Jim and Tomic's Musical Theatre Happy Hour

Support the Show ➤ Welcome to Jimi and Tommy’s Karaoke Dance Party! Are podcasts more like onions or parfait? One of the many deep, philosophical questions we pose as we talk all about everyone’s favourite ogre in ‘Shrek The Musical.’ Find out who does a better Scottish accent - the American or the Scotsman, and tune into discussions all about the differences between the musical and the film, the improvements made for the touring version and Jimi poses an impossible question… Shrek The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES The late, great Regis Philbin never got to do his star turn as Shrek on a Broadway stage but he certainly did on national television! If you’ve never seen the movie but have stumbled upon the musical then we implore to you watch the source content and let us know what you think in comparison to the show. Also worth checking out the pro-shot of the show to see its incarnation before it went on tour featuring the old dragon number! ‘Shrek Retold’ is an incredible fan project where the entire film is re-created by the people who love it most. For some tasty hate comments check out Tommy’s video where he reacts to the Shrek musical pro-shot! We are so happy that they redid the dragon for the tour. Which number do you prefer? John Tartaglia is a superhero and there’s just no question to it. He plays three tracks in the one show! Insanity. Where do you stand on the whole original v. adaptation v. jukebox conversation? Let us know! Remember you can come chat to us about the episode on Twitter and Instagram @jimandtomic! Or if you wanna pop OFF then jump into our email inbox at [email protected]! A Backup Quiz Question This musical was in development concurrently with another popular musical franchise as a “backup plan” in the event the production company could not secure appropriate rights. Thankfully, the production company decided to finish both movies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support the Show ➤ Get ready to swallow this down - Jimi and Tommy are chatting all about Alanis Morissette’s venture onto Broadway: ‘Jagged Little Pill.’ This jukebox musical with an original book was one of the last shows to premiere on Broadway before the shutdown so it’s time we give it its due diligence and examine its impact before everything stopped! We discuss where this show sits in the musical theatre canon as a jukebox show, work out whether the critique on the book is valid or not and pull apart some of the themes this show brings up that so many others are afraid to do. Thank U for listening! Jagged Little Pill (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES Apparently the listener ship of Jim and Tomic’s Musical Theatre Happy Hour needs to swot up on their 90s cult classics - check out Dogma now! If you’ve never listened to the iconic Jagged Little Pill album by Alanis Morissette then it is 100% worthwhile. There’s also a great interview on Spotify of her and Glen Ballard going through the writing process for the album. Where do you think Jagged Little Pill sits in the Jukebox Musical canon? And then what about the full musical theatre songbook as a whole? Let us know! To find out more about the creative process here is a great interview with the cast at this year’s BroadwayCon! If you listen very carefully you can hear Tommy and I talking about Cats downstairs. To get a vibe of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s incredible choreographic style have a gander at some of his work here! Regardless of your opinions of the show you can’t deny that Heather Lang is an incredible asset! Here’s a cool mini documentary featuring her talking about her experience before Jagged Little Pill. The staging of this show is pretty cool. Here’s a rare quiet moment involving a swingset! What do you think? Would Jagged Little Pill and the Healy family fit right into a musical TV series? Let us know! Remember you can come chat to us about the episode on Twitter and Instagram @jimandtomic! Or if you wanna pop OFF then jump into our email inbox at [email protected]! A Quiz Question and Kelly The late great talk show host and TV personality Regis Philbin sat in makeup for THREE HOURS to play this musical’s title character even though he was never cast in the role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fol-de-roland fiddledydee; fiddledy, faddledy fodcast - Jimi and Tommy are fin’ly doing a ‘Cinderella’ podcast! Yes indeed, we are talking all about Rodgers and Hammerstein’s foray into television broadcasting and the eventual Broadway output, stopping for some Whitney along the way of course. We get down and dirty about the future of musical theatre, how this musical has developed over the years and discover Tommy’s magnum opus. Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify Support the Show ➤ SHOW NOTES Is Chance the Rapper tied to the R+H’s Cinderella through destiny? It’s certainly looking that way. Here’s the song from the quiz question! See if you can spot the Cinderella references. It’s always a good time for Jeremy Jordan. Even if it’s in these particularly peculiar R+H goes pop videos… If you’re interested in how the CBS recording came together then have a read of this great coverage from Playbill. What do you think about the idea of musical theatre changing how it’s portrayed? Would you be up for the first VR musical? Jimi’s favourite musical theatre author also has a podcast called Stage Grok (although it doesn’t appear to be active anymore - but hey who are we to talk!) There’s a great episode talking about licensing with composer Georgia Stitt if that’s your jam! Speaking of VR, how do we feel about this Beetlejuice clip from Good Morning America? If you fancy some great Whitney and Bernadette behind-the-scenes moments from 1997 TV movie, check this documentary out! Tracking the history of all the updates for Cinderella is a minefield but thankfully this article ties it all up together in a nice little bow! The self-proclaimed Magnum Opus of Musical Theatre Mash: him watching Cinderella with friends. Please tell Jimi that he’s not alone in loving the original 1986 ‘My Little Pony’ movie? Don’t you think the Stepsisters from 1997 would be amazing as these gals in the inevitable live action version we should be getting any day now? Remember you can come chat to us about the episode on Twitter and Instagram @jimandtomic! Or if you wanna pop OFF then jump into our email inbox at [email protected]! A Religious Quiz Question Our next episode features the latest outing of a composer* who has been referred to as God in their past. What could it be? *The composer is not Stephen Sondheim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Hour #85: The Podcast on the Wall - 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' Will this be the podcast episode that never ends?! The jury’s out as we deep dive into Rupert Holmes’ “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” - please insert your own gavel. With two incredible, classic productions there is plenty to talk about with this Tony Award winning musical. We get into the general brilliance of Mr Holmes, the race issues related to the recent productions and how they could be easily remedied and Chita Rivera’s octogenarian athleticism. Support the Show ➤ The Mystery of Edwin Drood (New Broadway Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES Are you ready for our next new podcast - Stephanie J. Talk? Besides being a musical theatre writing extraordinaire, Rupert Holmes is an incredible pop writer working with the likes of Barbra Streisand! Check out one of his songs here! Believe it or not, there is a symphonic heavy metal version of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Do you think it works? Here’s a great article to give some perspective on the racism in the productions of Drood. If you’ve never come across the incredible comedy Father Ted, then you’ve missed Drood star Jim Norton giving a career-defining performance! Could this be Jimi’s all time favourite Side By Side By Susan Blackwell? It’s truly too soon to tell. But it’s up there! Here’s Stephanie J. Block and her li’l pupper (who also starred in the show!) Macaco! Actually before I go, here’s just more SJB being great. Remember you can come chat to us about the episode on Twitter and Instagram @jimandtomic! Or if you wanna pop OFF then jump into our email inbox at [email protected]! A Rapping Quiz QuestionChance the Rapper recently saw inspiration from perhaps one of the most unlikely of places – one of the songs in this Golden Age musical. What musical? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Hour #84: Mobius Podcast - 'A Strange Loop' Let’s get metaphysical! It’s about darn time we discussed Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer winning ‘A Strange Loop.’ Potentially one of the most challenging musicals we have ever listened to, we are so excited delve into this extremely unique piece of musical theatre. Join in the conversation as we chat about what this show winning the Pulitzer means for musical theatre, how Michael R. Jackson’s raw honesty is refreshing and important, and muse on the future of Broadway once it has reopened. Support the Show ➤ A Strange Loop (Original Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES Black lives matter. As well as listening and hearing ‘A Strange Loop’ here’s a list of ways in which you can support the ongoing movement, and if you’re in the UK you can go here. The article posted by Vogue is interesting as it was released when it won the Pulitzer, but before the George Floyd protests began. Definitely worth a read! Frustratingly we don’t get the full story from the cast recording this time around, but you can preorder the libretto now for when it’s released on September 22nd this year! There’s a fantastically comprehensive interview with Michael R. Jackson with Playwrights Horizon about his life and his journey to writing ‘A Strange Loop.’ Here’s the track that originally framed the show by Liz Phair who Michael R. Jackson is a massive fan of. Enjoy that delicious 90s sound! If you want to delve into more of the deeply intellectual basis for this show then check our Hofstadter’s “I Am A Strange Loop” or DuBois’s commentary on double consciousness. Jimi thoroughly recommends you get down and dirty with a copy of ‘Life of Pi’ by Yann Martel. Here is a list of all of the ‘upcoming’ shows from black writers and black stories on Broadway. What do you think? Will Broadway listen and change? Here’s an interesting article discussing Avenue Q and Book of Mormon in a 2020 lens. Remember you can come chat to us about the episode on Twitter and Instagram @jimandtomic! Or if you wanna pop OFF then jump into our email inbox at [email protected]! A Dating Quiz Question The author of this musical (allegedly) likes piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. What show? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Hour #83: ...and Pink and Podcast and Blue! - ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' It was bound to happen again at some point, Jimi and Tommy are discussing another Andrew Lloyd Webber show - this time it’s ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’! Will they agree? Will this be another Cats debacle? It’s time to find out! The boys discuss the unique origin story of this show, work out how ‘Joseph’could exist nowadays and debate whether or not escapism is dead. Bold stuff - tune in! Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (London Palladium Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES If you’re looking for more of a serious discussion and Joseph doesn’t take your fancy, then check out our episode on ‘The Scottsboro Boys’ where we both learned a lot while studying it. Were you in the Original Choral Cast of Joseph? Get in touch! If you’ve never seen the animation Joseph King of Dreams and are a fan of Prince of Egypt, definitely check it out! If you’ve not checked out any of the performances from the 2020 concert on Broadway, then start with this incredible rendition of ‘Those Canaan Days’ by Bonnie Milligan! One of our fellow BPN podcasters wrote a fantastic open letter on performative activism. Please take your time to read it! What are your thoughts? Is there room for escapism in theatre anymore? If you could run an Andrew Lloyd Webber talent show to cast the next big star, what would it be based upon?! Remember you can come chat to us about the episode on Twitter and Instagram @jimandtomic! Or if you wanna pop OFF then jump into our email inbox at [email protected]! A First Quiz QuestionThis show is the first musical to receive the Pulitzer without a production on Broadway. What show? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Hour #82: Verbatim Podcasting - ‘London Road’ Support the Show ➤ It’s time to try things a little bit differently as we delve into the uncharted territories of verbatim musical theatre and the fascinating British creation, ‘London Road.’ Charting a community’s rebirth after a serial killer ravaged their town, this show discusses the issues of policing, press, sex work and community spirit using the words of those who actually experienced it. Jimi and Tommy discuss the curious origins of a show like this, how international audiences might view the show differently and ponder if this is one of the rare instances where the film is better than the original production. London Road (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES If this is your first encounter of ‘London Road’ then you should DEFINITELY watch the film, and if you love it then read the play and listen to the cast recording! Verbatim theatre is a fascinating world. If it’s something you want to learn more about then check out this great book featuring case studies with ‘London Road.’ As a contemporary example of ‘documentary theatre’ check out Dustin Lance Black’s ‘8’, a powerful account of the case filed by the American Foundation for Equal Rights in court in 2010 to overturn Prop 8. Everyone in the UK knows about it, but it may seem alien to those of you who live elsewhere; I present to you: Gogglebox. Verbatim scoring is everywhere! Check out Charles Cornell and the Gregory Brothers for some online examples! They’re right, Katie Couric does sound better autotuned. If you didn’t jump aboard the hype train, now is definitely the time to check out ‘S-Town’ from This American Life. It’s a beautifully tragic story that we feel everyone should listen to! There are loads of great interviews with Alecky blythe talking about ‘London Road.’ But here’s one where she is talking about her play ‘The Girlfriend Experience’ that we discussed in the episode. Remember you can come chat to us about the episode on Twitter and Instagram @jimandtomic! Or if you wanna pop OFF then jump into our email inbox at [email protected]! A Trademarked Quiz Question Despite being the brainchild of British authors, this show prominently features the American spelling of a word in order to match a trademark. What show? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Hour #81: Podcast for the Recently Deceased - 'Beetlejuice' Support the Show ➤ Someone must’ve said our name three times unbroken cause we have appeared and we are talking all about the musical that rose from the dead - ‘Beetlejuice’. With a tumultuous Broadway journey there is plenty to discuss about this show. Jimi and Tommy discuss how it measures up as a movie-to-musical adaptation, the mysterious Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and Grandpa Jimi tries to wrap his head around TikTok. Poorly. Beetlejuice (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES Although a pretty different vibe from the musical, the original film is an absolute cult classic and well worth a watch, even if just for that injection of pure Tim Burton excellence! This article gives you a good chronicle of Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures’ venture into musical theatre making and a bit about their future! If you’re interested in vocal health/voice studies then watching Alex Brightman’s folds will be the best way to spend your afternoon! Batman the Musical (the Jim Steinman cancelled version, not the actually alright Holy Musical, Batman!) has some… choice moments. What would Warner Bros Theatre Ventures look like today if it had come to fruition? What do you think? Was it TikTok or was it there presentation on the Tony Awards that boosted their ticket sales after that May slump? The production company did all they could to appeal to fans to come in and buy tickets in order to guarantee a future for the show, including this commercial with Alex Brightman! Here are some of the ‘best’ Beetlejuice TikToks. If you can tell Grandpa Jimi why these are amazing, please do! Remember you can come chat to us about the episode on Twitter and Instagram @jimandtomic! Or if you wanna pop OFF then jump into our email inbox at [email protected]! An Acadamy Award Winning Quiz Question This movie adaptation of this musical starred Academy Award winner Olivia Colman and Academy Award nominee Tom Hardy. What is it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Hour #80: Podcast and Be Gay - 'Candide' Support the Show ➤ Hold onto your optimism as this time around the riverbend Jimi and Tommy are talking all about Leonard Bernstein’s ‘Candide'.’ With a history full of as many twists and turns as the show itself, ‘Candide’ offers a wealth of fascinating discussion. The boys try and piece together why this show has had some many wildly different incarnations, debate the existence of philosophy in the show and try to answer the unaswerable question: what is the difference between opera and musical theatre? Candide (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES If you’ve never experienced ‘Candide’ before, the best place to start is the 1974 ‘Chelsea’ recording as it includes clips from scenes as well as Bernstein’s beautiful music! We also want to send out a massive thank you to Colden for sharing his bountiful knowledge of the show with us and helping us traverse the behemoth that is ‘Candide.’ If you’re ready to start learning all about the different productions and versions of the show then the best place to look is the Sondheim Guide online! It’s so extremely comprehensive you’d think Tommy had made it. We didn’t get the opportunity to talk much about it in the episode, but it’s safe to say ‘Glitter and Be Gay’ is as iconic a musical theatre song as any other. Check out the delightful Kirsten Chenoweth singing it here in the Lincoln Centre production! Who among us can answer the eternal question - where is the line between opera and musical theatre? Tell us on Twitter! If you’re ready for some perplexity of a different sense to ‘Candide’ then have a look at ‘The Adding Machine.’ A Crooner’s Quiz Question Sammy Davis Jr. was originally slated to originate this role in it’s pre-musical incarnation. Who knows if the show have been such a runaway success were it more rat-pack in style? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LIVE at BroadwayCon: Podcastical Cats - "Cats: the Movie" This January Jimi and Tommy flew all the way to Broadway’s heartland to settle a score, to come to terms with and to try to provide closure on something which has changed the face of musical theatre forever: the Cats movie.Join the lads alongside a wonderful live audience as they try to comprehend cockroaches with faces, whether Judironomy actually lifted her leg, contemplate Sir Ian McKellan’s Oscar chances and attempt to answer the age old question: was this enjoyable? Cats (Highlights from the Motion Picture Soundtrack) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES First of all, we’d like to give a huge thank you to our wonderful network - the Broadway Podcast Network - for welcoming us in NYC! Go to their website and check out over 40 podcasts all related to theatre! The Brits among us should know Alan Partiridge I’m sure, but for those of you throughout the rest of the world - here’s a sample! How would you shake up some of the upcoming musical adaptations? Is there scope for digital fur technology in Dear Evan Hansen? Let us know on Reddit! If you’d like to stay in Hotel Bovril, I’m afraid you’re in for a disappointment. But if you’d like a hearty drink then check it out! So, we need to discuss this - tweet us all your thoughts on the Cats movie! Also we’re on a trading card - what’s going on?! Available over on the Lights of Broadway page soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices