richie Grasso: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, because everyone bought that CD in the late 90s and played it in their cars.

[4:11] Jeff Malone: Yeah, but it's good to see her back and just being like, I'm owning my career again after like divorcing her husband, who was such a major part of her career.

[4:19] Richie Grasso: Yeah, sure, sure.

[4:20] Jeff Malone: And now just owning it and being herself after like also going through Lyme, having Lyme's disease and having vocal, I think, reconstruction surgery.

[4:29] Richie Grasso: So because that really affected her vocals.

[4:31] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[4:32] Richie Grasso: Anyway, also, that's Shania.

[4:34] Jeff Malone: Yeah, so there we go.

[4:35] Richie Grasso: Yeah, I will listen to it maybe more a little bit.

[4:37] Richie Grasso: I'm not like obsessed with it, but I'm not hating it.

[4:39] Richie Grasso: I'm kind of like, OK, cool. Good for you.

[4:41] Jeff Malone: You know, also, Ray also released her album today.

[4:44] Richie Grasso: And there are two standout tracks that a lot of people are talking about.

[4:47] Jeff Malone: Well, one is Ice Cream Man that most people are talking about.

[4:50] Richie Grasso: Yeah, that's fine.

[4:51] Richie Grasso: And this was an anticipated album.

[4:53] Richie Grasso: So and I kind of skimmed through it a little bit here and I came across this one track, Worth It, and I'm obsessed.

[4:59] Jeff Malone: Yes, I love it.

[5:00] Richie Grasso: I'm obsessed. It's going to be part of the Pop Music Drop today.

[5:02] Richie Grasso: We'll get to that a little later.

[5:04] Jeff Malone: Check out Ray's album as well.

[5:07] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[5:08] Richie Grasso: But also in other pop news here, the Grammys are on Sunday.

[5:13] Jeff Malone: So this is a big deal.

[5:15] Richie Grasso: So I thought we would do a little bit of our predictions for some of the big categories, which are album of the year, song of the year, record of the year.

[5:24] Richie Grasso: And for fun, we'll do best musical theater album because that's what we do.

[5:28] Jeff Malone: And we'll do best pop album.

[5:30] Richie Grasso: So and what Richie and I are going to do today are decide like what we think is going to win from the categories and what we think should win.

[5:40] Jeff Malone: And also, we're not going to list every single album in this podcast.

[5:43] Richie Grasso: It's going to take too long.

[5:45] Jeff Malone: So go check out what we're pulling from online and then you'll see.

[5:49] Richie Grasso: But let's start with album of the year.

[5:51] Jeff Malone: Okay.

[5:52] Richie Grasso: So what should win? What will win? Maybe they're the same thing. You go first.

[5:56] Jeff Malone: Okay.

[5:57] Jeff Malone: So what I think is going to win is Harry Styles' Harry's House.

[6:01] Richie Grasso: Really? Okay.

[6:02] Jeff Malone: Yes.

[6:03] Jeff Malone: I think it's set up to just have that Grammy winning impact.

[6:09] Jeff Malone: It's a great album.

[6:10] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[6:11] Jeff Malone: But this year, too, is also just a groundbreaking like sales album.

[6:14] Jeff Malone: It's just it was across the board everywhere there.

[6:17] Jeff Malone: I think also looking at the list, I do think it should win.

[6:22] Richie Grasso: Okay.

[6:23] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[6:24] Richie Grasso: I was going to go a completely different direction.

[6:26] Richie Grasso: I think Renaissance by Beyonce will win.

[6:29] Jeff Malone: Okay.

[6:30] Richie Grasso: And I think Special by Lizzo should win.

[6:32] Richie Grasso: They're both great albums to me.

[6:34] Richie Grasso: And I think they both were really, really successful.

[6:36] Richie Grasso: And I think one of those two should win that.

[6:38] Richie Grasso: But I really could see Beyonce actually winning.

[6:41] Jeff Malone: I don't think Lizzo is going to win.

[6:42] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[6:43] Richie Grasso: And as much as it was a great album, I do think her debut was better.

[6:47] Richie Grasso: But I think what's interesting with Beyonce is like she's had this moment many times in the Grammys past and she didn't win.

[6:58] Richie Grasso: And as much as I love Renaissance, I don't know if the Grammy committee is going to really go for this more dance heavy album.

[7:05] Jeff Malone: Dance really has a hard time winning in the Grammys.

[7:07] Richie Grasso: Yes.

[7:08] Richie Grasso: But maybe from a lyric writing perspective or a story flow perspective, but just as an overall album, the concept and the energy of it I think could totally win.

[7:17] Jeff Malone: I don't know enough about the Grammy committee and who they are and what they're looking for in there.

