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[0:01] Joel Crump: What's up, everybody? It's time for another episode of The Weekly Dose of Joel, and I am your host, Joel Crump, back with more Broadway news, history, and more exciting interviews.

[0:11] Joel Crump: This week we have another thrilling questions and character, and I'm very excited to be chatting with screen stars who are now taking center stage on and off Broadway.

[0:20] Joel Crump: I'm excited to welcome Jonathan Groff, Constance Wu, and Tituss Burgess. I don't want to keep you waiting any longer, so let's get started on your Weekly Dose of Joel.

[0:30] Joel Crump: Broadway Buzz.

[0:34] Joel Crump: This week we have some very exciting Broadway buzz across the board, so let's get started with a show announcement.

[0:41] Joel Crump: It was announced that Shaina Tubbs' Suffs has set a 2024 Broadway bow at the Music Box Theater. Opening night is April 18, 2024, but the first preview date has not been announced yet.

[0:54] Joel Crump: This show also has some incredible Broadway producers, including Hillary Clinton and Malala as co-producers.

[1:02] Joel Crump: The musical examines the suffragist and forgotten woman who worked against divide and oppression as part of the fight for the right to vote.

[1:11] Joel Crump: Set in the years leading up to the 19th Amendment, the musical explores the movement's victories and failures.

[1:18] Joel Crump: Suffs played a multi-times extended world premiere off-Broadway at the Public Theater in 2022, with Tubbs starring as Alice Paul.

[1:28] Joel Crump: Which I think is really incredible when the writers of this show get to play in this show too, kind of like what Lin-Manuel Miranda does.

[1:35] Joel Crump: So maybe she'll do it again on Broadway, but Suffs is coming to Broadway this season.

[1:40] Joel Crump: In other Broadway news, it was announced that Tony nominee Josh Groban and Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford have set their final performance date in the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

[1:53] Joel Crump: The pair will complete a 46-week run in the musical on January 14, 2024 at the Lunt-Fontaine Theater.

[2:01] Joel Crump: This pair was absolutely incredible in the show, and if you haven't seen them yet, I don't know what you're waiting for.

[2:08] Joel Crump: And if you missed last week's episode of The Weekly Dose of Joel, or if you haven't checked out The Weekly Dose of Joel Instagram, which you should follow, we are giving a pair of tickets to Sweeney Todd on Broadway.

[2:20] Joel Crump: So make sure you enter that giveaway so you have a chance to see this duo before they leave.

[2:25] Joel Crump: Since this is Broadway buzz, I have to talk about what's been rumbling online.

[2:30] Joel Crump: And I've heard that Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster will be replacing Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford in Sweeney Todd on Broadway, which if they do, I would absolutely love.

[2:42] Joel Crump: I love Aaron Tveit. I love Sutton Foster.

[2:44] Joel Crump: I've interviewed the both of them. Actually, I interviewed the both of them on the Tony Awards, the 2022 Tony Award red carpet.

[2:51] Joel Crump: And I would just love to see the both of them in Sweeney Todd on Broadway.

[2:55] Joel Crump: I feel like Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster would both crush those roles.

[2:59] Joel Crump: It's such a great show. And I mean, it's one of Stephen Sondheim's best shows.

[3:04] Joel Crump: It's one of my favorite musicals for sure.

[3:06] Joel Crump: So I can't wait to see who will be replacing them.

[3:09] Joel Crump: And I don't know. Maybe it will be Sutton Foster and Aaron Tveit.

[3:13] Joel Crump: Another cool piece of Broadway news this week is that it was announced that the Tony Award winning musical Hadestown would be formally added to the Library of Congress collections in Washington, D.C.

[3:26] Joel Crump: So to celebrate the show's ongoing success on Broadway and across the country and cemented the production's place in American cultural canon, Tony Award winning composer Anais Mitchell will donate an assortment of artifacts that represent several iterations of the development of the show all the way up to its Broadway premiere.

[3:46] Joel Crump: This is so incredible for Hadestown because it's such a beloved musical to American culture.

[3:51] Joel Crump: So bringing it to one of the most important libraries is so, so cool to me.

[3:55] Joel Crump: And I just love it when we make Broadway more accessible and bring it to people who aren't in New York and who aren't seeing the touring productions.

