This Might Be Niche

And that's a wrap, folks! In the last episode of the year of This Might Be Niche, Scott & Alana look back on all the moments in theater and culture that made 2024 a wild ride. The compare the highs and lows, give out some superlatives and honorable mentions (shoutout Moo Deng), and get into a deep discussion on whether the Wicked press tour was good or bad for the culture. Let us hold space for the space. Our hosts also celebrate having launched the pod this year, and maybe name drop some Broadway celebs who have reposted us (thank you, Carolee Carmello!). And thank you, listener, for being on this journey with us. Cheers to 2025! 

In this episode of This Might Be Niche, our hosts are deep in the holiday spirit. Scott & Alana sit down to to watch A Christmas Story Live! , the live version of A Christmas Story: The Musical that aired on Fox in 2017. Big fans of the original 1983 movie on this pod, this version is, well... let's just say, we did not live for the live. The good: a star-studded cast, Jane Krakowski turning it like the showgirl she is, Ana Gasteyer serving some Hanukkah representation, and a group of very talented kids showing up and showing out. The not so good... well, you'll have to listen to find out. Happy Holidays everyone! 

"Do you hear what I hear?" is the question Idina Menzel poses rhetorically in her 2014 holiday album, Holiday Wishes. Queen, we sure do hear. We hear, and we are here for, this episode of This Might Be Niche, where Scott and Alana discuss their favorite holiday albums that have emerged from the Broadway community. They talk their favorite takes on traditional tunes, manifest the Broadway stars they'd like to see record some festive music, and celebrate Jessica Vosk's newly released (and aptly titled) holiday album, SLEIGH. A note that this episode was recorded shortly before the announcement of the closing of the Tammy Faye Musical, RIP. Let's get into it (the holiday spirit, that is). 

And if you caught that Sunset Boulevard reference, you're in for a treat. On this episode of This Might Be Niche, Scott & Alana deep dive on the top shows (mostly musicals with a couple of plays thrown in for good measure) that they want to see make it back to a Broadway stage. This highly scientific list is partly comprised of material that is topically relevant today, and largely comprised of productions they just need to see, damnit (see: why have we been denied the West End production of Dreamgirls with Amber Riley?). They also touch on the backstage antics they'd like to see at Drag the Musical, and talk their favorite theater school warm-up games. Anyone up for a round of Zip Zap Zop?

We're back, back again, returning to the early 2000s, where Scott & Alana give the leading ladies of their favorite era their well-deserved due. They sing the praises of the women who made such a golden era of theater so sweet, and the shows that were formative viewing. From the Broadway belters, to the lone coloratura soprano (guess who), to the very best to ever do it, Miss Sherie Rene Scott... we've got a lot ground to cover on this week's episode of This Might Be Niche.

After 20 years of waiting, the time has come to have Wickedness thrust upon us! Like good theater kids at heart, Scott & Alana rushed to see Wicked as soon as it opened to be able to share their thoughts, feelings and discussion with the pod. And oh boy, are there feelings. Tune in to hear them discuss all things Wicked movie - what made them gush, takes on the cast, changes from the stage version, their (minor) criticisms and more. Fair warning: spoilers ahead! 

Tis the season for the impending Wicked movie release, and our girl is making the rounds. In this episode, Scott & Alana celebrate all things Cynthia Erivo, from her ubiquitous presence on televised big sings, to what it was like to see her on Broadway as Celie in The Color Purple (spoiler alert: absolutely iconic). They also dip their toes into some of social media controversy that have been gracing your social media feeds. All in all, there is no one out there doing it quite like our queen. Check out some best of clips below:

The Color Purple - Miss Celie's Pants
The Color Purple - I'm Here
With Shoshana Bean - Taylor Swift Cover - I Did Something Bad
With Shoshana Bean - With A Little Help From My Friends
With John Legend - Beach Boys Cover - God Only Knows
Elsie Fest - Last 5 Years - I Can Do Better Than That

Enter the swamp with us in this episode ofThis Might Be Niche, where Scott and Alana review the pro-shot of Shrek the Musical, starring Brian d'Arcy James, Daniel Breaker and Sutton Foster. They deep dive into the music of Jeanine Tesori and the book by David Lindsay-Abaire, celebrating the surprisingly good, and analyzing the things they didn't love. The campaign has started: hear our voices when we say, No more pro-shot tomfoolery! Additionally, Scott reveals an incident where he was late paying Brian d'Arcy James for sheet music. Brian, if you're out there... we hope you have forgiven! 

Hello Darling! In this episode of This Might Be Niche, Scott and Alana dive into the whimsical world of Kimberly Akimbo, comparing notes on the Broadway vs the first national tour. Scott gives his take on the original Broadway cast starring Victoria Clark, and Alana reviews the recently opened national tour starring Carolee Carmello. They dive in on all things Jeanine Tesori, David Lindsay-Abaire, and of course, give their offerings to the divine beltress Bonnie Milligan. Join us, we have lots to discuss! 

Just in time for spooky season, this episode is all about the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Scott and Alana discuss the many iterations of this cult musical from the 1975 film starring Tim Curry, to the iconic 2001 Broadway revival, to the very descriptively titled "The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again" that aired on Fox in 2016. Our hosts hit on best performances, and discuss whether community theaters on Long Island are still able to put up "junior" productions of Rocky Horror... and also... why? Plus, find out which recorded soundtrack contains "16 bars of some of the world's best recorded singing." Grab your fishnets and black lipstick, let's get into it.