¶ Welcome and Host Banter
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 , hey .
You're back .
Well , where was I going to go ?
Well , there was a I was considering .
Oh right , Replacing me . Replacing you . You've never been able to replace me in your life .
I know , because I would fear my life Shut up , you'd come after me .
I would , I wouldn't allow you , no , no , but no , you won't .
I like to show up at your door , hi . Yeah , actually , yeah , lauren has found like old videos from back in the day when we were teenagers , we youngsters . But I know they won't . You'll never see them , they'll never appear on socials . I'm so glad because you know better . Because it shows you in a really good light . An absolute bossy bit .
I know , but I can't believe how bossy I was even back then . I know that I'm a bit bossy now , but I just thought that was being a mum yeah but you know , I'm like shouting and I be able to clean their place .
That's what you have to be . Is that bossy when you're with me ?
oh , I mean , I don't think so , but I know that that's how I run my house , how I run the house , like per Aaron literally put his plate in the sink and turned round to , like , speak to our children . I was like , who put their plate in the sink , really ? So I mean , yeah , fair .
Yeah , you're just the boss . I'm the boss do you know who else is the boss ? Cynthia Erivo , what is she not doing ? I'm slightly obsessed with this girl now .
I feel , yeah , she's amazing , she's wonderful , but is it they're just slapping her and everything now ?
no , I don't think so . No , because I think she's just still being her and . I ? I knew of her before Wicked came about . Do you know what I mean
¶ Cynthia Erivo Career Updates
?
Like most of us . No , I know , do you know what I mean ?
But I'm just like she was always amazing and it was only a matter of time . Yes , and I think even without Wicked don't get me wrong Wicked is going to just have propelled her , but I still think she always would have done a pretty good , had a pretty decent career do you know what I mean . I just think because I think she can do theatre .
I think she can do . You know , her voice is great for a recording artist , do you know what I mean ? And she also is good on screen .
Wicked has just made her more mainstream . She was always massive in musical theatre land . I think that's what I'm trying to say but she is just now , and you know what ? Because she is so awesome , they are almost using her as a pilot to try her in different things that people maybe else wouldn't do .
But I also think there's a bit of credibility to her and that I don't think she'll say yes to everything . No , I think she'll only do the things that she wants to do or she thinks are credible enough speaking of wicked , though , did you see that was it yesterday .
The trailer , like the little tiny tiny trailer released literally just it was like six months ago . That was literally like five seconds Interesting , so we're close .
The Wicked for Good promotion train has started , hasn't it ? Because NBC has also announced that Erivo and Ariana Grande will front a new event special , which will come out ahead of the movie sequel release on the 21st of November .
And we're going to go and see it together again . A thousand percent , Okay that's good .
I think we'll also have to have a wee Wicked Night before yes , prior . Yeah , you know , before part two , just to refresh our memories , because I'm also being really good . I haven't watched it since the three times . I watched it the first time around you know what I mean . That is good , no , I know , but I think I'm okay with that .
I think I'm all right to leave that , okay , until until closer to just until part two , but also on cynthia revo news . She is going to be returning to the west end and I also love this about her in that she hasn't turned her back on what yeah the start of her career . Do you know what I I mean ?
Just because she's doing movies now and her album's going to be coming out soon as well . Theatre is still there in her heart and I like that . So she's going to be returning to the West End for a solo Dracula . This excites me .
I know she will be playing all roles 23 characters to be precise and it's going to open in the Noel Card Theatre on the 4th of February 2026 . And tickets will be released later this year . Now , hands up , there's a lot of 2026 news this week
¶ Musical Theatre News Roundup
on Musical Theatre News , but it's important to know .
Well , I mean , we're nearly halfway through the year . It's only going to make sense . I suppose I haven't thought of it like that , know ? Well , I mean , we're nearly halfway through the year . It's only going to make sense .
I suppose I haven't thought of it like that . We're nearly yeah .
And I should say that the Dracula is like a follow on from . So this is the same cast that have just done a one woman production and she won . She was in Succession , she was the female in Succession , she won some Olivier's and Tony's and all for it .
For Dracula .
No , not Dracula . They did like an Oscar Wilde . One woman , one woman thing . So this is the same team are doing this now for Dracula , so this will be really good .
Also Operation Mincemeat , which is doing wonderfully well in Broadway , as we knew it would . Yeah , I would like to see it too . It's going to be doing a World and UK tour in 2026 , launching a global-spanning world tour beginning on the 16th of February next year in the Lorry in Manchester .