[4:03] Joel Crump: So it's super cool that it's now in the Library of Congress.

[4:06] Joel Crump: Congratulations, Hadestown on Broadway.

[4:10] Joel Crump: Broadway History.

[4:12] Joel Crump: Before I tell you about this week's Broadway History, let me just say I love this segment of the show because it's so fun to, you know, like dig deep and research different things for Broadway History.

[4:22] Joel Crump: But to start off, let's go over Broadway birthdays this week.

[4:25] Joel Crump: I am telling you all of my favorites and some of the people I've interviewed birthdays this week.

[4:30] Joel Crump: Happy birthday to Gavin Lee, Drew Galig, Arthur Miller, Susan Stroman, George C. Wolfe, and Jennifer Holliday.

[4:38] Joel Crump: And you, and you, and you, y'all gonna love me.

[4:44] Joel Crump: For this week's Broadway History, I'm bringing you back to 1913 when Broadway's Booth Theater opened on October 16, 1913.

[4:55] Joel Crump: The theater opened just a few weeks after its larger sister, the Schubert Theater, opened.

[5:00] Joel Crump: This theater is right at the entrance of Broadway's Schubert Alley, the wonderful Schubert Alley, where you can see all of the Broadway posters.

[5:08] Joel Crump: And it's just truly a magical space.

[5:10] Joel Crump: And the theater size is 780 seats, which is really cool for Broadway because it's a very intimate space and has long been prized for as an ideal size and location to house dramas and comedies.

[5:23] Joel Crump: It has been home to a few notable shows, including two Pulitzer Prize winning musicals, Sunday in the Park with George and Next to Normal.

[5:32] Joel Crump: Named for Edwin Booth, the actor brother of presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth, yes, the man who shot Abraham Lincoln, a strong believer in the virtues of small playhouses.

[5:45] Joel Crump: It is currently the home to the Tony Award winning best musical, Kimberly Akimbo, which stars Tony Award winner Victoria Clark.

[5:53] Joel Crump: This show is so emotional and hilarious at the same time.

[5:56] Joel Crump: And the Booth Theater is definitely one to visit, especially since it has a great show in it right now.

[6:02] Joel Crump: Personally, I've been to the Booth Theater two times.

[6:05] Joel Crump: The first time I went there was when I saw Freestyle Love Supreme.

[6:08] Joel Crump: And I saw that show right as the pandemic was kind of ending and we were all going back to theater.

[6:14] Joel Crump: And it was kind of an interesting time where we were all masking up and all the things.

[6:18] Joel Crump: And it was really cool being in that small house and seeing Freestyle Love Supreme.

[6:22] Joel Crump: And the second time I went was when I saw Kimberly Akimbo, of course.

[6:26] Joel Crump: And what's really cool is that when I saw Kimberly Akimbo, the wonderful actress, Tony Award winner Victoria Clark took me backstage.

[6:33] Joel Crump: So I went backstage at the Booth Theater.

[6:35] Joel Crump: And as tiny as the theater is, it's as tiny backstage.

[6:39] Joel Crump: But it was really cool to see what it was like back there and being able to see the dressing rooms.

[6:44] Joel Crump: And I don't know. I just love Kimberly Akimbo.

[6:47] Joel Crump: And I love this theater.

[6:49] Joel Crump: That's all the Broadway history for this week.

[6:52] Joel Crump: I want to know, what is your favorite Broadway theater?

[6:55] Joel Crump: The Booth Theater is definitely one of my favorite Broadway theaters.

[6:58] Joel Crump: And I also really, really, really, really love the Palace Theater.

[7:01] Joel Crump: Because that's where I saw SpongeBob the Musical, which truly changed my life.

[7:05] Joel Crump: Made me fall in love with Broadway.

[7:07] Joel Crump: And I also like the Jacobs Theater.

[7:09] Joel Crump: Because like the Booth Theater, it's a smaller space.

[7:12] Joel Crump: And it's housed some of my favorite shows, including Parade, Company, and The Color Purple.

[7:18] Joel Crump: But that's all the Broadway history I have for you this week.

[7:21] Joel Crump: And I think you know what time it is.

