Can 90s camp actually save classical art? This week on The Spark Parade, host Adam Unze sits down with classically trained soprano and celebrated video essayist Khadija Mbowe to dive into their "Spark": Baz Luhrmann’s neon-soaked, 1996 cinematic fever dream, Romeo + Juliet.

From reenacting Juliet’s death scene on a suburban couch at age five to mixing "WAP" with "Habanera" in their own operatic productions, Khadija explains how this film gave them the ultimate creative permission to "commit to the cuckoo."

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Baz Style: Breaking down the "drug shot" pacing and the iconic 1996 costume design that still dominates mood boards today.
• Mercutio’s Cultural Reset: The radical impact of Harold Perrineau’s performance and the "Alt-Black Girl" aesthetic in 90s cinema.
• Classical Training vs. Creative Freedom: Khadija’s journey from rigid opera school to founding Operatica, where Rachmaninoff meets Cardi B.
• #JusticeForNia: A passionate deep dive into the brilliance of director Nia DaCosta and why her work (including 28 Years Later) is the modern spiritual successor to the 90s "chaos" aesthetic.
• The Rumi Philosophy: Why "words spoken from the heart will enter the heart" is the guiding principle for modern creators.
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• YouTube: Khadija Mbowe
• Instagram: @khadija.mbowe
• Website: Operatica

• Instagram/TikTok: @sparkparade
• YouTube: The Spark Parade Channel
• Support the Show: Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Keywords: Khadija Mbowe, Baz Luhrmann, Romeo and Juliet 1996, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harold Perrineau, Nia DaCosta, 28 Years Later, Opera Fusion, Alt-Black Girl Aesthetic, Video Essayist, Shakespeare Modernized, Creative Process, The Spark Parade, Adam Unze.

The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram/Bluesky/TikTok: @sparkparade

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you listen!

For more info, visit: www.thesparkparade.com

Copyright © 2025 The Spark Parade. All rights reserved.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Another Cinderella Story actually the best adaptation of all time? Rising pop icon Hemlocke Springs (the mind behind the viral hit "Girlfriend") joins Adam to explain why this 2008 Selena Gomez classic is her ultimate creative "Spark." 🥀✨

From the depths of the $5 Walmart DVD bin to the high-stakes choreography of the "Mary and Joey" dance-off, Hemlocke breaks down how this movie defined an entire generation’s pop aesthetic. We dive into the genius of Jane Lynch as the ultimate pop-star stepmother, the "leather and tutus" style of the character Tati, and the tech-debate that will forever date the film: Was the Zune actually a better "glass slipper" than the original?

But it’s not all nostalgia—Adam drops a "childhood-ruining" truth bomb about the real-life age gap between the lead actors that leaves Hemlocke (and maybe you) questioning everything. 💀

In this episode, we discuss:

• The $5 Origin Story: How a random Walmart purchase fueled a DIY pop career.
• Nostalgia Tech: The rise and fall of the Microsoft Zune.
• Fashion Sparks: Why "Tati" is the unsung style hero of the 2000s.
• The Joey Parker Reveal: Navigating the "icky" side of teen movie casting.
• New Classic: Why the soundtrack (featuring Drew Seeley) still hits in 2026.

The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram/Bluesky/TikTok: @sparkparade

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you listen!

For more info, visit: www.thesparkparade.com

Copyright © 2025 The Spark Parade. All rights reserved.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a brief hiatus, The Spark Parade is back! To kick off our new season, we are joined by a literal legend, the Mother of Mothers and RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 winner, Sasha Colby. Sasha joins host Adam Unze to deep-dive into the album that provided her blueprint for survival: Janet Jackson’s 1997 masterpiece, The Velvet Rope.

In this raw and deeply personal interview, Sasha Colby opens up about her journey from Waimānalo, Hawaii, to the global stage. She reveals how she used dance as therapy to navigate family trauma and why Janet’s "gay-coded" interludes gave her a sense of belonging long before she found her community. From the nostalgia of Sam Goody listening stations to the revolutionary choreography of Tina Landon, this episode explores the intersection of art, identity, and queer joy.

• Sasha Colby’s Early Inspirations: Discovering Janet Jackson at 13 and the magic of 90s record stores.
• Dance as Healing: How the "What About" performance at the VH1 Fashion Awards helped Sasha process domestic abuse and trauma.
• The Velvet Rope Legacy: Why this album remains the "Queer Bible" and a foundational text for sexual freedom.
• Radical Allyship: Janet’s fearless commitment to the AIDS crisis and the LGBTQ+ community in 1997.
• The Art of Longevity: Why Janet Jackson deserves her "flowers" for a career built on authenticity rather than chasing fame.
• Cultural Connections: Comparing the "explicitly queer" energy of The Velvet Rope to Beyoncé’s Renaissance.

Sasha Colby is a world-renowned drag performer, activist, and the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15. A Miss Continental 2012 titleholder, Sasha has spent decades as a leader in the trans and drag communities, known for her "Goddess" stage presence and mastery of contemporary dance.

