October 3, 2024 • 54 mins
How does a lifelong passion for musical theater begin? For Sara Glancy, it all started with "The Wizard of Oz" at age five. Join us as Sara recounts her enchanting journey from watching "The Wizard of Oz" to her professional training at NYU. Discover how a year-long New Year's resolution to learn a new musical every day helped keep her artistic spirit alive amidst the hustle and bustle of New York City.
We also get a sneak peek into Sarah's new solo show, "Put Words in My Mouth," which focuses on the power of lyrics across musical theater, folk, and rock. Featuring the works of Shaina Taub, Joni Mitchell, and Stephen Sondheim, Sara shares her love of words, and how musical theatre lyrics inspire hope.
Sara Glancy (she/her) is an NYC-based actor who has performed Off-Broadway, touring, and regionally. But many of her favorite projects have been workshops and readings of thrilling new works that are not yet household names. Though her first New York Times review named her “a scene-stealing Sara Glancy,” Sara is always happiest when sharing the spotlight with a gaggle of fearless collaborators. To learn more about Sara, check out saraglancy.com
Show Links:
- Tickets for “Put Words in My Mouth
- Follow Sara Glancy on Instagram @saraglancy1
Filmed Live Musicals is where musicals come home. Use the searchable database to find musicals filmed on stage to watch from the comfort of your living room! Visit www.filmedlivemusicals.com to learn more.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. You can also support the site at Patreon. Patrons get early access to the podcast and site content, no matter how much you pledge. Become a Patron today!
Filmed Live Musicals is created by Luisa Lyons, an Australian actor, writer, and musician. Luisa holds a Masters in Music Theatre from London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and now lives, works, and plays in New York. Learn more at www.luisalyons.com and follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Luisa Lyons (00:05):
Welcome to the Filmed Live Musicals podcast, a
podcast that goes behind thescenes of musicals that have
been filmed live on stage.
Filmedlivemusicalscom featuresa searchable database of over
200 musicals from around theworld and dating back to 1938.
You can also sign up for ourmonthly newsletter and find
upcoming streams in the calendar.
(00:26):
Make sure to check it out atfilmedlivemusicalscom.
And now on with the show.
Welcome to the Filmed LiveMusicals podcast.
I'm your host, louisa Lyons,and my guest today is actor,
singer and coach Sarah Glancy,who will soon be appearing in
her new solo show, put Words inmy Mouth, which celebrates truly
(00:48):
delicious lyrics from acrossmusical theater, folk and rock
at the Green Room 42 in New YorkCity.
Sarah and I first met almost 10years ago when I was introduced
to her work as a rep coach anddiscovered one of the warmest,
most generous and knowledgeablepeople working in showbiz.
I'm thrilled to have her on thepodcast at last.
Welcome, sarah.
Sara Glancy (01:08):
Louisa, can I just bring you with me everywhere and
have you introduce me?
That was the kindestintroduction.
Luisa Lyons (01:15):
Oh, you're so welcome.
So to kick us off, what madeyou fall in love with musical
theater?
Sara Glancy (01:21):
Oh, I have to say it was at age five.
I saw the Wizard of Oz on TVand my mom recorded it for me.
And I was so entranced by thisthat not only I watched this VHS
tape every single day andmemorized not only all the songs
but all the commercial breaksbecause it was on TV.
(01:41):
So I would go around recitingthe whole show, including
Campbell's chunky soup soup, sobig it eats like a meal.
I don't know what it was aboutthe wizard of Oz.
It like hit some part of mybrain chemistry and my parents
went well, I guess we got to puther in a theater day camp or
something, because their herbrain wants this on a level that
(02:03):
we cannot keep up with.
So that summer in kindergartenthey put me in a day camp that
was doing the Wisdom Bars andthe rest of history.
Luisa Lyons (02:13):
Oh, that is so adorable.
I love that story, and you wenton to study theater
professionally.
Sara Glancy (02:20):
Yes.
So I went to NYU and got my BFAin drama.
I was in the musical theaterprogram, cap 21, and one of my
teachers there, mana Allen,really inspired my love of
research, which is a big part ofwhat this show is about and
what brought us together.
Because when I was doing repcoaching 10 years ago, it's
(02:43):
because I just love encyclopedicresearch into musical theater,
which I know you do as well weare both research nerds and this
teacher, Mana Allen, reallyfilled my.
She curated this love ofresearch and introduced me to
Lincoln Center Library, which ismy favorite place in New York
(03:03):
City, and that's where I got bitby the research bug and
developed my love of rap anddeep cuts when it comes to
musical theater.
Luisa Lyons (03:14):
Oh, I'm curious how did she inspire that love?
Sara Glancy (03:18):
Well, one thing she literally took us on a field
trip to Lincoln Center Libraryand took us through the stacks.
And I remember my first timewalking through that library
thinking this is the greatestplace on earth, and those
listeners who have not beenthere.
It's a public library, butthere's just rows and rows of
bookshelves filled with sheetmusic and dialect CDs back when
(03:44):
people had CD players and scoresand plays.
And there's even a third floorwhere there's a as I'm sure,
louisa, you have frequented manytimes the film archive where
you can see archivedperformances of these live shows
that were on Broadway and offBroadway and research these gems
(04:04):
.
And so our teacher took us onthis field trip and then, you
know, after seeing this library,I was like, well, I must move
in, this is my new home, butit's an incredible resource.
Luisa Lyons (04:18):
I love that, like a single field trip could like
change your life in a way A tripto the library as, as you might
say, if you love, she loves me.
Sara Glancy (04:31):
Yeah, a trip to the library is what did it, and I'd
always loved research and goingdown rabbit holes, but she was
the first teacher who reallyencouraged me to keep going down
that route of if this reallyinterests you, follow your
interest and you know there is a.
There is a place for the nerdyhistory lovers within the
(04:54):
musical theater community, soembrace it oh, my heart just
exploded.
Well, you are the nerdiest ofthe theater nerds.
I I know we have that in common.
Luisa Lyons (05:04):
The highest compliment.
And so, back in 2013, you had aNew Year's resolution spanning
on from this love of research tolearn more about musical
theater, and so you decided toread a new play or listen to a
new musical every day for a year, and so tell us about that
project.
Sara Glancy (05:24):
Yes, it was so interesting.
I had just graduated fromcollege and I am very much a
student in my heart.
I always want to be in schooland graduating.
There was this scary momentwhere I didn't have that
structure of school and at thetime I was temping and
(05:45):
babysitting and waiting tablesand doing all the things that we
do to keep the lights on whenyou don't have an acting job.
And I was finding that I didn'tfeel like an artist and I was
like it's so hard to be livingin New York city working all
these jobs and to not go to bedat night feeling like an artist.
So I thought what is somethingthat I can do every single day
(06:07):
so that I feel like I have donesomething to work on my craft,
even if a table yells at me atthe restaurant and a baby pukes
on me and all of the otherthings I want to do, one thing
that makes me feel like anartist.
And because this teacher hadinstilled this love of research
in me, I thought you know I havea lot of blind spots in my
musical theater history,specifically old school musical
(06:29):
theater, things that werecurrently called the golden age,
like pre 1980s.
I had a lot of blind spots.
So, I made this project formyself of every day for a month
is what it started off?
As I want to read a play.
I've never read or listen to amusical that I've never heard
before, and I posted on Facebookevery day what I was reading or
(06:52):
listening to, becauseaccountability is a powerful
thing.
And after a month of this, Ifelt so much calmer and more
grounded that I thought, okay,let's see if we can do this for
a year.
And it was a really beautifulexperience, and I discovered a
lot of plays and musicals that Inever would have heard before
(07:14):
had I not, you know, startedthis little project.
And then this is what eventuallybrought us in contact, I think,
which is about day 257, as Iwas posting every day about the
plays and musicals that I wasreading, I would start getting
comments from people saying, hey, did you find any monologues
for a 23 year old tenor?
(07:37):
I don't know why the tenorspecifically figures into the
monologue, and I would go huh,actually I have found a lot of
great monologues for 23 year oldtenors, whatever.
And so I started doing repcoaching, where I would help
people find songs and monologuesfor their auditions that felt
(07:58):
like good fits to them, and Idid that for many years, and I
think that's how we initiallymet each other, which was just
an unintended consequence ofthis research project that has,
you know, led to so manywonderful things in my life,
including relationships withpeople that I wouldn't have met
(08:19):
if I hadn't gone down that deep,deep research rabbit hole how
did you create your list likehow?
Luisa Lyons (08:27):
how did you decide what to watch or what to read?
Sara Glancy (08:30):
oh, so haphazardly, because initially it was you
know I went to Lincoln CenterLibrary and I checked out a
bunch of plays and I just waslike we're gonna go through a
lot of recommendations fromfriends.
As we got deeper into theproject, I think I realized that
I needed some more structure.
So I did things like oh, I wantto go through the entire
(08:52):
Shakespeare canon, so I want tomake sure that I've read every
Shakespeare play that we believewas written by Shakespeare, and
at about a third of the waythrough the year I ended up
booking a tour.
So it became harder because Ididn't have access to Lincoln
Center Library.
So it was a lot of what is freeonline.
(09:13):
What do my friends have onthere?
I think people still had iPodsat the time, had a really
incredible library of music fromthese shows and some deep cuts,
and so he would let me borrowhis MP3 player to listen to new
albums.
So it was getting a little morecreative on the road.
(09:35):
And again, this was back in2013.
Now, in 2024, if people feelinspired to do research projects
like this, there are so manymore resources on YouTube and
through filmed live musicals,and there are ways to experience
live theater, even when you'rein a little van traveling around
(09:56):
the Midwest.
Luisa Lyons (09:58):
Yeah, it's crazy Like I wrote my thesis 10 years
ago on filmed live musicals andyou know, back then it was like
there wasn't much streaming.
It was like the early days ofthat.
Like digital theater had juststarted, like the company
Digital Theater in the UK andthe Met had, only like five
years before that, startedbroadcasting to cinemas, filming
(10:26):
theater.
Since the beginning of videocameras um the, the idea of it
being of theater being filmedand made available to the public
was still like relatively newum 10 years ago and it's crazy
how much it has changed in thelast decade wild and daddy, long
legs was the first time Iremember being really cognizant
of that.
Sara Glancy (10:43):
Was there theater in New York being live streamed
before that, or was that's whenit first came on my radar?
Luisa Lyons (10:49):
it was well not streamed, but it was definitely
on television.
So I think, uh, in the 80sthere were experiments with um
uh, cable tv.
Like sophisticated ladies wasbroadcast on television, but it
was like the last performanceand like most shows, were only
broadcast after they were doneplaying.
But so there was and there was.
(11:09):
There was definitely stuffhappening Like Pacific Overtures
was filmed in the seventies.
There were several shows filmedin the eighties and nineties
for cable TV.
But yeah, definitely the livestreaming on the internet didn't
happen until the last kind of10, 15 years.
Sara Glancy (11:27):
It's wild watching the landscape change and also
the audition process, just forso many actors.
The first round is via tape,which we have lots of thoughts
and feelings about and that'smaybe not for this podcast.
Have lots of thoughts andfeelings about and that's maybe
not for this podcast, but it isfascinating watching how the
(11:48):
industry is evolving on allsides, like on the audience side
, on the actor side, and howfilm has had such a profound
impact on that yeah, absolutely,and how.
Luisa Lyons (12:00):
As actors, it's not just about singing, acting and
dancing anymore.
