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 .
I'm just thinking we should have spelt our names out today . We didn't think .
No L-A-U-R-E-M , Lauren .
T-i-m Tim . Can I have that in a sentence ? T-i-m Tim Can I have that in a sentence ? Tim has signed his contract and is going to be a movie star .
Are you ?
Also Paddington , it's not going to happen . No , no , too many other commitments . Too many other commitments . Also , they were offering me alternate . I'm not an alternate , oh , however , right Hands off , you know . Hats off to the alternates out there . Yeah , but you know , if you're going to be in a movie , you know .
Well , that's a music movie , Music movie .
No , but if I'm going to be in the Mary Poppins movie , oh right , anyway , moving , you know , anyway , moving on really quickly , two , only two , bits of musical theatre news . Very sad , because Maz Murray has set her final performance date in West End's Mamma Mia at the Novello Theatre , and she will be finishing in it on the 4th of October .
Now , murray has led the West End company since 2019 as Donna . However , previously having played Tanya from 2015 to 2017 , she has been in that show since 2015 yeah , that's massive , we were talking about Rafiki last week to 2017 . She has been in that show since 2015 .
Yeah .
That's massive . Yeah , we were talking about Rafiki last week and now we're talking about Maz Murray . I wonder what she's got to go into .
Oh listen , it will be so interesting because she's done a few wee bits and pieces whilst contracted to Mamma Mia , like she did do , like a Sunset Boulevard concert , like she did do like a sunset boulevard concert , like she's .
Her voice is rocking .
I think she's class , so I'm intrigued yeah , what she's doing yeah do you think she's come out of it because there is something there that she's like , or is she just I'm hopeful that that's the reason why right , that's just lovely . They're just popping out of me there .
Thanks , I'm hopeful that there's something .
Okay , yeah , yeah , yeah .
There's so many rumours as well about what is coming to the West End .
What ? What have you heard ? I haven't heard , you haven't heard what Well Beetlejuice . Okay , yeah , Beetlejuice . Nah , I don't see anything in Beetlejuice for you .
I don't see anything but Death Becomes .
but death becomes her . Is there talk of death becomes her coming to the west end this early , this soon ? I can't , I'm going to wet myself yeah , it's all still she'd be brilliant and death becomes her . I so want to like I am . That's my new , that's my new , I know . That's my new thing . I like . I've listened to it .
I think about 20 times yeah so that was rude that that was pretty , so I'm hopeful that she's going to go and do something and do something really yeah , like that , really special , special , talking of special .
I haven Talking of special . I haven't heard of this before , but Samantha Barks is embarking on a cathedral tour . Yes , it just sounds beautiful . It's promising an intimate candlelit affair touring cathedrals across the UK . She's the first musical theatre star to do a cathedral tour . So the Lit by Candlelight .
The concerts will take place throughout November , visiting Litchfield , chester , portsmouth , carlisle , lincoln , lundaff and Durham . Now , if you're talking about Cathedral Tour , yeah , we have beautiful cathedrals , yeah , over here .
I know so .
I mean just get on the ferry and come over exactly , it's not that far .
Come on , just get on a plane . I mean either way , yeah do you know what ?
we'll go across and get you and bring you over perfect , we'll pick .
Do you know what We'll go across ?
and get you and bring you over . Perfect , we'll piggyback you . It sounds beautiful , though , doesn't it ? And so different . How lovely . What a different thing to do I think that sounds really nice .
Another thing I have . I haven't actually suggested it to you . Do you know I'm live on the pod , do you hear ?
The people sing . No , I never want to hear that song again .
That the Devil Wears Prada soundtrack is being released . Yes , but it's not out yet .
Yes .
So I was thinking on our you know podcast , we'll mix up a wee bit . Do you want to do like a live listen or do you want to do an episode where we listen to the musical of Devil Wears Prada ?
Oh yeah , let's do it , because I'm so intrigued by that musical too . Do you know what I'll have to do , though ? I'll have to watch the film first .
Have you not seen the film ?
No , oh my gosh , if it's a cult film , I haven't seen it , let's just go with that .
Haven't seen it . I worry about you .
Let's just go with that to be fair to myself , as I was growing up as a wee , a wee buck like I didn't really watch very many films like I did , because you were watching the same thing on repeat 20 times .
Do you know ?
what it was . I didn't even watch films yeah like , unless it was Grace yeah . I was just like singing along to like musicals .
I know , I know I'm watching like hey , mr Producer , and yeah . Like , yeah , listening to , do you know what I mean ?
Like I didn't , you know , I didn't go to the cinema to see films and stuff like that . It sounds like it was locked away , but I mean it wasn't , but I was having a merry old time , but just not watching cult films Anyway yes , let's do it .
We'll have a live lesson . Let's listen because , yeah , I think that this is going to be . I think people are really starting to like love , love , love it .
Yeah .
And the fact that they did this whole big like social media thing , about get Ellen on the film . If you haven't seen the film , you'll not have understood that any of this no , I haven't seen any of what you're talking about .
To be quite honest with you , watch the film , okay , no , I will watch the film . I also love that . It's kind of grown legs that show , because it was in for a limited time and then it's just been extended and extended and extended , and fair dues to her Vanessa Williams is extending each time with it , do you know , which I just think is lovely .
You know , she wasn't over for a short stint or she was originally , because that's what she'll have been contracted for , you know . And she's like no , I'm not going anywhere .
I'm staying here . That's what I mean . I'm really excited about that musical because I feel like it's growing .
Yeah .
And there's a lot of love for it . A lot of love , a lot of love . So I feel like we should listen to the soundtrack .
Perfect , we'll do it . Cast recording . Cast recording , Right . What are we going to listen to this week , then ?
The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling .
Bee Well done .
Thank you , that was a nice one .
Yeah , I yes the 25th annual . It's easier if you sing it . De-spelling bee Okay .
Okay . So , set in a high school gymnasium , right , six middle school age spellers compete in a spelling bee , each a little misfit . Their songs give insight into their lives , though in their six middle school spellers there's actually 12 people on stage .
Yes , so this was one of the things that I learned about it . So the 25th annual I'm just going to call it 25th annual because to say , oh , just call it Spelling Bee . So the I have to give it to this full account the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee . It's charmed audiences with its like effortless wit and humour .
Charmed audiences with its like effortless wit and humour , featuring a fast paced , wildly funny and touching book by Rachel Shinkin , I think Shinkin , and a lovely , truly fresh and vibrant score by William Finn . I think this is an unforgettable experience , to be honest .
But what I didn't realize was it was that the spelling B was originally like took inspiration from Rebecca Fieldman's improvisational play .
Yes , Crepuscularly C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E .
Okay , spelled out like that yeah , and in keeping with that improvisational , the improvisational roots , the show invites four audience members on stage to compete in the B during each performance , notably guests and spellers . Included the former presidential candidate Al Sharpton , and Julie Andrews Did you know that ? And her daughter .
And during a kid's night on Broadway in 2007 , film and stage star Julie Andrews , as guest speller , fittingly was eliminated when she misspelt . What word ?
what supercalifragilisticexpialidocious no way , that's hilarious yeah so , like fun , like this is such fun , like I just think this musical is fun , fun , fun , fun , fun with heart , like , oh yeah , and there's such beautiful heart .
Yeah , I've only seen it live once and I went and I you know when you go and you don't know what you're going to see , and you were . I was absolutely enamored by it , to the point I went away , listened to the soundtrack and it's not a musical .
I think I ever would have thought of listening before having seen it and I would say I'm slightly obsessed by it .
And doing the pod and doing this episode , it meant I had to revisit it and I think , in in preparation for this , I have listened to it like five times , from start to finish , five times once , even at the gym , whilst on I cross , trained my whole way through this album .
Go you .
I was single on two . They were looking at me but I went . When I'm good and I'm on a cross trainer and I look this good in a cross trainer you can look all you want . I love it . I love it . At the 25th annual . The arms and legs are going like mud . I'm not that smart people have been telling me that for years . Can't you see it ?
that is so funny . Who is a CCTV ? I can access all of them the spellers are eliminated one by one and they are comforted by a comfort counsellor . I think comforted by a comfort counsellor .
I think we all need a comfort counsellor .
To be fair , well , yeah , I just saw some hog .
I'd be happy with that have a wee drink of juice and a wee hug and you'll be fine yeah , and then there's sometimes in some productions they will have a comedian be the announcer .
Yeah , who will , then you know . Can you put that in a sentence please ? Yeah , so I think a lot of the productions . It's not very rigid , so you can play about with it a lot .
Yeah .
Get the license for it , you can maybe change a few things .
Yeah .
Maybe make it more comedy trip-esque rather than directly musical theatre .
Yeah , no listen it's supposed to be fun . Do you know what I mean ? Like you , totally get that from even listening to it . Go ahead .
I just love the fact as well . Almost every show is going to be unique , then , because you're going to have different people up , and I think that's fair .
And that whole idea of playing on who you've got . Do you know what I mean ? If you get a real character up , then all those other actors can like really lean into that . Do you know what I mean ? And have a bit of fun .
Yeah , the musical opened off Broadway at the Second Stage Theatre on January 2005 and then premiered on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre Great name I love the name of some American theatres , Like they're brilliant In April 2005 . So didn't take long to move from off to on Broadway .
It closed in January 2008 after a really impressive 1,136 performances Like the spelling bee .
In January 2008 , after a really impressive 1136 performances like the spelling B was on Broadway longer than Legally Blonde that we talked about last week like you know , like it's so , so strange , I'm like you said , because it does have a lot of heart , this musical too , and I think that that does come down to William Finn and his .
He's also known for Falsettos , falsetto Land , but also the Brave Little Toaster . Do you remember that ? No , that little cartoon .
