Something special about this new Broadway show compels people to stand

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). 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.

The West is dying—Will we let enemies write our ending?

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The blood of martyrs, prophets, poets, and soldiers built our civilization. Their sacrifice demands courage in the present to preserve it.

Lamentations asks, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?”

That question has been weighing on me heavily. Not just as a broadcaster, but as a citizen, a father, a husband, a believer. It is a question that every person who cares about this nation, this culture, and this civilization must confront: Is all of this worth saving?

We have squandered this inheritance. We forgot who we were — and our enemies are eager to write our ending.

Western civilization — a project born in Judea, refined in Athens, tested in Rome, reawakened in Wittenberg, and baptized again on the shores of Plymouth Rock — is a gift. We didn’t earn it. We didn’t purchase it. We were handed it. And now, we must ask ourselves: Do we even want it?

Across Europe, streets are restless. Not merely with protests, but with ancient, festering hatred — the kind that once marched under swastikas and fueled ovens. Today, it marches under banners of peace while chanting calls for genocide. Violence and division crack societies open. Here in America, it’s left against right, flesh against spirit, neighbor against neighbor.

Truth struggles to find a home. Even the church is slumbering — or worse, collaborating.

Our society tells us that everything must be reset: tradition, marriage, gender, faith, even love. The only sin left is believing in absolute truth. Screens replace Scripture. Entertainment replaces education. Pleasure replaces purpose. Our children are confused, medicated, addicted, fatherless, suicidal. Universities mock virtue. Congress is indifferent. Media programs rather than informs. Schools recondition rather than educate.

Is this worth saving? If not, we should stop fighting and throw up our hands. But if it is, then we must act — and we must act now.

The West: An idea worth saving

What is the West? It’s not a location, race, flag, or a particular constitution. The West is an idea — an idea that man is made in the image of God, that liberty comes from responsibility, not government; that truth exists; that evil exists; and that courage is required every day. The West teaches that education, reason, and revelation walk hand in hand. Beauty matters. Kindness matters. Empathy matters. Sacrifice is holy. Justice is blind. Mercy is near.

We have squandered this inheritance. We forgot who we were — and our enemies are eager to write our ending.

If not now, when? If not us, who? If this is worth saving, we must know why. Western civilization is worth dying for, worth living for, worth defending. It was built on the blood of martyrs, prophets, poets, pilgrims, moms, dads, and soldiers. They did not die for markets, pronouns, surveillance, or currency. They died for something higher, something bigger.

MATTHIEU RONDEL/AFP via Getty Images | Getty Images

Yet hope remains. Resurrection is real — not only in the tomb outside Jerusalem, but in the bones of any individual or group that returns to truth, honor, and God. It is never too late to return to family, community, accountability, and responsibility.

Pick up your torch

We were chosen for this time. We were made for a moment like this. The events unfolding in Europe and South Korea, the unrest and moral collapse, will all come down to us. Somewhere inside, we know we were called to carry this fire.

We are not called to win. We are called to stand. To hold the torch. To ask ourselves, every day: Is it worth standing? Is it worth saving?

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Pick up your torch. If you choose to carry it, buckle up. The work is only beginning.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Stop coasting: How self-education can save America’s future

Joe Raedle / Staff | Getty Images

Coasting through life is no longer an option. Charlie Kirk’s pursuit of knowledge challenges all of us to learn, act, and grow every day.

Last year, my wife and I made a commitment: to stop coasting, to learn something new every day, and to grow — not just spiritually, but intellectually. Charlie Kirk’s tragic death crystallized that resolve. It forced a hard look in the mirror, revealing how much I had coasted in both my spiritual and educational life. Coasting implies going downhill. You can’t coast uphill.

Last night, my wife and I re-engaged. We enrolled in Hillsdale College’s free online courses, inspired by the fact that Charlie had done the same. He had quietly completed around 30 courses before I even knew, mastering the classics, civics, and the foundations of liberty. Watching his relentless pursuit of knowledge reminded me that growth never stops, no matter your age.

The path forward must be reclaiming education, agency, and the power to shape our minds and futures.

This lesson is particularly urgent for two groups: young adults stepping into the world and those who may have settled into complacency. Learning is life. Stop learning, and you start dying. To young adults, especially, the college promise has become a trap. Twelve years of K-12 education now leave graduates unprepared for life. Only 35% of seniors are proficient in reading, and just 22% in math. They are asked to bet $100,000 or more for four years of college that will often leave them underemployed and deeply indebted.

Degrees in many “new” fields now carry negative returns. Parents who have already sacrificed for public education find themselves on the hook again, paying for a system that often fails to deliver.

This is one of the reasons why Charlie often described college as a “scam.” Debt accumulates, wages are not what students were promised, doors remain closed, and many are tempted to throw more time and money after a system that won’t yield results. Graduate school, in many cases, compounds the problem. The education system has become a factory of despair, teaching cynicism rather than knowledge and virtue.

Reclaiming educational agency

Yet the solution is not radical revolt against education — it is empowerment to reclaim agency over one’s education. Independent learning, self-guided study, and disciplined curiosity are the modern “Napster moment.” Just as Napster broke the old record industry by digitizing music, the internet has placed knowledge directly in the hands of the individual. Artists like Taylor Swift now thrive outside traditional gatekeepers. Likewise, students and lifelong learners can reclaim intellectual freedom outside of the ivory towers.

Each individual possesses the ability to think, create, and act. This is the power God grants to every human being. Knowledge, faith, and personal responsibility are inseparable. Learning is not a commodity to buy with tuition; it is a birthright to claim with effort.

David Butow / Contributor | Getty Images

Charlie Kirk’s life reminds us that self-education is an act of defiance and empowerment. In his pursuit of knowledge, in his engagement with civics and philosophy, he exemplified the principle that liberty depends on informed, capable citizens. We honor him best by taking up that mantle — by learning relentlessly, thinking critically, and refusing to surrender our minds to a system that profits from ignorance.

The path forward must be reclaiming education, agency, and the power to shape our minds and futures. Every day, seek to grow, create, and act. Charlie showed the way. It is now our responsibility to follow.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck joins TPUSA tour to honor Charlie Kirk

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If they thought the murder of Charlie Kirk would scare us into silence, they were wrong!

If anything, Turning Point will hit the road louder than ever. On Monday, September 22, less than two weeks after the assassination, Charlie's friends united under the Turning Point USA banner to carry his torch and honor his legacy by doing what he did best: bringing honest and truthful debate to Universities across the nation.

Naturally, Glenn has rallied to the cause and has accepted an invitation to join the TPUSA tour at the University of North Dakota on October 9th.

Want to join Glenn at the University of North Dakota to honor Charlie Kirk and keep his mission alive? Click HERE to sign up or find more information.

Glenn's daughter honors Charlie Kirk with emotional tribute song

MELISSA MAJCHRZAK / Contributor | Getty Images

On September 17th, Glenn commemorated his late friend Charlie Kirk by hosting The Charlie Kirk Show Podcast, where he celebrated and remembered the life of a remarkable young man.

During the broadcast, Glenn shared an emotional new song performed by his daughter, Cheyenne, who was standing only feet away from Charlie when he was assassinated. The song, titled "We Are One," has been dedicated to Charlie Kirk as a tribute and was written and co-performed by David Osmond, son of Alan Osmond, founding member of The Osmonds.

Glenn first asked David Osmond to write "We Are One" in 2018, as he predicted that dark days were on the horizon, but he never imagined that it would be sung by his daughter in honor of Charlie Kirk. The Lord works in mysterious ways; could there have been a more fitting song to honor such a brave man?

"We Are One" is available for download or listening on Spotify HERE