Settling Scores: The Musical Theatre Podcast

The 2025 Tony Awards Special continues! In the second part, Lenny and Forrest put the Best Score Tony Award under the microscope. Get ready for some lively discussion as they go year-by-year through the post-2000 winners, debating whether the Tony voters made the right choice. You won't want to miss their hot takes and signature passionate banter! Join us over on our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages to tell us what you think and enjoy bonus content!

Part one of our 2025 Tony Awards Special finds our Broadway buffs Lenny and Forrest counting down their top ten favorite Tony Awards performances of all time. They'll reveal and compare their individual picks, sharing behind-the-scenes trivia and hot takes, along with their usual passionate (and witty!) banter. Be sure to listen to the end to find out about our *new content feature* for your listening pleasure!   Join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think!        

In this episode, we dive into one of the most groundbreaking musicals in Broadway history: Company. More than half a century ago, in 1970, Company burst onto the scene and forever changed the landscape of musical theatre. With both music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, already renowned for his work on West Side Story and Gypsy, this show marked his first collaboration with legendary director Hal Prince. Company introduced audiences to Robert, a perpetually single man navigating love, commitment, and connection through a series of vignettes rather than a traditional linear plot. This “concept musical” broke new ground, blending sharp social commentary with an unforgettable score that includes songs like “Being Alive,” “Getting Married Today,” and “The Ladies Who Lunch.” It earned 14 Tony nominations and won six, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, cementing Sondheim's place as a musical theatre titan. From its original 705-performance run to its acclaimed revivals in 1995, 2006, 2018, and 2021, Company remains as vital, funny, and thought-provoking as ever. Check out our Company playlist on our YouTube channel, and join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think!                 

In this episode, we step into the world of faded glamour, haunting melodies, and Hollywood dreams that refuse to die. Sunset Boulevard, Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush and dramatic musical, brings Billy Wilder's iconic film to life on stage, telling the story of Norma Desmond, the once-great silent film star who longs for a triumphant return to fame. We'll explore everything that makes Sunset Boulevard a musical masterpiece—from its soaring score and unforgettable performances to its behind-the-scenes drama and cultural impact. You'll find out why Patti Lupone (allegedly) tore her dressing room apart, named her pool the “Andrew Lloyd Webber Memorial,” and what ignited one of the biggest feuds in Broadway history! Join us as we delve into the show's origins, its many legendary Normas, and how it continues to captivate audiences decades after its premiere. So…are you ready for your close-up on Sunset Boulevard? And join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think!      

It's no surprise that with the recent release of the movie version of Wicked, we here at Settling Scores have chosen to compare and contrast it with the original Broadway cast album we all know and love. However, you may be surprised to hear how much the guys disagree on everything from lyrics to casting to character arcs! Also in this episode, Forrest and Stephanie act out two *thrilling* scenes, Lenny discusses "polishing a turd," and we engage in a friendly debate over the 2004 Tony Awards, which resulted in some seriously eyebrow-raising wins and snubs. So join us for a few hours as we discuss one of the most successful Broadway productions - and now films - of all time: Wicked! And join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think!        

Join us down on Skid Row with our latest episode - "Somewhere That's Mean: Settling Scores Feasts on Little Shop of Horrors." Categorizing LSOH (with music by Alan Menken and lyrics/book by Howard Ashman) is a bit tricky. Here's our best effort: it's a genre-crossing cult classic chamber musical with elements of dark comedy, horror (obviously), and sci-fi with a ton of catchy Motown-inspired earworms and a giant puppet. Phew. While the musical does venture into heavier themes of ambition, morality, sadism, and the dangers of unchecked desire, the story is balanced with moments of humor and genuine heart, particularly in Seymour's tender interactions with Audrey, who dreams of escaping her abusive relationship and finding a better life.  Join us as we discover and discuss the roots of this campy, brilliant, B-movie inspired musical and have a bloody good time along the way."   The cast and creative team of the original production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” In the front at center are Howard Ashman, left, wearing plaid, and Alan Menken, lying on the floor. Howard Ashman directing Ellen Greene, who played Audrey. “He just loved me, and when a director just adores your creativity, your creativity blooms,” she said.

