Heathers: The Musical Review

Jessica finally convinced Alice to watch the Heathers Musical and boy do they have a lot of stuff to say. These two can really yap. (They watched The West End Production)

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hi, good morning. Welcome to Two Birds, One Brain
podcast with it's Jessica booting the Curious Alice
podcast. Welcome to Cupcake.
I just want to get that. We'll just get an intro on there
just so that we have. One, we're already.
We're already, yeah. This is a side note to the
conversation we're gonna have. But with all the voice acting

(00:22):
stuff we've been working on, theamount of awareness I now have
for what that what that looks like.
I smacked the mic. I'm so sorry.
It's crazy. Awareness and like now, like
listening to performances that I've been listening to forever
and like really actually listening to them, it's crazy.
It's like changing my brain chemistries.

(00:44):
Yeah, again, partially. Sometimes in a bad way because
you're like, oh God, I've had somany mouth noises.
Yeah, why did I say that that way?
Is this what I do? Is this what I sound?
Like yeah, fuck. Well, and even like in a in like
listening to like how video games are voiced, like that's
another big thing is that I'm actually listening to how
they're performing and I'm like,man, some of it's really great

(01:05):
and that you obviously that's why they were hired.
But other things, wow, it's bad.I mean, I've even been thinking
about it because I've been watching Season 3 of The Gilded
Age on HBO Max, which is a delightful little period piece.
It's like almost 1900, or it is 1900 in New York.

(01:25):
I don't remember what year it isexactly.
It's the Gilded Age industry. But like, there's one actress in
there. It's Gladys, the daughter of
like the new money family, and she is hitting that like period
peace accent so hard. And it's like, it really drives

(01:48):
me up the wall because everybodyelse is like so natural.
And I can hear that she's reallytrying.
You know, she's doing it. Yeah, I can hear it.
Yeah. That's.
And I'm like, girl, I love you. You're doing a great job.
But. That's the difference between
acting and putting on a voice. Really.
Truly. Yeah, and it's the same girl who
was she's been in a bunch of stuff.

(02:09):
She was in American Horror Story, like she was in she's the
the brown haired girl. I don't know her name.
So she's like a decent actor, but like, girl, I can hear this.
That's rough dude. Speaking of accents that might
be a little bit noticeable at times, I just showed Alice the

(02:30):
Heather's pro shot. Yeah, and that's on Segways,
baby girl. That's on segue, yeah.
So we finally watched the Heathers you, I think on the
podcast, we talked about it three months ago.
We probably we probably spent a minute and we finally did it.
We finally accomplished it. I have now officially seen the
Heather's pro shot I it's reallygood.

(02:51):
I really like it. I told you.
Yeah, I actually told. Retold the whole story to my Co
worker because she doesn't really watch musicals or
anything and I was like explaining all of it to her and
she was like I don't even know if it's just a good story or if
you're a good. Storyteller.
I'm like, I'm not a good storyteller.
I know for a fact that I'm trashat telling stories.
So it's just so unhinged. I mean, it's a cult classic

(03:13):
movie for a reason. It came, I don't know if it was
like 87 or something with WinonaRyder and Christian Slater.
It's a dark comedy. It's not actually that funny,
but you know, everything is justso crazy.
And like, you know, you're really pulled into the story.
You're like holy shit. When they made sense.
I think one of my favorite things about trying to adapt

(03:35):
movie back to stage when so muchof stuff has been staged up to
movie is trying to find ways to make it like feel like a stage
show. And I think the, and I brought
it up to you, I was like, I really like how they brought
the, the red Heather, whatever her last name is.

(03:56):
Chandler. Chandler, I think.
That Heather's she became a ghost for the show and I think
that that's. Yeah, so she was on stage every
once in a while, which I think, again, also a really smart
choice because I mean, I get so upset in regular media whenever
they kill somebody and then theykeep them around or they're
supposed to kill somebody and they bring them back.

(04:18):
This was OK In musicals. I feel like that's OK because
you can do the ghost thing really well.
I mean she was funny. It showed you know, cuz I think
also in the movie you know, likethere are inner monologue like
narratives like spoken aloud. So this kind of helped with
that. Also having her have someone
else to bounce that you know. Turmoil off.

(04:39):
She does a really good job of like being the embodiment of her
guilt and letting that characterdo some crazy shit.
I really liked that portrayal ofher a lot.
I think that's really fun. It was good.
Yeah, and I think too, like it also helped show cuz if you
don't know Heather's, it's in the 80s in high school, sort of

(05:05):
murder, faking suicides. I mean, not sort of murder.
It is murder. There's actually quite a bit of
murder, actually there's. A bit of murder her and her
boyfriend end up faking suicidesfor several of their classmates
who are horrible people, you know, and and her boyfriend's
crazy and thinks he's bettering the world by removing these

(05:25):
people from it. But it also, I think with her
being on stage, it's a really nice mirror to the whole like,
Oh, yeah, being immortalized as a young person who commits
suicide, Like, she's still therein that form and like, the kind
of Rockstar status almost that she gets for a little while.

(05:46):
It's definitely an interesting like it.
It serves multiple purposes and I really like that.
Yeah, it was a really, really smart choice because they didn't
change that much from the movie.Like the story is the story.
You know, she wasn't a ghost in the movie.
There was one or two other things that they changed, but I
feel like minor things. Although again, like like I said

(06:08):
in the movie, at the very beginning, JD pulls a gun in the
cafeteria, which we've moved on from that, You know, that was
I'm glad they didn't keep that choice.
Well, I also I think and this. Feels like to me another
important artistic choice as well is if you have maybe in the
80s it was more of a thing that happened.
I don't know. In our day and age, it's not

(06:29):
common of having a kid pull a gun and it's just like, oh,
whatever. But having the stage show where
he tossles instead, gets in a gets in a row as they say, it's
you're like, OK, this is a normal response to someone who's
like, I don't want to get fucking picked on.
I'm going to beat the shit out of these people.
And then the slow integration ofyou slowly realizing, Oh, he's

(06:51):
fucking crazy. You know, instead of being like,
like someone pulling a gun, now I'd be like, OK, he's fucking
crazy. And then all the rest of it
would make sense. And it's not like a plot twist,
but with having him start with just like beating the shit out
of them instead of pulling a gunthat.
In a cool. Way, yeah, it makes him more
interesting, yeah. You know, there's a lot more

(07:12):
issues now concerning guns in schools than there were in the
80s. So it wasn't as egregious, I
guess, because there wasn't an unfortunate history, yeah.
That's what I'm saying is that like if a trench coat kid showed
up at school and pulled a gun, you'd be like OK, yeah, like I
fucking get it. I also, I knew you'd like it
because we also just watched Great Gatsby like a slime

(07:35):
tutorial recently. And I remember after we finished
watching that you were like something along the lines of
this is such a musical. Like, yeah, this is that is
traditional musical theater musical.
It is a musical ass musical if I've ever seen.
One, it's like Anastasia that isa musical ass musical.
In AI love it, but it's very as a positive.

(07:57):
Yeah. But it is like if you think of
musical theater, that's that's it.
You know, it's giving all of thetropes, all of the familiar
little musical stings that you've heard before.
Like all of the you can tell when they're leading up to big
notes and big story beats like it's it's predictable not in a
bad way, but like Heather's is, you know, a rock soundtrack.

