Bottomless Broadway

We've used up our well of musicals, so we'll be play-ing it by ear for the next two episodes! Take a listen to our thoughts on Sea Wall/A Life, Slave Play, The Minutes, and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune in this episode.

Some spoilers WILL occur, so if you'd like to avoid them, heed the timestamps below:

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Sea Wall/A Life is now on Audible (https://www.audible.com/pd/Sea-Wall-A-Life-Audiobook/B0875MV37V)!  But if you don't want to subscribe, you can also hear Jake Gyllenhaal doing a selection of A Life: https://youtu.be/PmTXgAkgCl8

The New York Times review that Cindy mentions about an alarm going off during Sea Wall: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/theater/sea-wall-a-life-review-broadway-gyllenhaal.html

If you want to hear more about the process for both Tom Sturridge and Jake Gyllenhaal in approaching the work, they did a fantastic talk at Google: https://youtu.be/cTCFhiNMKFI

Sam Sanders spoke to Jeremy O. Harris about writing Slave Play and some of the subsequent controversies, as well as his own experience of seeing Slave Play as part of an interracial couple:  https://www.npr.org/transcripts/795198086

Jeremy O. Harris talking about some of his efforts in making his play more accessible to a diverse audience: https://youtu.be/wxg3semVaK0 as well as his Plus One initiative: https://twitter.com/jeremyoharris/status/1204245805361745920

Slave Play will be playing at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, dates TBA: https://www.playbill.com/article/slave-play-will-make-its-west-coast-debut-at-los-angeles-center-theatre-group

Tracy Letts on appearing in his own play after its original run: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/26/theater/tracy-letts-the-minutes.html

Both Slave Play and Frankie and Johnny utilized intimacy director Claire Warden to ensure all parties felt safe, a first for Broadway: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/26/theater/frankie-johnny-audra-mcdonald-michael-shannon.html

Work by Rihanna played a pivotal role in the development of Slave Play and the text itself.

Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy features in A Life as well as Frankie and Johnny.

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Does anyone know the song we talk about in the intro? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram @BottomlessBway, or email us at [email protected]

It's been a while since we've sat side by side by side, but have we got the podcast for you, with part 2 of our Company recap!  After all, what would we do without you, listening to us run our mouths on theatre?

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If you missed our first episode on the Company revival, you can find that here: https://link.chtbl.com/company1

Jesse Green on Sondheim, in pure fanboy mode: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/theater/stephen-sondheim-playwright.html

This is Patti LuPone's third time as Joanne in Company, with the first two being the Lincoln Center Concert with Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby (https://youtu.be/UvXEQ4lZt8k), and the second being the original London version of this production, with Rosalie Craig as Bobbie (https://youtu.be/2hQkUgSQ2TE), though also check out her first performance of Ladies Who Lunch if you haven't already, done in front of Elaine Stritch herself: https://youtu.be/oTsuK_HGFJg..

Some snippets from the cast members performing selections of the songs: https://youtu.be/mQIq6zRt8ys

Want a more in-depth line-by-line analysis of Company? Check out the Putting It Together podcast: https://puttingittogether.transistor.fm/

All music snippets in this episode come from the 2018 West End cast recording:

...with a nod to the Original Broadway Cast recording:

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Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway or email us at [email protected]! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey: https://forms.gle/BXUqJiNdjAWaQRCJ9

Your phone may be ringing and your door chiming less often, but in comes our episode on the gender-swapped revival of Company, where you can hear us unironically judge the life choices of a woman a decade older than us. 

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Christine's first introduction to Company was when Glee did "Getting Married Today", which worked surprisingly well in the show: https://youtu.be/pLRNEILRVjw

For Sondheim's birthday, The New York Times put out a series of articles honoring him, including Jesse Green's tribute: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/theater/stephen-sondheim-playwright.html

Patti LuPone is definitely making the most out of her quarantine, so check out the first of four (so far) basement videos she's posted on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PattiLuPone/status/1241891274321539072

The letters of "Company" that we mention in "Another Hundred People" can be seen on the musical's Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-hIa-7H_24/

If you want a deeper dive into the Company musical itself, as well as comparisons across different versions, check out the fantastic Putting It Together podcast (where you might also hear a familiar voice): https://puttingittogether.transistor.fm/

Like West Side Story, no cast album has been announced for the Broadway cast as of yet, but you can watch a performance of "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" from BroadwayCon (https://youtu.be/e7k0qn0TBMA) as well as snippets of other songs from the show featuring Katrina Lenk, Patti LuPone, and the rest of the ensemble from the First Look Concert at the Guggenheim (https://youtu.be/mQIq6zRt8ys).

All the song segments heard in the show come from the 2018 London revival cast album (featuring all different actors except for Patti LuPone).