Yeah , it worries me , though , because it just says World and UK . Yeah , it worries me , though , because it just says world and UK . Yeah , there's no .
Ireland . There we might have to go across the water , I know . Or maybe go to some nice country in the world .
Let's do that .
International . I mean , we've done our London trip .
Maybe next year 2026, .
We need to do international . Let's do it Also Legally . Blonde is going to be going out on another UK and Ireland . So , don't worry , it'll at least come to the Borgos tour next year , starting in Leicester's Curve Theatre on the 7th of February .
Yeah .
And it's going to be touring until the 7th of January 2027 .
I think it'll be super popular .
That's a big , I'll tear it . If you got that contract , you'd be delighted , wouldn't you Delighted with ?
yourself Absolutely . And I suppose we should really mention friends of the pod who have been nominated for three Emmys Our Shamrock Tenor Boys , I know .
So our lovely Raymond is up for three Emmys , and then all the boys are up for an Emmy for performance and they're just back from their American tour and they're about to go out to Australia , so there's another wee tour for them . Well done , boys .
Well done indeed .
What are we doing today ?
It's a wee musical . A wee musical that I haven't visited for a very long time , and this is why I love this podcast , because it gives you an excuse or it reminds you . And I almost felt guilty when I listened to this again , that I haven't been listening to it on a more regular basis , because I actually realized ,
¶ Introduction to Top Hat
isn't hindsight and time a great thing ? Because I realized just how significant and special this musical was to me and it's a bit weird because I haven't listened to it in a very long time . That's strange . So I'm really like I'm kind of a wee bit like crushing on our musical this week . Where are you ? It's Top Hat .
Top Hat , if not the greatest of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' musicals , top Hat was the most successful and , with its silver topped canes and top hats , surely the most iconic of their movies .
By 1935 , fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers had made several appearances together , but Top Hat was the first movie musical that was conceived as a showcase for their dancing partnership . Yeah , and they were magical that was conceived as a showcase for their dancing partnership and they were magical , yeah , magical Like .
However , weirdly , I came to the musical as in the stage musical before the film .
Oh , okay .
I hadn't seen the film Really Until I saw this yeah exactly Weird , so weird , so weird .
That surprises me . That's so odd Weird so weird , so weird .
That surprises me . Yes , but also don't forget , I'm not like you , Like the older movie musicals . I haven't watched very many of them . Yeah , okay , do you know what I mean ? Because I'm a bit of a snob , because if it's in black and white I'm not bothered , right , okay , do you know what I mean ?
Because I'm a bit of a snob , because if it's in black and white I'm not bothered , right , okay yeah , and I , you know , obviously then I watch them , I'm go . Oh yeah , that was amazing yeah but you know what I mean . Some of the older movie musicals I haven't watched . Do you know what I mean ?
Um , but yeah , I saw the musical in London and then watched the film . Okay , I went . Oh yeah , it's beautiful , it's just as beautiful , yeah .
Yeah , it's one that I've seen . You know the movie I've seen a lot , but I didn't always remember it Is that it didn't , apart from their magical dancing . Yeah , and that's very iconic . The storyline , it's one that I , until I went to obviously research it for the plot , I was like , oh yes , this is what Top Hat's about .
Yeah , I couldn't have told you what Top Hat , what the storyline was .
Well , this is the thing . Like the Top Hat's , plot is essentially the standard issue . Hollywood musical form you know Dwight Taylor and Alan Scott's screenplay is built around the boy meets girl , girl hates boy . Boy dances with girl , girl falls in love formula of old .
Do you know what I mean ? A wee bit of mix up going on there .
There's not really much of a plot to it .
Yeah .
But what did mark the film out from its predecessors in the ester rogers series was the score . Yeah , and actually the songs weren't just a grab bag of already existing numbers , but they were written specifically for the movie .
Yes , and they were written by irving berlin beautiful , yes , the man once called the best all round overall songwriter America has ever had .
Yeah .
All but one of its songs have gone on to become jazz standards .
And that was the other thing .
You knew the music before you saw the film where you saw certainly , from our age , you know you knew of some of these songs you could come along or sing them .
Even as we were getting ready for the podcast tonight , I was whistling one of them and Aaron went oh , that song's from this and it's like you know this because they're jazz standards , but you just didn't necessarily know they were from this musical . Top yeah , top hat roast .
1.7 million us dollars at home in america and then 1.4 million us dollars overseas , making it rko's most profitable film . This is 1930s .
Yeah , 1930s , so AP , what is that in today's money Like what ? Three million pretty much .
Yeah .