[7:21] Richie Grasso: They always pick – I mean, look at last year. It's like always – sometimes you never know what's going to win.

[7:27] Jeff Malone: I would love for Renaissance to win.

[7:29] Richie Grasso: And she is a Grammy winner, correct?

[7:30] Jeff Malone: Yes.

[7:31] Richie Grasso: Yes.

[7:32] Jeff Malone: Okay.

[7:33] Richie Grasso: So –

[7:35] Richie Grasso: Song of the Year is really about the writers winning, right, in that category?

[7:48] Jeff Malone: Okay, so who do you think should win and who do you think will win?

[7:50] Richie Grasso: Oh, well, here we go.

[7:54] Richie Grasso: I think that As It Was is going to win.

[7:58] Jeff Malone: Wow, you're going that way again.

[7:59] Richie Grasso: Okay.

[8:01] Richie Grasso: Sometimes artists clean up at the award shows.

[8:04] Richie Grasso: I don't know.

[8:05] Richie Grasso: I just have a feeling it's going to be Henry's year.

[8:08] Jeff Malone: I love Break My Soul.

[8:11] Jeff Malone: I love About Damn Time.

[8:12] Richie Grasso: But the song that I think should win is Taylor Swift's All Too Well, 10-minute version.

[8:16] Jeff Malone: Well, when you release a 10-minute song compared to other songs that are two or three or four minutes, sure.

[8:21] Jeff Malone: I mean, you have double, triple the amount of material there for people.

[8:24] Jeff Malone: So in a way, she kind of has a leg up from a lyric perspective, and you have to write a lot more.

[8:28] Jeff Malone: And this is, from the writer's perspective, I mean, this song is very well written.

[8:34] Richie Grasso: So she has a good shot.

[8:36] Jeff Malone: I was going to agree with All Too Well.

[8:38] Jeff Malone: I was also going to say About Damn Time as a potential.

[8:40] Jeff Malone: And I'm going to say something.

[8:42] Jeff Malone: I'm not obsessed with Adele's 30 album, but I think Easy on Me is a great song.

[8:46] Jeff Malone: I have the sheet music to it, and I play it on the piano sometimes, and I look at the chord structures, if I'm looking at it from a musical perspective, and I look at just the flow of the song and the vocal melody line, and they say, oh, this is a well-written song, I think.

[9:01] Jeff Malone: And I think that's a nice song.

[9:02] Richie Grasso: I don't know if it'll win.

[9:03] Richie Grasso: I just had to kind of say that.

[9:05] Jeff Malone: But I think it could win.

[9:06] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[9:07] Jeff Malone: I don't think Adele's really going to get much this year.

[9:08] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[9:09] Richie Grasso: She's always had such great years at the Grammys, but 30 didn't really do it.

[9:13] Jeff Malone: I know.

[9:14] Richie Grasso: And so Record of the Year really goes down to the singer and the performance of the song, right?

[9:17] Jeff Malone: Yes, the performance.

[9:19] Richie Grasso: Okay, so what are your thoughts on Record of the Year?

[9:21] Jeff Malone: This is also hard, because I'm going to put Harry in there again, as probably might take it.

[9:26] Jeff Malone: I do think Break My Soul should take it, or About Damn Time should take it.

[9:32] Richie Grasso: I was going to say the same thing.

[9:34] Richie Grasso: Break My Soul, About Damn Time, for sure.

[9:37] Jeff Malone: I think Easy on Me's in there, too.

[9:39] Jeff Malone: I think her vocals are so strong there.

[9:41] Richie Grasso: I don't know.

[9:42] Richie Grasso: She's not going to take that.

[9:43] Jeff Malone: I know.

[9:44] Richie Grasso: I'm just saying what I think should.

[9:45] Richie Grasso: It's going to come down to Beyoncé, Harry, or Lizzo taking that one.

[9:48] Jeff Malone: I really do think Lizzo or Beyoncé should take it.

[9:51] Richie Grasso: I want to just say good for ABBA and Brandi Carlile for making their way in here.

[9:55] Jeff Malone: We haven't seen those names in a while.

[9:56] Richie Grasso: I don't know if they're going to really win anything, but good for them.

[9:58] Jeff Malone: They got nominations.

[9:59] Richie Grasso: ABBA, I forgot that was in there.

[10:01] Jeff Malone: Mary J. Blige is in there as a nominee.

[10:04] Richie Grasso: I do realize I went back and I'm going to backtrack here, because I put my notes in italics of what I think should win.

[10:13] Richie Grasso: I did put for Album of the Year that Beyoncé should win.

[10:16] Jeff Malone: Okay, I was going to say.