[7:23] Joel Crump: It's time for some interviews!

[7:26] Joel Crump: It's time for some interviews.

[7:28] Joel Crump: I feel like for the past couple of weeks, every time it's time for interviews, I say, I'm so excited for you all to hear interviews with these incredible actors.

[7:33] Joel Crump: But, I mean, it's so true every week.

[7:39] Joel Crump: I have the best guests ever on this show.

[7:42] Joel Crump: And this week, I'm bringing you screen stars who are now on stage.

[7:47] Joel Crump: So, let's get started.

[7:49] Joel Crump: To start, I'm welcoming Constance Wu.

[7:51] Joel Crump: You've probably seen her in Crazy Rich Asians or the movie Hustlers.

[7:55] Joel Crump: And she's been in one of my favorite TV shows, Fresh Off the Boat.

[7:59] Joel Crump: And now you can see her on stage.

[8:00] Joel Crump: So here is my chat with Constance Wu.

[8:30] Constance Wu: as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors.

[9:00] Constance Wu: as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors.

[9:20] Constance Wu: as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors.

[9:37] Joel Crump: You may remember at the beginning of the episode, I told you guys that Questions in Character is going to be a permanent segment on the show. And I mean, I just love asking these Broadway actors a couple of questions in character. And this week, I'm here with Tituss Burgess who is playing Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! The Musical. I interviewed him yesterday, and we had the best time answering these questions. So here is my interview with Tituss Burgess, aka Harold Zidler.

[10:06] Tituss Burgess: So to start off, I want to know, do you know this actor, his name is Tituss Burgess?

[10:11] Joel Crump: Tituss Burgess, let's see, I've not heard of him, no.

[10:16] Tituss Burgess: No, not at all.

[10:17] Joel Crump: No, not at all. So then, who is your favorite actor? I have to know.

[10:21] Tituss Burgess: Oh, we have a wonderful actress, her name is Satine. You should check her out.

[10:27] Joel Crump: Yeah, and tell me about Satine, are you a big fan?

[10:30] Tituss Burgess: Oh, Satine is the greatest courtesan in all of Paris. You'd love her, you must come see her.

[10:36] Joel Crump: Yeah, so what is the scariest thing about being in the Moulin Rouge?

[10:41] Tituss Burgess: Oh, there's nothing scary at all. That is if you're willing to risk coming.

[10:46] Joel Crump: And I don't know, if you could kick any person out of the Moulin Rouge, who would it be and why?

[10:51] Tituss Burgess: Lautrec, because he owes me money.

[10:53] Joel Crump: There you go, you guys. Thank you so much, Harold.

[10:55] Tituss Burgess: You're welcome, friend.

[10:57] Joel Crump: Clearly, Lautrec needs to pay Mr. Ziddler back soon. Tituss is so incredible, and I cannot wait to see him in this Broadway show. For my last interview, I'm chatting with one of my favorite theater and screen actors. You've obviously seen him as King George in Hamilton, and you probably didn't know that he is the voice of Kristoff in the Frozen franchise. I interviewed Jonathan Groff at the 1,000th performance of Little Shop of Horrors as he originated the role of Seymour off-Broadway in this revival. He is currently in Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway, so here is my chat with Jonathan Groff.

[11:33] Jonathan Groff: Hey, you guys. I'm here with Jonathan Groff, and you originated the role of Seymour in this off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors. 1,000 performances. Tell me, how does it feel to be back seeing the show and celebrating 1,000 performances?

[11:46] Jonathan Groff: Oh, my gosh. I didn't see the show today because we had a matinee of Merrily.

[11:50] Joel Crump: Merrily, yeah.

[11:51] Jonathan Groff: I'm just here to celebrate this amazing production, these new cast members, the legacy of this incredible show which started in the 1980s, and then we brought it back off-Broadway to the West Side Theater in 2019. I think it's a real testament to the brilliance of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, and to the producers of this version, and to Michael Mayer for having the brilliant idea to bring it back to New York off-Broadway exclusively.

[12:21] Jonathan Groff: It's brilliant.

[12:22] Joel Crump: Back to its roots.

