Settling Scores: The Musical Theatre Podcast

Dec 01 2024 13 ep. 93 mins 4

Settling Scores: The Musical Theatre Podcast artwork

The hosts of Settling Scores delightfully debate one musical per episode, exploring and examining the scores, cast albums, and books in-depth. Fun quizzes, history and insights, Broadway news, and a dash of friendly and funny bickering are a bonus!

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Somewhere That's Mean: Settling Scores Feasts on Little Shop of Horrors

Dec 01 2024 116 mins

Join us down on Skid Row with our latest episode - "Somewhere That's Mean: Settling Scores Feasts on Little Shop of Horrors." Categorizing LSOH (with music by Alan Menken and lyrics/book by Howard Ashman) is a bit tricky. Here’s our best effort: it’s a genre-crossing cult classic chamber musical with elements of dark comedy, horror (obviously), and sci-fi with a ton of catchy M

Into the Weeds with Into the Woods

Oct 16 2024 120 mins

Once Upon A Time… In this episode of Settling Scores, Lenny, Forrest, and Stephanie discuss Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s fractured fairytale mashup, Into the Woods. Classic stories like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk are all featured in this surprisingly dark and twisty musical, with a bodycount rivaled only by Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Is

The Not-So-Simple Joys of Pippin

Sep 04 2024 110 mins

"Join us, leave your fields to flowerJoin us, leave your cheese to sourJoin us, come and waste an hour or twoDoodle-ee-doo" In this episode of Settling Scores, we discuss the not-so-simple joys, the seriously strange (...left-handed fleas and balding griffins, anyone??), and the existential angst of Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson’s medieval musical, Pippin. Along the way, F

Seventy-Six (Trom) Bones to Pick with The Music Man

Jul 25 2024 104 mins

"The Music Man" by Meredith Willson is a classic, big-hearted American musical that premiered on Broadway in 1957 and went on to win five Tony awards. We invite you to fritter away some time with us while we discuss the love (Forrest) and hate (Lenny) relationship we here at Settling Scores have with this show, which features several standards of the musical theatre canon such as S

The Tony Awards Special, Part 2: Diva Duel

Jun 16 2024 63 mins

Forrest and Lenny continue their discussion of the Tony Awards, this time focusing on Best Actress in a Musical award winners of the last twenty-three years. Using the power of math, Stephanie averages their picks and reveals our very own Settling Scores Diva Rankings™️, from worst to first. And join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think!

The Tony Awards Special, Part 1: Dueling Through the Decades

Jun 13 2024 66 mins

In honor of Tony Award season, Lenny and Forrest debate the winners and losers of the Best Musical Tony grouped by decade with their usual friendly bickering and bantering...plus a surprising amount of agreement! We also explain Forrest's severe case of BAS - Bitter Award Syndrome. And join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think!

Revisiting Kander and Ebb's "The Visit"

May 11 2024 98 mins

Join us for a dark and twisty tale of a dish best served very cold. The book is based on Swiss dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt's play, “The Visit of the Old Lady,” and the plot revolves around Claire Zachanassian (It just rolls off the tongue…), a widowed gazillionaire returning to her impoverished hometown to seek revenge on a man named Anton Schell who impregnated and aband

Ragtime Reflections: Dusting Off a Musical Gem

Apr 27 2024 136 mins

"Ragtime: The Musical," with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally, is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow. It's two-and-a-half hours of intense beauty and heartbreaking grief, and frankly, all three of us choked up a little while recording this episode. The (incredibly intricate) plot follows the intersecting lives o

Is NINE a 10?

Feb 15 2024 105 mins

"NINE" is a captivating musical that follows the story of Guido Contini, a famous Italian film director, as he navigates a mid-life crisis and creative block. Set in Venice, the musical delves into Guido's relationships with the various women in his life, including his wife, mistress, muse, and mother. Through vibrant music and compelling storytelling, "NINE" explores themes of lov

A Tribute to Broadway Icon Chita Rivera

Feb 03 2024 29 mins

Join us for a special edition episode celebrating the remarkable artistry and enduring talent of Chita Rivera, a true icon of the Broadway stage.