Jim and Tomic's Musical Theatre Happy Hour

We don’t even know how to begin, but we certainly know that we are here and discussing Dave Malloy’s spookily exquisite song-cycle, ‘Ghost Quartet.’ Spanning two full episodes where they dissect the show track-by-track, the boys get existential and talk about the other side, universal consciousness theory, the complex human relationship with alcohol, artist idolatry, how simple can often be best and the nature of protagonist and antagonist. Full notes at jimandtomic.com/episodes/69-side-1 and jimandtomic.com/episodes/69-side-2

We don’t even know how to begin, but we certainly know that we are here and discussing Dave Malloy’s spookily exquisite song-cycle, ‘Ghost Quartet.’ Spanning two full episodes where they dissect the show track-by-track, the boys get existential and talk about the other side, universal consciousness theory, the complex human relationship with alcohol, artist idolatry, how simple can often be best and the nature of protagonist and antagonist. Full notes at jimandtomic.com/episodes/69-side-1 and jimandtomic.com/episodes/69-side-2

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ We don’t even know how to begin, but we certainly know that we are here and discussing Dave Malloy’s spookily exquisite song-cycle, ‘Ghost Quartet.’ Spanning two full episodes where they dissect the show track-by-track, the boys get existential and talk about the other side, universal consciousness theory, the complex human relationship with alcohol, artist idolatry, how simple can often be best and the nature of protagonist and antagonist. Studio Recording: Amazon / iTunes / Spotify Live at the McKittrick: Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES: The question we’re all asking is, WILL a Fosse neck do it? I guess we’ll never know. In true Prayer style, Jimi will try his hardest to not quote the Rainbow Sponge Lady video in future podcasts. If you’re batting about London this winter then check out London’s premiere of Ghost Quartet! So Jimi’s opinion on digesting Ghost Quartet is to see it first (if possible), listen to the McKittrick Live Recording, then listen to the studio recording to pull it all apart and start to change your whole viewpoint on life, the universe and everything. As usual, Dave has provided us with some fascinating insights on his music and many wonderful effusions on his fellow cast members via his Genius annotations. If you’re into Arabian Nights and are board game oriented look no further than one of Jimi’s all time favourites: Tales of the Arabian Nights! Can we start a Twitter campaign to see if Dave actually intended it to be Roxie Usher a la Anything Goes? The people need to know! In one of her standout moments, Elaine Stritch’s one woman show paints a fascinating picture about her relationship with alcohol. If you want to join Jimi’s cult of Jeff Buckley then why not start with one of the best studio albums of all time, Grace? Then while you’re feeling musical why not have a gander at one of Thelonius Monk’s greatest albums too? A staple for every record player to be quite honest. Check out Wind Cave and/or Cheddar Gorge depending on your locale for some Lights Out action! Is this podcast really just a way for Jimi to garner like-minded people who share his eclectic tase in fiction? I think so. Feel free to PM him about anything related to Twin Peaks, Lost, The OA, Rusty Lake or House of Leaves. How can it be that we spoke for around 3 hours about a show, yet there still be so much more to say? Let's move this talk over to Reddit. We're dying to hear your thoughts! A HAZARDOUS QUIZ QUESTION: During the filming of the movie that this musical is based on, a jilted lighting operator intentionally attempted to drop a lighting instrument on one of the young actresses in an attempt at revenge for his own daughter not being cast in the role. What show?

