I Need You To Like Musicals

Chris is finally on the cutting edge of something as he covers the brand new PBS "pro cut" of Next to Normal and then contrasts it with a fresh piece of karaoke hell called Jagged Little Pill.  

Naughty fun at the turn of the century. 

The great Kyrsten Williams (from Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Shrinking, host of Black Facts 101) stops by to add some much needed diversity, equity, and inclusion to INYTLM. We discuss The Wiz: the stage show, the movie musical, and the NBC Live event. It was lots of fun! Here's a link to her Instagram. If you live in or near Santa Monica, go see her show! https://www.instagram.com/kyrstenvwill?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Chris has the controversial take that Emilia Pérez is a very good movie musical and his friend Sam Payes (Super Glass Houses) drops by to set him straight and tell him to do better.

The wickedly overdue Wicked episode. Full of spoilers for the second movie, fair warning. Recorded over a month ago. I'm sorry and I'll do better.

I have two very important things to tell you! Seriously!

Before we stumble to the polls on this surreal, demoralizing Election Day of 2024 and then strap in for a long, grating night (or several nights) of cable news speculation, touchscreen charts, and punditry, let's take a couple of hours to remember a couple of musical whitewashes which feel almost as false as the rest of this whole thing feels. INYTLM is back to offer you an invaluable civic resource: two cynical musical theatre analogies that perfectly match the two major presidential candidates on the ballot.  Is anybody theeeeeeeere? Does anybody caaaaaaare?

Remember last week when we had our first guest ever? And her name was Jenna? This is Part II of that. It's in two parts because we talked for over four hours! And when we were done all of the nearby restaurants were closed and we were starving.  This second part is dedicated to our analysis of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. But if you missed last week's Heathers discussion go ahead and check that out. Seriously. It's a hoot. Jenna emphatically refuses to let me tell you her last name. But check her out on Instagram and TikTok: @foxwithamonocle. You may or may not even see her last name listed on one of those! So if you've got no other choice, you know you can follow our voice(s) through the sharp noise and takes of this wicked little pod!

INYLM welcomes its FIRST GUEST EVER. Jenna stops by and tells us how much she needs you to like Heathers The Musical! This is the first installment in a FOUR HOUR marathon two-parter. Tune in next time to hear Part 2 in which we talk about how much Chris needs you to like Hedwig and the Angry Inch!  Jenna will not let me tell you her last name, but check her out on Instagram and TikTok: @foxwithamonocle. Our pod is God, we're what killed the dinosaurs!

Ranting and raving. Sampler platter edition.   00:25 - (Intro) 04:08 - (The Lyrics Police Files) 09:45 - Rent 16:24 - Carousel 23:49 - Jesus Christ Superstar 28:03 - Ragtime 33:25 - My Fair Lady 36:51 - American Idiot 40:05 - She Loves Me 43:47 - The Muppet Christmas Carol 45:26 - Scrooge 49:17 - (miscellaneous) 50:38 - Cats 55:31 - Parade 58:01 - Miss Saigon 1:01:15 - Hair 1:04:17 - Hamilton 1:09:48 - Man of La Mancha 1:13:08 - Little Shop of Horrors 1:19:33 - Oliver! 1:21:19 - Les Miserables 1:23:52 - The Who's Tommy 1:25:04 - Evita 1:31:27 - Jekyll & Hyde 1:37:55 - Pippin 1:47:44 - (Goodbye!)  

Here are the timestamps I promised I'd give you, you're welcome. 00:30 - Aimless Solipsistic Preamble 02:45 - Extensive Slander of Michael Eisner, Disney, and Disneyland. 34:17 - The Little Mermaid (1989) 49:31 - Beauty and the Beast (1991) 1:04:24 - Aladdin (1992) 1:29:40 - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) 1:43:38 - The Lion King (1994) 2:06:40 - What Does It All Mean?  

If you'd have asked me years ago which of the protagonists of these two movie musicals was sympathetic and which was unredeemably evil, I'd have had a very different answer than the one I have today. The tragedy of this episode is that in my recent quixotic podcasting efforts, this is more fun than I've had in a while but the movies are obscure enough that I can't imagine people will click on this one. Click on it, click on this one!  

Open your phone and seize the pod. 

And I can't remember if I cried cuz Moulin Rouge felt so contrived But I got bored and mortified the day movie musicals died.   

It's come to this. Special thanks to listener Gene Bonner* for putting this all together. Here is our first best-of episode, full of highlights and clips from the first ten episodes of this podcast (back when it was called Sondheim on Adderall).   *Gene Bonner is not real. There is no Gene Bonner. I cut it together myself and I'm too embarrassed to admit it.

