It was an auspicious start for a burgeoning new possibility the original musical as podcast.
That was just the overture for this new format.
Broadway breakoutsHailey KilgoreandAli Strokerheadline the prom-focusedLoveville High,now seeking a wider audience on the burgeoningBroadway Podcast online grid.
But just what is the musical podcast?
Is it a concept album, a laJesus Christ Superstar,cut into bite-sized pieces?
A glorified take on a cast recording, or something entirely its own?
And what does it mean for musical theater at large?
The answer starts with the accessibility factor of cast albums and the possibilities explode from there.
“Cast albums are like podcasts in a way,” saysIn Strange Woods’co-creator Brett Ryback.
“They are stories that we hear.
We put together what’s happening onstage based on the recording of the songs and a couple of lines.
Even if you’ve never seen the show, you envision it in your brain.”
Shippen takes it a step further, crediting the global success of theHamiltoncast album for the musical-as-podcast format.
“We’re bringing Broadway from the stage to your pocket,” Seales tells EW.
“We’re giving it to the on-demand generation.”
But it’s also about increasing access for creators, not just audiences.
Podcasts are a rising source for intellectual property.
Hit audio series provide fodder for buzzy TV shows likeHomecomingandDirty John,and films like theAwkwafina-starrerThe Farewell.
“Creating a Broadway show is tremendously challenging.
It takes a long time.
“People who love theater, not just people on Broadway, can practice their art.
We have more power than ever before to tell musical stories in different mediums.”
“It’s a democratic way of developing pieces of creating standalone audio art.
When you have something like this, they can easily listen.”
It’s a boon for talent too.
Loveville Highwriter and lyricist David Zellnik also revels in the freedom this grants creators from developmental hell.
“You’re working without a net,” he details.
“You go a lot more with your first instincts.
The danger with development is you’re going to get an endless litany of good ideas.
Trying to integrate them all, sometimes the work can get lost.
When you write a show, you write a blueprint.
But when you write a movie or a TV show or a podcast, you write the product.”
Winter and Ryback both liken the process more akin to writing for film or television than the stage.
“When you’re writing for the stage, you’re not really thinking visually.
Material plays, musicals they’re very language heavy.
“Because it’s audio, you have to help the listener to create a picture.”
In many ways, that prompts new forms of storytelling, particularly exploring the artistic possibilities of sound effects.
“You’re totally immersed in this world you’re listening to,” notes Seales.
“You’re dealing with adding sound effects and a new platform for Foley artists.
Intimacy is also essential.
It’s limiting, but in a way that necessitates invention.
“You might not be watching it in one sitting,” explains Berinstein.
36 Questionsco-creator Chris Littler likens the storytelling process to more of a “novelistic” approach.
“you’re free to’t get away with relying on spectacle.
It’s a peculiar blend of freedom and restraint.
Musical theater will be the better for it.”
“This is an opportunity to expand the concept of what musical stories can be,” proclaims Ryback.
As Winter astutely notes, “Musicals are a format, not a genre.”
“I would love for podcasts to become part of the musical theater canon,” she muses.
Those are both complete experiences.”
No revivals or anniversary concerts necessary.
A prospect that’s music to our ears.
