Dystopian trash city à la Mad Max/Sin City? Check. Big-pharma corporatocracy? Check. Unnecessary gore? Plenty. Alexa Vega from Spy Kids and Anthony Head from Buffy? Check AND check. Music???? I guess. There’s nothing much to say about this gothic-rock-musical-horror film (thanks Wikipedia), so hold on for dear life as The Broadway Babies try their darndest to wade through the murky waters of “Repo! The Genetic Opera.” Alex and Daisha get tangled up in the plot of this zany gore-fest and just con...
Oct 23, 2019•50 min•Season 7Ep. 9
On the twenty-first day of the month of September in an early year of a decade not too long before our own, the human race suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence... and Alex and Daisha are here to talk about it! Join the Broadway Babies as they continue their Spooky Halloween season with a musical about a mean green mother from outer space: "Little Shop of Horrors." Alex and Daisha watch the 1986 cult classic in all its grungy glory and discuss the sheer craftsmanship of Audr...
Oct 16, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Season 7Ep. 8
“There's a hole in the world like a big black pit who are filled with people who are filled with shit, and the vermin of the world inhabit it.” Aaaand on that note, let’s brood our way into the Halloween season with Alex and Daisha! What better way to start off a fresh new batch up episodes than with a Sondheim musical? Hold on to your jugulars, it’s about to get bloody: The Broadway Babies are reviewing the 1979 recording of "Sweeney Todd"! We're are swinging razors, opinions, and of course, th...
Oct 09, 2019•1 hr 45 min•Season 7Ep. 7
I really, really, really wanna zig-a-zig ahhhh (and a new episode!) As you all know by now, Alex and Daisha make their own rules, so it shouldn’t surprise you that they are doing an episode on the not-really-movie-musical movie based on the greatest girl band of all time: "Spice World"! Join the Broadway Babies as they fan-girl over this hilarious, kooky, British movie about a week-in-the-life of the Spice Girls. With all that said, Alex and Daisha have one question for you: Which Spice Girl are...
Sep 25, 2019•1 hr 41 min•Season 7Ep. 6
The Broadway Babies are dusting off our VHS tapes and pulling out our Lisa Frank gel pens to tackle this iconic production: The Wonderful World of Disney’s “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella”! Starring Brandy “sittin up in her cellar” Norwood, Whitney “I am your actual boss” Houston, and Bernadette “how can I make this power dynamic less problematic” Peters! Join Alex and Daisha as they sift through this fairy tale's long production history, the behind-the-scenes drama and the optics of col...
Sep 18, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Season 7Ep. 5
The devil took the hindmost with this confusing sorta-sequel to everyone's favorite "opera." Join Alex and Daisha as they strap into this carnival ride of a musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Love Never Dies." The Broadway Babies are up to their usual shenanigans with the additional tasks of detangling this confusing plot, comparing the sequel to "Phantom of the Opera," and giving their final verdict on the 2012 Australian production. Is this musical a dud, or does it need one more new production t...
Sep 11, 2019•1 hr 19 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Welcome back, dear friends! This week we're dishing on the 2016 revival of one of the loveliest musicals around the corner, "She Loves Me." Boasting one of the best ensemble casts this side of Hungary, this revival starring podcast fave Laura Benanti and a charming Zachary Levi as sparring coworkers/pen-pal lovers (who don't quite know it yet) is as delicious as sweets from a musical box. So grab a carton of vanilla ice cream and enter the wonderful, ordinary world of Maraczek's Parfumerie. Do c...
Aug 14, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Season 7Ep. 3
Oh, what a little sunlight can do! The Broadway Babies are back from our summer vacation, and we're diving right into the deep end with our next show: Audra McDonald's star turn as doomed jazz singer Billie Holiday in the "musical play" "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill." Originally a Broadway revival in 2014, the show was filmed for a TV movie that aired on HBO in 2016 — and we're here to talk Billie's life story and how its leading lady elevates the play's iffy dialogue and plot. TV movie a...
Aug 07, 2019•50 min•Season 7Ep. 2
OK, lions, now let's get in formation! The Broadway Babies are back from a much-needed summer break to share our thoughts on Disney's latest remake, "The Lion King," which has roared through the box office and left fans of the original divided over the movie's photorealistic yet dulled CGI'd Pridelands, its confusingly changed plot and somewhat questionable vocal talents. Show Notes Moira Kelly (the original voice of Nala) talks about how hard the voice acting experience is Since we do draw a li...
Jul 31, 2019•29 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Back to Paris again, dearest listeners, where we tackle our most special show yet: the original production of Stephen Sondheim's personal opus "Sunday in the Park with George." Filled with color and light and based on French painter Georges Seurat's own influential artwork, this musical has left a major impact on us and many other Broadway babies around the world since its debut in 1984. Put down your pastries and your parasols as we sing the praises of Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin, disc...
