Is it a musical? Is it a $6MM home movie? A contemporary Purim spiel? This is a weird movie, you guys.

The evergreen story of A Star Is Born has attracted legendary performers like Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Lady Gaga. Today, Peter and Nathan focus on the 1976 film version with Barbra and Kris Kristofferson in the context of Gaga and Garland. 

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We talk about:

• The Backstory:  Dorothy Parker, Moss Hart, David O. Selznick, Joan Didion, and all the geniuses who should have made a better movie.

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You’ll hear:

• Kris Kristofferson and Barbra on the 1976 film soundtrack singing "Watch Closely Now," "The Woman in the Moon," and (of course) the 1976-Oscar-Winning classic, "Evergreen."

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Check out some of our all-time favorites!

• Phantom of the Opera

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It may not be a musical, but it sure is close... It's The Way We Were!

It’s 1973. Watergate has happened. Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Arthur Laurents, and Sidney Pollack get together to re-create the weepy romcom in the non-musical—but musical-theatre-adjacent!—classic The Way We Were.

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We talk about:

• The Conflict: Streisand & Laurents versus Pollack & Redford, and some of the behind-the-scenes drama that led to the creation of this classic.

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You’ll hear:

• Barbra singing the film’s title song from the 1973 film soundtrack, and an excerpt from the 1998 episode of Sex in the City, Episode 18 (“Ex in the City”).

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Check out some of our all-time favorites!

• Phantom of the Opera

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Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

Peter and Nathan watched this movie so you don't have to!

It's time for a deep cut... We’re talking about the 1970 film version of Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane’s very strange musical, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever – a show about a psychiatrist with terrible boundaries.

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We talk about:

• ESP: Is there a meaningful distinction between extrasensory perception and Christian conceptions of spirituality and prayer?

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You’ll hear:

Yves Montand, Barbra Streisand and the cast of the film singing "Come Back To Me," "Love With All The Trimmings" and "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever" as well as the Peddlers’ version of the film’s title song.

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Check out some of our all-time favorites!

• Phantom of the Opera

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Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

She's still glowin', she's still crowin,' she's still goin' strong...

That's right: we're continuing our deep dive into the great Barbra Streisand with a look at the mid-60s Broadway classic, Jerry Herman’s Hello Dolly!

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We talk about:

• Discernment: Dolly is a woman on a journey out of grief – and is looking for her sign. What kind of a theology of discernment does the show depend on?

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You’ll hear:

The 1969 film soundtrack: La Streisand, Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford, Louis Armstrong and the full cast singing “Just Leave Everything To Me,” “It Takes a Woman,” “Ribbons Down My Back,” “Put On Your Sunday Clothes,” “Elegance,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” “It Only Takes a Moment” and, of course, “Hello, Dolly!”

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Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more.

________________________________

Check out some of our all-time favorites!

• Phantom of the Opera

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Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

Isn’t it "people who DON'T need people are the luckiest people in the world?"

Today we look at the role that made Barbara Streisand's early career: the role of Fanny Brice in Jule Styne & Bob Merrill’s 1964 musical Funny Girl and the 1968 film directed by William Wyler.

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We talk about:

• The Greatest Star: The phenomenon of the original Fanny Brice, how Barbra got involved in the project, and where the line between ego, strength, and vanity lies.

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You’ll hear:

– The 1968 Film Soundtrack: "I’m the Greatest Star," Omar Shariff and Barbra singing "You Are Woman, I am Man," "My Man," "Don’t Rain on My Parade" and—of course—"People."

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Check out some of our all-time favorites!

• Phantom of the Opera

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Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

Everybody said don't, but we're doing it anyway... It's the Gospel According to Babs!

It's the queerest thing we've ever done. This season, we're focusing on the musical (and musical-adjacent) films of one of the greats – Barbra Streisand: GOAT queer diva, filmmaker, actor, and singer, who just released her autobiography My Name is Barbra.

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We talk about:

– The Method: Barbra’s early training in the method developed by Konstantin Stanislavski and his students in the early decades of the 20th century – and the theology of human experience it depends on.

– The Albums: Streisand as an interpreter of the American Songbook, and the ways in which her acting training influences her recording career.

– The power of thought as Barbra’s autobiography (and discography!) expresses it. Do thoughts really transcend matter?

– Keep a performance fresh – how to stay in the moment when the moment needs to be repeated over and over.

– Streisand as prophet and priest. How does an artist bring a prophetic voice to society?

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You’ll hear:

– Mostly Barbra! “Putting it Together” from the Broadway Album (1985), “Everybody Says Don’t” from Back to Broadway (1993) and “Guilty” (with Barry Gibbs!) from 1980.

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________________________________

Check out some of our all-time favorites!

• Phantom of the Opera

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Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

Schmigadoon is back on Apple TV! The second season takes us in a slightly different direction, and today we explore the theology of the musicals being lovingly spoofed by "Schmicago" and wonder what it means that "every day can be a happy beginning."

(By the way... if you missed our episode on Schmigadoon Season 1, you can listen here, or wherever you get your podcasts!)

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We talk about:

– The power of parables, and how stories can (and can’t) transform us.

– The theology of the Broadway musicals of the 60s & 70s, steeped in sex & nihilism, and how Schmicago navigates – and ultimately rejects – that theology.

– The show’s ending, and what kind of theology is implicit in the final number.

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You’ll hear:  Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Kristen Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Tituss Burgess, Dove Cameron, Aaron Tveit and the cast of Schmigadoon Season 2.

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Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more.

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Check out some of our all-time favorites!

• Phantom of the Opera

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Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

If you're just joining us... It's priestly, it's profane, it's the queerest thing we've ever done – it's the Gospel of Musical Theatre, the podcast that dives deep into the spirituality of musical theatre!

When we can't find any spiritual themes to talk about, we talk about the clothes and the chorus boys.

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Previous seasons:

Season 1:  Rodgers & Hammerstein

Season 2:  Lerner & Loewe

Season 3:  Stephen Sondheim

Season 4:  Andrew Lloyd Weber

Season 5:  Barbra Streisand

Season 6:  Movie Musical Madness!

Season 7:  Political Rundown (Cabaret, Ragtime & more)

Bonus episodes:

• Schmigadoon, Season 1

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Check out some of our all-time favorites!

• Phantom of the Opera

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Meet the Hosts:

Nathan LeRud is a native Oregonian, a pastor’s kid, and a musical theatre geek. With degrees in theology (General Theological Seminary) and English (Whitman College), his great loves are teaching the Bible, exploring Oregon history, attending vintage matinees at the Hollywood Theatre and finding the intersection of popular culture and religion. Nathan is currently Dean of Trinity Cathedral in Portland, Oregon. He also knows how to clog.

Peter Elliott has loved musical theatre his whole life. At age 12, he appeared as Oliver Twist in a semi-professional production of Oliver! During his time as Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver, British Columbia, it was the location of many musical theatre productions, including a memorable three night revue of the work of Stephen Sondheim September in the Cathedral with Sondheim, and Jubilation: 125 Years of Musical Theatre.

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Nathan and Peter welcome Ian Farthing, Vancouver-based actor & director and one of the original London ushers for the West End Production of Starlight Express (1984). We explore the theology & themes of Starlight Express – as well as Lloyd Webber’s more recent musical Sunset Boulevard (1993).

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We talk about:

– Theatre as a vocation, and how vocations – religious or artistic – change over the course of a life.

– Where does “the power to move” come from – and how do we learn to run the race with integrity?

– Donald Trump? – Who knew (other than Peter!) that Trump’s favorite film is Sunset Boulevard?

– Nothing: We gossip about our favorite Norma Desmonds, and come to no real theological conclusions (but we do know we love flannel on a man!)

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You’ll hear:

– Excerpts from the original cast recording of Starlight Express (1984)

– Betty Buckley performing “With One Look” live at Carnegie Hall (2006)

– Patti LuPone singing “As If We Never Said Goodbye” and “The Lady’s Paying” from the Original London Cast Recording of Sunset Boulevard (1993)

– Rex Smith & Anita Louise Combe singing “Sunset Boulevard” & “Too Much In Love To Care” from the Canadian Cast Recording of Sunset Boulevard (1996)

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Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more.

________________________________

Check out some of our all-time favorites!

• Phantom of the Opera

________________________________

Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

We descend into the depths of the Paris Opera for the 1986 musical phenomenon The Phantom of the Opera – a troubling story about abuse, lust, and the power of music.. and one of the most successful & beloved musicals of all time.

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We talk about:

– The Phantom:  Is the Phantom (or "Erik" as he’s known in the original novel) a serpent or a savior?

– The Ick Factor:  What is this relationship between Christine and the Phantom? An abusive mentor relationship? Forbidden love? Artistic partnership? Or is it just a classic Gothic obsession?

– Power & Patriarchy:  How did power and patriarchy operate in the Victorian world of the Paris Opera – and in the 1980s world of rock musicals?

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You’ll hear:

– Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman and the cast of the 1988 Broadway Cast Recording.

________________________________

Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more.

________________________________

Check out some of our all-time favorites!

• Phantom of the Opera

________________________________

Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).