Jim and Tomic's Musical Theatre Happy Hour

Get in, losers. We’re talking about Mean Girls. From it’s earliest self-help origins all the way through to todays “the-trailer-didn’t-say-it-was-a-musical” movie, Jimi and Tommy contemplate the traps of adaptations, memes from old movies, the Jimmy (and Jimi) awards, and Tina Fey’s (literall) love letter to high school theatre. It is, most definitely, fetch.

Mean Girls (Music from the Motion Picture)

Apple Music / Spotify

Check it out for yourself – the book that started it all: Queen Bees & Wannabes (now in it’s 3rd edition) by Rosalind Wiseman.

It’s the best love letter Tommy’s ever recieved – here is Tina Fey’s forward from the high school version of the script.

It’s not our fault we’re, like, in love with her or something. Here’s the incomprable Reneé Rapp stealing the show at the 2018 Jimmy Awards.

One of the creators of this show struck inspirational gold when they read the words “Deathwatch Carnival” in a Reader’s Digest compilation.

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The Bronx is up, the Battery's down, and Jimi and Tommy are right here delving into the Americana classic of a musical On the Town. Lenoard Bernstein (or is it Bernstein), Betty Comden (the bombshell that she is) and Adolph Green (he’s there too) have devised a wonderful, timeless(?) classic in this show which might, indeed, be the FIRST true musical comedy!

SHOW NOTES

It’s like she’s in the room with us! Enjoy the incomparable Christine Pedi…or, perhaps, the real Liza Minnelli answering “Vogue’s” 73 questions.

Tommy’s never seen it, have you? Enjoy The Simpsons musical Springfield Springfield.

Come along with Jay Armstrong Johnson as he takes us on a tour of the newly re-renovated Lyric Theatre for the 2014 production. Did he mention the pit? It’s for the big orchestra. It’s really big. And they have it. In this show. And they really want you to know about it.

The Boettcher Concert Hall (home of the Colorado Symphony) is truly a magnificent space. Next time you’re in Denver, see if you can grab some tickets!

Or if you end up in Glasgow instead, come and enjoy one of Acquire’s musical theatre sing-throughs! Maybe you’ll spy a familiar (single!) podcaster in the company…

We owe a good chunk of research for this episode to Dr. Katherine Baber and her article "Manhattan Women": Jazz, Blues, and Gender in On the Town and Wonderful Town. If you’re doing work in this area, this is a publication worth a read.

And then here’s something for our boys on the front lines! Chattanooga CHOO CHOO!

Or maybe this is why you’re in the show notes: enjoy a baby-faced Lea DeLaria and an even babier-faced Jessee Tyler Ferguson on the Rosie O’Donnell show.

Can’t get enough of Lea DeLaria? Here she is at the Newport Jazz Festival with a swingin’ take on The Ballad of Sweeney Todd.

And, if you want to join Tommy on his whirlwind cab tour of places-that-don’t-exist-anymore in NYC, here’s our itinerary. Buckle up!

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What do you get when you cross Dracula with a podcast? Bite-sized episodes that will have you howling with laughter! Welcome to the official companion podcast for off-Broadway’s Dracula A Comedy of Terrors, now playing at New World Stages. Hosted by blood curdling Broadway veteran Andrew Keenan-Bolger, this podcast takes you inside the show’s (teeny tiny backstage) world with interviews and games featuring the cast and creatives that helped bring this hilarious comedy to life. So grab a wooden stake, a satchel of garlick, pull out your bloody mary recipe, and settle in under your favorite cape for a podcast guaranteed not to drive you batty!

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Get ready to delve into the warren of William Finn’s fantastical mind as we voyage into ‘A New Brain.’ Beautifully mirroring the mania of the show itself, this is a manic episode where we dart from deep, impossible discussions about unhoused populations, to analysing the changes between the original and the Encores! production, to learning all about the wonders of Organic Jim. Good luck!

A New Brain (2015 New York Cast Recording)

iTunes / Spotify

SHOW NOTES

Are you ready for the Sondheim Cinematic Universe?

