A pig of a man singing about why women are merely objects to be enjoyed by men. Adrianna Boris returns to discuss Carl Magnus, misogyny, and that beautiful voice. If you want to learn more about Cincinnati Music Theatre you can go here: http://cincinnatimusictheatre.org You can follow Adrianna on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/mrswillshakes/ Or Twitter : https://twitter.com/mrswillshakes/ You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat , by going here: https://...
Jan 13, 2021•51 min•Season 8Ep. 8
Liaisons. What's happened to them? In this episode Jackson Cooper joins Kyle to try and figure that out. This song just may be the secret to understanding the whole show. You can follow Jackson on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/jackson.cooper.arts/ Here's more of Bea Arthur 's best putdowns on The Golden Girls : https://youtu.be/_eTKZPb1H4A The entire Portobello Road from Bedknobs and Broomsticks : https://youtu.be/tr6oHPmdNbg You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Fini...
Jan 06, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 8Ep. 7
Perhaps the funniest song in the entire score, You Must Meet My Wife shows how clueless Frederick is and how petty Desiree seems to be. Celina Reynes returns to discuss those matters and unpack the subtext of this song. Follow Celina on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/metoomusical/ And check out her website here: https://celinareynes.com You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat , by going here: https://amzn.to/2LB9ZJo We are using three productions to...
Dec 30, 2020•52 min•Season 8Ep. 6
Sometimes we see an ex and flashes of memory come to us. That's what this song does as Frederick and Desiree lock eyes with one another. But how true are their memories? Christine Chen returns to try and answer that question with Kyle. Christine's Blog : https://acrossthearch.wordpress.com Christine's Twitter : https://twitter.com/AcrossTheArch Christine's podcast, Bottomless Broadway : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bottomless-broadway/id1457465060 To learn more about the movie Divos! yo...
Dec 23, 2020•55 min•Season 8Ep. 5
The Glamorous Life is a song where Desiree's daughter sings about Desiree's supposed fancy profession. In reality Desiree is just tired. Kyle is tired because there are (sort of) three versions of this song! Brian Holcomb and Joel Perkin join him to break down why there's such a difference between the stage version and the film version. You can follow Joel on Twitter here : https://twitter.com/mrperkinbrhs?lang=en You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat , by g...
Dec 16, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 8Ep. 4
Now, Later, and Soon are a triplet of songs that introduce us to three different characters. At the end all the songs converge to reveal the fears and desires of those characters. Daniel Bund joins Kyle to unpack the comedy that works and doesn't. You can follow Daniel's alter ego, Anne Elle Fischer , on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anneellefischer/ Or follow him on Twitter : https://twitter.com/bunddan You can listen to Kyle's appearance on Before the Downbeat podcast here: https://anch...
Dec 09, 2020•1 hr 26 min•Season 8Ep. 3
A Little Night Music opens up in quite the unique way. A set of four people sing the melody of a couple of songs in the score. It's an experiment that was hardly ever tried again. Plus, how does the film version introduce the characters? You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat , by going here: https://amzn.to/2LB9ZJo We are using three productions to frame our discussion of A Little Night Music. The Original Broadway Cast (1973) starring Glynis Johns, Len Cari...
Dec 02, 2020•34 min•Season 8Ep. 2
We start our season looking at the inspiration that led to A Little Night Music . Smiles of a Summer Night is sometimes considered Ingmar Bergman 's first masterpiece. It certainly was the first film to bring him recognition. David Youn joins Kyle to discuss the movie in more detail. You can find the podcast Kyle and Dave do together, Kyle and Dave vs The Machine , here: https://kdvstm.transistor.fm You can follow Dave on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/MvfPodcast Or on Instagram : https://www...
Nov 25, 2020•45 min•Season 8Ep. 1
Now, I can't tell you how excited I am for the new season. Later next week you'll get to hear it. It'll be here soon enough. A new season of Putting It Together debuts next Wednesday (November 25) all about the musical A Little Night Music ! A season where we'll learn how to celebrate a weekend in the country, be each other's liaisons, and when to send in the clowns. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
Nov 18, 2020•2 min
The Last of Sheila is a cult classic film co-written by Stephen Sondheim. Erik Stadnik returns to discuss the inspiration, the execution, and the reception to this oddity of a movie. Erik's new podcast So Much Stuff to Sing : https://somuchstufftosing.libsyn.com Erik's Twitter : https://twitter.com/sjcAustenite Erik's Prague Blog : http://erikspragueblog.blogspot.com You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat , by going here: https://amzn.to/2LB9ZJo Our sponsors ...
Nov 04, 2020•44 min•Season 7Ep. 25
There has been over a dozen major productions of Follies . Some have released an album version of the show. Kyle takes the time to listen to all the albums he could find to discover the best Follies recording, and which songs on each album are standouts. You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat , by going here: https://amzn.to/2LB9ZJo We are using three productions to frame our discussion of Follies. The original Broadway cast starring Alexis Smith, John McMart...
