So Much Stuff to Sing

A dark stage. Night. And then a clarion cry pierces the silence. A call and response forms. Dawn is breaking, and a new age of Broadway is born. Disney's The Lion King was perhaps the least likely of its properties to become an extremely long-running -- and critically acclaimed -- stage adaptatation. While a smash hit in theaters and home video, its characters are all animals, with not a single human to be found. However, theater director Julie Taymor found a way to stage it in a way that not only worked, but that has wowed audiences worldwide for almost 30 years. Join us as we talk Disney on Broadway, The Lion King, and "The Circle of Life" by Tim Rice and Elton John with additions by Lebo M. All clips are from 1997's The Lion King: Original Broadway Cast Recording featuring Tsidii Le Loka and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: [email protected] Support the show and buy us a coffee! Recommended Reading/Viewing: Ethan Mordden, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater (Mordden's other volumes are also excellent resources for more in-depth discussion) Broadway: The American Musical

Is there anything more 1990s coded that the Broadway smash Rent? An immediate hit and media sensation, partly due to the tragic death of show composer Jonathan Larson just before it debuted, the show made Broadway cool, spoke urgently to a younger audience, and changed the face of Broadway. Broadway is still very much living in the world that Rent helped build. We talk the show, the fandom, and the musical's legacy as we discuss "One Song Glory." Listeners are advised that this episode contains references to and discussions of HIV/AIDS, IV drug use, and self-harm. All clips are from 1999's The Best of Rent: Highlights from the Original Cast Album featuring Adam Pascal and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: [email protected] Support the show and buy us a coffee! Recommended Reading/Viewing: Ethan Mordden, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater (Mordden's other volumes are also excellent resources for more in-depth discussion) Broadway: The American Musical

We now enter the 1990s with William Finn and James Lapine's landmark musical Falsettos. It's an interesting show with a rather convoluted creation process, leading to something quite idiosyncratic and entirely its own thing. Shannon is a strong Pro, Erik is a confused Maybe, and the song is "Unlikely Lovers." Content warning: this show, this song, and this episode feature discussions of HIV/AIDS and related topics that may be difficult for some listeners. All clips are from Falsettos 2016 Broadway Cast Recording featuring Christian Borle, Andrew Rannels, Tracie Thomaas, and Betsy Wolse and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: [email protected] Recommended Reading/Viewing: Ethan Mordden, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater (Mordden's other volumes are also excellent resources for more in-depth discussion) Broadway: The American Musical

While the 80s were undeniably the age of the megamusical, they were also a time when more artistically inclined shows found alternative methods of making their way to Broadway. One of the first of these -- and perhaps the most artisitic -- was Stephen Sondheim's return to Broadway (after a relatively short absence). Along with his new collaorator, James Lapine, Sondheim gave us his most personal and most emotional work yet, and he and Lapine earned the Pulitzer Prize for their effort. In this episode, we discuss "Move On" from Sunday in the Park with George. Do we cry? You bet we do! All clips are from the 1984's Sunday in the Park with George: Original Broadway Cast Recording featuring Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: [email protected] Recommended Reading/Viewing: Ethan Mordden, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater (Mordden's other volumes are also excellent resources for more in-depth discussion) Broadway: The American Musical https://everythingsondheim.org/move-on-from-sunday-in-the-park-with-george/

A new day has begun, indeed. The 1980s brought many changes to Broadway, especially the arrival of the London-import megamusical that would run, well, seemingly forever, and its champion, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Join us we talk about how Broadway was changing, how Cats fed into that, and try to pinpoint what, exactly "Memory" -- with lyrics by Trevor Nunn -- is actually about. Editor's note: This is the second (and hopefully final) episode of the same recording session where Shannon's audio was weird. Our apologies. All clips are from the 1983's Cats: Original Broadway Cast Recording featuring Betty Buckley and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: [email protected] Recommended Reading/Viewing: Betty Buckley sings "Memory" at 1983's Tonys "Memory" - Barbra Streisand "Memory" - Heather Headley Who Sang the "Memory" Climax Best? Ethan Mordden, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater (Mordden's other volumes are also excellent resources for more in-depth discussion) Broadway: The American Musical