Bottomless Broadway

If you “Wanna Be Startin’ Something”, take a listen to our thoughts on MJ the Musical, and why we think it’s the most successful jukebox bio-musical this side of Jersey Boys! Addendum: Forgot to mention that Rich and Tone Talauega had joined the choreography team to more accurately direct MJ's movement (and you can also watch them work with Myles Frost on the dance moves) -- Critics were fairly divided on this show and Jesse Green was mixed on the show, he gave what Christine considers a clear and well-written review explaining why.  On the other hand, Robert Hofler writing for The Wrap seemed to harp on what wasn’t in the show more than what was. And if you're interested in reading more not-necessarily-nuanced discussion around the show and Michael Jackson's sexual abuse allegations, check out what the people of the BroadwayWorld message boards had to say. If you (like us) hadn't really known much about the Dangerous World Tour, you can watch the entire thing, including footage of how crazy the fans wer

We took a trip to "An Interesting Place", as we went to see Flying Over Sunset (twice!) and we're here to take you through the show with us, no flying necessary. So come take a listen as "The Music Plays On". Note: While we use snippets of the cast album in this episode, the album wasn't yet released when we recorded, so apologies for any inaccuracies, as we were working purely off of memory (without any enhancements). -- The entire saga of how Flying Over Sunset came to be is a pretty interesting story and you can read all about it in The New York Times. The set was one of the biggest aspects of the show (both literally and metaphorically), and you can check out pictures and read commentary from set designer Beowulf Boritt. In case you missed the joke about Greg in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, this video (starring Tony winner Santino Fontana) should give you some context. Want to learn more about modern applications of LSD or other psychedelics? Check out The Prof G Pod episode with neuroscientist Sam Harris or Mich

You are here…at the start of a new year, and we have one last episode to round out 2021 where we return to a show that’s been a favorite for us both. So whether you’re at the Dover Fault or just somewhere in the middle of nowhere, go ahead and stop the world to listen to our discussion on Come From Away (and stay tuned til the end for an exciting giveaway!). -- Spice up your Instagram feed with Cindy’s dog, Dr. Joey Puppington. Or, if you’re more of a foodie, check out Auggie’s Infamous, where we recorded this podcast and while enjoying some of the best pizza of our lives. As usual, Broadway Backstory has the scoop on how this show came together, or check out the news article describing the conception. Beverly Bass’s story is one of the things that gets highlighted in the show, but her offstage friendship with Jenn Colella still remains one of our favorite stories. Haven’t seen Come From Away yet? Check it out on Apple TV+ (there’s a 7-day free trial). -- Music featured in this episode: Come From Away (Origin

The final episode of our Crazy Ex-Girlfriend series is here, and I'm not sad, you're sad.  So it's time to seize the day and take a listen, and be sure to let us know how this matched up to your expectations! -- Need to catch up on previous seasons? Find our other episodes here! To see if there's any song references you missed, take a look at this video. The Facebook post (based off a Twitter/Tumblr post) mentioned in relation to Sports Analogies. If you haven't seen it already, check out the Heavy Boobs encore from the live concert! And if for some reason you've made it through all of our episodes without watching the show, be sure to check it out on Netflix! -- Music featured in this episode: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4 (Original Television Soundtrack) Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music --  Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway, our blog at https://bottomlessbway.home.blog/, or email us at bottomlessbway@gmail.com! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey.

We’re back in action with our episode on season 3 of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, where we generalize about men (and women) in the show! And it’s not the end of the movie (er, podcast) yet, so stay tuned next month for our wrap-up on season 4 and overall thoughts on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend! Listen to our podcast episodes on season 1 and season 2 if you missed them! -- Want to hear what Let’s Generalize About Men would sound like if there were a man singing it? Check out David Hull subbing for Vella Lovell in one of the live shows! Ever get tired of Jesus turning water into the same Merlot every time? This TikTok is for you. Remember the age of terrible music videos on YouTube? Take a look at one of the classics, Hot Problems. Meanwhile, check out the other audio/visual references from the songs this season. Allison Shoemaker over at AV Club wrote about how the reprise of Face Your Fears this season did what no other reprise has ever done, and why the other reprises in the show work so well: https://www.avclub.com/crazy-e

