Nov 2, 2024
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...
Oct 19, 2024
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...
Oct 2, 2024
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...
Sep 1, 2024
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...
Aug 16, 2024
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...