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

Two Worlds Entertainment
  • 4.7 (53)
  • Performing Arts
  • Weekly

"Half Hour with Jeff & Richie" is the ultimate podcast for Broadway fans. With Jeff Malone & Richie Grasso as your lively hosts, prepare for a thrilling and intellectually engaging exploration of Broadway. This show is all about exclusive interviews with talent and creatives from the industry, captivating analysis of the plays and musicals we see, and a celebration of the artistry, dreams, and legends that define Broadway. Whether you're a seasoned theatre enthusiast, an aspiring artist, or simply someone who appreciates the power of storytelling, "Half Hour with Jeff & Richie" is your go-to companion. Join us on this exhilarating journey as we uncover the mesmerizing world of Broadway and delve into its rich themes that lie beyond the curtain.

  1. 10h ago

    In the Heights — Is City Center’s Gala Production Broadway Ready?

    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

  2. 5d ago

    Spotlight Series: Nikiya Mathis, Broadway’s First Tony-Winning Wig Designer

    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

  3. Oct 22

    Midnight — Todrick Hall Takes a Big Risk Off-Broadway

    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

  4. Oct 19

    Slam Frank — Two Hosts, Two Verdicts on Off-Broadway’s Most Divisive Musical

    In this episode of “Half Hour,” we discuss Slam Frank, the satirical musical now in its second Off-Broadway run at the Orpheum Theatre. Few shows split an audience like this one. Some people walk out, some call it a ten out of ten, and plenty leave unsure whether they were supposed to laugh at all. Whether you’re deciding if it’s for you or won’t make it downtown before the limited run ends, this conversation gives you the full picture. With music and lyrics by Andrew Fox and a book by Joel Sinensky, Slam Frank follows an ultra-progressive theater company staging The Diary of Anne Frank as an Afro-Latin hip-hop musical. We talk about the show-within-a-show framing, its satire of theater culture, how it compares to The Producers, and why we walked to the subway in silence before landing in two different places on it. We also get into Sam LaFrage’s direction, Esosa Oviasu’s choreography, a score that nods to Hamilton, the live camera work, and performances from Olivia Bernábe as Anne and Amelia Louise Barr as Margot. We close with whether this show belongs on Broadway or should build its home Off-Broadway. Loved it or hated it? Tell us why in the Spotify 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

  5. Oct 15

    Spotlight Series: Spencer Weber Waller on Broadway’s Monopolies and the Live Nation/Ticketmaster Fight

    Why does it feel like a few companies decide which shows we see and how much we pay to get in? On this Spotlight Series episode of “Half Hour,” we sit down with antitrust scholar Spencer Weber Waller, author of Power and Greed: Monopolies, Mergers, and Cartels on the American Stage, who spent years digging through the Shubert Archive, tucked in the attic of the Lyceum Theatre, to find out. Spencer shares what surprised him in those files, including records from the Justice Department’s monopoly case against the Shuberts, and explains antitrust law in plain English. We trace how the Theatrical Syndicate controlled bookings, how the Shubert brothers fought back, why vaudeville faded, and what this history means for today’s Live Nation/Ticketmaster case: break it up, or make it change its ways? Get Spencer’s book, Power and Greed: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1350578096 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

  6. Oct 1

    School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play — Denée Benton, Patina Miller, and the Race for Miss Ghana

    In this episode of "Half Hour," we take a deeper look at School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, Jocelyn Bioh's comedy now making its Broadway premiere with Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Set at Aburi Girls Boarding School in Ghana in 1986, the play follows Paulina, the school's queen bee, as she sets her sights on the Miss Ghana pageant. Then a pageant recruiter arrives and a new student from America changes the competition. We break down how the 80-minute play opens like a familiar teen rivalry and turns into something more serious, and how Bioh uses a single school cafeteria to explore colorism, class, beauty standards, and the reach of American pop culture. We also talk about Whitney White's direction, which reunites her with Bioh after Jaja's African Hair Braiding, the performances from Denée Benton, Jasmine Amy Rogers, Patina Miller, and Heather Alicia Simms, the costume, wig, hair, and makeup design, and the ending that stayed with us after we left the theater. We close with early Tony predictions and who we think should see it before the limited run ends. 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

  7. Sep 17

    Broadway and Off-Broadway Fall 2026 Preview — The New Plays, Musicals and Stars Worth Watching

    In this episode of "Half Hour," we take a deeper dive into the 2026 Broadway and Off-Broadway fall season, breaking down the plots, concepts, and productions behind the year's biggest new openings. We cover new plays like Downstate and Here There Are Blueberries, star revivals including Other Desert Cities, A Few Good Men, and Much Ado About Nothing, new musicals like Wanted and Galileo, and the wave of new Off-Broadway musicals opening this fall. We also flag which long-running Broadway hits are closing soon, so you know what to catch before it's gone. Follow and connect with all things @HalfHourPodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠. Share your thoughts on what shows you are excited for in the Spotify comments, and let us know what you would like us to cover next. 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

  8. Sep 10

    Paranormal Activity - A Deep Dive Into Broadway's New Horror Play

    In this episode of "Half Hour," we take a deeper dive into Paranormal Activity, an original story by Levi Holloway now playing at Broadway's August Wilson Theatre. Directed by Felix Barrett and starring Cher Álvarez and Travis A. Knight as Lou and James, the play uses the film franchise as a launchpad rather than a retelling, building its scares through illusion work, sound design, and staging rather than found footage. We cover the plot, the twist ending, the performances, and the show's chances heading into Tony season.  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

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4.7
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About

"Half Hour with Jeff & Richie" is the ultimate podcast for Broadway fans. With Jeff Malone & Richie Grasso as your lively hosts, prepare for a thrilling and intellectually engaging exploration of Broadway. This show is all about exclusive interviews with talent and creatives from the industry, captivating analysis of the plays and musicals we see, and a celebration of the artistry, dreams, and legends that define Broadway. Whether you're a seasoned theatre enthusiast, an aspiring artist, or simply someone who appreciates the power of storytelling, "Half Hour with Jeff & Richie" is your go-to companion. Join us on this exhilarating journey as we uncover the mesmerizing world of Broadway and delve into its rich themes that lie beyond the curtain.

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