[10:18] Richie Grasso: Wait, wait, wait. Let me go back to here.

[10:20] Richie Grasso: I did say Beyoncé should win.

[10:22] Richie Grasso: I totally think she should win for that album, for sure.

[10:24] Richie Grasso: I just think Harry's going to take a long time.

[10:26] Jeff Malone: So for, uh, I mean, listen, I think, yeah, you want to know why before we do musical theater album, let's do pop out more. And because this is usually, you know, when, um, what is it, the drama does where the outer circle circles critics when those happened before the Tony Awards, like hint at what's to come. Yeah. Yes. So usually what wins pop album kind of is predicting what's going to win the big titles. And I do think Harry's house is going to win pop album.

[10:54] Richie Grasso: Yeah. Okay. I not special. I don't think so. Okay. I think it could be special. I don't think it's going to be Coldplay. I don't think it's going to be Adele. I don't think it's going to be, uh, I think it's going to be doing Lizzo and Harry Styles. It will become between Lizzo and Harry Styles, but I do think Grammy winner yet. Yes.

[11:12] Jeff Malone: Okay. So, and it's Harry a Grammy winner yet. Yes. Okay. So they're all kind of done this already. Um, musical theater. I'll just read them quick. Cause there's not many, uh, Mr. Saturday night, six live opening night cast recording strange loop into the woods, probably revival cast recording Carolina change probably revival cast recording MJ probably musical. What should win? What will win? I have my thoughts go.

[11:29] Richie Grasso: Okay. This is the music industry. So it's kind of predictable. MJ is going to take this award. Clearly. I would be shocked if it doesn't. Um, but I do think strange loop or into the woods should win.

[11:34] Jeff Malone: I am in a hundred percent agreeance with you. It's strange loop or into the woods should win. MJ will probably win. I think they could go strange loop cause it's original score and they should, but once again, it's not necessarily musical theater people voting on this. It's they hear music and pop and they think, okay, musical theater pop. I also think, um, they could do a service maybe to an ode to Sondheim giving him a, a, a, a Grammy for an album for a show. I mean, obviously he's passed on, but you know, maybe as an ode to him. And I also think that into the woods revival cast recording is great. Um, but I don't know. I will see, but I think they did do the tribute to him last year.

[12:17] Richie Grasso: Yes, I believe they did. Yes. So that's true. It could win and Sarah Burrell is on the studio. Yeah. And that's a pop person too. So you don't know. And I think strange loop could totally take it too, I think that's, it's really nice to see an original score winning a Grammy award. So hopefully we'll see, but yeah, MJ might, might take it. I think, you know, I don't know. It's like, it's like rerecording the music obviously with other talent, but I mean, I don't know. Yeah. Yeah. You know, that's, that's that. And that's like a little bit of pop. There we go. Reason three, we have lots to talk about today. We're going to spend a little bit talking about, um, well first let's dive into, um, the Matilda movie musical came out, uh, around the holidays.

We didn't get a chance to talk about it the last few weeks. I wanted to spend a couple minutes talking about it. We saw it, um, obvious, you know, we grew up with the Matilda movie from the nineties and of course the book that was around for a long time. And now there's a Broadway musical and now there's a movie musical and now like every children's theater in the world is doing Matilda right now. And it's so popular and the kids love it. What were your overall thoughts of this movie musical Netflix film?

[13:11] Richie Grasso: I really did the whole, don't go in with any expectations for this because it was either going to be really great or really bad. And I loved it. I really loved it. I would watch it many more times because I just thought they took the stage production of this and really kind of evolved the storyline and visual to what we had to do with the stage. And I just thought the kids are killing it in this film. I thought the music was amazing and the choreography was just top. Choreography is amazing. The orchestrations were wonderful. I have to do a few shout outs here to, um, just some of my favorite performances. Um, Alicia Weir was Matilda. She was amazing and captivating at her age. I loved that.

Um, Emma Thompson as Trunchbull normally played by a male actor in the Broadway production. She was just, I mean, I literally don't think there's anything Emma Thompson could do wrong. I think everything this woman does from Saving Mr. Banks to Nanny McPhee to, to, uh, this and to also, um, the Cruella DeVille and every, or Cruella rather everything she's done. I'm just such a fan. When is she getting a Broadway moment? I don't know. She is one of those, uh, actors that really transform into the character that she's given. She's amazing. Um, also, uh, Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey. Out of control. Amazing. I was captivated and I always cry at the end of the 90s movie. I, I of course cried at the end of this.

It was just the most, you're literally crying now thinking about it. So I can't think about it right now, but the ending of this is so wonderfully done in both films. In this film on Broadway, I teared up and cried. I, there's just something about the way it ends that is just unbelievable.