(08:19):
It's it's off the rails. It never even made it to
Broadway, which is what's. Crazy.
It's a good show. I would also like to point out
that the pro shot that we watched, the stage these people
were performing on, was fucking tiny.
It was so small, so small. Way smaller than my high school
stage. And that's not very big.
Those girls and everybody that were wooing in the audience when

(08:42):
Kurt and Ram took off their shirts, it's 'cause they could
see ABS and yeah, right, They were right in front of their
faces. But like, I I love the
soundtrack. I think they made some really
interesting choices. And again, that end, the song
near the end meant to be yours. Absolutely butters my biscuit.

(09:03):
I I get so fucking amped I get turned when that song comes on.
Well, what's? Funny is that it's it's a TikTok
sound, right? So like what's funny is I know
for the whole show I'm like, I know this is going to be in
here. So I was just sort of like
quietly anticipating it. And then that it's not even the
part that I knew that started. I could hear the melody in the

(09:23):
first half of the song and I waslike, oh, it's coming.
And I've noticed it, yeah. On re watches, they tease.
They do kind of like an oppositething from what I feel like most
musicals end up doing. You know, there's usually a
musical sting as a reprise, like, oh, remember that song
that we did? Here's a little bit of it.
They did. They do that before with at

(09:43):
least two or three songs. They give you some of the
musical melody of a song before it happens because they also do
it. I think with 17, they do it with
meant to be yours. I've I noticed it when we were
rewatching, I was like, oh, likewe haven't heard that song yet,
but here it is. So that was a nice kind of
little like it's coming. Well, and something else that

(10:04):
was funny. So you have like, the musical
motifs of the actual show. And then I had that one point
where I was sitting there. I was like, oh, it's Grease
because they were like doing this little bit.
And I was like, why is this so familiar to my brain?
Yeah, it because I did Grease inhigh school.
So it's like in there, right? Like it's so deeply implanted
that it's like my sleeper agent.So they started doing it and my

(10:27):
brain was like, why do I have anurge to go Chang, Chang, Chang
to Chang you pop. Like what's happening to my?
Brain right now. And I think that one was really
interesting. I don't actually know if that
was an intentional choice or not, but it really.
It feels like it is, yeah. It just has the vibe and the
energy of that song. So that's why I was like, what
the fuck? I mean it's just creating a
parallel. Of another musical that has high

(10:49):
school kids you know that are. Yeah, in the 80s.
Yeah, even though the 50s. Oh, was it the 50's?
The, I mean, Grease is supposed to be in the 50s, but the
musical was I think in the early80s, maybe late 70s.
I don't remember. My brain says 80s because I
think that's when the movie cameout.
Yeah, the musical was set in the50s.
Yeah, I think it's a, it almost feels like to me.

(11:13):
And again, maybe I'm reading waytoo much into it as we know we
love to do, judging by our wholeTed Lasso experience.
Oh God, but I don't want to talkabout it.
That's when they're having the party at home when the parents
are gone. Another core thing is that, you
know, the parents don't really understand what the kids are
going through in high school. So it's like their high school

(11:35):
experience was way different. And I mean, 50s is maybe a
little bit older, but it's kind of like contrasting, I think the
sweet little oh, we're gonna hand drive versus yeah, getting
fucking wasted at our parents house.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And like, having big fun, lots
of things. Yeah.
Mm hmm. Yeah.

(11:57):
Do we need to put a trigger warning on this episode?
Maybe. Maybe, I don't know.
I mean, I feel like just a basictrigger warning Heathers.
That's fair. Maybe I'll just call the episode
Trigger warning Heathers becauseI'm not realizing there's a.
Lot of other things. But yet other stuff happened.
Heather's in general is a trigger warning of a musical.

(12:18):
Absolutely. Yeah, like multiple times.
Yeah, fake suicide. Also actual attempted suicides
then because, you know, everybody's like, Oh well, they
did it, you know. Kind of, yeah.
There's like an attempted rape scene like.
They did. We talked about this a little
bit also because they changed a song before it, like when it was

(12:41):
done in London, they changed songs for the kind of sexual
assault, possible sexual assaultscene from Blue, which was
talking the guys talking about like, don't make my balls so
Blue, like come over here, fix it, come on.
They just want to be with you kind of shit to the one that
actually puts some realism in the situation where she's like,

(13:03):
I need to get out of here, this is dangerous, which I.
Appreciate they like gave her more voice I think.
They did 'cause actually I re listened to a little bit of blue
this morning because I couldn't remember what it sounded like.
And it does really sound very jokey.
The only thing she really says is, you know, kind of like, come
on, drink, like get more drunk, just leave me alone.
Like it's it's a little bit morebrushed off rather than her

(13:26):
realizing, oh, shit, I'm alone in a field with two very strong
men. Yeah, this is dangerous.
I need this is potentially bad. Yeah.
Yeah. But I know a lot of people
weren't necessarily liking that they changed the song.
But I do think it was a good choice.
Yeah. Re listening to it.
And, like, I mean, they're allowed to be.

(13:49):
We talked about this with media in general, too.
Like, some things are allowed tobe unpleasant and tough
subjects, and that's fine. They should be, you know.
I don't think we need to be sugar coating every single
aspect of society because when you do that and then you're
actually faced with it and you're like, oh, yeah.
By the way, I learned that, like, in high school, we had

(14:11):
someone come and be like, oh, yeah, we couldn't find my
daughter after she went out on adate with this man.
Turns out he had cut her up witha chainsaw and distributed her
body parts all over the city. Like, yeah, don't sugar.
She didn't sugarcoat it. She just fucking told us that
shit. I mean, look at this.
I'm 29. That was like when I was 14.
It's still with me to this day. Like, that shit's important.

(14:31):
And so I think that that's another thing where it's like we
you can try to like, play that weird dynamic of like, here's
this horrible thing. Can we make it a little bit
humorous to like, lighten the impact of it?
But sometimes you just got to let it be horrible and scary.
Like that's just the truth of it.
And I really appreciate that they they let the gravity of the

(14:53):
situation sink in, especially because it felt weird.
I think otherwise because the song was so light hearted when
they really do let a lot of the other tough moments like kind of
shine through. I.
Feel like I think that's a really interesting way to do
that interpretation because it'slike how I mean, even just like
that's, that's something that's become a new thing in the last

(15:14):
40 years is being able to like report those sort of things,
right And. Talk about it.
And so it's kind of just a character way.
Yeah, so it's kind of interesting that the take was
cuz this musical was written in what, 2010?
We looked. It up or that's when it first
came out, I forget it was one ofthose.
One of those things. And so, you know, there's been

(15:35):
some revisions since then and it's sort of interesting to see
that they took a approach initially that was isn't it
funny that these guys are tryingto sleep with her and turn it
into isn't it kind of scary thatthey're trying to to rape her in
a corn fuel? You know, like it's that's the
change. It's.
I will say the initial song feltvery 2010 also.
Like, that's crazy. Yeah.

(15:56):
It really felt like it because even in the new song, and you're
welcome, you still get the guys being like, yeah, come on, like,
look at me. Like, don't you just wanna, you
know, you want it, You know, youstill get that energy.
But then you get Veronica's perspective being like, uh oh,
no, I don't. Oh God, yeah, yeah.
You. Know.
I think it was a very good choice and I think they handled

(16:18):
it in a good way cuz it getting her like quick little like OK,
what the fuck I'm in I'm in a field.
I need to figure out how to get out of here.
I got to make sure I get away from them, but they have my
keys, you know, like really getting that truthfully fearful
monologue happening in the song where they're like fucking
dicking her out. And you're like, you're being
funny because the show demands it.

