On the Town

Hello and welcome to Musical Lyrical Lingo. We're your hosts, Tim.

And LJ. Today and every week we will be discussing musicals, but specifically what they taught us.

We're back.

We're back.

We're ready to go again.

We're back. What do we do? What is this?

What do we do? What's my name? What is my name?

Where are we?

I don't know my name. What's my name?

Say my name. Say my name.

No one is around you, T. I also think full disclosure. I think I'm gonna sneeze at some point. Do you know when you oh I really feel it in my nostrils?

You've got a wee fizz, you've got a wee fizz.

My eyes are what I need to say, mate. I'm just getting overly emotional because I'm back with my chum. Talking musicals. It's like therapy. This week I need therapy. It's getting it's all getting a lot. Highlight of my life. Absolutely, Lauren. That's your. That's your love, shine a light. Katrina and the waves. Do you remember?

Well, I remember anyway. We used to rehearse all the old numbers.

That's the first time I ever came across Katrina and the Waves, you know, I think.

Oh, when we did Panto. Yeah.

And I remember loving it and go and I love this song. And then it was like, that's your vision, Tim. And I'm like, Your vision? What's your vision? And now I'm up like a fan.

Um used to be some strange song choices for the numbers and pantos, whether it was the summer panto or the Christmas panto. Yeah. Remember, we had Billy's.

I know, but you don't get that anymore. It's normally just last year's big hit. Do you know what I mean? Like gone are those days of like of really niche choices. I think.

Yeah, I suppose.

You miss it a bit. Do you know what I mean? You're like, oh, that was like last year's like top 10 hit for like 72 weeks. Do you know what I mean? But like back in our day in our day. Um, we're because we're ancient. I feel ancient sometimes between my back and my neck and my ankle and my knee.

Like it's funny because there are some songs, as you've said that now, there's some songs which I only associate with Panther.

Yeah.

And like get on your feet.

Yeah, exactly. And like hello, like that was a very big hit. Yeah. And then another one I remember is we are family.

But that wasn't Panther, that was.

It was. I definitely did it in Panther. I'm almost sure we did it in Panther.

We did that for a big we didn't. That's that's what's on TV. That's us cultural on TV.

Oh no.

That's what that song is.

And you have the video footage of it, and no one's ever gonna see light of day. Don't tell the listeners too much information, or we'll all be going having a look. Um never to be seen ever again. That footage, let me tell you. Oh good times.

I remember, which was always always baffled my mother, the very last song. I'm also doing Beauty and the Beast was um Roy Williams, Let Me Entertain You, but it was the last song. My mum was like, the show's over. Why is that the last song, Let Me Entertain You? That's a entertainment's over.

That's a very weird choice, isn't it?

Anyway.

Good, good times.

We had the best times.

We did indeed. Um boy were we busy back in the day.

I don't know how we did it.

I don't know how we did it either. Although maybe my bodies, our bodies are just feeling it gnawing. Yeah.

So in saying that we're probably not any quieter than we were. Like you're a super busy person, and I'm busy.

Yeah. I was looking at my diary. I'm getting busy again. I'm starting off, starting that again, like around, you know, here we go again.

Here we go again.

Buckle in.

But then when you don't have things on, your body feels weird. I think it's from all the years of burst and shows and stuff.

Yeah.

Strange whenever we sit and go, oh, it's not about it.

So what you're saying is you're better to just keep busy or else you fall apart. Do you know who else is busy? Who? Amber Davies. Oh my goodness! Do you know what? I ha you have to take your hat off to her.

It is, and also as everyone, as every um musical theatre person has to say whenever they are on Strictly, it's a completely different medium. Yeah, it's like going and training an opera and being a musical theatre singer, it's like being a pop star and singing musical theater.

Yeah, but it's night and day, no, yeah.

So I know even because there's a couple of people that I really like, celebrities-wise, um, are in dancing with the stars, so I'm watching that.

Oh, yeah, okay.

Um, but the level is um mean, yeah. No. So actually having people who have a little bit of dance background is needed now because the dances are harder and the audiences are more it's the same whenever you watch season one of Bake Off, didn't all?

Yeah, true. That's very true.