You need to know how to set upa camera, how to set up lights,
how to do audio, like there'sthere's lots more technical
skills and now there's talk forshows like when you're producing
as as you will be talking aboutyour show, that it's not just
about putting on a show anymore,like factoring in this idea of
(12:23):
capturing it in some way andbroadcasting it and all the
legalities around that, and thenthe technicalities of filming
and then deciding how you wantto film and how sorry, how you
want to stream it or broadcastit, or is it for after the run,
is it during the run?
Like there's so many questionsto be answered and like it's.
I find it very exciting,obviously, but it's also it's it
(12:45):
.
It can be very challenging too.
Sara Glancy (12:48):
Both exciting and overwhelming, I'd say.
Luisa Lyons (12:51):
There's so many possibilities.
Sara Glancy (12:52):
But there's also so many possibilities.
Luisa Lyons (12:57):
Very true, and I'm curious, going back to your,
your project, where you werereading a new musical a day and
we were.
We, as we were just talkingabout 10 years ago was a very
different landscape.
Did you watch many things, orwas it mostly like reading and
listening?
Sara Glancy (13:13):
it was mostly reading and listening, and it's
so funny.
I'm sure I don't know that Iused google docs in the day, but
I could go through my myfacebook history and look at
what I was reading and watching.
I did not see a lot of liveperformances.
One because I was on tour for alarge part of this in places
where there weren't necessarilybig theaters doing sit-down
(13:34):
productions, and also I was justso poor at the time.
The number of Broadway showsthat I saw in 2013, I'm sure it
was very, very low.
Broadway shows that I saw in2013, I'm sure it was very, very
low.
And I remember there were a fewtimes where, trying to think
what I watched on YouTube, Iknow I watched like a what was
(13:55):
it?
A Harry Potter musical, likeunlicensed A very Harry Potter
musical.
Yes, a Star Kid, yeah, somethingwhere I was like this is a
questionable legality, but it'svery fun.
There were a couple things thatI found in full on YouTube, or
even I would count, like aconcert performance at 54 Below,
(14:16):
where you see every song in ashow musical, but I didn't do a
ton of that.
It was mostly listening andreading, and I think the project
would look a lot different if Iwas doing it in 2024.
There'd probably be a lot morewatching live streams or
recorded performances or slimetutorials.
Luisa Lyons (14:36):
Yeah, wouldn't know anything about them, wouldn't
know anything about them.
Sara Glancy (14:39):
I haven't heard of them, haven't heard of them.
Luisa Lyons (14:41):
I haven't heard of them, haven't heard of her.
So let's fast forward to 2024.
And you have your new solo showPut Words in my Mouth, so tell
us about the show and theinspiration behind it.
Sara Glancy (14:58):
Yes, I'm wildly excited about this show.
It is a celebration ofdelicious lyrics from across the
genres of musical theater, folkand rock, with a specific focus
on female singer songwriterswho are serving up these
delicious treats.
Because I am very much a lyricsperson.
I'm also a music person, but Iwas the oddball who never minded
(15:19):
when in acting school andthey'd say, well, you do the
song as a monologue.
I know that's a cruel thing todo to a person and most people
hated it.
But I would be like, yeah, canwe nerd about out about the
punctuation for a minute?
Why was the comma instead of asemicolon?
(15:39):
Ooh, let's get in there.
So if that was you, this showis for you or it's for anyone to
hoard over the liner notes oftheir cast albums.
Growing up, like I, it was likeChristmas morning when you open
up the CD case and you have thatthick booklet full of lyrics
and you can read along as you'relistening.
So as I was thinking about allthese experiences, I was like,
(16:01):
wow, you're a lyrics person.
These experiences, I was like,wow, you're a lyrics person.
So I wanted to put together ashow that really honored really
delicious lyrics, because Ithink the music gets a lot of
shine and I hadn't seen a showwhere it was really like can we
focus on the words?
The music is also wildlyimportant, but as a words person
(16:22):
, I wanted a show that was likelet's give these lyrics their
due, because they are doing someheavy lifting in a lot of these
pieces.
Luisa Lyons (16:31):
Oh, I love this.
I love this concept so much andI am a huge fan of the acting
exercise to speak your song as amonologue.
I know that some peopleabsolutely hate it, but I am all
for it.
I know that, like some peopleabsolutely hate it, but I am all
for it.
I think you can learn so muchabout the storytelling an
amazing thing in musical theaterthat we're doing.
We're telling stories that thatyou can unlock by speaking the
(16:55):
lyrics.
Let's, let's zoom in on the.
Are you willing to share someof the composers that, some of
the lyricists that you're?
Can we have a preview into acouple?
Sara Glancy (17:07):
I would love to so a few of the featured artists
that I'm very excited about.
We've got a couple of ShainaTaub songs, because I'm
completely in love and obsessed.
Ari Afsar, who's a veryexciting musical theater
composer, piece from Jeanette,her new musical.
Well, maybe it's not that new2022 for me if it's post 2020,
(17:29):
it's new.
Uh, oh wait, was it 2022?
Now I'm worried I'm gettingtimelines off.
But exciting musical about thelife of Jeanette Rankin, who is
the first woman elected toCongress three years before
women had the right to vote.
Luisa Lyons (17:44):
Yes.
Sara Glancy (17:45):
Wild, so a very cool new musical.
And then we've got some JoniMitchell moments and exactly one
Sondheim song.
Luisa Lyons (17:53):
One Sondheim I love when you're talking about
lyrics.
It reminds me of the ForbiddenBroadway song Into the Words,
how Sondheim is so wordy andtricky to sing.
I love that, and I don't knowthat song I'm going to.
Oh, I will send it to you, yes,yes, very, very delightful.
But so what is it that drawsyou to a particular lyric?
Sara Glancy (18:17):
Hmm, well, I think the magic of a really great
lyric is some writers can dothis magic trick where they zoom
in on a moment that is sospecific to one character that
it becomes universallyrecognizable and thousands of
people listening to this castalbum around the world see
(18:39):
themselves in this moment thatis so specific to the character
that they're writing.
And I think the best lyricsmake people feel seen, which is
extremely powerful.
The example that always comesto my mind is Ring of Keys
Jeanine Tesori, lisa Krohn thatit zooms into a moment that is
so particular to that onecharacter but it's become an
(19:01):
anthem for you know so manyLGBTQ plus people of that moment
of recognizing someone andseeing yourself in them and that
really universal experience.
So that's, to me, the power ofa really well-crafted lyric is
it makes you feel seen, thatit's so specific that it becomes
(19:22):
universal scene that it's sospecific that it becomes
universal.
Luisa Lyons (19:30):
I love that idea of the more specific it is, the
more universal it can be.
And it reminds me my very firstshow that I saw live was A
Chorus Line and I was 10 yearsold in Sydney.
And it still baffles me thatthis show about dancers in New
York, which was a world awayfrom my own experience, could
resonate so much with a 10 yearold child in Sydney like it's.
Sara Glancy (19:55):
it's fascinating to me, um, how that works it is,
and it's a trap that I thinkrookie writers fall into a lot
of.
I want to make something withuniversal appeal, so we go
really broad.
We're going to broadly talkabout feelings.
There's like a fear of goingspecific because if I go too
(20:17):
specific, it's too specific.
But the opposite thing happens.
When you get specific, when youtalk about things that have
happened in your own life andare willing to share that people
see themselves and thoseexperiences, even if it's not
one-to-one right, even if youcan't go well, I remember when I
(20:38):
was on the line after myfouettes and I wasn't sure, but
there's something about we seesomebody longing for something
so specific and the feeling ofit is incredibly recognizable,
even if the specifics of thecircumstance aren't.
Whereas if there was a genericI want song of I don't know how
(21:00):
to make that up I really wantthis thing.
Oh god, I want that thing.
It probably wouldn't be asrelatable because it's non-stop.
Yeah, it's wild, it's a magictrick yeah, what, what lyric?
Luisa Lyons (21:16):
I I feel like this is a mean question because I'm
sure there's.
You have a thousand, likedepends on your time of day.
What, what a favorite lyric,but what?
What's something that you'rereally drawn to?
What's a lyric that you'rereally drawn to over and over
again?
Sara Glancy (21:29):
it's funny, this is a running gag in the show I
like to ask people the questionif you were going to get one
lyric tattooed on your body,what would it be?
And it's hard one, because theanswer changes, which is not
great when you're thinking ofgetting something carved into
your body.
Also, I'm afraid of needles,which is an obstacle.
(21:50):
But there is one lyric that hasstuck with me for many years
and it's it's one of the mostuseful lyrics for me in terms of
I'm like.
This is a statement that I canlive by and it's from anyone can
whistle, it's from EverybodySays Don't.
And the specific lyric thatgets me every time and it flies
(22:12):
by so fast because it's one ofthose patter ones, but I think
it's incredibly powerful iseverybody says don't, everybody
says can't, everybody says waitaround for miracles.
That's the way the world ismade.
I insist on miracles if you dothem.
Miracles, nothing.
To them I say don't, Don't beafraid.
(22:33):
And specifically in there it'sthe I insist on miracles if you
do them.
I can't think of a bettermission statement.
And especially, you know, inthe lead up to this election, it
can be really hard to staypolitically engaged if we don't
find ways to stay hopeful, andone of the things that I love
(22:54):
about musical theater is hopefuldoes not equal naive, and I
like this thought of I insist onmiracles if you do them.
You're allowed to insist onmiracles, but only if you take
action.
It's not enough to wait aroundfor miracles.
Optimism without action isnothing, but also we need some
(23:16):
optimism in order to take action.
So I think that's such aperfect encapsulation of that
idea of I insist on miracles ifyou do them, and that's that's
the thing that, like, keeps megoing when I'm like do I want to
write 10 more postcards?
Yeah, I do, Cause I insist onmiracles if you do them.
Luisa Lyons (23:36):
Oh, I absolutely love that and I it's like you
said, like it's it's in a pattersong.
That happens very quickly andif you blink you could miss it.
Sara Glancy (23:45):
Yes, it's so fast and most people were exposed to.
Everybody Says Don't in like afreshman theater class where,
like a plucky young tenor singsit and you're like, ah, a wash
of optimism.
But there's a lot of songs thatare like like Cock-Eyed
Optimist is one of those oneswhere it can easily be a wash of
optimism, but when you thinkabout the given circumstances,
(24:06):
this was sung in a wartime likethese.
When you put these songs intheir context, there is
something a little defiant abouthope the sun will come out
tomorrow.
It's not just a wash ofoptimism, it's optimism in spite
of overwhelming circumstancesand there's a resilience to that
(24:30):
that I just think is verydelicious and it.
Luisa Lyons (24:36):
I think it really speaks to why musical theater
resonates with so many people.
It's very easy to dismissmusical theater as fluffy as,
like you know what's that lyricfrom producers?
Uh, flashy girls, and likesappy show tunes like the.
You know that idea, yeah, butthere's really, like you said,
there's um, there's a truth atthe core of what people are
(25:00):
singing about and and, like yousaid, the given circumstances.
So like when you sing no, um,not no day, but today that's
rent.
I'm thinking of um les mis, oneday more.
That like surviving, like whenthere's no food and you're,
you're protesting the status quoand you're trying to up and up,
upheave um society at the waythat you know it, and you're
(25:27):
saying, no, I'm, we're gonna,we're gonna stick this out and
we're gonna like one day more.
It's like it's why it's becomesuch an anthem and it's it's
like.
You know, 30, 40 years on, it'sbecome a bit of a cliche, but
the core of it is so powerfuland that's why so many people
resonate with it.
Sara Glancy (25:42):
It's true, 100%.
And it's funny, as I get olderI find myself less drawn to art.
That is cynical.
I think when I was, you know, ayounger person, a teen, there
was something like edgy aboutbeing like it's dark and futile.
