Breaking the Curtain

In the early years of the 2000s, we began to see a rise in the modern movie musicals with film adaptations of Dreamgirls, Hairspray, RENT, The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Mamma Mia and more. It was the era of Myspace, fansites and forums. The trilogy release of Disney’s High School Musical, would only mark the beginning of what would spiral into 'theatre fandemonium', with musical theatre making its way to the forefront of mainstream media outlets and finally gaining in popularity.

It took the following year after the final High School Musical film to set the world ablaze with covers of show tunes populating on YouTube and climbing the iTunes charts weekly. Soon enough, not only did the entire world know what it meant to be a ‘theatre geek’, they celebrated and dubbed themselves as a new word that would sweep social media in the years to follow - ‘gleeks.’

So, where exactly did the term ‘gleek’ come from? Well, if you clicked on the episode or you consider yourself a “Gleek’, then you already know it stems from the hit Fox TV Series Glee.

Join Cris and Joce as they recount the early days of the Glee Phenomenon, the impact the series and songs had on the theatre community, The Glee Project competition, the ultimate decline in viewer numbers and more!

Two stagey best friends interview their idols and break down the history behind your favourite musicals from popular shows like RENT and Beetlejuice to iconic flops like Carrie and Bonnie & Clyde - we cover them all!

And if you like what you hear, consider giving our show the ol’ razzle dazzle by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcast!

Two stagey best friends interview their idols and break down the history behind your favourite musicals from popular shows like RENT and Beetlejuice to iconic flops like Carrie and Bonnie & Clyde - we cover them all!

And if you like what you hear, consider giving our show the ol’ razzle dazzle by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcast!

In this very special BONUS episode of Breaking the Curtain, we're joined by the phenomenal Rob Colletti who stars as Lester Bangs in Almost Famous on Broadway!

We chat with Rob all about the genius that is Cameron Crowe, the wonderful support from the fans, the real Lester Bangs and the current state of Broadway in the era of Covid.

Almost Famous runs on Broadway until January 8th, 2023. You do not want to miss this special show!

SURPRISE! Last week, we took a trip to New York City to spend time under the bright lights of Broadway in preparation for our upcoming season to bring you even more exciting content! On this final episode of Season 3, we chat all about seeing Wicked, Almost Famous, Moulin Rouge and MJ. We also tell you all about our experience at the Museum of Broadway, visiting 508 and Rise NY!

In this episode, we're joined by Paul Salsini, the author of the memoir 'Sondheim & Me' , which tells the story of the relationship between American musical composer Stephen Sondheim and journalist Paul Salsini during the latter's time as the founder and editor of The Sondheim Review, the only publication devoted solely to Sondheim's work during his lifetime. The magazine was begun in 1994 and Salsini shares his unique experiences interviewing, corresponding with, and speaking on the phone with the composer-lyricist through the entire next decade.

PURCHASE THE BOOK

In this episode, we're joined by Paul Salsini, the author of the memoir 'Sondheim & Me' , which tells the story of the relationship between American musical composer Stephen Sondheim and journalist Paul Salsini during the latter's time as the founder and editor of The Sondheim Review, the only publication devoted solely to Sondheim's work during his lifetime. The magazine was begun in 1994 and Salsini shares his unique experiences interviewing, corresponding with, and speaking on the phone with the composer-lyricist through the entire next decade.

PURCHASE THE BOOK

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, an Enchantress turned a cruel Prince into a hideous Beast. To break the spell, the Beast must learn to love another and earn her love in return before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose…

In the final Show History episode of Season 3, we're chatting all about the history behind Disney's first Broadway production, Beauty and the Beast, and the drama that followed as the big mouse signed a 49-year revenue-based lease at the New Amsterdam Theatre, the Disney Channel stunt-casting era, the iconic Toni Braxton, and more!

In this very exciting episode of Breaking the Curtain, we're joined by Jade McLeod who is currently playing Jo in the North American Touring Production of Jagged Little Pill!

Jocelyn and Jade attended college together, making this episode a lovely chat and reunion!

Jade is a proud non-binary Canadian, working artisticallyin both Canada and the US as an Actor, Writer, and Singer.

Since graduating from St. Clair College in 2017, Jade has worked onshows across Canada, such asMamma Mia! andPriscilla, Queen Of The Desert (Both with Stage West Calgary),and enjoyed a brief stint with Carnival Cruise Lines.

Having found theirvoice first as a singer, then as a songwriter, actor and activist, Jade now uses theirplatform to explore issues related to the LGBTQ+ community, feminism, and mental health.

In this episode, we chat all about how Tina Fey made fetch happen by bringing one of our favourite Y2K movies to the stage!

If you don’t know what Mean Girls is about because you live under a rock or got hit by a bus, Mean Girls: The Musical tells the story of Cady Heron through the point of view of her friends, Janis Sarkisian and Damian Hubbard.

Join us as we discuss the process from book to movie to stage production, the fearlessness of a performer who literally saved a performance by stepping into a role they did not cover, the changes made between the out-of-town run to Broadway and the stunt casting of Cameron Dallas.