Completely different. So uh shove it up yeah. Oh excuse you, oh awful rude, but I think also that came off the week where Carrie Hook Fisher or Carrie Hook Fisher had just been announced as waitress, and the back like last she was getting was ridiculous.

It is ridiculous what people are saying. Also, another musical theatre, Wendy, who's going to be uh popping up on Strictly this year, is Cynthia Arrivo. Have you heard this? Now, this all sounds a wee bit bizarre and a bit different. Well, different, not bizarre, just different. Apparently, this has never been done before.

Love it.

And she is going to be working with every dance couple in the rehearsal room on their character.

Love it.

For whatever they're portraying for movie week, and then apparently she will sit alongside the judges for that that week's live show.

That's great because that's beautiful, something different. That yeah, that works.

And I just thought that was lovely, and that same week, I think the big like pro dance number is going to be Wicked themed. And surely by the time we get to movie week, like Wicked the movie will like just be around the corner.

It's 50 days until it's out.

I need oxygen.

And that's what I was gonna ask you. Which uh um trailer have you seen? Have you extended or just seen I can't recall.

I maybe extended, but I also didn't finish watching it because I was like, it's giving me too much.

Did you feel like it was it's giving me too much?

I hate that about trailers. Don't show

But musical theatre people are going, you're showing too much. Non-musical theatre people haven't.

Yeah, no, that's true. That is true. And yeah, I think because we know what happens, but I I I but even for myself, I kind of stopped myself from watching the end of it because I was like, already I'm seeing too much. I don't want to see as much of this as this, you know. I want to be surprised. So what you must be super excited though.

Oh my gosh, I'm over the moment. Because I cannot wait. Hurry up, May 2026.

Yeah, so excited for that. Also excited because Smigadoon is getting its run in Broadway in May 26th. April? The 4th of April.

Oh, April, okay.

Beginning in the Netherlander theatre, I think, unless I've got my dates wrong.

It's all happening. I'm gonna have to go to Broadway first. Literally, and then I'm gonna have to you know start off at London.

Yeah, go to London because Beatler Juice is to open in the West End. Finally, we have said its name slightly more than three times, but it's now officially arrived.

It's and it's about time.

A thousand percent, yeah.

I'm so excited.

So, based on Tim Burton's macabre 1988 film, Betelgeuse will open, Good Theatre 2, Prince Ev Prince Edward Theatre, uh, following the closure of MJ. Never really it never kind of like intrigued me. I liked Thriller back in Thriller's days. Um I don't think we needed another Michael Jackson musical. Thriller was I liked it.

I know. I think it'll be extended.

Maybe, yeah. Performances in the West End will begin in May 2026 and tickets go on general seal. Are you ready? The 30th of October.

I'm so excited. Also, did you see any exciting um well you wouldn't have because you're not a big social media person.

No.

Guess who started to follow Death Becomes her and who followed them back? Hannah

Oh, she'd be brilliant. Although like in me, I really want like the two the two Broadway girls to come over and open in London. Yeah. But yeah, but listen, if that can't happen and Hannah has to do it, like I'd be okay with that too.

Also, another thing you said now, um, remember you were like we were talking about our wonderful friend Sarah, yeah. No, two days later. I know they're their contract.

Their contract isn't yeah, but who knows?

Who knows? Fingers crossed. If you want a musical, guys, write in, let us know about it, we'll talk about it, and then producers will we'll talk about it in the podcast.

The producers will listen and go, those two know their stuff. We must do what they tell us. Anyway, on to this week's musical.

Yes, yes, you're okay.

Interesting.

As in, well, okay, I know why you're making that.

Do you?

Yes.

Do you can read my mind? What do you think my thoughts are on this musical?

Well, I think it's everything that you don't like about Ogloma. There's too much ballet.

Okay, interesting.

This is a ballet with music.

Yeah. A ballet with musical music.

Yeah.

Okay. What are we talking about?

On the time.

Yeah, so we're talking about on the time. Um, it do you know what? For many, many, many, many years, it's been one of those musicals that I've just avoided.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, I've just avoided. Um, even like listening to the cast recording, I think I've got so far and then gone on board. I'm bored. Yeah. Uh, but you will be delighted to know that the the things I do for the pod. I have now listened to the cast recording from start to finish. Uh it hasn't made me want to go and see it anymore.

