Jim and Tomic's Musical Theatre Happy Hour

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Make way for the sideways grimace that is ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch!’ This time around the gang are chatting about the creation of Hedwig in the queercore scene in New York, identify the mythicality which is so prevalent in the show and the representation of trans rights in musical theatre. Hedwig And The Angry Inch (Original Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES If you’ve never had a chance to experience ‘Hedwig’ live, then the movie is a great way for you to enjoy it! Darren Criss came under fire for some comments he made whilst in character, here’s what he had to say in response. If you’re at all fascinated by the corner of queer culture and the 80s punk scene then look no further than the documentary about the club where it all began! Our biggest question this time around was simply is Hedwig transphobic? Might be a simple question, but there’s no simple answer. Also, Do you think ‘Hedwig’ works in a big ol’ Broadway house? Or does need it that dive-bar intimate environment? Let us know what you think over on Reddit! Listen to Jimi’s plea - go support your local drag queens! Got one that you love? Give them a shout out in 140 characters. AN ELEVATING QUIZ QUESTION Which musical, surprisingly, was inspired by a story about a broken elevator, that one of the author’s made up to appease his child? 

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ The boys are back in town after their summer holiday and are very excited to bring to you Charles Strouse’s fabulous ‘Applause’ (no, not the inevitable Lady Gaga biopic!) They discuss the nature of ‘evil’ and work out if the antagonist really is, how ‘Applause’ was one of the earliest examples of normalised gay culture presented onstage and Jimi learns all about ‘kickbutt.’ Applause: Original 1970 Broadway Cast Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES If you, like Jimi, are one of the six people who watched ‘Glee’ to the end then you can pass by. If not, take a look at Rachel Berry getting her jush in some (mildly stereotypical) New York gay club, then compare it to ‘But Alive’ in ‘Applause.’ So what do we think folks? Is Eve evil? Is she just ambitious? Does she deserve what she got? Let us know over on Reddit! If you haven’t watched Tommy’s self-proclaimed ‘Gay YouTube Saga’ then you can check it out here and see what he has to say about diva worship in the gay community. Old Hollywood was full of coded gay characters and ‘All About Eve’ was no different. Have a look at these clips and see what you think. Is it implied or are people reaching? There’s plenty of fascinating information on this online too, go have a read! If you haven’t watched the 1973 telecast, it’s the best way to experience this fabulous show nowadays. Have a look here, or skip to 31:00 if you want to enjoy the sensational title number! We barely hear about ‘Applause’ anymore, but we did have the recent Encores! production to tide us over. Why do you think we haven’t seen a revival? Tell us about it in 140 characters. A QUIZ QUESTION FOR STEPHEN SCHWARTZ  Our next musical was written by Stephen Schwartz but not the Stephen Schwartz you think… 

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ It’s Jim and Tomic’s latest show, will it flop or will it go? Well that’s for you to decide as we talk all about Broadway’s smash-hit - ‘The Producers!’ This week Jimi and Tommy are delving into the background of the show, the controversy of the original movie and work out which version tells the story best, they ponder why Nathan Lane isn’t the biggest comedic actor of all time and discuss the nature of ad-libs in contemporary theatre. The Producers (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES If you haven’t seen the original Mel Brooks movie, then get on that NOW! Bask in the joy of forgotten character L.S.D. singing the smash hit - ‘Love Power.’ Nathan Lane knows how to Tony. Take a look at his classy acceptance speech! If you’re into it, have a look at the behind the scenes documentary for the original film including some great interviews with dear departed Gene Wilder. Vanity Fair also did this amazingly in depth article about the history of the movie here if you’re more into the written word! Who doesn’t love a blooper reel? Well the one from ‘The Producers’ movie is one of the best. There’s this cool little BroadwayWorld.com thread which details some audience experiences of the myriad of Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick’s ad-libs. If you want to hear more about where the genius of Nathan Lane came from, take a gander at this Guardian article. Scary to think that this video of Max and Leo making their triumphant return on Jimmy Kimmel was from a happier time. But hey, political commentary! If you’ve never seen any of Chez Lindsay’s video essays, you’re missing out! No better place to start than her video on satire, Nazism and Mel Brooks. A GLEEFUL QUIZ QUESTION One of Tommy’s favorite numbers from next week’s musical was actually parodied in an episode of Glee. Although they do not sing a song from the actual musical, the circumstances and the setting during the ‘Funny Girl’ era of season five of ‘Glee’ are a direct mirror of the circumstances and the setting of this number next week’s musical. 

