Scene to Song May Newsletter
And so I sing that I feel so much spring.
Last month I announced that Scene to Song was switching from a bi-weekly release schedule (with a sizable summer hiatus) to a monthly release schedule. While I miss having more new episodes being released, this pace is a lot more manageable for me right now. I hope you will stick with me in the four or five weeks between episodes! I’m planning for the next one to come out on Monday, June 10th.
Also, a reminder that I am not an awards show person, so for a musical theater podcast there will be very little Tony content here and on the podcast social media during awards season. I may or may not watch the Tony Awards, and I may or may not have some comments on it in the June newsletter. I’ll see how I’m feeling. I think artists and their work should be honored, but I hate celebrating that artists are pitted against each other in this crazy business, and that’s what award shows feel like to me. That said, I always look to see who’s nominated and who wins, and if someone I know has been nominated or I love a certain play or musical a whole lot, sometimes I do want them to win. I’m only human in a capitalist society.
Award shows aside, I’ve seen some wonderful musical theater this past month, include the Tommy and The Wiz revivals, the new musical Lempicka (z”l), and the Bengson’s The Keep Going Songs at Lincoln Center Theater. There are more musicals I want to see and some I probably won’t get to, and I’m always happy to feel as though there are so many musicals, especially new ones, though I wish I could see them all.
And if you are not yet subscribed to these emails and want to be, subscribe here:
— Shoshana
Recent Episodes
Episode 108: Elphaba and Glinda from Wicked Are Absolutely Gay
In this episode, multi-disciplinary black femme storyteller AriDy Nox discusses how Elphaba and Galinda/Glinda from Wicked are absolutely gay. We also talk about the song "The Spark of Creation" from the 1991 Stephen Schwartz and John Caird musical Children of Eden.
Music played in this episode:
"One Short Day" from Wicked
"For Good" from Wicked
"What is this Feeling" from Wicked
"Popular" from Wicked
"Defying Gravity" from Wicked
"I’m Not That Girl Reprise" from Wicked
"The Spark of Creation" from Children of Eden
Meet the Guests!
AriDy Nox is a multi-disciplinary black femme storyteller with a variety of forward-thinking creative works under their belt including the historical reimagining of the life of Sally Hemmings Black Girl in Paris (2020), the ancestral reckoning play A Walless Church (2019), the generational magical realism heptology The Freshwater Plays (2020) and many others. AriDy creates out of the vehement belief that creating a liberated future requires a radical imagination. Their tales are offerings intended to function as small parts of an ancient, expansive, awe-inspiring tradition of world-shaping created by black femmes and with black femmes at the center. As a graduate of the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at Tisch School of the Performing Arts at NYU, a beneficiary of the Musical Theatre Factory Inaugural MAKERS cohort and the Horizon Theatre’s Black Women Speak Cohort, a beneficiary of the Civilian’s Research and Development Group, a 2020-2023 fellow of the Emerging Writer’s Group at the Public Theatre, a recipient of the 2022 Live and In Color June Bingham commission, a 2022-2025 Playwrights Center Core Writer, and the 2023/2024 Van Lier New Voices Fellow, they have been inordinately privileged to share the workings of their imagination in collaboration with a vast array of inspiring and supportive artists of various radical backgrounds throughout the count.
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Current Town: New York, NY
What are you Working on Right Now: bayou from The Freshwater Plays
What do you have coming up: Reading for bayou at Rattlestick Theater
Book, TV, film, or Theater Recommendation: The Gift by Lewis Hyde
Where can we find you online/social media: @aridynox on instagram
Musical of the Month
The Musicals of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Richard M. Sherman, the younger of the two Sherman brothers, passed away on May 25th at age 95, so I thought I would use this section to highlight his work. Richard and his brother Robert, who passed in 2012, wrote numerous songs for the Disney theme parks and films, and though they’re not usually thought of as musical theater writers their work has graced Broadway multiple times.
The Sherman Brothers made their Broadway debut in 1974 with Over Here!, set in the 1940s, which ran for 341 performances and became the top-grossing production of the Broadway season. Busker Alley, their musical with a book by AJ Carothers based on the 1938 British film St. Martin's Lane and starring Tommy Tune, which they had been working on since the late 1960s, failed to come to Broadway after a U.S. tour in 1995. Robert W. Schneider’s recent podcast Broadway Bound details this story in the episode on Busker Alley.