And I think it's the film has a has a place as um it was definitely

Yeah.

Um, but plot-wise and things like that, I'm always like, oh, that's it. That's it.

I mean, yeah, as as plot goes, it's relatively straightforward. However, I think there's probably of the time when it was created and it was out there for the public to digest, it probably it had more. I'm being very handsy today, aren't I, for the people on the video. Um it probably had a more deeper meaning or significance than just the the general plot.

Yeah.

So it was a musical by Leonard Bernstein, another biggie for him, uh, book and lyrics by Betty uh Comden and Adolph Green. I love those names. Uh based on Jerome Robbins' idea for his 1944 ballet Fancy Free, which he had set to Bernstein's music.

That's it. Um, whenever you listen, well, I think the music is beautiful because I think he does a great job and he's always a composer. And a person film, my sister and brother-in-law um really love Bernstein, and they've watched it and said it was great. I had to turn it off.

I think a bit like the show.

Okay.

Too slow. Too slow. Or not enough. Do you know what I mean? It was just a bit now. I haven't watched it. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind for it. Maybe I was looking for something a bit more.

I think some people are are really rave about it and really read him and think that he's wonderful. And to me, this is another one. There's you know, do you know why you can like pigeonhole a couple of musicals?

So but it was because one fed into the other. Yeah, do you know what I mean? So like Robbins had already used this idea of three sailors on leave in a short ballet fancy-free in April 1944, with the music of a 26-year-old Bernstein, fresh from his success as a conductor with the New York Symphony Orchestra.

Yeah.

So they took that and they ran with it. Uh, for the first time, uh so like Robbins followed suit with not one. Now, this is where I think he maybe pushed the boat out a wee bit too far. He didn't just have one dream ballet, he had two.

Yeah.

And then Robbins and Bernstein would then take this integral fusion of dance and music even further in 1957 with West Side Story, as you've said. Do you know what I mean? So I think you can say all you want about Oklahoma, but it started a trend. Do you know what I mean?

No, it's not. Though, in saying that, as I was gonna say, I like American and Paris, and I do feel like the ballet within American Paris is interwoven, is that really?

Yeah, because she is a ballet dancer, isn't she? I think the character is a ballet dancer, so therefore the world of ballet is already within the plot.

Yes, and I think that that works much better rather than it's the same as we know how much I hate the mother coming back to life and Billy. Yeah. Do you know it's like oh it's very jarring? Yeah.

So you're not a big fan of dream. No, I'm you're not a dreamer.

Maybe because I don't dream, like I can never dream.

Yeah.

So maybe I'm doing it. What is this?

But you're not a dreamer, you very much live your life in reality. So when you go to a film or when you go to a show, you're wanting reality, you're not wanting this make-believe, like I can't have visions in one foot.

So it either needs to be completely sci-fi, completely fantasy, or completely realistic. You can't do the mix, the mix of see.

I know you so well.

Yeah, I didn't think I ever uh put that together.

I came in tonight and Lauren went, um, we always have a quick chat before we get going about non-musical related things. And you went, thank you, that's that's like my therapy session. I was like, Well, glad I could help.

Thank you, Lauren.

Not at all. It was a young team though, wasn't it? These guys, and I think they had all the necessary enthusiasm and talent that they needed, or but they needed like an older, more experienced kind of soul and hand to guide them. And that's where George Abbott, a man twice their age and a seasoned writer, producer, and director, was brought in to direct.

Yes.

Uh the characters try to escape the grim reality of war to enjoy themselves and let go, if only for a day. And I thought that was quite interesting that

Yes, but I also think that he by doing that he created the longevity of the musical.

Yeah, I think you're probably right.

Because at the then it's just three sailors who it's timeless, yeah. So then you can't, even though it's obviously set around it, it can just be, you know, three things getting off for for turning. Also, as we know, arts is used as a form of escapism.

And what I also like about On the Town is it did highlight the difference the war made to American women. Yes. And more, you know, more than two million of them joined the workforce, often doing jobs that men had to do before because they had all gone off to fight in the war.