Yeah , in the 1930s , yeah , dollar Like that is a substantial amount of money . Yeah , but they had magic , didn't they ? Fred ?
Astaire and Ginger .
Rogers , beautiful 57 and a half , 57 and a half , 57 and a half . Wow , yeah , wow , wow .
No , listen , they were a special partnership .
And this is a lovely little story and it's all around dancing , which is great .
It's the music and dancing is front and center . It's not about the story .
It's terrible the story or even the characters .
It's that , it's , let's just dance . Yeah , let's face the music and dance , dance .
Dance . So it was 2011 when the stage musical which is based on the 1935 film , music and lyrics obviously Irving Berlin , but then there was some additional orchestration by Chris Walker . The book is by Matthew White on hard jacks . It first opened in Milton Keynes .
Milton Keynes yeah .
And toured the UK before it went to the West End in 2012 .
Yeah , opening in the Aldwych Theatre .
That's what I saw oh , did you see it there ? It did win multiple Tony Awards in 2013 .
Yeah , Tony Awards , olivia Awards , olivia Awards sorry and then UK and Ireland tour in 2014 .
And then it was announced literally mental like we keep doing this people UK and Ireland tour in 2014 . And then it was announced literally mental like as we had decided we were doing this musical , and then it was announced that there will be a revival from July , the 14th to the 6th of September and do you know what excites me about this revival ?
What it's opening in the Chichester Festival Theatre , and it's been directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall . Anything that is in the Chichester Festival Theatre is a hit and is brilliant .
So , like Oliver , that's currently in the West End was a transfer from Chichester Theatre , one of my other favourites that we haven't done on the pod and God help us when we do , because I will be lushing all over . It is Half a Sixpence . It was in Chichester and then it transferred to the Mac and Mabel of recent years .
I saw it in Chichester Theatre theater and I was sitting out in the foyer waiting to go in and marion margulies was about five meters to my right and I didn't pluck up the courage to go over and say hello to her because I adore the woman , but she also scares me a little bit , so that's why I didn't . That is one of my biggest kick me moments .
Like I kick myself every day that I didn't go over and I'm going to see her in October and she just needs to stay alive that long so that I can see her life .
Yeah Okay , yeah yeah , you know she is coming on a bit . I am concerned . It's a genuine concern .
I adore the woman Anyway . So the fact that it's opening in Chichester Theatre this revival of Top Hat , it's going to be amazing .
It's going to be amazing . Does that mean that you're hopeful that it'll have a transfer ? I really hope so .
Either that or I'll have to rob a bank and go and stay in Chichester Although it's a bit Chichester's a bit annoying , because it's a bit Chichester's a bit annoying , like because it's a bit out of the way , like do you know what I mean ? Unless you stay in Chichester ? Yeah , but if I'm going to go over , I want to go to a few other , you know shows .
But it's very exciting .
Yeah .
Very , very exciting . The show , the stage show , features
¶ From Screen to Stage
14 of the songs by Berlin , plus six more songs than the original film production . Yeah , plus six more songs than the original film production . Yeah , and the producers were very clever for the West End show in casting Strictly Come Dancing winner Tom Chambers . Now , obviously he's done TV and stuff as well .
In the role that was originated by Fred Astaire , and Astaire's daughters were actually in the audience .
They were .
When the show opened in London and they described Three Empt Chambers as wonderful , wonderful and what I thought this was a lovely quote about the show . They said that the show was a beautiful production and it definitely gives new life to these songs and to Top Hat for a younger generation . And that was me , that was 100% what it did to me , yeah .
I love that it got the seal of approval from two of Berlin's daughters and Fred Stair's daughter .
I just think that there's just something lovely about that it just kind of is like that is because because they're fred astaire and ginger rogers , movies and style of dancing was very of its time yeah the fact that so many years later it was given a revival um and then , like I said , new audiences , but even they have gone . Do you know what ?
This is lovely and I think that our parents that have been very proud of it yeah , yeah , absolutely .
Shall we move on to your music lyrical ?
language . Well , yeah , yeah , I suppose we've talked about . No , I'm just saying like it is that sort of um romance , comedy of errors , um , and I think that , but you said it's mainly the dancing that just drives the story forward , and the costumes were beautiful too . And it's a 31 cast person cast which is quite large .
Yeah , but my goodness , did they work hard .
And there is a bit of confusion , miscommunication , and it changes from London to Venice . So there's a lot going on in this story , but really there's not at the same time , it's just yeah , it's just anyway . It is heartwarming and it is timeless . So yeah , let's do our musical lyrical lingos . Do you know what ? I didn't do it in order this this week .
