Full Transcript for Sci-Fi Musicals Double Feature April 2026

00:04:54.319 And Star Lord, he puts on his headphones and hits his walkman, and then it's the music starts going, it's come and get your love. 00:04:54.480 --> 00:04:59.360 And he's dancing around all the obstacles, and he's the coolest guy in the universe at this point. 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:02.000 And he like picks up a lizard and uses it as a microphone. 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:06.319 He like uses his jet boots to go across a chasm, and he is so cool. 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:09.120 And I say that is what music in a musical is. 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:12.240 If this were in real life, it wouldn't be like that at all. 00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:19.920 And then I will refer to Avengers Endgame, where they go back in time, and we see that scene from two other characters' perspective. 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:22.560 And Star Lord is a big doofist. 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:24.079 He like puts on this stuff. 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:25.360 They can't hear the music. 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:25.839 Yeah. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:30.240 He's like singing out of tune and like he's stumbling along. 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:33.199 And he's just like, he's this ridiculous clown. 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:35.439 And they're like, really, this guy is a hero? 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:38.720 This guy is gonna be a guy who's gonna like help save the universe. 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:44.000 The scene in Guardians of the Galaxy is what's happening in a musical. 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:50.879 And it's a moment of heightened reality where we get to see the characterization come forth and we see it in a way that is very unrealistic. 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:58.560 But in the second time we see it, when it's the other character's perspective, that's what would really be happening in real life if the character were even singing at all. 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:01.839 And that is it's not heightened, it is just the reality of the situation. 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:05.360 It's some character doing karaoke on some weird alien planet. 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:21.600 And also like the way that he uses music, especially in Guardians of the Galaxy, in the opening moments with like Groot dancing, and also in the final battle of the first movie is also a musical number. 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:36.879 I think that it's definitely adjacent to what we do in musical theater with music and dance, and how when characters can no longer speak, they must sing, and when they can no longer sing, they must dance. 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:38.959 So it's very west side story to me. 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:39.680 Very, yeah. 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:40.800 Right on par. 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:42.160 They're doing the same thing, really. 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:43.279 Yeah, yeah. 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:45.279 Less snapping, but same idea. 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:45.600 Yeah. 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:46.480 Let's see. 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:49.199 Then we've got SpongeBob. 00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:53.519 We talked a little bit about is

SpongeBob licensed? 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:55.839 And yes, I found out it is. 00:06:56.160 --> 00:06:59.519 Hooray! It's been licensed. 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:08.240 I don't know who was licensed when we were talking about it then, but it definitely has been open to licensing for a while now. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:18.879 And in fact, the accompanist for my chorus here in Central PA has done a production of it recently. 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:19.839 Awesome. 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:20.319 Great. 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:21.040 Yeah. 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:38.639 So I know for sure that there are local schools, there are regional community theaters doing the show, and I think I found some yes, there is a company in New York in probably Long Island. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:39.839 Northport. 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:40.800 Do you know how that is? 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:41.759 I know Northport. 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:43.360 Yeah, is that the Engaman Theater? 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:46.160 Community Playhouse of Northport. 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:50.319 So I worked on a show at the Engaman Theater in Northport. 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:51.839 Northport's a lovely town. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:55.279 I had a wonderful time working at the Angaman. 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:59.920 And so I gotta believe that it is a thriving little theater spot out there in Northport. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:05.040 Yeah, so it is running April 24th through May 3rd. 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:14.079 So if you're in Long Island or near Long Island and you want to check it out, get your tickets at the community playhouse of Northport. 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:17.759 That's the only one that I can find that's happening like now-ish. 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:24.639 But again, I know it's been done amongst many schools and community theaters. 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:29.519 So it's out there and it's just very exciting because it's such a great message. 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:31.279 The music is so fun. 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:35.759 I was asked last night what my favorite musical is, and I said SpongeBob. 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:36.559 Nice. 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:37.440 Which is true. 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.120 I've already verified that via my Spotify playlist. 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:43.840 You can show the receipts. 00:08:44.240 --> 00:09:04.799 I know it sounds silly to say that SpongeBob the musical is one of the best musicals out there, but I am someone that I hope can speak with some authority as a longtime fan and theater person and writer, that I'm not just blowing smoke. 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:09.120 I really do love this show, and I think it's one of the best shows out there. 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:13.679 And I think that people really missed out when they said, oh, it's just SpongeBob. 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:21.120 This might be a controversial take on my part, but I believe that everything that gets to Broadway has something really neat about it. 00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:27.279 Like you

can take the, especially in the past 30 years, because it's so hard to get something to Broadway. 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:38.159 But it means that somebody with millions and millions of dollars, or some corporation with millions and millions of dollars, have believed that there's something worthwhile enough to invest all of that money on it and put it up and get other people to see it. 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:45.279 What a great wealth of choice that we have through this history of this art that we can say, hey, all of these shows have a lot of quality to them. 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:49.360 And this one in particular is one that really speaks to me, one that I really particularly enjoy. 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:49.919 Great. 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:55.600 Also, I wanted to talk about our guest, Doug Reside. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:10:00.960 We mentioned you gotta check out his book on Oxford University Press. 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:03.440 I'll put the link again in our show notes. 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:07.840 To reiterate, it kind of reprogrammed how I feel about musical theater history. 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:08.879 Go check it out. 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:20.799 The other thing I wanted to mention is the program that we talked about that both Jonathan and I have participated in for many years called Across a Crowded Room is happening again soon. 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:23.279 Jonathan, can you give us the details on that? 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:30.000 Yes, I certainly can because I have a musical that will be going up at this next round of Across a Crowded Room. 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:31.120 Wow, cool. 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:32.320 Yeah, yeah. 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:35.519 It is going to be on May 30th. 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:38.159 And right now it's tentatively from 11 a.m. 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:39.120 until 5 p.m. 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:44.639 They might be adjusting that time frame a little bit as we get closer and we find out how many different shows are going to be presenting that day. 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:46.000 I love Across a Crowded Room. 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:48.320 I've called it Summer Camp for Musical Theater in the past. 00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:50.639 I will continue to call it that in the future. 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:51.679 It's so fun. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:56.000 The show that I'm writing, it's called Enemies to Lovers. 00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:07.440 And the premise of it is that there is a romance novelist who's having problems getting her heroine to do the things that she needs to do for the romance genre to work. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:18.639 It's a 20-minute musical, but it's like the split plot thing going on between the real world, well, the one with the writer is in, and then this fantasy world that's a little bit over the top, very like a court of thorn and roses thing. 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:22.960 And I'm writing it with an amazingly talented word person named Rebecca Regan. 00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:24.480 It's the first time that I've worked with her. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:29.519 I hope to be working with her much more in the future, though, because she's very talented and very nice to work with. 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:30.159 Awesome. 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:37.600 And yeah, you should definitely go check that out, end of May, at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:39.440 And it's totally free. 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:42.159 So as library programs are. 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:48.240 Just get your tickets early because it does it looks like it sells out, but there are always seats available because people come and go. 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:54.399 So if you try to get a ticket, if you're in town, you try to get a ticket and it isn't available and you really want to come see it, don't give up. 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:55.279 Just go there anyway. 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:56.159 It should be okay. 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:56.639 Yeah. 00:11:56.799 --> 00:12:02.559 It's a big auditorium where they hold the performances and it's more like reading, right? 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:04.399 It's not like a full out production. 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:05.919 Yeah, we'll all have music stands. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:07.759 So there will there will be microphones. 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:12.480 Some people track their shows, but for the most part, they're just like playing on piano. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:17.360 And there are moderators there, people who comment about the shows that they saw and give good feedback about it. 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:22.399 They're usually people like who are very well known in the industry. 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:33.840 Sometimes we have David Henry Huang or Michael John Lachusa, people that are friends of the library, but also important Broadway playwrights. 00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:48.000 We've had producers on there, we've had agents on there, we've had like literary critics on there, we've got artistic directors of theaters, directors, dramaturgs, publishers, all kinds of people come to give the good advice about it. 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:48.320 Yeah. 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:57.679 And so it's also a great chance to network and meet not only other writers and actors, but these people that are really in the industry and doing it. 00:12:57.919 --> 00:12:58.399 Absolutely. 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:00.799 And I'm not just saying that because my show is going up. 00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:01.679 Come see him anyway. 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:04.639 I'm legitimately invested in this program, regardless of what I do in it. 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:11.200 Yes, you just happen to be part of it, but because you've done it for years, but we're supporting it because it's an amazing program. 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:11.679 Yes. 00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:13.679 Not only the president, I'm also a client. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:16.080 Is that does that date me thinking about that? 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:17.759 That makes me