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Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway or email us at [email protected]! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey: https://forms.gle/BXUqJiNdjAWaQRCJ9

Could it be? Yes it could. Something’s coming, something good? Well you won't have to wait, because we’re here tonight with our first revival, West Side Story!

Warning: There is mention of attempted sexual assault in this episode, so if that’s something that you’d like to skip, that occurs at 35:00-37:30.

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If you want to find out more about the Amar Ramasar controversy and protests, this article is a good place to start: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/19/theater/west-side-story-amar-ramasar.html

Ben Brantley's review of this revival for the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/theater/west-side-story-review-sharks-vs-jets-vs-video.html

This production uses the film version of "America", which can be seen with Rita Moreno as Anita: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e2igZexpMs

Still not sure how to feel about the changes in this production? Take a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process:

Since there's been no announcement of a new cast recording (yet), Isaac Powell's rendition of "Something Coming" can be heard at the end of our episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS2VXgKwmvQ

All other music in this episode comes from the 1957 Broadway cast recording and the 1961 film soundtrack.

Original Broadway Cast Album

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

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Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway or email us at [email protected]! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey: https://forms.gle/BXUqJiNdjAWaQRCJ9

A lot of pretty, pretty girls have graced the Broadway stage, but is Diana the main event?

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While a cast album has been announced, so far only two songs have been released, but you can listen to them here:

Christine also talks about the original opening number, Once Upon a Time, which you can hear the instrumental of here (or stick around at the end of the episode): https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1153502634824560

Cindy mentions the cape dance from Cursed Child, which you can see in action: https://youtu.be/jViplYpkKwc

It doesn’t seem like the tabloids have changed much since Diana married Charles, with what they’ve said about Meghan Markle: buzzfeednews.com/article/ellievhall/meghan-markle-kate-middleton-double-standards-royal

A playlist of songs with alternate parenthetical titles (and feel free to let us know about ones that we missed!): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/51ZsCaZTdGXZxFm5xZV0s9

Check out what William Ivey Long has to say about his designs for Diana: https://www.playbill.com/article/with-38-costumes-for-princess-di-alone-william-ivey-long-sets-a-new-bar-with-his-design-for-diana

Other Songs Featured:

Get more information or buy tickets here: https://thedianamusical.com/

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway or email us at [email protected]!  You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey: https://forms.gle/BXUqJiNdjAWaQRCJ9

All You Wanna Do is listen to our new episode on SIX, where we Get Down into the details of each song and each queen’s life. 

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If you aren’t familiar with Six, the Olivier Awards performance of the opening number is a great place to start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJbaU4j0JCo

The program provides some information about the queens and their "queenspirations" but if you haven’t gotten one, this article talks a bit about the influences behind each queen: https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/six-the-musical-which-modern-day-pop-stars-are-the-queens-inspired-by.html/

If you want to know even more about the development process of the show, The New York Times did a fantastic piece on its history (or rather, herstory): https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/theater/six-broadway.html

We still don’t completely understand Tik Tok, so for those in a similar situation, here are some examples of how Six is used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RjRGr_aQhc

The megamix is the only number not on the cast album, so take a look at Megasix from the first Broadway preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iJ6vsIXHXU

Listen to Six:

And if you think you know the songs, there’s also a karaoke album:

Disagree with our picks for best queen or have a favorite Tik Tok? Send them over to us at [email protected] or on social @BottomlessBway on Twitter or Instagram!  And if you want to hear more from us, including early Tony nominations, check out the blog: https://bottomlessbway.home.blog/

Want to leave feedback? There's an easy way to do that here: https://forms.gle/BXUqJiNdjAWaQRCJ9

Ooh, this could be messy, but we don't seem to mind, so take a listen to our discussion on the latest jukebox musical to open this season!

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Correction: Christine misidentifies the entr'acte song as "Wake Up" when it should be "Hands Clean".

Hear the creators talk about how they approached the music of Alanis Morissette and what working with her was like: https://variety.com/2019/legit/news/jagged-little-pill-musical-making-of-broadway-1203367695/

The average household income of Broadway theatergoers really is $261k according to this survey, though we guarantee you we aren't making that much even with our combined salaries: https://www.broadwayleague.com/press/press-releases/the-broadway-league-reveals-the-demographics-of-the-broadway-audience-for-2018-2019-season/

Take a listen to this absolutely gorgeous mashup of Head Over Feet and Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow from Glee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQwhvrX5WL4

Check out the Jagged Little Pill New Year's Eve performance, featuring Lauren Patten alongside Alanis Morissette: https://twitter.com/jaggedmusical/status/1213112781312024580

How do these arrangements hold up to the original album? Let us know!

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/jagged-little-pill-original-broadway-cast-recording/1484873882

Subscribe and follow us on Instagram or Twitter @BottomlessBway, check out our blog for other Tonys predictions (https://bottomlessbway.home.blog/), or email us feedback at [email protected]!