(26:02):
And now I'm like that's alittle bit of a cop out, like I
want art to be not full stop.
I like when art is hopeful, Ilike when art acknowledges
reality and that we are upagainst overwhelming odds.
It's one of the reasons softsright now is one of just my
favorite pieces.
Being produced is itacknowledges the reality and
that the reality can be bleak.
But at being produced is itacknowledges the reality and
(26:24):
that the reality can be bleak,but at no point is it cynical,
like we have to believe thatchange is possible or else
people won't try for it yeah,and I think that's like what the
best shows do for us.
Luisa Lyons (26:38):
Like you know, I just mentioned les mis, same
with rent.
Like you know, we're talkingabout New York in the 90s or
late 80s, early 90s, and thislike really dark time the AIDS
epidemic, and you know, peopleliterally dropping dead all
around you and finding this likehope to keep going and live,
like seize the day and and noday, but today, like live, live,
(26:59):
live.
Like there's no tomorrowbecause there may be no tomorrow
and that's that's very, a verypowerful statement.
Or I'm also thinking of likelet there be light from uh, next
to normal.
There will be light.
There will be light even, likeeven when your brain, chemistry
and life circumstances make youdepressed and make it the
(27:20):
hardest time to live through,and even still there will be
light it's.
Sara Glancy (27:25):
You can't accuse next to normal or rent of being
Pollyanna.
Shows like they're addressingpretty bleak subject matter.
But I think that's somethingvery uniquely musical theater is
even when your subject matteris dark, there's always like a
little sparkle of hope.
And those, those are two oflike my all-time favorite shows
(27:45):
like Little Teen, sarah, rentand Next Level Just put them on
repeat over and over again.
So those have a very specialplace in my heart.
But I think there is, even inmusical theater, even the
darkest subject matter, there'salways going to be that little
glimmer of hope, because it's aninherently very hopeful genre
yeah, as I get older I cravemore and more and more of that
(28:08):
less cynicism, more hope.
Luisa Lyons (28:11):
I am into that if you do them yes, and promoting
the work of female and femaleidentifying writers and
musicians, as you are absolutelydoing in your show.
I love that you have anall-female band and a female
musical director.
I think that's I just.
I love that about this show.
Would you like to speak a bitabout that?
Sara Glancy (28:33):
Yeah, it's trying to escape, but against all odds,
you will find it.
Yeah, it's been an absolute joy.
As the show was coming together, I knew that I wanted to
highlight female songwriters andlyricists, one because I'm
drawn to a lot of that work andtwo because I don't think
(28:53):
historically they've gottenenough shine.
So I was like, if I want tohighlight these delicious words,
I also want to highlight theincredible lyricists that are
providing this.
Highlight the incrediblelyricists that are providing
this.
And then I.
It just was a naturalprogression of how cool would it
be to create the showcollaboratively in a room full
of women and non-binary folks,and it has been nothing short of
(29:17):
a joy.
My music director, musicdirector, directoria, music
directoria.
My music director, andrea Goey,is incredible.
This band is beyond rocking andI love there are so many
incredible songs that arewritten by men and I will love
(29:39):
singing them for the rest of mylife.
But I think there's somethingthat is lost when women are not
part of the writing process, andI think we've all seen that,
where there are shows wherethey're incredible shows, with
songs that are bangers, and thenwe go man, the female lead was
really underwritten and you justgo, I feel like and even if
they have a great song, I'm likeit would be great if we saw a
(30:01):
fuller part of the humanexperience.
So that became artistically animportant thing to me.
And then I just wanted the musicteam to mirror the material
that we were doing, which is alittle cheeky.
It sounds like maybe it's goingto be dirty, which is kind of
fun, I think.
(30:33):
But also I realized thatthere's this odd thing that
happens as a female actor wherethe majority of the time when
I'm performing there is a writerwho's putting words in my mouth
and most of the time it's amale writer.
So I wanted an evening thathighlights a lot of female
writers, because it feelsdifferent when you're like ah,
the words that are being put inmy mouth are closer to my lived
experience and there's somethingreally exciting and special
(30:54):
about that.
So it became a double triplemeaning with that title of like
one, it's cheeky and it's alittle.
It's maybe a little oh, is itdirty, I don't know.
But also there's an explorationof what does it mean to be a
female performer who'sconstantly having other people
put words in your mouth and whenthe people doing that don't
(31:17):
necessarily align with yourlived experience.
What does that mean?
Luisa Lyons (31:23):
and I love the idea of, like you said, putting
shine on these female writersthat we're just just by
performing them, we're elevatingthem.
Sara Glancy (31:36):
Yeah, and it's oh my gosh, if I could show you the
list of songs that I'm notdoing that I wanted to do.
So words in my mouth again, Iknow, because that's the thing
is, there are so many incrediblefemale songwriters and
lyricists, so it's not hard tobuild a show with these folks.
(31:59):
The hard thing is trimming downand, if anything, there's a lot
of.
I wanted the soundscape to staypretty consistent, so we're
mostly in contemporary musicaltheater folk and rock but it
meant that I couldn't includeBetty Comden or Dorothy Fields
or like these visionaries that Iwould love to include on the
set list and maybe that's afuture show, but early set lists
(32:21):
I got some very good feedbackon.
You got to cut some of these ifyou want the sound to be
cohesive.
Yeah, Broke my heart, but I waslike that's, that's right.
We want it to be a cohesivemusical experience, which can be
challenging when the connectivetissue is great lyrics, because
there's not necessarily goingto be a consistent soundscape
(32:41):
when that's the guidingprinciple, but you still want it
to feel musically cohesive.
Luisa Lyons (32:47):
Yeah, so I'm envisioning a part two already
where it's like pre, pre, uh,pre, golden age women.
Yeah, I mean envisioning a parttwo already where it's like pre
, pre, pre golden age women.
Sara Glancy (32:54):
Yeah, I mean that would be very exciting.
I would love a, a part two,where we go a little bit more
back in time and we celebratesome dames, some dames and
broads.
Luisa Lyons (33:04):
Oh, I love that idea.
Yes, please, I'm ready for it,I'm ready for it.
Sara Glancy (33:09):
Can I ask you this is incredibly putting you on the
spot, because I've beenthinking about it for like three
months but is there a lyricthat you would consider like
getting a tattoo of, one thatreally sticks with you?
Luisa Lyons (33:21):
So I got my first tattoo a little over a year ago
and it's on my wrist and it'sBreathe, just Breathe, which is
from Ever After, which is myfavorite Drew barrymore movie.
Um, it was like I was justobsessed with that movie and, um
, when I got sick, like breathe,just breathe, like it was, it
was I.
(33:41):
My blog before I got sick wascalled breathe, just breathe and
it's like it's something that'sbeen with me since I was a
teenager.
So it's like very special to meand it's in the font of the
ever after logo.
Um, but when I got it, I waslike, and now I need a musical
theater thing and I, like yousaid before, like the idea of
putting something permanent whenit changes every day.
(34:01):
I, there's so many like um, butwhat comes to mind is like no
day.
But today, like, I don't cliche, like is it so obvious?
but I think it's great, though Imean, the reason that's an
iconic lyric is because it hitsso hard yeah, but also you
(34:23):
mentioned daddy long legsearlier, which is one of my
personal favorites too, and likethe secret of happiness, maybe
something from there.
Um yeah, I'm not really.
I need to think about it somemore.
There's, there's definitely,but there's such a treasure
trove.
Sara Glancy (34:37):
I know Well, keep me posted.
It's been my new favoritequestion to ask.
It's a hard one.
People don't have it on the tipof their tongue, but the fun
thing with that is I've beenasking people and then usually
I'll get an email two days laterof oh, this is a.
This is my desert island, whichis really fun.
It's a deep icebreaker.
(34:58):
We're going through some deepice, but I find it really
fascinating what, what wordsresonate with folks.
Luisa Lyons (35:06):
See like now it could be like keep marching from
Sufts and then what new show isgoing to come out?
That's going to be like, well,I need that now, I know.
Sara Glancy (35:17):
The other one in Sufts that really gets me is how
Will we Do it when it's NeverBeen Done?
I mean, there's so many goodones in there.
Yeah, a treasure trove.
Luisa Lyons (35:26):
A treasure trove, we're going to be head to toe in
tattoo Exactly a treasure trove.
We're gonna be head to toe andtattoo exactly.
I'm really, really hoping thatsofts gets filmed with the
original broadway cast and ismade available.
I'm sure it will be filmed forthe theater and film and tape
archive but, um, yeah, I would.
I think it deserves to be seenwidely and especially, like you
said, in this election yearwhere we we really need that
(35:49):
hope.
Sara Glancy (35:50):
This, it would just be, would be perfect I was like
I want to bring my nieces tothis, like it's.
I think it would be a reallygreat one to bring kids to in
the same ways, like hamilton issuch a great way to get kids
into history and a part of ourhistory that we're maybe not
(36:11):
super aware of.
Yeah, it's one that I agree.
I'm like, just give it all ashine, show up to the people,
get it in front of thoseeyeballs and those ear balls.
It's so good.
Luisa Lyons (36:21):
What I love about Sus, similar to Hamilton, is
that they have some kind ofschool program where they're
having extra matinees to bringschool students in, and so when
you walk past that theater on aWednesday or Thursday matinee,
there's kids lined up around theblock, which I it's just.
it makes my heart so beautiful,yeah, I love it so much.
(36:41):
But coming back to put words inmy mouth, yes, what I know, the
green room 42 do amazingstreams.
They have one of the fullestcalendars in New York City for
live streaming.
What made you decide to livestream your show?
Sara Glancy (36:57):
Well one.
I agree with you.
I think their live stream setupis just one of the best in the
city, same with Chelsea Tableand Stage, which is the same
management company.
They do excellent live streamsand I have so many friends and
family who are not in New Yorkwho are interested in seeing it.
So, for a relatively low cost,I was able to add live streaming
(37:21):
on to, you know, the productionbudget and that was a no
brainer for me.
I was like, yes, if I can livestream it, if I can make it easy
for people in Baltimore or inTexas or you know where my folks
are scattered to the winds.
So it was a really easydecision and Green Room makes it
very affordable for artists toadd live streaming on to the
(37:45):
production, just in terms ofbudget.
Yeah, it was a no brainer forme.
Luisa Lyons (37:51):
I love that, and do you think it will be something
you will make available afterthe live stream, or will it just
be the one night only?
Sara Glancy (37:59):
No, I am having a videographer come, so I'm hoping
to have footage that I canshare with folks after the fact.
The interesting thing with thelive stream is I found the thing
that I'm considering the mostwhich is difficult is how to
make the live stream experiencefeel as rich as the in-person
(38:19):
experience, because there are acouple audience interactive
moments in the show which I'mreally excited about, because I
think shows are more fun whenyou feel like a participant no
one's getting dragged on stage,like we're not going full cast.
I'm like a participant.
No one's getting dragged onstage, like we're not going full
class.
I'm in the audience, butthere's some light audience
participation in a way.
That should be really fun, andI think that's always the
(38:41):
challenge with a live stream ofhow do you still make that
audience feel equally included?
No-transcript.
(39:14):
And one of the great thingsabout Green Room and Chelsea
Stage is when you have thatslide deck which appears on the
screens in the theater.
It's like a lower third for thelive stream folks.
So they've really paid a lot ofattention to how to make sure
you're not missing informationif you're on the live stream.
But that's been one of theconsiderations.
If, if I do a site gag.
(39:35):
That's like holding up a posterboard.
Can I have that site gagdoubled on the the screen next
to the stage so that we're not?