No , oh my gosh , why ? What is the Brave Little Toaster you live ?
under a rock .
I'm sorry . Where can I see the Brave ? Is it on YouTube ? Oh , I'm sorry . Where can I see the break ? Is it on YouTube ?
Oh , I'm sure it's on YouTube now .
Right , okay .
Yeah .
I am so Googling that data .
Yeah , so it does have an awful lot of art and I think that's where people , that's where I lapsed it .
Yeah , yeah .
He also had these big star names in it . Yeah , jesse Tyler had these big star names in it . Yeah , jesse Tyler Ferguson is so good in that role . Yeah , so so good .
What role does he play as a lead when I'm not smart ? Yeah , yeah , yeah yeah .
And yeah , it's just , it's a lovely musical , but yeah , absolutely bonkers , yeah , whenever you think about it , but I love it .
It won several awards , including 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance and that kind of like leans into what we've been talking about there , like that idea of like using the audience members and working together and always being different and having to work together as an ensemble .
I love there's loads because it's a big one in the Hampton Road I love . On YouTube you can watch , like you know , william Harvard School in Chicago and put it on . You can put all these like little primary schools or secondary schools or high schools in America , put them on .
Like you can put all these like little primary schools or secondary schools or high schools in America , putting them on , and then they've got somebody participating and the cast are lifting them up and they're pulling them down and it's do you know what I mean ?
this is so much fun it's just fun it's fun people on stage having fun it's what it's about people who it's , what it's about ? People who didn't realise that they were on stage thought that was the experience .
Yeah , it also won two Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Featured Actor for Dan Fogler . It got six nominations in total at the Tonys that year . The first production outside of the US was at the Melbourne Theatre Company in Australia in January 2006 . And the musical didn't in Australia in January 2006 .
And the musical didn't make its West End debut until it premiered in the Donmar Warehouse in February 2011 . Interestingly , directed by Jamie Lloyd . Yeah , yeah . We didn't even know who he was back then Now look at him .
I'm so surprised that it only lasted February to April . But then I'm thinking we don't have spelling bees .
I also don't . Yes , we don't have spelling bees , because that's actually my first musical lyrical lingo , but we also don't have that type of humour . I don't think .
Yes , yeah , true , true it is .
I think it's very American it is . Laughs , I think it's very American . Laughs , yeah , I think .
Yeah , because I originally had missed that it was in the Donner . Okay .
I was like . Has it had a UK ?
Yeah , it has a hat and then I was like , oh , that was the UK . No , there was a laugh . It's coming back . I think this in November for a very limited run in Broadway . Oh , is that ? And it was in 2024 . There was a very limited run and it featured like Bernie , no Beanie , he was in Funny . Girl , funny Girl , yes , and your man from Glee .
Dan Critt . Chris Matthew Morrison , no .
He's just been in the pros , chris Coughler .
No oh .
He was already in the wheelchair .
Oh yes , kevin , Kevin McCall . Yeah , no , not Kevin McCall .
That's from the task .
Kevin McCall .
Yes , okay .
There we go .
Anyway , so yeah , anyway .
So there's definitely a bit of a buzz about it and you know there is also a buzz because in April 2021 , a Disney film adaptation was announced to be in the works . And funny , I was only before we agreed to do this musical .
Like a couple of weeks ago I was reading an article about the movie musicals that are in the works or are still , you know in the process , in the process or , like you know , basically movie musicals you could see yes okay , coming soon . and Spelling Bee was still on that list . Oh , is it still ? It's still on that list ? Oh , is it still ?
It's still on the list ?
yeah , hang on that's four years ago in the Royal Theatre . That's pretty much , or I don't know , maybe that's pretty much 20 years ago .
No well , it's still on the list , as was obviously the remake of Mary Poppins , starring yours truly .
Yes .
Anyway , back to Spelling Bee . You shouldn't have started that . You have created a monster . Lauren , the Broadway cast recording which I love , was also nominated for a Grammy Award . There we go it was .
I am going to say that if you have never listened to this musical before , it's another one of my Joe's Top Tips Listen to it again . So , you need to listen to it more than once to understand it , because it's very fast as well with all those like eliminations , like first person .
There may be like 30 seconds , but you're if you don't know what the music was about , you're like what is going on , so it'll teach you .
Maybe about tier three so listen to our podcast and then go and listen to the cast recording .
Yeah , and it also takes you a wee while to get if you haven't heard his style of songs before . Yeah , I think it takes you a wee minute just because they're not always on the beat . Would that be fair ?
yeah , yeah , yeah . No , they're very , and sometimes they're clashy in a way . Yeah , but I think , dramatically , they have to be clashy , don't they ? Yeah , listen , they have to be classy , don't they ? Yeah , listen I adore it . I absolutely adore it . There's some really great songs that we would have students would sing in their exams .