They were back on Broadway in 2005 with a stage version of the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, for which they had written songs almost 40 years earlier and wrote a few new ones as well. The musical also ran in London before Broadway.
Their biggest hit was the stage version of Mary Poppins, which also ran in London before coming to Broadway in 2006. After 2,619 performances, the show closed in 2013. While the stage version was a combination of the 1964 film and the P.L. Travers book with additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, and a book by Julian Fellowes, the songs from the film remained.
But I think their greatest theatrical legacy is their songs for films, and even for the theme parks. They always wrote for characters and story from The Jungle Book to Bedknobs and Broomsticks to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and more.
Listen to episode 53 on Disney Musicals for some discussion on their Disney musicals for Broadway and to episode 72 on Disney Parks Music as Musical Theater, in which we look at Disney parks music as musical theater and a bit of history as to how they were constructed that way, featuring the Sherman brothers songs "The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room,” "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," and "It's a Small World."
Also in May…
May 2: Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George opens on Broadway (1984) and Caroline, or Change opens on Broadway (2004). Listen to a discussion of the song “Move On” from Sunday… in episode 63 on Latinx Stories and Bilingualism in Musical Theater and discussions on Caroline, or Change in episode 22 on Representations of Judaism in Musical Theater and episode 109 on Jeanine Tesori Musicals.
May 3: Happy Birthday, lyricist Howard Ashman (1950) and lyricist and librettist Betty Comden (1915), Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella opened on Broadway (1956), and The Fantasticks opens Off-Broadway (1960). Celebrate Ashman’s work by listening to episode 76 on The Musicals of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman and celebrate Comden’s work in episode 104 on Leonard Bernstein's New York City.
May 8: Stephen Sondheim, Burt Shevelove, and Larry Gelbart’s A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum opens on Broadway (1962). Listen to a discussion on this musical in episode 108 on The Bimbo or Ditz Character in Sondheim Musicals.
May 11: Happy Birthday, Irving Berlin (1888)! And George Abbott, Robert Russell, John Kander, and Fred Ebb’s Flora the Red Menace (1965) opens on Broadway. Listen to a discussion of the song “A Quiet Thing” from Flora the Red Menace in episode 61 on The Musicals of Cy Coleman.
May 12: Michael Gore, Dean Pitchford, and Lawrence D. Cohen’s Carrie opens on Broadway (1988). Listen to a discussion on Carrie and the song “And Eve Was Weak” in episode 46 on Horror in Musical Theater.
May 14: Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso’s Working (with various composers/lyricists) opens on Broadway (1978). Listen to discussions of Micki Grant’s song “Cleanin’ Women” from Working in episode 9 on The Female Gaze in Musical Theater and in episode 71 on Black Women in Musical Theater History.
May 17: Happy Birthday, composer/lyricist Bob Merrill (1921) and Stephen Schwartz's Godspell opens Off-Broadway. Celebrate by listening to episode 80 on Jule Styne, Bob Merrill, and Isobel Lennart's Funny Girl and episode 89 on The Musicals of Stephen Schwartz.
May 18: Happy Birthday, Meredith Willson (1902)! Celebrate by listening to episode 8 on Meredith Willson’s The Music Man.
May 21: Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents's Gypsy opens on Broadway (1959). Listen to a discussion of this musical in episode 97 on The Character of Rose in Gypsy.
May 23: Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle, F.E. Miller, and Aubrey Lyles's Shuffle Along opens on Broadway (1921). Listen to episode 87 on Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle, Flournoy Miller, and Aubrey Lyles’s Shuffle Along.
May 24: Jerome Lawrence, Robert Edwin Lee, and Jerry Herman’s Mame opens on Broadway (1966). Listen to a discussion on Mame in episode 34 on The Musicals of Jerry Herman.
May 26: Happy Birthday, Al Jolson (1886)! Celebrate by listening to a discussion of his film The Jazz Singer in episode 24 on The Formation of White/White Jewish Identity in America and the Racial History of America Constructed through Musical Theater.
