Jun 5, 2023
We're back with a new miniseries! We're tackling title songs over the course of the next four episodes, and we're starting with the one that you're probably thinking of already. We're back to Rodgers & Hammerstein, but we're starting with their first show together. It's the beginning of the Golden Age of musicals, and...
May 15, 2023
It's the end of our annual Sondheim birthday celebration, and our last murder ballad. This episode, we're back with Assassins looking at "The Ballad of Guiteau." Charles Guiteau is a thorny historical figure, but Erik and Shannon do their best to try to make some sense of him, his song, and this entire show.
All clips...
May 1, 2023
We're continuing our Sondheim birthday miniseries, this time focusing on his murder ballads, and we're moving on to a show that is dominated by murder ballads -- 1991's Assassins. Join us as we look at "The Ballad of Booth"and try to pick apart both this extremely rich song and the show's message.
Audio note: It was...
Apr 15, 2023
To quote Shannon, "Murder! Murder! Murder!"
Yes, we're carrying on with this year's Sondheim theme of murder
ballads, and we're carrying on with Sweeney Todd.
This episode, we discuss the sort of duet, but not really, "My
Friends."
All clips are from the 2002 production of Sweeney Todd in Concert featuring George...
Apr 1, 2023
It's Sondheim time again -- the most wonderful time of the year here at SMSTS. This year, Shannon got her pick of themes, and she chose Sondheim's murder ballads. So, y'know, buckle up.
We're starting off with the opening of 1979's Sweeney Todd:
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
appropriately named "Prelude/The Ballad of...