Something special about this new Broadway show compels people to stand

August 20, 2015

WRITER

Glenn doesn't often go around praising Broadway shows - not since Spider-Man came out anyway. After recently attending a special pre-showing for Amazing Grace, Glenn had more than a little praise for the new musical.

"I don't promote things and really stand on them if it's just because, hey, this is a message and we should support this message. No, the message needs to be done right," Glenn said.

Glenn described Amazing Grace as a story about slavery in colonial times, told accurately, in a really entertaining and compelling way, and how one man was changed and then began to change the world. It's also about God, Glenn added.

Chuck Cooper as Thomas & Josh Young as John Newton in Amazing Grace. Photo by Joan Marcus (Broadway.com).

After watching it a month and a half ago, Glenn predicted the show would be criticized harshly by the press, and sure enough, that's what's happening.

"They actually had a little hope that that wouldn't happen. Because before it went to Broadway, it was in Chicago, and it got great reviews. Well, The New York Times and Variety and everybody else came out and just slaughtered this show."

Despite the harsh reviews, Glenn said he couldn't recommend the show highly enough.

"There is something special about this," Glenn said. "While the song was going on - it was the finale, but it wasn't like the point you clap - everybody stood up. We all just felt compelled to stand. There's something happening with this show."

He went on.

"If every American could see this show, you wouldn't be having people say black lives matter. And you can't dare say white lives don't -- or, white lives do. You know, all lives matter."

If you're anywhere near New York City and would like to attend Amazing Grace, tickets are available here.

Listen to the segment below.

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.

GLENN: I want to tell you that if you are anywhere in the New York area or planning to go to New York in the next six months, you need to see a show called Amazing Grace. We saw it in rehearsals before it opened up on Broadway. And, Pat, you thought it was really good.

PAT: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

GLENN: I saw it in a preview, before it opened up. I saw it finished. And I'm telling you, it is Les Miserables quality. The story is Les Miserables quality. The singing and acting is off the charts. These guys are top, top people. And what's amazing about this is, this is the story of how the song Amazing Grace was written. If you know the story, it is so compelling to see it actually on Broadway. You can't believe you're sitting in a Broadway -- New York City Broadway theater. Because you go to Broadway, and you can see all kinds of stuff that is degenerate. It is anything that is -- just about anything that you see on Broadway today is tearing our culture, our traditional culture apart.

Now, here's what's happened. Because this is so unbelievably -- it's the story of slavery. It is the story of how one man was changed and then began to change the world. And it -- so it's slavery, black and white. And it's about God. I said before when it was -- before I even saw any of it, I said, you know you're going to get panned by the New York Times and everyone else. No matter how good it is, you're going to get slaughtered in the press. And they actually had a little hope that that wouldn't happen. Because before it went to Broadway, it was in Chicago, and it got great reviews. Well, the New York Times and Variety and everybody else came out and just slaughtered this show. I left the show -- and this is about a month and a half ago. And I wrote a review of it. I can't recommend this highly enough.

When I heard -- and Pat was there, we saw them do in rehearsal, we saw them do Amazing Grace, they just sat at the edge of the stage and sang it. I saw the full two and a half hour show, and the finale is Amazing Grace. And I heard that when it was in Chicago, people started just standing up during Amazing Grace. The whole audience just stood up. I will tell you that I was there, yeah, yeah, I'm sure. I was there, it compels you to stand up. When they begin to sing it, about halfway that song, the entire audience is in tears, and they're all just standing. It's not -- it's not an applause thing. It's just like, I have to stand.

It's truly remarkable. Truly remarkable. We have the guy who actually wrote it and wrote the music, Chris Smith is with us on the phone now. And I want to tell you something special because there's a clause in the contract that they're doing that is -- that has put this show in even more jeopardy than just the New York Times trashing it.

Chris, are you there?

CHRIS: Hello. How are you doing, guys?

GLENN: Very good.

So tell me, Chris, what's in the contract that can get you guys shut down?

CHRIS: Well, it's not that anybody is looking to shut us down right now. But what happens, in any theater, you have to make it through a certain amount of tickets to get through the next month or week or whatever it is. So basically what we have to do is we have to get out there and people really have to demand this kind of entertainment having a place on Broadway.

GLENN: Okay. Hang on just a second. Because it's not a problem -- I was there, it was sold out. It's not a problem with selling tickets. You have to sell them this week and next week to make it to Christmas, right?