Released in 1997, Janet Jackson’s sixth studio album tackled depression, social issues, and domestic violence while blending R&B, trip-hop, and electronic sounds. Featuring the hit "Together Again," it is cited by many as one of the most influential pop albums of all time.

✨ SUPPORT THE PARADE: If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts! It’s the best way to help new listeners find the show.

📺 WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW: For the visual experience, including archival clips of Janet and Sasha, subscribe to The Spark Parade on YouTube.

FOLLOW US: Instagram: @sparkparade TikTok: @sparkparade

Sasha Colby: @sashacolby

The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram/Bluesky/TikTok: @sparkparade

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you listen!

For more info, visit: www.thesparkparade.com

Copyright © 2025 The Spark Parade. All rights reserved.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this high-voltage episode of The Spark Parade Podcast, host Adam welcomes actor Jefferson White (Yellowstone, Chicago Fire) to dive deep into the film that ignited his creative "spark": the 2003 sci-fi action epic, The Matrix Reloaded.

Jefferson shares his vivid, almost electric memory of seeing the trailer for the first time—calling it his favorite movie before the film even released! The discussion explores the incredible cultural phenomenon of The Matrix and the immense pressure and excitement surrounding the sequel.

This is an episode for anyone who felt the thrilling, transformative power of The Matrix trilogy. Get ready for a deep dive into pure, unadulterated cinematic excitement!

Don't forget to check out Jefferson's new movie Drink And Be Merry! Just in time for the holiday season.

The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram/Bluesky/TikTok: @sparkparade

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you listen!

For more info, visit: www.thesparkparade.com

Copyright © 2025 The Spark Parade. All rights reserved.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Indie-pop songwriter and producer Carter Vail joins Adam to talk about how Wes Anderson’s film The Royal Tenenbaums became a major creative Spark in his life.

Carter shares how discovering the movie in high school—and being struck by its soundtrack, meticulous visual style and mix of whimsy and deep sadness—reshaped the way he thinks about storytelling, world-building and emotional honesty in his own music and videos.

From his “Richie Tenenbaum” headband phase to the way he uses color palettes and character details in his visual work, Carter explains why this film still feels endlessly rewatchable and creatively energizing.

You’ll also hear Adam and Carter dig into Wes Anderson’s evolution as a filmmaker, the balance between style and substance and why The Royal Tenenbaums might be Anderson’s most emotionally effective film. They discuss grief, family dynamics, taboo romance, and what it means to make art that’s specific, vulnerable and sometimes polarizing instead of “digestible slop.”

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How The Royal Tenenbaums blew Carter’s mind as a teen and pushed him toward being an artist
• Why Wes Anderson’s visual style and color choices are so influential for musicians and filmmakers
• The emotional impact of balancing whimsy, humor, and devastating moments
• How Carter channels character-driven storytelling and big feelings into his songwriting and videos
• Thoughts on risk-taking, originality, and not playing it “cool” in creative work
• 
  

About Carter Vail:

Carter Vail is an American indie-pop songwriter, producer, and content creator known for blending melodic, emotionally rich songs with offbeat humor and viral musical sketches. After studying audio engineering at the University of Miami, he began releasing music in the late 2010s and has since put out projects including Red Eyes, The Interstellar Tennis Championship and 100 Cowboys, building a devoted audience across streaming platforms and social media.

About The Royal Tenenbaums:

Released in 2001, The Royal Tenenbaums is a comedy-drama directed by Wes Anderson about a dysfunctional family of former child prodigies navigating failure, grief and reconciliation. Featuring an ensemble cast led by Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson, the film is celebrated for its symmetrical framing, carefully curated color palettes and eclectic soundtrack. It has become a defining work in Anderson’s filmography and a lasting influence on contemporary visual storytelling.

The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram/Bluesky/TikTok: @sparkparade

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you listen!

For more info, visit: www.thesparkparade.com

Copyright © 2025 The Spark Parade. All rights reserved.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Award-winning songwriter and composer Jeremiah Fraites, co-founder of The Lumineers, joins Adam to explore the powerful impact of Bruce Springsteen’s minimalist masterpiece, Nebraska.

Jeremiah reveals how Springsteen’s stripped-down storytelling and raw, lo-fi production inspired his own creative journey—from writing chart-topping hits with The Lumineers to scoring the feature film Deliver Me From Nowhere, which tells the story behind Nebraska’s creation.

Discover how Nebraska’s themes of vulnerability, artistry, and blue-collar Americana resonate across generations of musicians and why Jerome believes this album changed the musical landscape forever. This candid conversation also delves into Jeremiah’s process composing for film (including The Long Walk), lessons learned from Springsteen’s risk-taking and the lasting influence of home-recorded innovation.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How Nebraska transformed Jeremiah’s views on songwriting and vulnerability
• The creative spark and intention behind scoring Deliver Me From Nowhere
• The continued influence of Nebraska’s lo-fi recording techniques
• The parallels between Springsteen’s career-defining risks and The Lumineers’ artistic choices
• Reflections on authenticity, musical legacy, and American storytelling
• 
  

About the Guest:

Jeremiah Fraites is a Grammy-nominated composer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, known for his work with The Lumineers and acclaimed film scores including Deliver Me From Nowhere and The Long Walk.