[14:59] Jeff Malone: Yeah. I think he literally was sobbing. I was just like, I need a minute.

[15:04] Richie Grasso: Yeah. That's just, that did it. But she, she really owned that and you felt for her and beautiful voice. Yeah. Just stunning. Stunning. Beautiful. Stunning. So I really enjoyed that. I think kids and families have been enjoying it. I like the access that's on Netflix. It was very successful for Netflix. Did you like the changes?

[15:21] Jeff Malone: Um, I liked the removal of the brother. I was neither here nor there. It kind of actually really showed that these parents didn't want any kids. Yeah. Whereas in the, I think in the book and the original movie, they have one kid and then they have another and they, so it's all, and he always said he wanted a boy and he calls her boy. And she's like, I'm a girl. And you know, I, I, you know, I didn't, I, I did miss Mrs. Wormwood's song that was cut from the movie. And apparently the rumor is that it was filmed and that they have a footage of it. And that one day they might release it, but they, you know, she has this whole number about how she's taking dance lessons with a dance instructor and she's more caring about her, her dance life.

And at Broadway it's called Loud, the song, and it's a great big production number. It doesn't provide anything to the plot in a way. So I understand maybe why Leslie Margaret did it at Broadway and was fantastic in that. Um, I like the change. I didn't mind the changes. I liked them. I liked that we removed some of the filler and that this was more of a piece of just Matilda and Miss Honey and really having that bond together.

[16:25] Richie Grasso: Yeah. Yeah. And I liked the librarian. I just love those moments. I feel like that's not in the 90s movie. I could be wrong, but I feel like when she goes to the library, she just goes and gets a book and there's no like bond with the librarian where she, and I love the story of the escapologist and the escapologist and the acrobat and that whole thing. So anyway, really, really good stuff there. Also moving on because of time quick, quick, quick. We went to Broadway this week and we saw the, I can't believe I'm saying this, the 1990s Broadway revival of Chicago, which is still running 25 years later, I believe. Um, just to remind you all, if you're not too familiar with this, this is not the original Broadway production of Chicago that ran in the seventies, um, and a decent run closed.

Uh, and then a revival production came from when it was on city center. Awkward as I believe a very stripped down, simple. It's nothing like the movie. It's live orchestra on stage with everyone wearing all black and telling the story in a smaller venue. Um, and we went because Jinx Monsoon, who's behind me, if you're watching the video as matron mama Morton, she's RuPaul's drug race winner. She has a huge following. And, uh, clearly because we went on a Sunday night and there was not one empty seat for a show that's been playing for 25 years. It is the longest running American musical on Broadway history. Um, we know Phantom holds the longest running musical period, but that's not an American musical.

[17:40] Jeff Malone: Um, and what did we think of Jinx as matron mama Morton?

[17:47] Richie Grasso: I love Jinx. Jinx is one of my top Queens from RuPaul, uh, from my favorite season of RuPaul. So when I heard that Jinx was doing this, I was like, we're going, we're going. And, um, the show, the show was fine. You know, while I was watching it, like the first time I saw Chicago, I was not blown away. I said to myself, Oh, the movie, the movie really ruined this for me about seeing a stripped down version, campy production of Chicago, which is great. And then while I was sitting now and how like my taste of like theater and camp and all of that has evolved, I said, Oh, you know what this show, when it first probably hit the stage, I can understand why this has been running so long and why it was successful and why it still is successful.

And I just, I appreciate it. You know, I do think though, it just needs like a breath of fresh air. It needs a breath of fresh air with a whole new cast. It needs a breath of fresh air with a coat of paint. It needs a breath of fresh air of like just condensing more and giving more room for that fossy choreo. It's like you find them and they're on the stage and they're dancing and you're like, Oh, okay. They have no space.

[19:02] Jeff Malone: Yeah. I mean, I think the show, I wonder if it needs the phantom treatment where it closes, they reno the theater a bit, they maybe reopen it in five years with a new direction, a new vision, new costumes, new, you know, cause everyone does like the show.

[19:18] Richie Grasso: But why even close it, close it for a week and just fix the problem.

[19:22] Jeff Malone: Well, it's, I mean, listen, there's people, uh, Charlotte D'Amboise, we saw play Roxy. She's been doing it forever. She's actually fantastic. She's just so wonderful at what she does. And I, I was captivated during Roxy. She does that so well. She's been doing it a long time though.

[19:36] Richie Grasso: Yes. And some of it doesn't make sense anymore. Hey, power to her. She was fantastic, but she's a little too old for the role. I can't believe in that. She's having this baby in the role. And I'm like, Oh, you know, is that ageism?

