Pick a Little, Talk A Little

Spell PODCAST. Out loud. Join Gaby and Harrison for our "interactive" 25th episode, Spelling Bee! Get ready to spell really hard words like zeugma and disproportionately easy words like crayon in this character-driven festival of quirky children, juice boxes, and unfortunate . . . distractions. We've got some behind-the-scenes looks, like the crazy story of how this show got to Broadway, and what exactly they tell the audience contestants so that they don't . . . you know, win.

Ah, the South Pacific, where the sun shines, nothing happens, and everyone is aggressively heterosexual. Join Gaby and guest host Arielle S. as they try to navigate a world of great songs, called-out racism, strong independent women who don't need no man for about 5 minutes, Bloody Mary, and try to suss out what exactly is going on at Bali Ha'i. It's our second Rogers and Hammerstein musical, which is both similar and different to Oklahoma (very specific here). Grab your Honey Bun and cozy up to this fun episode. War is fun, right?

We beseech you to hear this episode. Prepare ye the way of the podcast, Gaby is joined by Arielle S. who cannot escape Stephen Schwartz, to discuss everyone's favorite Christian Jewish musical (EVERYONE), Godspell! We'll learn about parables, Victor Garber, metaphors, and answer all the questions, like do any of the lyrics count?

Guys and Dolls! We're just a bunch of crazy Guys and Dolls! But it's really just Grease . . . right? Sort of. Named by EW as the best musical ever, Gaby and guest host Izzy chat about gambling, wonderful New York stereotypes, and J.K. Simmons.

A word from Gaby about our upcoming episodes!

What in the world is February House? Well, back in the 40s, some artists lived together in a house in Brooklyn that was later destroyed by the BQE (thanks, Robert Moses) and did art stuff and were angsty. Also some of them were actually furniture? It's hard to tell sometimes. So it's like Rent. Except not. Tune in to find out ALL of Gaby's feelings about this underrated and undernoticed musical, also special insight with a special guest. Brooklyn, man.

Continuing to the bit of a downer second act of Fiddler on the Roof! Izzy and Gaby argue about their takes on Marxism, but definitely agree that there might be one song that they don't like from this musical. There's monologues, marriages, rumors, sewing machines, and more. Plus, Izzy and Gaby's favorite lyrics and the onslaught of awards this musical has gotten. L'Chaim!

There's a fiddler on the roof in all of us - and he's RIGHT BEHIND YOU. In this loaded two-parter, Gaby and her brother Izzy explore the American Jewish experience through the lens of the iconic traditional musical. Although your Tradition may vary, (and your Tevye will vary as well), there's something everyone can identify with. Plus, we answer the most important question: is Perchik the sexiest musical character of all time?

What is a "Dogfight"? The opposite of a Box Social! Also a musical about terrible people but wonderful music and a great female character. Join Gaby and guest host Nava as they bring non-Broadway November well into December and discuss Vietnam, hippies, poofy dresses, and bees? B's?

Welcome to Non-Broadway November! We start with Jonathan Larson's first musical that isn't about 1984, but it is about Jonathan Larson. Also HIV. Also Stephen Sondheim? There's double entendres, love letters to New York City, references galore, and people being sad about being middle-aged. Also Gaby and guest host Arielle being sad about Jonathan Larson. Oh dear.

Get it right, it's Carrie! The Stephen King book-turned-musical by the writers of Fame that tries to be super serious? Does it succeed? We find out as host Gaby musical-splains the plot and appeal (or whatever you call it) of this objectively bad bloodfest that tries really, really hard to send a message about bullying telekinetic teenagers and just how important prom is. It's REALLY important.

Oh, the horror! Blood, gore, and puppets galore, it's the campy feel-good musical about alien takeovers, Little Shop of Horrors. Gaby and Harrison kick off Octoberween by making Gaby extremely uncomfortable, as we discuss such woe as dentists, skid row, anemia, and awkward stereotypes we quickly get out of the way. There's sassy plants and sweet people who are kinda dumb. And whatever you do, DON'T FEED THE PLANTS. Da-do!

Jazz, war, clairvoyance, racial tension, it's AMERICA THE MUSICAL. Or at least it really, really wants to be. Please give it a chance. Gaby and host Daniel Olson love Ragtime, and you will too! It a huge all-American musical will 30-billion songs, Audra MacDonald, Emma Goldman again, Booker T. Washington, model T's, and allegorically named people. America!