(16:39):
But like, you're like, you know,as a woman, you're just like
anticipating. You're like, when's when's the
part where they're going to makethis worse?
And thankfully it doesn't happenso.
Yeah, even in I and I actually Ican't remember in the movie if
one of the other Heathers like sleeps with them or not.
I don't remember. It's been a couple months since

(17:00):
I or like a year since I watchedit last.
But I also it's almost like there was a little bit of AI
don't want to say teaching moment, but a little bit of like
when she says, you know, you're not in trouble until they grab
your hair and it's like that's important.
They're like, let the women knowthe young girls in the audience,

(17:20):
like, OK, yeah, get out as fast as you can.
Which I appreciate. Felt like it was talking to the
ladies more than just like ha. Ha, funny guy song.
I just really like media that has depth to it.
Once again, we're back at that. Like, yeah, the fact that you

(17:41):
have a musical with three murders, at least one like
scene. Oh, no, 2 scene, attempted
suicides, which is crazy. And then someone, how much of
the plot am I allowed to expose here?
I guess. I mean, I think it's the movie
came out in the 80s. I think we're allowed to say

(18:03):
that. All right, well, here comes the
if you guys don't know, and I'm giving you the opportunity to
not listen if you want. So I'm just going to ramble here
for a second, OK, Anyway. And then you have the kid
planning a bomb at school to blow everybody up, right?
Like, there's a lot going on in this show.
When you literally were like, isthis actually the story?
Like you're at the end. I was like, yes, dude, I.

(18:25):
Was like befuddled. I was like, we're really gonna
like go blow up a school. Like there's a thing we're gonna
do. Yes, yes, we were.
And it was a very silly looking pipe bomb.
And I was like, yeah, it makes those.
That's so funny. Yeah.
I think it's, it's just so interesting that you have these
really big heightened emotional things going on, but also you

(18:47):
still have these very interesting character dynamics
playing off of each other. Because Veronica has these
moments with JD where you see her struggle with like, you're
fucking crazy, but he's also theonly person who still sees her
as like a person in all of this crazy that's happening to her.
And I think she understands thathis crazy is again born from his

(19:10):
own childhood trauma. Like he's not a bad person in
general necessarily, but it's like his and you see a lot of
the parents are what the you have made what the kids what
they are. Yeah, yeah.
Which is, I think also it's a lot of interesting.
It's it's a lot of character development to put in a musical,

(19:32):
I think. And that's the thing that I
really, really like about it. I like when musicals have a lot
of character. That's why I don't like Grace.
What is grief? Mindless.
Nothing. What?
Mindless. Yeah.
Even Mamma Mia has character development, you know, like,
it's just so funny to me from doing like I did Charlie Brown.

(19:52):
I've talked about this before. I did Charlie Brown, which is
ultimately not a character development show.
It's just cute little blurbs here and there.
Whatever. It's nothing.
We did Footloose, which is a vastly more interesting show.
And then we did Grease drama in there, yeah.
Yeah, well, the fun, there's a fun stuff in the musical of
Footloose that they don't necessarily show in the movie.

(20:14):
Like the drama is a little bit different, right?
So like the dad has a whole solosong about his son or whatever,
and I don't know, I just like the musical a little bit more, I
think. And there's another song in
there that's like the Jim Dave song or whatever, and that one
was really fun as well. OK, yeah, but Greece.
And we did Greece. And I was like, man, this song
fucking sucks. None of this shit makes any
sense. What the fuck's going on?

(20:35):
Yeah, the extra song in Greece is about how much that kid loves
to moon people. Yeah, what the what the fuck is
that shit? So the Heathers is refreshing
for me because I'm like, OK, so this is a musical quality.
There's something interesting going on.
They have a message to tell, andit's actually impactful to like,

(20:57):
see it. It's like what I watched Next to
normal and it fucked me up. Like it was really good.
And I learned what the definition of schizophrenia was
from that musical. Essentially, I saw A Beautiful
Mind years before, but I didn't really understand what was going
on. Yeah.
I mean, I think also, I know youwere worried initially to watch

(21:17):
Heather's as well, because it was because of the things that
I, you knew going into that it was dealing with.
Yeah, suicide and murders and everything, you know, heavy,
heavy subjects. I was trying to tell you.
It was like literally, there's only like 1 moment where I might
cry. And that is, you know, the, the
reeler of the, I don't want to say reeler.

(21:37):
That's not good. That's like one of the attempted
suicides at the end of the show for a character that you know is
just super sweet and has been put down and belittled the whole
time. Yeah, for no reason.
It's definitely a very realisticscenario and that's why it is.
I think it hits the most becausewe're both the weird kids from
high school. I know.

(21:57):
I also appreciate that they kepther song when it was in that
moment. They kept it weird.
You know, they didn't make it some grand sweeping thing.
They still let it be known in that song that, Yep, she's a
little, she's a little quirky. She kept a scab in a Locket from
that kid in kindergarten, and it's high school now, you know?

(22:18):
And it's, yeah, it's weird. It's a little bit of honey.
But you know. Yeah, but it reads into her.
Character a lot more. It does.
I do think that's another thing too, is they really kept the
character through the songs verywell for the most part.
It's not like it was just like, here is a song.
Musicals, yeah. You know.

(22:39):
And the initial segue that we had that we have not spoken
about yet is the. Pro shot the accent.
In England it is in that place where the funny accents come
from pretending. To be from.
Ohio, it's so funny. It generally there were several
moments in the show before I'd put together.
I was like, this was in London, right?
Because there was a couple of times they would say something

(23:01):
and my brain was like, why? Why did they say it like that?
That's so weird because Americans don't talk like that.
And so it was funny because you could tell when I think it was
JD that really congratulated me because, as you like to say, he
got real Kermody. He got real Kermody Diddy.
And it's so funny because he's trying to play this kind of
cool, hard suave character. And then he's kind of delivering

(23:24):
his lines kind of like this. So he doesn't use his British
accent and you're like. He was enunciating real hard.
Boy was in the. Pocket of just I would rather
you do American British accent than a full American because
your full American is not working for you.
I mean, and I don't mind it so much because I do think that

(23:44):
it's being in the streamer and in the online space.
We've heard so many different accents from so many people.
It's true. It's true.
As long as I kind of forget that, I'm like, yes, they're
trying to be American. I'm like, OK, they're just
talking. You know, I'm not gonna, I'm not
the person that's gonna make funof how anybody talks unless
it's, you know, a funny mispronunciation like, you know,

(24:04):
that you mix 2 words together. Which I do all the time.
Yeah, but, you know, like I'm, I'm not gonna make someone make
fun of somebody's regular speaking voice, so it doesn't
really bother me that much. That's fair.
I hear. It I just, but it's just funny
because my my brain is so sensitive to those weird dialect

(24:25):
changes. I think it just comes from
having an English grandmother. So I'm like used to hearing a
really subtle English. So when it's sort of like this
warped in between my brains, like, what's going on?
Yeah. What are you doing?
Bastard child of British and huh?
Yeah. And, and it's really, it's
really not that bad. It's just that when you
described it to me as Kermody, it's just so much easier for me

(24:46):
to distinguish it. I'm like, Oh, yeah, you're so
right. It is.
Yeah. To be yours.
Yeah, there was a couple. I would say his speaking
dialogue was definitely the harshest moments of it, but his
singing was mostly OK. It was pretty good.
I once again really like his song at the end.
What was it called? Meant to be mine.