What is ?
wrong with me , I know , because I was kind of not listening to the song in order , so I was like writing down , like as I so I won't be able to say it the piccolino , piccolino . First of all , why does that song remind me of Bon Voyage ? From anything else , I don't know , tell me you felt the same go home tonight . Listen , listen to it .
¶ Musical Lyrical Lingo
It is da , da , da , da , da , da , da , da , da da .
Yeah , fair enough , thank you . I love when he validates my theories it was better than last week's Book of Mormon links .
And that means little one . Yes .
I was this . I went on a bit of a race around the world to try and find out what the heck a piccolino was , because it does mean little one and it isn't Italian , yes , but it also . That didn't make a huge amount of sense in the song . Because they were talking about play the piccolino . Because obviously it's Italian . I'm working on my Italian .
A piccolino also refers to several musical instruments , however , including small , they're all small , small instruments .
They're all small .
Saxophone and metronome . It is also used in general sense to denote a small version of a larger instrument , like a piccolo trombone . Oh , but it also means little one , like a young child .
Ah , the piccolino ? Well , yes , because at this point in the story they've moved to Venice .
Yes .
Yeah , like the story's now in Venice , so they're sort of talking about that . They also talk about the Adriatic Sea .
Yes .
Is that right ? Is that right , which is a semi-enclosed arm of the Mediterranean Sea , which is located between Italian and the Balkan Peninsula ? Well done , Go me . I said big words .
You're also talking geography .
Which I have no clue what that means . What is a semi-enclosed arm means ? What is a semi-enclosed arm ? What is a semi-enclosed ?
arm . So if you think about our peninsula , okay , it's like it , it's a bit of land that juts out . It's a peninsula . That's what a peninsula is right , but there is like a little bit of sea in the inside , do you ?
know what I mean ? Okay , just think of it like an arm , an arm that sticks out , okay .
From the main body of land . God , I'm good , aren't you ? I should have been a geography teacher .
When you're ahead what does that make it like A boot ? You know where the heel and the back of the calf would be ? Yeah , stop it . Wow , there you go . Okay , see , I'm learning , I'm constantly learning . It does mention plate of scallopine . Did I say it right ? No , which is just thin meat , scallopino , scallopino .
Yeah .
Thin meats .
Yeah .
Yeah , do you eat that a lot when you're in Italy ?
Oh yeah , Don't don't talk to me about Italy , because , honest to goodness , if I could get on a flight this evening and go , I would do it and not come back .
No , you've got to come back .
We've got a podcast today . I think I'd have to do it remotely . I'd be coming on going oh my little piccolino .
It's my plate of scallopini Touché . So yeah , that's what I learned . So I learned that it's very like bon voyage and anything goes . And I learned about a semi-enclosed arm within that song . What are your musical ?
air clings Well the song I was whistling before the pod was Putting on the Ritz . Oh , none the Ritz . Did you know ? Putting on the Ritz was inspired by the sight of black residents in Harlem dressing up in fancy clothes , as if going to the Ritz Carlton . In slang it means to dress very fashionably .
Yeah , it was written in 1927 . It was written before . It means to dress fashionably inspired by . It was written in 1927 . It was written before Means to dress fashionably inspired by the Ritz Hotel , one of the few songs to feature in multiple musicals , did you ?
know that . Yeah , yeah , Well , like Irving Berlin's tunes do pop up every so often in a couple of places .
Yeah .
Because I know I got very confused the first time I was working on Crazy For you , yes , and I was like , uh , this song I can't remember what song is it ? Someone To Watch Over you ?
maybe yeah was in another musical and I was like uh what's going on ?
yeah , yeah but he , he , his songs were liked and adored and kind of nabbed for a few different musicals .
But there's actually not that many songs which do feature , you know , apart from like jukebox musicals which maybe feature a couple of similar songs , but anyway , but this is one of them .
So it featured obviously in Top Hat and then Idiot's Delight , which was Clark Gable starring that , and then it had like a revival in Young Frankenstein , which is the 1974 musical .
Yeah , great musical as Frankenstein does his tap routine , his tap routine , hilarious .
Really good . But in the film Top Hat putting on the ritz , this is the first song in film to be sung by an interracial ensemble there you go . Isn't that great .
It's great they sing Dressed up like a million dollar trooper trying hard to be like Gary Cooper Super duper . I didn't know who Gary Cooper was .
No , he's Gary Cooper , gary .