[19:53] Jeff Malone: I'm not thinking of it as being ages. I think you, you support all ages of people performing. I mean, um, so Arlo who plays Mary Sunshine has been doing the role for 18 of the 25 years. Could you imagine? And I love that song. I think the opera is so impressive. And I'm like, wow, you do that eight times a week for 18 years. Like, good for you. Um, James T. Lane was, uh, the Billy Flynn. He was great. He was a breath of fresh air for me. I thought he was really great in the role. And Jinx was wonderful. And she made us laugh and she brought the house down and clearly everyone was there for her and she's selling tickets. And the producers of the show, you know, it definitely comes down to, if it's not broken, don't fix it.

Every six months, the producers find a star to put into one of these tracks. They're like, um, there's stock characters in a way. There's the leading man. There's the supporting man. There's the leading female. There's the supporting female. And you fill with actors who can't sing or singers who can't act or dancers who can't act or actors who can't dance. Usually it's always like something, but people go.

[21:22] Richie Grasso: To do a duet thing here as Velma and Roxy.

[21:28] Jeff Malone: Because I came up with one that you're going to be like, yes, do it.

[21:31] Richie Grasso: Possible roles that you're like, oh, they'll never do it, but I have a dream for it anyway.

[21:35] Jeff Malone: I think anything is possible.

[21:37] Richie Grasso: Oh God. Well, I would have, oh, I don't know. I'd have to think about that.

[21:43] Jeff Malone: Okay. I have one.

[21:44] Richie Grasso: Okay. Okay. Tell me.

[21:46] Jeff Malone: Vanessa Hudgens as Velma and Ashley Tisdale as Roxy.

[21:51] Richie Grasso: Yes. That would get all the millennials in.

[21:53] Jeff Malone: How amazing would that be?

[21:54] Richie Grasso: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I never thought of that.

[21:57] Jeff Malone: Because like, what has Ashley Tisdale been doing?

[21:59] Richie Grasso: Like come do a show and Vanessa's done Broadway.

[22:03] Jeff Malone: They would be perfect. We're posting this and make it happen.

[22:08] Richie Grasso: I kind of like that idea.

[22:10] Jeff Malone: Also, I have a dream Mama Morton as Kelly Clarkson.

[22:15] Richie Grasso: Oh, she'll never do it, but yeah.

[22:18] Jeff Malone: Why not go in for six weeks and do it?

[22:20] Richie Grasso: Maybe.

[22:21] Jeff Malone: She's always said she wanted to do Broadway.

[22:23] Richie Grasso: Yeah. She could actually do it.

[22:25] Jeff Malone: It's not a ton of singing in the role.

[22:27] Richie Grasso: It's only like one and a half songs.

[22:27] Jeff Malone: I know, but it's fun.

[22:28] Richie Grasso: Yeah. It is fun.

[22:29] Jeff Malone: She floats in the wings, you know, the whole time.

[22:33] Richie Grasso: Yeah. Okay. I'd have to think about that.

[22:35] Jeff Malone: Maybe in the next episode, I'll have some idea.

[22:36] Richie Grasso: I never even really thought of that. That's a great question though.

[22:39] Jeff Malone: Moving quick as the time, one more Broadway news update.

[22:41] Richie Grasso: The Tony Awards Committee ruled on a bunch of shows that they met for the first time to rule on something.

[22:44] Jeff Malone: So just as a quick thing, as you know, if it's top billing or if it's billed as opening night credits, it's usually pretty self-explanatory, but not all billing is clear.

[22:53] Richie Grasso: So the committee has to meet to go over things.

[22:56] Jeff Malone: And I thought the biggest decision that they made, one of the big decisions is that Ohio State Murders will be considered eligible in the best revival of a play category.

[23:04] Richie Grasso: They're saying this because the play debuted and played enough significant regional and off-Broadway productions.

[23:09] Jeff Malone: So it would be unusual to go head to head with plays making world premieres.

[23:13] Richie Grasso: They voted on that.

[23:14] Jeff Malone: I'm reading the Playbill article and it says because the work has not previously been Tony eligible, the win in the revival category, if it wins, would be shared with the producers and the playwright.

[23:22] Richie Grasso: Usually for revival, I think just the producers would win.

[23:24] Jeff Malone: The playwright would also share that Tony award if they win.

[23:26] Richie Grasso: Best play wins are shared between the work's producers and playwright, whereas revival wins typically only go to the producers only.

[23:32] Jeff Malone: Thoughts on that?

[23:35] Richie Grasso: Um, my only thought on this is, is this always the case with everything?