very old, doesn't it? 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:19.200 Yes, maybe. 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:21.279 I just saw uh someone talking about the Dr. 00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:23.679 Zitzmore ads on the subway. 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:37.120 But yes, but speaking of New York, if you happen to be in New York, there is an exciting new sci-fi vampire musical that just opened called The Lost Boys. 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:48.559 Yeah, which is based on the movie of the same name from the 80s, starring Keeper Sutherland and the Coreys, Corey Haymes and Corey Feldman, amongst others. 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:57.279 And gosh, I don't know if I saw the movie because I was a little young to watch it back then, but I'm very familiar with the lore of the movie. 00:13:57.600 --> 00:14:01.519 And so I I heard that the musical is good. 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:07.840 I've seen people with their little playbill photos at previews and shows. 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:13.279 And so I'm very interested to hear some of the songs and hear more about it. 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:14.639 What do you think, Jonathan? 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:16.320 I don't know that much about this. 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:19.200 I didn't see it either when it was out in the theaters. 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:26.720 I remember it coming out, but I just thought, eh, I'm not something little Jonathan Lich is particularly interested in right then. 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:31.440 And I've seen a few clips on TikTok, but it doesn't show that much. 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:33.840 It's maybe eight bars, sixteen bars of a song. 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:34.960 They sound great. 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:40.159 It's big and angsty and and sexy vampires. 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:41.679 And what more can you ask for? 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:42.320 Yeah. 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:46.879 We're gonna be talking about vampire musicals next season. 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:48.559 So this is a little taste. 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:49.600 So to speak. 00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:50.080 Yeah. 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:51.600 Oh, yes. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:59.919 I'm rooting for it because I need there to be a successful vampire musical on Broadway, a commercially successful vampire musical on Broadway. 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:00.399 Yeah. 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:10.000 So I just looked up the writing team and it's The Rescues, which is an indie pop rock band who wrote the music. 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:15.039 And the book is by David Hornsby and Chris Hawk. 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:17.279 But do you know who David Hornsby is? 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:17.919 Yes. 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:29.279 Like from Always Sunny, from Mythic Quest, like that David Hornsby, like brilliant comedian, comic genius guy, that's good news. 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:30.000 Yeah. 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:35.200 So I didn't realize it's described as a comedy horror cult classic. 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:42.320 So yeah, I'm super, even though I haven't seen the movie, maybe I'll watch the movie, maybe

I'll watch the movie and go see the musical. 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:46.879 Maybe I'll do what I did with Legally Blonde and watch the musical first and then watch the movie. 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:51.759 But to me, I'm very interested in this musical. 00:15:52.000 --> 00:16:00.960 It sounds really fun and I've like I said, I've heard good things about it, and it's on my list of shows that I want to see. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:05.600 If that sounds like interesting to you, make sure you check it out if you're in New York. 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:06.639 It's at the palace. 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:07.360 Yeah. 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:11.840 And Lost Boys is a reference to Peter Pan, even though it's about vampires. 00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:12.399 Right. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:14.000 So I was confused at first. 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:17.840 I was like, is this a Peter Pan musical or is it about the movie? 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.480 And then I found out that it was both. 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:22.480 So I really need to watch the movie. 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:22.960 All right. 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:38.639 So speaking of movies that are awesome and that I did watch and you did watch, I really want to talk about Project Hail Mary because it's something that I know both of us love the story. 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:50.960 I know we've both read the book and we saw the movie, and um we feel like it's relevant to talk about because no spoilers, but there is singing in the movie, so it counts. 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:53.120 And it reveals character. 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:57.360 So I say it is unofficially a sci-fi musical. 00:16:57.519 --> 00:16:59.679 There is singing, so boom, it's a musical. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:00.159 Yeah. 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:07.440 And I just wanted to talk about some of the sci-fi-ness of it, and we can talk about how music works in the movie as well. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:12.799 And I also wanted to say that I would like to write the musical version of this. 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:18.960 So if Ryan Gosling, if you're listening, uh or Andy Weir, give me a call. 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:20.480 I'm here, I'm ready. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:24.240 I already said I want to write the Martian musical, which is true. 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:29.359 So I'm willing to write any musical version of an Andy Weir story. 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:30.799 Just call me. 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:35.359 So what a musical that I'm writing right now, it's called How to Live in a Vacuum. 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:41.359 Like with a lot of the musicals that I write, there are like three or four or five parents of the musical. 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:49.119 It's like these sort of seed ideas that I like intertwine with other ideas to make something just like really cool and original and neat. 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:56.240 So How to Live in a Vacuum, there are a bunch of parents to it, a few that I will never publicly talk about. 00:17:56.559 --> 00:18:11.839 But one of the big influences on it are the Andy Weir novels, and in particular Project Hail Mary, because it's about a stranded astronaut who is like way far out there and not able to get in touch with humanity who is in big danger. 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:15.359 My show takes some very big departures from that. 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:19.680 There's lots of stories like this, like stuck in space, trapped in space. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:21.200 Like it's not a new idea. 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:26.960 When we talk about hey, like this would be a thing to write a musical on, like, yes. 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:31.519 And I wanted to write the musical so badly that I twisted it into my own version of it. 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:40.799 But I gotta say that something that, like, if I were writing the musical of Project Hail Mary, uh, I would lean into the tonal language from Rocky. 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:51.200 Yes, because the relationship between Rocky and Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling in the movie, is the core of this story. 00:18:51.440 --> 00:19:04.079 And not only in the novel, but also they really, like the directors and writers of the screenplay and the movie, really figured out that is what we wanted to watch on film. 00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:15.920 Although we do, uh, as hard sci-fi nerds who read the book, do miss some of that cool science-y stuff that they had to gloss over in the film. 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:18.799 Yeah, and I understand why they had to gloss over the science-y stuff. 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:24.880 Yeah, because originally I think the cut was like what over three hours long or four, almost four hours long. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:27.599 And so they release the four-hour cut. 00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:29.599 The producers were like, no. 00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:38.240 So I I understand they had to cut corners there on the scientific stuff, but what they got right for sure was that relationship. 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:57.039 And I think it's the same in a musical, you want to make sure that the relationships are forefront and that those are where your song moments are really gonna blossom from what the characters are going through with the other people that are with them in the room or in the spaceship. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:19:58.480 Yeah, yeah. 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:00.480 Oh, it's so good though. 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:12.480 Yeah, I really and I thought that the way that they did the practical effects instead of relying mostly or only on CGI was fantastic. 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:20.319 The way they did the puppetry with Rocky, and I've been seeing a lot of interviews with the puppeteer, James Ortiz. 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:21.519 He's just adorable. 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:25.759 The puppet is adorable, but James himself is adorable talking about it. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:33.599 And it's just it really also brings another level to the storytelling that I would love to see on stage. 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:40.480 I don't know if you've

seen clips of or things about Paddington that's happening now on the West End. 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:49.839 Paddington is not a puppet per se, but like they've got like someone in a bear suit like on stage, which is just so fun and so interesting. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:55.359 And I think that it would be similar to to see that with Rocky on a stage would be really cool. 00:20:55.599 --> 00:21:06.720 It reminds me of the my neighbor Totoro show that was going on the West End too, where you've got like these creatures on stage and they're running around and it's brought right out of my dreams about what it should look like. 00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:17.680 Yeah, I think it would be a challenge to to get the zero G stuff in there, production-wise, like how to figure out all the floating. 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:20.079 Yeah, for example. 00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:26.160 But because some of that is related to the plot, like whether their gravity's working or not. 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:30.960 And some people were mad about the centrifuge moment where it wasn't balanced. 00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:50.880 But yeah, I think overall, especially in the book, the science is really if we do the tech check on this movie and the book, it basically gets a 10 out of 10, even though it's set in a future and uh in eleven plus light years away, so scientifically grounded. 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:51.839 Plausible. 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:55.279 Yeah, that it's great to see something like that. 00:21:55.359 --> 00:21:56.240 It's very exciting. 00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:59.759 And that it and then it also has a heart because sometimes stuff like that. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.759 That can really lose heart. 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:07.119 It can really lose like the emotional core when you're getting like too scientist too deep in the weeds with the science. 00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:08.160 Look, and I get it. 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:13.039 If you've done all of that work, if you've done all of that research, crunch the numbers that much, you want to show off the work. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:16.240 You want to be like, hey, look at all this cool stuff I discovered. 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:20.000 And it's really easy for a writer to lose track of, oh, but it's actually about humans. 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:24.079 And that is not a problem that Project Artemis uh that Project Hail Mary had. 00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:25.440 I was gonna say Project Artemis. 00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:28.880 Well, Artemis, I know space and people will love it. 00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:37.279 I mean, we were just the just watched the Artemis II crew splash down the other day, and I was so glad they made it back. 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:39.440 Okay, I was worried about that heat shield. 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:41.599 Same here, yeah. 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:43.279 But that was uh amazing. 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:53.279 The fact that we haven't been to the moon since 1972, that's so awesome that we get to be in this moment of