CHRIS: We have to do this week and next week to make it to anywhere. But that's always been the case. I mean, that's every show. The problem is that August is so tough because nobody is around. You just have to get the word out. And, you know, that's why I appreciate you having me on because we just really need to let people know that now is the time to come and say, this is what we want. This is what we want to see on Broadway. And bring a friend. Bring a relative. Bring a stranger.

GLENN: You will not believe -- there were people in the crowd that I -- I saw it -- probably like a Harlem church or something was there, and it's me and my family. And I'm telling you, we walked out, and all of us were hugging at the end. That doesn't happen in New York. There is something special about this show that you will not feel. And you will not see this in any other show on Broadway. You just won't.

So can you -- go ahead.

CHRIS: Sorry. Go ahead.

No, every night somebody comes up to me and they say, you know, I've gone to the theater for however many decades. And I've never seen an audience connect with a cast like in this. So there's something going on at the Nederlander Theatre that really can't be explained. And just as you said, it's just an amazing thing.

GLENN: As you -- if you're a regular listener of mine, you know that I don't like -- I don't promote things and really stand on them if it's just because, hey, this is a message and we should support this message. No, the message needs to be done right. And I'll support the message when the message is done right. I'm not going to support something that is just crap, even if the message is good. This is an unbelievable message. This is -- there is something magical that happens in this theater every night. And on top of it, this is a tremendous production. Just really, really good.

You want to tell the story real quick?

CHRIS: Well, basically it's the story of John Newton who was a slave trader in the 1700s. He was an atheist. And he was just a miserable person. Man of the world. And he, in the midst of being a slave trader, actually was enslaved himself. And actually got just a little taste of what he was actually doing to other human beings. And on a voyage back from Africa, he was caught in a hurricane and had a really -- he had to really come face-to-face what he had done and eternity. And it changed him. And not only did it change him and his relationships and his choices, but it actually influenced our world down to today. Because he was instrumental in blowing the lid off the slave trade. He did it from the inside. He was one of the world's first whistle-blowers. And he said, this is what we're really doing. This is what this empire really is. I was a part of it. We have to stop this. So it really does affect history.

GLENN: Yeah, and it's not politically correct at all. I mean, at one point -- he is captured as a slave by the black African queen.

CHRIS: And that's true. That actually happened.

GLENN: Yeah. It shows black and whites were both in on this. And blacks and whites were both enslaved. And it's the ugly truth all the way. And one of the reasons I think why people are panning this is because it doesn't -- it just says what it is. It just says this was evil. And it doesn't play into anybody's agenda except the truth. And it is something that I saw with the kids and my 9-year-old daughter at the very beginning was a little afraid. But she walked out absolutely loving it. My son loved it. My older kids loved it. We loved it as a family. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Buy your tickets now. Go to AmazingGraceMusical.com. That's AmazingGraceMusical.com. Buy a ticket from their portal at that website.

Can they buy a ticket -- do they have to buy it for the next two weeks, or can they buy it for upcoming?

CHRIS: No. You can buy for -- the only reason we're pushing the next two weeks is just because August is so important. Every ticket that's sold in the next two weeks really speaks -- it speaks for the industry. It speaks for the cast and to us, and we really appreciate it.

GLENN: Thank you very much, Chris. I really appreciate it. God bless.

CHRIS: Thank you, Glenn.

GLENN: You bet. You bet.

PAT: Good luck. I haven't heard you stand on a musical since Spider-Man probably.

GLENN: And I see musicals all the time. I see Broadway shows all the time.

PAT: Did you like this better than Spider-Man?

GLENN: Yeah.

PAT: Better than Spider-Man?

GLENN: Spider-Man I really liked because as you guys know, I said the show had problems, but for what they were doing, they broke all kinds of ground. You know what I mean?

PAT: Uh-huh.

GLENN: So I liked it for the bravery. Not only for the bravery, but also for the show itself. But I really liked it and respected it because they had balls. These guys do as well.

I mean, when you read the reviews, it's like, how can white people possibly tell the story of slavery? It's that kind of review that they're getting. And it's sickening. One of the guys who plays the -- the older father's personal slave who is enslaved with John Newton. This guy is -- he'll remind you of James Earl Jones. And I heard that from the audience -- somebody said, I thought that was James Earl Jones when he was came out. He's like a young James Earl Jones. This is just top quality all the way along, American history -- well, colonial history. Told accurately, in a really entertaining and compelling way. And I will tell you, I have -- there is something special about this. I have never felt like -- I've never -- I've never been like this. While the song was going on -- it was the finale. But it wasn't like the point you clap, everybody stood up. We all just felt compelled to stand. There's something happening with this -- with this show. I mean, if every American could see this show, you would -- you wouldn't be having people say black lives matter. And you can't dare say white lives don't -- or, white lives do. You know, all lives matter. You don't dare say all lives matter. It's black lives matter. We would have an end to that conversation. Literally.