The episode accidentally becomes iconic as Chris has an energy drink, screams about his least favorite movie, takes a short break to watch a disastrous presidential debate, eats too much fast food, and then sluggishly praises a thing he actually likes. Welcome to INYTLM's Summer of Movie Musicals! (NOTE: Sorry for the weird intermittent feedback in the second half, we really don't know what we're doing but rest assured it doesn't go on forever)

I talk about The Sound of Music, which I just saw for the first time ever (dead serious). I reflect on a show I did a regional production of once called Avenue Q, during which the other characters called me fat, lazy, and worthless for 2.5 hours. Also, an exclusive sneak preview of "Regional Theatre Song" from Compassion Fatigue's historic upcoming album Nobody Likes Me Everybody Hates Me (available on all streaming platforms 6.21.24).

There may be some good in sitting alone in your room after all. Come hear the podcast play!

'Steada kisses, you get a new podcast! To the ship to the ship to the ship! Follow us on instagram @compassionfatiguemusic  

Chris the Podcaster explains his departure. 

I am not throwing away my pod. 

Ghost of the future, I fear you more than any apparition I have seen. Here's a link to a playlist I made called CHRISTMAS SONGS THAT ARE NOT INSUFFERABLE: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3rrL44jmDLchJSBDm9Ydmy?si=_hSW1mlxTBS05Q57dSWYjw&pi=u-lDm390XlTPuT&nd=1&dlsi=cef9f413429f4705  

Bear with me.

Better late than never when it comes to Halloween episodes, you're welcome. I can't really remember whether or not this gets dicier than usual, so MAYBE don't listen with children? I don't know. Do whatever you feel is right and happy Thanksgiving, I guess. 

Please enjoy the most scattershot unfocused episode ever which can only be the fault of the international Adderall shortage and a possible shadow conspiracy by Big Pharma to replace my ADD pills with obvious placebos. 

"Alright, I know this is a musical comedy, but I want my life to mean something." A prince from the early Middle Ages and an Australian transfer student from the 50s conspire to teach 1970s America some highly uncomfortable lessons about what it means to compromise.  

Jellicle songs for jellicle pods jellicle songs for jellicle pods jellicle songs for jellicle pods jellicle songs for jellicle pods. Les Miz, at last, we see each other plain. 

Pull up your high-waisted jeans, it's time to cruise from 1978 to 1989 to visit the realm of helicopters and descamisados, an exhausting era defined by belting and bass guitars during which musical theatre asked itself, "what exactly has been going on lately in those funny little countries to the south and east of us?"

Women take some literal and figurative hits in these hit musicals from the so-called Golden Era and here is finally an opinionated cis man to explain it all to you. 

Pray for my soul as I take the first big step on the road to the depths of deg-ra-day. Just don't say I'm damned for all time, baby, this episode is TROUBLE with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for Pod. 

Facing eviction and the aging of Aquarius. 

Let's explore rock operas and jukebox musicals by way of a weird trippy 70s movie musical and what may very well be the worst documentary ever.

The Martyr of Marietta squares off against the Silhouette Sellout. Place your bets!

Do not adjust your smartphone! It's still me, the Sondheim on Adderall guy. I just ran out of Sondheim shows to talk about so I'm pivoting to a new title/concept.  Welcome to I Need You to Like Musicals. I look forward to taking this journey with you. Please disregard everything I say that you find repellent. 

Buckle up, as Mer-L.A. we roll along down Sondset Boulevard and into the George-ous downtown area! We're going to cruise from the Pasadena Playhouse to the Ahmanson Theatre to the Hollywood Bowl, going bum bum bum, bobby baby bobby bubbi all the way. It's time to discuss the many, many Sondheim-related offerings that were available in the City of Angels in 2023!  Here's the album I just released, in case you want to use it to invalidate any of my opinions you disagree with: https://open.spotify.com/album/1DzLW70QYFzNfuSUtC662R?si=VrO52OMjQO2Bt51TsS50jQ And here's the goddamn Sondheim on Adderall playlist one more time: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1OgyPwCw0JSjfe4oXvIeHL?si=782314657a1f4491

A cantankerous deep dive into anthology shows like Side By Side By Sondheim, Putting it Together, and the HBO documentary Six by Sondheim.    Don't forget there's a Sondheim on Adderall playlist! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1OgyPwCw0JSjfe4oXvIeHL?si=e14ae04005364448

"It is my own unwillingness to compromise my principles and kiss ass like some people that I could mention that has cost me the so-called good life which others so freely enjoy."

"I was raised to be charming, not sincere."

"You never suffer from a shortage of opinions, do you, Blair?" Here's a link to that playlist I was talking about! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1OgyPwCw0JSjfe4oXvIeHL?si=e14ae04005364448

"Musicals are popular. They're a great way to state important ideas."

"How would you like to fish me squiff, mister?"

"If you knew how many times I wish I had been one of the spermatozoa that never reached the womb!"

"Call me tomorrow if you're still alive"

"He raped Thrace thrice?" 

"How long's it gonna take you to get used to me, Herbie?"

"I like to pontificate as much as anyone who thinks he knows what he's talking about". - Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021)