Cooper was an American actor known for his strong silent screen persona and understated acting style . To be fair to the man , I don't think I've seen any of his films .
No .
But he won two Academy Awards and had further three nominations and he received an Honorary Academy Award for his career achievements in 1961 . So he must have been decent if he was getting an honorary .
Yeah .
And I mean they've mentioned him .
Mentioned him in the song . Yeah , so he must be all right . Like there were spangled gowns upon the bevy of high eyebrows , so bevy is . Can we have two meanings ? So it's either a large group or collection of people or things , but also slang for a drink .
But that's not what they're talking about .
They're talking about how bevy is a large group or collection . Yeah , and then where all lullabell , lullabell , lullabell go .
Yeah .
Lullabell just means a famous beauty . And then Harlem flits . Is that what I said ? Yeah , yeah , um , lullabell just means a famous beauty . And then harlem uh blitz . Is that what I said ? Yeah , light and swift movements there you go , there we go .
One of my favorite songs , just because it's a sweet , cute one , is I'm putting all my eggs in one basket um if someone puts all their eggs in one basket , they're putting all their efforts or resources into doing one thing so that if it fails , they have no alternatives . So people are often encouraged don't put all of your eggs in the one basket .
But I was like okay , where'd that come from ? Where , where did that originate from ? So the exact origin it's a bit annoying when this is the answer you get after spending hours of researching of the phrase is debated great , really helpful okay but it's often attributed to the spanish writer miguel de cervantes . I probably said his name wrong .
He wrote Don Quixote in 1605 .
I've heard of that .
Yeah , but interestingly , top Hat , the Top Hat song , originally sung by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers , further popularised the idiom .
Oh , okay .
So , actually put in , all the people who use that idiom today are semi-inspired by the Top Hat song .
Well , do you know that your dad used that expression once whenever I was obviously a little child and I asked him ? I was like what do you mean ? What does that mean ? God , he really had an impact on you , didn't he ?
You mention him on this podcast more than I do oh , okay , yeah , I mean , but I mean you forget that we've been told each other's lives a long time well , I think he had said maybe he was saying that to you or something . I was like what does that mean ?
Oh , so I was like yeah , but I do remember being in a car , so we must have been going somewhere , um , and I definitely wasn't like we weren't teenagers . I remember being like young and , um yeah , not so strange , so I love that . Like whenever I haven't heard that song , I was like , oh yeah , it .
Yeah , it was actually Cain that I associate that idiom with .
That's nice , that idiom . Anyway , moving on .
He won't know because he doesn't listen to the pod , because he thinks it takes us too long to get into the actual musical . He picks and chooses that's for sure .
I mean , it goes without saying Top Hat , white Tie and Tails just refers to the formal wear required On a party invitation Of the time . I mean , for somebody who doesn't like dressing up , I hate dressing up , like you know . If you're going out somewhere , fancy .
Oh right , okay , like most guys would put on a shirt and stuff like that or you know , like , at a wedding , you wear a suit . I flippin' hate all that . I hate it , and I think it's because for my day job , it's normally a shirt and tie every day and trousers . Do you know what I mean ? I just hate dressing up fancy . It's tight , it's uncomfortable .
I don't enjoy it . However , try and stop me wearing a top hat white . However , try and stop me wearing a top hat , white tie and tails Honest to God and black on my shoes Spats . I have several pairs .
I know .
Honest to goodness , try and stop me . Yeah , I know , it is a good
¶ Dance Memories and Stagecoach
look that should be brought back , oh do you know controversial statement here I don't know if the men of today could pull off a top hat , white tie and teal . Not very many could Even the way they slip their hair back in the day and all of that you are in . These aren't showing us slip back hair there . Scalp , Scalp . I'm not far behind the sunshine .
Yeah , so that's top hat , white tie , and I'm not far behind in sunshine yeah , so that's . Top Hat by Ty and Teal , also great number yeah , fantastic .
Did you know ? Cheek to Cheek was nominated for an Oscar and it was actually inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in the year 2000 .
I did know it got an Oscar . It was one of Top Hat's four was it four . Academy Awards they won . They were nominated for four Best Picture , art Direction , original Song for Cheek to Cheek and Dance Direction .
But I also love that that's in the Hall of Fame .
It's a great , great song and we know that as well , because it was in our Hollywood number Actually a number of songs from Top Hat were in our Hollywood number . Well , this is my biggest learning .
What .
So remember , at the beginning of the podcast , I realised just how special this was , and I remember when I went to see it in London not knowing what I was going to see . Because , don't forget , you didn't know I hadn't watched the film and I sat down and every song that came on I knew . And yes , I know they are jazz staples .