history. 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:56.480 Like you and I were not alive at that time. 00:22:56.720 --> 00:23:02.160 This is the first time in our lifetimes that we got to see humans travel to the moon. 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:03.920 That's incredible to me. 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:06.319 I can't believe that we did that. 00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:21.440 It really brings out the wonder and just the sheer joy in science that we can do this, that we can that we can figure out how to do these marvels. 00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:25.119 Send somebody, send a small capsule of people around the moon. 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:26.079 That is so cool. 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:29.359 Yeah, and we're gonna hopefully keep going with that. 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:32.480 And again, NASA, call me, I'll write that musical. 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:34.079 That was just so heartwarming. 00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:48.160 It really, in a time that the world is not really in a super great place right now, it's just really heartening to see like a little bit of joy bringing people together over the trip to the moon. 00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:56.079 I'm so pleased to be bringing you a very special guest today. 00:23:56.319 --> 00:24:08.400 She's an incredible writer, book, music, lyrics, does it all, and very germane to this show in particular, has a lot of projects that are sci-fi, fantasy, speculative, all kinds of things like that. 00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:16.000 I've worked with her in a whole bunch of different ways in many different capacities, music director, collaborator, probably a bunch of other things too. 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:18.880 I'm so pleased to present Kit Goldstein Grant. 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:20.240 Hey Kit, how are you doing today? 00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:21.119 I'm good. 00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:22.240 Thanks for having me on. 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:24.000 Yes, welcome, Kit. 00:24:25.279 --> 00:24:29.359 So you have a dozen projects going on at any time. 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:31.680 And I like I really appreciate that. 00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:37.119 I'm also somebody who needs a lot of projects going on all at once to feel that like nice forward momentum. 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:37.759 Same. 00:24:38.079 --> 00:24:40.000 We're in good company on this podcast. 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:40.880 Yeah. 00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:45.839 What you're working on right now that's particularly interesting or things that you got coming up. 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:47.119 We'd love to hear about it. 00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:54.559 So, my next thing coming up is a show called Copilia at the Animatronic Pizza Arcade. 00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:55.359 Oh. 00:24:56.559 --> 00:25:04.880 And it is based on a French ballet copilia, and it's set in a 1985 Chuck E. 00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:12.720 Cheese style pizza arcade, pizza video game arcade, and it's got a lot of fantasy, supernatural sci-fi sort of elements in it. 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:19.279 And it's something I'm working on with I'm Booking Lyrics on this

project, working with UK composer Lucas Hal Jones. 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:21.680 And we have a stage reading coming up. 00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:29.920 So we are really excited to finally get it on its feet in front of some audience, get some casco in here, have a we have a director, Joey Murray, attached. 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:33.200 And it's going to be at this group the playground experiment on May 2nd. 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:34.880 So we're zooming ahead toward that. 00:25:35.119 --> 00:25:37.039 Do you have a music director as well? 00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:39.440 Funny you should ask, but yeah. 00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:44.640 Yes, Jonathan Lynch is our music director. 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:46.640 Hey, who's that guy? 00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:49.440 Music directing, a sci-fi musical? 00:25:49.599 --> 00:25:49.920 What? 00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:51.519 No, so out of character. 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:52.160 What? 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:53.920 Easy decision. 00:25:54.480 --> 00:25:59.519 Jonathan's like my go-to MD, and I'm like, this is just uh perfect fit here. 00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:01.839 So yeah, thank heavens he was a fail. 00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:03.599 And happily so. 00:26:05.440 --> 00:26:09.440 So can you tell us a little bit more without too many spoilers? 00:26:09.599 --> 00:26:12.400 Tell us what happens in this show, maybe about the characters. 00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:23.519 Yeah, so it's about these two kids, Franz and Hilda, and they are there at this Charlie Cheddar's, this restaurant and pizza arcade, and celebrating Franz's 12th birthday. 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:28.240 And nobody but his friend Hilda showed up, and he's bummed about that. 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:37.279 And then there's this gorgeous ballet dancer, Copelia, who comes on stage here, and he just falls head over heels in love with her instantly. 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:41.759 And we've got some sort of high romance falling in love at first sight. 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:48.480 And Hilda is not too pleased about this and thinks she's kind of a tomboy. 00:26:48.640 --> 00:27:00.720 She's not really into ballet, she's into softball, and she's also not ready for Franz to go off and be a grown-up adolescent or whatever, falling in love with people and having it not be her at the same time. 00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:02.160 So she's not too pleased. 00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:07.519 And yeah, but then, oh my gosh, I'll give one spoiler because this won't spoil the whole thing. 00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:18.160 Spoiler alert! Spoiler alert! Then there's something shifty going on with the pizza rat as well. 00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:19.519 There's a pizza rat. 00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:28.960 So, of course, and there's some there's something shifty going on there, and some sci-fi, some sci-fi plans in the works, which I won't go too deep into spoilers here on that. 00:27:29.119 --> 00:27:34.000 And yeah, and Hilda winds up having to save Franz from a plot. 00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:44.559 And in the meantime, work through her feelings on growing up and real versus robotic feminine ideals, if that makes any sort of sense. 00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:46.000 Awesome, awesome. 00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:47.839 Yes, I love that. 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:52.640 And I believe we have some music clips. 00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:53.920 We do. 00:27:54.480 --> 00:27:57.519 Why don't you tell us about the first clip that we're gonna play? 00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:04.559 Okay, we're gonna hear a little clip from Welcome to Charlie Cheddars, and Charlie Cheddars is the animatronic pizza arcade. 00:28:04.640 --> 00:28:10.240 This is going to be the animatronics, welcoming the birthday guests to the restaurant. 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:16.319 Come on in and meet the game for some dope time pizza theater fun! What do you say? 00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:23.359 Welcome to Charlie Cheddar's where my kid is free to play on a special day. 00:28:23.599 --> 00:28:25.680 Let's hear a hip hip hip hurray. 00:28:25.839 --> 00:28:30.559 Welcome to Charlie Cheddar's unbell pizza liter room with the buildings. 00:28:31.039 --> 00:28:32.960 No multi reins. 00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:38.640 Welcome to Charlie Cheddar and welcome to your doom. 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:42.240 As you can see, there's a little bit of foreshadowing here. 00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:44.480 Welcome to your doom. 00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:46.880 That is so funny. 00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:49.279 And they're very robotic as well. 00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:51.920 Yes, we definitely wanted like robot y voices. 00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:55.279 The real human being voice there was Nino Rugeri. 00:28:57.039 --> 00:28:59.200 Um, the fantastic Nino Rugeri. 00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:00.799 And he's a real person. 00:29:00.960 --> 00:29:03.759 But then we have our backups are robotic, yes. 00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:07.599 But on stage, are did you hire robots to play the roles? 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:10.079 On stage, we're gonna have real people do it. 00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:10.559 Yeah. 00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:11.680 Okay, okay. 00:29:11.920 --> 00:29:15.920 But with the option to have real animatronics in a future production. 00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:17.920 That would be so cool. 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:18.559 Yes. 00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:21.680 Director's choice and producer and budget's choice. 00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:24.079 Big budget, real animatronics. 00:29:24.319 --> 00:29:25.920 Yes, exactly, exactly. 00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:28.480 I hear a lot of people like collect the old Chuck E. 00:29:28.559 --> 00:29:31.839 Cheese animatronics, reprogram them, and there could be something cool. 00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:33.119 I've heard that. 00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:34.559 I've seen videos of that. 00:29:34.720 --> 00:29:35.519 I've seen some of those. 00:29:35.599 --> 00:29:36.559 It looks really cool. 00:29:36.720 --> 00:29:37.359 Yeah. 00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:39.359 Next song, what would you like? 00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:48.079 So A Real Girl is where Franz has seen

