"Bingo." As the epic conclusion to our season of Musical Mayhem, we watched Jacques Audiard's 2024 extravaganza Emilia Pérez. Did we hate it? Kinda! Did we love it? Kinda! We also have a teaser of next season on Feminist Frequency Radio, coming soon. This full episode is a special bonus for upper-level Patreon supporters, but also available as a one-off purchase for non-subscribers.

>> Listen to the full episode HERE <<

Discussed in this episode:

• Focus on the Family's "Plugged In" review
• Protest parody film Johanne Sacrebleu

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It's Andrew Lloyd Webber week in our Musical Mayhem season, and to turn the volume all the way up, we've selected Joel Schumacher's most renowned superhero flick, The Phantom of the Opera. And for those of you who couldn't care less about musicals, but have been along for the ride with us on this journey... this episode concludes the season!

Next week we're bringing a special bonus episode for Patreon supporters at the Fearless Feminist tier and above. Yes, we're finally watching Emilia Pérez...

Discussed in this episode: Antonio Banderas as the Phantom, and the animal kingdom's own Christine Daaé

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Watching the 1968 film adaptation of the Broadway musical The Wiz, we can't help but feel that director Sidney Lumet and screenwriter Joel Schumacher deeply underserved their stars, craftspeople, and source material. It's impossible not to be captivated by the performances, especially as the movie is such a memorable intersection of the careers of Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, but the staging and writing continually let us down.

Discussed in this episode—the September 1975 Essence article by Sharon Stockard Martin: "The Tanning of Oz: Reflections on the Usurpation of a Myth," which is available for Patreon supporters to read at patreon.com/femfreq.

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We couldn't do a whole season about movie musicals without watching a Barbra vehicle. There are so many elements of 1968's Funny Girl that elevate the form, from William Wyler's direction taking a stage show to the screen, and Streisand's performance as her character Fanny Brice evolves from fame-hungry teenager to worldly star and wife. We found a lot of nuance in the film's exploration of labor and gender dynamics, and can't help but watch this as a memetic piece of a puzzle with Postcards from the Edge, All That Jazz, A Star Is Born and countless explorations of insecure men struggling in romantic relationships with successful women.

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Halfway through our season of Musical Mayhem, we decided to dive deep into the shallow waters of 2021's Dear Evan Hansen. After covering Glee last week, we felt like we had no other choice. This full-length episode is a special bonus for Patreon supporters at the "Fearless Feminist" level and above, but it's also available as a one-time purchase for non-subscribers.

>> Listen to the full episode HERE <<

Discussed in this episode:

• The promotional art for Ben Platt's Reverie tour
• Platt's cover of "Diet Pepsi"

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Never has the micro-generational divide between Kat and A.C. been sharper than in their relationships to Glee, arguably the most influential musical series ever on television. It's hard not to get glib in our discussion of the "issues" the show attempted to tackle over the course of its six seasons. Especially when the show's tone varied from mean-spirited to earnest representation politics throughout the course of the series.

Discussed in this episode:

• ‘Glee’ 15th Anniversary: Looking Back at a Cultural Moment Never to Be Repeated by Erin Strecker for IndieWire in 2024
• Don't Rain on My Parade (Plasma's Version)

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Is this the first "perfect" movie we've covered on this podcast? This was Kat's first time watching Bob Fosse's 1979 self-referential musical drama All That Jazz, one of A.C.'s absolute favorites. There's something compelling about the way Joe Gideon, Fosse's stand-in for himself, is far from being the hero in his own larger-than-life story of addiction, perfectionism, and womanizing. And though the ending is foreshadowed from the opening scene, it's still jaw dropping when it happens.

Discussed in this episode:

• "Le Jeune Homme et La Mort," the opening ballet from White Nights (1985).

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For the first full episode of our new "Musical Mayhem" season, we watched the 1955 film Guys and Dolls. The gender expectations and relationship dynamics between the central two couples in this movie feel like they'd be right at home in today's modern "trad wife" resurgence as certain segments of society seek to backslide into authoritarianism. Even the series finale of the Sex and the City follow-up And Just Like That... portrays established, successful women post-middle age wringing their hands about whether a man will propose. Unsurprisingly, Guys and Dolls' thin handling of race and class leaves a lot to be desired. But, there's joy to be had in many of the song-and-dance numbers, especially "Pet Me Poppa" featuring Vivian Blaine as showgirl Adelaide.

Discussed in this episode:

• Tituss Burgess performing "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" at the 2009 Tony Awards
• Carrie Coon talking about the training that sets theater performers apart in a time when arts programs are underfunded

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Kat and A.C. are back from an extended hiatus in the Heavyside Layer to bring you an all-new season of Feminist Frequency Radio! This time, we're being critical about the media we love while tapping our toes: the screen musical. Join us for a preview episode where we discuss the season ahead and what you can expect from our movie and TV selections, new Letterboxd lists themed to each episode, and special full-length bonuses for Patreon supporters.

Discussed in this episode:

• The Ethel Merman Disco Album

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A.C. and Kat are joined by director Sav Rodgers to discuss his documentary feature debut, Chasing Chasing Amy, and the complicated legacy of its subject matter, Kevin Smith's 1997 film Chasing Amy. Sav shares about the arduous process of becoming the central story in his own doc, and examining his relationship to the movie that saved his life as a young queer person. We explore how we take our various fandoms seriously, and what it means to blend loving a piece of media with making that love the focus of our work and/or our identities.

Discussed in this episode:

• Sav's film CHASING CHASING AMY, which is also available on Kanopy
• Chasing Amyaction figures

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• letterboxd.com/savrodgers

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