Today on After the Bell, a bonus podcast series exclusively for our Spotify listeners, Frederick is joined by Richard Biever, the current Program Director of Musical Theatre at Nazareth University in Rochester, NY. Fun fact: Frederick served as Richard's teaching assistant at Penn State University for the popular Intro to Musical Theatre course!

Frederick and Richard will chat all things Into the Woods and Stephen Sondheim, as well as a little bit about Richard's background in theatre and education. To learn more about Richard and Nazareth University, click here!

To follow more of Frederick's dramaturgical adventures as the MT Dramaturg, give him a follow on IG: @themtdramaturg.

On today’s episode, we’re sticking with the fairy tale theme as we journey down the forest path with Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical take on the Brothers Grimm stories. The musical—you guessed it—is Into the Woods. This musical has it all, murderous giants, hungry wolves, generational curses—and that’s just the first act.

Since its premiere on Broadway in 1987, Into the Woods has generally been regarded as famed composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s most “accessible” work. On today’s episode, we’ll chat about Mr. Sondheim’s legacy, the legacy of this musical, and what you need to know before you take your own journey into the woods.

For a transcript of today’s episode, click here.

To see more of Frederick’s dramaturgical adventures as the Musical Theatre Dramaturg, give him a follow on Instagram @themtdramaturg.

Today on After the Bell, a bonus podcast series exclusively for our Spotify listeners, our host Frederick Miller is joined by his high school theatre teacher, Jennifer Anderson Schramm, to chat all things Shrek the Musical.

For the past 30 years, Jennifer Anderson Schramm has been the Director of Orchestras at Cumberland Valley High School, as well as the Producer and Music Director for Cumberland Valley High School Musical Productions. To learn more about the CV Musical program, visit www.cvmusical.com.

To follow more of Frederick’s dramaturgical adventures as the MT Dramaturg, give him a follow on IG: @themtdramaturg.

On the season premiere, Frederick discusses one of the most popular musicals performed by high schools these days. This musical greenified Broadway in 2008 when it opened and might have made it smell a little rank too. No, we’re not talking about Wicked. I’m talking about the other green hero that sings—the ogre named Shrek.

Shrek the Musical features a score by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. Despite being based on a popular film that even won an Academy Award for Best Picture, Shrek the Musical did not receive much love by the industry when it arrived on Broadway. Stick around as we peel back the layers on this onion of a musical and pour some green tea to go with it.

For a transcript of today’s episode, click here.

To see more of Frederick’s dramaturgical adventures as the Musical Theatre Dramaturg, give him a follow on Instagram @themtdramaturg.