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ A rollicking band of podcasters we, who tired of editing relentlessly are trying our hand at a G&S and hope it’s not too boring. Leaving the writing to WS Gilbert, Jimi and Tommy embark on a journey to meet the fated ‘Pirates of Penzance’ this week. They talk about the ironic history of the show, where G&S sit in the musical theatre arc and try to pick apart a 19th century plot. Ta-ran-ta-ra! The Pirates of Penzance (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES Who’d have thought you’d be able to turn to Jim and Tomic’s Musical Theatre Happy Hour to find out all about Carmen Miranda’s Ghost and your one stop shop to talk sea shanties? If you’re new to the world of ‘Pirates of Penzance’ look no further than this Australian version. It’ll give you the best flavour of what a modern interpretation of a Gilbert and Sullivan show can (and probably should) look like!  There is an annjillian different covers and interpretations of A Very Model Of A Modern Major General out there. Here’s a few that we dig! (Uno - dos - tres) Let us know if you’ve discovered any other gems! After much deliberation about whether or not to put this video out into the world Jimi has gone and put up what he considers his biggest stage blunder of all time when he messed up (and recovered!) the famous Pirate King recit in ‘The Pirates of Penzance.’ Enjoy his calamity! Also he’s only a couple of subscribers away from 500 so hit the button while you’re over there! In a much less embarrassing video, Tommy has offered his opinions on the original Pirates of Penzance movie! If we’ve whetted your appetite on the vast world of WS Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan then check out Mike Leigh’s ‘Topsy Turvy’which gives you some backstory on their fascinating relationship and writing process! AN IMPROVISED QUIZ QUESTION This musical is immensely funny from the get-go, but many of its funniest moments developed from actor ad-libs and stage mishaps. From accidentally throwing a coat across stage onto a coat rack and getting a standing ovation to being trapped onstage because of a malfunctioning door. What musical? 

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Well f*** them gently with a chainsaw, Jimi and Tommy are talking the cult classic ‘Heathers the Musical’ this week! The guys go in on the importance of honest high school musical theatre, the incredible ways this show is surviving beyond Off-Broadway and have a lovefest about fandoms. How very. Heathers: The Musical (World Premiere Cast Recording) Amazon SHOW NOTES Hey, we want you to feel okay! If it ever gets rough call The Lifeline on 800-273-TALK or if in the UK The Samaratins on 116 123. Did you know the full version of Heathers is currently available for licensing in the US? Let this musical live on and get your local theatre group to do it today! There’s no official recording of the Heathers 101: School Edition track ‘You’re Welcome’ yet but I’m sure a quick Google will sort you out. What do you think of it compared to ‘Blue?’ For some sweet Heathers fandom love, go check out some of these insane animatics over on YouTube - there’s a LOT! Come and chat to us on Reddit! It’s a great place for us to extend the conversation from the podcast - there’s only so much we can talk about! So many of you wanted us to chat ‘Heathers’ so I’m sure you’ll have plenty to say! A CONTEXTUAL QUIZ QUESTION One of the most popular songs from this ‘musical’ has been parodied in every context. It will help you learn about the chemical elements, nations of the world and even college majors. What is the ‘musical?’ 

It's that time of year again! Jimi and Tommy have a gab about the Tony nominees. Enjoy!