Oct 28, 2020•35 min•Season 7Ep. 24
Follies is full of songs. But that doesn't mean that certain tunes didn't get cut during the creative process. On this episode Kyle details the 10 songs that weren't included in Follies and why they didn't ever see time on-stage. Here are the songs that we talked about that you can listen to now: Bring on the Girls - https://youtu.be/K2W5EnSEYQ0 Cheri - N/A Can That Boy Foxtrot - https://youtu.be/sH8OjIpWTLE Pleasant Little Kingdom - https://youtu.be/VYKQKX5lPqw The World’s Full of Girls / The W...
Oct 21, 2020•44 min•Season 7Ep. 23
It's not exactly the play where everything goes wrong, but it feels like it! Ben tries to put on a smiling face, dance, and be charming but the show is crumbling around him. William White returns to the podcast to close out the Follies season. William's brand new podcast The Classical Gabfest : https://cgf.buzzsprout.com William's website : http://www.willcwhite.com William's Twitter : https://twitter.com/willcwhite William's YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/user/willcwhite This song is a pasti...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 7Ep. 22
The 1987 London version of Follies decided to change how the show ended. Out was the original ending of Live, Laugh, Love and instead was this song. Colm Molloy joins Kyle to figure out which ending might be better and why it's probably not this one. You can check out Colm's website here: http://colmmolloy.com His Twitter : https://twitter.com/colmmolloy_/ His Soundcloud : https://soundcloud.com/colmmolloy His YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxq_yKV2rUiu9MEf8NyP2Tg And checkout the mu...
Oct 07, 2020•54 min•Season 7Ep. 21
Depending on the actress that is cast as Phyllis she might be asked to perform The Story of Lucy and Jessie or this song. This is a burlesque strip tease. Phyllis is asking the audience what they expect to find underneath. Celina Reynes joins Kyle to discuss what it is that's revealed and what remains hidden. Follow Celina on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/metoomusical/ And check out her website here: https://celinareynes.com Liza Minnelli singing Losing My Mind ! - https://youtu.be/r...
Sep 30, 2020•58 min•Season 7Ep. 20
It's time for Phyllis to shine! Should she be more like Jessie or Lucy? You see it's not that easy. Victoria Gordon returns to educate Kyle about what this song is actually about and how Phyllis is the unsung hero of the show. Victoria's website : https://www.thevictoriagordon.com Victoria's Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/thevictoriagordon/ Victoria's Twitter : https://twitter.com/thevictorialive The full context of the Diana Rigg clip: https://youtu.be/BKwsCAN9L3s April in Paris , writte...
Sep 23, 2020•52 min•Season 7Ep. 19
This song is deceptively simple. There is a richness to it both musically and thematically in the show. Ashley Pribyl returns to offer insight and tells the story about which character this song was originally written for. Follow Ashley on Twitter : https://twitter.com/pribbleprabble Or on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/pribylprabble/ Losing My Mind is a pastiche song. It was inspired by the Gerswins ' The Man I Love . Here's a version sung by Ella Fitzgerald : https://youtu.be/wsI5UCTFom...
Sep 16, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 7Ep. 18
We have entered the pscyho Follies. Buddy is up first to sing about what is driving him mad. David Heineman returns to explore Buddy's psyche, talking fast, and who performed it best. David's last appearance was talking about Simple from Anyone Can Whistle : https://share.transistor.fm/s/1722d41a Musically this song is based on The Half of It, Dearie, Blues ; lyrics by Ira Gershwin with music by George Gershwin : https://youtu.be/lBep-Pdv74g Lyrically this song is based on I Wish I Were in Love ...
Sep 09, 2020•55 min•Season 7Ep. 17
This is the only time the younger versions of the four main characters get to sing a song. Is the jaunty melody actually a sign that their relationships started positively but became corrupted? Or are they trading fake niceties to hide the negativity brewing in their lives? A Fine Romance , music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Dorothy Fields , performed by Ella Fitzgerald : https://youtu.be/VMUFn9D6xR8 Let's Take a Walk Around the Block , music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and E. Y. ...
Sep 02, 2020•58 min•Season 7Ep. 16
Is Loveland a collective mental breakdown, or is there something deeper going on? Steve Johnson joins Kyle to discuss MGM musicals and the idea that this is just the crossing of the threshold to the fantastic. You can follow Steve on Twitter : https://twitter.com/SteveTomJohn And you can check out his YouTube channel, The Listener's Guide , here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thelistenersguide/ Listen to Shakespeare with original pronunciation here: https://youtu.be/YiblRSqhL04 In the second half of...