And do you know what I love ? Because , obviously , around all the improvisational stuff that's going on , with the audience members being part of it and everything like that . You then have these six main spellers and each of their songs is completely different , like different styles , sounds different , but every single song . You can understand that character .
Character , yeah , perfectly . Yeah . Do you know what I mean ? Like , perfectly , like , yeah , that's great yeah , really brilliant so MLS yeah , so my musical lyrical lingo ? obviously spelling bees . As you said , we don't have them .
These spelling competitions where competitors are asked to spell a broad selection of words with a varying degree of difficulty now , historically the word bee has been used are asked to spell a broad selection of words with a varying degree of difficulty .
Now , historically , the word bee has been used to describe a get-together or a communal work , which also makes sense . Yeah , so earliestly or earliestly , not even a word . The earliest known evidence of the phrase spelling bee in print dates back to 1850 .
Wow , yeah , I didn't think that old either , although the earlier name spelling match has been traced way back to 1808 . Whoa , yeah . So the key impetus of the contest was Noah Webster's spelling books , first published in 1786 , known as the . You can just imagine what they look like , the blue-backed speller .
Oh yeah .
Webster books were an essential part of the curriculum in all elementary schools in the US for five generations . Oh , okay , and you can . I'm sure they were as born as I've farted . Spelling bees became wider spread across the US during the 19th century as a way of motivating students to learn standardized spelling . So there you go .
Well , I'm going to ask you , as a teacher , what do you feel ? Spelling bees have a place .
I've completely toyed with . So , like in our school we do lots of so our pupils are split up into houses and like we have house competitions and it's really good for morale . Like it's a really positive thing in our school . Like it's a really positive thing in our school , but most of the competitions are like sport led competitions .
Now we do do a quiz , like a house quiz , and it's so much fun . But I have toyed with doing a spelling like a house quiz , spelling bee for a couple of years . But the only reason I haven't gone there is because I don't know . I don't know how it would go down . Yeah , because I know what kids are .
Like you know , the idea of standing up in front of people today , in today's and spelling like it would give me anxiety . Do you know what I mean ? But like , yeah , I don't know yeah . I don't know .
Yeah , I don't know .
Because even the way of learning , like back in our time , in our time , because we're Jurassic- Old , old is my sound , set earlier . Listen . Well , I called him on it , didn't I ? I wasn't letting him away with it . I was like , sorry , what do you mean by old , old ? Like I didn't let him go . God bless him .
He was nearly hiding under the table when I finished . He knows it was just him . Um , we would like our learning process would have involved a lot of rote learning , like calling things out to like your tables , like your spellings , you know , and that's not a done process anymore . Do you know what I mean ?
Like education , have wanted you to move on from that . However controversial , I still think it has its place . Like it certainly puts stuff into our brains and it stayed there . Do you know what I mean ?
It goes back to we've all got our own learning style . So you know , if you're visual , if you're all trained , if you need to read , if you need to read , if you need to write or if you need to do , I mean , that will all matter .
And for those kids that need to say out loud spelling is perfect but don't get us started , or this podcast will turn into an educational podcast however , saying that a lot of my musical lyrical lingo's are actually the words they have to spell , I know I that a lot of my musical lyrical lingos are actually the words they have to spell .
I know , I know me too , and I actually did have to stop and I was like this is actually just going to highlight how stupid I am .
No , I think the words . I'm not clever , I think the words are difficult and actually I think it is better that you listen to your podcast on this musical and then go and listen to the cast recording , because you'll know these words now . So like for example in the opening number they say Miss Peretti spell syzygy .
Yes .
I mean , how would you spell syzygy S-Y-Z-Y-G-Y Like ? How would these kids ever get it ? The words that the characters spell in Putnam often have a deeper meaning as well . So it's not just about spelling the word , the word metaphorically or simply comedically . Have another job to tell .
So Syzygy is defined by the speller , miriam Webster , as the nearly straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies , such as the sun , the moon and earth , during a solar or lunar eclipse in a gravitational system .
Right In a sense , this word could also represent a moment where the planets align for Rona Peretti , creating a joyful moment that could influence the rest of her life .
Yeah , and this is the lady that's like running this ballad . Yeah , she's looking back to when she was this age and she won it and obviously , if she hadn't won it , maybe she wouldn't be standing there today doing it . So , it's all like , like it's all connected .
They sing , we hear the word , we breathe , we wait , unlike idiots , we idiot , yeah . To idiot is to form an image or idea , to think yeah , I know , did you have any for the opening number ?
this is the stories I could tell , but bragg arts don't do well around here , and that just says people who boast loudly about themselves , their possessions or their accomplishments .
But what a great word . You're such a brag art .
We all know brag . Yeah , they're bragging .
Yeah .
But I was like oh , I love the brag art .
I know , I thought the same . I was like that is a great word for calling someone who's just having to brag about themselves .
You're such a braggart in a song , my friend oh , like the fact you've got a friend .