[23:41] Jeff Malone: Like if shows have never been on the Broadway stage, but have had regional, yes, they have to rule on it.

[23:46] Richie Grasso: Okay.

[23:48] Jeff Malone: This was something that they're going to put in revival.

[23:50] Richie Grasso: I don't think it should be in revival.

[23:52] Jeff Malone: Yeah, I think it should be in new work because she's making her Broadway debut as she's making her debut.

[23:57] Richie Grasso: I never heard of the show.

[23:59] Jeff Malone: Yeah, I'm not saying that I know everything, but if I heard the show getting done over and over and over again, great.

[24:07] Richie Grasso: But like, no, this sounds like a new work to me.

[24:10] Jeff Malone: So I don't necessarily agree with that.

[24:12] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[24:13] Jeff Malone: Also, um, that's interesting.

[24:15] Richie Grasso: I don't know.

[24:15] Jeff Malone: Yeah, it's, it's, I hope it wins period regardless, but I, you know, I just don't understand why it's a best new play or revival.

[24:24] Richie Grasso: If the show is never on the stage of Broadway, it's not a revival.

[24:28] Jeff Malone: It's like, I want to say, and it could be wrong. So someone might call me out on this, but a little shop of horrors came up to Broadway.

[24:33] Richie Grasso: Finally.

[24:33] Jeff Malone: I think that was considered revival because it had such a long off-Broadway run prior.

[24:40] Richie Grasso: So Pete, this is how they vote.

[24:42] Jeff Malone: They think it has had track record.

[24:43] Richie Grasso: And then, and then is that fair to the new plays that are making world premieres here?

[24:47] Jeff Malone: I don't know.

[24:47] Richie Grasso: You know, it's tough.

[24:48] Jeff Malone: It's tough.

[24:48] Richie Grasso: You got to be fair to either the line.

[24:50] Jeff Malone: Cause guess what? You have things like Hamilton and Be More Chill and Strange Loop and all of these things that have off-Broadway runs and then they come and they're still considered new works.

[25:01] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[25:02] Jeff Malone: I'm pressing because of time, but also the other thing they ruled on was that Some Like It Hot's Christian Borle, Jay Harrison G and Adriana Hicks will all be eligible in the leading category.

[25:09] Richie Grasso: And the ruling does not specify whether G, who is non-binary and playing a non-binary role, will be eligible in the leading actor or actress category.

[25:19] Jeff Malone: It's unclear yet, which leads.

[25:21] Richie Grasso: So, and there was a bunch of other rulings too.

[25:22] Jeff Malone: I don't have time to run through all these, but like Gavin Creel, Josh Henry, Phillip Asu, all considered best performance by an actor, actress in a featured role in musical Into the Woods.

[25:31] Richie Grasso: Victoria Clark will be considered best performance when actors in a leading role for Kimberly Kimbo.

[25:34] Jeff Malone: And it goes on and on.

[25:36] Richie Grasso: Christmas Carol will be considered best play.

[25:38] Jeff Malone: So there's a lot of things there, but I want to talk a little bit really, really quick and Juliet's Justin David Sullivan declines Tony award eligibility critiques, gendered performance categories.

[25:47] Richie Grasso: These they are a non-binary probably performer playing May in and Juliet.

[25:53] Jeff Malone: And basically the quotes from them says, I was told that I had to choose the category in which I felt comfortable.

[25:58] Richie Grasso: And in that process, I struggled a lot.

[26:01] Jeff Malone: There's nothing more than I want to empower than non-binary people to show that it's possible to be non-binary in a Broadway play, a non-binary non-character on Broadway and be nominated and possibly potentially awarded.

[26:10] Richie Grasso: I felt like I couldn't choose.

[26:11] Jeff Malone: I didn't feel right being in either category because it didn't resonate with me.

[26:14] Richie Grasso: I decided the only thing that felt right to me would be to abstain from nomination considerations.

[26:18] Jeff Malone: So I will not be considered for a Tony nomination.

[26:21] Richie Grasso: To me, I look at it and I'm like, if you have a seat and the Tonys are now like, what I guess, but it's like, if you have a season with multiple people as a non-binary, the way I look at it is like, why can't you have leading performer in a show have like 10 or 12 people nominated in that category and then choose two or three.

[26:40] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[26:41] Richie Grasso: And maybe one year it'll be three females that went and one year it'll be three males that went, maybe it'll be a non-binary in a few months.

[26:46] Jeff Malone: Like it doesn't matter what the gender of the person, it should be three people are going to win and you're going to nominate 12 people and then do it for featured.

[26:53] Richie Grasso: And then, you know, I don't know.

[26:54] Jeff Malone: I think that maybe, and maybe this is commentary on the Oscars too and stuff.