(25:08):
I went to yours OK. Incredible.
Yeah. That's such a powerful.
Song, I really like it. I think it shows his emotional
distress and his, you know, his mental state very well.
Going back and forth between thequiet like I love you, we were
supposed to be together, whatever.
And then but Bang, Bang Bang, like I'm gonna, I'm gonna fuck

(25:29):
shit up. The writing that is exceptional
because it really captures trench coat kid energy and I
know you guys know what I'm talking about when I say trench
coat kid because we all had one.He's mine asked me to prom and I
was like, I don't know a Safewayto negotiate this.
I'm scared but. Oh no.

(25:53):
Yeah, I I think that they reallycapture that well because it has
that like you could, you could the break is happening.
That is the mental snap of the show is his meltdown, Yeah, when
Veronica refuses to be with him anymore.
And it's so fascinating to watchthat dynamic build through the
show. It's great.
I loved the moment after the double murder of Kurt and Ram

(26:18):
where they bring back the reprise of Our Love is God,
which at least at first with Veronica and JD, is the like,
yeah, we're meant to be together, we're perfect for each
other. I love you.
You love me. Yeah.
We can do anything. Teenage love.
Yeah. And then it comes back again.
And when he's singing, our love is God.
Like, I'd trade my life for yours.

(26:39):
And then she's, she's scared because she sees how deep in
his, you know, crazy he actuallyis.
And he's fully obsessed with her.
And she's crying and like, oh God.
Yeah, Oh no. And side note, coming back to
the voices, Veronica's play for her voice was so good.

(27:00):
I you you also made notes multiple times about how she
kind of plays it silly a couple of times where she she kind of
kind of get like gets down. She gets real goofy.
Yeah, and I and I think it really plays into that character
really well. She isn't supposed to be cool.
The whole point is that she's not cool.
And I again. I Winona Ryder was too cool to
not be cool. Winona Ryder is very cool and

(27:21):
objectively very hot. And it's still weird that in the
80s and 90s that people did not call her hot, like, and crazy
She is. Yeah.
Even in the the slime tutorial of the original production that
I've watched, I think it's the same actress who went on to play
Caddy in Mean Girls and I she's,she also does some kind of

(27:45):
goofy, like, you know, stuff. But I'm still like, I don't
know, objectively like you just,you're playing it like you're
still pretty cool. And it didn't hit as, like,
nerdy as I wanted it to. Yeah, I this Veronica was
really, really good at those moments, puffing her cheeks out

(28:06):
and making a stupid face, like when she found out that JD's mom
is dead after she just said something about it.
Some good awkward. Yeah, we're like, she's talking
to her dad. She goes cuz you're silly, dad.
You're like, dude, that's how I assess my dad.
He nailed it. That's the Midwestern.
And again, she was the one with nice parents and that's they

(28:28):
show that very well. You know, everybody else's
parents were Dicks. Shout out to the adult actors.
Yeah, there was like 4 of them for the whole week.
Two guys and a lady. Yeah, and they played every
adult. It's the Spring Awakening of it
all. Which brings me back around to
one of my favorite parts of theater as a performer, which is

(28:50):
the amount of quick changes thathappened in this show is kind of
incredible. So you have the same actor
playing multiple dads, which is great.
So he's constantly changing hatsand changing character.
But then my favorite quick change, which I didn't even
realize until we were like watching the the bows, was the

(29:11):
bomb goes off and Veronica's close enough that she gets,
like, sooted. Yeah, snooted.
Sooted. She gets covered in in dirt
essentially and soot, and so she's kind of gross looking.
Braggled a bit and then that's the end of the show.
She looks kind of gross and thenshe goes off stage, they come

(29:31):
out to do the bows and she's back in her clean, crisp suit.
And I was like, wait, what the fuck?
Did they just make her do another change just to do bows?
That's crazy. They did I my favorite quick
change is the Heather in green. Oh yeah, that was the other one.
Changes from green to red and here's like.
Whoa, yeah, dude, any time that it's like this on stage and

(29:54):
there's a quick change, I fucking lose my mind every time.
That's like one of my favorites.The this is a total side note,
but the Elsa quick change for the musical is so impressive
because there's just like two people that are just sitting
there in the floor of the stage and they're like OK and 3:00 and
2:00. And then they RIP her dress off
and her white dress comes out underneath and it's just so it's

(30:14):
so fun to watch. And there's the the gloves are
on strings. So she like flings the gloves.
The hair comes down, the dress gets ripped off.
It is like I'm getting chills thinking about it.
That one's really cool. I really like that.
And I actually, I watched like compilation of Elsa's dress
change and I was like, this is fucking sick.
You just get the beat drop over and over again.

(30:36):
Yeah, or like like a trapdoor situation where like someone
falls through a trapdoor to change.
I also love that like the witch melting is like one of my faves.
Really good. Really good.
Yeah. And for such a small stage too,
you know, it's a it's a more impressive.
Yeah, it's a tiny guy. I can't emphasize enough how
small this fucking stage is. I feel like I would like to

(31:00):
point out that the best part of live theater is the theatrics of
theater. So many people are like, it's so
cheesy. I'm like, that's the best part.
Yeah, that's the good part. What do you mean?
Remember, was it at like the very fucking beginning?
Also, whenever the show was about to start and the audience
was so fucking excited and you were like, why am I about to cry
right now? And I was like, so am I.

(31:23):
They did like their first opening number and I cried.
I was like, what's happening to me?
Because everybody was just so excited.
Also, I mean, so many people dressed up and, like, cosplayed
in the audience. It was, yeah, it was really
sweet. And again, that really shows how
much of like a hit, a sleeper hit this musical has has been.
There's something about not onlybeing a performer and getting to

(31:46):
like, have that passionate crowdreaction, like, and then be
like, all right, I have to just keep performing.
Like, yeah, the number of times have been like filled with I'm
getting praised and I have to like, fucking chill right now.
Don't smile, don't get all heated.
It's great because people are saying good job.
This is another thing that I remember giggling about.
There was like a freeze frame where she gets really.

(32:08):
Close to JD's face, yes, in. Fights I literally.
They rub noses while he's pretending to be frozen in time.
It's crazy. I literally was like, I could
never. That was crazy, what they just
did. You did say that out loud.
I just like to have to stand there in a silly pose and just
not smile as your fellow actor comes literally in your face is

(32:32):
crazy. Yep, hot though I'm like hey,
that's. Crazy, but I I really, there's
just so much artistry in it thatI really enjoyed.
They had good symbolism, they had good artistry.
They had good theatrics. Like man, 1010 theater right
there. That's a great show.
Highly recommend if you can findthe pro shot.

(32:53):
What, giving it a watch, you know, even just seeing.
I lost it. Never mind.
Yeah, I do remember I was sayingearlier before I got
sidetracked, too, like, you wereworried about some of the themes
going in. There's only that one part that
kind of, you know, makes me cry or tear up.
And I kept trying to tell you, like, I swear to God, it's dark,

(33:16):
but it ends positive. Like, you will end this musical
with a good feeling, even thoughit does get a little dark in the
woods at times. Yeah, like.
Yeah, they somehow managed to toleave it on a high note and
you're like kind of crazy that we killed 3 people and blew up a
school, but. Yeah.
Everybody's good now. When I kept calling, I was like,

(33:37):
it's like the Mean Girls of the 80s, but with murder.
And I was like, all right, somebody has to get hit by a bus
now. Like we're in get hit by a bus
mode. But no, yeah, it's fantastic.
It's really good. God, and I also appreciate that
I was like, shout out to all theboyfriends who did not want to
come see this show. Yeah, I hope you liked it.