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ This week Jimi and Tommy go on a trip with Sondheim to Italy and explore the life and love of Fosca and Giorgio in his ‘Passion.’ They ponder over why the show was a critical success but not as popular with audiences, laud the importance of orchestrators on Broadway and make conjecture on Sondheim’s meta-musical. Passion (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES Did you know Donna Murphy also had a star turn as the Witch in Into the Woods? Watch Tommy proclaim his love for her in his Miscast Witches video! If Sondheim is God then does that mean Finishing The… and Look I Made A… are the Old and New Testaments? Either way, gettem! If you don’t know who Maria Friedman is then the perfect place to start is this this performance of ‘How Many Tears’ from Martin Guerre from ‘Hey, Mr Producer!’ We’re extremely grateful that Sondheim is an advocate for filmed staged versions of his show. Why not treat yourself and have a listen to the creator’s commentary on ‘Passion’? Here’s a fascinating interview with Sondheim around the time of the release of ‘Passion’ on Broadway. If you’ve never dipped into the ‘Show People with Paul Wontorek’ Broadway.com segments, you really should! No better place to start than with Judy Kuhn getting passionate. Hear the man himself talking about the importance of orchestrators, particularly Jonathan Tunick! If you don’t want to take our word for it, just look at Jonathan Tunick’s repertoire. We owe him so much! A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED QUIZ QUESTION This show has seen substantial rewrites for it’s licensable school version including the entire re-writing of one of its songs. The creators have said they actually like the new song better than the original and may just include it in all future versions. What show? 

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Jimi and Tommy are going back in history to look at a case that is not talked about enough - the story of the ‘The Scottsboro Boys.’ They examine the controversy surrounding Kander and Ebb’s use of a minstrel show as a framing device, discuss the importance of educating yourself about issues that might be foreign to you and why not enough people know about this musical. The Scottsboro Boys (Original London Cast) Amazon / iTunes SHOW NOTES If you want to find out more about The Scottsboro Boys’ story there is so much out there for you to have a look at, but why not watch this documentary to start you off? It’s so important to look at all sides of the dice when it comes to any issue, particularly if it’s a side you might not agree with. Have a look at the article that inspired our quiz question this week. In the same vein, have a look at this video from one of the Freedom Party protests surrounding The Scottsboro Boys’ Broadway run. There’s an amazing interview with John Thompson, the book writer of this show that gives great insights into the controversy surrounding this piece. Jane Elliott has done wonderful things for race relations and understanding all through her career. Check out this documentary from when she created her famous ‘Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes Experiment’ after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Once you’ve got the hang of what it’s about, go see what happened when Jane brought the experiment to the UK. A SONDHEIMTASTIC QUIZ QUESTION The actor who auditioned for the lead role in this musical knocked her audition so far out of the park that Sondheim remarked, “let’s open tomorrow!” What show? 

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ All ashore who’s comin’ ashore! Let’s set sail on the SS American with evangelists and crooks as Jimi and Tommy talk about Cole Porter’s classic ‘Anything Goes.’ The lads discuss the many incarnations of the show over the years, why you should just sing ‘Let’s Misbehave’ and get a special visit from UK musical director Dan Glover! Anything Goes (2011 Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES Keep ‘em comin’ kids! Unexpectedly this might’ve been our toughest quiz question yet! John Williams arranged this fascinating opening for ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.’ One of our favourite SNL skits is the High School Theatre Show.Check it out here! Jimi and Tommy take no responsibility for any SNL YouTube holes you fall into. Forbidden Broadway had their take on the 1987 revival of ‘Anything Goes’ and probably do one of the best Patti LuPone impressions of all time! Are you in the UK? Check your local theatre and go see Dan’s production of Wedding Singer! Full details on tickets here. Then go follow him on Twitter @DanGlover_27! It got snipped from any of the amateur productions you’ll find out there, but here is Bonnie asking the age old question: where are the men? A product of his times or something more sinister? What’s your take on Cole Porter? This article wages in on the question. A CRITICAL QUIZ QUESTION This musical stirred something of a controversy on Broadway though it had many positive reviews the following critic did not speak so highly: “The only reason [this musical] has made it to the Great White Way is the Great White Guilt.” What show?   