Or fill out our 5 question feedback survey: forms.gle/BXUqJiNdjAWaQRCJ9

Welcome back, for part 2 of our Moulin Rouge coverage, where we talk absinthe, Tony Awards, and "More, More, More!"  So go ahead and listen to us pull back the curtains on this "Backstage Romance"! 

If you need to catch up on part 1, you can do so here: https://link.chtbl.com/mrp2

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In case you need a reminder of the process for obtaining songs for this show, the New York Times has got you covered: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/17/theater/moulin-rouge-musical-songs.html 

Speaking of the New York Times, take a look at Ben Brantley's review that we reference a few times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/theater/moulin-rouge-review.html 

Choreographer Sonya Tayeh made her Broadway debut with Moulin Rouge, and will also be choreographing Sing Street later this season, but take a look at what she has to say about approaching such an iconic film: https://www.broadway.com/buzz/197761/choreographer-sonya-tayeh-on-expressing-impossible-love-and-her-ravishing-moulin-rouge-dancers/ 

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/moulin-rouge-the-musical-original-broadway-cast-recording/1477115723

Check us out on Twitter or Instagram @BottomlessBway and take a look at some more Tony predictions on our blog: https://bottomlessbway.home.blog/. Send  feedback at [email protected] or take our quick survey: https://forms.gle/Ugr9ovLhDCsW3dS9A

Welcome to the Moulin Rouge, where there are so many songs that we couldn't fit them into one episode.  We're not sure the starving artists of the Bohemian Revolution would approve of this display of extravagance, but then again, maybe Broadway can keep alive what they couldn't.  So "Shut Up and Raise Your Glass" as you listen to us break down the Bohemian values currently on display at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. 

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Shout-out to The Original Cast (https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/6051662) and Movie Musical Shakedown (https://www.onstageblog.com/movie-musical-shakedown/2019/7/6/movie-musical-shakedown-ep-28-moulin-rouge) for giving us a way to review the movie without watching it ourselves! 

Want to know the backstory behind getting the rights to all of the songs in the show? Check out this New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/17/theater/moulin-rouge-musical-songs.html 

Or, listen to music supervisor Justin Levine talk about some of his song selections and how the music came together: http://www.playbill.com/article/how-the-music-of-moulin-rouge-the-musical-came-together 

Can't get tickets to Moulin Rouge?  Forbidden Broadway gives you a pretty good gist of it: http://www.forbiddenbroadway.com/

If you haven't seen the Moulin Rouge ice dance routine by Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, pause the podcast and go watch it now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOEKdWrtz6U 

Did you know that the opening of "Hips Don't Lie" samples "Amores Como El Nuestro"? Because we didn't. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M85l1qW8x18 

Check out the marching band version of "Shut Up and Dance": https://youtu.be/Vi38Gc1pz9c?t=174

How many individual songs can you pick out?

Make sure you're subscribed to us so that you can get part 2 in your podcast feeds!  And follow us on Twitter or Instagram @BottomlessBway, or check out our blog  https://bottomlessbway.home.blog/ Send us feedback at [email protected] or take our quick feedback survey: https://forms.gle/Ugr9ovLhDCsW3dS9A 

Come down to Skid Row, where roses AND tickets cost $100!  Cindy and Christine make their triumphant return from their hiatus, here to talk about Westside Theatre's production of Little Shop of Horrors and the show itself.  Ya Never Know what you might find ahead, so be aware of man-eating plants and spoilers in this episode!

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Curious about how a movie with carnivorous plants made it to the stage? Learn more about it over on Playbill! (http://www.playbill.com/article/how-howard-ashman-and-alan-menken-created-the-iconic-little-shop-of-horrors)

Check out the original movie ending (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RjFvcw6ToQ) and see how it compares to the one that made the final cut (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtJtYayW4VQ)!

Take a look at pictures of Jonathon Groff as Seymour in this production, along with Christian Borle and Tammy Blanchard!(http://www.playbill.com/article/see-photos-of-jonathan-groff-tammy-blanchard-and-christian-borle-in-little-shop-of-horrors?fbclid=IwAR1M1nOSGJjfeucyWCvDn8WzW-Jmy9I8nhTTk3_-KzwHOvNBILpLVggE5Nw)

If you've seen another production of Little Shop recently (like the Pasadena Playhouse one), tell us all about it over on Twitter @BottomlessBway (https://twitter.com/BottomlessBway) or email us at [email protected]!  And follow our new Instagram @bottomlessbway (https://www.instagram.com/bottomlessbway/) to see the plant that Christine got, or check out our blog (https://bottomlessbway.home.blog/) while you're at it!

1982 Original Off-Broadway Cast:

2003 Original Broadway Cast: