You may be familiar with the musical RENT and the tragic death of its creator, Jonathan Larson, shortly before its premiere Off-Broadway, but there’s more to Larson’s legacy as a musical theatre writer and composer that you may not know. Let’s explore how Larson’s influence inspired some of the artists that came after him, and the impact his works have left on the genre as a whole. Katya also recommends the following article for your post-episode reading pleasure: https://www.vox.com/culture/22787502/tick-tick-boom-lin-manuel-miranda-jonathan-larson

In the conclusion to our first two-part episode, Katya examines two musicals in particular that were adapted into movies, and why she thinks they missed the mark. A warning: if you have strong positive feelings about the film adaptations of Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods, you will not like what Katya has to say about them… Regardless, you can find tickets and info for AOMT’s Fringe Festival show, “Perils of Penzance!” here: https://tickets.fringetheatre.ca/event/601:7502/

Katya examines what it takes to successfully adapt a stage musical for film from the perspective of a theatre fan, with examples from across the decades. Perhaps some of what she considers to be the best film adaptations of musicals may not be what you’d expect…

For Pride month, Katya explores LGBTQIA2S+ representation on the Broadway stage, with a spotlight on two musicals that especially cover the “L” in the acronym. (Note: In this episode, Katya utilizes both the terms “LGBTQIA2S+” and “queer” interchangeably, and there is one use of the word “dyke” - in reference to the title of a comic strip written by a lesbian cartoonist - as well as a brief mention of suicide.)

Katya highlights different methods of maintaining one’s voice.

Sometimes great musicals still get forgotten over time, overlooked as newer shows take over the spotlight. Katya’s here to dig these buried treasures back up and explain why your local theatre troupe should do the same - starting with “The Secret Garden”.

Following up on our previous composer spotlight, Katya discusses how Stephen Sondheim revolutionized the genre his mentor Oscar Hammerstein II helped pioneer, and explores Sondheim’s philosophy behind writing lyrics. Videos referenced in this episode can be found here and here.

Turns out there are a lot of little details in “Hamilton” that, while you may not have consciously noticed, do a lot to assist in telling the story beyond Lin-Manuel’s lyrics. Katya and special guest Drewe discuss the lighting and set design of this powerhouse show, highlighting the importance of these elements in musical theatre.