(33:59):
I mean, again, it's it's not your typical musical, which I
think is a good thing. You know, one of the things that
I didn't realize, because we were talking about it after,
especially in the difference between the meant to be yours
that, you know, you've heard on TikTok from the original
production versus this one, you were like, oh, yeah, they did.

(34:23):
He didn't use a lot of vibrato. And I'm like, that's it.
That's why I like it so much more is because they're not
doing as much like theater voicein a lot.
Of it, I like this. He's seen so much more because
of that. I think the thing that really
bugs me is if you listen to likebad example, but like older
Disney musicals, like the movies, yeah, the vibrato's just

(34:45):
sort of tacked onto the end, right?
Like you, you have sustained notes and then a little vibrato.
And I feel like a big thing that's happened recently in
musical theater is they're like,we need to vibrato fucking 4
chords and for like 8 fucking notes.
And it's like, hey, so this just, I don't like this.
I don't like the way this sounds.
I just, I would prefer to see you sustain a note, which I know

(35:08):
that vibrato can actually be harder to do, but yeah, I don't
know. I just, it just hits weird when
it's like the whole song isn't vibrato the whole time and I'm
just like, it kind of feels lazy.
I don't even know. I don't know.
I just don't like. It as much I feel like without
using vibrato a lot of the time.This isn't every time.
You know this isn't blanket statement, but I feel like

(35:29):
having just a flat, you know, note sustained, even if it's not
a long 1 whatever like it. I feel like it adds genuine
feeling to it. Yeah, it it.
It's the same reason why part ofwhy, and I've said it before and
I'll say it again, that I absolutely hate Aaron Tebbit in
Moulin Rouge. The theatre voice takes away

(35:51):
from all of like the real sad, like simple yearning that
Christian does. And it feels more raw and it
feels more like, again, he's just a little.
Guy. Yeah, I don't need him to be a
big voice. You know, sometimes I feel like
it takes away character and it Idon't know.
I also. Don't know if it like comes from

(36:13):
when I was in choir and my teacher was very like we're
gonna articulate, we're gonna hit our notes, we're gonna
sustain like she was very like we're singing in this clear.
And I feel like as coming from choir doing musical, it is a
different practice. It is because it's a lot of solo
work and I've always been ensemble.

(36:34):
So for me, doing vibrato was kind of a no no, because it's
like, well, then you're changingthe dynamic of the choir and
you're not supposed to do that. So that might be why I have this
bias against fully vibrato songs.
Yeah, well. For those for those that listen
to the podcast and are going to come after me, OK, it's it's I
came from a choir background andnot the musical inner

(36:57):
background. I mean, we've talked about that
before, too. Like I feel like choir is the
reason that I don't feel like I have much of my own voice is
because we had to be one with many other people.
Blend. Yeah, but oh fuck, I forgot what
I was going to say before. Oh.
I'm sorry, I'm pissed. I like to go back and and rerun

(37:19):
that that dialogue. RIP, RIP, RIP RIP.
So you're talking about vibrato.I think there's plenty of times
that that I will listen to something and I'm like, even
with vibrato or whatever, I'm like, that was fucking
incredible. I'm not against that.
I know that these things are incredible and sometimes I do
love to hear it. But again, sometimes I feel like

(37:39):
it takes away because I'm like, OK, where'd the emotion of the
song go? And I feel like so much of
musical theater now, and we've talked about this before a lot
too, I feel like especially for women is just like, OK, how much
can you belt? How high can you go?
How what? What kind of cool shit?
Can you do to me you're like, Ohyeah, big high notes is a lot of

(37:59):
emotion. I'm like, you know, it's a lot
of emotion. It's singing with a lot of
emotion, which you can't do whenyou're fucking screaming.
Yeah. I just feel like if you gave
them more room to play, which I feel like Heather's has a lot of
playroom, you get a lot more dynamics out of that.
And as opposed to all these performances have to be exactly
the same because they're all belty notes.

(38:23):
And that kind of is just, I don't know.
Yeah, and it's a little bit, I know you haven't seen you didn't
watch Wicked Part 1 or whatever,but there's also.
Haven't seen that show, I know. There's the song I'm Not that
Girl when she's, you know, quietly singing to herself about
how she's starting to like Fiero, but she knows she's not

(38:45):
what he wants. Yeah, in the movie when Cynthia
Rivo starts singing that song again, she is doing quite a few
runs and and little like kind ofvocal tricks.
And even in the beginning of thesong, like I feel I liked the
song after it ended. But I do feel like as soon as

(39:05):
that song started, I was like, Ifeel like the runs take away
from the emotion of it because it's kind of like, look what I
can do rather than like actuallyfeeling it.
So it did kind of, it kind of bothered me a little bit.
And I know it's a cultural thing, but it still feels just a
little bit. Her voice is incredible.

(39:27):
I love her as an actress. But I was like, is this the time
to really be like, you know, I you're sad?
So crazy is that when I hear herspeak like I watch interviews, I
just don't feel like her speaking voice and her singing
voice are the same person. And that's, that's just means
nothing ultimately, because it is what it is.

(39:48):
It's just so funny to me becausemy brain will be like, OK, and
this is just not the sound I expected to come out of you.
That's all. I just my brain does not
aligning the the vocal sounds together.
Because I've seen some of her other stuff that she's in.
What's the other thing she's really famous for?
I can't The Color Purple. Yeah, I've seen clips of that.

(40:08):
She's great in that. Oh my gosh.
I can't. Actually.
I'm not gonna. I'm actually not gonna get on
the wicked thing again. I know.
Actually, I'm gonna hold myself back today.
That was a small mention on Still On Topic where I feel
like, again, sometimes runs vocal tricks, musical theater

(40:28):
voice can take away from the emotion of a song.
I get it. You have a great voice, girl.
We know that I know. I actually kind of wanted that
song to be kept simple. Because she's feeling like shit.
In that moment, if I'm feeling like shit, I don't want to be
like, you know. Trying to be Britney Spears, OK.
Or maybe I am. I don't know.

(40:50):
I don't know. I feel like this comes from
maybe the artists inside both ofus, which is, you know, we're
also like, I can make this art, you know, like that's what I
think it is, is that we're in here like we can make this art.
Obviously I can't make fucking. Wicked.
OK. Like clearly I cannot be Cynthia
or Revo. I'm in Alto.
I don't know if you guys noticed.

(41:11):
I don't think I can do that. I have tried to hit that high
note in Frozen and in Wicked andin Frozen, too.
It's very high for little Baby Alice.
OK, If I warm up correctly, I can hit it.
It's just it that's it. I get to hit it once and then
it's over and then the car show is over.
Yeah. But you get it once and it's in

(41:34):
head voice and it's quiet, but you get it.
No, no, I'll meet it. Screaming, I just did.
That's it. Then I'm done, you know?
And that's the end. I can consistently hit it in the
head voice, but that's not what you want.
I don't know, I don't how did weeven get on the vibrato thing?
I just it it's too much sometimes.

(41:55):
And as someone who I really likethe hunchback movie and musical
and the original singer for the hunchback, his his tone, first
of all, is incredible. Resident beautiful.
So good. He's the fucking velvet he
brings on that tower. He's really good at that
sustained and then hitting vibrato right at the end like

(42:15):
it. It makes sense to me and it's
beautiful and I think that if hehad that note right at the end
where he has to hold it for a super long time, if it was
vibrato the entire time, I don'tthink I would like it as much.
No, it definitely hits it prettyearly on, but it you just need a
little sustain to show your skill in that.