Because that's alwaysdisappointing when you're
watching a live stream and youfeel like, well, this wasn't
really made for me, even thoughthe quality is it's.
I think like watching a livestream and you feel like, well,
this wasn't really made for me,even though the quality is it's,
I think, like the best livestream in the city.
(39:57):
So I'm very excited about that.
But just as a artisticconsideration of how can I make
people still feel involved whenthey're tuning in from far away?
Luisa Lyons (40:06):
Yeah, I love that and there's there's a lot of
like research that has been doneabout how audiences feel when
they're watching something onscreen versus in person.
Like you know, 10, 15 years ago, the National Theatre conducted
studies on people's emotionalresponse to watching a cinema
broadcast versus being in personat the theatre, and they found
(40:29):
that people felt as connectedlike just watching the broadcast
in the cinema.
People felt as connected likejust watching the broadcast in
the cinema.
People felt as connected to thework, like emotionally
connected, watching on screen asthey did in person, and that
was like it was believed not tobe true, like that's why a lot
of industry.
People are against filmingbecause it's like it's not the
same as being in the room.
Well, it, it's a differentexperience you do.
(40:50):
You can have the same emotionalconnection just from watching
on a screen Like and especiallywith live, like, if you're, if
you're live streaming versus ondemand like knowing that you're
having, like you're in real time.
It's like there's a, there is ashared experience, even though
we're in disparate places.
Sara Glancy (41:07):
I'm I'm fascinated by that.
I'm not actually surprised.
That makes me very happy tohear that.
I think the one thing that I'verun into and this is more about
audience behavior anddiscipline is I've been
incredibly engrossed by livestreams before and I've also
(41:29):
zoned out because I had thelights on or I had my phone next
to me and wasn't being a goodaudience member.
You know what I mean that whenyou're in there, you you're not
going to get up and go make asnack and get nachos and come
back or check your phone becausewe have audience etiquette and
I think that's it was never theoh well, the live stream isn't
(41:49):
as engaging, but I've had thosemoments where I'm like, oh, I
can check my phonesurreptitiously or not
surreptitiously in that livingroom.
So that's something that Iwonder about.
But if I was in a movie theaterfor a screening, I think I
would have good audiencebehavior and would probably be
equally emotionally invested.
Luisa Lyons (42:07):
Yeah, it's very interesting.
And then, like the idea ofengaging audiences using the
chat like that has become a verybig way of you know someone is
curating the chat and askingquestions and there's like watch
parties where it's like you'reactively asked to like, tweet or
, you know, be on social mediaand hashtagging the show and
(42:33):
it's like you know there'sdebate about are you watching
the show, if you're livetweeting and where is your
attention.
But it's an interesting idea oflike that.
Some people find it moreengaging to be able to chat and
like engage with other peoplewatching through the chat than
just, like you know, sitting andwatching or scrolling and
watching.
Sara Glancy (42:48):
Yeah, that's fascinating.
I'm going to be thinking onthis.
There isn't a chat componentfor the live stream at Green
Room, which that's the onlything I wish, because there's a
moment not to spoil anything.
You know what?
This doesn't spoil anything.
The show is called Put Words inmy Mouth, so I felt like it
would be a missed opportunity ifwe didn't play a round of
(43:10):
musical theater Mad Libs.
So, oh my God, yes, in the showI will be singing a classic
Broadway tune with a bunch ofwords substituted out, and they
will be provided to me by theaudience.
Luisa Lyons (43:23):
Oh, that is hysterically funny.
Sara Glancy (43:25):
It's going to be really fun, but the one thing I
wished was I was like I wishthere was a chat feature for the
live stream so I could get acouple of the prompts from the
live stream.
I don't think there's going tobe a way to do that, but I do
think that that would be a greatway to use the chat feature in
a way that doesn't take themaway.
(43:46):
Right, it's just, you'replaying the game with me.
Luisa Lyons (43:49):
Yeah, I wonder, could you have people like
pre-submit somehow with?
I wanted to feel organic, butthat's a very Well, that was the
one thing I was thinking.
Sara Glancy (44:01):
I was like if I emailed the folks on the live
stream and I just even if it wasjust like one of the prompts of
like I need a profession, twosyllables, and I have everyone
submit it, and then I justrandomly pick one, I'm like this
is coming to us from the livestream, one of these questions.
That could actually be a reallyfun way.
So they wouldn't be doing itduring the show, but I could.
(44:24):
You know, I could email Louisaright after this and go.
Luisa Lyons (44:27):
Hey, give me a profession two syllables.
Sara Glancy (44:31):
That, I think, is actually a really fun way to
make to reward the people whoare tuning in and be like you
are part of this.
You may not be in this room,but you are part of this show
yeah, I love that.
Luisa Lyons (44:43):
It reminds me of a show I live streamed during the
pandemic, uh, called, was it aBollywood kitchen?
And and it was an Indian chefwho the show was him creating a
meal and talking about hischildhood, growing up in America
and being between two cultures,being a third culture kid.
(45:03):
Where he was, his heritage wasIndian but he grew up in the
United States and how foodinformed that and the theater
I'm blanking on which theater itwas.
It was somewhere in California.
They sent out a box ofingredients and spices and you
cooked while you were watchingthe show and it was truly
(45:24):
delightful and there was anoption for people to be in the
Zoom with him and you got tointeract with him or you could
just choose to watch and cook itLike it was.
It was fabulous.
It was one of my favoritethings I've ever live streamed.
It was such an innovative like,truly born of the pandemic.
Like how, how can we engagepeople?
(45:44):
But I see we're running shorton time.
There's oh my God, I could justnote out with you all day long.
So Put Words in my Mouth isgoing to be live streamed from
the Green Room 42 on October 15.
And I'll put links for ticketsand more information in the show
notes.
But before we wrap up, I wantto ask you my final segment is
(46:10):
called my Favorite Things, whereI ask you my favorite questions
.
These are a few of my favoritethings.
First up, what is your favoritemusical Violet?
Oh, I love that.
A unique response.
Sara Glancy (46:22):
Oh, I didn't even know it was a unique response.
Yeah, forever and for always.
Violet is just one of myfavorites.
Janine Tesori is one of myfavorite composers of all time
and I don't know, it's one thatincepted a certain point in my
life and I'll never get sick ofit.
So violet, violet's my answerbeautiful.
Luisa Lyons (46:43):
Do you have a favorite filmed live musical?
Sara Glancy (46:48):
oh, probably the into the woods, the one from
what was it?
Luisa Lyons (46:53):
The 80s, yeah, or the 1991.
Sara Glancy (46:56):
Yeah, that, that one again it's.
You know, sometimes you justthese hit you at a certain point
in your life and I'm like thatto me is the iconic filmed
musical is that Into the Woods?
So, first thought, best thought, into the Woods.
Luisa Lyons (47:11):
I love it, and that's.
I love that show as being agateway drug for so many people
to musical theater.
Yep Glorious, a filmed livemusical, isn't exactly a stage
show and it's not exactly amovie, so what should we call it
?
Whoa?
Sara Glancy (47:28):
What should we call it?
A filmed live musical?
A filmed live musical?
What should we call it?
A filmed live musical?
A filmed live musical?
I don't know that I can dobetter than a filmed live
musical like.
I think that if we wanted asexier title, we could probably
come up with one, but I thinkthat's the most accurate
description filmed live musical.
(47:48):
I think it's.
I don't, I don't think we cando better.
Luisa Lyons (47:55):
Where do you stand on bootlegs?
Sara Glancy (48:00):
Are people bootlegging?
I had no idea, I feel of twominds about this.
Um, I very much respect writersand if they don't and they
(48:22):
should have control about who'sseeing their work and if they
did not consent to have itfilmed and put online, then we
should not be filming it andputting it online.
That is where I stand, as anartistic and a writer, as an
actor who sometimes gets calledin for projects and needs to do
research and know what is showspeed for this musical so that I
can be in the right tone ofsomething.
(48:42):
I use them.
I utilize them.
So it's a difficult question andI guess my answer to skirt the
question is this is bootlegsexist because there is demand to
see these musicals and demandfrom people who can't afford to
(49:03):
come to New York and city andsee them.
So I would love for there to bemore sanctioned film live
musicals so that we can makethis accessible to people,
because there's a supply demandissue and I would much rather
everyone have access to aversion that was lovingly made
and okayed by all the actors andall the writers.
(49:24):
But that's not the world thatwe live in, and so I do think
that, as a writer, I'm againstagainst it.
As an actor.
I've Googled a slime tutorialor two because they're very
useful, that you know.
Luisa Lyons (49:36):
We people need access and the the exclusivity
of in person.
Um, the world has changed.
It's we need to make.
(49:58):
We need to make theateraccessible, to give people those
glimmers of hope.
I think that is.
Sara Glancy (50:05):
The answer is I yeah, there are problems with
having bootlegs, and I think it.
We need the consent of theactors and the writers, and I
think that's important.
And also, it would be great ifwe could make filmed versions of
these shows so that people inOhio who can't go to New York
(50:25):
three times a year and see abunch of Broadway shows, or
people in New York who justcan't afford current theater
prices, or Sarah in 2013.
You know what I mean.
Luisa Lyons (50:36):
Yeah, it's a nuanced answer.
Yeah, as you mentioned, Iwanted to ask earlier and I'm
going to quickly throw it in nowDo you have any original work,
your own work, in your show?
Sara Glancy (50:50):
The no original songs in the show, though I
actually talk about that.
The idea of this is the firsttime in a long time where I'm on
stage speaking as myself andputting words in my own mouth,
so the banter is very much mycreation.
No original songs in this one.
(51:11):
Perhaps at a later date, when Ifeel even a little more
emboldened and a little braver.
That'll be the version at 2.0.
Luisa Lyons (51:20):
Yes, love that.
What stage musicals do you wishhad been filmed?
Sara Glancy (51:27):
All of them.
The original Violet, I wouldlove to see that.
Oh, the original floyd collins.
I would have loved and maybethese are in the theater film
archives but they're not in thepublicly consumable.
Floyd collins, I think, is onethat I would love.
(51:47):
Love to see an original filmedversion of.
Luisa Lyons (51:51):
I am so excited it's coming back.
It's yeah.
Sara Glancy (51:55):
We should go together.
Luisa Lyons (51:57):
Oh, yes, please, oh my God, I would love that.
I'd love to.
What would you like to seefilmed in the future?
Sara Glancy (52:03):
Hmm, I mean stuff is the one that we were just
talking about.
I think it's such a universalmessage and I want little humans
across America to see that show.
I think it's both a great showand an important show, so that's
one that I'm like let's get itfilmed ASAP and get it in front
(52:24):
of all the little eyeballs.
Luisa Lyons (52:27):
Amen, and then people can have Hamilton sus
viewing parties.
Sara Glancy (52:31):
Absolutely Double header.
That sounds like a greatweekend for a little theater
nerds across the country.
Luisa Lyons (52:37):
I am for it, and grown up ones too.
Also that, yes.
Finally, where can we find youonline?
Where?
Sara Glancy (52:45):
can you find me online?
I believe my handles are allSarahahglancy1.
So you can find me on Instagramat sarahglancy1.
My website is sarahglancycom.
That's S-A-R-A-G-L-A-N-C-Y.
There's no H.
But yeah, give me a Google andyou'll probably find me.
Luisa Lyons (53:06):
Amazing and again, we'll have all of that in the
show notes, as well as links fortickets for Put Words in my
Mouth, which will be livestreamed from the Green Room 42
on October 15.
Sarah, thank you so much.
This has been so much fun andI'm so glad that we were able to
reconnect and I cannot wait tosee your show in action.