Once Upon A Time… In this episode of Settling Scores, Lenny, Forrest, and Stephanie discuss Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's fractured fairytale mashup, Into the Woods. Classic stories like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk are all featured in this surprisingly dark and twisty musical, with a bodycount rivaled only by Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Is this his funniest score? Can any of the new cast albums stand up to the original? Do community theaters program the show too often? Join us as we wade into the weeds to debate these topics and more, in our episode covering Into the Woods. And join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think! Sondheim, Peters, and Lapine   Danielle Ferland, original Little Red   Phylicia Rashad as the Witch   Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, 2010   Into the Woods 2014 Film Cast with Sondheim   Sara Bareilles and Neil Patrick Harris in the Encores! production of “Into the Woods” at New York City Center, 2022  

 "Join us, leave your fields to flower Join us, leave your cheese to sour Join us, come and waste an hour or two Doodle-ee-doo" In this episode of Settling Scores, we discuss the not-so-simple joys, the seriously strange (...left-handed fleas and balding griffins, anyone??), and the existential angst of Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson's medieval musical, Pippin. Along the way, Forrest coins the word, “orgy-ness,” we stand in awe of the Marvelous Mrs. Patina Miller, and revel in the classic “Bob Fosse-ness” of the original 1972 production, directed by Fosse himself, who left future productions with some very large stylistic shoes to fill. Cue the ever-inventive Diane Paulus, whose 2013 Broadway revival of Pippin brought a fresh, circus-inspired approach to the show, which earned widespread acclaim and several Tony Awards.  Which cast recording did Lenny and Forrest choose for their Desert Island Disc dilemma? Does Music Man or Pippin get the “Glory” in our Battle Royale? You'll have to journey with us “through our anecdotic revue” to find out. And join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think!   Content Warning: This episode contains frank discussions of sexuality, depression, and suicide. Please take care of yourself, and don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it. Listeners in the US can reach a 24/7, toll-free crisis hotline by dialing or texting 988.    

"The Music Man" by Meredith Willson is a classic, big-hearted American musical that premiered on Broadway in 1957 and went on to win five Tony awards. We invite you to fritter away some time with us while we discuss the love (Forrest) and hate (Lenny) relationship we here at Settling Scores have with this show, which features several standards of the musical theatre canon such as Seventy-Six Trombones, Trouble, 'Til There Was You, Pickalittle and Gary, Indiana.  Along the way, we'll explore several instances of subtle racism in the original score, discuss some fabulous and not-so-fabulous performances (…ahem, looking at you, 2022 revival cast), listen to a cover by none other than the fabulous Ms. Patti LuPone, and of course we'll “talk, talk, talk, talk, and bicker, bicker, bicker” all the while. “Yessssir, yessssir!”   Synopsis: Charming con-man-with-a-heart-of-gold Harold Hill arrives in the small town of River City, Iowa, posing as a boys' band organizer. He sweet talks the townspeople into investing in instruments and uniforms for the band he claims he will lead, despite having no musical ability. Along the way, Hill meets and falls for Marian Paroo, the straight-laced town librarian and music teacher, who sees through his scheme, but finds herself falling for him nonetheless. As Hill's deception unravels, he must decide whether to flee or face the consequences, ultimately discovering a deeper connection to the town - and to Marian - than he anticipated. This spirited and infectious musical explores themes of love, trust, and the transformative power of music in a nostalgic portrayal of early 20th-century America. Bona fide happy ending, guaranteed.   And join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think!

Forrest and Lenny continue their discussion of the Tony Awards, this time focusing on Best Actress in a Musical award winners of the last twenty-three years. Using the power of math, Stephanie averages their picks and reveals our very own Settling Scores Diva Rankings™️, from worst to first.    And join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think!

In honor of Tony Award season, Lenny and Forrest debate the winners and losers of the Best Musical Tony grouped by decade with their usual friendly bickering and bantering...plus a surprising amount of agreement! We also explain Forrest's severe case of BAS - Bitter Award Syndrome.   And join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think!

