MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast

THOS INTERVIEWS Nicholas Parsons and Jon, Nick and Dom discuss the Sweeney Todd Trailer.

JOIN NICK, Andy and Jon for the final and fiftieth episode of season one to discuss the past year of MusicalTalk and Andy's new job in We Will Rock You in London at the Dominion Theatre. We also talk about the film Confetti in which Andy makes a brief appearance.

JONATHAN COHEN is back, and discusses with Nick the music of West Side Story on its fiftieth anniversary. Jon asks Nick about his musical production of Just William (and plays the overture) and we also announce the US premiere of Jerry Springer - The Opera.

THE EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL is home to a massive array of productions, of all levels of quality, and including many musical theatre productions. Thos took the handheld recorder to the Fringe for a weekend and reports on a series of productions.

DISNEY, as well as producing H*gh Sch**l M*s*c*l, which we don't talk about, have created a series of stage shows that have played both Broadway and the West End. Recently closed is Beauty and the Beast, which Dom reviews, while Rebecca reports on the Colorado tryout of its successor The Little Mermaid. Dom also reviews Legally Blonde.

WHAT DEFINES A FLOP? Nick, Rebecca and Thos work their way through examples from the nineteenth century to 2005 to consider what we mean by this term. Is it about money; is it about critical success?

THE MARVELLOUS Mr Andy Edwards returns to the MusicalTalk studio to spill the beans about his adventures on the national tour of The Producers. We also discuss a panoply of musical theatre fans' pet peeves!

LET'S HAVE A HEATED DEBATE! Tim recently took friend Darren to see Wicked. Neither had ever seen it before and neither rated it high. Lisa, meanwhile, (making her debut as a presenter) has now seen it five times and loves everything about it. So it's time to discuss whether this mega-musical is Wonderful or merely Popular. Tim and Darren review the show first, then Lisa reports from the final performance of Helen Dallimore and Martin Ball, interviewing fans of the show as well as giving her own views. Finally, all the reviewers, plus Nick, debate the show's pluses and minuses! Controversy is certain!

EMMA recently appeared in the role of Johanna at the Royal Festival Hall's all-star concert staging of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Tim, Thos, Nick, Rebecca, Jonathan and regular MT listener Andrew were all there to review the show.

BORODIN's music was never written for a musical, but he still managed to win a Tony in the fifties (66 years after he'd died) for Kismet, the musical (or is it an operetta?) based mostly on his score for Prince Igor. It was recently revived, to dire reviews, at the ENO. Tim and Thos discuss. Also, as a followup to our Kids' Stuff episode, Tim and Nick interview Adam Bampton-Smith of Big Wooden Horse Theatre Company about his show for children, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.