(42:36):
That's a skill. Like I wanna see your skills.
Show me your skills. I this is like when I'm, I'm
going to ballets, right? Because I'm a dancer, used to be
a dancer and I go to shows and Iwatch it and I'm like, yeah,
this show is really entertainingto someone who's never seen
dance. But as a person who understands

(42:57):
what they're doing, I'm like, this is not technically
difficult what they're doing. The Nutcracker goes back and
forth between being technically difficult and very easy,
depending on which show company is doing it.
Because after a while you're just like, we need to do
something different. Because if you're doing the same
choreography every year, it kindof you're just like, I'm bored.
I want to do something else. I want to do something harder.

(43:18):
I want to challenge myself. I want to try a different
character. I want to try to roll.
I want to do different things. And I was trained to do a lot of
very high technical things. Not well, let me clarify, not
well. I'm short and stumpy.
It's difficult, but I understandwhat it takes to get into that
skill. So when they have these ones
where it's like, here's a solo performance in the middle of the

(43:40):
show and they're doing crazy shit.
They're doing like double trigitase and the fucking what
the fuck is that even called? I can't even leave it right now.
It's where they smack their legstogether and they have to like,
beat the foot over the top, the bottom and then land on the
other foot. I can't remember what that's
called right now. Visually, I know what you're
talking. About yeah.

(44:00):
And then they'll do three of those and then they'll swing it
around and do it on the back, like behind them.
That is really fucking hard. And it's a skill which if you're
not a dancer, you see that and you're like, that's pretty cool.
But as a dancer, I'm like, holy fucking shit.
I can't believe they just did that.
And I feel like that's sort of something that happens with
musicals is I'm like, well, these songs are kind of fun, but

(44:21):
like, I want to see you put, I want to see some fucking crazy
shit. And that comes from those
dynamic performances of doing the quiet, soft singing, holding
those sustained notes in in different places to kind of
change the dynamics. Well, that's it.
I don't want to see crazy shit in terms of like, yeah, show me
what that voice do, you know? Like that's not what?

(44:44):
I Yeah. Well, and what's interesting is
that there's like compilations of every alpha but hitting the
high notes right, of course. And every single one sounds
different, which is intriguing in and of itself.
But then you have like the ones who can hit it with ease.
So then they play with it more because it's like nothing for
them. They're singing through.
They're just butter. And then you have someone like

(45:04):
me who's like, I can hit it if you want, but it's gonna be this
one show for the weekend and I'mnot hitting it again the rest of
the weekend. Exactly.
That's the thing that always gets me.
I'm like, damn, they're doing this like every day, sometimes
twice a day like that. Yeah, absolutely amazing.
That's crazy. And yeah, so it's sort of
interesting to see those different things occur, but
like, I just, I like seeing the really skilled work.

(45:29):
Yeah, I get it. And I mean, I think also it is.
I also appreciate actually, again, seeing the acting.
I don't want you to just be there and be, like, singing,
sound good. There can be moments in songs
where you have something that doesn't sound so great.
Also, the emotion needs to be there.
Singing through crying is hard. Yeah.

(45:51):
I want to see the real emotion come through, not just a pretty
voice. I can't wait to listen to this
back and be like Alice. You're such a pretentious
little. Bitch, I know we sure have a lot
to say for two people who don't do it.
Yep, I have a lot of opinions for someone who's not skilled
enough to do those skills. So yes, once again, I know my

(46:13):
place. I know that I can have this
strong ass opinion in it. It means nothing.
It means nothing. Cynthia is an incredibly
talented individual. That's why she fucking booked
wicked dude. Like that's why she got that
role. She's amazing.
I, it's not that I don't enjoy also, and I'm not impressed when
somebody's, you know, doing vibrato and stuff, whatever.
I just happen to enjoy a more nuanced performance.

(46:37):
Aaron Tevec can still suck it though.
That doesn't. Yeah, but fuck that guy.
Fuck that guy. Oh God, he just looks like such
a pompous. Little that's so funny.
I would like to circle back around to Hunchback though.
I don't know if you guys have actually heard the live, like a
live recording of that. It's so crazy.

(46:58):
The I just, I need you to know, like that opening number where
they're doing the the lines, thebells, the bells, the bells, the
bells of Notre Dame and they hitthat crazy heat.
The man hits a crazy high note and then it's high harmony with
the soprano. It's crazy.
It gives me the chills every fucking time.
So this is another thing, OK, cuz so I had written down so
many things that we could have talked about and instead we've

(47:20):
talked about headers this entiretime.
But that just proves like how good it is.
One of the things like we did mention Anastasia earlier, and
if we're talking about, again, musical theater songs that get
me fucking turned, part of the reason is when they're bringing
in some really impressive musical score stuff, really
impressive melodies, or bringingin the ensemble in an

(47:42):
interesting way, which they alsodo and meant to be yours.
Because they come in and they read the fake suicide note that
they all didn't realize they signed.
But in Anastasia, in Stay I PrayYou, which is the song right
before they're about to get on the train.
Oh yeah, that's the one that's about.
Mother Russia. How can I desert Mother Russia?

(48:05):
Jesus Christ, it's so good. Is that a new song for that
show? I don't think that's in the
movie. I don't think it was in the
movie. I don't think so.
I actually want to rewatch. I was just I just said this to
Richard this morning. I was like, I want to rewatch
like the animated Anastasia because I love it so much
anyway, but that song it like I get my fills my nerves up like

(48:27):
in my body. I'm just like, Oh my God, all
the ensemble and like they're rising together and oh, it's
beautiful. It's not.
Only like lyrically very good, but yeah, like, because
musically. It's filled with such sadness
and they they really hit it really well.
I mean, the professional, like original Broadway cast recording

(48:48):
the man who sings that song, I could listen to him do anything.
I need to see what he's done because he's very clear he could
do. I think Hunchback of Notre Dame,
because he's got that tone that is just like butter.
Dog Beautiful. They keep saying Josh Gad's
going to do it, and I was like, don't do this to me.
I don't want to hear Josh don't.Do this to me.

(49:09):
The guy who sings the original hunchback is so clear and so
just. He just has such a good tone.
Yeah. And Josh Gad is not that.
And I'm gonna and I'm gonna be ahater today.
Josh Gad is a is a cartoon character guy.
Well, that's what I was gonna say.
Let's look at the voices that he's done before.

(49:30):
I don't want to typecast this man but.
And I know he can actually hit some he can hit some notes.
I know he can. I've heard it before, but it's
just not the tone that I want. And I think it's actually a
really nice juxtaposition. And I love that they've done it
in Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is given this man a
beautiful, clear, crisp, yeah, perfect tone.

(49:54):
It's great. I love that choice.
That's what they should have done.
It emphasizes how good of a person he is and how pure of
heart he is and all that doesn'tmatter.
And giving him fucking Olaf's voice would make me rage.
I don't. Think it would work?
Yeah. I think even the character he
played in Beauty and the Beast is closer to what he would do

(50:15):
for for Hunchback. And I'm still like no cuz he's
not. It's just, it's too cartoony.
His just regular voice is kind of cartoony.
I feel really bad saying this. I don't necessarily enjoy
listening to Gosh Josh Gad's sing songs and I know that's a
lot of times the character that he is playing though, they're
they all of his characters have been the obnoxious 1.

(50:37):
Let's in the last couple years he's been kind of the goofy guy,
which is, you know, maybe he hasthe range for it and I just
haven't heard it. But it's just like that's that's
actually one of those charactersthat I secretly am very
protective of, but I don't talk about because but I've I really
like first of all, the music in that movie in slash musical is

(50:57):
fucking incredible. 100% you shouldn't watch it if you have
an opportunity, if you haven't. I mean crazy that they let
Disney let them make that movie.First of all.
Crazy that they got made follow up.
The music's incredible follow up.
The themes of the music are alsoinsane.
Can't believe they were like yeah let's write a song about
Hellfire. I literally when I was thinking

(51:19):
about when we were talking aboutblue and you're welcome and how
again, musicals can have difficult subjects and still be,
you know, OK and be good. Hellfire is incredible.
It's so good. It's terrifying and it's
horrifying to listen to sometimes, but it's absolutely.
I actually think the worst song in that whole 1 is the gargoyle
song. I think, you know, we could do

(51:40):
without that one because God save the outcast.
Tipsy topsy dirt tipsy topsy turvy day, whatever the fuck
it's called. Yeah.
Is even though it's like joyful,it's kind of it's one of those
things where it's like it's happy sounding, but it's kind of
scary. Yeah, there's it hits that like
carny vibe. Right?
Creepy. Yeah.
And there's another. I can't remember what the other

(52:01):
one is, but the opening number Bells of Notre Dame truly ain't.
Master class is so good. Genius.
Oh, his song, His solo song out there.
Incredible that. Fucking out there is incredible.
Yeah, sometimes when I just I'm I'm in a mood, I'll just in the
car. We're I don't want to watch
Hunchback of Notre Dame again because, you know, it's also a

(52:23):
lot of it is very hard to watch,but God damn it is it?
Is there a pro shot so great? No, I don't think so.
Damn it. I'm sure there's a SLIME
tutorial somewhere. I'm.
Sure. Because I've not seen the stage
production. I've just listened to it and I
just, I think it'd be really good and I kind of want to watch
it. Yeah, it's one of those ones.
Again, I haven't watched too many stage productions of like,

(52:46):
Disney or, you know, like stuff like that, because I'm not
always sure how impressed I'm going to be, you know, Lion
King, absolutely incredible. A feast for the eyes,
Imagineering at its best. They did great things.
Truly incredible work. Frozen.
I've never watched just because I don't like Frozen but I know
people say you should watch it anyway but I haven't.

(53:07):
Put any I mean the the dress change, she does have a solo
song that I think is really goodand that's about it.
Those are the two things I likedabout that musical.
The other thing is, I mean, and I know, I know they've done the
Frozen musical and I know they've never, they don't use
the like the original voice actors have not even though
they've all been Broadway people.
Yeah, they haven't done it. Because are you kidding me

(53:29):
though, that it's fucking Santino Fontana, who I love, and
he was from Crazy Ex-girlfriend and he was in Cinderella.
Yeah, Jonathan Goff is in. It and yeah, Jonathan Groff.
Are you kidding? There's an R I'm so sorry.
Yeah, And I'm like, Speaking of Jonathan Groff, there is
apparently a, a pro shot of Merrily We Roll Along that is

(53:52):
going to come into theaters at some point.
I don't know if that's this year.
I don't know. Again, I've never really seen
anything from Merrily We Roll Along.
I know it is Sondheim. I know it didn't get well
received when he first made it, but it's well received now.
Interesting. It's, I mean, it's one of those
things I'm like, hey, you're putting this in a movie theater.
I will. I will vote with my wallet.

(54:15):
I will. I'll be there.
Go see that. Yeah.
You fucking fetch your ass. I'll give you money for that to
be like, give us more, please. Give it when was the last time
we had a besides Wicked, what was the last time there was like
a musical movie like an. Original.

(54:35):
An original Wait. What do you mean like an
original? Like was Grease a stage show
that they made a movie of or wasit?
I actually don't remember which way went first.
Yeah, I'm just curious because like, obviously we have a lot of
things that's like Disney's converting their shit into
stage, but I don't know how muchof it's like, I can't believe

(54:56):
anything that's not been Disney.In terms of movies, yeah, well,
we had the West Side Story. That's.
Fair that one was. Good, incredible.
We also had they did In the Heights, they made a movie for
In the Heights which is Lin Manuel Miranda, and that was
actually also quite good. That's an original, right?

(55:17):
Yeah, that was Lin Manuel Miranda.
Yeah, OK, that was pre Hamilton.We also, I'm trying to think of
the ones they did a color purplemovie within the last I think 10
years also and had Fantina. Oh no, what's her name?
Oh God, Fantasia Barrino. I combined both of her names and

(55:39):
I said Fantina, Fantina. Oh my God, I watched that and it
was beautiful. But also I cried so hard.
It's such a beautiful show, but Oh my God.
I gotta be careful. Boom I I cry so hard to get
migraines. I have to like, watch myself.
That was one of those, yeah, no,that it's not a pleasure to

(56:01):
watch because then I hurt afterwards.
My body hurts. Tik Tik Boom also was in the
last like. Oh, that's OK.
Yeah. I was like, I feel like there
were there was something I just couldn't remember what it was
Tik tik boom, I think. Tik Tik boom.
It would have been incredible. And it's crazy because Andrew
Garfield had like no training until that movie, which is just
crazy. I will hype that movie up
forever. There's also another song from

(56:22):
that movie that is one of those like musical theater songs that
gets me fucking turned up and come to your senses, which is a
female duet. Beautiful fucking song.
I get ravenous production. It's so good.
And it did they did with that one.
A little bit of what Chicago did, not quite to the extent,

(56:44):
but where like a lot of the musical moments, you know, some
things are happening kind of inside his head.
So it's what he's seeing and perceiving.
But then they also did a good mix of his his life, like as
it's happening versus the songs being sung when the show
premiered. Tick tick boom, when he did it

(57:05):
as his little stage show. So they're bouncing back and
forth between a theater space, you know, like the what's
actually happening in his life and kind of how he's seeing
things happen. And I thought that was a pretty
interesting mix of a directing and storytelling.
Very good. I fucking love musicals.

(57:26):
I think that it's a medium that has a lot of stigma, and I think
that a lot of people just need to fucking get over themselves.
I'm just gonna say it because there's a lot of artistry
involved, and if you like stage performances that are not
musicals, you have no reason to not like musicals because it's
the same shit. But now you get to add an extra
layer of emotion with the singing.

(57:49):
The people that are like, I don't understand why they're
breaking into song because it's a way to say things that you
can't necessarily quite say. It'd be awkward if you just said
these things out loud as dialogue.
Also something I would like to add in as someone who gets tired
of hearing this bullshit. I hate fucking.
All kinds of things. And it also goes for audiobooks.

(58:09):
And this will make sense once I'm done, which is that humans
have been telling stories, telling stories, spoken stories
to each other for generations, thousands, 10s of thousands of
years. Our language and our stories
were passed down by word and a lot of them were done in song
because it's easier to remember stories if it's in a melody.

(58:31):
That is the reason why we do that.
We as humans have created this basically data transfer system
for you fucking techie people who don't know how to be normal.
By inserting the stories into a song format, you're more likely
to remember it. How many times do you catch
yourself singing a song when you're absent minded?