We’ll never have problems again when listening to our recap of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend season 2! So take a listen to some of the thought bubbles we had during this season as we pick out our favorite songs and plot points, and be sure to let us know what your favorites are! There will be spoilers for season 1 of Crazy-Ex Girlfriend, though we'll let you know when to stop listening if you want to avoid major spoilers for season 2. — If you’ve watched WandaVision, you’ll notice similar Wanda and Rebecca are in some aspects, as shown in this TikTok.  Read about Donna Lynne Champlin discussing how much of a dream come true it was to get a soprano princess number, and how much work went into it.  Hear how Rachel Bloom needed to negotiate with the CW for them to give her two shits (and they also discuss the writing of Greg’s Drinking Song and We Tapped That Ass). Though be warned that there are spoilers for future seasons so don’t scroll too far if you haven’t seen them.  Want to understand just why Natha

We're taking a trip to West Covina this episode, as we talk about season 1 of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.  So instead of having an in-person Group Hang, start up a Netflix Party and join us in discussing one of our favorite musical TV shows! For the most part spoiler-free, though we have a spoiler section starting from 29:17. -- All four seasons of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend are currently available on Netflix. You can watch all the music videos from the show (in their explicit versions) on Rachel Bloom's YouTube channel.  And you can also see some of the possible inspirations and references in each musical number. Rachel Bloom's memoir, I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are, is out now and you can listen to an excerpt from the audiobook, where she sings from a script written about how she fell in love with musicals. Watch as Lin-Manuel Miranda joins Gabrielle Ruiz for a slightly modified version of "Women Gotta Stick Together". As mentioned by Cindy, see just how many people on the street would say yes to havi

Not a day goes by without us missing Broadway and live theater, but we've got a good thing going as we're back with our first episode of 2021 to talk about Merrily We Roll Along with Kyle Marshall, host of the Putting It Together podcast! -- Check out Putting It Together, where Kyle deconstructs each Sondheim show, song by song and line by line.  You can also find Christine on it (most recently talking about "Remember?" from A Little Night Music and "In Buddy's Eyes" from Follies). We talk a bit about the recent Fiasco production of Merrily, which reimagines the show, including the reinstatement of "Rich and Happy". The original New York Times review was quite a pan and compares Merrily unfavorably to Betrayal (though Christine and Cindy found the opposite to be true). Cindy's favorite rendition of "Franklin Shepard, Inc." is the one performed by Raul Esparza, despite the low-quality video. Watch Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened on Netflix, detailing the process of putting together Merrily

It isn't only us this week, as Stuart Brown of Sounds of Broadway joins us to talk about Dear Evan Hansen, with some detours into our favorite bar, Stu's radio station, and what it's like to be a real critic! Warning: This episode contains mentions of suicide, as well as spoilers for Dear Evan Hansen. -- Check out Stu's 24/7 cast album radio station, Sounds of Broadway, his podcast, On Broadway, or his reviews on his website!  You can also follow him on Instagram @soundsofbroadway or Twitter @SoundsofBway. If you need a place to go for post-show drinks, try Bar Centrale! Check out Desperate Measures, one of Cindy's favorite Off-Broadway musicals! While mental health isn't a common topic in musicals, it has cropped up a few times over the years: http://www.drdrama.com/2017/09/21/musicals-and-mental-health/ The 2016-2017 Broadway season contained a whopping 13 new musicals, and you can hear more about that Tonys season on the My Little Tonys podcast. Listen to the Dear Evan Hansen cast album: Apple Music /

Welcome to Soft Power, a show that discusses Chinese duty, American elections, and democracy, told through Golden Age references and Hillary Clinton. Jeff Parsons (of A Musical Theatre Podcast) joins us again to discuss this new Pulitzer Prize finalist, changes between productions, and how this show is the most exciting new piece of musical theater. “It Just Takes Time”, so join us as we take you through the entire show, beginning to end! (Also check out chapter markers for specific scenes and songs!) -- The conceit of the show is a reversal of The King and I, which is funny since leading man Conrad Ricamora starred in the latest revival, but you can also hear about the process of putting the show together. The show hinges on a real-life event where David Henry Hwang got stabbed in the neck shortly after the 2016 election. As this time-lapse demonstrates, the Shanghai skyline has changed a lot just in the past 40 years. Watch snippets of daily life and activities in the actual Fuxing Park. Listen to director