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ We’re hanging by a thread and dangling over the madness that is David Yazbek’s ‘Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.’ Based on the Spanish cult film by Almódovar, the boys traverse the winding plotlines to get to the root of what the musical is trying to say. They discuss its limited critical success, whether or not it’s a good representation of women and try to dissect David Yazbek’s ‘sound.’ Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES What do you think about Anaïs Mitchell’s quote: “Wordplay is not the same thing as poetry?” Do you agree with Jimi’s estimation that good musical theatre writing lies somewhere in between the two? Let us know what you think on Twitter! If you’re fascinated by lyric writing then Mr Stephen Sondheim has some of the best analyses of what makes a good musical theatre lyric in his books: Finishing The… and Look I Made A… Whether you’re a fan of the musical or not, Almódovar’s film is definitely one to be seen! If you want to experience some of the serious venom that this show garnered when it premiered on Broadway have a look at this review roundup. If you’re craving some LuPone action, then check out this incredible interview around the time of Women on the Verge. Hey listeners, what do you think about the ‘whole accents thing’? Let us know Come and let us know on Reddit. Particularly if you have an accent that is intrinsically linked to your culture! AN INSTRUMENTAL QUIZ QUESTION Which musical features metallophone, accordion, autoharp, erhu and ukelele in its orchestration?

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ We’re heading back to the turn of the 20th century in New York city as we take on the behemoth that is Ahrens and Flaherty’s ‘Ragtime.’ Back with a vengeance, the boys have six months of pent up discussion under their collective belts. This time they are talking about whether an epic production needs an epic design, pull apart what makes this show challenging to perform and discuss the importance of musical theatre existing outside of the ‘Broadway bubble.’ Ragtime: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES If you want to try your very first ‘special froth’ then grab your own Cremola Foam (replica) today! It doesn’t happen often, but when it does my goodness is it tricky! Here’s some more information about the costume nomination debacle of the 2009 revival of Ragtime. For our bookworms out there, you can grab E.L. Doctorow’s original book here to fill in the blanks in this epic tale! With ‘The Producers’ we know that there are often some shenanigans going on behind the scenes of even the biggest Broadway shows. Here’s some information on Ragtime’s producer, Garth Drabinsky. E.L. Doctorow was very involved in the production of this musical and cites it as one of the finest recreations of his work. Here’s an article discussing his involvement. Doctorow was less impressed with James Cagney’s star turn as the police chief in the Ragtime film. But if you’re intrigued, here it is! Be warned, there’s no singing! The Regent’s Park Revival was polarising at best. Have a look at the trailer and let us know what you think on Twitter! In a complete contrast to the gaudy sets of the Regent’s Park production, the Ellis Island concert production shone a whole new light on the piece in the shadow of Lady Liberty herself. And straddling the two is the production Jimi first saw of Ragtime, from the Landor theatre. Here is a glimpse of its scaled down production! What do you think listeners? Is Ragtime a show for the small stage or the big? Come and chat up a storm on Reddit! If you’re a Ragtime aficionado, check out the 1996 recordings here for a whole new spin on the piece! A HIGH-FLYING QUIZ QUESTION In what show does Patti LuPone do her best “Elphaba” impression and “fly” at the end of Act 1?

The boys are back to discuss all of the nominated musicals for this year’s Tony Awards! If you want the low-down on what’s hot and what’s not in the musicals category then this is the podcast for you. Including discussions of artistry in musical theatre, the importance of impersonation in jukebox musicals and a pondering as to why viral sensation ‘Be More Chill’ only garnered one nomination. Good luck to all the nominees! For full show notes CLICK HERE!

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Don’t waste time! Tune in right now to the latest Happy Hour where Jimi and Tommy are talking all about the very serious drama, “The Pajama Game!” After a long summer off the boys were keen to get right back in and talk about the peculiar structure of this show, why it might have all been a time-travelling-filled ruse to get Harry Connick Jr. on Broadway and discuss Bob Fosse’s choreographic debut! The Pajama Game (2006 Cast Album) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES Jimi was indeed disappointed to find out that Jock Jams had nothing to do with Jock Straps. Not that anyone needs reminding but this is what Jimi looked like when he tried to get into The Pajama Game. If ham is mentioned in a musical Pickle Surprise must make an appearance. It’s one of those unwritten laws. Enjoy! Drag Race fans please note a cameo from RuPaul and Lady Bunny. I wonder if any high school directors could work this interpretation of Hernando’s Hideaway into their production? Feast your eyes on Bob Fosse’s choreographic grand slam ‘Steam Heat!’ The 2006 revival switches up a lot of songs, including Babe’s reprise of ‘Hey There’ - what do you think of the tweaks? Is it important that Sid doesn’t get much to do in act 2? Let us know on Reddit! A WITHDRAWN QUATEMENT To our knowledge, the only time the Tony Awards Nomination Committee has withdrawn a nomination from a production was for next week’s show.