Aug 26, 2020•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 15
Phyllis deserves more love! Both in the show and from general audiences. In this song she delivers withering barbs to her husband Ben. But could she also be hiding behind a mask of anger her vulnerability? Darby Turnbull returns to discuss this and more! Darby's Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/darby2u/ This episode ends with Donna Murph y's rendition of Could I Leave You : https://youtu.be/_B3MvJhn2Hs You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat , by going he...
Aug 19, 2020•45 min•Season 7Ep. 14
One More Kiss was cut from the original Broadway cast album. That's a shame because it just might be the most thematically rich song of the entire show. Marco DeNinis joins Kyle to explore operetta, ghosts, and beautiful things dying. You can follow Marco on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/marcodeninis/ You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat , by going here: https://amzn.to/2LB9ZJo We are using three productions to frame our discussion of Follies. The o...
Aug 12, 2020•41 min•Season 7Ep. 13
Buddy is mad. He dreams of being with the right girl. But who is that right girl? Isaac Bernier-Doyle returns to discuss Margie, delusions, and dad's dancing. You can find Isaac on Twitter : https://twitter.com/isaacbd Or on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/isaacbd/ Isaac is also the co-host of That's a Shame : https://shame.city Sondheim on Reddit : https://www.reddit.com/r/Sondheim/ You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat , by going here: https://amzn.t...
Aug 05, 2020•58 min•Season 7Ep. 12
David Möschler is a conductor and musical director. He's also the founder of Awesöme Orchestra Collective . In this "intermission" from Follies David and Kyle dive into what makes Sondheim magical and which songs from Follies are the best. David Möschler's website : https://www.davidmoschler.com More about Awesöme Orchestra Collective : http://www.awesomeorchestra.org Follow David on Twitter : https://twitter.com/davidmoschler On Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/davidmoschler/ On Facebook :...
Jul 29, 2020•51 min•Season 7Ep. 11
I'm so content spending time with you! Mackenzie Horner (of the Before the Downbeat podcast) joins Kyle to discuss people lying while singing. But also the interesting way that the lyrics interact with the music in the song Too Many Mornings . You can listen to Before the Downbeat here: https://anchor.fm/beforethedownbeat You can follow the show on Twitter : https://twitter.com/beforedownbeat Or Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/beforethedownbeat/ You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first bo...
Jul 22, 2020•57 min•Season 7Ep. 10
Whether it's good times or bum times it's still fun to sit around and talk about this song that can often steal the show. I'm Still Here is a song that's been covered by dozens of artists, but how does it work in the show Follies ? Alex Stuive joins Kyle to explain the references and how the music in addition to the lyrics makes this one of Sondheim's best. Follow Alex on Twitter : https://twitter.com/AlexStuive Commission Alex by emailing him at: ajstuive@gmail.com An example of Milton Babbitt ...
Jul 15, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Season 7Ep. 9
Is this a throwaway song or does it offer some subtext to the dissolving relationships within the show? Karen Unland returns to discuss weary women and tap numbers. Ella Fitzgerald sings Down in the Depths : https://youtu.be/xHpHOBTSo9Q Susan Egan and Brian d'Arcy James sing Mountain Greenery : https://youtu.be/J9sqOqWLAUo You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat , by going here: https://amzn.to/2LB9ZJo We are using three productions to frame our discussion of ...
Jul 08, 2020•54 min•Season 7Ep. 8
It's Sally's turn to lie about herself. Christine Chen returns to discuss where Sally's headspace is currently at in the show and whether she was ever happy with Buddy. Christine's Blog : https://acrossthearch.wordpress.com Christine's Twitter : https://twitter.com/AcrossTheArch Christine's podcast, Bottomless Broadway : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bottomless-broadway/id1457465060 You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat , by going here: https://amzn....
Jul 01, 2020•54 min•Season 7Ep. 7
Country House is a song that was written specifically for the 1987 London version of Follies . Does it add to the show? Or is it simply an interesting curiosity? Adrianna Boris returns to help Kyle decide. If you want to learn more about Cincinnati Music Theatre you can go here: http://cincinnatimusictheatre.org You can follow Adrianna on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/mrswillshakes/ Or Twitter : https://twitter.com/mrswillshakes/ The Julie Andrews and Stephen Collins version of Country H...
Jun 24, 2020•55 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Ben must confront the decisions he's made, but is he being truthful? Anna Hulkower and Tim Kov (hosts of My Little Tonys ) return to the show to unpack the subtext of this song and delight in the Sondheim wordplay. You can listen to My Little Tonys here: https://www.mylittletonyspodcast.com You can also follow them on Twitter : https://twitter.com/mylittletonys Or on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/mylittletonys/ Check out Tim 's workshops by send a DM to his Instagram : https://www.instag...
Jun 17, 2020•55 min•Season 7Ep. 5