Join us for a dark and twisty tale of a dish best served very cold. The book is based on Swiss dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt's play, “The Visit of the Old Lady,” and the plot revolves around Claire Zachanassian (It just rolls off the tongue…), a widowed gazillionaire returning to her impoverished hometown to seek revenge on a man named Anton Schell who impregnated and abandoned her as a teen. Claire offers the town and each of its inhabitants a substantial sum of money in exchange for Schell's death. Deliciously complex moral and ethical dilemmas are explored and some beautiful, unsettling music is made, leading to a haunting conclusion. Give it a listen and let us know if you agree with Lenny and Stephanie, who loved it, or Forrest, who...didn't. And join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think!

"Ragtime: The Musical," with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally, is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow. It's two-and-a-half hours of intense beauty and heartbreaking grief, and frankly, all three of us choked up a little while recording this episode. The (incredibly intricate) plot follows the intersecting lives of three groups in the early 20th century: African Americans, upper-class white suburbanites, and Eastern European immigrants. Set against the backdrop of New York City, the story delves into themes of racial tension, social upheaval, and the pursuit of the American Dream, weaving vibrant, moving music with compelling narratives. The characters navigate love, loss, racism, feminism, and the evolving landscape of a dysfunctional nation in flux, all while singing some of the most gorgeous lyrics and music that ever flowed from Ahrens and Flaherty's pens. (And somehow we managed to squeeze in a tribute to the amazing Marin Mazzie, too!) So get yer hanky ready -- it's time to dust off this musical gem and explore the masterpiece that is "Ragtime: The Musical."   *We'd love to hear from you! Contact us any time on our Facebook or Instagram page.*

"The Visit" by Kander and Ebb is a dark and twisty tale of a dish best served very cold, and it's based on Swiss dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt's play, “The Visit of the Old Lady.” The plot revolves around Claire Zachanassian (It just rolls off the tongue…), a widowed gazillionaire returning to her impoverished hometown to seek revenge on a man named Anton Schell who impregnated and abandoned her as a teen. Claire offers the town and each of its inhabitants a substantial sum of money in exchange for Schell's death. Deliciously complex moral and ethical dilemmas are explored and some beautiful, unsettling music is made, leading to a haunting conclusion. Give it a listen and let us know if you agree with Lenny and Stephanie, who loved it, or Forrest, who...didn't. You can always contact us on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

"NINE" is a captivating musical that follows the story of Guido Contini, a famous Italian film director, as he navigates a mid-life crisis and creative block. Set in Venice, the musical delves into Guido's relationships with the various women in his life, including his wife, mistress, muse, and mother. Through vibrant music and compelling storytelling, "NINE" explores themes of love, lust, and the pursuit of artistic fulfillment. Join us as Lenny and Forrest debate the merits and shortcomings of the cast recordings, yet still manage to remain friends. We think...

  Join us for a special edition episode celebrating the remarkable artistry and enduring talent of Chita Rivera, a true icon of the Broadway stage. 

Content Warning: This episode contains a brief mention of an attempted suicide by one of the characters.  Scoop yourself a bowl of ice cream, dab on some perfume, and make sure you're in a “romantic atmosphere” dear friends, because in this episode, we're delving into the musical “She Loves Me.” This show is one of several reincarnations of the 1937 play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklós László. (You might remember another popular adaptation — the film You've Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.) “She Loves Me” premiered back in 1963 and was revived in 2016, and it became the very first Broadway show to be live-streamed. It follows the story of two feuding perfume shop employees who unknowingly find solace in each other as secret pen pals, and they inevitably, hilariously fall in love.  So do WE love HER? Yes, we most assuredly DO!    

Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, was Stephen Sondheim's tenth show and is generally considered his masterwork, a melodically and dramatically adventurous piece that's been produced in both musical theatre and opera houses the world over. Though billed as a musical, it's roughly 80 percent sung, meaning it feels more like it's been baked into an operetta (pun very much intended), complete with a semi-domesticated serial killer and an upwardly mobile cannibal cook. The original 1979 Broadway production won eight Tony Awards, including recognition as the season's best musical. Its ravishing, deeply emotional music combined with zany moments of levity have made it a favorite for many, but our hosts have both love and gentle (and hilarious!) criticism to share with those who care to attend our tale...er...podcast.

"1776" tells the story of the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in...you guessed it...1776. The show premiered on Broadway in 1969 and went on to win three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In this episode, we do a deep dive into the score, major recordings, and the movie, finding the fabulous and the funny in this amazing, irreverent take on our all-too-human founding fathers.