Because obviously that was, you know, it was the war, it was um Japan in invading America with the whole Pearl Harbor, is why Americans enjoyed the war.

So this is But like how brave, like how brave, and like, yeah, we're doing this, we are going to address these issues. There were six black artists in the cast of 46 who mingled with their white colleagues on stage, something that was unheard of at the time.

Yeah, no, and I

Yes, I was yes, Bernstein. Now, the bits I did watch of the film, he was a hothead. Bernstein was a fiery, fairy individual. I can't imagine how that went down when uh who who was it?

Yeah, was it he Gene Cally co-directed it?

Okay, and was it him that that pulled the MGM Studios? Yes. I was I couldn't remember the studio. So uh Louis B. Mayor, the head of MGM Studios, found the music too demanding and considered the stage version to be vulgar in places. So they ripped most of the the songs out.

Yeah, yeah. So the film did star Jean Kelly, as I mentioned, Frank's an actor Jules Munchin, and Miller Fair Ellen and Betty Agart. Yeah. Um, it did then have a West End production in 1963, there was a Broadway revival in 71 and in 1998. The English National Opera did one in 2007, and then the Broadway revived it in 2014.

So and that was that 2017 that was Regent Park with Drew McConey, who is up there with one of the the best choreographers that we have at the moment. Yeah, so I would probably have gone to see that just to see his choreographer.

Even though most people will have heard of On the Town or people of a certain generation, it hasn't had very many revivals or haven't had very many productions.

It's best known because it introduced several of those popular classic songs, yeah, isn't it?

That's it, and also the time that it came out, um, what

Do you know one of the funnest movie facts I I learned when I was researching was that the film censors got involved and insisted on changing the word hell of a town that comes at the end of one of those classic songs. We were talking about New York, New York, it's a hell of a town.

Hell of a hell of a town, literally such a bad word. Yeah, so strange, but I suppose like things are different, you know. But yeah, hell of a doesn't really seem like that bad a word, anyway. No, it did, but on the town is an example of perfect time.

Lovely.

And things that we've mentioned before about the fact that it the the war wasn't really mentioned. This is another reason why people people did go and the 1949 film it premiered in Reader City Music Hall, and the line to get in was the largest in the theatre's history. Oh, nice, it's not really at the time. Um the film was the second largest grossing MGM film.

Oh, that is what and we need to do that next is it's an Easter one, is it?

No Christmas.

Christmas. Oh, you might see that this Christmas time.

Um the profit for that film was 474,000, which would be 5.6 million today.

That's insane.

And it was the very first musical to be shot on location.

Oh, I didn't know that. That's cool. Yeah, oh, in New York. New York, it's a hell of a town.

That is a great song.

It is great.

It is there's some really, really good songs.

Yeah, no, that's true. And I um again, give it having given it as fair go this time and listening through, I agree, like I definitely enjoy it. What did you learn from it then?

Well, he's the lyrical angle. It always taught me that the Bronx is up and the batteries down.

Bronx is up and the batteries down, me too. I didn't well, I knew what the Bronx was, and it's situated in the north, which is up. I didn't know what the battery was. And I was referring to Battery Park.

Battery Park, sorry. Yeah, yeah.

Uh and it's the southernmost of Manhattan, you see, which is down. You see, I haven't done a America enough. Like I've done New York a couple of times, but I haven't like ventured that far out past Times Square. Do you know what I mean?

Okay.

So really hotel room. Yeah. That's my hotel room or a Broadway theatre. That is my experiences of New York.

And the Christmas tree. And the Rockefeller Christmas tree.

Yeah.

Where you stood and watched ice skating because you were like, I'm not getting on that.

Absolutely not. That's right. We were in New York, New York at the same time. Yeah, I know. Good times. Good times. Not together, but it was lovely to meet up. I know.

It was lovely.

It was lovely.

Yeah, so that's what I learned in New York, New York. And then carried away, it says, um, I'm a sucker for a bargain sale. If something is marked down upon a shelf, my sense of what is practical begins to feel. I buy one, then another, another, then another. I buy the whole store out and I'm business for myself.