Copelia and the ballet dancer, and he has just totally fallen head over heels in love with her instantly. 00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:51.279 I go for some Pac-Man. 00:29:51.440 --> 00:29:53.119 You gotta get on track, man. 00:29:53.359 --> 00:29:53.839 Stop thinking. 00:29:55.279 --> 00:30:00.880 While Donkey Kong is eating, I may want to batter, but let's not wait to batter. 00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:04.720 But now it's time for Frogger. 00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:11.519 I'll skip the arcade. 00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:12.319 What? 00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:17.519 For the first real perfect. 00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:24.319 So we had Connor Marsh singing for Franz and Gabrielle Philo for Hilda. 00:30:24.559 --> 00:30:26.160 Oh my god, these lyrics. 00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:28.240 Are you did you write the lyrics? 00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:29.519 Yes, I'm booking lyrics. 00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:31.200 Yes, I'm booking lyrics on this one. 00:30:31.359 --> 00:30:34.799 And I forgot to say, of course, that's Hilda being let's go play video games. 00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:36.640 Forget this ballet dancer. 00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:44.319 Oh my god, these lyrics are amazing, like rhyming, Frogger, and Pac-Man, and the rhymes are incredible. 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:46.319 I'm obsessed. 00:30:46.559 --> 00:30:48.000 I'm very into rhymes. 00:30:48.079 --> 00:30:49.039 It's a bit of a problem. 00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:49.440 Yeah. 00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:51.279 No, it's the best problem. 00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:53.599 It's a feature, not a bug. 00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:54.319 Yes. 00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:58.559 So you said there's a lot of video game references, right? 00:30:58.960 --> 00:31:00.960 Yes, lots of video game references. 00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:06.079 The kids are really into Hilden Franz, they're really into video games and they're going to be playing at an arcade. 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:14.640 So there's been a lot of research into what was 1985 arcade arcade games, what was available in the US, etc. 00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:16.319 Trying to get things right. 00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:16.799 We'll see. 00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:17.680 We'll see how I do. 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:21.440 Has your research led you down any fun rabbit holes? 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:31.200 One thing I didn't know was that Princess Princess Peach from Mario was originally Princess Toadstool, which was a fun reference now in the show. 00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:37.359 My husband knows a lot more about the 1985 video games, and he definitely was like, check your facts on Princess Peach. 00:31:37.599 --> 00:31:38.799 I feel like I knew that. 00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:40.079 And I was like, She was real. 00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:42.480 I looked it up, and he's like, No, but check her name. 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:44.000 That sounds familiar. 00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:45.279 I I forgot about that. 00:31:45.359 --> 00:31:46.559 But yeah, now that you say it. 00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:51.039 I saw this whole video at one point talking about the evolution of her name. 00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:55.039 And I think, and please, listeners at home, fact-check me on this one. 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:57.279 She was Princess Peach in Japan. 00:31:57.359 --> 00:32:02.559 But then when they translated it into English, they said she's the ruler of the mushroom kingdom. 00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:04.960 So clearly she'd be Princess Toadstool. 00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:07.119 And that's where like you get that from. 00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:10.960 But then they're like, Oh, but we really like Peach though, that should still be her name. 00:32:11.200 --> 00:32:14.559 So in Mario 64, okay, I'm really geeking out here. 00:32:14.640 --> 00:32:22.960 In Mario 64, when in the opening cutscene, she signs her name that she is Princess Toadstool, and then like her nickname is like Peach. 00:32:23.119 --> 00:32:30.079 And then we're slowly moving into like Peach territory until we get like Jack Black as Bowser singing Peach Peaches Peaches. 00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:32.799 And no mention of Toadstool in there. 00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:35.519 I do remember as a kid it was Toadstool. 00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:36.559 I I remember that. 00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:37.039 Yeah. 00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:41.039 Yeah, I'm clearly coming to you too for my research, also from now on. 00:32:41.440 --> 00:32:42.720 You can fact check me. 00:32:42.880 --> 00:32:44.400 Yeah, call us anytime. 00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:49.279 For you listeners at home, I am wearing a Super Mario Brothers t-shirt today. 00:32:49.519 --> 00:32:51.680 It's a new t-shirt, but it's very vintage style. 00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:54.160 He's like going for the one-up, and it's lots of fun. 00:32:54.480 --> 00:32:55.200 Appropriate. 00:32:55.440 --> 00:32:56.000 Awesome. 00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:58.319 Okay, and our last song? 00:32:58.640 --> 00:32:59.119 Yes. 00:32:59.359 --> 00:33:04.240 So our Pizzerat, who we heard in the opening number saying, Welcome to your doom. 00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:08.720 Well, there's a bit of a revelation that he's not exactly everything he appears. 00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:18.799 And in fact, he would much prefer a higher class environment around him, perhaps with some ballet, some opera, etc. 00:33:19.119 --> 00:33:22.480 And instead he's stuck here with greasy pizza and video games. 00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:27.599 So we'll hear a little bit of his of his lament on the situation in this next song. 00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:35.599 You may read that I'm a villain who may think that I'm a chump, but I taught her how to play, and I taught her how to jump. 00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:38.480 Now this daddy's daughter does about it. 00:33:57.359 --> 00:34:02.960 He's basically like Phantom of the Opera, but Phantom of the Pizza Place. 00:34:03.359 --> 00:34:05.599 I want the immersive version of this one. 00:34:05.839 --> 00:34:08.480 Oh my gosh, that'd be terrifying. 00:34:08.800 --> 00:34:12.320 Let's play the video games and let's have the musical going on

around us. 00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:13.679 I don't think I would ever leave. 00:34:13.760 --> 00:34:15.840 That would be my happy spot right there. 00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:19.679 Yeah, I'll tell you maybe an embarrassing story, maybe not. 00:34:19.840 --> 00:34:21.039 I'm not embarrassed. 00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:30.400 So probably through age, I want to say 15, I had every birthday at Chuck E. 00:34:30.559 --> 00:34:30.960 Cheese. 00:34:32.320 --> 00:34:33.119 Quality. 00:34:33.519 --> 00:34:34.159 Nice. 00:34:34.559 --> 00:34:36.320 Way too late is what I'm saying. 00:34:36.639 --> 00:34:37.599 I love Chuck E. 00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:38.000 Cheese. 00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:51.039 And then after college, way after college, actually, when I was about 25, 26, I had just moved to a new place and was looking for work. 00:34:51.440 --> 00:34:57.519 And the only place that I could find that was hiring was Chuck E. 00:34:57.599 --> 00:34:58.000 Cheese. 00:34:58.480 --> 00:35:06.320 I was mainly a cashier, but I did one time have to wear the rat outfit. 00:35:06.719 --> 00:35:07.440 You did? 00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:09.519 Oh my gosh. 00:35:09.760 --> 00:35:11.039 And it was that was bad. 00:35:11.199 --> 00:35:12.320 It was stinky. 00:35:14.159 --> 00:35:19.920 And I really did not enjoy listening to the same like four songs over and over again. 00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:25.920 And if I hear since you've been gone on the radio, it's very triggering. 00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:30.000 But yeah, I love arcades. 00:35:30.159 --> 00:35:32.159 I love the animatronics. 00:35:32.400 --> 00:35:36.639 It's a very like core sensory memory for me. 00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:40.079 And so like this show I'm very excited about. 00:35:40.159 --> 00:35:45.760 And especially the idea of you getting like real animatronics is just very cool. 00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:47.519 Fingers crossed someday. 00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:48.000 Yeah. 00:35:48.079 --> 00:35:53.119 If I had the money to invest, I'd be like, let's do it someday, someday. 00:35:53.679 --> 00:35:55.039 That'd be so awesome. 00:35:55.199 --> 00:35:55.840 Yeah. 00:35:57.599 --> 00:35:59.199 We're having a lot of fun with this one. 00:35:59.280 --> 00:36:04.559 It's definitely the sort of thing where I originally we were fitching around ideas to each other with my collaborator Lucas. 00:36:04.639 --> 00:36:08.159 And like he's he's in the UK and where we don't have Chuck E. 00:36:08.320 --> 00:36:09.440 Cheese restaurants, right? 00:36:09.760 --> 00:36:12.559 But like talking about this and getting into the history of Chuck E. 00:36:12.639 --> 00:36:13.760 Cheese was just so interesting. 00:36:13.840 --> 00:36:17.840 And then we got off on this tangent, and then we were looking at, oh, but Copilia is so cool. 00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:22.400 And look, we're interested in like dancing, there's dancing dolls in the original ballet. 00:36:22.639 --> 00:36:24.639 And I remembered, I had this sudden moment. 00:36:24.719 --> 00:36:30.880 It was

actually really cool because Lucas brought up that ballet after we were talking about a totally different idea. 00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:33.440 And he was like, Oh, that reminds me about Copilia. 00:36:33.920 --> 00:36:42.800 And I suddenly remembered that I saw that ballet as a kid and was like obsessed with the dancing doll, which had completely forgotten and I didn't know what it was because it was so long ago. 00:36:42.960 --> 00:36:45.280 But I just had this image on stage of that dancing doll. 00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:47.039 And I was like, oh my God, I saw that. 00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:48.000 I loved it. 00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:50.159 And I now suddenly it all comes back to me. 00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:51.360 And so it was just really exciting. 00:36:51.440 --> 00:36:53.679 And then it was the kind of thing that starts off as a joke. 00:36:53.920 --> 00:37:01.840 I believe I was actually telling this to my kid, the story of Copilia the Ballet, because I was just like so obsessed after I found out about it. 00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:08.320 And I have a little kid who, and I was telling it to the story to him and modern updating it things to make it fun for him to hear. 00:37:08.480 --> 00:37:11.199 And I was like, oh my gosh, and making it kid kiddy a little bit. 00:37:11.360 --> 00:37:13.599 It's like, oh my gosh, this is actually really funny. 00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:16.719 Can you really quick tell the story of Copilia? 00:37:16.800 --> 00:37:18.000 Because I don't think I know it. 00:37:18.320 --> 00:37:19.280 Yeah, it's very similar. 00:37:19.760 --> 00:37:24.239 Swanhilda is the main character's name in that, and it's also a comedic ballet. 00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:29.199 Her friend Franz totally falls in love with a dancing doll, who he thinks is a real person. 00:37:29.360 --> 00:37:36.400 And then she discovers similarly to in our show, she's the one who discovers that it's not a real person. 00:37:36.719 --> 00:37:47.760 There's also evil doctor Copelius, who made the dancing doll and has like nefarious crazy sci-fi plans in 19th century France version of crazy sci-fi plans. 00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:50.239 And so actually, the story is actually pretty similar. 00:37:50.480 --> 00:37:52.800 We actually stuck to a lot of the a lot of the originals. 00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:56.800 And I was also obsessed with this female character, like saving the day kind of stuff. 00:37:56.880 --> 00:38:06.320 I like figuring out like the guy has just fallen in love with long distance with just what he has as his image of beauty, and her being like, hey, that's not real. 00:38:07.519 --> 00:38:09.119 That's not a real person. 00:38:09.920 --> 00:38:10.480 So yeah. 00:38:10.719 --> 00:38:12.559 It's very Pygmalion, right? 00:38:12.880 --> 00:38:14.480 Yes, very Pygmalion. 00:38:14.960 --> 00:38:23.679 I'm also gonna step in for a second and say that the ballet copilia is playing at the Lincoln Center from May 22nd through May 31st. 00:38:23.920 --> 00:38:27.039 So if