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Crack open those spandex dungarees as we head over to the beautiful Greek islands and talk all about the super-smash hit ‘Mamma Mia!’ In a bid to drive Tommy over the edge, the boys are once more going head-to-head over the merits of this show. They talk all about what has made it such a phenomenon, Jimi explains away the mysteries of the Eurovision Song Contest and the guys finally open up about their opinions on jukebox musicals. Mamma Mia (Original Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify Do you say ABBA or ABBA? End the debate over on Twitter! If you are yet to listen to ‘My Dad Wrote a Porno’ then get right on it now and find out exactly why Cher is The Duchess in the movie sequel. The Eurovision Song Contest is a sight to behold for anyone, anytime. Here’s the winner from the last competition. Compare that with another classic from the UK here. Camp for all! ‘Mamma Mia!’ was so important in the healing process post-9/11 and was one of the first shows to re-open. Here’s an article where Meryl Streep talks about her relationship with the show and how it helped her family cope with the tragedy. If you were wondering how ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’could possibly shoehorn in ‘Waterloo’ into the main narrative then look no further! Featuring the IMMENSELY adorable Hugh Skinner (any W1A fans out there? Speak to Jimi.) Here’s the article with the brilliantly sassy quote that talks about how an immensely fun and unapologetic experience ‘Mamma Mia!’ is. We’ve managed to go 65 episodes without talking about Jukebox Musicals properly. But the time is now, come on over to Reddit to weigh in on the endless musical theatre debate! What do you make of Lisa Howard and Susan Blackwell’s exchange over ‘Escape to Margaritaville?’ JIMI’S BIG QUATEMENT MOMENT Jimi fought tooth and nail to get a line in our next show, that he has mentioned on a couple of previous podcasts. The line is: “This’ll wake them up!”

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ What’s new Happy Hour fans? We’re flying back to the B.A., Buenos Aires, Big Apple to talk all about the controversial first lady, ‘Evita’ by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Come for the deep discussion, stay for Jimi and Tommy fighting over whether this is a good show or not! This week the guys discuss some of Argentina’s troubled history, including the truth about what happened to Eva Peron’s body, work out the potential merits of the movie and debate whether or not this Andrew Lloyd Webber’s greatest score. Evita (Original Cast Recording/1979) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SPONSOR This week’s episode is sponsored by Goldstar. Goldstar has a great selection of affordable tickets to all sorts of live events, including Broadway theater, national tours, concerts, comedy, dance, and more. Our first 200 listeners who head to goldstar.com/happyhour or use the promo code HAPPYHOUR at purchase will get $10 off their order. SHOW NOTES To be honest, I’d always have thought Patti was taller. Here is the diva herself giving her true opinions on what she thinks of Madonna in the movie. If you’re interested in more background to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s process then have a look at this brilliantly detailed book with lots of exclusives and great photographs. (You can tell Tommy doesn’t write the show notes, right?) Jimi is heartbroken more people won’t experience this amazing show, ‘These Trees Are Made of Blood’ - go check them out and give them some love! If you’ve yet to see the movie, it’s definitely worth a watch. Once you’ve seen come and tell us what you thought over on Twitter! We’d be surprised if you’re aware of Evita and have never seen this video. All jokes aside, no one can deny this wonderful woman is a POWERHOUSE! And if you want to work out exactly how she does it (and some of the intelligence behind the composition of this number in particular) check out Seth Rudetsky’s brilliant deconstruction! And if you want to hear in her own words what she thinks about Andrew Lloyd Webber then this interview is amazing with Broadway.com’s Paul Wontorek! This is a fantastic article which goes into a lot of detail around the difficulties of casting a show like Evita. SMELLS LIKE TEEN QUATEMENTS This musical shares its poster title font with Nirvana’s album covers.