Lauren, that's you. It's like you wrote that song.

I learned that I must have been around in 1944.

Like that is literally you.

I love a bargain. I love a bargain. I see a yellow sticker to go, oh my gosh, yes, Marzipan, I need that.

And then walk up Marzipan's good, though. And then you walk out the the shop and you've spent an absolute bloom of fortune.

Yeah.

Yeah. That is.

Oh, but at least you know, at least you know.

But I was like, I need to get that tattooed.

That's for my that that is so as you were as you were reading that out, I was like, oh my goodness, it's Lauren. It's literally her.

Like I have um on many occasions, as I'm sure you are well aware, like I've gone to like IKEA and gone, oh I I I needed that light that shines, you know, images in the front of my house. And I am married 15 years this October, and I have not used it once.

Oh, but you'll use it this year because you're in your lovely new house, and like that, you've got a lovely big, tall front there.

She can imagine Aaron really wanting me to like display images on our front wall.

Like we we we you could do it like so it looks like it's snowing or something. That'd be lovely.

I could, yeah.

Well, I will move on quickly from your like spending spree habits. I love that. That is so you. Oh, bless you. Um come up to my place, which we were talking about earlier. That's a song about who is it again? Um the girl. Yes, me too.

Um is it Hilda? Hilda Hildi.

Hilde. Yeah, who's the cab driver? Isn't that right? Yeah, so she this is the number where she isn't it, Aussie. I think she's got in in the back of the corner. He's like, he keeps saying, take me to. So this is a like where's where in New York. So uh he's saying, if she should ever hit New York, be sure to see the Hippodrome.

I don't know, it's got the same.

Or a full or a full circus with elephants and horses. I've worked with horses, not elephants. Uh it was the site of one of Harry Houdini's most famous performances, The Vanishing Elephant, in 1918. Yeah. But in 1939 the Hippodrome was torn down. Do you know what it is now? This like site of such theatrical significance and such elegance and history.

Yeah.

Office buildings.

Oh, of course it is.

That makes me sick.

Of course it could be worse, could be in a car park.

That's true. He also sings about Forest Theatre, which was the Eugene O'Neill Theatre that we've talked about on the podcast many times before. He then also sings about some tickets tickets for Tobacco Road. I thought Tobacco Road was uh just another road. It was actually the longest-running play in history at the time.

Very good.

And the first performance was in 1933 and it ran on Broadway for a total of You Ready for This? 3,182 performances.

Gosh.

It ended in May 1941, and uh on the town's character, Chip would have just missed its closing.

No, I haven't cleared.

Go on.

Scotland.

Laura. Honestly. Paris in London. And you would know them. There's definitely, I think the one in London is along the embankment, along the river. Oh, okay. I'm almost sure. Okay. So there you go. I I love that we come up to my place. I just love that she was so forceful. Or go back to your place or come up to my place.

Because she's about to get fired, or she is fired, I think. So she's she's like one more ride, and she sort of says to the people, um, not you, not you, definitely not you. And then he walks along, she goes, I'll have you.

Yeah, love it.

Um, and I can cook too. I can cook too.

I didn't really know this song. Oh, right. Although it was one of those ones that is is a takeaway from the show. But yeah, I love it now. I had to listen to it three times.

I'm a man's ideal of a perfect meal, right down to the demitas. Is that how you say it?

Demi-tass, yes. Demi-tass. Yeah.

Um, which is a small cup of black coffee, about 60 to 90 milliliters.

Yeah.

So is that like less than an espresso then?

Uh yeah, it's like an espresso or espresso. Uh it's like a common way to finish a meal. My dad would have been like that back in the day.

But I think it's all also has to be in those wee small sauce.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It has to be in the cup and saucer.

That's right, yeah. We small cup.

So yeah, there you go. Um, it's important. It's very important.

Is that what you said? Is that what she learned?

No, that's what I said.

What did you learn from this this number? Cooking. It's very important.

It is important. It's a really important skill to have. See, for somebody me who does all the meals in the house, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. Because my husband cannot cook.

He's not here to defend himself.

He won't cook. Learning how to cook.

But you're not teaching. He couldn't be bothered. Okay.