you want to see what it's all based on, head over there. 00:38:27.199 --> 00:38:36.800 The reason I knew about it is because like I usually tend to bike by the Lincoln Center on my way to work, and there's this giant, like, three-story tall poster of dollface copilia there. 00:38:36.880 --> 00:38:38.400 And I'm like, I wonder if they're doing that. 00:38:38.480 --> 00:38:40.159 What appropriate timing. 00:38:42.719 --> 00:38:49.360 Well, speaking of strong female characters, I hear you have a show about a witch. 00:38:49.599 --> 00:38:51.039 Yes, nice transition. 00:38:51.199 --> 00:39:01.599 So, yeah, so this show is called Christmas Even Dekanka, and it's based on a Ukrainian story by Nikolai Gogol, 19th century Ukrainian-Russian author. 00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:13.440 He uh uh wrote this wonderful story about the night before Christmas, when in folklore the devil is allowed out from hell to create what mischief he can until the dawn of Christmas Day. 00:39:13.760 --> 00:39:26.960 And there's this blacksmith who's in love with the beautiful girl, but she won't marry him unless he gets her fancy, unless he gets her fancy shoes like those of the Tsarina by the next morning by Christmas Day. 00:39:27.199 --> 00:39:28.960 And he's like trying to get those. 00:39:29.039 --> 00:39:36.960 And meantime, he doesn't know that his mother is actually a promiscuous witch. 00:39:37.199 --> 00:39:40.559 And so he is, he he knows that she's promiscuous. 00:39:40.639 --> 00:39:41.840 He doesn't know she's a witch. 00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:45.039 And he has a iffy relationship with her. 00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:53.599 And so it's about uh it's a lot about the relationship between the blacksmith and his mother, this wonderful witch character who I am a little obsessed with. 00:39:53.840 --> 00:39:59.760 And she's just out there trying to live her life and have fun and raise her geese and have a good life. 00:39:59.920 --> 00:40:10.000 And meanwhile, her son goes around like punching all her fellows who call on her because he's super embarrassed, that super embarrassed by her, because what kid isn't embarrassed by their parent, right? 00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:13.519 And you wrote book, music, and lyrics for this one, yes? 00:40:14.239 --> 00:40:17.199 Yes, this one is I'm book, music, and lyrics on this one. 00:40:17.280 --> 00:40:19.280 And it's uh yeah, a very loose adaptation. 00:40:19.360 --> 00:40:26.159 Actually, it's also a mixture of it's set in in the original period, but also got a lot of modern reference sort of stuff going on. 00:40:26.320 --> 00:40:29.679 It's very meta theatrical narrator narration, etc. 00:40:30.079 --> 00:40:34.480 People playing multiple parts, fun things like that going on with it. 00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:38.559 And there's a lot of fun with play with people playing multiple parts as well. 00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:41.039 Oh, yeah, it's great. 00:40:41.440 --> 00:40:42.800 Yes, yes. 00:40:43.519 --> 00:40:56.079 Hopefully, like a lot of the

witches' suitors are all played by one actor who's just quickly changing yes, and then going to hide in a sack and then secretly sneaking out back and coming in and again as another guy who then has to wind up hiding in the same sack. 00:40:56.239 --> 00:41:02.079 That's like the my favorite part when I originally read this story was just like how you wind up with all these guys stuck in a sack. 00:41:02.239 --> 00:41:02.960 So yeah. 00:41:03.920 --> 00:41:06.320 I just think that's comedy at its best. 00:41:07.599 --> 00:41:12.880 And then do you have any productions coming up or anything happening with this show? 00:41:13.679 --> 00:41:15.119 There are plans. 00:41:15.280 --> 00:41:27.760 There is not something like actively happening I can write tell you about at the moment, but there are plans with I'm working with actually Theater Now New York, which is the theater lab that all of us here on this podcast are members of. 00:41:28.239 --> 00:41:28.559 Yes. 00:41:29.039 --> 00:41:30.079 Yes, we have some plans. 00:41:30.159 --> 00:41:36.719 And with I work with producer Judith Manacherian, who has been working with me on this show for several years to develop it. 00:41:36.880 --> 00:41:50.559 We've done a workshop version, a staged reading, a concert version, and we are working toward a full production in the not too far future, and also working with theater now and Judith Manacherian to make that happen. 00:41:50.639 --> 00:41:54.079 So we are excited to share that with you when it comes. 00:41:54.480 --> 00:41:55.199 Yes, absolutely. 00:41:55.360 --> 00:42:01.360 When you've got more firm plans, ones that you can like broadcast to the world, please let us know so we can talk about it on the podcast. 00:42:01.679 --> 00:42:04.239 So we just want to keep it on the radar, right? 00:42:04.480 --> 00:42:05.760 Yes, you bet. 00:42:06.480 --> 00:42:09.039 Okay, so let's hear a couple of songs. 00:42:09.920 --> 00:42:22.400 So the first one is going to be a woman over 40, which is where the witch character who we talked about, she laments how basically if a woman's over 40 and she still has a sex drive, everybody just assumes she's a witch. 00:42:22.639 --> 00:42:26.000 And she is a witch, but why would you just assume that? 00:42:26.159 --> 00:42:27.519 Just because she's over 40, come on. 00:42:27.679 --> 00:42:28.559 And still attractive? 00:42:28.639 --> 00:42:28.880 Yeah. 00:42:29.119 --> 00:42:29.360 Yeah. 00:42:29.440 --> 00:42:35.679 And she also people like assume like she's using charms to make herself more attractive. 00:42:35.920 --> 00:42:39.280 And come on, our clips were sung by Sierra Rain. 00:42:40.079 --> 00:42:43.519 And a woman over 40 with a sex drive. 00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:48.480 If she's sensual and charming, then she must have used a charm. 00:42:49.039 --> 00:42:56.480 Now it just so happens that I used a charm to make pheromones increase. 00:42:57.119 --> 00:43:02.239 But I use that charm exclusively on geese. 00:43:03.280

--> 00:43:06.800 That's why I have the biggest flock this side of DeConka. 00:43:07.039 --> 00:43:08.639 So she uses it for the geese. 00:43:08.880 --> 00:43:09.760 Yeah, come on. 00:43:09.920 --> 00:43:11.679 Why are people assuming this stuff about her? 00:43:12.079 --> 00:43:13.360 Animal agriculture here. 00:43:13.519 --> 00:43:15.519 Yeah, that's it's misogyny. 00:43:15.920 --> 00:43:17.599 It's misogyny, right? 00:43:18.400 --> 00:43:18.960 Classic. 00:43:19.280 --> 00:43:20.639 Absolutely, absolutely. 00:43:20.800 --> 00:43:21.440 Yeah. 00:43:21.679 --> 00:43:23.679 And the next clip is I'll find you. 00:43:23.760 --> 00:43:26.559 So this is uh one of the more serious songs toward the end of the show. 00:43:26.800 --> 00:43:29.280 Her son, the blacksmith, goes missing. 00:43:29.360 --> 00:43:34.639 And people are starting to say that he's really gone off to he's really looking for those shoes that I mentioned. 00:43:34.800 --> 00:43:37.519 People are starting to say that maybe he's thrown himself in a lake or something. 00:43:37.679 --> 00:43:39.599 Maybe something terrible has happened to him. 00:43:39.840 --> 00:43:43.440 And even though they don't always get along great, she's still his mom. 00:43:43.599 --> 00:43:45.199 And people are like, Oh, why do you even care? 00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:46.320 You don't get along well. 00:43:46.480 --> 00:43:49.199 But she's like, No, this is my kid we're talking about. 00:43:49.280 --> 00:44:07.360 So we have a little bit of a more serious moment as she's getting her broomstick out and ready to fly and find that kid, even at the risk of people seeing her and Revealing that she is a witch, which is not the best thing to be in your small 19th century city here. 00:44:07.599 --> 00:44:17.679 To the far corners of the universe, I'll fly, I'll fly, let the moon wither and the lightning strike. 00:44:17.920 --> 00:44:27.599 I'll find you, I'll find you, I see you in the haystack or at the bottom of a lake. 00:44:28.400 --> 00:44:34.320 But if they think you're in your grave, they've made a grave mistake. 00:44:34.559 --> 00:44:41.840 I think this song is just really beautiful about a mother's love, and I'm sure that you're channeling your own experience. 00:44:42.320 --> 00:44:54.880 Yes, I did coincidentally have a son around the time I was starting this show and still want to live my own life being not being a promiscuous witch exactly, but writing musicals, which is close enough, you know. 00:44:55.280 --> 00:44:56.400 Yeah, pretty much. 00:44:56.559 --> 00:45:04.079 And also I love the image of her flying on the broom across the moon, and then everyone like, oh, she's a witch. 00:45:04.880 --> 00:45:05.280 Yep. 00:45:05.519 --> 00:45:15.760 Yeah, I'm so into the larger-than-life situations, the characters that we can do in musicals, and the supernatural and sci-fi lend themselves so beautifully to the drama of musical theater. 00:45:16.159 --> 00:45:16.880 Absolutely. 00:45:17.119 --> 00:45:27.119 And