It's a dictionary , your dictionary's a friend , I mean you think this song has a little bit of heart , until she returns at the end to her last song and then you're like , oh , that song is heartbreaking yeah , there is a lot of like oh , bless them yeah , I know so she says my mother's in an ashram in India , which is a Hindu spiritual heritage or community ,
for a religious retreat , so please don't sit there . Save that seat for my mother , even though she's there , please don't sit there because that's for my dad so neither of her parents are there , but she still like , leaves seats for them in case they come . Oh , don't my heart . She does also say boon-throbbing .
Yeah , so , miss Ostrowski , the word is bonanthropy , bonanthropy , bonanthropy , bonanthropy .
So B-O-A-N-T-H-R-O-P-Y , are you not impressed that I knew Boanthropy . Super impressed . A psychological disorder where people think they are a coy or an ox .
Yeah . So I then thought this was like . I was like that can't be for real . That is for real , like there are people in this world that have boanthropy , where they believe themselves to be bovine which is like cattle , as you said .
Like what ?
No , I don't Don't . If I saw someone walking down the street and being like a coy , I don't know what I'd do what I do a lot of that , but we can't , we're not shaming but I didn't know that that was a thing .
No , like everywhere . One of the best songs in this musical is Pandemonium . Yeah , Pandemonium it's so funny as well , because it's so . It's life and they're talking about life in a spelling bee . You know , sometimes life is just really hard and then you look at your friend and it looks like they're having a really easy time . How are you getting down that ?
How ?
are you ?
getting down this .
And it all starts because the previous speller was put out after a really hard word and then the next speller gets up and it's like spell Dinosaur yeah , and they're like what . I know that that's not fair . And then it's like life is pandemonium , because they're all freaking out at the unfairness of it all .
Yeah , and I think that must be like . That's what I was thinking . If you were to do spelling bee , you would have to make sure that the words are of similar like what's that Not hardness ? Do you know what I mean ?
Or they get gradually harder , but there isn't like a . Yeah , you could be spelling broccoli and you could be spelling Like cat do you know what I mean Like it needs to go , you know , in a progression of slowly getting harder . Not like starting with the likes of Staphylococcus , which is one of the words that was mentioned .
It's a bacteria that causes , oh , pus formation , especially in the skin . It's basically a spotty skin , isn't ?
it .
Yeah , staphylococcus yeah .
I've seen that word not in this but I thought it was a dinosaur .
Oh , did you ? It does sound like a dinosaur . They also mention antediluvian .
Yeah , I didn't know that . The period before the biblical flood , yeah , hot and traumatic or more common .
So that also that antediluvian , you're right , biblically wise , it's that period . It refers to the period before the flood , but also more commonly , to anything extremely old , old fashioned or primitive . Hmm , there you go interesting schematic s-c-h-e-m-a-t-i-c . I love that you're just spelling them out bless you .
You're doing a great job .
Life is pandemonium abstract . I love that you're just spelling them out . I know Bless you . You're doing a great job .
Life is pandemonium . Abstract diagram graphic with symbols and lines to illustrate elements and connections to a system . I'm like there's an actual word for those little designs .
But you know what it is Like . One of the songs describes it perfectly for me and this situation and these words I'm not that smart , yeah , absolutely . Do you know what I mean Like , but oh my god , that wee song , I know . He's just like people have been telling me that for years that I'm not smart , I know , and then he's like I like my hair Really .
It is pleasant to the touch .
I love them .
I love them .
I just love them .
So Coney Bear gets a coochie .
Yeah .
So , oh , yeah , the rodent resembling the other rodent , which was the A C O U C . Yeah , the rodent resembling the other rodent , which was the A-C-O-U-C-H-I . So you actually don't get the end of the definition of a coochie in the musical . So I'll tell you , because I learned it A large forest rodent resembling a gutti G-O-U-T-I found in the Amazon basin .
Yeah , interestingly , many of the words that Leif is asked to spell , like capybara and chinchilla and , of course , acoochie , they're all names of South American rodents . For some reason .
Interesting .
I wonder what that is . I don't know . And additionally , later on during second , olive is also asked to spell Ilspile I-L-S-P-I-L-E , and that's the name of a variety of porcupines often native to South America . Oh , there you go . Who knows why ? But listen .
Who knows why . Yes , I like that we are not that smart , because , I mean , we could all say that about a different topic .
We all feel like that sometimes , don't we ?
We all excel in our own way , and that's the important thing to remember .
But you know , then you've got the reprise .
Yeah .
That he sings at the end . I'm not that smart . Reprise and they say he finally goes , I am smart .
Like you know , he yeah , well , that's it .
They say he sings . They say a bell can break your heart , and they're referring to that bell , because if you get a spelling wrong , you hear the bell , the bit they ring , the bell , you know , like one of those ding like tabletop bells , um .