(58:52):
Right. Like I've been fucking singing
baby girl like for fucking all day yesterday.
Why? I don't know, I haven't listened
to that song in years, but it was in there.
You. Know what I did this morning?
Kind of side note, I made myselflaugh really, really hard in the
kitchen while I was making my eggs.
For some reason, I remembered that the other day, like I had

(59:12):
said something in the exact likerhythm of watermelon sugar.
So then Richard in the other room said, well, we're melting
sugar. And then, oh, I already did it
Like, but I as soon as I said that out loud in my brain this
morning, my brain was like, oh, you know what else has that same
rhythm as the words like watermelon sugar and it's the
Super Mario Brothers in it. And then it was like watermelon

(59:35):
sugar. I also that specific tune is
very ingrained. I sometimes will just sing that
to myself, right? Like that whole thing.
I've played so much Mario his. Music is fun.
That's why they get into song. And you know what it's, it's
emotional. It creates an emotional

(59:56):
response. Fucking.
Learn how to suspend your belief.
Dude. Why is everything going to be so
fucking literal? Literally.
These people grow up, are not curious, they are judgmental.
It's it's just so crazy to me how much people are just like,
oh, yeah, I just didn't like that movie because I just
couldn't, I couldn't get into this.
I'm like, so you couldn't suspend.
That's not realistic, right? Dude, You didn't like the Barbie

(01:00:17):
movie. Yeah.
It's because you couldn't suspend your belief.
That's because you, you you lackthe ability to be whimsical.
Have some fucking whimsy, dog. I I'm so glad that I have whimsy
I can't imagine. I repeat to let go of that
little girl that you have to me,dude.
We cannot be friends if you don't have whimsy.
It's true. I literally need to interact

(01:00:38):
with. Something have you have you
talking to people that don't have whimsy?
Truly I'm just like, I had a Co worker last year that I
literally was just like Oh my God, do you have anything going
for you? Literally have any personality.
I was like, do you like video games?
Do you like reading? Do you like going to the park?
Do you like skateboarding? What did you what do you do in
your spare time? They're like, I play, I play

(01:00:58):
Apex and I'm like, OK, what elsedo you do?
That's all you do. And you and you use language you
shouldn't use while playing video games with your friends.
And that's and that's what you do with your life.
That's all they did. And I was like, insanity.
I don't know how to tell you whyyou don't have a girlfriend
except for like this is clearly the obvious example is you have
nothing going on. You're not interesting.

(01:01:21):
There's just there's just nothing.
I mean, even the most boring woman I've ever met is more
interesting than the most boringman I've ever talked to, you
know? You know, it feels like they
just sit down and like, brain turns off.
There's literally, it's silence.There's nothing in there.
I'm like, that's crazy. I was explaining why the other
day, why I love Logan so much, like why our relationship has
worked to one of my friends, because I was like every boy

(01:01:44):
that I interacted with from likelate high school through
college, that I was just like interested in them for a couple
of weeks. And then I'd be like, God,
you're like, I've hit the repeatdialogue, you know, like on an
NPC. They're just saying the same
shit. I'm like, you're boring.
I don't want to be around you anymore and I would just move on
because I was like, you're boring, that's it, you're
boring. And I still don't think Logan
and I have run out of things to talk about and we've been

(01:02:06):
together for five years. Like it's so important.
There's just, we're constantly having these, either adding new
points on the old conversations or like going to go see a movie
we've never seen and then just talking about it forever, You
know, like, how many fucking times have I brought up Sonic 3?
How many times have I talked about Lord of the Rings?
How many times have I talked about Star Wars?
I'm always finding new little crevices in these places to talk

(01:02:29):
about them. And he likes doing that with me.
That's like a journey we enjoy going on together.
And I like to say that sometimesyou can trigger a lecture from
Logan if you bring up the wrong subject.
And, you know, that's interesting because he's also
very well read in a lot of ways.So it's like, yeah, he's really
interesting and he's not interesting for the sake of

(01:02:50):
getting a, a, a partner, a a mate.
He's he's interesting and and learns these things because he
wants to know them. He's passionate.
There you go. This is a musical turned into
How to be a person podcast. You're welcome.
Here's life advice for a 29 yearold married woman.
You're welcome. Pick up a fucking hobby that is

(01:03:12):
not video games or diversify your video games.
Right, because I'm also a gamer and that's fine.
Do something else. Fucking pick up Stardew Valley.
Or. Fucking pick up a niche.
Gate get take an RPG, please. There's just something that you
shoot people. Those are great.

(01:03:33):
Those are great because we like Strange Brigade, but there's a
battlefront. Battlefront is also funny,
goofy. Ha ha, that's true.
Battlefront is Star Wars. And battle foot age.
Don't worry, it's just one of those.
Things we have reasons for our shooty shooties.
Start there, start small. Maybe.
Maybe if you like history, if you're a history guy, I would

(01:03:53):
actually recommend The Sound of Music musical to you because the
first half you're going to be like, why the fuck am I even
watching this? And then when the Nazis show up,
you're going to be like, I get it.
This is why you recommended this.
That's one of the things I was going to say before we went off
on the I don't understand why they're singing rant, which is I
think there is a musical out there for everybody.

(01:04:13):
It's true. There is a musical with a
subject and that you will enjoy out for everyone.
I'm fucking telling you there isa musical about all of the
people who have committed political assassinations in
history. Oz Walls sign out to to GMA

(01:04:34):
stand out to GMAT, who told us that story on our podcast in one
of our previous episodes. Logan and I do say that to each
other all the time. You've told him that because
they quoted it at him before. I'm side noting it again.
OK, officially, just in case he's.
Official now, yeah. There is a musical about a
spelling bee. There's a musical about six kids

(01:04:59):
who die on a on a carnival ride and then have to get them to try
to get themselves like out of purgatory there.
There's just so there's a musical about the French
Revolution. There's you can search whatever
you want. I don't know what the Crucible
is about, but I've heard it's pretty good.
Do they make a musical of the Crucible?

(01:05:19):
Yeah, they did it at my college.Oh shit, I didn't know they did
that. That's about the the witch hunt
and all the women who or kind ofpretended to be witches and
there you go. And musical for that that also
Winona Ryder. Hell yeah.
How many musicals have been madenow that had Winona Ryder,
Beetlejuice, Heathers, The Crucible, there might have been

(01:05:42):
an Edward Scissorhands. I wouldn't be surprised.
How many more are there? Winona Ryder is a fucking pillar
of society. A Stranger Things is coming.
I think there. Yeah, there's.
I thought I saw there was going to be a Stranger Things musical.
Winona's in that one too. Let's go.
She's everywhere. Well, Jessica, I think we
covered a lot here on this podcast episode today.

(01:06:03):
Do you want to give us our our closing credits?
Sure, go watch musicals. We've been two birds, one brain.
Jessica and Alice coming at you shouting all of our opinions and
and everything at you about musicals once again.
Not the first time, not gonna bethe last time either.

(01:06:23):
You can find us on TikTok. You can find us on Twitch.
You can find us on Instagram andBlue Sky and old episodes on.
YouTube, Yeah, YouTube. Bobby Woo woo, Yeah, I'd say
that's that. And that's a wrap.
And that's and that's. I don't have a.
Clip on how the news goes. Yeah, how did you, how did you

(01:06:46):
guys end Shows what? Do you mean?
Like when you were like, done rehearsing, how would you guys
like woo like? I don't think we had a thing.
I don't remember. No, I don't remember.
Child brain doesn't remember that's.
Fine. Thank you all for being here
today. We'll see you in two weeks.

(01:07:06):
OK, bye, bye. Bye.