Omigod you guys, in this episode, we’re joined by Jeff Parsons of A Musical Theatre Podcast to shine a light on musicals of Nell Benjamin and Laurence O’Keefe (and Kevin Murphy and Jeff Richmond)! We’re talking Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, and Heathers because more is better, so take a listen and see if they’re so much better than the original movies. -- Listen to A Musical Theatre Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and check out the Heathers episode with original cast member Rachel Flynn, and you can also hear us discuss My Fair Lady. Hear Barrett Wilbert Weed and Jeff Richmond discuss the lyrics to I’d Rather Be Me. Check out the Apex Predator performance on the Today Show to just watch The Plastics strut their way around Rockefeller Plaza. Listen to different performances of the ending of So Much Better. Watch Laura Bell Bundy keep going after kicking off a shoe during So Much Better. If you want to hear more about the process of turning Legally Blonde into a musical (including the shoe incident), you can

While you’re stuck in quarantine, why not join a shipload of fools in a new murder mystery musical? Hop aboard and listen to us talk about A Killer Party, the newest big cat joining the ranks of other virtual theater offerings! — You can purchase A Killer Party for on-demand viewing and find more information on their website: https://akillerpartymusical.com/ The original teaser leading up to the announcement of the show involved a lot of Broadway stars in black and white photos, which can still be seen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/whatsinthesoup/ Laura Osnes gives a bit of a peek behind the scenes to how she and Jarrod Spector filmed their scenes while quarantining together: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDy2sKqJrVB/ If you want another Broadway-related murder mystery offering, check out Andrew Barth Feldman’s Broadway Whodunit, a live improv event where you get to be the detective: https://www.broadwaywhodunit.com/ If our review doesn’t satisfy you, try checking out what Jesse Green of

You won’t have to wait for it any longer because our episode on Hamilton is now here! You’ll be back after listening to us discuss the Disney+ capture, camera angles, historical context, public criticism, and just how much of a weirdo Alexander Hamilton really was. — Watch Jonathan Groff talk to Steven Colbert about how his King George walk came about: https://youtu.be/03IpD4QWPgQ Alysha Deslorieux amazed and astonished Christine as Angelica, and you can watch her take on Satisfied: https://youtu.be/uHi9jukDAL0 David Rockwell’s She Loves Me set was quite a sight to behold, and you can check out a VR version here: https://youtu.be/AUJWJGzNN90 Check out some hidden secrets in David Korins’s set: https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2018/05/31/7-hamilton-set-secrets/ Watch Andy Blankenbueler break down the meaning of each movement in his choreography for My Shot (https://youtu.be/VmYTsOrnWP0) and  Battle of Yorktown (https://youtu.be/gb67f2HLVGM) The critique of Hamilton is worth hearing out for its di

What’s new, Buenos Aires? Nothing much since Broadway is dark through 2021, but we’re here to talk about the new(est) Evita revival from City Center with a few tangents into insecticide, Isabel Peron, Attila the Hun, Lauren Bacall, and insecticide. -- If you’ve never listened to The Lady’s Got Potential, Patrick Flynn from The Original Cast podcast has a great primer: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/13648631 For the record, Christine watched By Jeeves when it aired on The Shows Must Go On and rather enjoyed it. Sir Tim Rice’s podcast: https://getontomycloud.podbean.com/ The Grass is Always Greener is a hilarious song from Woman of the Year performed by Lauren Bacall and Marilyn Cooper: https://youtu.be/aP7maJavkQE The song from Smash is the Twentieth Century Fox Mambo (not Fox Trot), but this is how Christine imagines Rainbow High should be staged: https://youtu.be/sUbS8uWEj5c Patti LuPone does not hold back when talking about President Trump (https://youtu.be/XwIrm3Kawkk), which is ironic consi

Cindy had some mic problems, so she’s phoning it in this week to the very first Bottomless Broadway Phony Awards, where we award shows we’ve seen this season, both on Broadway and off! So grab a drink (or two) and join us in celebrating the past year of theater in less time than it would take to watch the usual Tonys telecast. — Support black theater-makers!  Check out the first inaugural Antonyo Awards (and vote on your picks): https://www.broadwayblack.com/snax_poll/vote-antonyo-awards/  Follow along as we go through our list of nominees: https://bit.ly/2AX428o We included some shows that we hadn’t talked about on previous episodes: Emojiland: https://www.emojiland.com/ Lightning Thief: https://www.lightningthiefmusical.com/ Scotland, PA: https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/2019-2020-season/scotland-pa/ Soft Power: https://publictheater.org/softpower  Evita: https://www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/2019-2020/evita/ Road Show: https://www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/2018-2019/road-show/