But actually the reason I knew them was because of Stageco and because of you just mentioned our Hollywood routine . Yeah , and they were like literally cheek to cheek , putting on the ritz . Let's face the music and dance top hat , white tie and tail yeah , and we learned them all as a young person do you know what I ? Mean and it just made me .
I was researching it and it just made me think of Vivi .
And just you know , there are certain people who you come across in life who leave such a lasting memory or hold such a special place in your heart and it just I hadn't thought of her in a while and it made me think of her and it made me remember me sitting in that London theatre going oh , my goodness .
I know all these songs like , and they're tap dancing and I knew those songs and I knew how to tap dance and I would cause actually I remembered going , none of these routines are really difficult Like I could give these a go because it was . You know it was the basic tap steps . Now don't get me wrong .
They were executed unbelievably and they were all showstoppers , every single last one but I went this this this all just resonates with me because of one person .
Yeah , that's it . This one person , like it taught us those moves and like , introduced us to those songs and that era which we didn't grow up in , you know , um , and .
I do feel , and we've , and I've mentioned on this podcast before I do feel I have a fondness for the older musical and I think it's also partly no , don't get me wrong , I definitely think my parents have a part to play in that too , because they love the likes of Guys and Dolls and all those .
But you know , it was those older musicals that we were introduced to in Stagecoach , it was the Oklahomas , it was the . You know those old standards you know , and I think that's why I love . Like , if you hand me a revival of an old musical and a brand new musical , probably nine times out of ten I'll go .
I actually want to go to see the revival rather than go and see the new musical . Yeah , and I think it's because of people like Vivi Sorry , that got a wee bit . No , do you know what ? It just hit me ? I went oh my God .
Yeah .
My learning from this musical is I went to see this and I absolutely loved it because it was an old-fashioned , like jazzy musical . I knew all the songs I could do the tap dancing and it was all because yeah , and it was nostalgic .
Yeah , because then and you were thinking about a time when we had I won't mention it loads like our little dance trip was so fortunate of the experiences that we got . Now I know that you didn't get that first experience of when we did hollywood , because it was like a london trip , but you were then very much see how you're throwing that in there .
No , but I just mean it wasn't like it wasn't a one-off , because actually it was class , yeah , um , and then um .
So we got that london trip . I was so cross .
That's on video somewhere , so you could watch it and pretend like you were there .
The girls in stage school went to London and performed , but the routine they were doing only required the girls and I wasn't taken .
I was raging .
I was so cross .
And it happened more than once , didn't ?
it , it's fine , it's fine . When I was slightly older , I went to bromley well , I didn't get to go there so yeah yeah , you know that's so right .
I hope the listeners didn't hear that insult um but yes , like even in that we were introduced to characters like may west and all of that stuff , that then who maybe didn't know about what we went and did ? So I suppose it's really by dropping little things like that that's where we realize that musicals could teach us stuff .
Yeah , so way back , but it drives me insane , because sometimes in stageco , like we will suggest , like you know , we just we do wee bits and pieces , like we don't do full shows because we have too many kids to show showcase in one show , so we'll do wee bits and pieces of this , that and the other . And it drives me insane because every year we will .
We will try and pick , you know an older musical or you know one of the classics because you learn so much from them , and you do get , uh , because it's not one of the new fancy modern musicals and it's like , no , yeah , you learn so much from , you wouldn't have your modern fancy musicals today if these guys didn't pave the way .
Yeah , so pipe down and learn something .
And you will learn something .
And they do and like at the end of the process of you know , dragging them along . No , there's no dragging along , but by the end of it they've absolutely thoroughly enjoyed themselves and had a wonderful time and they have learned a lot . Yeah , it's like just go with the old , go with the flow .
I'm trying to think . See , whenever you were inserted into our Hollywood routine , what did you wear ?
I know I knew you were thinking of that . It was a shiny silver waistcoat .
What was ?
that I knew you were thinking of that . It was a shiny silver waistcoat . Black trousers , white shirt , shiny waistcoat and shiny silver bow tie .
Right , Okay , I can think because we had these like 1930s style , like short , short , like all in one bodysuit Whenever . Obviously the older girls were in that from the very beginning . We were little background singers you had roughly um shirley temple things , and then we progressed up to that but I was like what was he in ?
no , no they tried to get me into the hot pants , but I said no yeah , oh yeah .
And I think we also enjoyed doing the hollywood , because it was new , do you remember ?
or did I wear , did I ? I'm now doubting myself . Did I wear a tailcoat ?
did you , I think no because we had the tailcoats were for stepping out I'm mixing up step yeah , we're for step night another good , good musical , yeah , um , but yeah , I was just like I couldn't remember what you , what you'd wore there . Um , but yeah , sorry , hollywood routine was new .
We were learning it from scratch , while all the others were like hand me down , showing somebody else was teaching us it yeah well , like , like oklahoma , my fair lady the irish , um , I'm trying to like caribbean , all of those , while hollywood , we were all learning it from scratch .
It was like this is exciting and we're getting to do it with young .
Come over and do all that yeah , amazing , and so it was um but like all of the songs were so catchy could you still do the hooray for holly ? And then do you remember we did it for vivian's edia ?
I know , but we did them all . We did all those routines , but we , we did them all .
We did all those routines for Vivian's idiot , but we started with her right yeah .
I remember all those routines . Like genuinely like muscle memory is ridiculous .
Because we were doing it so often .
Yeah , it's quite interesting . I don't think I could remember the order in which the numbers come , but I could bang out the routines .
Well , one person who would remember absolutely everything is jillian , because she's got the most amazing memory at things like that . Um , so if we , we ever did anything with her .
She's great at keeping us right , but I'm I can , I can remember them because I think it is like a muscle memory and I'm like , no , I know , I know doing that yeah um , I know , usually whenever we've had a couple of drinks , some sort of dance comes out , yeah , but not anymore .
Because honestly , honest to goodness , that performance at vv's 80th nearly killed me like we were rehearsing for weeks before that .
No wonder , because we're not spring chickens anymore , lauren oh well did you learn anything else from ? No , that's all I learned , and my stand ovation is putting on the riffs I can't pick my stand ovation .
That's why I was like , oh I can't like .
I genuinely can't I do love it do you know what I love .
I love the comedy characters in Top Hat .
Okay , but you do love the comedy characters . I think it's Madge and Victor is it . It is Madge . And yes , because Deal thinks that Jerry is married to Madge .
Yes , yeah , and they sing a fantastic song . Um outside of that , I love you yeah and they're singing , as a married couple , about all of the things that really , really annoy but if you ignore that , I really love you .
But outside of that I love you and it's just it's very , very funny and funny story .
I recently saw Cabaret in London and Herrschreiter the older lady oh , yes , yes , isn't it ? Herrschreiter . I think it is Herrschreiter , or is that sound of music I'm thinking of ?
I think you said this the last time . Anyway , yes , as in whenever we were doing cover .
Anyway , the older lady , the actress who was playing it was sensational , everything about it was sensational . But she was oh my God , she ripped your heart out and squashed it on the floor . But she was strangely familiar to me and I was like I
¶ What Would Patty Do?
recognize her face and I know her voice and I was like it was killing me . I was going I don't know her , like what have I seen her in before ? What have I seen her in before ? So , unlike you , I'm terrible . Now . I don't buy programs because they're so bloody expensive the only place that isn't expensive .
It's a board gosh oh , very good and . I have noticed that .
Sorry , but yeah okay , um , so I will just wait till it's over , and obviously , because in cabaret they give you a sticker and you have to put it over your phone , you can't use your phone . So I waited until I got back to the hotel and I looked it up and it was an actress called Vivian Parry , who I saw for the very first time as Madge in Top Hat .
That's hilarious , and I was like , oh my goodness , it was her . Like she was in Top Hat , and I loved her . Like for for weeks I listened to that song outside of that . I love you . I hate the way you comb your hair .
I hate that that's so strange , yeah and she was brilliant and she still is brilliant yeah , see , everything just is all connected I know yeah floor line schneider . So I was right . Yeah , yeah , okay , phew , because I don't want to get confused with the sound of music .
No , please , no , okay , um , what would patty do for ?
this week . I don't want this episode to end , I'm just saying I'm really enjoying talking about top hat well , it's been lovely and I know if you don't want it to end , so we just have a sing song . Let's do a sing song .
Let's do the hooray for hollywood routine . Okay , great , okay , we'll do it on camera yeah okay , what would patty do ? okay , now I want you to listen to this whole thing because I know you , you're gonna go . Well , it's already happened , right ?
So would you rather lose a shoe during a big tap number or suffer a costume tear forcing you to complete the performance in a makeshift outfit ? So , oh , the glasses are off . He's thinking about it . So shoe comes off during the tap number or your costume breaks , but you can't go on and you've got to makeshift your costume .