[26:57] Richie Grasso: But for someone to be playing a role and say, Oh, I can't choose. So I'm not, I'm going to have to pull myself out.

[27:01] Jeff Malone: That's not fair.

[27:02] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[27:05] Jeff Malone: I think the Tonys kind of needs just the award categories in general.

[27:10] Richie Grasso: It's been the same for so long and it just needs some revamping.

[27:15] Jeff Malone: Look at how they do it with the Grammys.

[27:16] Richie Grasso: It's the work, you know, it's the work.

[27:18] Jeff Malone: It's not the record of the year.

[27:19] Richie Grasso: There's they don't do male singer and female singer record or things like that.

[27:23] Jeff Malone: So that's why when it comes to the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes and even the Tonys and the Emmys, they may need to, you know, I think there's going to be some change.

[27:31] Richie Grasso: I do.

[27:32] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[27:32] Richie Grasso: It'll be interesting to see.

[27:33] Jeff Malone: But not only that, but there was something that I saw too, and I don't know if you saw this, but the Tony award voters don't need to see every play in music.

[27:41] Richie Grasso: They're allowed to have not seen one or something like that in the category and they're able to still vote.

[27:46] Jeff Malone: And apparently that's only for this year.

[27:48] Richie Grasso: And I wonder if it's because there were so many new things scattered and opened and closed quickly and there was not enough time to see so many things that maybe I'm not justifying it.

[27:55] Jeff Malone: I'm just saying maybe that's why.

[27:56] Richie Grasso: Well, we're seeing every.

[27:58] Jeff Malone: Yeah, we are.

[27:59] Richie Grasso: We literally have so far seen almost everything.

[28:01] Jeff Malone: That's right.

[28:01] Richie Grasso: But the way I look at it is like, how do you judge them?

[28:05] Jeff Malone: Well, it's like saying I'm going to vote in the Oscars, but I didn't see the movie.

[28:08] Richie Grasso: It doesn't make sense.

[28:09] Jeff Malone: I'm going to vote on an album in the year, but I didn't listen to the album.

[28:11] Richie Grasso: I mean, it doesn't make any sense to me.

[28:13] Jeff Malone: So you're going to say I didn't see it.

[28:14] Richie Grasso: What are you basing your opinion on the album?

[28:16] Jeff Malone: The video clips?

[28:17] Richie Grasso: Sorry, being a voter on this is a job.

[28:19] Jeff Malone: You have to see everything.

[28:20] Richie Grasso: And so now there's a chance that you could be voting and you didn't see everything.

[28:23] Jeff Malone: And your vote is still going to count.

[28:24] Richie Grasso: I don't know how I feel about that.

[28:25] Jeff Malone: And I understand things close quick.

[28:27] Richie Grasso: But guess what?

[28:28] Jeff Malone: When something opens, maybe the Tony committee should be making sure they get every voter to the few previews or opening night.

[28:34] Richie Grasso: Everything opens and then it lasts.

[28:36] Jeff Malone: Some things didn't last.

[28:37] Richie Grasso: So maybe there was if you're using the excuse, oh, well, they couldn't get there because the show closed.

[28:40] Jeff Malone: No, no, no.

[28:40] Richie Grasso: There was previews and there was an opening night.

[28:42] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[28:42] Richie Grasso: Get your Tony voters there.

[28:44] Jeff Malone: I don't know.

[28:44] Richie Grasso: Yeah, I don't know.

[28:45] Jeff Malone: I mean, how many Tony voters are there?

[28:47] Richie Grasso: I don't know exactly.

[28:48] Jeff Malone: Maybe quite a few, actually.

[28:50] Richie Grasso: We'll look that up.

[28:50] Jeff Malone: Okay.

[28:51] Richie Grasso: All right.

[28:51] Jeff Malone: I'm sorry. We're wrapping up.

[28:52] Richie Grasso: We have so much to talk about today.

[28:54] Jeff Malone: Pop music drop, bop or flop.

[28:56] Richie Grasso: Let's hear it.

[28:56] Jeff Malone: Go.

[28:57] Richie Grasso: We can breathe here.

[28:58] Jeff Malone: Ready?

[28:59] Richie Grasso: I know.

[28:59] Jeff Malone: I know.

[29:00] Richie Grasso: It's like.

[29:02] Jeff Malone: Okay. So we'll just go through a couple of these.

[29:03] Richie Grasso: And if we have time, we'll do them all.

[29:04] Jeff Malone: Pop music drop.

[29:06] Richie Grasso: We'll start with Ray.

[29:06] Jeff Malone: Worth it.

[29:06] Richie Grasso: Bop.