About Nebraska:

Released in 1982, Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska is an influential, stripped-back album recorded solo on a four-track cassette recorder. Its stark, narrative-driven songs—and themes of isolation, honesty and hope—have earned it a place among the most celebrated works in rock history.

The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram/Bluesky/TikTok: @sparkparade

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you listen!

For more info, visit: www.thesparkparade.com

Copyright © 2025 The Spark Parade. All rights reserved.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor joins Adam to talk about her Spark: Charli XCX’s bold and boundary-pushing album Brat.

They share the story of how the album’s daring production and confessional lyrics sparked Sophie’s creative inspiration just before it exploded into the mainstream. From its genre-blurring sound to its cross-generational appeal, they explore how Brat embodies the fearless honesty and queer cultural vibrancy shaping today’s pop music landscape.

If you love innovative pop, authentic songwriting or insights into the evolving music industry, this episode is your gateway to a fascinating conversation.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Sophie’s first encounter with Charli XCX’s Brat and family connections
• How Brat’s bold, minimalistic sound challenged pop conventions
• The importance of honesty and vulnerability in modern songwriting
• Brat’s impact across different generations and queer communities
• Sophie’s reflections on her own career reinvention and classic hits like “Murder on the Dancefloor”

The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram/Bluesky/TikTok: @sparkparade

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you listen!

For more info, visit: www.thesparkparade.com

Copyright © 2025 The Spark Parade. All rights reserved.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join comedian and actor Gianmarco Soresi for a campy, nostalgic journey into his Spark: Spiceworld, the 1997 Spice Girls album and film phenomenon. Gianmarco share memories of first hearing the album in childhood, the theatrical personas of Baby Spice and friends and the explosive pop energy that defined an era.

Gianmarco dives into the group’s dynamic, the album’s enduring charm, and why Spice Girls remain a touchstone of girl power, camp, and 90s pop culture.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How Spiceworld introduced Gianmarco to the power of camp and theatrical pop
• The chaotic, hilarious plot of the Spice World movie
• The Spice Girls’ impact on 90s culture and girl power anthems
• Behind-the-scenes insights on the band’s fame and solo projects
• Why Gianmarco still listens to and celebrates Spiceworld today

The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram/Bluesky/TikTok: @sparkparade

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you listen!

For more info, visit: www.thesparkparade.com

Copyright © 2025 The Spark Parade. All rights reserved.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join legendary horror drag icons The Boulet Brothers for a campy, queer journey into their Spark: The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Adam and the Boulets share first encounters with the groundbreaking cult film, its impact on their lives, and why it remains a loud, proud anthem for queer joy, radical self-expression, and chosen family.

Swantula takes us back to being a closeted 14-year-old, blown away by Rocky Horror’s uninhibited queerness, campy horror, and radical self-expression that expanded their world overnight. Drac recalls renting the VHS and falling in love with the iconic queer characters that spoke to their gothic, outsider spirit.

We dive into queer representation, midnight screenings, Tim Curry’s unforgettable Frank-N-Furter, and the legendary audience participation that keeps the cult classic alive. The Boulet Brothers break down what makes Rocky Horror a radical anthem of chosen family, joy, and queer celebration — and how it continues to inspire their boundary-pushing drag art and TV series Dragula.

You’ll also hear about The Boulet Brothers’ latest creative projects and why their Rocky Horror Spark lights their queer artistry to this day.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How Rocky Horror hit Swantula and Drac at formative moments
• The unique mix of horror, camp, musical theater and queer culture
• The cultural impact and enduring legacy of Rocky Horror midnight shows
• The meaning behind “Don’t Dream It, Be It” for the Boulet Brothers
• Why Rocky Horror’s queer spirit fuels Dragula and their work today

The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram/Bluesky/TikTok: @sparkparade

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you listen!

For more info, visit: www.thesparkparade.com

Copyright © 2025 The Spark Parade. All rights reserved.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt and Trevor of Cheat Codes sit down with Adam Unze to talk about their Spark: the movie Ready Player One.

They share the story of how the film’s immersive virtual reality and flood of pop culture Easter eggs blew their minds and sparked creative inspiration. From parallels between gaming, music and business to navigating the future of AI and virtual worlds, they explore how Ready Player One reflects the community, creativity and boundary-pushing spirit that drives their music career.

If you love EDM, gaming culture, futuristic visions or collaborative creativity, this episode is your gateway to an inspiring conversation.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How Ready Player One felt ahead of its time and parallels today’s tech reality
• The importance of community and collaboration in music and virtual worlds
• Gaming as a metaphor for creativity and business success
• Impacts of AI and emerging technologies on art and connections
• How Cheat Codes blends genres and crafts immersive live experiences
• Pop culture Easter eggs, VR performances, and the future of entertainment

The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram/Bluesky/TikTok: @sparkparade

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you listen!

For more info, visit: www.thesparkparade.com

Copyright © 2025 The Spark Parade. All rights reserved.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.