Critical Darling

Beaches (w/ Chris Crowthers)

Beaches is the new Broadway musical adaptation of Iris Rainer Dart's bestselling 1985 novel, which also inspired the beloved 1988 film starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. Tracing the decades-long friendship between aspiring performer C.C. Bloom and the more reserved Bertie White, the story follows the pair from childhood through love, ambition, heartbreak, and the many seasons of life that shape their bond. After previous stage incarnations in Arlington, Chicago, and Calgary, Beaches arrived on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre with a new creative team and a fresh musical adaptation centered more closely on Dart's original novel. Host Andrew Cole is joined by actor, fitness coach, and entrepreneur Chris Crowthers to unpack the production's Broadway debut and the emotional themes at the heart of the story. Directed by Lonny Price and Matt Cowart, the production stars Jessica Vosk as C.C. Bloom and Kelli Barrett as Bertie White. Together, Andrew and Chris discuss Vosk's star-making performance, the show's visual design, the challenges of adapting such an iconic film for the stage, and this moving meditation on friendship, chosen family, and the rare people who stay beside you through every chapter of life. ***** CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro / Welcome Chris Crowthers 8:09 Setting the Stage 9:39 Hot Takes 28:26 Big Feels 44:45 Should You See It? 51:34 Outro ***** ABOUT THE SHOW Visit the Website: https://beachesthemusical.com/ [https://beachesthemusical.com/] ***** GUEST HOST LOVE Follow Chris on IG: https://www.instagram.com/mrcrowthers/ [https://www.instagram.com/mrcrowthers/] Follow Project Weekend on IG: https://www.instagram.com/projectweekendny/ [https://www.instagram.com/projectweekendny/] Shop at Project Weekend: https://www.projectweekendny.com/ [https://www.projectweekendny.com/] ***** SUPPORT CRITICAL DARLING Spotify - Follow, Listen & Watch https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-spotify [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-spotify] YouTube - Subscribe & Watch https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-youtube [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-youtube] Apple Podcasts - Follow & Listen https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-apple [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-apple] Instagram - Follow & Connect https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-instagram [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-instagram] Amazon Music - Follow & Listen https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-amazon [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-amazon] TikTok - Follow & Connect https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-tiktok [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-tiktok]

Beetlejuice (w/ Shina Ann Morris-Fisher)

Beetlejuice is the musical adaptation of Tim Burton's 1988 cult classic film, which follows the recently deceased Maitlands as they attempt to haunt the new family living in their home with the help of the chaotic and unpredictable Beetlejuice. Featuring a score by Eddie Perfect and a book by Scott Brown and Anthony King, the show first opened on Broadway in 2019 before building a passionate fanbase through social media, its national tour, and a devoted younger theater audience. Blending supernatural comedy with emotional depth, the musical centers on Lydia Deetz, a grieving teenager searching for connection in a world that feels increasingly disconnected from her. Host Andrew Cole is joined by Broadway veteran Shina Ann Morris-Fisher to unpack the most recent Broadway engagement of Beetlejuice at the newly restored Palace Theatre. Directed by Alex Timbers, the production starred Justin Collette as Beetlejuice and Isabella Esler as Lydia Deetz. Together, Andrew and Shina discuss the show's inventive staging, standout performances, massive production numbers, and why Beetlejuice has become one of Broadway's modern cult favorites. ***** CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro / Welcome Shina Ann Morris-Fisher 15:56 Setting the Stage 17:32 Hot Takes 34:35 Big Feels 41:11 Should You See It? 44:05 Theatre Memes 45:59 Road to Schmigadoon! 48:32 Outro ***** ABOUT THE SHOW Learn More: https://beetlejuicebroadway.com/ [https://beetlejuicebroadway.com/] ***** GUEST HOST LOVE Follow Shina on IG: https://www.instagram.com/shinamorris/ [https://www.instagram.com/shinamorris/] ***** SUPPORT CRITICAL DARLING Spotify - Follow, Listen & Watch https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-spotify [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-spotify] YouTube - Subscribe & Watch https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-youtube [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-youtube] Apple Podcasts - Follow & Listen https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-apple [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-apple] Instagram - Follow & Connect https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-instagram [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-instagram] Amazon Music - Follow & Listen https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-amazon [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-amazon] TikTok - Follow & Connect https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-tiktok [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-tiktok]

Death of a Salesman (w/ Anna Pittman)