I was crying. The woman sitting right behind me on the aisle was crying. And as I walked out, she looked at me, I don't have any idea if she knows who I was, but she just looked at me and she just opened up her arms at me. And I walked and she hugged me and I hugged her. I mean, it's that powerful. It's that powerful.

STU: Can you opt out of the hugs with random people in the audience? Is that possible?

GLENN: You can. No one will threaten you with a hug.

STU: Okay. Good. I'm in.

GLENN: You and Pat. That would make you wildly uncomfortable, wouldn't it?

PAT: Possibly.

GLENN: I just think I scream huggable. I think the ladies know: huggable.

PAT: That's it.

STU: Oh, my gosh, the entire media noticed it. MSNBC is talking about it.

GLENN: They're like, Glenn Beck, there's one thing about him, huggable. Huggable.

PAT: How many times have we seen that? Too many.

STU: Oh, gosh.

GLENN: I think people hug me because they're like, it doesn't look like he has any bones in that body. I think he's like Flubber. I think he's like Jell-O. I think -- just, he's the Pillsbury Doughboy.

STU: I will say, when we're in New York, I hear a lot of people yelling, hug you, at you. And I was like, why are they doing that? That's weird.

GLENN: Is that what they're saying? That makes me feel better.

STU: I think so.

JEFFY: Are you sure that's hug?

STU: Pretty sure. It sounds like it.

What our response to Israel reveals about us

JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Contributor | Getty Images

I have been honored to receive the Defender of Israel Award from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The Jerusalem Post recently named me one of the strongest Christian voices in support of Israel.

And yet, my support is not blind loyalty. It’s not a rubber stamp for any government or policy. I support Israel because I believe it is my duty — first as a Christian, but even if I weren’t a believer, I would still support her as a man of reason, morality, and common sense.

Because faith isn’t required to understand this: Israel’s existence is not just about one nation’s survival — it is about the survival of Western civilization itself.

It is a lone beacon of shared values in the Middle East. It is a bulwark standing against radical Islam — the same evil that seeks to dismantle our own nation from within.

And my support is not rooted in politics. It is rooted in something simpler and older than politics: a people’s moral and historical right to their homeland, and their right to live in peace.

Israel has that right — and the right to defend herself against those who openly, repeatedly vow her destruction.

Let’s make it personal: if someone told me again and again that they wanted to kill me and my entire family — and then acted on that threat — would I not defend myself? Wouldn’t you? If Hamas were Canada, and we were Israel, and they did to us what Hamas has done to them, there wouldn’t be a single building left standing north of our border. That’s not a question of morality.

That’s just the truth. All people — every people — have a God-given right to protect themselves. And Israel is doing exactly that.

My support for Israel’s right to finish the fight against Hamas comes after eighty years of rejected peace offers and failed two-state solutions. Hamas has never hidden its mission — the eradication of Israel. That’s not a political disagreement.

That’s not a land dispute. That is an annihilationist ideology. And while I do not believe this is America’s war to fight, I do believe — with every fiber of my being — that it is Israel’s right, and moral duty, to defend her people.

Criticism of military tactics is fair. That’s not antisemitism. But denying Israel’s right to exist, or excusing — even celebrating — the barbarity of Hamas? That’s something far darker.

We saw it on October 7th — the face of evil itself. Women and children slaughtered. Babies burned alive. Innocent people raped and dragged through the streets. And now, to see our own fellow citizens march in defense of that evil… that is nothing short of a moral collapse.

If the chants in our streets were, “Hamas, return the hostages — Israel, stop the bombing,” we could have a conversation.

But that’s not what we hear.

What we hear is open sympathy for genocidal hatred. And that is a chasm — not just from decency, but from humanity itself. And here lies the danger: that same hatred is taking root here — in Dearborn, in London, in Paris — not as horror, but as heroism. If we are not vigilant, the enemy Israel faces today will be the enemy the free world faces tomorrow.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about truth. It’s about the courage to call evil by its name and to say “Never again” — and mean it.