I know it's going to bebeautiful and thoughtful and
(53:27):
smart and I can't wait to seeyou on stage again.
Sara Glancy (53:30):
Thank you so much.
This and smart, and I can'twait to see you on stage again.
Thank you so much.
Luisa Lyons (53:36):
This has been an absolute pleasure.
The Filmed Live Musicalspodcast is created and edited by
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(54:39):
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Filmedlivemusicalscom featuresa searchable database of over
200 musicals from around theworld and dating back to 1938.
You can also sign up for ourmonthly newsletter and find
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(00:26):
Make sure to check it out atfilmedlivemusicalscom.
And now on with the show.
Welcome to the Filmed LiveMusicals podcast.
I'm your host, louisa Lyons,and my guest today is actor,
singer and coach Sarah Glancy,who will soon be appearing in
her new solo show, put Words inmy Mouth, which celebrates truly
(00:48):
delicious lyrics from acrossmusical theater, folk and rock
at the Green Room 42 in New YorkCity.
Sarah and I first met almost 10years ago when I was introduced
to her work as a rep coach anddiscovered one of the warmest,
most generous and knowledgeablepeople working in showbiz.
I'm thrilled to have her on thepodcast at last.
Welcome, sarah.
Sara Glancy (01:08):
Louisa, can I just bring you with me everywhere and
have you introduce me?
That was the kindestintroduction.
Luisa Lyons (01:15):
Oh, you're so welcome.
So to kick us off, what madeyou fall in love with musical
theater?
Sara Glancy (01:21):
Oh, I have to say it was at age five.
I saw the Wizard of Oz on TVand my mom recorded it for me.
And I was so entranced by thisthat not only I watched this VHS
tape every single day andmemorized not only all the songs
but all the commercial breaksbecause it was on TV.
(01:41):
So I would go around recitingthe whole show, including
Campbell's chunky soup soup, sobig it eats like a meal.
I don't know what it was aboutthe wizard of Oz.
It like hit some part of mybrain chemistry and my parents
went well, I guess we got to puther in a theater day camp or
something, because their herbrain wants this on a level that
(02:03):
we cannot keep up with.
So that summer in kindergartenthey put me in a day camp that
was doing the Wisdom Bars andthe rest of history.
Luisa Lyons (02:13):
Oh, that is so adorable.
I love that story, and you wenton to study theater
professionally.
Sara Glancy (02:20):
Yes.
So I went to NYU and got my BFAin drama.
I was in the musical theaterprogram, cap 21, and one of my
teachers there, mana Allen,really inspired my love of
research, which is a big part ofwhat this show is about and
what brought us together.
Because when I was doing repcoaching 10 years ago, it's
(02:43):
because I just love encyclopedicresearch into musical theater,
which I know you do as well weare both research nerds and this
teacher, Mana Allen, reallyfilled my.
She curated this love ofresearch and introduced me to
Lincoln Center Library, which ismy favorite place in New York
(03:03):
City, and that's where I got bitby the research bug and
developed my love of rap anddeep cuts when it comes to
musical theater.
Luisa Lyons (03:14):
Oh, I'm curious how did she inspire that love?
Sara Glancy (03:18):
Well, one thing she literally took us on a field
trip to Lincoln Center Libraryand took us through the stacks.
And I remember my first timewalking through that library
thinking this is the greatestplace on earth, and those
listeners who have not beenthere.
It's a public library, butthere's just rows and rows of
bookshelves filled with sheetmusic and dialect CDs back when
(03:44):
people had CD players and scoresand plays.
And there's even a third floorwhere there's a as I'm sure,
louisa, you have frequented manytimes the film archive where
you can see archivedperformances of these live shows
that were on Broadway and offBroadway and research these gems
(04:04):
.
And so our teacher took us onthis field trip and then, you
know, after seeing this library,I was like, well, I must move
in, this is my new home, butit's an incredible resource.
Luisa Lyons (04:18):
I love that, like a single field trip could like
change your life in a way A tripto the library as, as you might
say, if you love, she loves me.
Sara Glancy (04:31):
Yeah, a trip to the library is what did it, and I'd
always loved research and goingdown rabbit holes, but she was
the first teacher who reallyencouraged me to keep going down
that route of if this reallyinterests you, follow your
interest and you know there is a.
There is a place for the nerdyhistory lovers within the
(04:54):
musical theater community, soembrace it oh, my heart just
exploded.
Well, you are the nerdiest ofthe theater nerds.
I I know we have that in common.
Luisa Lyons (05:04):
The highest compliment.
And so, back in 2013, you had aNew Year's resolution spanning
on from this love of research tolearn more about musical
theater, and so you decided toread a new play or listen to a
new musical every day for a year, and so tell us about that
project.
Sara Glancy (05:24):
Yes, it was so interesting.
I had just graduated fromcollege and I am very much a
student in my heart.
I always want to be in schooland graduating.
There was this scary momentwhere I didn't have that
structure of school and at thetime I was temping and
(05:45):
babysitting and waiting tablesand doing all the things that we
do to keep the lights on whenyou don't have an acting job.
And I was finding that I didn'tfeel like an artist and I was
like it's so hard to be livingin New York city working all
these jobs and to not go to bedat night feeling like an artist.
So I thought what is somethingthat I can do every single day
(06:07):
so that I feel like I have donesomething to work on my craft,
even if a table yells at me atthe restaurant and a baby pukes
on me and all of the otherthings I want to do, one thing
that makes me feel like anartist.
And because this teacher hadinstilled this love of research
in me, I thought you know I havea lot of blind spots in my
musical theater history,specifically old school musical
(06:29):
theater, things that werecurrently called the golden age,
like pre 1980s.
I had a lot of blind spots.
So, I made this project formyself of every day for a month
is what it started off?
As I want to read a play.
I've never read or listen to amusical that I've never heard
before, and I posted on Facebookevery day what I was reading or
(06:52):
listening to, becauseaccountability is a powerful
thing.
And after a month of this, Ifelt so much calmer and more
grounded that I thought, okay,let's see if we can do this for
a year.
And it was a really beautifulexperience, and I discovered a
lot of plays and musicals that Inever would have heard before
(07:14):
had I not, you know, startedthis little project.
And then this is what eventuallybrought us in contact, I think,
which is about day 257, as Iwas posting every day about the
plays and musicals that I wasreading, I would start getting
comments from people saying, hey, did you find any monologues
for a 23 year old tenor?
(07:37):
I don't know why the tenorspecifically figures into the
monologue, and I would go huh,actually I have found a lot of
great monologues for 23 year oldtenors, whatever.
And so I started doing repcoaching, where I would help
people find songs and monologuesfor their auditions that felt
(07:58):
like good fits to them, and Idid that for many years, and I
think that's how we initiallymet each other, which was just
an unintended consequence ofthis research project that has,
you know, led to so manywonderful things in my life,
including relationships withpeople that I wouldn't have met
(08:19):
if I hadn't gone down that deep,deep research rabbit hole how
did you create your list likehow?
Luisa Lyons (08:27):
how did you decide what to watch or what to read?
Sara Glancy (08:30):
oh, so haphazardly, because initially it was you
know I went to Lincoln CenterLibrary and I checked out a
bunch of plays and I just waslike we're gonna go through a
lot of recommendations fromfriends.
As we got deeper into theproject, I think I realized that
I needed some more structure.
So I did things like oh, I wantto go through the entire
(08:52):
Shakespeare canon, so I want tomake sure that I've read every
Shakespeare play that we believewas written by Shakespeare, and
at about a third of the waythrough the year I ended up
booking a tour.
So it became harder because Ididn't have access to Lincoln
Center Library.
So it was a lot of what is freeonline.
(09:13):
What do my friends have onthere?
I think people still had iPodsat the time, had a really
incredible library of music fromthese shows and some deep cuts,
and so he would let me borrowhis MP3 player to listen to new
albums.
So it was getting a little morecreative on the road.
(09:35):
And again, this was back in2013.
Now, in 2024, if people feelinspired to do research projects
like this, there are so manymore resources on YouTube and
through filmed live musicals,and there are ways to experience
live theater, even when you'rein a little van traveling around
(09:56):
the Midwest.
Luisa Lyons (09:58):
Yeah, it's crazy Like I wrote my thesis 10 years
ago on filmed live musicals andyou know, back then it was like
there wasn't much streaming.
It was like the early days ofthat.
Like digital theater had juststarted, like the company
Digital Theater in the UK andthe Met had, only like five
years before that, startedbroadcasting to cinemas, filming
(10:26):
theater.
Since the beginning of videocameras um the, the idea of it
being of theater being filmedand made available to the public
was still like relatively newum 10 years ago and it's crazy
how much it has changed in thelast decade wild and daddy, long
legs was the first time Iremember being really cognizant
of that.
Sara Glancy (10:43):
Was there theater in New York being live streamed
before that, or was that's whenit first came on my radar?
Luisa Lyons (10:49):
it was well not streamed, but it was definitely
on television.
So I think, uh, in the 80sthere were experiments with um
uh, cable tv.
Like sophisticated ladies wasbroadcast on television, but it
was like the last performanceand like most shows, were only
broadcast after they were doneplaying.
But so there was and there was.
(11:09):
There was definitely stuffhappening Like Pacific Overtures
was filmed in the seventies.
There were several shows filmedin the eighties and nineties
for cable TV.
But yeah, definitely the livestreaming on the internet didn't
happen until the last kind of10, 15 years.
Sara Glancy (11:27):
It's wild watching the landscape change and also
the audition process, just forso many actors.
The first round is via tape,which we have lots of thoughts
and feelings about and that'smaybe not for this podcast.
Have lots of thoughts andfeelings about and that's maybe
not for this podcast, but it isfascinating watching how the
(11:48):
industry is evolving on allsides, like on the audience side
, on the actor side, and howfilm has had such a profound
impact on that yeah, absolutely,and how.
Luisa Lyons (12:00):
As actors, it's not just about singing, acting and
dancing anymore.
You need to know how to set upa camera, how to set up lights,
how to do audio, like there'sthere's lots more technical
skills and now there's talk forshows like when you're producing
as as you will be talking aboutyour show, that it's not just
about putting on a show anymore,like factoring in this idea of
(12:23):
capturing it in some way andbroadcasting it and all the
legalities around that, and thenthe technicalities of filming
and then deciding how you wantto film and how sorry, how you
want to stream it or broadcastit, or is it for after the run,
is it during the run?
Like there's so many questionsto be answered and like it's.
I find it very exciting,obviously, but it's also it's it
(12:45):
.
It can be very challenging too.
Sara Glancy (12:48):
Both exciting and overwhelming, I'd say.
Luisa Lyons (12:51):
There's so many possibilities.
Sara Glancy (12:52):
But there's also so many possibilities.
Luisa Lyons (12:57):
Very true, and I'm curious, going back to your,
your project, where you werereading a new musical a day and
we were.
We, as we were just talkingabout 10 years ago was a very
different landscape.
Did you watch many things, orwas it mostly like reading and
listening?
Sara Glancy (13:13):
it was mostly reading and listening, and it's
so funny.
I'm sure I don't know that Iused google docs in the day, but
I could go through my myfacebook history and look at
what I was reading and watching.
I did not see a lot of liveperformances.
One because I was on tour for alarge part of this in places
where there weren't necessarilybig theaters doing sit-down
(13:34):
productions, and also I was justso poor at the time.
The number of Broadway showsthat I saw in 2013, I'm sure it
was very, very low.
Broadway shows that I saw in2013, I'm sure it was very, very
low.
And I remember there were a fewtimes where, trying to think
what I watched on YouTube, Iknow I watched like a what was
(13:55):
it?