[29:07] Jeff Malone: Love it.

[29:07] Richie Grasso: Love the jazzy intro.

[29:09] Jeff Malone: Really love her.

[29:10] Richie Grasso: Love it.

[29:11] Jeff Malone: Loon Leopard.

[29:13] Richie Grasso: Do you really?

[29:14] Jeff Malone: And that's featuring Ruth B.

[29:15] Richie Grasso: Yes.

[29:16] Jeff Malone: Great vibes.

[29:17] Richie Grasso: Bop.

[29:17] Jeff Malone: For sure.

[29:19] Richie Grasso: Like a savior.

[29:20] Jeff Malone: Cusp.

[29:21] Richie Grasso: Not sure I feel about it.

[29:22] Jeff Malone: We'll see.

[29:22] Richie Grasso: I'll listen to it a little bit more.

[29:24] Jeff Malone: Caroline Polachek.

[29:25] Richie Grasso: Blood and butter.

[29:27] Jeff Malone: Boring flop.

[29:28] Richie Grasso: Sorry.

[29:28] Jeff Malone: Not into it.

[29:30] Richie Grasso: I was very bored listening to this.

[29:32] Jeff Malone: Sorry.

[29:32] Richie Grasso: You have to dive into her a little bit more to understand her.

[29:35] Jeff Malone: But okay.

[29:37] Richie Grasso: Next we have Chrissy.

[29:38] Jeff Malone: I'm so high.

[29:40] Richie Grasso: So Britney Spears of this song.

[29:42] Jeff Malone: Yes, it's bop.

[29:43] Richie Grasso: It's like, yes, I love it.

[29:44] Jeff Malone: It's my favorite bimbo music.

[29:46] Richie Grasso: I love it.

[29:47] Jeff Malone: Literally, my friend Jeff was like, look at the recording symbol thing at the bottom.

[29:55] Richie Grasso: And it says bimbo ink.

[29:56] Jeff Malone: And I'm obsessed.

[29:57] Richie Grasso: Oh, really?

[29:57] Jeff Malone: I'm obsessed.

[29:58] Richie Grasso: So that word is used with.

[29:59] Jeff Malone: Okay, great.

[30:00] Richie Grasso: And last but not least, we have Emmy Scatterbrain.

[30:04] Jeff Malone: I'm a little on the fence about this one.

[30:05] Richie Grasso: I got to see.

[30:06] Jeff Malone: It's okay.

[30:07] Richie Grasso: It's like Ellie's song.

[30:09] Jeff Malone: I'm not saying I hate it.

[30:11] Richie Grasso: Yes.

[30:12] Jeff Malone: And there's Richie's choice.

[30:15] Richie Grasso: Richie's choices on pop music.

[30:16] Jeff Malone: You know, all these listeners know how I feel about pop and Broadway.

[30:21] Richie Grasso: So we're giving our opinions.

[30:24] Jeff Malone: Oh, my gosh.

[30:24] Richie Grasso: Wow, we're really out of time.

[30:25] Jeff Malone: We were rolling through so much today.

[30:27] Richie Grasso: I'm sorry.

[30:28] Jeff Malone: We talk so fast.

[30:29] Richie Grasso: There's so much to see and listen to right now, you know, and there's more to come.

[30:32] Jeff Malone: There's more to come every week.

[30:33] Richie Grasso: It's so hard picking to like what we want to actually talk about sometimes because there's so much and we love it, you know.

[30:40] Jeff Malone: Well, thank you all for listening.

[30:40] Richie Grasso: We hope you enjoyed this podcast.

[30:42] Jeff Malone: Please subscribe to our podcast on Spotify or Apple Music.

[30:44] Richie Grasso: Leave us a review if you love what you heard today.

[30:47] Jeff Malone: We also want you to join our conversation.

[30:48] Richie Grasso: Engage with us.

[30:49] Jeff Malone: Head over to our Instagram and TikTok at half hour podcast.

[30:52] Richie Grasso: Comment on the latest post about this podcast episode.

[30:54] Jeff Malone: We love to hear from you.

[30:55] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[30:56] Jeff Malone: So signing off for today.

[30:57] Richie Grasso: We're going to get ready.

[30:58] Jeff Malone: We have more stuff coming every Friday.

[30:59] Richie Grasso: Don't forget every Friday.

[31:01] Jeff Malone: Pop theater combo of all the things we're seeing and listening to.

[31:05] Richie Grasso: So signing off for now.

[31:06] Jeff Malone: Until next time, I'm Richie.

[31:07] Richie Grasso: And I'm Jeff.

[31:08] Jeff Malone: Tata.

[31:09] Richie Grasso: Bye.