For our holiday episode, we're turning our sights to a song written for television for the first time. This fall the internet went mad for a song with ample Broadway cred -- "The Ballad of the Witches' Road" from Agatha All Along. Let's talk about what made it such a hit, about its songwriters -- the formidable Bobby & Kristen Anderson Lopez -- and about Patti Lupone, of course.

All clips are from Music from Agatha All Along featuring Kathryn Hahn and the cast of Agatha All Along and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

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After 20 years, there's finally an Elphaba on screen, and we're going to finish our Elphabae miniseries by talking about her. Buckle up as we talk Wicked the movie (Part 1), whther Cynthia Erivo will break "the Curse of the Elphabae," and what is either just a mid or a Top 10 "I want" song (depending on which cohost you are) -- "The Wizard and I." 

All clips are from Wicked: The Soundtrack featuring Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

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We're back with another Elphaba, and this time they're singing a role essentially built for them! Except...well...join us as we talk the great Eden Espinosa and the show that maybe doesn't rise to her level: 2024's Lempicka. Written by Matt Gould and Carson Kreitzer, the show underwent a long workshop process before an ultiamtely unsuccessful Broadway run. We explore what went wrong, in our opinions, at least, as we discuss "Woman Is."

All clips are from the Lempica Original Broadway Cast Album featuring Eden Espinosa and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

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Another episode, another Elphaba! This time, we're looking at Shoshana Bean, who was an Elphaba early on before leaving Broadway for over a decade and then finally returning to a string of well-received roles, even if she still hasn't found The One. Here she is singing one of the songs that brough her back, "Stars and the Moon" by Jason Robert Brown from his song cycle Songs for a New World. Enjoy!

All clips are from the Songs for a New World 2018 Encores! Off-Center Cast Recording featuring Shoshana Beanm and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

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New miniseries time! This time, we're taking a slightly different approach, focusing on a set of linked performers instead of a set of linked songs. Specifically, we're looking at some of the women who've played the original Green Girl, Elphaba from Wicked. First up is Stephanie J. Block who arguably was the original Elphaba, just not on Broadway. We look at her career and why it hasn't been quite what it might have been while we talk about "The Writing on the Wall," the finale to The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Rupert Holmes. It's a lot, so buckle in.

All clips are from The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012 New Broadway Cast Recording) featuring Stephanie J. Block and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

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Once again, we find ourselves back at Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, the show that we just can't escape, nor would we wish to. This time, we're finishing our miniseries on Second Act Openers with the excellent "Letters," where Dave Malloy crams so much content into only 6 minutes that we're almost left a little speechless. Almost. 

All clips are from the 2013 Original Cast Recording of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 featuring Dave Malloy as Pierre, Phillipa Soo as Natasha, Gelsey Bell as Princess Mary, Lucas Steele as Anatole, and Manik Choksi as Dolokhov and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

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Newsies! Yes, at long last, we are talking about one of the most beloved musicals ever to starts as a failed Disney movie. With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman, Newsies could easily have just been a misbegotten offshoot of the Disney Renaissance, but it experienced a rebirth of its own, hitting Broadway in 2012. Join us as we talk about the process and about "King of New York," the song chosen to open the second act. All clips are from the 2012 Newsies Original Broadway Cast Album and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

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We're back with another second act opener! This one combines impressive spectacle, plot recap, and a flexible yet catchy tune to ease the audience back into a world of high romance and melodrama. Join us as we discuss "Masquerade" from The Phantom of the Opera and how it does what it does very, very well. All clips are from the 1987 London Cast Album of Phantom of the Opera and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

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As we begin our second hundred episodes, it's only fitting that we turn our attention to second-act openers. These songs often have to return the audience to the world of the show quickly and recast the spell the first act had woven. So, how do you do that? One answer is to give them a song and dance for the ages: this week we talk about "Who's Got the Pain?" from Damn Yankees, written by Adler and Ross, but made famous by Fosse and Verdon.

All clips are from the 1958 film version of Damn Yankees featuring Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

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We conclude our 100th episode spectacular with 5 more songs that make us love the American musical. As a reminder, please email or message us with the 5 songs you would choose so we can make a Spotify playlist to share with everyone!

STOP READING to avoid getting spoiled for what's on this episode. 

All clips are from, in order, Follies: New Broadway Cast Recording, Hamilton: An American Musical Original Broadway Cast Recording, 1776: Original Broadway Cast, Parade: 2023 Broadway Cast Recording, Evita: Original Broadway Cast and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify!

Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing

Email the show: [email protected]