So he says they say the bell can break your heart , but just not mine , since I opine o-p-i-n-E , I think I know I'm smart , that's what he says . So opine , this means to hold firmly to an opinion . So Leif is making it clear that he strongly believes that he is smart . Bless him , I know .
Another word in that song that I did learn was anathema A-N-A-T-H-E-M-A , which is a thing or somebody who has excommunicated from a church . I mean , it's a very big word , very big anyway there's another funny song about selling some oh yeah , my unfortunate , my unfortunate .
There's another funny song about selling some . Oh yeah , yeah , yeah , yeah , yeah , my unfortunate , my unfortunate erection , or we could just call it Chip's Lament .
Chip's Lament . I think , whenever you realize that this started off as like a comedy sketch , sort of like show , this all makes so much more sense , doesn't it ?
It does , but also working with children . It also makes sense in that if a child gets something wrong , there will always be a reason why they got it wrong . They didn't get it . I didn't get it wrong .
It was because this happened , and I just love when this happened in the show , because Chip has previously been eliminated , which is a big , massive shock , because I think Chip won the year before , so he was like the favourite and I was almost like I can't be wrong , like , and he also like gets it wrong because he got distracted by Coney Bear , I think , or
like . No , it wasn't Coney Bear , it got distracted . Was it Coney Bear's sister or something ? They randomly pick an audience member and they make it clear he fancies , and so he's in the middle of Spelling the World .
An audience member who , and then they make it clear like he fancies Okay , and so he's in the middle of spelling the word , he notices her and then goes back to finishing the word but repeats the last letter he's spelt . So it's like no , no , but I got it right . I got it right .
Yes , that's right , because there's very clear rules where you can't change the order of the letters . That you've already said so he's like I spelled it right . Though I spelled it right .
So then , like later on in the show , he returns Selling , selling confectionery like sweets , and then he sings a song for the reason why , yes , he's out . He's out because he got distracted by and he got a very unfortunate laugh .
Yeah , it's funny . There's the word in there derision R-I-S-I-O-N . So he talks about how it's okay whenever somebody goes out and is spelling me , you're allowed to laugh at them .
Yeah .
And that's what that word means .
He says yeah , he says it is a tradition that the person eliminated from the competition is fair game for derision .
Yeah .
Bless him .
That's not nice .
Especially the alpha male who'll sell goodies at the bake sale .
Yeah , yeah .
He sings my unfortunate protuberance Protuberance , I can't say that word seems to have its own exuberance . Anyone for M&M's ? Delicious and appropriate . Anyone for chewy gobbers ? And it was these gobbers that I went . What on earth is a gober ? So gober is slang for chocolate covered peanuts . Did you know that ? There you go if you wanted .
Well , that covered peanuts . Did you know that ? There you go . I thought so . Well , that's what I thought too , and that's what I was expecting to see when I looked it up . But it's actually chocolate covered peanuts or gobbers , chocolate covered peanuts .
So did I .
So there you go , very funny .
No , that's all my actual learning . There were more words , but I'm starting to go , I think .
I'm nearly done too . I had Woe Is Me . And they sing be smart , be cool , be an adult , be remarkably adroit in social situations . A-d-r-o-i-t . So adroit is often misheard in the musical . They think it is remarkably a joy rather than remarkably a draught . But in keeping with the bees' words , it is instead a draught .
Clever or skillful in using the hands or mind ? Oh , very clear . So it makes you know . Having it as a draught makes sense , doesn't it ? Yeah , I just thought that's funny . Even we're not the only ones that mishear lyrics , Lauren no , no , it's a common problem yeah and then I love you song now . Does that not break your heart ?
yeah , so that's so sad and that is like one of my saddest impressions is this is love .
Me too , yeah . So in the I love you song she has to spell chimerical , and I love that . Like every song starts with spell such and such and then they go into their song Chimerical , highly unrealistic , wildly fanciful , Hoped for but illusionary or impossible to achieve .
Because she's imagining , if she wins and she's going to have to go off to the final in Washington , who's going to be her chaperone ? Because actually her mum isn't just away on this . They just retreat , her mum's having a mental breakdown and then her dad isn't very nice to her . Yeah , I think he does the things to me .
I think , dad is angry , he , he takes out what he wants to say to you , or something like that , yeah and what I thought I was reading was usually the two people that are representing her mum and dad are usually played or , at the very beginning , were played , by the two people doing the spelling conversation , because they're her father , they're her family figures
in this in this sort of safe arena , wow . So I was like , oh , there's loads of layers to this ?
Yeah , very much so , yeah .
Oh okay , where she's actually adopting strangers as her parents , but she doesn't have those figures in her life . Oh , that's sad .
And then , obviously , if the dramatical and the context of it isn't like hard-hitting enough enough , then what the song sounds like .
The fact that you've got three people who all have their own individual melody singing it at the same time , it somehow seems to fit together like it is an amazing song , like really properly specially written it's a beautiful , beautiful song , beautiful song , and it's interesting , like the first time I came across . So obviously I saw Spelling Bee here .