A Harry Potter musical, likeunlicensed A very Harry Potter
musical.
Yes, a Star Kid, yeah, somethingwhere I was like this is a
questionable legality, but it'svery fun.
There were a couple things thatI found in full on YouTube, or
even I would count, like aconcert performance at 54 Below,
(14:16):
where you see every song in ashow musical, but I didn't do a
ton of that.
It was mostly listening andreading, and I think the project
would look a lot different if Iwas doing it in 2024.
There'd probably be a lot morewatching live streams or
recorded performances or slimetutorials.
Luisa Lyons (14:36):
Yeah, wouldn't know anything about them, wouldn't
know anything about them.
Sara Glancy (14:39):
I haven't heard of them, haven't heard of them.
Luisa Lyons (14:41):
I haven't heard of them, haven't heard of her.
So let's fast forward to 2024.
And you have your new solo showPut Words in my Mouth, so tell
us about the show and theinspiration behind it.
Sara Glancy (14:58):
Yes, I'm wildly excited about this show.
It is a celebration ofdelicious lyrics from across the
genres of musical theater, folkand rock, with a specific focus
on female singer songwriterswho are serving up these
delicious treats.
Because I am very much a lyricsperson.
I'm also a music person, but Iwas the oddball who never minded
(15:19):
when in acting school andthey'd say, well, you do the
song as a monologue.
I know that's a cruel thing todo to a person and most people
hated it.
But I would be like, yeah, canwe nerd about out about the
punctuation for a minute?
Why was the comma instead of asemicolon?
(15:39):
Ooh, let's get in there.
So if that was you, this showis for you or it's for anyone to
hoard over the liner notes oftheir cast albums.
Growing up, like I, it was likeChristmas morning when you open
up the CD case and you have thatthick booklet full of lyrics
and you can read along as you'relistening.
So as I was thinking about allthese experiences, I was like,
(16:01):
wow, you're a lyrics person.
These experiences, I was like,wow, you're a lyrics person.
So I wanted to put together ashow that really honored really
delicious lyrics, because Ithink the music gets a lot of
shine and I hadn't seen a showwhere it was really like can we
focus on the words?
The music is also wildlyimportant, but as a words person
(16:22):
, I wanted a show that was likelet's give these lyrics their
due, because they are doing someheavy lifting in a lot of these
pieces.
Luisa Lyons (16:31):
Oh, I love this.
I love this concept so much andI am a huge fan of the acting
exercise to speak your song as amonologue.
I know that some peopleabsolutely hate it, but I am all
for it.
I know that, like some peopleabsolutely hate it, but I am all
for it.
I think you can learn so muchabout the storytelling an
amazing thing in musical theaterthat we're doing.
We're telling stories that thatyou can unlock by speaking the
(16:55):
lyrics.
Let's, let's zoom in on the.
Are you willing to share someof the composers that, some of
the lyricists that you're?
Can we have a preview into acouple?
Sara Glancy (17:07):
I would love to so a few of the featured artists
that I'm very excited about.
We've got a couple of ShainaTaub songs, because I'm
completely in love and obsessed.
Ari Afsar, who's a veryexciting musical theater
composer, piece from Jeanette,her new musical.
Well, maybe it's not that new2022 for me if it's post 2020,
(17:29):
it's new.
Uh, oh wait, was it 2022?
Now I'm worried I'm gettingtimelines off.
But exciting musical about thelife of Jeanette Rankin, who is
the first woman elected toCongress three years before
women had the right to vote.
Luisa Lyons (17:44):
Yes.
Sara Glancy (17:45):
Wild, so a very cool new musical.
And then we've got some JoniMitchell moments and exactly one
Sondheim song.
Luisa Lyons (17:53):
One Sondheim I love when you're talking about
lyrics.
It reminds me of the ForbiddenBroadway song Into the Words,
how Sondheim is so wordy andtricky to sing.
I love that, and I don't knowthat song I'm going to.
Oh, I will send it to you, yes,yes, very, very delightful.
But so what is it that drawsyou to a particular lyric?
Sara Glancy (18:17):
Hmm, well, I think the magic of a really great
lyric is some writers can dothis magic trick where they zoom
in on a moment that is sospecific to one character that
it becomes universallyrecognizable and thousands of
people listening to this castalbum around the world see
(18:39):
themselves in this moment thatis so specific to the character
that they're writing.
And I think the best lyricsmake people feel seen, which is
extremely powerful.
The example that always comesto my mind is Ring of Keys
Jeanine Tesori, lisa Krohn thatit zooms into a moment that is
so particular to that onecharacter but it's become an
(19:01):
anthem for you know so manyLGBTQ plus people of that moment
of recognizing someone andseeing yourself in them and that
really universal experience.
So that's, to me, the power ofa really well-crafted lyric is
it makes you feel seen, thatit's so specific that it becomes
(19:22):
universal scene that it's sospecific that it becomes
universal.
Luisa Lyons (19:30):
I love that idea of the more specific it is, the
more universal it can be.
And it reminds me my very firstshow that I saw live was A
Chorus Line and I was 10 yearsold in Sydney.
And it still baffles me thatthis show about dancers in New
York, which was a world awayfrom my own experience, could
resonate so much with a 10 yearold child in Sydney like it's.
Sara Glancy (19:55):
it's fascinating to me, um, how that works it is,
and it's a trap that I thinkrookie writers fall into a lot
of.
I want to make something withuniversal appeal, so we go
really broad.
We're going to broadly talkabout feelings.
There's like a fear of goingspecific because if I go too
(20:17):
specific, it's too specific.
But the opposite thing happens.
When you get specific, when youtalk about things that have
happened in your own life andare willing to share that people
see themselves and thoseexperiences, even if it's not
one-to-one right, even if youcan't go well, I remember when I
(20:38):
was on the line after myfouettes and I wasn't sure, but
there's something about we seesomebody longing for something
so specific and the feeling ofit is incredibly recognizable,
even if the specifics of thecircumstance aren't.
Whereas if there was a genericI want song of I don't know how
(21:00):
to make that up I really wantthis thing.
Oh god, I want that thing.
It probably wouldn't be asrelatable because it's non-stop.
Yeah, it's wild, it's a magictrick yeah, what, what lyric?
Luisa Lyons (21:16):
I I feel like this is a mean question because I'm
sure there's.
You have a thousand, likedepends on your time of day.
What, what a favorite lyric,but what?
What's something that you'rereally drawn to?
What's a lyric that you'rereally drawn to over and over
again?
Sara Glancy (21:29):
it's funny, this is a running gag in the show I
like to ask people the questionif you were going to get one
lyric tattooed on your body,what would it be?
And it's hard one, because theanswer changes, which is not
great when you're thinking ofgetting something carved into
your body.
Also, I'm afraid of needles,which is an obstacle.
(21:50):
But there is one lyric that hasstuck with me for many years
and it's it's one of the mostuseful lyrics for me in terms of
I'm like.
This is a statement that I canlive by and it's from anyone can
whistle, it's from EverybodySays Don't.
And the specific lyric thatgets me every time and it flies
(22:12):
by so fast because it's one ofthose patter ones, but I think
it's incredibly powerful iseverybody says don't, everybody
says can't, everybody says waitaround for miracles.
That's the way the world ismade.
I insist on miracles if you dothem.
Miracles, nothing.
To them I say don't, Don't beafraid.
(22:33):
And specifically in there it'sthe I insist on miracles if you
do them.
I can't think of a bettermission statement.
And especially, you know, inthe lead up to this election, it
can be really hard to staypolitically engaged if we don't
find ways to stay hopeful, andone of the things that I love
(22:54):
about musical theater is hopefuldoes not equal naive, and I
like this thought of I insist onmiracles if you do them.
You're allowed to insist onmiracles, but only if you take
action.
It's not enough to wait aroundfor miracles.
Optimism without action isnothing, but also we need some
(23:16):
optimism in order to take action.
So I think that's such aperfect encapsulation of that
idea of I insist on miracles ifyou do them, and that's that's
the thing that, like, keeps megoing when I'm like do I want to
write 10 more postcards?
Yeah, I do, Cause I insist onmiracles if you do them.
Luisa Lyons (23:36):
Oh, I absolutely love that and I it's like you
said, like it's it's in a pattersong.
That happens very quickly andif you blink you could miss it.
Sara Glancy (23:45):
Yes, it's so fast and most people were exposed to.
Everybody Says Don't in like afreshman theater class where,
like a plucky young tenor singsit and you're like, ah, a wash
of optimism.
But there's a lot of songs thatare like like Cock-Eyed
Optimist is one of those oneswhere it can easily be a wash of
optimism, but when you thinkabout the given circumstances,
(24:06):
this was sung in a wartime likethese.
When you put these songs intheir context, there is
something a little defiant abouthope the sun will come out
tomorrow.
It's not just a wash ofoptimism, it's optimism in spite
of overwhelming circumstancesand there's a resilience to that
(24:30):
that I just think is verydelicious and it.
Luisa Lyons (24:36):
I think it really speaks to why musical theater
resonates with so many people.
It's very easy to dismissmusical theater as fluffy as,
like you know what's that lyricfrom producers?
Uh, flashy girls, and likesappy show tunes like the.
You know that idea, yeah, butthere's really, like you said,
there's um, there's a truth atthe core of what people are
(25:00):
singing about and and, like yousaid, the given circumstances.
So like when you sing no, um,not no day, but today that's
rent.
I'm thinking of um les mis, oneday more.
That like surviving, like whenthere's no food and you're,
you're protesting the status quoand you're trying to up and up,
upheave um society at the waythat you know it, and you're
(25:27):
saying, no, I'm, we're gonna,we're gonna stick this out and
we're gonna like one day more.
It's like it's why it's becomesuch an anthem and it's it's
like.
You know, 30, 40 years on, it'sbecome a bit of a cliche, but
the core of it is so powerfuland that's why so many people
resonate with it.
Sara Glancy (25:42):
It's true, 100%.
And it's funny, as I get olderI find myself less drawn to art.
That is cynical.
I think when I was, you know, ayounger person, a teen, there
was something like edgy aboutbeing like it's dark and futile.
(26:02):
And now I'm like that's alittle bit of a cop out, like I
want art to be not full stop.
I like when art is hopeful, Ilike when art acknowledges
reality and that we are upagainst overwhelming odds.
It's one of the reasons softsright now is one of just my
favorite pieces.
Being produced is itacknowledges the reality and
that the reality can be bleak.
But at being produced is itacknowledges the reality and
(26:24):
that the reality can be bleak,but at no point is it cynical,
like we have to believe thatchange is possible or else
people won't try for it yeah,and I think that's like what the
best shows do for us.
Luisa Lyons (26:38):
Like you know, I just mentioned les mis, same
with rent.
Like you know, we're talkingabout New York in the 90s or
late 80s, early 90s, and thislike really dark time the AIDS
epidemic, and you know, peopleliterally dropping dead all
around you and finding this likehope to keep going and live,
like seize the day and and noday, but today, like live, live,
(26:59):
live.
Like there's no tomorrowbecause there may be no tomorrow
and that's that's very, a verypowerful statement.
Or I'm also thinking of likelet there be light from uh, next
to normal.
There will be light.
There will be light even, likeeven when your brain, chemistry
and life circumstances make youdepressed and make it the
(27:20):
hardest time to live through,and even still there will be
light it's.
Sara Glancy (27:25):
You can't accuse next to normal or rent of being
Pollyanna.
Shows like they're addressingpretty bleak subject matter.
But I think that's somethingvery uniquely musical theater is
even when your subject matteris dark, there's always like a
little sparkle of hope.