Jun 19, 2019•1 hr 44 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Listen...when Stephanie J. Block and Rachel Chavkin finally win their Tonys, you know Pride Month is gonna be OK. And Sunday night's ceremony proved all was right on Broadway, with many Bway vets and capital-I Important productions getting their dues. Let's talk about the highlights, the lowlights and everything in between as the Broadway Babies do their play-by-play of the biggest night on the Great White Way. Show Notes: Billy Porter is the goddess-send we need this Pride, talking about castin...
Jun 12, 2019•44 min•Season 6Ep. 7
Get out your hymn books and habits — for this week's musical service, we're dishing on the joyful noise of Broadway's "Sister Act." The Broadway Babies have lots to say about this screen-to-stage adaptation (our second Whoopi movie!), including its original 1992 film, pond-hopping production history, and star-making turn for Patina Miller, who doesn't quite get enough to do in this show. Featuring a scene-stealing Victoria Clark as the holier-than-thou Mother Superior, "Sister Act" is a rollicki...
May 26, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Welcome to West Covina — only two hours from the beach! With brand new pals and new career, unhappy lawyer Rebecca Bunch makes the biggest move of her life to follow the boy she definitely doesn't love...all with musical numbers! We sit down this week to talk all things crazy on the CW musical-comedy "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's" first episode, "Josh Just Happens to Live Here!" Trigger warning: There is some talk in the beginning about suicide and depression, so please skip ahead to the first musical ...
May 08, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Hey, big spenders! Willkommen to another warm take episode, as the Broadway Babies gab about the first episode of FX's dazzling true-Broadway-story miniseries, "Fosse/Verdon." Starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams as the performing legends, the series promises a look behind the red curtain and features a supporting gallery of Broadway icons — and we're here to dish about all of it. Now let us show you fun, laughs and a good time! Podcast cover art: David Taylor Twitter: @bwaybabies Faceboo...
Apr 24, 2019•30 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, listeners! It's Daisha's turn to pick one of her favorite musicals, and leapin' lizards, she picked the original "Annie" movie musical from 1982! Let's take a trip down Easy Street to Miss Hannigan's Orphanage for Girls and Oliver Warbucks' amazing mansion as we talk shop on the history of the movie, its theatre and comic strip source material and the odd changes made from stage to screen. Film Amazon Prime | iTunes Music "Tomorrow," performed by Aileen Quinn "Har...
Apr 17, 2019•1 hr 19 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Welcome back listeners, as we take a troika ride to the past to 19th century Russia, where everyone's got nine different names in Dave Malloy's take on the Russian literary paperweight "War & Peace." His electropop opera, "Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812," follows the young Natasha fumbling her way into Moscow high society, while there's a war going on out there somewhere ... and what about Pierre? Join us as we try to unpack the story of this ambitious stage adaptation, its incr...
Mar 21, 2019•1 hr 30 min•Season 6Ep. 3
What's new, pussycats? This week we're taking a break from our regularly scheduled programming to talk about "Documentary Now's" episode about the recording of a musical cast album, "Co-op: The Musical." Written by John Mulaney and Seth Meyers, the episode is a loving yet biting sendup of the making of Stephen Sondheim's "Company" cast album in 1970 and shows us the ups and downs of one grueling overnight recording session, with Mulaney as silently demanding genius-savant composer Simon Sawyer (...
Mar 13, 2019•17 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Before you roll your eyes, we are reviewing THE MOVIE, OKAY?!?! Dear listeners, if we are doing a season on musicals we love, Daisha has to include Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years or she will explode. Join Alex and Daisha as they compare the movie with the musical and talk about how movie adaptations can add to a story when visual elements are used tastefully. What do you think about film adaptations of musicals? Let us know in the comments, through email, or via our social media accoun...
Feb 27, 2019•49 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Happy New-ish Year, listeners, and hello, young lovers! After a few weeks away, shall we tell you what we think of one of the most romantic, epic musicals of all time — Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I"? The 2018 West End production starring Queen Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe is something wonderful — and we adore it so much we decided to start a season on musicals we love, to start off 2019 (and Valentine's) with a happy tune. The Broadway Babies will go over the backstage drama that s...
Feb 13, 2019•1 hr 27 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Happy new year, listeners! Christmas bells aren't ringing anymore, but we're here to measure a year in the life of those iconic bohemians, artists and lovers once more with our semi-hot take on last week's "Rent (Not-so-)Live!" We give our thoughts on the backstage drama that affected the production and resulted in the lowest ratings for a live musical yet, reveal what surprising changes we loved, and mispronounce Keala Settle's name repeatedly (yes, we know). Watch the broadcast online here. Po...