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Abandon all hope ye who enter here as we delve into the dark world of free-range squid, designer suits and subtly thick business cards and discuss Duncan Sheik’s ‘American Psycho.’ Whether you’ve read the book, seen the film, both or neither this musical is a controversial take on the already controversial subject matter. This week Jimi and Tommy talk about the differences between the three media, muse on why the Broadway run of the show was so unsuccessful and think about whether theatre should make sure it’s fun for everyone, or sometimes just be for the ‘cool kids.’ American Psycho (Original London Cast Recording) [Explicit] Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SPONSOR This week’s episode is sponsored by Goldstar. Goldstar has a great selection of affordable tickets to all sorts of live events, including Broadway theater, national tours, concerts, comedy, dance, and more. Our first 200 listeners who head to goldstar.com/happyhour or use the promo code HAPPYHOUR at purchase will get $10 off their order. SHOW NOTES There’s no better way of understanding a piece of fiction than going to the source, and that’s never been truer for ‘American Psycho’ - check it out! Once you’ve read that then check out the 2000’s movie version.Congratulations! You are now well versed in ‘American Psycho!’ Tommy compared this musical’s journey to the notorious ‘Carrie’ musical. What are some of your flops that you are obsessed with? Let us know on Twitter! Here’s a cool interview with the (highly controversial) Bret Easton Ellis talking about ‘American Psycho’ and its transformation into a musical. Duncan Sheik has a lot to say about the musical, and love him or hate him he knows what he’s talking about! Here’s a really good BUILD Series interview of him talking about the musical. If you’re a fan of ‘Spring Awakening’ and ‘American Psycho’ you might dig some of Duncan Sheik’s own music. This album features a song called ‘A Body Goes Down’ which Jimi loves because it’s about Jeff Buckley. If this was your first impression of the ‘American Psycho’ musicalstaging would you be impressed? What are your experiences with the ‘American Psycho’ world? Let’s get literal over on Reddit and we can discuss some of the book/movie/musical’s themes! A LOFTY QUIZ STATEMENT Two of the actresses who have played the title role in this musical have only ever had one conversation with each other. It went as follows: one actress said to the other, “I’m taller than you.”

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ No pares, sigue sigue and take a train to the top of the world to join the wonderful residents of Washington Heights in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Broadway venture, ‘In the Heights.’ As a nice break from the heat outside, join the boys as they chat up a storm about some of the difficulties of directing this show, how important ‘Heights’ is in the canon of American musical theatre and explore the true meaning of the word superfluity. Wepa! In the Heights (Original Broadway Cast) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SPONSOR This week’s episode is sponsored by Goldstar – the online ticket vendor that has a great selection of affordable tickets to all sorts of live events. Our first 200 listeners who head to goldstar.com/happyhour or use the promo code HAPPYHOUR at purchase will get $10 off their order.Let us know what tickets you get with the offer code for a shout-out on the next podcast! SHOW NOTES Jimi apologises for talking about his production of ‘In the Heights’ so much but hey, if you’re interested, check out the trailer for it! Lin-Manuel has done his usual malarkey and uploaded some of his tracks from the cutting room floor onto his Soundcloud including a cut song for Camila! There is a fantastic documentary from PBS Great Performancesabout ‘In the Heights’ that you really need to check out and has supplied Jimi with one of his favourite quotes - ‘Dreams come true, bitches!’ Is this video a glimpse into the future once the amateur rights for ‘Hamilton’ drop? Probably. As sad as that is… Get on over to Reddit and tell us what you think about the whole race conflama, cause we certainly don’t have an answer! Is as diverse as possible okay for a show like Heights? Or is it just the exact same as casting a show like 'Scottsboro Boys?' Let us know! Are you following us on Twitter yet? If not, get with the programme! Come and tweet us your experiences with ‘Heights.’ Also this is one of Jimi’s first exposures to ‘In the Heights.’ It explains a lot. A WET QUIZ STATEMENT To our knowledge this show is one of the only broadway musicals to include a full-stage splash guard for audience protection.