Actually it was in our Mac theatre a number of years ago , but prior to that I had only heard two songs from this show , and it was during the time . So do you remember when you would have had those like download sites and stuff ?
Yes , yeah , and you just went on and like musical theatre , musical theatre , and the first song that popped up from the spelling bee was the I Love you song . Oh , OK . And I , when I say I burnt that onto CDs and listened to it nonstop , like , listen to it nonstop because it just sounds it's a , it's a wow sounding song , isn't it ?
And then the second one that I came across on the downloading site was I'm Not that Smart one that I came across on the downloading site was I'm not that smart . Like what ? Perfect , like adverts for you know spelling bee , I absolutely love it .
And one that we haven't really talked about as well is , like , I speak six languages . Yes , it's so funny .
Brilliant .
So so funny and I it . It's so , so funny and I it's the subcontext . The subtext where she says that she plays rugby and in America rugby wouldn't be as big as rugby is over here .
Yeah .
The fact that they've chosen rugby to show . She's like , you know , it's good for like getting being athletic and stuff , but it's like , it's like she's got so much aggression inside of her yeah , and she's trying to like get rid of it , but she's like just that overachiever . Overachiever in so many different ways .
Yeah , Like I just think it says so much yeah .
It is so , like you know , as a social study , like they've got it so spot on , like they've got it so spot on , Like there are these children and they , like they sing about . You know how , when they're at the spelling bee , they're happy .
Yes , and that actually , outside , you know , people like take people , are mean to them and take things out on them because they're smart , because we're smart .
Yeah , yeah .
You know , but yet when they come to the spelling bee , they're , they're at home and they're safe , and that that is , that is life for some children . You know , there it is , it's . It's . The song they sing is why we like to like spelling .
Yes .
Yes , yes , yeah , you know , and I love the song because it just paints that perfect picture of some children in school . You know they sing . The chaotic life of a 12-year-old is too hard and you never know what's coming next . But in spelling things have logic and line and that's it .
Some kids like things to be logical and in line and routine and all the rest of it . They also sing , though at school we seem strange , at the B we seem better . People love to hate us because we're too damn smart and our loves we do not believe that we'll succeed , and our hearts , we do not believe will succeed .
Yeah .
Sad Prayer of the comfort counsellor . Yeah , they say I'm sorry you missed the silent cue and that's why they put that speller out , because of the silent Q .
Interestingly , that line was actually added into the Broadway version , right , because of a moment that happened during one of the shows , right , okay , so once an audience volunteer actually became a spelling bee champion , what ?
Because they answered all 14 of the increasingly harder words until they had to make up a word to stop them and get them put out of it , because obviously they couldn't have an audience member win the contest , because obviously that's the plot , is that you know ?
So , yeah , and so they were like , oh , sorry , you missed the silent Q Because interestingly , there's only there's no English words that have a silent Q in them . Okay , and there's only one word that I know of lacquer l-a-c-q-u-e-r . Okay , that has a silent q , but I don't think it's of English origin oh , okay and they sing . You know , yeah , yeah .
So there you go , oh interesting so the silent q was added to eliminate the volunteer that was too good at spelling that's brilliant .
I always do wonder about that how do they make sure that somebody doesn't stay in until the very end ?
They make up a word and make up a reason for them getting the spelling wrong . It kind of adds a bit to the whole unfairness and pandemonium of pandemonium . Yeah , life is random and unfair . Life is pandemonium of pandemonium . Life is pandemonium . Life is random and unfair life is pandemonium . Magic food as well .
Magic food like the child who , like , spells the word out using his food before he then reads it out . Or like there's one that is it the same one he like , says it into like cups his mouth and says it into his hand , it's a different one .
yeah , Like just adorable , I need to do that I need to like spell things out , and sometimes if somebody says something , I'll like write it . Yeah , because I'm I'm visual and a doer that's me .
I'm exactly the same as you . I hate like spelling out of words . Like you know , every so often a child will come up and go how do you spell such and such ? I will never immediately go eh , blah , blah , blah , blah and say it out . I will go and write it down myself and go right , that looks right , that's right .
And then I'll tell them you know I can't .
I can't say it out loud , or like if one of the students that I'm teaching and they need something , they say let me write it down , let me just need it . Or sometimes if I'm writing on the board , then I take a step back and go yeah , that's fine , because sometimes , when you're so close to it , you're just not too sure .
But yeah , because I also do like explaining that we all learn differently . But yeah , magic Fitz is a good one .
It's a good one yeah , so your standing ovations then .
I love you , so yeah mine is .
I've just written the show . Exclamation mark .
I just love it .
I really do , like I really do , and I wish it was done more . Yeah , I really do wish it was done more . Em . I just love the characters and the characterisation of it . I love the funny you know I'm a funny , I like funny but I also love the heart that's in it . Do you know what I mean ? And my two standout songs , because they're my earliest memory .