He sees no interest, he has no joy in eating food or preparing food.

Really? Yeah. You see, whereas and I think it's a thing that's come with age with me. Oh, here we are. It's no longer a musical theatre podcast. It's like cooking with Tim and LJ. Um, here that's the good we side. I don't have time. We don't have time. Um, I love cooking now, as I like like, you know, with like leisure and like escape.

But I think I have realized over the years, I like, and I I really I don't say things like this often. I'm really good in the kitchen.

Yeah.

And I, to me, because I'm good at it, I'm like, okay, well, most people should be able to do this because I can't go to a cupboard and go, okay, we've got three things here, da, I make something. Well, Aaron just sees ingredients and doesn't can't put it all together. So that part stresses him out.

I don't know if I'm I'm at that stage either, though. So it's I need a wee recipe, like what didn't I'm gonna I'm gonna cook this tonight. What do I need?

Right, okay.

I don't think I I still don't think I could open a cupboard and go, okay, I'll mock up this.

Okay. You see, I'm I'm quite good at that as well because my son has celiac disease. Yeah. So I have to adapt meals all the time. Yeah. So I think I've just got really really good with that over the last couple of years. But um also having one child who doesn't have celiac disease but is the fussiest eater is really hard. So then you're going to do this.

So I just assume it's well, you have to be really good then.

Yeah, I have to just make sure that everybody is satisfied. And then some nights I just throw the head up and go, everybody's eating it. Everybody's just eating what is on the face.

Just right. That's the only way you can do it. Maybe not your son must say next. No, no, no, no. I want to make sure that he's like kids.

Or I'm not going to be able to do that.

They phone, you know, they phone like social services. Um in I Cook too. I there were a few other lines that I thought, oh, I that's interesting. They say he sings I sh it's her Hilda. Uh Hilde? It's Hilda. Hilde, yeah. She sings, I'm a brand new note on a table de hut. Um French phrase that literally means the host's table.

Yeah, what is that?

Yeah, so the US Navy awards the battle efficien Oh, this is hard. Effectiveness award. Oh. Or the battle E, formerly known as the Battle Efficiency Award, to ships and other units that win their battle effectiveness competition.

That sounds a bit random.

Yeah.

She sings step up to my sh uh smorgas board.

Yeah, I love a smorgasbord.

I don't know what that is.

You do!

Well, it's uh well I know because I wrote it down, but I didn't know. Uh a range of open sandwiches and delicacies served as hordeaux. Yeah, so or a buffet.

A bit like a shakerie board where everything's just a schmorgish board? Yes, but it's a little so no way sandwiches though. But that's what's going on. So your shakuterie board will have meats and cheeses and like all of those types of things, while your schmorge board will have a more of a range of stuff.

How'd you say that?

Schmorger board. Um it'll have, like I said, sandwiches and maybe have some hot food, cold food. It's just like Picky tea.

Yes, very good, and then the last line in uh that song that I thought, oh, interesting. Oh, I'm a pate, a marion glace. Yep, uh, a dish you wish she had took, and what's more, baby I can cock. It's a great song. Uh a maron glass, candy chestnut.

Candy chestnut? Oh, never had that one.

There you go. Don't know if I'm interested in a candy chestnut. Oh is that are those those chestnuts that are covered in those that like that crunchy, like sweet coat like covered? It's just they're disgusting. And you would see that back in the day, you would have seen them.

Yeah.

But back in the day there would have been these cover like sweet covered chestnuts.

No, are you thinking of sugared almonds?

That's what I'm thinking of.

Oh, they're gross. Do you remember they're disgusting, right?

That's not a candy, that's not a maroon glass thing. No. Okay.

No.

I'll have to google.

Well, chestnut is like what you get at Christmas, you know, like chestnuts.

Running on the open.

But I don't know what that is. So I'm assuming.

Will it not be just the same? Only it's a different nut. It's not an almond, it's a chestnut.

Like your glass A cherries, which are very sweet, which we put into fifteenths.

You made some fifteen recently.

Um anyway. Anything else? Subway right, it says pilasters, coins, and piers. I probably didn't say that right, and spirandles and columns.