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Open the windows! Travel the highways! Toast the vintages and fizz the fizz! This week the Bosom Buddies are dishing on Jerry Herman’s second female tour de force: Mame. Get ready for plenty of whinging about the film, prasing of Ms. Lansbury, contemplation of powerful female roles, and perhaps a hint of Nietzsche! Oh, and some gay stuff. Always some gay stuff. Mame (Original Broadway Cast) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SPONSOR This week’s episode is sponsored by Goldstar – the online ticket vendor that has a great selection of affordable tickets to all sorts of live events. Our first 200 listeners who head to goldstar.com/happyhour or use the promo code HAPPYHOUR at purchase will get $10 off their order. SHOW NOTES You’ve heard the musical, now get the book! Patrick Dennis’s novel (and Mame’s escapades) took the world by storm in the 1950s. It’s no wonder the book exploded so quickly into so many stage and film adaptations. For a more direct discussion of southern racist problems of a bygone era, check out Happy Hour #39 about Kander and Ebb’s The Scottsboro Boys. Is Kimmy Schmidt a modern day Auntie Mame? Well…HAS VERA CHARLES ALWAYS BEEN A LEADING LADY?!?!? Want to get all intellectual like Jimi and read up on your Apollonian epic and Dionysian lyric verse? Then crack open a copy of Nietzsche’s The Birth of Tragedy. (And then you can explain it to Tommy). For a fascinatingly fabulous trip town a YouTube black hole, why not check out this all-male performance of Mame from San Franciscio in 1980. Interested in more discussion about gay men and their relationships with musical theatre, check out Tommy’s series “Musical Theatre is SO gay!” Haven’t watched Lucy in the Mame movie yet? Don’t. Just satisfy your curiosity with this trailer for the original film. Oh you HAVE watched the Mame movie? Then maybe you can sympathize with Tommy (or add to the vitriolic comments) on his Miscast Mame video. Still got thoughts about the movie? Hit us up on the reddit to vent your woes. Jimi has insisted that Tommy include the Angela Lansbury massage video. Tommy is writing these notes (in the third person) and…sigh…will include a link to the video. Just kidding. This is the video. A FITNESS QUIZ STATEMENT This musical was (partially) inspired by a New York Pilates Studio on 181st street.

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Hoots mon! There’s a moose loose aboot this podcast. Time to travel through the mist and into the mythical Scottish town of ‘Brigadoon.’ Expect many references, bad accents and groans from Jimi, as the boys explore Lerner and Loewe’s famous musical. This time around they discuss how accurate a portrayal it actually is, Jimi gives us a brief history of Scotland and Tommy learns all about Buckfast. Braw! Brigadoon (1988 London Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES There’ll be plenty of ‘authentic’ Scottish references in the show notes for you all to sample this week. Let’s start with Ned culture and The Wee Man who enjoys a Buckfast every once in a while. Gene Kelly, eat your heart out. One of the potential origins for the story of Brigadoon is the piece of Celtic classic folklore of Tir Na n’Og which you can read more about here! If you fancy reading more about the history of ‘Brigadoon’ and its impact on Scottish culture you can check out this great book, which also brings ‘Braveheart’ into the mix... Sir Harry Lauder is one of the biggest names in exporting Scottish ‘culture’ to the world. As kitsch as it is, you can’t deny that it had an effect! Here he is singing his most famous song, “Roamin’ in the Gloamin’.” Harry Lauder’s impact can be seen in examples such as this: our favourites Fred and Ginger trying their hand (one more successfully than the other) at Scottish culture. Maybe just stick to what you’re best at guys… A fine example of what Jimi was talking about of these Scottish ditties he learned in school is the Jeely Piece Song. Yes, a song about throwing sandwiches out of a high-rise. Get into it! If you think bagpipes are just a lot of noise, you would be wrong! Here’s Clanadonia giving us something a bit more traditional and for a bit of difference, here’s The Red Hot Chilli Pipers with one of their famous covers. If you fancy celebrating Hogmanay wherever you are and feel the need to first foot, here’s a fine recipe for Black Bun. It’s honestly so delicious! A QUIZ QUESTION FOR DIVAS A laundry list of actresses were considered to play the title role in this musical including: Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, Gwen Verdon, Bea Arthur, Doris Day, Elaine Stritch, Lena Horne and Judy Garland. But instead the role went to a relative newcomer on the Broadway scene. What show?   