speaking of things that are large, uh, I believe you have a show about something that on your face that gets rather large. 00:45:27.440 --> 00:45:29.119 Yes, absolutely. 00:45:29.360 --> 00:45:31.840 So this is the show called The Nose. 00:45:32.079 --> 00:45:40.239 It is actually also based on a story by Nikolai Gogol, although this one is a much more family-friendly adaptation. 00:45:40.480 --> 00:45:45.920 And actually, something cool with this is this is going to be published soon by Gittleman and Good Publishers. 00:45:46.079 --> 00:45:51.440 I'm very excited to get it out into the make it available to high schools, community theaters, and so forth. 00:45:51.519 --> 00:45:53.840 So I'm really thrilled that's coming soon. 00:45:53.920 --> 00:45:59.199 And I feel like I saw this show like 10 years ago, like a long time ago. 00:45:59.440 --> 00:46:00.800 Yeah, I wrote it a while back. 00:46:00.960 --> 00:46:02.320 Musicals take a while, man. 00:46:02.559 --> 00:46:02.800 Yeah. 00:46:02.960 --> 00:46:06.559 So I wrote it and it was actually, it was at we did it at a theater festival. 00:46:06.719 --> 00:46:15.039 We did stage reading and then did it at a theater festival, and it did so well there, and actually wound up selling out and being like a New York Times like things to take your kid to this week. 00:46:15.199 --> 00:46:17.280 So that was really fantastic. 00:46:17.599 --> 00:46:21.039 And then has been produced like a number of times after that. 00:46:21.280 --> 00:46:29.519 It was produced at like this big theater, the master theater in in Brooklyn in a big Ukrainian and Russian area, which was just fantastic. 00:46:29.760 --> 00:46:35.519 And then also it's been produced multiple times in South Africa, which has been really cool to see it go international. 00:46:35.920 --> 00:46:41.599 And now we found a publishing home, which is great because that'll help it be out to you know more people. 00:46:41.760 --> 00:46:46.480 And of course, as with all shows, I'm still rewriting, right? 00:46:46.559 --> 00:46:49.679 You're like, oh my gosh, now that it's getting published, I gotta fix that. 00:46:49.760 --> 00:46:53.119 Two last things that were on my on my to-do list there. 00:46:53.360 --> 00:46:54.800 Musicals are never done. 00:46:54.960 --> 00:46:55.360 Yeah. 00:46:55.679 --> 00:46:56.960 Musicals are never finished. 00:46:57.199 --> 00:46:59.280 You're just like, oh, there's one little thing I can make better. 00:46:59.360 --> 00:47:00.320 I gotta do that quick. 00:47:00.480 --> 00:47:01.039 So yeah. 00:47:01.119 --> 00:47:03.360 So still doing my little fixes there. 00:47:04.079 --> 00:47:04.400 Yeah. 00:47:04.480 --> 00:47:06.719 So tell us the story of the nose, real quick. 00:47:07.039 --> 00:47:07.519 Absolutely. 00:47:07.679 --> 00:47:23.199 So we've got this petty bureaucrat whose name is Kovalov, and he always is priding himself on his good looks, and he's trying to make it higher into civil the civil service and get a higher,

excuse me, get a higher rank in the civil service. 00:47:24.000 --> 00:47:28.079 And he's so obsessed with rank and doing better in life. 00:47:28.320 --> 00:47:31.920 And meanwhile, his servant is like, but you should be nicer to people around you. 00:47:32.159 --> 00:47:33.519 So he knows what's up here. 00:47:33.760 --> 00:47:38.320 And he's he winds up making fun of her and it's not very nice for how she looks. 00:47:38.480 --> 00:47:43.920 And then one morning he wakes up and discovers that his nose is missing. 00:47:44.639 --> 00:47:47.840 And he has to try to chase down his nose. 00:47:48.000 --> 00:47:51.360 His nose has gone, it's turned into a person-sized nose. 00:47:51.519 --> 00:47:55.519 It's dressing up in a more important civil service outfit than he wears. 00:47:55.679 --> 00:47:59.119 He's trying to pass itself off as a more important person than he is. 00:47:59.280 --> 00:48:03.440 It's trying to win his girlfriend, and it's running all over St. 00:48:03.599 --> 00:48:06.159 Petersburg here, trying to be a bigger deal than him. 00:48:06.320 --> 00:48:09.840 And he's trying to get it to come back on his back on his face where it belongs. 00:48:09.920 --> 00:48:13.360 And meanwhile, everyone's laughing at him for how he looks now. 00:48:13.519 --> 00:48:15.599 And the shoe is on the other foot. 00:48:15.760 --> 00:48:23.280 So it's a family-friendly sort of version of kind of nose running around Petersburg and causing chaos here. 00:48:23.599 --> 00:48:26.159 How did you make the nose costume? 00:48:26.400 --> 00:48:29.360 It's been done a couple of different ways, depending on the production. 00:48:29.599 --> 00:48:38.559 We had a costumer here in New York who did a nose costume that goes just over the head, and the rest of the outfit is like a civil servant, more important person outfit. 00:48:38.719 --> 00:48:44.159 And definitely, of course, you need to leave a way that we can hear what they say and that they can see where they're going. 00:48:44.320 --> 00:48:45.679 And it was more cloth-based. 00:48:45.760 --> 00:48:50.639 And then in South Africa, they've used a humongous puppet style, more. 00:48:50.960 --> 00:48:52.320 I don't know if it's paper mache. 00:48:52.559 --> 00:49:01.760 The maker of that, Margot Wood, made some fantastic structure, which I can't tell you how she did it, but I tell you, I have a picture of it on my fridge. 00:49:01.840 --> 00:49:03.039 It's like my favorite thing. 00:49:03.280 --> 00:49:05.280 So I love it. 00:49:05.519 --> 00:49:05.920 Yeah. 00:49:06.079 --> 00:49:07.440 They're both fantastic, though. 00:49:07.519 --> 00:49:08.800 Like it's just been really fun. 00:49:08.880 --> 00:49:12.719 And kids go crazy to see like a nose on stage. 00:49:12.800 --> 00:49:14.000 That's a fantastic element. 00:49:14.079 --> 00:49:30.400 But then it's also got a lot of things for adults in it as well, with like police corruption and civil service, and a newspaper reporter who won't print an ad for a missing nose because who would believe it, but at the same time is can see that there's a nose missing for himself and just is like, eh, we already print a lot of lies. 00:49:30.480 --> 00:49:31.440 I'm not printing one more. 00:49:31.599 --> 00:49:32.960 That kind of stuff for grown-ups. 00:49:33.039 --> 00:49:33.360 Yeah. 00:49:33.599 --> 00:49:35.039 That's hilarious. 00:49:35.599 --> 00:49:38.719 Okay, so we have some songs here. 00:49:39.360 --> 00:49:48.000 So The Strangest Things sung by Eliya Rode is the opening number, and this is the servant Matroyka who is introducing the world of this show. 00:49:48.400 --> 00:49:51.360 The strangest things are happening all the time. 00:49:52.320 --> 00:49:55.519 It's a marvel, it's amazing, it's a try aye. 00:49:56.000 --> 00:50:02.480 I've heard rumors of a hypnotist who put you in a trance, and a chair that decided to dance. 00:50:02.639 --> 00:50:08.960 A three-pack! Aye, I the world is crazy. 00:50:09.039 --> 00:50:10.639 Well, maybe crazy too. 00:50:10.880 --> 00:50:17.199 When snow is flight, there's no use trying to know if what you're seeing is true. 00:50:17.440 --> 00:50:17.920 That's great. 00:50:18.000 --> 00:50:18.480 I love that. 00:50:18.639 --> 00:50:20.400 We get the whole theme right there. 00:50:20.719 --> 00:50:23.679 You know, the strangest things are happening in this world. 00:50:23.920 --> 00:50:27.119 That's gonna be stuck in my head for the rest of the week now. 00:50:27.360 --> 00:50:29.840 And you don't know if what you're seeing is true. 00:50:30.159 --> 00:50:31.199 Absolutely. 00:50:31.440 --> 00:50:36.000 And the next song, Turpentine Lard and Soap, Graham Stevens singing. 00:50:36.159 --> 00:50:40.800 So this is when Kavalov, the main character, he goes to a doctor to say, Can you just help me out? 00:50:40.880 --> 00:50:42.000 I'm missing my nose here. 00:50:42.159 --> 00:50:43.760 And you must have noses and jars. 00:50:43.920 --> 00:50:45.440 Can you just paste one on my face? 00:50:45.679 --> 00:50:52.000 And unfortunately, the doctor cannot just use one of those noses and jars that he has because he's saving those. 00:50:52.239 --> 00:50:53.039 He won't do that. 00:50:53.280 --> 00:50:58.079 But he prescribes the same remedy for every single thing that somebody comes to him for. 00:50:58.239 --> 00:51:00.800 It's his old grandma's favorite remedy. 00:51:01.280 --> 00:51:07.519 If you swallowed your oysters raw and your stomach, you're likely to lose. 00:51:08.000 --> 00:51:11.199 There isn't a question to cure indigestion. 00:51:11.360 --> 00:51:13.920 There's only three things to use. 00:51:14.880 --> 00:51:17.199 Turpentine lard and soap. 00:51:21.280 --> 00:51:27.199 The three things to try when you've given up hope are turpentine lard and soap. 00:51:27.840 --> 00:51:30.960 So yeah, that's what he prescribes for the missing nose as well, of course. 00:51:31.119 --> 00:51:31.840 It doesn't help. 00:51:32.000 --> 00:51:32.880 Can't imagine it would.