Lauren, I've missed your pronunciation so much.

These are um nobody knows what they are. If my cousin listens to this, he's studying to be an architect. Architectural elements used to add visual interest. So they're literally describing all the things in the subway. Like, oh, there's a pillar, and this is a column, and this is but I I I think there was lots more, and then I got bored.

In architecture, an architecture. Don't tell your cousin.

Um hyper aesthesis.

Uh-huh.

Okay, which is an abnormal and extreme heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli, mostly commonly affecting pain, touch, or temperature.

And was that in the same number there? Oh, interesting. Very good.

That is all my thing.

Yeah, the only last thing that I thought, and I went a bit deep, uh, was some other time is a beautiful, beautiful song. And you know, we were talking about you know, when they brought on um Abbott, yes, you know, to direct how he had kind of removed the overt references to the ongoing war.

Yeah, and I suppose as well anybody who's in um a career of a service like that, you know, the pressure of time, urgent and genuine connection is felt through this musical. Um, and also you may find love when you least expect it.

I love that. It's so good, and especially when you think of when this when this musical was was produced, like it it's amazing that that's what they you know the message they were putting out there. What were your standing nose?

I can cook.

Yeah, I can cook too was mine. Uh also you said it before. New York, New York, it's just such a it's a classic, isn't it? It's a classic, isn't it? And I do love the beginning of it musically. You know, there was like trombos, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum. Like I love that bit. I also, it was a surprise to me.

Comedian.

Yeah, it's a great number. Yeah.

Very good. Yeah, that was.

I mean, for a musical that I'm a bit meh over, it it it's I think the history of it's interesting. It it intrigued me more than the musical itself. Do you know what I mean?

I think that's why you can kind of see why it still has its place. Yeah. You know, it's not one that has kind of just fallen away.

Would I choose to go and see it?

That's what I was gonna say. Probably not. Would it maybe make a good um, you know, say you had to put on something within teenagers or whatever on a shortened version or a couple of numbers here and there? Might be quite good to do.

No, it's got dream ballets, that's my idea of how you don't have to put the dream ballets in. You can't not do on the time without the dream. Most of the shows are bloody dream ballets. There's two.

Can you reimagine it without the ballets?

Right, interesting.

Don't you reimagine Oklahoma without the ballet? See, it can be done.

Well, yeah, well.

See it can be done.

I did do the ballet, I just shortened it to really cut the the tripe out of it.

There, then shorten the ballets by non-existing them.

You're a gay. Anyway.

Anyway, what would Patty do this being?

Oh, okay. I don't know.

Would Patty um be Frankie Valley in Jersey Boys or the lead in Starlight Express?

That's a really easy one for me this week, but I also it it causes great problems.

Yeah.

It would definitely be the lead for Starlight Express because I can't stand the Jersey Boys. However, I can't roller skate, nor do I think I'd be very good. As you as you referred to it, you minch, you know what you're doing.

Yeah, well, that's what I thought. But also, maybe in fairness, also Frankie Valley's like numbers might be a wee bit too high for you.

Yeah, me.

Strangled cat. But you know, I do feel sorry for those meeting videos.

We won't you come home to I'll be the one. Come why don't you come off? Come on.

I think you've you've done your edition.

In fact, I could be all four of the seasons.

Like for Grease 2. I'll be your girl. Four of seasons.

I love Have we done Grease 2 yet? We have to. I know it hasn't really made it. We've got Co-Rider, but that's not really being made into a music.

We can kind of get away with it because it kind of does have co-rider.

Stuff that I want to talk about, Grease 2. It's so much fun. Let's do it. Um yeah, no, I might go and start practicing a skate. Could you imagine?

I mean, people do take up things when they're 40th year, so maybe this is skating.

I think somehow roller skating's not going to be one. Like I put my neck out by drying my back. Can you imagine? Could you imagine what I would do to my body if I took up roller skating?

Oh.

You totally threw me under a bus with that one this week. You may watch yourself. I'm coming for you.

Okay.

I'll maybe see you next week. Lauren might not be so lucky. Tune in. See if she's see if she's still here or if I replaced her. Uh until next week. Bye. Bye.