[12:23] Jonathan Groff: Yes. And it's such an intimate, special show, and I feel lucky just to have been a part of it for the months that I was there, and it's amazing to be celebrating with everybody tonight. His production is bringing Little Shop to a new generation, including myself.

[12:37] Joel Crump: Yeah. Tell me, what does that mean to you to bring this show to a new generation?

[12:42] Jonathan Groff: It's amazing. I remember watching the VHS that I had of Little Shop when I was in, like, 7th or 8th grade, and singing, "Someone show me a way to get out of here" in Pennsylvania.

[12:55] Joel Crump: Yeah.

[12:56] Jonathan Groff: Feeling like, I mean, Howard Ashman wrote to my, like, soul. In 8th grade. I gotta get out of here. And I love it there. I mean, I love Pennsylvania. But, yeah, that idea of, like, there's a life beyond where you're from, I mean, hit me when I was 12 years old.

[13:14] Joel Crump: Yeah.

[13:15] Jonathan Groff: And I think this show is timeless. I think this show is Shakespearean.

[13:19] Joel Crump: Yeah.

[13:20] Jonathan Groff: And it's, the message is more relevant now than ever, and it's a great work of art because every time you see it, it feels relevant.

[13:32] Joel Crump: Yeah, truly. What is it like playing Franklin Shepard in Merrily Roll Along at the Hudson Theater? What has that been like for you?

[13:37] Jonathan Groff: It's been a total another, it's yet another musical theater dream.

[13:43] Joel Crump: Yeah.

[13:44] Jonathan Groff: Between Little Shop and Merrily, I'm really just feeling so lucky to get to be a part of these productions, and as a huge theater nerd, getting to play these parts, it's like, it's truly my dream come true in life.

[13:58] Joel Crump: Yeah. The last thing I want to know is if you could take any food and chuck it into Audrey II, just get rid of it completely, what would it be and why?

[14:10] Jonathan Groff: This is a hard one, I'm sorry, this is a hard one. Any food.

[14:15] Joel Crump: Any food.

[14:17] Jonathan Groff: I love all food.

[14:18] Joel Crump: You love all food? Is that crazy?

[14:20] Jonathan Groff: I don't mean to do a cop out. Wait, wait, wait, but can I tell you what the most said thing was tonight?

[14:23] Joel Crump: Yeah.

[14:24] Jonathan Groff: Anchovies.

[14:25] Joel Crump: What are your thoughts?

[14:26] Jonathan Groff: I love anchovies.

[14:27] Joel Crump: No, I would never put them in Audrey II.

[14:28] Jonathan Groff: No.

[14:29] Joel Crump: No. Especially on like a Caesar salad.

[14:31] Jonathan Groff: Well, you know what? Somebody said, let's get them out of Caesar salad.

[14:35] Joel Crump: So.

[14:36] Jonathan Groff: Not for me.

[14:37] Joel Crump: Not for you.

[14:38] Jonathan Groff: I love them in a Caesar salad, yeah.

[14:39] Joel Crump: Yes, thank you so much, Jonathan.

[14:40] Jonathan Groff: Thank you.

[14:41] Joel Crump: I'm so sorry, Jonathan, but I have to agree with the three other people that said no anchovies. Whenever we go out for Italian, my mom wants to throw in those anchovies to the Caesar salad, and I'm just like slowly picking them out because they're disgusting, in my opinion. But this episode of the Weekly Dose of Joel reminds me why I am so grateful and blessed to have the opportunities that I have. These stars are people I have loved for so long, and to be able to chat with them is just truly mind-blowing. Thank you for listening to another episode of the Weekly Dose of Joel podcast. I'm having the best time giving you Broadway news, Broadway history, and Broadway interviews. This is just a reminder that you have one more week, one more week, to enter this week's giveaway for a pair of tickets to Sweeney Todd on Broadway starring Josh Groban, Annaleigh Ashford, and Gaeta Matarazzo.

Next week we have a very exquisitely emerald episode celebrating Wicked on Broadway's 20th anniversary. You won't want to miss it, and I'm not going to spill my guests yet, but if you know me, I'm sure you can guess who one of them will be. If you know, you know. And there's going to be an incredible giveaway tied to it all. That's all for this week, folks. I will see you next week for another Weekly Dose of Joel.