Scene to Song

Five of this season's guests--William Forrest  (Episode 118: The Sherman Brothers' Movie Musicals for Disney), Rick Rhobajt Widen (Episode 121: Bible Musicals), Tara Krieger (Episode 123: Tim Rice, Benny Andersson, and Björn Ulvaeus's Chess), Nathan Platte (Episode 126: Meet Me in St. Louis), and BethAnn Cohen (Parody in Musical Theater (Ep. 127))--return to discuss topics from the season and answer listener questions and comments. We also discuss the song "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from the 1964 film Mary Poppins.

Did you know writer and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston wrote a musical? Now you do!

Multidisciplinary Black feminist scholar-artist Jordan Ealey discusses Hurston’s 1944 musical Polk County and what this anthropological musical was like, as well as its past and future in the musical theater canon. We also discuss “Sweet Chitty Chatty” from Kirsten Childs’s 2000 musical The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin.

Join us for the annual Scene to Song Live Show on December 22nd at 8PM EST- streaming on Scene to Song's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@SceneToSong 

Music played in this episode:

"Halihmuhfack"

“Wake Up, Jacob”

“Sweet Chitty Chatty” from The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin

How did William Finn and Jonathan Larson revolutionize musical theater in the 1980s and 90s? Assistant Professor of Music Alex Bádue joins host Shoshana Greenberg to explore the parallel journeys and creative intersections of these two groundbreaking composers.

Music played in this episode:

💌 Write to [email protected] with a comment or question about an episode or about musical theater, or if you’d like to be a podcast guest.

🫶 Follow on Instagram at @‌ScenetoSong and on Facebook at “Scene to Song with Shoshana Greenberg Podcast.”

✅ sign up for the new monthly e-newsletter at scenetosong.substack.com.

❤️ Support the independently produced show on the Patreon.

The theme music is by Julia Meinwald.

BethAnn Freed Cohen joins Scene to Song to discuss parody in musical theater. We discuss “what exactly is a parody?” and what it means in musicals. We dig into what elements make a good parody, using examples such as Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance and the episode “Original Cast Album: Co-op” from the show Documentary Now! As BethAnn notes, ” there are musicals that are funny but are not parodies and there are musicals that copy styles but are not funny.” We also talk about the Stephen Sondheim and Mary Rodgers song “The Boy From…” from 1966 revue The Mad Show.

You can write to [email protected] with a comment or question about an episode or about musical theater, or if you’d like to be a podcast guest. Follow on Instagram at @‌ScenetoSong and on Facebook at “Scene to Song with Shoshana Greenberg Podcast.” And be sure to sign up for the new monthly e-newsletter at scenetosong.substack.com. Contribute to the Patreon. The theme music is by Julia Meinwald.

Music played in this episode:

Associate Professor of Musicology Nathan Platte discusses the 1944 movie musical Meet Me in St. Louis and 1989 Broadway musical adaptation, looking at how songs are used and how the story and songs changed from author Sally Benson's treatment to the big screen and beyond. We also talk about the Sherman Brothers' song "Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)" from the 1964 movie musical Mary Poppins.

In this episode, singer, actress, writer, lyricist, and voiceover artist Amanda Fischler discusses Greek mythology in musical theater from Hadestown to The Golden Apple and all the aspects that go into writing these stories. We also talk about the song "In My Own Little Corner" from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's 1957 TV musical Cinderella, specifically the 1997 TV version with Brandy.

In this episode, dramaturg, director and producer Shaun Leisher discusses the Muppet movies as musical theater. We also talk about the song "Side by Side/What Would We Do Without You" from Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's 1970 musical Company, specifically The Muppet Show version with Loretta Swit.

In this episode, attorney and writer Tara Krieger discusses Tim Rice, Benny Andersson, and Björn Ulvaeus's 1986 musical Chess. We also talk about the song "This Is the Hour" from Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's 1989 musical Miss Saigon.

In this episode, writer and director Michael Boyd discusses Tom O'Horgan, Helen Miller, and Eve Merriam's 1971 musical Inner City, the story behind this short-lived musical, most likely the first Broadway musical with a score by two women, as well as a look some of the songs. We also talk about the song "Hushaby/My Mother Said" from Inner City.

In this episode, theater Reviewer, composer, lyricist and librettist Donald H. Sandborn III discusses Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's 1973 musical A Little Night Music. We also talk about the song "Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music.