Charm Scene: Improvised Musicals
Join Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Music Director Sam Scheidler, and drummer Chris Ditton as they create brand new musicals — completely on the fly — alongside some of Chicago’s most charming music improvisers and performers. Welcome to the scene!
Episodes
It might be December, but it's wedding season on Charm Scene! Charming guest Carlos Rivera helps us plan the perfect wedding in this week's fully improvised musical, with brooding brides, massive monologues, and aunt-ish ants! Will anyone find love? Find out this week on Charm Scene! Carlos, a rare species of "non-fluent in Spanish" Miami native, has done improv for most of his adult life. Since moving to Chicago in 2016 to pursue...
What's that shiny object at the thrift store? It's a surprise Charm Scene Thanksgiving with charming guest Sydney Clinton! Sydney tells us a bit about her time as a performer and comedian, and her dad's unique perspective on her career, which we use as inspiration for an all-new fully improvised musical - featuring balladic belts, feuding families, a kicked Kyle, and more. Happy Thanksgiving! Sydney Clinton is a Chicago-based perf...
It's all rhymes and good times in this very special episode of Chat Scene! MC Hammersmith (aka our dear friend Will Naameh) is back again, this time discussing his origins in comedy and hip-hop, and giving us some advanced tips and tricks on rhyming. Join us!
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MC Hammersmith (the alias of Will Naameh), is a multi-award winning hip hop comedian. He is the world’s leading rapper to ever emerge from the ghetto of middle class west ...
Get PUMPED. This week we're joined by charming guest and UK's thickest boy - MC Hammersmith! It's a fully improvised musical, complete with melodious mayors, brutish boys, critical crosswords and more! Get your reps in on this all new Charm Scene! LADS LADS LADS.
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MC Hammersmith (the alias of Will Naameh), is a multi-award winning hip hop comedian. He is the world’s leading rapper to ever e...
Jar Jar. Jar Jar Binks Star Wars. It's about Jar Jar. These are his wars. Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Christian Torres Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Chris Ditton Follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, join our Discord, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!
Breaking news! Charming guest Ali Gordon (last heard in episode #24) wrote a BOOK? Join us in this very special episode of Chat Scene as we discuss her debut novel, her New York improv roots, the LA comedy scene, and more. Get your copy today at whatdoesaligordondo.com Ali Gordon is a comedian, author, and educator from New York City, now living in sunny Los Angeles. Ali has performed for years with Team Starkid, most recently in ...
What's that sound in the hall? It's the final Charm SCREAM of the year, and we're finally spooky. Charming guest Sean Buckley ("Phony Award," "Teen Girl Book," "Oops All Bards") joins us for another terrifying improvised musical, complete with ghostly gaming, ridiculous radio, manipulative motherhood, and more. Meet the OTHER family in your house, this week on Charm Scream!
Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Sean Buckley Music Dire...
Austin's in a game! In this bonus episode, we sit down with our own Austin Packard, voice of The Bard in the Jackbox Party Pack 11's "Legends of Trivia," (out NOW!) to talk all things Jackbox. Welcome, adventurous trivia team, to the land of Chat Scene!
Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Sam Scheidler
Follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!
They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're all together ooky, and legally distinct. Our month of Charm SCREAM continues, this week with the incredible Allie Gospel ("Anarchy," "Faking The Band," "Lil' Sluggers")! It's another terrifying improvised musical, complete with a devlish dare, a wicked wing, and gruesome government connections! Welcome to the family! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Allie Gospel Mu...
It's a 'fowl,' witchy good time on this week's Charm SCREAM. We welcome charming guest Kerri Morrison ("Faking The Band," "Blank," "Improvised Sondheim Project") for another horrifying, terrifying, very very spooky improvised musical. Bumbling birds, pesky potions, humongous hands, and more. Come fly with us... if you dare! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Kerri Morrison Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Chris Ditton Follow ...
