The classic love story plays out on the Broadway stage once more in "La Cage aux Folles" - with a few changes, of course. Join John and John as they delve into this amazing score and show, while they discuss the power of Alban's character whilst avoiding the pitfalls of a romantic lead, the accessibility of the show for various theatres financially, and the underratedness of Jerry Herman.

Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman

Book by Harvey Firestein

Find the episode on your favorite podcast app or by going to https://anchor.fm/musicalminutes

Intro and outro music ("BeBop 25") provided under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com

Have a question for John or John? Want to leave feedback or tell us how wrong we are? Email us at [email protected]

For more info on our hosts - please visit https://norine62.wixsite.com/musicalminutes

For the second half of the interview with artist and propmaker Jessica C Ayala, John M and Jessica talk about life during the pandemic, working on multiple fronts, and personal tastes in the theatre sphere.

Jessica C Ayala is an NYC-based propmaker, artisan, and Properties Designer - and has worked on the properties team for productions at the Public Theatre, Signature Theatre, and Lincoln Center in New York City, among others. Jessica is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. More information can be found at www.jessicacayala.com

Find the episode on your favorite podcast app or by going to https://anchor.fm/musicalminutes

Intro and outro music ("BeBop 25") provided under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com

Have a question for John or John? Want to leave feedback or tell us how wrong we are? Email us at [email protected]

For more info on our hosts - please visit https://norine62.wixsite.com/musicalminutes

This week, John M. sits down with master propmaker and Properties Designer Jessica C. Ayala for the first of a two-part interview about one of the most overlooked, yet most essential parts of the theatre-making experience. What is a prop? What differentiates between prop, set, and scenery? How does creativity play into the process?

Jessica C Ayala is an NYC-based propmaker, artisan, and Properties Designer - and has worked on the properties team for productions at the Public Theatre, Signature Theatre, and Lincoln Center in New York City, among others. Jessica is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. More information can be found at www.jessicacayala.com

Find the episode on your favorite podcast app or by going to https://anchor.fm/musicalminutes

Intro and outro music ("BeBop 25") provided under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com

Have a question for John or John? Want to leave feedback or tell us how wrong we are? Email us at [email protected]

For more info on our hosts - please visit https://norine62.wixsite.com/musicalminutes

Sometimes the master puts down his pen... and it's up to someone to take it up again. Join John and John as they discuss "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and talk about the pervasive nature of audience participation, the ambiguity of the show's ending, and the operatic trope of trouser roles and how they are represented in musical theatre.

Music, book, and lyrics by Rupert Holmes

Find the episode on your favorite podcast app or by going to https://anchor.fm/musicalminutes

Intro and outro music ("BeBop 25") provided under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com

Have a question for John or John? Want to leave feedback or tell us how wrong we are? Email us at [email protected]

For more info on our hosts - please visit https://norine62.wixsite.com/musicalminutes

John and John venture into the madcap world of dancing waiters, singing shopkeepers, and the most lovely matchmaker you'll meet on the East Coast! The duo talks about the enduring popularity of the score and cast recording, the concept of cutting numbers, and how good ol' Horace is just a rotten person.

Music and Lyrics by Jerry Hermann

Book by Micahel Stewart

Find the episode on your favorite podcast app or by going to https://anchor.fm/musicalminutes

Intro and outro music ("BeBop 25") provided under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com

Have a question for John or John? Want to leave feedback or tell us how wrong we are? Email us at [email protected]

For more info on our hosts - please visit https://norine62.wixsite.com/musicalminutes

John and John are back with Season 3! To return to the podcast, the two Johns take a look at "Come From Away" - and discuss the idea of art imitating life, the authenticity of the sound, and touch on their favorite trope: band onstage.

Book, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein

Find the episode on your favorite podcast app or by going to https://anchor.fm/musicalminutes

Intro and outro music ("BeBop 25") provided under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com

Have a question for John or John? Want to leave feedback or tell us how wrong we are? Email us at [email protected]

For more info on our hosts - please visit https://norine62.wixsite.com/musicalminutes

For the final episode of Season 2 - John and John dive into the one singular sensation that is "A Chorus Line". The duo discusses their thoughts on Hamlisch's fantastic score, the genesis of the show, and how, once again... orchestrators matter.

Book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante

Music by Marvin Hamlisch

Lyrics by Edward Kleban

Find the episode on your favorite podcast app or by going to https://anchor.fm/musicalminutes

Intro and outro music ("BeBop 25") provided under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com

Have a question for John or John? Want to leave feedback or tell us how wrong we are? Email us at [email protected]

For more info on our hosts - please visit https://norine62.wixsite.com/musicalminutes

John and John attend the tale of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" to talk about the place for this show in the opera vs. musical debate, their love for almost every part of this score, and the importance of orchestrations - especially as a character in Sondheim's catalog. 

Spoilers... they have some feelings about John Doyle.

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Book by Hugh Wheeler

Based on the 1973 play of the same name by Christopher Bond

Find the episode on your favorite podcast app or by going to https://anchor.fm/musicalminutes

Intro and outro music ("BeBop 25") provided under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com

Have a question for John or John? Want to leave feedback or tell us how wrong we are? Email us at [email protected]

For more info on our hosts - please visit https://norine62.wixsite.com/musicalminutes

This week marks the return of John M. to the podcast - Musical Minutes's own Dynamic Duo is back together! 

This week, John and John talk about the trope maker that has founded a million jokes on this podcast - the essential Golden Age musical where you get almost *nothing* but singing and dancing gangsters: "Guys and Dolls". They talk about their enjoyment of the characterizations of the leading roles, talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the book, and their love for Frank Loesser's music and lyrics... although John N has some thoughts on the title song.

Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser

Book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling

Based on characters from several short stories by Damon Runyon

Find the episode on your favorite podcast app or by going to https://anchor.fm/musicalminutes

Intro and outro music ("BeBop 25") provided under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com

Have a question for John or John? Want to leave feedback or tell us how wrong we are? Email us at [email protected]

For more info on our hosts - please visit https://norine62.wixsite.com/musicalminutes

For the second half of our Ahrens and Flaherty "Dynamic Duo" segment, John N. talks about "Once on This Island" - and how the goal can be finding one's own humanity and sticking to it in the face of the gods themselves.

Find the episode on your favorite podcast app or by going to https://anchor.fm/musicalminutes

Intro and outro music ("BeBop 25") provided under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com

Have a question for John or John? Want to leave feedback or tell us how wrong we are? Email us at [email protected]

For more info on our hosts - please visit https://norine62.wixsite.com/musicalminutes