For a MUCH more articulate discussion of Jimi’s ‘Change’ point, check out Scott Miller’s essay on the show!

Any David Lynch fans out there? What do you think a David Lynch musical could possible look like?

What are your opinions on the updates made for the Encores! production? Let us know!

On Tommy’s recommendation listen to only THIS version of ‘Make Me a Song’ for some wonderful Bill Finn goodness!

Please take a few minutes to watch this incredible video of Edinburgh local, Organic Jim.

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]! Or come join us on the discord!

A Butt-tastic Quiz Question

It was widely rumored that lanky dancer Frank Sinatra padded his hindquarters with handkerchiefs to fill out his uniform whilst filming this movie. What show?

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Strike up the band and pull back the curtain on Stephen Schwartz’s odyssey musical - ‘Pippin'. This musical gained legendary status when it was revived recently but we go right back to the start to look at its complex origins with a burgeoning Stephen Schwartz and a high-flying Bob Fosse. We also dissect the various endings that have existed throughout the years and come up with a few of our own, go over some of the incredible handling of its themes and we tell a few home truths…

Pippin (New Broadway Cast Recording)

iTunes / Spotify

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SHOW NOTES

I still think ‘come and waste an hour or two…zoobilee zoo’ is one of the funniest things I’ve ever said. But hey, enjoy Ben Vereen as a snow leopard mayor.

And he’s still got it! But to be fair this was filmed in 2002. But I have no doubts that 20 years later he can still move just as well…

Wanna get liminal? Check out Bo Burnam’s incredible new Netflix special, ‘Inside.’

There’s so much great Andrea Martin content out there but here’s some of the zaniest.

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]! Or come join us on the discord!

A Semi-Autobiographical Quiz Question

Our next show, autobiographical in nature, was written by the author whilst they were recovering from the events contained within the show. What show?

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Get ready for some sycophantic Jim and Tomic as we buckle up and ‘Ride the Cyclone.’ The cast recording for this incredible show by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell has just dropped and we couldn’t wait to talk about it. We talk through the fascinatingly diverse characters, the meaning of life and what this show means for the future of musical theatre!

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Ride the Cyclone (World Premiere Cast Recording)

iTunes / Spotify

SHOW NOTES

Feel free to take part in the new drinking game of ‘How many times does Jimi say that’s so smart?’

Check out this great montage of moments from the Chicago production which gives you a great idea of the amazing production design and how fricking cool Karnak is!

The team did a really interesting interview at the Guggenheim prior to their production at MCC!

If you’re looking for a very succinct timeline of this production from Victoria to Cast Recording then check out superfan Sam’s video here!

Tom waits If you’re looking for a bit of a cool kind of crazy then check out this number from Tom Waits’ ‘The Black Rider’

PERFORM THIS SHOW! As the cogs of live theatre start to turn again why not bring this to your theatre company as a potential option? If you’re in the UK click here, and if you’re in the US click here!

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]! Or come join us on the discord!

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It’s time to ride on those wild geese as we fly into Austria to talk all about potentially the world’s most famous musical, ‘The Sound of Music.’ We try and pull apart why it’s so popular while discussing the real Von Trapp family, the tonal differences between the film and stage show , why Maria is a lesbian icon and discover the best musical theatre themed Hallowe’en costume.

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The Sound of Music (Original Soundtrack Recording)

iTunes / Spotify

SHOW NOTES

A very good place to start is this wonderful video of Julie Andrews meeting the real Maria Von Trapp!

Out of the myriad of documentaries about the Sound of Music that are out there, we thoroughly recommend this one presented by Sue Perkins.

For a totally different perspective on the show (and some other great insight into gender and feminism in the musical theatre!) check out Stacy Wolf’s fascinatingly enjoyable book ‘A Problem Like Maria.’

She worked on it for months and came out with an incredible performance. Here’s Lady Gaga singing a medley of the songs at the Oscars.

Let’s cringe together with Tommy’s first in-person YouTube appearance!

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]! Or come join us on the discord!

A Carnival Quiz QuestionAs far as we know, this is the only musical based (kind of) on a roller coaster. What show?

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