I mentioned to you already the I Love you song and I'm not like , I'm not that smart .
It's such a brilliantly written song , yeah , I do love that For character when you think of the whole thing . It's don't judge people , let people be themselves or be yourself and try , try , try , because that's what all they're doing is trying to spell these words . And then they're trying . They're trying their best and they love it .
I think this would be a great musical to do with .
We all really know that it's fun with adults being middle schoolers , but I think it would be a great musical to do with actual middle schoolers , so those kids that are around that age , and then also kids that are 16 , 17 , 18 or have left that age but are not too far away from it just to kind of revisit .
It would be a really interesting experiment just to kind of give them a couple of these songs and be you know to act like it was five years ago , because I think that would be much harder than acting as if they were seven or six or something like that .
But now that you've listened to this podcast , please go and listen to the soundtrack . You won't regret it because actually , when you know the context of it , you can listen through to it and you can follow along and you know what's going on and it's not very long either .
It's not a very long musical , I think it's like an hour and twenty or something like that don't talk too much about the time because , don't forget , I cross trained my whole way through this album , so you know I don't want people one hour twenty minutes plus three hours .
I don't want people to think I was on that cross trainer for like fifteen minutes like it was a proper stint .
I did like I was sweating and didn . I didn't feel my legs when I got off .
Oh , proper jelly like because you were too busy singing literally no .
My plan was like because I'm not going to lie to you I totally went down a total loving with this musical again because I listened to it , obviously because you know that's what we do when we've decided what we're going to do next , we listen again to the musical and remind yourself of all the good , the good , the bad , the ugly and all the rest of it , and
then start listening closely into the lyrics again . And I went oh God , I need to listen to that again . And I listened to it in the car going somewhere and I was like I need to listen to that again . I know what I'm going to do . I'm going to get in that cross trainer .
Spelling Bee is going to get me through the torture of that bloody machine , which is not my friend . Oh , there you go . It certainly did . Now I did get a few funny looks .
Who cares ? There should be a musical theatre gym . I'm not this .
Oh , we could make a fortune .
Why is this not a thing ?
Like people are all running and raving about these musical theatre raves . Imagine a musical theatre gym where they just pumped in . Imagine , like , oh my goodness , there's so many musical theatre songs that are good for workouts . Like , imagine running on the treadmill to you can't stop the motion of the oil . You'd run faster than you've ever run before .
Right , let's do it .
Okay .
That's the roar . The video of this episode is going to be hilarious .
When you go into like the cold iron , then you can have something like Hamilton .
It's quiet up town . Yeah , in the room where it happened , the room where that's the way it's , room where it happened room . Okay , we need to go . We're just now like completely past , like bend and snap .
This is this is pandemonium life is pandemon , is pandemonium , life is pandemonium , pandemonium we're going to make we can do aerobics class too magic foot right , we need to go . We're going to lose listeners like by the hundreds here because we're just talking nonsense . This is because we're just like talking nonsense .
No , but this is where we're going to fund your maybe musical outfits . We're going to date , sorry am .
I having to look for funding now . I thought this was happening .
Yes because the writer that you requested is ridiculous Like this pandemonium . Okay , I'm going to ask you , what would you rather ?
Oh , I forgot , we hadn't done that yet . I was just off in my musical theatre gym .
Would you rather have an awkward sneeze mid-performance , or would you rather forget the words mid-song ?
Awkward sneeze . You just move on Words . Mid-song is my idea of hell , I know .
Itkward sneeze . You just move on Words . Midsong is my idea of hell .
I know it's awful , total nightmare , awful , awkward sneeze .
I'm just trying to think how you could like get round it . It also depends on what you're doing , like . If you do an Adelaide's Lament , that's perfectly fine .
You're very funny , though , with your sneezes . When you try and hide your sneeze , you do like a wee .
It's very cute because my other sneezes are quite long .
I realised , and I did it the other day and I got the same reaction , because I obviously sneeze in school an awful lot . But I sneezed at home the other day and the reaction I got was like what was that ? I can't tell home the other day and the reaction I got was like what was that ? And I can't tell , like it just is a react .
So I sneeze , I go , like I put it away at the end , but I don't realize I'm doing that . I'm like it was like , uh , sorry , what , what was that ? And I was like , oh yeah , I just do that when I sneeze sometimes , sometimes , and I'm like looking at me like I've got five hairs , I'm like sorry .
Okay , that's something I've assumed before . Okay you are strange . Oh gosh right , we need to stop this podcast and go to the gym Together .
For this , the gym needs for the gym and then after that can we do a plan , for I think we should put spelling bee on . I think we should produce spelling bee with your 18 year old . You know playing , yeah , okay let's do that . We're busy we might not be back next week because we'll be in the boardroom lots of purchases . I just like stroked your leg .
I thought that was the pillow , not your leg . Sorry , life is pandemonium . Let's sign off now until next week . We love you very much . Bye .