And you don’t have to open a Bible to understand this. But if you do — if you are a believer — then this issue cuts even deeper. Because the question becomes: what did God promise, and does He keep His word?

He told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.” He promised to make Abraham the father of many nations and to give him “the whole land of Canaan.” And though Abraham had other sons, God reaffirmed that promise through Isaac. And then again through Isaac’s son, Jacob — Israel — saying: “The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I give to you and to your descendants after you.”

That’s an everlasting promise.

And from those descendants came a child — born in Bethlehem — who claimed to be the Savior of the world. Jesus never rejected His title as “son of David,” the great King of Israel.

He said plainly that He came “for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And when He returns, Scripture says He will return as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” And where do you think He will go? Back to His homeland — Israel.

Tamir Kalifa / Stringer | Getty Images

And what will He find when He gets there? His brothers — or his brothers’ enemies? Will the roads where He once walked be preserved? Or will they lie in rubble, as Gaza does today? If what He finds looks like the aftermath of October 7th, then tell me — what will be my defense as a Christian?

Some Christians argue that God’s promises to Israel have been transferred exclusively to the Church. I don’t believe that. But even if you do, then ask yourself this: if we’ve inherited the promises, do we not also inherit the land? Can we claim the birthright and then, like Esau, treat it as worthless when the world tries to steal it?

So, when terrorists come to slaughter Israelis simply for living in the land promised to Abraham, will we stand by? Or will we step forward — into the line of fire — and say,

“Take me instead”?

Because this is not just about Israel’s right to exist.

It’s about whether we still know the difference between good and evil.

It’s about whether we still have the courage to stand where God stands.

And if we cannot — if we will not — then maybe the question isn’t whether Israel will survive. Maybe the question is whether we will.

America’s moral erosion: How we were conditioned to accept the unthinkable

MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND / Contributor | Getty Images

Every time we look away from lawlessness, we tell the next mob it can go a little further.

Chicago, Portland, and other American cities are showing us what happens when the rule of law breaks down. These cities have become openly lawless — and that’s not hyperbole.

When a governor declares she doesn’t believe federal agents about a credible threat to their lives, when Chicago orders its police not to assist federal officers, and when cartels print wanted posters offering bounties for the deaths of U.S. immigration agents, you’re looking at a country flirting with anarchy.

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic.

This isn’t a matter of partisan politics. The struggle we’re watching now is not between Democrats and Republicans. It’s between good and evil, right and wrong, self‑government and chaos.

Moral erosion

For generations, Americans have inherited a republic based on law, liberty, and moral responsibility. That legacy is now under assault by extremists who openly seek to collapse the system and replace it with something darker.

Antifa, well‑financed by the left, isn’t an isolated fringe any more than Occupy Wall Street was. As with Occupy, big money and global interests are quietly aligned with “anti‑establishment” radicals. The goal is disruption, not reform.

And they’ve learned how to condition us. Twenty‑five years ago, few Americans would have supported drag shows in elementary schools, biological males in women’s sports, forced vaccinations, or government partnerships with mega‑corporations to decide which businesses live or die. Few would have tolerated cartels threatening federal agents or tolerated mobs doxxing political opponents. Yet today, many shrug — or cheer.

How did we get here? What evidence convinced so many people to reverse themselves on fundamental questions of morality, liberty, and law? Those long laboring to disrupt our republic have sought to condition people to believe that the ends justify the means.

Promoting “tolerance” justifies women losing to biological men in sports. “Compassion” justifies harboring illegal immigrants, even violent criminals. Whatever deluded ideals Antifa espouses is supposed to somehow justify targeting federal agents and overturning the rule of law. Our culture has been conditioned for this moment.

The buck stops with us

That’s why the debate over using troops to restore order in American cities matters so much. I’ve never supported soldiers executing civilian law, and I still don’t. But we need to speak honestly about what the Constitution allows and why. The Posse Comitatus Act sharply limits the use of the military for domestic policing. The Insurrection Act, however, exists for rare emergencies — when federal law truly can’t be enforced by ordinary means and when mobs, cartels, or coordinated violence block the courts.

Even then, the Constitution demands limits: a public proclamation ordering offenders to disperse, transparency about the mission, a narrow scope, temporary duration, and judicial oversight.

Soldiers fight wars. Cops enforce laws. We blur that line at our peril.

But we also cannot allow intimidation of federal officers or tolerate local officials who openly obstruct federal enforcement. Both extremes — lawlessness on one side and militarization on the other — endanger the republic.

