Explaining Musicals, with Lindsay Ellis

<p>If an emotion is too big for talking, you sing. If it's too big for singing, you dance. And if it's too big for dancing, well, you just gotta podcast!</p> <p>Writer, podcaster, and video essayist Lindsay Ellis knows a thing or two about outsized Broadway emotions—in addition to her many other pursuits, she's created a whole side endeavor talking about them on her musical theater podcast, <a href= "https://twitter.com/musicalsplainin">Musicalsplaining</a>. Ellis guested on last year's Strong Songs episode about Hadestown, and it seemed only natural to have her back for a longer conversation about musical theater.</p> <p>Back in March, she and Kirk hopped on Zoom and chatted about the first musicals they loved, why musicals resonate with teens, how <em>Hadestown</em>'s visual design helps tell a story, and just what the deal is with Andrew Lloyd Webber.</p> <p><strong>CHECK OUT LINDSAY'S WORK</strong></p> <p>Lindsay's bestselling debut novel <a href= "https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250256737"><em>Axiom's End</em></a> is now available, and her second one is on the way. She's <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG1h-Wqjtwz7uUANw6gazRw">a prolific video essayist</a>, and has made some terrific videos about Lord Andy himself. She's also a co-host on <a href= "https://twitter.com/musicalsplainin?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor"> the Musicalsplaining podcast</a>.</p> <p><strong>REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE:</strong></p> <ul> <li>“All I Ask of You (Reprise),” and “Point of No Return” from <em>The Phantom of the Opera</em> (Original London Cast) by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, 1987</li> <li>“Cool” by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim from <em>West Side Story</em>, New Broadway Cast Recording, 2009</li> <li>“Dead Mom” by Eddie Perfect performed by Sophia Anne Caruso from the <em>Beetlejuice</em> OCR, 2019</li> <li>"Non-Stop” by Lin-Manuel Miranda from <em>Hamilton</em>, 2015</li> <li>“Heaven on their Minds” by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice from <em>Jesus Christ Superstar</