Babes Costume nearly came off and I was on stage and couldn't go off but this one .
this is very specifically you need to complete performance in a makeshift outfit . You didn't have to makeshift an outfit during your sharing of your mum .
Stuff up , I'd do that .
You'd do that rather than your tap shoe I think that's the most frustrating thing .
Actually , worse than the tap shoe falling off , is the tap of the tap shoe coming off mid routine , isn't it ? The worst though do you know what I ? Isn't it the worst ?
I can only compare that to , and I can't , but I can only compare that to , and I can't , but I can only compare that to a guitarist breaking a string halfway through a song .
Yeah , that is the only thing that must be as frustrating I can't think of a drummer breaking a skin or something like that , but it is the most frustrating and you're like fling and then you lose the little screw and then , just like you , carrying your screw in your pocket , yeah , yeah , because currently there's a screw in my glasses that just likes to listen
every 30 minutes .
Um , no , but it and the non-hoofers listening to this will not understand the annoyance that causes , yeah and it puts you off your step and like taps so intricate too like that's something flat it's when it clings on for dear life as well .
You know , like , say , two out of the three screws comes out and there's one bloody screw hanging in there for dear life and you're like , do you know what it is ? Just give up the ghost and come off too , because it would be much easier than this , like swivel of a tap as you're trying to hoof around .
So yeah , I would be okay with the wardrobe malfunction and having to come on in a makeshift . In a makeshift , whatever you'd style it out , whereas you can't style a flappy tap no , no , true , that's a great , that was a great one . Yeah
¶ Tap Dancing Reflections
, that's a great , that was a great one , yeah , yeah , that had a bit of juice to it , and also , just as we're talking about , like annoyance with tap shoes .
Um , it's really annoying whenever you tap on and your heel gets caught , like you know , if the floor isn't even . Remember , we used to tap on a floor that wasn't even um , and your heel got caught like in a bit of wood and then you got stuck and you're like you nearly like catapult forward .
I haven't tapped for a long time and it wasn't maybe a couple of weeks , maybe a month and a half ago . I put them back on again because somebody they were going for an audition and they'd asked for like a quick , you know half hour .
Oh my god did you miss it ?
yeah , should we go back ? And it was only when I put them back on , I went and my signs were still crystal clear . I'm not lying , like I thought , because I'm sorry , you can , you can , you can fake a faker but , like we'll know yeah , oh yeah .
Do you know what I ?
mean , if you're like dummy , fluting your yeah , your taps , and was like I'm really proud of myself , my ankles can still move in this way , love it . I felt it the next day , though , oh I'm sure , and it was only like half an hour , and I was like basic , it was basic steps , oh my goodness , but I went . It did make me go . Do you know what ?
If I had more time and there was an adult class , I'd go .
Yeah , and there was an adult class , I'd go . Yeah , it's the one thing that makes me proud . Whenever the kids are coming back and wanting to do a little bit of like tap practice , and I'll maybe get up beside them and , like Aaron , will go . You're actually really good at that and I'm like , oh , thank you like Aaron , is very supportive of anything .
I do .
But it's just lovely because that was like a child skill that I was like , oh thanks , I can still do it yeah , no , that's the thing with tap .
I don't think you ever lose it . It's that muscle memory again , isn't that ? I think it's such a specific skill yeah , or teaching . Do you know what I mean ? That once you've been taught , it that's like your ankles will always move like that you'll always hear the beats that are missing you'll , you know yeah , yeah , I love tap shows .
We need to do more tap shows .
Yeah , there needs to be more tap shows out there or bring back the tap shows that there are like bring it's great , bring back the top hats yeah , yeah you know , people often think like anything goes . Maybe we said this when we did anything goes , that anything goes as a tap show . But it's not really there's like one tap number in it .
Yeah , if you do it as a tap number and you don't even need to , yeah , true , do you know what I mean ? But yeah , what ? Other tap shows are there obviously crazy for you . It's got a good bit of tap in it um holiday inn is with a big tap . Yes , it's a big tap , and but again , is that like one number ?
It could be one number .
White Christmas is mostly tap , isn't it yeah ?
And then obviously in Young Frankenstein .
There's at the end is the tap . Yeah , putting on the Ritz tap .
Newsies .
Newsies . Newsies has a tap number . Well done , well done , aaron . We have taught you so much . I much I know , and that is again another musical that we both adore and we need to .
Yeah , we need to do , don't we need to do ? There's just so , so many . Well , we're making our way through them , making our way through them , one musical at a time folks fancy that .
But you'll just have to come back next week then see what we're doing next week .
Until then , bye .