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Brave the storm and come and hear the story of Ahrens and Flaherty’s beautiful musical, ‘Once On This Island.’ With its current Broadway revival this show has gained a new life, so come and listen to the boys this week as they talk all about how Michael Arden’s production has reinvigorated the gender roles and turned ‘Once On This Island’ into a much more feminist piece, they have some cheery chat about how different societies deal with death and give their thoughts about this year’s Tony nominations! Once On This Island (Broadway Revival Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES We can’t quite believe this is our first Ahrens and Flaherty show! If you’re into your academic texts about writing teams then this is a great resource for finding out more about this incredible duo! For a bit of a different viewpoint on the introduction of Haitian vodou culture to the Americas, look no further than Neil Gaiman’s ‘American Gods’ - and if you’re more of a visual learner then check out the Amazon series! It’s difficult to find protest for ‘Once On This Island’ but here is one article which talks about the difficulties of the story portrayed through the current revival. What do you think? What are your views on race/cultural portrayal in amateur theatre? Is there anything you think schools and amateur groups could be doing more of to promote equality? Let us know over on Reddit! Jimi would like to take this opportunity to profess his love for Alex Newell and all that he does. From ‘The Glee Project’ to now he’s a constant superstar! Check out this hugely groundbreaking performance on ‘Glee’ where Alex was one of the first portrayals of transgender teens of colour on network television! Jimi would also like to take this opportunity to talk about another one of his icons, Mitch Grassi of Pentatonix and Superfruit fame. Again, smashing gender barriers with one of the best voices Jimi’s ever heard. Here’s a great video with Dane Laffrey, set designer of the revival, talking about his influences for his incredible set design. A MOO-TIFUL QUIZ QUESTION The film version of this musical proved that Gene Kelly was afraid of cows. What is it?

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ C-c-c-c’mon, c-c-c-c’mon, go, go! Get that Mountain Dew ready because it’s time to take your pill as we talk about the online musical sensation that has found its way out of its Tumblr existence and unprecedentedly burst into the mainstream - it’s Joe Iconis’ ‘Be More Chill!’ Join the guys as they work out exactly how this musical came to be the smash among the iGen, Jimi sends out a plea to 21st century audiences and Tommy makes a startling revelation about exactly how he feels about this show. Be More Chill (Original Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES For all you listeners under the age of 60 and living outside of the UK, here’s what Jimi meant by ‘Watch With Mother.’ It gave us ‘Muffin the Mule’ and ‘Andy Pandy.’ We’re eternally grateful. Where my emos at? Do you agree with Jimi that there’s a certain Fall Out Boy flair to some of Iconis’ music? Just listen to ‘Pitiful Children!’ Also, all pictures of bad late noughties haircuts are welcome. Would you want to listen to a podcast where Jimi reacts to Tommy reacting to Smash? Come and cast your vote over on Twitter! How do you think this show deals with themes of teen anxiety compares to ‘Dear Evan Hansen’/’Mean Girls’/’Thirteen Reasons Why?’ Join the conversation over on Reddit! The original novel that this musical is based on is pretty darn different in terms of plot. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a read! Get it here! Here’s a vlog from the team behind the Exit32 production of ‘Be More Chill.’ It doesn’t take much delving into the YouTube comments before you realise how fanatic these fans are! There’s a pretty neat interview with Joe Iconis and George Salazar, who plays Michael, as they check out the cast album!  A DREAMY QUIZ QUESTION What show stars “actors” named Effie, Deena, and Lorrell but has nothing to do with Dreamgirls?