May 28: Rodgers & Hammerstein's Me and Juliet opens on Broadway (1953). Listen to a discussion on Me and Juliet in episode 65 on Artist Characters in Musical Theater.
May 30: Happy Birthday, Fiddler on the Roof librettist Joseph Stein (1912)! Celebrate him by listening to episode 28 on Bock and Harnick’s Musicals Fiddler on the Roof and The Rothschilds.
Find more musical theater history for May at musicals101.com.
New Musicals!
While Scene to Song mainly looks at musicals already part of the canon, I definitely want to highlight new musicals and musicals in development.
An Un-Hero’s Journey
I haven’t seen this show, but I’ve listened to songs that were released last month as a demo cast recording, and the music and story are intriguing. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of An Un-Hero’s Journey soon.
Creative Team: Book, Music, and Lyrics by Brett Macias; additional book and lyrics by Jessica Carmona
Synopsis: Six years ago, Hector Gonzalez's world changed. His father, a man shrouded in mystery, vanished without a trace in the paradise of Costa Rica. Now, fueled by a burning desire for answers, Hector embarks on a truth-altering quest alongside an unexpected ally--his half-sister, Jasmine. Together, they plunge into the vibrant, untamed heart of Costa Rica to find the key to their father's disappearance. But as they delve deeper, shocking truths surface, shattering the tough image they held of their father. This is more than just a search for a missing man; it's a descent into a hidden past, a confrontation with a legacy shrouded in secrets. Hector and Jasmine's search for their missing father in Costa Rica becomes a journey of self-discovery. As they navigate vibrant cultures and unearth buried family secrets, they'll confront not only the mysteries of the past, but also who they truly are. The musical is based on events from Macias’ life.
Development History: An Un-hero’s Journey was presented in an industry reading in New York City on October 30, 2023.
Listen to the seven song demo cast recording EP.
Something Wonderful
Some additional recommendations for May:
Panel Discussion: “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical” at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Associates will present a celebration of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Discussing Hair’s ongoing relevance is a panel including theater critic Peter Marks, original Broadway cast members Shelley Plimpton and Dale Soules, and longtime Hair publicist Merle Frimark, moderated by arts journalist and Emmy Award-winning commentator Patrick Pacheco. Thursday, June 20, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET at the National Museum of American History’s Warner Bros. Theater at 1300 Constitution Ave. N.W.; the event is free and will be simulcast on Zoom.
Event: The World According to Micki Grant (An evening of Music, Poetry, Song & Dance) at the WP Theater in New York City. Micki Grant’s unpublished poems, lyrics, written musings on love, politics, family, and historical figures loved and lost, as well as music rarely heard, accented with songs from her award-winning work: Your Arms Too Short to Box With God, So Nice To Be Civilized, & Working, and more. With Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, Micki Grant became the first Black woman to write the book, music, and lyrics of a Broadway musical. May 31-June 29th.
Cast Recording: Here We Are. Many saw the final Stephen Sondheim musical (with a book by David Ives), but for me it was the kind of show I needed to see twice, and I didn’t have the time or the funds. But now I can at least get a second hearing. The recording includes many of the scenes as well as the songs, so I had no trouble recalling the show and delving deeper. I’m so glad I have access to it again, as I suspect it won’t be produced too often—though it should be!
Hosted by writer Shoshana Greenberg, Scene to Song brings on a guest to talk about a musical, musical theater writer, or a topic or trend in musical theater. The theme music is by Julia Meinwald.
You can write to scenetosong@gmail.com with a comment or question about an episode or about musical theater, or if you’d like to be a podcast guest. Follow on Instagram at @ScenetoSong, on Twitter at @SceneSong, and on Facebook at “Scene to Song with Shoshana Greenberg Podcast.”
Shoshana Greenberg is a lyricist, librettist, singer, and theater journalist. Her musicals include Days of Rage with Hyeyoung Kim and Lightning Man with Jeffrey Dennis Smith. She has also written the opera “The Community” with Kevin Cummines. Her songs have been heard at venues from Lincoln Center to the Duplex, where she performed her one-woman show Not Coming Back. She’s written for American Theatre Magazine, is a contributing editor for the publication Musical Theater Today, and created and hosts the musical theater podcast Scene to Song. She holds an M.F.A. from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU and a B.A. from Barnard College.