The only way out is the Constitution itself. Protect civil liberty. Enforce the rule of law. Demand transparency. Reject the temptation to justify any tactic because “our side” is winning. We’ve already seen how fear after 9/11 led to the Patriot Act and years of surveillance.

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic. The left cannot be allowed to shut down enforcement, and the right cannot be allowed to abandon constitutional restraint.

The real threat to the republic isn’t just the mobs or the cartels. It’s us — citizens who stop caring about truth and constitutional limits. Anything can be justified when fear takes over. Everything collapses when enough people decide “the ends justify the means.”

We must choose differently. Uphold the rule of law. Guard civil liberties. And remember that the only way to preserve a government of, by, and for the people is to act like the people still want it.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Stand with Voddie Baucham’s family in this time of loss

In the quiet aftermath of a profound loss, the Christian community mourns the unexpected passing of Dr. Voddie Baucham, a towering figure in evangelical circles. Known for his defense of biblical truth, Baucham, a pastor, author, and theologian, left a legacy on family, faith, and opposing "woke" ideologies in the church. His book Fault Lines challenged believers to prioritize Scripture over cultural trends. Glenn had Voddie on the show several times, where they discussed progressive influences in Christianity, debunked myths of “Christian nationalism,” and urged hope amid hostility.

The shock of Baucham's death has deeply affected his family. Grieving, they remain hopeful in Christ, with his wife, Bridget, now facing the task of resettling in the US without him. Their planned move from Lusaka, Zambia, was disrupted when their home sale fell through last December, resulting in temporary Airbnb accommodations, but they have since secured a new home in Cape Coral that requires renovations. To ensure Voddie's family is taken care of, a fundraiser is being held to raise $2 million, which will be invested for ongoing support, allowing Bridget to focus on her family.

We invite readers to contribute prayerfully. If you feel called to support the Bauchams in this time of need, you can click here to donate.

We grieve and pray with hope for the Bauchams.

May Voddie's example inspire us.

From isolation to connection: Overcoming loneliness

Loneliness isn’t just being alone — it’s feeling unseen, unheard, and unimportant, even amid crowds and constant digital chatter.

Loneliness has become an epidemic in America. Millions of people, even when surrounded by others, feel invisible. In tragic irony, we live in an age of unparalleled connectivity, yet too many sit in silence, unseen and unheard.

I’ve been experiencing this firsthand. My children have grown up and moved out. The house that once overflowed with life now echoes with quiet. Moments that once held laughter now hold silence. And in that silence, the mind can play cruel games. It whispers, “You’re forgotten. Your story doesn’t matter.”

We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

It’s a lie.

I’ve seen it in others. I remember sitting at Rockefeller Center one winter, watching a woman lace up her ice skates. Her clothing was worn, her bag battered. Yet on the ice, she transformed — elegant, alive, radiant.

Minutes later, she returned to her shoes, merged into the crowd, unnoticed. I’ve thought of her often. She was not alone in her experience. Millions of Americans live unseen, performing acts of quiet heroism every day.

Shared pain makes us human

Loneliness convinces us to retreat, to stay silent, to stop reaching out to others. But connection is essential. Even small gestures — a word of encouragement, a listening ear, a shared meal — are radical acts against isolation.

I’ve learned this personally. Years ago, a caller called me “Mr. Perfect.” I could have deflected, but I chose honesty. I spoke of my alcoholism, my failed marriage, my brokenness. I expected judgment. Instead, I found resonance. People whispered back, “I’m going through the same thing. Thank you for saying it.”

Our pain is universal. Everyone struggles with self-doubt and fear. Everyone feels, at times, like a fraud. We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

We were made for connection. We were built for community — for conversation, for touch, for shared purpose. Every time we reach out, every act of courage and compassion punches a hole in the wall of isolation.

You’re not alone

If you’re feeling alone, know this: You are not invisible. You are seen. You matter. And if you’re not struggling, someone you know is. It’s your responsibility to reach out.

Loneliness is not proof of brokenness. It is proof of humanity. It is a call to engage, to bear witness, to connect. The world is different because of the people who choose to act. It is brighter when we refuse to be isolated.

We cannot let silence win. We cannot allow loneliness to dictate our lives. Speak. Reach out. Connect. Share your gifts. By doing so, we remind one another: We are all alike, and yet each of us matters profoundly.

In this moment, in this country, in this world, what we do matters. Loneliness is real, but so is hope. And hope begins with connection.