00:51:33.119 --> 00:51:36.320 No, that's the kind of doctor you you don't want to go to. 00:51:36.639 --> 00:51:37.679 All right, kits. 00:51:37.840 --> 00:51:40.400 So you have so many projects. 00:51:40.559 --> 00:51:43.440 We can't talk about all of them in detail. 00:51:43.679 --> 00:51:47.039 We're gonna have to bring you back on to talk about more of them, by the way. 00:51:47.280 --> 00:51:47.920 I'll be back. 00:51:48.079 --> 00:51:50.239 I'm always up for sci-fi and supernatural music. 00:51:50.800 --> 00:51:56.079 But we are having you come on the verse intro cabaret in May. 00:51:56.320 --> 00:51:58.159 Yes, I'm coming on May 3rd. 00:51:58.239 --> 00:51:59.039 I'm so excited. 00:51:59.360 --> 00:52:02.320 So, what are you bringing to that performance? 00:52:02.639 --> 00:52:08.320 So I'm bringing some songs from a show called Sophia and the Bee Man, which I'm writing with the collaborator Neil Raidish. 00:52:08.800 --> 00:52:11.679 This show is we've got some supernatural stuff going on in it. 00:52:11.840 --> 00:52:13.360 We have a B man. 00:52:13.440 --> 00:52:15.199 He's not a beekeeper, he's a B man. 00:52:15.280 --> 00:52:21.360 He loves bees, he lives with bees, his life is bees, and he's in this medieval/slash modern day village. 00:52:21.599 --> 00:52:30.719 And we have this young girl who is a sorcerer, a junior sorceress, and she is trying to transform him into something better than a B man. 00:52:30.880 --> 00:52:36.639 She does not think being a B man is a good life choice and is interested in doing some transformation here. 00:52:36.719 --> 00:52:40.239 So we'll be bringing a couple of songs to the to the upcoming cabaret. 00:52:40.559 --> 00:52:40.960 Amazing. 00:52:41.039 --> 00:52:44.159 So you've got a big weekend coming up in May. 00:52:44.480 --> 00:52:45.119 You bet. 00:52:45.280 --> 00:52:46.559 I'm not going crazy at all. 00:52:46.800 --> 00:53:02.719 We'll put links to both the PGE event for May 2nd for your Capellia and the animatronic pizza arcade, as well as first intro cabaret on May 3rd, so people can check out your work that's upcoming. 00:53:02.960 --> 00:53:13.360 You can always go to my website, kitgoldstein.com, and you can sign up to be if you'd like to be on my newsletter just to like infrequently hear about things I have going on as they they come up. 00:53:13.679 --> 00:53:19.280 And speaking of things that you do on your website, you also offer services. 00:53:19.599 --> 00:53:20.239 I do. 00:53:20.559 --> 00:53:28.320 Yeah, I have another website, paperkitearts.com, and I teach musical theater writing on there and related subjects. 00:53:28.559 --> 00:53:32.320 I have a musical theater writing workshops, which are like live online. 00:53:32.480 --> 00:53:40.400 I have asynchronous classes on music theory for lyricists specifically, trying to get you up to speed so you can start writing your own music. 00:53:40.639 --> 00:53:48.480 And I also am hoping to launch a class soon on lyric writing in specifically, which I'm obviously very into lyric writing. 00:53:48.719 --> 00:53:50.079 Yes, as you can hear. 00:53:50.320 --> 00:53:52.159 I am planning to do that coming up soon. 00:53:52.320 --> 00:53:55.760 So yeah, and if you want to sign up for a newsletter for that one, you'll be informed. 00:53:55.920 --> 00:53:59.599 I also do sometimes all have free classes on musical writing basics to get people. 00:53:59.760 --> 00:54:03.119 If you're looking to start this, where do you even begin? 00:54:03.280 --> 00:54:05.440 And I will also have guest teachers come in. 00:54:05.599 --> 00:54:12.400 Somebody named Jonathan Lynch has come and taught a class on some music notation software, which was incredibly useful for me. 00:54:12.559 --> 00:54:13.360 I took the class. 00:54:13.519 --> 00:54:18.800 I was like, I need to host this class because I need to take this class and Jonathan can teach it. 00:54:18.960 --> 00:54:20.320 Yay! So I took it. 00:54:20.400 --> 00:54:20.960 It was great. 00:54:21.119 --> 00:54:22.159 I learned a ton. 00:54:22.400 --> 00:54:22.639 Great. 00:54:22.800 --> 00:54:30.079 And we will put your website and all your websites in our show notes to make sure that people check those out. 00:54:30.159 --> 00:54:47.280 And yes, definitely sign up for those classes because if you are someone that is maybe interested in writing musicals or you've started writing musicals and you, you know, don't know where to go next, kit is someone who's an expert clearly in doing that. 00:54:47.360 --> 00:54:51.280 And she's written so many and can help you write as well. 00:54:51.440 --> 00:54:54.079 So definitely take advantage of that opportunity. 00:54:54.480 --> 00:55:04.239 I also love that they're over Zoom and that they're asynchronous as well, because so often there are resources available to musical theater writers in major urban centers. 00:55:04.400 --> 00:55:08.000 So if you're in New York, there are a bunch of workshops that you can do, a bunch of labs you can do. 00:55:08.079 --> 00:55:09.519 There are resources devoted to that. 00:55:09.679 --> 00:55:10.960 If you're in LA, there are some. 00:55:11.039 --> 00:55:12.880 If you're in London, there are some. 00:55:13.039 --> 00:55:27.360 But if you're like in the middle of, say, Pennsylvania, if you're in the middle of Idaho and you want to be a musical theater writer, like there are harder communities to get a hold of, let alone educational opportunities and workshops and ways to be supported in your art. 00:55:27.679 --> 00:55:32.639 So we need more things like this for sort of the democratization of the art form. 00:55:32.880 --> 00:55:34.480 So thank you, Kit, for doing what you do. 00:55:34.800 --> 00:55:51.519 Yeah, that's absolutely I love that I have people taking my classes who are in like Luxembourg in Europe, and we have like people in Canada who account in your major center and people in California and areas that you don't have this kind of thing available in the middle

of the country, Utah, like every place. 00:55:51.679 --> 00:56:01.280 And we're all able to be friends who have never sometimes never met in real life and who can like share this wisdom like farther from where we have to be geographically. 00:56:01.519 --> 00:56:13.599 And also I usually have a mixture of that you can do on your own time and have some live coaching, or you can be fully different versions of it so that there's like different options for people and their learning styles. 00:56:13.679 --> 00:56:18.800 Because I know with the Jonathan's class, I was like, I need somebody to give me homework, or I'm never gonna learn this. 00:56:19.440 --> 00:56:27.199 We had a lot of assignments in that class, and then in the class, we'd also like, in addition to these are things that you need to know, it's like what problems did you have along the way encountering these things? 00:56:27.360 --> 00:56:28.239 What can we talk about? 00:56:28.320 --> 00:56:29.840 How can we help you through these things? 00:56:30.079 --> 00:56:36.000 And there were a lot of moments where I had to be like, hey, this is a very interesting problem. 00:56:36.159 --> 00:56:39.599 I'm going to get back to you next week about how to fix it. 00:56:40.159 --> 00:56:56.960 Because Dorico is as much as I'm very comfortable with Dorico, and as much as I'm like great leading a bunch of people on how to do things on Dorico, it's still pretty new to all of us, really, that we only like when the shift happened away from finale to Dorico. 00:56:57.440 --> 00:56:59.920 Maybe I should explain for a second for our listeners at home. 00:57:00.320 --> 00:57:01.440 We're getting technical here. 00:57:01.599 --> 00:57:03.920 Yeah, I was gonna say this is kind of in the weeds. 00:57:04.400 --> 00:57:08.320 So if you're writing sheet music, you gotta use a computer program to do that. 00:57:08.559 --> 00:57:17.199 You can use something like Logic, which is the sort of recording software that does stuff like that, but it's insufficient for what a lot of people need for their music writing. 00:57:17.360 --> 00:57:26.239 And then I'm talking about like the dots on the page kind of music writing, not like MIDI, not like a demo, not like guitar tablature or anything like that, where or lead sheets or things like that. 00:57:26.320 --> 00:57:33.519 It's like that sort of traditional Western European style dots on the staves kind of writing. 00:57:33.760 --> 00:57:39.679 And over the years there have been a number of different kinds of specialized software devoted to this, like Sibelius, like MuseScore. 00:57:39.840 --> 00:57:46.079 The industry standard for the musical theater community in America for years had been a program called Finale. 00:57:46.400 --> 00:57:56.480 It was one of the first programs out of the gate, and a lot of people really drew on to it, and it developed a big community around how to get what you need out of the program for your needs as a writer. 00:57:56.800 --> 00:58:09.119

