Sibling rivalry takes the stage on Broadway; plus Randall Park's latest 'Blockbuster'

It's Been a Minute

NPR

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🗓️ 25 November 2022

⏱️ 31 minutes

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Summary

There's nothing like the holidays for family drama. And in today's episode, Brittany Luse sits down with two actors who portray a classic brother-against-brother dynamic in the Pulitzer-winning play Topdog/Underdog, which recently returned to Broadway. Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II talk sibling rivalries, the American dream and why their two-man show is not just an exploration of race.

Then Brittany goes fangirl on actor Randall Park, whose 2019 film Always Be My Maybe is a staple in her household. She and Park talk about his latest projects: the holiday-friendly Netflix sitcom Blockbuster and his forthcoming directorial debut. They also get into the challenges of making it big in Hollywood and his passion for all things creative.

You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenaMin or email us at [email protected].

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey hey, you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR.
0:03.8	I'm Brittany Loose.
0:07.8	For many, the holiday season brings more family time, and with that often comes the resurrection
0:13.7	of the sibling rivalry.
0:15.4	Though simmering resentment between siblings has inspired countless works of art, few hit
0:20.4	as close to the bone, as Susan Laurie Park's Pulitzer-winning play Top Dog Under Dog,
0:26.2	which recently returned to Broadway.
0:28.2	The play originally premiered on Broadway back in 2002 to staggering success, and now
0:33.8	it's having a renaissance, partially because of these two men.
0:37.9	Corey Hawkins and Yaya Abdul-Mateen II.
0:40.9	Yeah, that was all those years ago, and now here we are.
0:43.0	You know, all these years later on Broadway with it.
0:45.7	So it's a blessing.
0:46.7	It's been a dream of mine to get to rediscover this play and the way that we're doing it
0:51.3	that I think is just really special.
0:54.3	Top Dog Under Dog is a two-man show about two brothers.
0:57.7	Lincoln and Booth.
0:58.7	Yes, that is an illusion to Abraham Lincoln and his killer, John Wilkes Booth.
1:04.1	Lincoln, played by Corey Hawkins, has a job playing Abraham Lincoln in a local arcade game
1:09.2	every night, and every night he gets shot.
1:12.6	Lincoln is the older brother, and has this world-weary protectiveness to him.
1:17.0	And Booth, played by Yaya Abdul-Mateen II, is the younger brother.
	...

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