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman premiered on Broadway in 1949 and remains one of the defining works of American theater. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama follows aging salesman Willy Loman as he grapples with fading ambitions, financial pressure, and the increasingly elusive promise of the American Dream. Directed by Joe Mantello, the current Broadway revival stars Nathan Lane alongside Laurie Metcalf, Christopher Abbott, and Ben Ahlers, with scenic design by Chloe Lamford, lighting by Jack Knowles, and original music by Caroline Shaw. Host Andrew Cole is joined by longtime friend and guest host Anna Pittman to unpack this stark new production. Together they discuss Mantello's stripped-down staging, the standout performances from the cast, and why Death of a Salesman continues to feel so relevant decades after its debut, particularly in its exploration of ambition, identity, success, and the pressure to matter in modern American life. ***** CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro / Welcome Anna Pittman 11:19 Setting the Stage 12:48 Hot Takes 30:24 Big Feels 49:00 Should You See It? 52:19 Outro ***** GET TICKETS Death of a Salesman Website: https://salesmanbroadway.com/#ticket-info [https://salesmanbroadway.com/#ticket-info] ***** SUPPORT CRITICAL DARLING Spotify - Follow, Listen & Watch https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-spotify [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-spotify] YouTube - Subscribe & Watch https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-youtube [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-youtube] Apple Podcasts - Follow & Listen https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-apple [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-apple] Instagram - Follow & Connect https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-instagram [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-instagram] Amazon Music - Follow & Listen https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-amazon [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-amazon] TikTok - Follow & Connect https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-tiktok [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-tiktok]

Liberation (w/ Amanda Wheeler)

Liberation is a new play by Bess Wohl that examines the promises and contradictions of second-wave feminism through a dual-timeline narrative spanning the 1970s and the present day. Originally developed and produced by Roundabout Theatre Company, the play premiered Off-Broadway in early 2025 before transferring to Broadway in a production directed by Whitney White. Set largely in a community gymnasium in Ohio, the play follows a group of women participating in a consciousness-raising circle while a present-day narrator attempts to piece together the legacy—and limitations—of that movement. Host Andrew Cole is joined by guest host Amanda "Wheels" Wheeler for a wide-ranging conversation on the play's performances, staging, and thematic resonance. Together, they unpack the show's use of direct address, its shifting portrayal of memory and identity, and the ways it interrogates feminism across generations. The discussion also explores standout character dynamics, the play's handling of race and intersectionality, and how Liberation ultimately functions as both a reflection on progress and a call to action for audiences today. ***** CHAPTERS 0:00 - Intro / Setting the Stage 1:48 - Welcome Amanda Wheeler 10:14 - Hot Takes 25:56 - Big Feels 40:30 - Should You See It? 45:12 - Outro ***** LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHOW Liberation Website: https://liberationbway.com/ [https://liberationbway.com/] ***** GUEST HOST LOVE Visit Wheels' Website: https://www.amandawheeler.com/ [https://www.amandawheeler.com/] Connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/wheelssnacks [https://www.instagram.com/wheelssnacks] ***** SUPPORT CRITICAL DARLING Spotify - Follow, Listen & Watch https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-spotify [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-spotify] YouTube - Subscribe & Watch https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-youtube [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-youtube] Apple Podcasts - Follow & Listen https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-apple [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-apple] Instagram - Follow & Connect https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-instagram [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-instagram] Amazon Music - Follow & Listen https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-amazon [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-amazon] TikTok - Follow & Connect https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-tiktok [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-tiktok]

Dog Day Afternoon (w/ Joselyn Mujica)

Dog Day Afternoon is a new stage adaptation of the landmark 1975 film, itself based on a real-life 1972 bank robbery in Brooklyn that captured national attention. The story was first chronicled in a Life magazine article by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore before being adapted into the Oscar-winning screenplay by Frank Pierson. This Broadway production, written by Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by Rupert Goold, brings the chaotic hostage standoff to the stage with scenic design by David Korins. The cast is led by Jon Bernthal as Sonny, alongside Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Jessica Hecht, John Ortiz, and more, reexamining the bizarre and media-fueled spectacle through a theatrical lens. Host Andrew Cole is joined by guest co-host Joselyn Mujica to unpack this ambitious and often polarizing adaptation. They dive into standout performances, the striking set design, and the show's tonal inconsistencies, while also exploring the complexities of adapting true crime for the stage. The conversation digs into the play's handling of its central relationships, its shifting identity between drama and dark comedy, and the broader question of why this story is being told now. ***** CHAPTERS 0:00 - Intro / Welcome Joselyn Mujica 13:01 - Setting the Stage 15:16 - Hot Takes 35:27 - Big Feels 54:41 - Should You See It? 58:00 - Outro ***** SEE DOG DAY AFTERNOON Get Tickets: https://dogdayafternoon.com/tickets/ [https://dogdayafternoon.com/tickets/] ***** SUPPORT CRITICAL DARLING Spotify - Follow, Listen & Watch https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-spotify [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-spotify] YouTube - Subscribe & Watch https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-youtube [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-youtube] Apple Podcasts - Follow & Listen https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-apple [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-apple] Instagram - Follow & Connect https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-instagram [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-instagram] Amazon Music - Follow & Listen https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-amazon [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-amazon] TikTok - Follow & Connect https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-tiktok [https://tinyurl.com/critical-darling-tiktok]