Feb 06, 2019•40 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Merry Christmas, fellow filthy Broadway animals! We've moved on from the movie musical into the holidays, and this Irving Berlin musical covers all of them. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, Arbor Day, Labor Day... Let's check into the Broadway adaptation of the classic ’40s movie musical "Holiday Inn," filmed live in 2017 for Broadway HD. This musical has everything: jump rope tapping, firework dancing, and a little Hallmark Channel romance realness. So snuggle up with your apple pie and...
Dec 25, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 11
City of stars...sry I can't see you in this smog. HERE IT IS, FOLKS: the final episode in this DOOZY of a season! We have spent the last few months going through defining movies of each decade, and we are finally to the 2010s. In this episode, Alex and Daisha examine the cinematic and musical tools used from the popular movie musicals of decades past. They also talk about the plot and how some of the holes in the story took away from beauty of the film. After this giant episode, we want to turn ...
Dec 19, 2018•1 hr 18 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Seasons may change, winter to spring, but we love this movie until the end of time! Our movie musical for the week is the overwhelming Baz Luhrmann mélange of major Romantic operas: Moulin Rouge! It’s hard not to love this glitter-covered jukebox musical as it takes us through a rollercoaster of emotions and pop song medleys. Join Alex and Daisha as they discuss how the modernity of the movie works well with the turn of the century setting, the music (of course), and how the movie handles its ma...
Dec 12, 2018•1 hr 19 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Here is a lion! Welcome to Pride Rock, the glamorous, regal, iconic site of this week's movie musical, Disney's epic AF "The Lion King." Featuring a cast of what feels like 50 famous actors, this 90s nostalgia trip is one helluva ride into the Pridelands, as young Simba must face his destiny after his father meets a tragic fate at the paws of his scheming, fabulous uncle Scar. Podcast cover art: David Taylor Twitter: @bwaybabies Facebook: Facebook.com/broadwaybabiespodcast Film (only available f...
Nov 28, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Welcome back, dear listeners! We took a brief hiatus so Alex could get his silly laptop in the shop. So now that we're back, after a brief update on what's happened in the world of Broadway, it's onto the weirdest movie we've watched yet: Jim Henson's "Labyrinth," starring minor-age Jennifer Connelly as a feisty heroine, dozens of dirty-looking puppets, and David Bowie's codpie- we mean, David Bowie! This week, we go all in on the plot of this super-’80s movie that just so happened to be a music...
Nov 14, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Season 5Ep. 7
“Grease” is the word this week, as Alex and Daisha chat about the movie everyone knows and loves, Grease, from 1978! Join the Broadway Babies as they dive into this teen drama that is either loved, or dismissed as problematic. Topics for the week are: performing gender in the film, Grease as satire, viewing a 1978 film with a 2018 lens, and OF COURSE, we chat about Grease’s take on nostalgia. We hope you enjoy! Songs: “Grease,” performed by Frankie Valli* “Greased Lightnin,’” by John Travolta, J...
Oct 03, 2018•58 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Hello Listeners! We are back with a new Movie Musical episode, and it’s about to get WEIRD. This week we are discovering the magic of a musical comprised fully of recitative.....The Umbrellas of Cherbourg! Join us as we butcher the French language, discuss the plot, and if this movie musical worked as a whole without the use of songs. Also, BONUS CHALLENGE for listeners: say “parapluie” five times fast with correct French pronunciation. Let us know in the comments if you succeeded! Music Daniell...
Sep 29, 2018•40 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Music: “I Got Rhythm,” performed by Gene Kelly “Tra-La-La (This Time It’s Really Love),” by Gene Kelly and Oscar Levant “Love is Here to Stay,” by Gene Kelly “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise,” by Georges Guétary “An American in Paris,” danced by Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron Music by Ira Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin Show Notes How “An American in Paris” changed the Hollywood movie musical for good Martin Scorsese’s personal journey through musicals in Hollywood The Broadway production of “An...
Sep 12, 2018•59 min•Season 5Ep. 4
“CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!” went the podcast! And despite all the noise, we are excited to chat with y’all about the heartwarming, fun-filled Classic from 1944; Meet Me in St. Louis! Join us as we dissect this sweet love letter to St. Louis starring Judy Garland. We will be discussing the musical choices as related the the direction of the film, our favorite scenes, and St. Louis’ own little serial killer sweetheart: Tootie. This episode is a load of fun and we are starting to get into the meat and p...
Sep 05, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 3
It’s time to tip your hat and tap your toes to movie musical of the week: Top Hat, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. This is one of nine of their collaborations together and is so fun! Join us as we compare the major advances of this movie to The Broadway Melody, as well as the drama surrounding “the feather dress.” Show us love and let us know what you think about our season so far! Podcast cover art: David Taylor Twitter: @bwaybabies Facebook: Facebook.com/broadwaybabiespodcast Recordin...
Aug 29, 2018•51 min•Season 5Ep. 2