So, what, two years ago, three years ago, Finale announced that it would stop updating its software, which is basically anybody who announces that they're gonna stop updating their software means slow death of the software. 00:58:09.280 --> 00:58:22.159 Because pretty soon as other systems update, like Mac operating system, like Windows, it will make certain features in those softwares just goka put, like will not work anymore. 00:58:22.400 --> 00:58:31.679 So, what Finale did though is it said, hey, all of our users, you should all probably navigate to this other kind of music software and program called Dorico. 00:58:32.079 --> 00:58:34.000 And Dorico has a complicated history. 00:58:34.159 --> 00:58:53.440 It started when a bunch of people who were like formed Sibalius, which is another big music writing program, left the Sibalius organization and started from scratch for this program that was designed to also be integrated smoothly with things like iPads and other modern-day computing technology and things like that. 00:58:53.599 --> 00:58:56.400 So finale said, hey, all of you need to go to Dorico. 00:58:56.719 --> 00:58:58.239 And Dorico is a great program. 00:58:58.320 --> 00:59:03.920 It does a lot of things that are really intuitive and very easy to navigate, but there is a change. 00:59:04.079 --> 00:59:12.639 Like anybody who is very used to using finale suddenly having to switch to this new program for everything, that's a lot, no matter how easy it is using that other program. 00:59:12.880 --> 00:59:21.519 And I know people who like were using finale when it first came out, or like the beta testers on the program who've literally been using this for decades and decades. 00:59:21.599 --> 00:59:23.679 And now they're like, I'm not learning a new software program. 00:59:23.760 --> 00:59:24.400 What the heck? 00:59:24.639 --> 00:59:26.000 As easy and simple as it is. 00:59:26.159 --> 00:59:28.800 Clearly, there was a need for people to understand this new program. 00:59:28.960 --> 00:59:33.360 And I happily stepped in because I have to do a lot of notation. 00:59:33.840 --> 00:59:37.119 And I just I'm an early adopter, yeah. 00:59:37.280 --> 00:59:44.239 And it was during one vacation where like I sat around, I had to do a transcription for some music directing work, like something needed to get transposed. 00:59:44.320 --> 00:59:46.239 And I said, okay, look, I'm just gonna sit around. 00:59:46.400 --> 00:59:49.679 I've got the time to spend 12 hours figuring out this one piece of music. 00:59:49.840 --> 00:59:50.719 Let's go. 00:59:50.960 --> 00:59:53.199 And that's how that's how I figured it out. 00:59:53.360 --> 00:59:56.480 And then from there, I got very good at the software. 00:59:56.559 --> 00:59:58.239 And I'm like, hey, I could teach a class in this. 00:59:58.320 --> 01:00:00.320 So it's cool that Kit came to me about that. 01:00:00.719 --> 01:00:05.119 Yeah, and I think one of the big things for me is like trying to find community around learning as well. 01:00:05.280 --> 01:00:10.159 And so being like, I I know people can sit and watch a lot of YouTube videos about this. 01:00:10.239 --> 01:00:16.000 And I know there are resources available, but like we want some sort of community and somebody we can talk to about it. 01:00:16.079 --> 01:00:23.280 And when you get frustrated instead of having to go on a forum and type a long thing and then have a lot of people tell you, like, hey, why don't you just read the manual, dummy? 01:00:23.440 --> 01:00:24.800 Just go on Reddit. 01:00:25.199 --> 01:00:25.679 Exactly. 01:00:25.840 --> 01:00:29.360 Like somebody who you can go to who you know is there to help you guide you through it. 01:00:29.440 --> 01:00:45.840 And sometimes might even say to you, hey, that's weird, and confirm, yeah, you had a weird experience, and then help you like navigate like how to fix that because it's so frustrating, especially once you're into actually like doing something creative that has a deadline, and you just want to be creative and meet your deadline. 01:00:46.159 --> 01:00:51.039 You do not want to be like stopping every five seconds to look up how you do something and feel on your own. 01:00:51.119 --> 01:00:54.960 It's a lot is about like finding community with each other as we learn all this stuff. 01:00:55.199 --> 01:01:01.440 And there would be a lot of times in the classes too, where somebody would bring up an issue and somebody else in the class said, Oh, I had this issue and this is how I got through it. 01:01:01.519 --> 01:01:04.000 And I'm like, Yes, community, love it. 01:01:05.039 --> 01:01:05.920 Exactly. 01:01:06.159 --> 01:01:08.400 Group community, community. 01:01:08.559 --> 01:01:09.199 Yeah. 01:01:09.679 --> 01:01:23.039 So we do a lot of that in my classes, like trying to build community and find other people to work with on who have similar challenges, whether it's on musical theater writing, lyric writing, composing, the software, whatever issue it is, like self-producing everything. 01:01:23.119 --> 01:01:25.599 We've had self-producing classes, things like that as well. 01:01:25.840 --> 01:01:31.280 Yeah, with yeah, and hopefully we'll bring more things in the future because there's always more to learn in this field. 01:01:31.599 --> 01:01:32.400 Absolutely. 01:01:32.639 --> 01:01:42.880 And we hope to build a community here with our sci-fi musical podcast, and we have the blog, which on my blog we wrote about Christmas in Dakanka. 01:01:43.039 --> 01:01:43.679 Yes. 01:01:45.519 --> 01:01:46.159 Yay. 01:01:46.880 --> 01:01:57.840 And so, like, we love bringing in new musical theater writers, and we have our Patreon, which we're hoping to build as a place where we're starting a community. 01:01:58.079 --> 01:02:06.880 You can join as a free member to get more content about the podcast, get episodes early, but also we have a Discord. 01:02:07.119 --> 01:02:09.519 Maybe we should start like a Facebook group or

something. 01:02:09.679 --> 01:02:10.000 I don't know. 01:02:10.079 --> 01:02:11.280 Is Facebook cool anymore? 01:02:11.360 --> 01:02:12.400 I don't think so. 01:02:13.039 --> 01:02:19.519 But yeah, that's a goal for us too, is to have this community that Kit is building as well. 01:02:19.679 --> 01:02:22.800 So, and someday, Jonathan and I want to do live shows. 01:02:23.039 --> 01:02:28.239 Live shows where we feature works from old and new sci-fi musicals. 01:02:28.480 --> 01:02:29.119 Yay! 01:02:29.360 --> 01:02:32.480 All right, well, thank you so much for being with us today, Kit. 01:02:32.559 --> 01:02:35.840 It's been an absolute joy and pleasure as always. 01:02:36.000 --> 01:02:40.559 And we'll of course we'll have to have you back because you have so many more shows to talk about. 01:02:40.800 --> 01:02:42.559 We didn't talk about the new mother. 01:02:42.960 --> 01:02:46.719 Like you send us all these shows, and we're like, we got to like three and a half. 01:02:46.880 --> 01:02:47.599 I'll be back. 01:02:47.760 --> 01:02:48.400 I'll be back. 01:02:48.480 --> 01:02:49.039 Don't worry. 01:02:49.280 --> 01:02:49.519 Okay. 01:02:49.760 --> 01:02:49.920 Great. 01:02:50.079 --> 01:02:51.119 Don't worry, I can't stop. 01:02:51.199 --> 01:02:51.760 So it's fine. 01:02:51.840 --> 01:02:52.079 It's fine. 01:02:52.239 --> 01:02:54.400 And by then you might have another five shows we can talk about too. 01:02:55.039 --> 01:02:56.480 Oh god, that's fine. 01:02:56.639 --> 01:02:57.440 I hope not. 01:02:57.679 --> 01:02:59.519 My calendar hopes not. 01:02:59.920 --> 01:03:00.800 But thank you so much. 01:03:00.880 --> 01:03:02.079 It's so much fun to be here. 01:03:02.159 --> 01:03:08.000 And to I'm just like delighted that you are doing this project on this subset of musical theater. 01:03:08.239 --> 01:03:11.280 So it's just like really cool to see to see this podcast growing. 01:03:11.440 --> 01:03:12.000 So yay! 01:03:12.159 --> 01:03:12.480 Thank you. 01:03:12.800 --> 01:03:13.840 Thank you very much. 01:03:17.280 --> 01:03:18.480 And that's it for today. 01:03:18.639 --> 01:03:19.360 Thank you, everybody. 01:03:19.440 --> 01:03:25.119 And in particular, thank you to our guest, Kit Goldstein Grant, and for sharing all of her cool projects with us. 01:03:25.440 --> 01:03:25.760 Yes. 01:03:25.840 --> 01:03:33.280 And if you want more information about Kit and what she's up to, and all that stuff will be in our show notes. 01:03:33.360 --> 01:03:36.400 And you can follow us on all the socials. 01:03:36.639 --> 01:03:42.480 We've got Instagram, TikTok, the other ones, Facebook. 01:03:42.880 --> 01:03:44.320 The other ones. 01:03:45.039 --> 01:03:49.039 We are at Sci-Fi Musicals on the socials. 01:03:49.360 --> 01:03:57.440 And please be think consider becoming a Patron on our Patreon for exclusive content and more. 01:03:57.840 --> 01:04:04.239 And thank you for supporting the podcast and for listening and giving us those five-star ratings and comments. 01:04:04.400 --> 01:04:05.360 We see you. 01:04:05.519 --> 01:04:10.880 And we will be back next time with our episode on spaceships. 01:04:11.360 --> 01:04:12.559 How appropriate. 01:04:12.800 --> 01:04:16.880 Featuring Via Galactica and Earth Girls Are Easy. 01:04:16.960 --> 01:04:21.280 And our guest will be my collaborator, Brianna Harris. 01:04:21.679 --> 01:04:22.320 Yay. 01:04:22.960 --> 01:04:26.159 Make sure to tune in next time, and we'll see you then. 01:04:26.559 --> 01:04:27.519 Thank you, everybody. 01:04:27.679 --> 01:04:28.079 Bye. 01:04:28.320 --> 01:04:28.880 Bye.