Coats! Colors! Goats! Quick, name the brothers and bring all your children to join Gaby and Ben Lavon discuss the roller coaster of genres that is JOSEPH. This operetta explores such complex themes as dream interpretation, fratricide, Elvis impersonators, and the role of narrators. You look handsome and smart.

Classism! Sexism! But it's so good! It's My Fair Lady! All we want is for you to listen to this nearly perfect musical about a high-class snob and an awesome cockney lady, and maybe a man, and maybe some chocolate. Join Gaby and guest host Izzy as they dive into topics such as horse racing, selling flowers as a metaphor, guys being dudes, and something about Nietzsche. Tell us how you REALLY feel about this adaptation of Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw. Hint: It's not positive.

Murder! Love! More murder! This guy just won't die, will he? It's the silly Edwardian musical you didn't know you wanted. Join Gaby and guest host Arielle D, as they ponder the 2014 best musical full of great costumes, silly facial expressions, a charming mass-murderer, and way too many patter songs. Killing people is classy, let's forget the weird plot holes and the fact that half the songs make no sense, it's still a lot of fun.

Wait, this was a musical? From 2014? Wait, this was a Jason Robert Brown musical? Was it good? Yes! Yes! Yes! Arguably, maybe! Pretend you read the book or saw the movie as Gaby and guest host Emily Goforth go through the grueling task that is explaining the songs in a JRB musical. There's affairs, bridges, photography, stage-aging, state fairs, Iowa, and Kelli O'Hara being very sexy.

Come on Union, GET HOT. Hey there, factory workers, get your jam-jams on for everyone's favorite unionizing sexy-pants Musical! Gaby and guest host Arielle Shear are heading off to Hernando's Hideaway where knife-throwing is a fun recreational activity, there are haunted dictaphones, and the school version of the show is not okay with affairs. Just remember that men's pajamas are sexy and everything will be okay!

Shoot the gun and win a prize - or, no, you don't actually get a prize for killing the president, sorry, Byck. We break the Sondheim seal with Assassins, a show about freedom, connecting, Jodi Foster, and, um, assassins. Gaby and her brother Izzy join Johnny Booth, Squeaky Fromme, drunk santa, Neil Patrick Harris, Czolgosz, and more as we explore the weird Sondheim world of killing people and assuring your legacy lives on.

OK! It's time for some fun in yonder wilderness, so say "Ado," grab a farmer, a cowman, a shotgun, and a Little Wonder -- wait, no, don't grab that -- as Gaby and her sister Reyzl explore the territory of ambiguously ethnic characters, mock trials, and awesome but kinda dumb people. Is it time for the box social yet? IS IT? No? Soon?

Pile your hair high and get ready to integrate, it's time for pop musical fun, interspersed with civil rights or something. Gaby and co-host Emily have a lot of feelings about the amazing and annoying Tracy Turnblad, villains that play with Barbies in their teens, and is this show somehow reflective of Threepenny Opera? Maybe. Also all of the songs in this musical are long. So long. Really, really, long. And, the producer explains what's up with Blood on The Pavement.

It’s a movie musical - but it’s “much better” than you think! Gaby joins via Skype and she and guest host Stephanie Friedman discuss this feministravaganza about being yourself, hot guys, and women helping women, unless you’re Enid. Let’s go to Harvard Law, like it’s hard, join a Greek Chorus (LOL) and learn something about ourselves. There’s still like, butts, though.

WILKOMMEN to our Cabaret episode full of fun, sex, and loaded with self-deception. Deedily deedly dee! Two versions! Guest co-host Yonit takes the reins explaining the arguably better revival (and not just because Alan Cummings) while Gaby has a lot of personal feelings in this kind of horrifying story. What, did you only see the movie? Ahahaha, oh dear . . .

River, I love you . . . so do Gaby and guest host Harrison Benjamin. Take a trip down the mighty Mississippi with the musical adaptation of Huck Finn, featuring rich southern accents that we can't actually replicate, silly songs about dat gum guv'ment, and some actual serious stuff about slavery. Also, learn why Tom Sawyer is the worst! He's just the worst. We can't even curse him in English.

Magic to do, hearts to warm, sex presented . . . pa . . something . . . something . . . anyway! Gaby and guest co-host Arielle Shear talk about Pippin Pippin, Stephen Schwartz's college thesis full of awful female characters, fantastic patter, and amazingly flexible ensemble members. Let's be real, though, this episode is mostly about butts.

Pilot episode before we had good mics. But Gaby and co-host Harrison B. discuss THE ONLY SHOW EVER about con men in small towns, Broadway's first rap, what exactly is a Shipoopi, and surprise famous people from Gary, Indiana.