And those, those are two oflike my all-time favorite shows
(27:45):
like Little Teen, sarah, rentand Next Level Just put them on
repeat over and over again.
So those have a very specialplace in my heart.
But I think there is, even inmusical theater, even the
darkest subject matter, there'salways going to be that little
glimmer of hope, because it's aninherently very hopeful genre
yeah, as I get older I cravemore and more and more of that
(28:08):
less cynicism, more hope.
Luisa Lyons (28:11):
I am into that if you do them yes, and promoting
the work of female and femaleidentifying writers and
musicians, as you are absolutelydoing in your show.
I love that you have anall-female band and a female
musical director.
I think that's I just.
I love that about this show.
Would you like to speak a bitabout that?
Sara Glancy (28:33):
Yeah, it's trying to escape, but against all odds,
you will find it.
Yeah, it's been an absolute joy.
As the show was coming together, I knew that I wanted to
highlight female songwriters andlyricists, one because I'm
drawn to a lot of that work andtwo because I don't think
(28:53):
historically they've gottenenough shine.
So I was like, if I want tohighlight these delicious words,
I also want to highlight theincredible lyricists that are
providing this.
Highlight the incrediblelyricists that are providing
this.
And then I.
It just was a naturalprogression of how cool would it
be to create the showcollaboratively in a room full
of women and non-binary folks,and it has been nothing short of
(29:17):
a joy.
My music director, musicdirector, directoria, music
directoria.
My music director, andrea Goey,is incredible.
This band is beyond rocking andI love there are so many
incredible songs that arewritten by men and I will love
(29:39):
singing them for the rest of mylife.
But I think there's somethingthat is lost when women are not
part of the writing process, andI think we've all seen that,
where there are shows wherethey're incredible shows, with
songs that are bangers, and thenwe go man, the female lead was
really underwritten and you justgo, I feel like and even if
they have a great song, I'm likeit would be great if we saw a
(30:01):
fuller part of the humanexperience.
So that became artistically animportant thing to me.
And then I just wanted the musicteam to mirror the material
that we were doing, which is alittle cheeky.
It sounds like maybe it's goingto be dirty, which is kind of
fun, I think.
(30:33):
But also I realized thatthere's this odd thing that
happens as a female actor wherethe majority of the time when
I'm performing there is a writerwho's putting words in my mouth
and most of the time it's amale writer.
So I wanted an evening thathighlights a lot of female
writers, because it feelsdifferent when you're like ah,
the words that are being put inmy mouth are closer to my lived
experience and there's somethingreally exciting and special
(30:54):
about that.
So it became a double triplemeaning with that title of like
one, it's cheeky and it's alittle.
It's maybe a little oh, is itdirty, I don't know.
But also there's an explorationof what does it mean to be a
female performer who'sconstantly having other people
put words in your mouth and whenthe people doing that don't
(31:17):
necessarily align with yourlived experience.
What does that mean?
Luisa Lyons (31:23):
and I love the idea of, like you said, putting
shine on these female writersthat we're just just by
performing them, we're elevatingthem.
Sara Glancy (31:36):
Yeah, and it's oh my gosh, if I could show you the
list of songs that I'm notdoing that I wanted to do.
So words in my mouth again, Iknow, because that's the thing
is, there are so many incrediblefemale songwriters and
lyricists, so it's not hard tobuild a show with these folks.
(31:59):
The hard thing is trimming downand, if anything, there's a lot
of.
I wanted the soundscape to staypretty consistent, so we're
mostly in contemporary musicaltheater folk and rock but it
meant that I couldn't includeBetty Comden or Dorothy Fields
or like these visionaries that Iwould love to include on the
set list and maybe that's afuture show, but early set lists
(32:21):
I got some very good feedbackon.
You got to cut some of these ifyou want the sound to be
cohesive.
Yeah, Broke my heart, but I waslike that's, that's right.
We want it to be a cohesivemusical experience, which can be
challenging when the connectivetissue is great lyrics, because
there's not necessarily goingto be a consistent soundscape
(32:41):
when that's the guidingprinciple, but you still want it
to feel musically cohesive.
Luisa Lyons (32:47):
Yeah, so I'm envisioning a part two already
where it's like pre, pre, uh,pre, golden age women.
Yeah, I mean envisioning a parttwo already where it's like pre
, pre, pre golden age women.
Sara Glancy (32:54):
Yeah, I mean that would be very exciting.
I would love a, a part two,where we go a little bit more
back in time and we celebratesome dames, some dames and
broads.
Luisa Lyons (33:04):
Oh, I love that idea.
Yes, please, I'm ready for it,I'm ready for it.
Sara Glancy (33:09):
Can I ask you this is incredibly putting you on the
spot, because I've beenthinking about it for like three
months but is there a lyricthat you would consider like
getting a tattoo of, one thatreally sticks with you?
Luisa Lyons (33:21):
So I got my first tattoo a little over a year ago
and it's on my wrist and it'sBreathe, just Breathe, which is
from Ever After, which is myfavorite Drew barrymore movie.
Um, it was like I was justobsessed with that movie and, um
, when I got sick, like breathe,just breathe, like it was, it
was I.
(33:41):
My blog before I got sick wascalled breathe, just breathe and
it's like it's something that'sbeen with me since I was a
teenager.
So it's like very special to meand it's in the font of the
ever after logo.
Um, but when I got it, I waslike, and now I need a musical
theater thing and I, like yousaid before, like the idea of
putting something permanent whenit changes every day.
(34:01):
I, there's so many like um, butwhat comes to mind is like no
day.
But today, like, I don't cliche, like is it so obvious?
but I think it's great, though Imean, the reason that's an
iconic lyric is because it hitsso hard yeah, but also you
(34:23):
mentioned daddy long legsearlier, which is one of my
personal favorites too, and likethe secret of happiness, maybe
something from there.
Um yeah, I'm not really.
I need to think about it somemore.
There's, there's definitely,but there's such a treasure
trove.
Sara Glancy (34:37):
I know Well, keep me posted.
It's been my new favoritequestion to ask.
It's a hard one.
People don't have it on the tipof their tongue, but the fun
thing with that is I've beenasking people and then usually
I'll get an email two days laterof oh, this is a.
This is my desert island, whichis really fun.
It's a deep icebreaker.
(34:58):
We're going through some deepice, but I find it really
fascinating what, what wordsresonate with folks.
Luisa Lyons (35:06):
See like now it could be like keep marching from
Sufts and then what new show isgoing to come out?
That's going to be like, well,I need that now, I know.
Sara Glancy (35:17):
The other one in Sufts that really gets me is how
Will we Do it when it's NeverBeen Done?
I mean, there's so many goodones in there.
Yeah, a treasure trove.
Luisa Lyons (35:26):
A treasure trove, we're going to be head to toe in
tattoo Exactly a treasure trove.
We're gonna be head to toe andtattoo exactly.
I'm really, really hoping thatsofts gets filmed with the
original broadway cast and ismade available.
I'm sure it will be filmed forthe theater and film and tape
archive but, um, yeah, I would.
I think it deserves to be seenwidely and especially, like you
said, in this election yearwhere we we really need that
(35:49):
hope.
Sara Glancy (35:50):
This, it would just be, would be perfect I was like
I want to bring my nieces tothis, like it's.
I think it would be a reallygreat one to bring kids to in
the same ways, like hamilton issuch a great way to get kids
into history and a part of ourhistory that we're maybe not
(36:11):
super aware of.
Yeah, it's one that I agree.
I'm like, just give it all ashine, show up to the people,
get it in front of thoseeyeballs and those ear balls.
It's so good.
Luisa Lyons (36:21):
What I love about Sus, similar to Hamilton, is
that they have some kind ofschool program where they're
having extra matinees to bringschool students in, and so when
you walk past that theater on aWednesday or Thursday matinee,
there's kids lined up around theblock, which I it's just.
it makes my heart so beautiful,yeah, I love it so much.
(36:41):
But coming back to put words inmy mouth, yes, what I know, the
green room 42 do amazingstreams.
They have one of the fullestcalendars in New York City for
live streaming.
What made you decide to livestream your show?
Sara Glancy (36:57):
Well one.
I agree with you.
I think their live stream setupis just one of the best in the
city, same with Chelsea Tableand Stage, which is the same
management company.
They do excellent live streamsand I have so many friends and
family who are not in New Yorkwho are interested in seeing it.
So, for a relatively low cost,I was able to add live streaming
(37:21):
on to, you know, the productionbudget and that was a no
brainer for me.
I was like, yes, if I can livestream it, if I can make it easy
for people in Baltimore or inTexas or you know where my folks
are scattered to the winds.
So it was a really easydecision and Green Room makes it
very affordable for artists toadd live streaming on to the
(37:45):
production, just in terms ofbudget.
Yeah, it was a no brainer forme.
Luisa Lyons (37:51):
I love that, and do you think it will be something
you will make available afterthe live stream, or will it just
be the one night only?
Sara Glancy (37:59):
No, I am having a videographer come, so I'm hoping
to have footage that I canshare with folks after the fact.
The interesting thing with thelive stream is I found the thing
that I'm considering the mostwhich is difficult is how to
make the live stream experiencefeel as rich as the in-person
(38:19):
experience, because there are acouple audience interactive
moments in the show which I'mreally excited about, because I
think shows are more fun whenyou feel like a participant no
one's getting dragged on stage,like we're not going full cast.
I'm like a participant.
No one's getting dragged onstage, like we're not going full
class.
I'm in the audience, butthere's some light audience
participation in a way.
That should be really fun, andI think that's always the
(38:41):
challenge with a live stream ofhow do you still make that
audience feel equally included?
No-transcript.
(39:14):
And one of the great thingsabout Green Room and Chelsea
Stage is when you have thatslide deck which appears on the
screens in the theater.
It's like a lower third for thelive stream folks.
So they've really paid a lot ofattention to how to make sure
you're not missing informationif you're on the live stream.
But that's been one of theconsiderations.
If, if I do a site gag.
(39:35):
That's like holding up a posterboard.
Can I have that site gagdoubled on the the screen next
to the stage so that we're not?
Because that's alwaysdisappointing when you're
watching a live stream and youfeel like, well, this wasn't
really made for me, even thoughthe quality is it's.
I think like watching a livestream and you feel like, well,
this wasn't really made for me,even though the quality is it's,
I think, like the best livestream in the city.
(39:57):
So I'm very excited about that.
But just as a artisticconsideration of how can I make
people still feel involved whenthey're tuning in from far away?
Luisa Lyons (40:06):
Yeah, I love that and there's there's a lot of
like research that has been doneabout how audiences feel when
they're watching something onscreen versus in person.
Like you know, 10, 15 years ago, the National Theatre conducted
studies on people's emotionalresponse to watching a cinema
broadcast versus being in personat the theatre, and they found
(40:29):
that people felt as connectedlike just watching the broadcast
in the cinema.
People felt as connected likejust watching the broadcast in
the cinema.
People felt as connected to thework, like emotionally
connected, watching on screen asthey did in person, and that
was like it was believed not tobe true, like that's why a lot
of industry.
People are against filmingbecause it's like it's not the
same as being in the room.
Well, it, it's a differentexperience you do.
(40:50):
You can have the same emotionalconnection just from watching
on a screen Like and especiallywith live, like, if you're, if
you're live streaming versus ondemand like knowing that you're
having, like you're in real time.
It's like there's a, there is ashared experience, even though
we're in disparate places.
Sara Glancy (41:07):
I'm I'm fascinated by that.
I'm not actually surprised.
That makes me very happy tohear that.