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Crack out your smoky sax and don your best femme fatale dress, as we’re going to LA in the 1940s for ‘City of Angels.’ Jimi and Tommy try and work out why we don’t see too much of this show, have a tennis match about the lyrics of the show and discuss the many opportunities for creative teams that the show offers. City of Angels (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify   SHOW NOTES Interested in finding out more about Film Noir? Start with the quintessential Maltese Falcon! You can check out the trailer here. Visiting London anytime soon? Why not check out the West End premiere of ‘The Life’ starring Sharon D. Clarke written by ‘City of Angels’ Cy Coleman? Thoughts on City of Angels success rate Why do you think City of Angels has never kicked up a storm? Or even just never revived on Broadway? Let us know on Reddit! We often wonder what goes into the creative team’s decision to showcase what they do at the Tony’s! Have a look at what City of Angels brought to the table. Want to give yourself a challenge? License ‘City of Angels’ with your local theatre group! The recent West End revival met some good success. Donmar Artistic Director Josie Rourke weighs in on why she chose City of Angels as her first musical. A CINEMATIC QUIZ QUESTION Did you know, John Williams worked arranging the score for the 1971 film version of Fiddler on the Roof. To our knowledge, he’s only ever arranged one other song from musical theatre. This song is the title song of next week’s musical. P.S. It's not 'Thomas and the King'   

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Prepare ye-selves for our next musical, Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak’s ‘Godspell!’ This week Jimi and Tommy debate whether this is a show about religion or community, marvel over the creative freedom allowed when producing it and try and decide which are their favourite (of the MANY) cast recordings. Godspell (The New Broadway Cast) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify  SHOW NOTES Tweet us your ideas! Stephen Schwartz’s service to his fans is fantastic. Check out the forums on his website to see some of his interaction. The Godspell stuff is particularly interesting! Godspell is yet another ‘70s-New-York-Centric-Movie-Musical, have a look at a young Victor Garber leading the flock with some fascinating choreography to ‘All For The Best.’ In complete contrast, have a look at the trailer for the 2011 Broadway revival of Godspell complete with onstage water and trampolines! We want to hear about your thoughts on the religious side of Godspell, particularly if you’re not of the Christian faith - but Christians don’t worry, we want to hear from you too! Come say hi on Reddit! A LYRICAL QUIZ QUESTION In the song ‘Beautiful City’ from Godspell lies the title of our next musical. What could it be?

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Jimi and Tommy take a trip round the Natural History Museum with their favourite fab foursome - The FourBs - as they discuss their musical ‘Now. Here. This.’ They contemplate the importance of subtlety in cast recordings, high school moments that made them hot and queer representation in musical theatre for their weekly socio-political fix. Now. Here. This. (Original Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES What’s your name for the ‘FourBs’ - Susan Blackwell, Jeff Bowen, Heidi Blickenstaff, Hunter Bell? Tell us on Twitter! Check out ToS If you haven’t already, and you’re a musical theatre nerd, go check out the FourBs’ first work ‘[title of show]’. Those guys sure do love their punctuated titles… Neofuturists Interested in experimental fringe theatre? Have a peek at the stuff that The Neo-Futurists are getting up to! Dazzle camouflage Let musical theatre and Jeff Bowen guide you into a whole new world of education with what the hell Dazzle Camouflage actually is.Hey podcast fans, what makes you hot? Let us know over on our subreddit! Necessary ‘Now. Here. This.’ watching is the gang’s Kickstarter documentary - you can watch it here! Surprise! We got to interview the gorgeous and glorious cast of ‘Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812’ while they were recording their original Broadway cast recording (due next month!) - have a look at us speaking to Denée Benton here! A PHILOSOPHICAL QUIZ QUESTION What musical features Socrates, Jean-Paul Sartre and L. Ron Hubbard in its cast?