It's no longer Christmas, and we might be betraying our original intent to only do musicals, but one may as well begin with the sound inside this episode as we discuss the other plays we've seen this season, including A Christmas Carol, Betrayal, The Inheritance, and The Sound Inside. If you want to avoid spoilers for The Inheritance, be sure to skip 26:30-29:08. -- Missed part 1 of our plays recap? Check it out over here: https://link.chtbl.com/pp1pod We adored Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol and loved even more that this show highlighted actors with disabilities: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/13/theater/tiny-tim-a-christmas-carol-disabled-actors.html Adam Feldman did a roundup of all the different versions of A Christmas Carol playing in NYC this year, has anyone seen them all? https://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/where-to-see-a-christmas-carol-in-nyc We’re not sure if this production will ever be back on Broadway, but check out some clips of A Christmas Carol, including the gorgeous set we raved about!

We've used up our well of musicals, so we'll be play-ing it by ear for the next two episodes! Take a listen to our thoughts on Sea Wall/A Life, Slave Play, The Minutes, and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune in this episode. Some spoilers WILL occur, so if you'd like to avoid them, heed the timestamps below: 6:01-7:44 - spoilers for Sea Wall, none for A Life. 7:51-23:37 - spoilers for Slave Play, might also be some minor allusions to events that happen in the rest of our discussion. 27:05-36:14 - spoilers for The Minutes, may also be minor allusions as well. Some discussion of the ending for Frankie and Johnny, but no major spoilers. -- Sea Wall/A Life is now on Audible (https://www.audible.com/pd/Sea-Wall-A-Life-Audiobook/B0875MV37V)!  But if you don't want to subscribe, you can also hear Jake Gyllenhaal doing a selection of A Life: https://youtu.be/PmTXgAkgCl8 The New York Times review that Cindy mentions about an alarm going off during Sea Wall: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/theater/sea

It's been a while since we've sat side by side by side, but have we got the podcast for you, with part 2 of our Company recap!  After all, what would we do without you, listening to us run our mouths on theatre? -- If you missed our first episode on the Company revival, you can find that here: https://link.chtbl.com/company1 Jesse Green on Sondheim, in pure fanboy mode: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/theater/stephen-sondheim-playwright.html This is Patti LuPone's third time as Joanne in Company, with the first two being the Lincoln Center Concert with Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby (https://youtu.be/UvXEQ4lZt8k), and the second being the original London version of this production, with Rosalie Craig as Bobbie (https://youtu.be/2hQkUgSQ2TE), though also check out her first performance of Ladies Who Lunch if you haven't already, done in front of Elaine Stritch herself: https://youtu.be/oTsuK_HGFJg.. Some snippets from the cast members performing selections of the songs: https://youtu.be/mQIq6zRt8ys Want

Your phone may be ringing and your door chiming less often, but in comes our episode on the gender-swapped revival of Company, where you can hear us unironically judge the life choices of a woman a decade older than us.  --  Christine's first introduction to Company was when Glee did "Getting Married Today", which worked surprisingly well in the show: https://youtu.be/pLRNEILRVjw For Sondheim's birthday, The New York Times put out a series of articles honoring him, including Jesse Green's tribute: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/theater/stephen-sondheim-playwright.html Patti LuPone is definitely making the most out of her quarantine, so check out the first of four (so far) basement videos she's posted on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PattiLuPone/status/1241891274321539072 The letters of "Company" that we mention in "Another Hundred People" can be seen on the musical's Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-hIa-7H_24/ If you want a deeper dive into the Company musical itself, as well as comp

Could it be? Yes it could. Something’s coming, something good? Well you won't have to wait, because we’re here tonight with our first revival, West Side Story! Warning: There is mention of attempted sexual assault in this episode, so if that’s something that you’d like to skip, that occurs at 35:00-37:30. -- If you want to find out more about the Amar Ramasar controversy and protests, this article is a good place to start: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/19/theater/west-side-story-amar-ramasar.html Ben Brantley's review of this revival for the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/theater/west-side-story-review-sharks-vs-jets-vs-video.html And for a completely different take, David Rooney's review for Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/west-side-story-theater-1280016 This production uses the film version of "America", which can be seen with Rita Moreno as Anita: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e2igZexpMs Alternatively, the stage version can be seen with Karen Olivo as A