I think the one thing that I'verun into and this is more about
audience behavior anddiscipline is I've been
incredibly engrossed by livestreams before and I've also
(41:29):
zoned out because I had thelights on or I had my phone next
to me and wasn't being a goodaudience member.
You know what I mean that whenyou're in there, you you're not
going to get up and go make asnack and get nachos and come
back or check your phone becausewe have audience etiquette and
I think that's it was never theoh well, the live stream isn't
(41:49):
as engaging, but I've had thosemoments where I'm like, oh, I
can check my phonesurreptitiously or not
surreptitiously in that livingroom.
So that's something that Iwonder about.
But if I was in a movie theaterfor a screening, I think I
would have good audiencebehavior and would probably be
equally emotionally invested.
Luisa Lyons (42:07):
Yeah, it's very interesting.
And then, like the idea ofengaging audiences using the
chat like that has become a verybig way of you know someone is
curating the chat and askingquestions and there's like watch
parties where it's like you'reactively asked to like, tweet or
, you know, be on social mediaand hashtagging the show and
(42:33):
it's like you know there'sdebate about are you watching
the show, if you're livetweeting and where is your
attention.
But it's an interesting idea oflike that.
Some people find it moreengaging to be able to chat and
like engage with other peoplewatching through the chat than
just, like you know, sitting andwatching or scrolling and
watching.
Sara Glancy (42:48):
Yeah, that's fascinating.
I'm going to be thinking onthis.
There isn't a chat componentfor the live stream at Green
Room, which that's the onlything I wish, because there's a
moment not to spoil anything.
You know what?
This doesn't spoil anything.
The show is called Put Words inmy Mouth, so I felt like it
would be a missed opportunity ifwe didn't play a round of
(43:10):
musical theater Mad Libs.
So, oh my God, yes, in the showI will be singing a classic
Broadway tune with a bunch ofwords substituted out, and they
will be provided to me by theaudience.
Luisa Lyons (43:23):
Oh, that is hysterically funny.
Sara Glancy (43:25):
It's going to be really fun, but the one thing I
wished was I was like I wishthere was a chat feature for the
live stream so I could get acouple of the prompts from the
live stream.
I don't think there's going tobe a way to do that, but I do
think that that would be a greatway to use the chat feature in
a way that doesn't take themaway.
(43:46):
Right, it's just, you'replaying the game with me.
Luisa Lyons (43:49):
Yeah, I wonder, could you have people like
pre-submit somehow with?
I wanted to feel organic, butthat's a very Well, that was the
one thing I was thinking.
Sara Glancy (44:01):
I was like if I emailed the folks on the live
stream and I just even if it wasjust like one of the prompts of
like I need a profession, twosyllables, and I have everyone
submit it, and then I justrandomly pick one, I'm like this
is coming to us from the livestream, one of these questions.
That could actually be a reallyfun way.
So they wouldn't be doing itduring the show, but I could.
(44:24):
You know, I could email Louisaright after this and go.
Luisa Lyons (44:27):
Hey, give me a profession two syllables.
Sara Glancy (44:31):
That, I think, is actually a really fun way to
make to reward the people whoare tuning in and be like you
are part of this.
You may not be in this room,but you are part of this show
yeah, I love that.
Luisa Lyons (44:43):
It reminds me of a show I live streamed during the
pandemic, uh, called, was it aBollywood kitchen?
And and it was an Indian chefwho the show was him creating a
meal and talking about hischildhood, growing up in America
and being between two cultures,being a third culture kid.
(45:03):
Where he was, his heritage wasIndian but he grew up in the
United States and how foodinformed that and the theater
I'm blanking on which theater itwas.
It was somewhere in California.
They sent out a box ofingredients and spices and you
cooked while you were watchingthe show and it was truly
(45:24):
delightful and there was anoption for people to be in the
Zoom with him and you got tointeract with him or you could
just choose to watch and cook itLike it was.
It was fabulous.
It was one of my favoritethings I've ever live streamed.
It was such an innovative like,truly born of the pandemic.
Like how, how can we engagepeople?
(45:44):
But I see we're running shorton time.
There's oh my God, I could justnote out with you all day long.
So Put Words in my Mouth isgoing to be live streamed from
the Green Room 42 on October 15.
And I'll put links for ticketsand more information in the show
notes.
But before we wrap up, I wantto ask you my final segment is
(46:10):
called my Favorite Things, whereI ask you my favorite questions
.
These are a few of my favoritethings.
First up, what is your favoritemusical Violet?
Oh, I love that.
A unique response.
Sara Glancy (46:22):
Oh, I didn't even know it was a unique response.
Yeah, forever and for always.
Violet is just one of myfavorites.
Janine Tesori is one of myfavorite composers of all time
and I don't know, it's one thatincepted a certain point in my
life and I'll never get sick ofit.
So violet, violet's my answerbeautiful.
Luisa Lyons (46:43):
Do you have a favorite filmed live musical?
Sara Glancy (46:48):
oh, probably the into the woods, the one from
what was it?
Luisa Lyons (46:53):
The 80s, yeah, or the 1991.
Sara Glancy (46:56):
Yeah, that, that one again it's.
You know, sometimes you justthese hit you at a certain point
in your life and I'm like thatto me is the iconic filmed
musical is that Into the Woods?
So, first thought, best thought, into the Woods.
Luisa Lyons (47:11):
I love it, and that's.
I love that show as being agateway drug for so many people
to musical theater.
Yep Glorious, a filmed livemusical, isn't exactly a stage
show and it's not exactly amovie, so what should we call it
?
Whoa?
Sara Glancy (47:28):
What should we call it?
A filmed live musical?
A filmed live musical?
What should we call it?
A filmed live musical?
A filmed live musical?
I don't know that I can dobetter than a filmed live
musical like.
I think that if we wanted asexier title, we could probably
come up with one, but I thinkthat's the most accurate
description filmed live musical.
(47:48):
I think it's.
I don't, I don't think we cando better.
Luisa Lyons (47:55):
Where do you stand on bootlegs?
Sara Glancy (48:00):
Are people bootlegging?
I had no idea, I feel of twominds about this.
Um, I very much respect writersand if they don't and they
(48:22):
should have control about who'sseeing their work and if they
did not consent to have itfilmed and put online, then we
should not be filming it andputting it online.
That is where I stand, as anartistic and a writer, as an
actor who sometimes gets calledin for projects and needs to do
research and know what is showspeed for this musical so that I
can be in the right tone ofsomething.
(48:42):
I use them.
I utilize them.
So it's a difficult question andI guess my answer to skirt the
question is this is bootlegsexist because there is demand to
see these musicals and demandfrom people who can't afford to
(49:03):
come to New York and city andsee them.
So I would love for there to bemore sanctioned film live
musicals so that we can makethis accessible to people,
because there's a supply demandissue and I would much rather
everyone have access to aversion that was lovingly made
and okayed by all the actors andall the writers.
(49:24):
But that's not the world thatwe live in, and so I do think
that, as a writer, I'm againstagainst it.
As an actor.
I've Googled a slime tutorialor two because they're very
useful, that you know.
Luisa Lyons (49:36):
We people need access and the the exclusivity
of in person.
Um, the world has changed.
It's we need to make.
(49:58):
We need to make theateraccessible, to give people those
glimmers of hope.
I think that is.
Sara Glancy (50:05):
The answer is I yeah, there are problems with
having bootlegs, and I think it.
We need the consent of theactors and the writers, and I
think that's important.
And also, it would be great ifwe could make filmed versions of
these shows so that people inOhio who can't go to New York
(50:25):
three times a year and see abunch of Broadway shows, or
people in New York who justcan't afford current theater
prices, or Sarah in 2013.
You know what I mean.
Luisa Lyons (50:36):
Yeah, it's a nuanced answer.
Yeah, as you mentioned, Iwanted to ask earlier and I'm
going to quickly throw it in nowDo you have any original work,
your own work, in your show?
Sara Glancy (50:50):
The no original songs in the show, though I
actually talk about that.
The idea of this is the firsttime in a long time where I'm on
stage speaking as myself andputting words in my own mouth,
so the banter is very much mycreation.
No original songs in this one.
(51:11):
Perhaps at a later date, when Ifeel even a little more
emboldened and a little braver.
That'll be the version at 2.0.
Luisa Lyons (51:20):
Yes, love that.
What stage musicals do you wishhad been filmed?
Sara Glancy (51:27):
All of them.
The original Violet, I wouldlove to see that.
Oh, the original floyd collins.
I would have loved and maybethese are in the theater film
archives but they're not in thepublicly consumable.
Floyd collins, I think, is onethat I would love.
(51:47):
Love to see an original filmedversion of.
Luisa Lyons (51:51):
I am so excited it's coming back.
It's yeah.
Sara Glancy (51:55):
We should go together.
Luisa Lyons (51:57):
Oh, yes, please, oh my God, I would love that.
I'd love to.
What would you like to seefilmed in the future?
Sara Glancy (52:03):
Hmm, I mean stuff is the one that we were just
talking about.
I think it's such a universalmessage and I want little humans
across America to see that show.
I think it's both a great showand an important show, so that's
one that I'm like let's get itfilmed ASAP and get it in front
(52:24):
of all the little eyeballs.
Luisa Lyons (52:27):
Amen, and then people can have Hamilton sus
viewing parties.
Sara Glancy (52:31):
Absolutely Double header.
That sounds like a greatweekend for a little theater
nerds across the country.
Luisa Lyons (52:37):
I am for it, and grown up ones too.
Also that, yes.
Finally, where can we find youonline?
Where?
Sara Glancy (52:45):
can you find me online?
I believe my handles are allSarahahglancy1.
So you can find me on Instagramat sarahglancy1.
My website is sarahglancycom.
That's S-A-R-A-G-L-A-N-C-Y.
There's no H.
But yeah, give me a Google andyou'll probably find me.
Luisa Lyons (53:06):
Amazing and again, we'll have all of that in the
show notes, as well as links fortickets for Put Words in my
Mouth, which will be livestreamed from the Green Room 42
on October 15.
Sarah, thank you so much.
This has been so much fun andI'm so glad that we were able to
reconnect and I cannot wait tosee your show in action.
I know it's going to bebeautiful and thoughtful and
(53:27):
smart and I can't wait to seeyou on stage again.
Sara Glancy (53:30):
Thank you so much.
This and smart, and I can'twait to see you on stage again.
Thank you so much.
Luisa Lyons (53:36):
This has been an absolute pleasure.
The Filmed Live Musicalspodcast is created and edited by
your host, louisa Lyons.
Filmedlivemusicalscom featuresinformation on over 200 film
stage musicals from around theworld and dating back to 1938, a
newsletter with upcomingstreams and this very podcast.
(53:56):
You can follow us on Twitter,facebook, instagram and YouTube.
Filmed Live Musicals is verymuch a labor of love.
Thank you to all of our newmembers following on Patreon.
An extra special thanks to ourpaying members Josh Brandon,
Belinda Broido, Jeremy Brull,Ralph Carhart, Elliot Charles,
Vincent Doyon, Tachel Esteban,Mercedes Esteban-Lyons, Hannah
(54:18):
Graneman, Alison Matthews, DavidNegrin, Jesse Rabinowitz and
Brenda Goodman, David andKatherine Rabinowitz and Jo
Tillotson.
Your financial support helps tocontinue the preservation of
the history of film stagemusicals and the curation of one
easy place to find them all.
You can now make a one-off or arecurring tax-deductible
donation to Filmed Live Musicalsvia the Field.
(54:39):
Visit filmedlivemusicals.
com to learn more.
I hope you enjoyed this episodeand thanks for listening.
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