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ The heat is most definitely on in the podcast this week as Jimi and Tommy discuss Boublil and Schonberg’s controversial ‘Miss Saigon.’ The guys discuss the problem of Asian diversity onstage, how much the author’s intent qualifies the tone of a musical and the effect of covering songs outside the context of the show! Miss Saigon: The Definitive Live Recording Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES There’s lots to discuss this episode so head straight on over to Reddit to join in the conversation. While you’re there why not check out the chat on some of our previous episodes too? If you haven’t seen the show before, it’s well worth checking out the 25th Anniversary recording to get a good idea of the story and some of the staging, plus some outstanding performances! Have a look at some of the shocking statistics about Asian casting on Broadway. We’re looking at you Aladdin! It’s crazy to think that Lea Salonga was just 17 when she auditioned to play Kim. Have a look at her callback auditionwhere she sings ‘Sun and Moon’ with the writers. There are so many amazing recordings from places outside of Broadway and the West End. Since we’re celebrating Asian actors this episode, let’s enjoy more of Hong Kwang-Ho who plays Thuy in 25th Anniversary recording. His voice is breathtaking! Here he is singing Jekyll and Hyde, which was huge in Korea and Phantom of the Opera where he was one of the youngest to be cast in the role. What are some of your favourites? Let us know! Sorry but Jimi will take any excuse to feature Liza’s Losing My Mind cover... Have a read of this article by playwright David Henry Hwang to hear his take on the Asian casting issues in theatre. A CARTOON QUIZ QUESTION We’ve got an audio clip for our next quiz question! If you can work out the identity of the cartoon being described, it’ll lead you towards the title of our next show! 

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Come and meet those dancing feet, we’re taking you to everyone’s favourite ‘avenue’: 42nd Street! Don your tap shoes and triple-time step your way into the Great Depression as Jimi and tommy (feat. a noisy cricket) discuss the tragic nature of the show’s opening night, debate the nature of dance breaks and the success of contemporary awakenings of classic musical comedies. 42nd Street (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES Turns out Pinky and Perky are British! For all you non-Brits out there here’s a taste of the singer-songwriter pigs’ TV show. If that sold you, you can get the VHS of the Chattanooga Choo Choo number here! If you fancy yourself some black and white realness, check out the Hollywood classic 42nd Street movie! Old Hollywood trailers are a beautiful thing, check out the (massively misogynistic) 42nd Street trailer from 1933. Did you know classic Hollywood actors made mistakes too? Just look and see! God damn! If you haven’t got one of the greatest musical theatre resources ever (Broadway: The American Musical by the way) then fix that right now! What do you think about the nature of dance breaks? Come tell us on Reddit! One of Jimi’s favourite Tony openings ever is 2001, with this fantastic turn from 42nd Street! If you want some more Tony opening fun have a look at the train wreck of 2009… Have a look at this xkcd comic as we tease apart the nature of reviving classic musicals. A CONFRONTATIONAL QUIZ QUESTION There are three musicals (that we know of) with songs in them titled “The Confrontation.” One of them is our musical next week.Which one?

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Come with us as we spend a weekend in the country listening relentlessly to Sondheim’s ‘A Little Night Music.’ We ponder why Sondheim wrote the show in the first place, try to work out why ‘Send in the Clowns’ is his most popular song of all time and make a plea for a renaissance of Broadway Cast Recordings. A Little Night Music (Revival Broadway Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES If you’ve not got the musical theatre equivalent of Moses’ tablets from Mt. Siani- then what are you playing at? Finishing The…and Look I Made A… We couldn’t talk about Elaine Stritch’s Broadway finale without giving her some mad props. Here’s a marvellous glimpse of her in the show as Madame Armfeldt (with a smidge of Bernadette thrown in for good measure!) Our pal Mo Brady from The Ensemblist podcast (check ‘em out!) is very well acquainted with ‘A Little Night Music’ - go see what we mean! Wondering what we’re talking about with Liza Minnelli and Ethel Merman? Please inform your local nightclubs of the existence of both of these. Jimi owes a lot of his musical theatre knowledge to The Simpsons. This was his introduction to ‘A Little Night Music.’ If you haven’t seen ‘Hey! Mr Producer’ yet then fix that right now! If you have, let’s all reminisce over this beautiful moment with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim together (featuring the world’s most awkward handshake/hug!) What do you think of all of the many millions of adaptations of ‘Send In The Clowns’, like Barbra Streisand’s here. Let us know what you think about musical theatre songs being popularised over on Reddit! Let’s have one final nod to the glorious Elaine Stritch, you may not be ‘still here’ with us in person, but your musical certainly will be forevermore! A WELSH QUIZ QUESTION Catherine Zeta-Jones made her Broadway debut in the 2009 revival of ‘A Little Night Music,’ BUT this was far from her theatrical stage debut. In fact, she got her big break in a West End production of our next musical. What is it?