There's nothing SPOOKIER than surprise improvised songs! It's finally October, and our month of Charm SCREAM-ingly horrifying improvised musicals has just begun. We're starting off with just the four of us for a scary good time of music improv challenges, all themed around our favorite spooky season. Gruesome games, creepy key changes, ghastly gets, and more in this all-new special episode of Charm SCREAM. Happy Halloween! Cast: L...
It's the classic tale of two interns who are also neighbors who are also consensual polyamorous lovers. This week we welcome charming guest Simon Tessmer ("Hitchcocktails," "Clued In," "Jackie Bass") for another fully improvised musical - complete with scientific sun tans, misogynistic mice, troubled tradwives and so much more. Tap into your rage for an all new Charm Scene! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Simon Tessmer Music Di...
Sharks, have we got a product for you. Charming guest Ryan J. Hurdle ("Gums," "Y2K: A 90s Musical," Voila) takes us to the cutthroat world of investing and also parking. We've got daring dreams, climbing camera men, and a lyrical Lin Manuel Miranda in this fully improvised musical. Your dreams are what they seems on this week's Charm Scene! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Ryan J. Hurdle Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Chri...
How have we not done a western yet?? This week on Charm Scene, we've got the phenomenal Heather Scholl (Phony Award, Voila, ComedySportz, Anarchy) back again for another fully improvised musical! Curious cowboys, towns and tracks, a medium marriage, and more. Hear those western weddin' bells, this week on Charm Scene! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Heather Scholl Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Chris Ditton Follow us @Ch...
Charm Scene is BACK and so is charming guest Ben Auxier (Friend Dog Studios, Wheel of Improv, RIFF)! We go deep into yet another fully improvised musical, with personified pits, marching meatballs, minor miners, and a faulty understanding of the US copyright system. No one charms like Gaston! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Ben Auxier Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Chris Ditton Follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikT...
It's the best of both worlds! Charming guest Allen Lucas RETURNS to Charm Scene with another fully improvised musical - complete with wonky wigs, frantic fans, and a popstar professor. Chill it out, take it slow, and we'll rock out the show. You're watching Disney Channel. I mean Charm Scene. Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Allen Lucas Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Chris Ditton Follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, Ti...
We're all family in this week's improvised musical - this time with charming guest Ross Taylor (Missed Call, TMI, The Second City)! Ross takes us back to his time on stage in Edward Albee's "Zoo Story," so naturally we have to do the sequel. Journeying giraffes, faraway families, and New York nonsense abound in "2 Zoo 2 Story." Just as Albee intended. Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Ross Taylor Music Director: Sam Scheidler Dru...
A new voice on the mic?? As we start in on our "Summer Slowdown" - here's a special BONUS episode featuring our incredible drummer Chris Ditton! We talk Chris's start in Chicago's music improv scene, his inspirations and techniques, and more in our first ever "CHAT Scene!"
No musical this week, but we'll be back next Tuesday and every second Tuesday from there on with brand new made-up musicals from Chicago's best music improvisers...
AHHHHH WE MADE IT TO FIFTY EPISODES!!! Thank you so much for following along :)
We're halfway to a hundred in this week's episode of Charm Scene! We welcome back our original charming guest - Amber Linde (Baby Wants Candy, Phony Award Winning Musical, Anarchy) - for the pod's golden 50th episode. What do scientific studies, dynamic dancing, and a timid Transylvanian have in common? Listen now to find out! Happy 50th!
Cast: Lily Lud...
Teen Jesus? Baseball camp? Why not BOTH? We've got charming guest Megan Ramsey (Gums, Duluth, Evangelikids) on a mission to teach you the ways of the lord, and the perfect curveball. Double play disciples, sinless step dads, and the original home run hero himself - Jesus Christ. It's a grand slam in this week's fully improvised Charm Scene. Play ball! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Megan Ramsey Music Director: Sam Scheidler Dr...
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