Spirits and Chat with Jon and Matt

I'll be there for you...to talk about this very theatrical episode of the 90's hit "Friends." Even though Joey doesn't always behave in a professional manner, this episode portrays a refreshingly accurate look of what it's like working on an off-broadway show. Also Phoebe spends the entire episode on a landline phone, Ross has the best fashion sense, and Ben Stiller guest stars as Rachel's highly problematic date. 

What is the deal with this podcast? We watch the classic episode of "Seinfeld" that combines three things every gay man loves: Broadway, Bette Midler, and Tonya Harding! 

Don't you just hate when you land the lead role in a play and then your twin steals the part? That's what happens to poor Tamera Landry in this season two episode of "Sister, Sister." We sip on some Captain Morgan rum and have a 90s throwback while discussing high school theater, why Tim Reid and Jackee Harry are comic geniuses, and how the WB started off strong but slowly became a home for orphaned sitcoms. 

We're back talking about another episode of "The Simpsons"! This one reunites Marge with her high school classmates to revive their senior high school play, "Y2K: The Musical." We discuss why Marge would make the perfect stage manager, reminisce about the 90s and the actual Y2K crisis, and experience extreme existential dread as we come to the realization that we are now officially the same age as Marge and Homer. 

Who should have won the Best Musical Tony in 1999: Fosse, Parade, or Yetta's letters? This week we sip on refreshing Fresca (which Jonathan "absolutely" recommends with a splash of delicious Absolute Vodka for a quick Summer cocktail) and then fall in love with everything Yetta on The Nanny. Join us as we deep dive all that is wrong with the production timeline of turning Yetta's Letters from actual letters into a broadway musical in six weeks, why Fran Drescher is a comedy goddess, and debate whether Yetta should have chosen Richard or Joe. 

If you were ever looking for a cartoon that could touch on pretty much all of theater's tropiest tropes, look no further than Family Guy. This week we sip on Spice Professors' delicious golden starfruit tea (our first non-alcoholic beverage featured on the show. Also apparently we are loose leaf tea people now. Who would've thunk it?) and talk about all of the other amazing tea and spice treasures we found at the Bryant Park Winter Market. Then we enter stage right with the season two Family Guy episode "The King Is Dead", and tread the boards with Peter Griffin as he slowly turns Lois' production of The King and I into a weird mashup of Flashdance, Flash Gordon, and Dune.     

In every generation there is born two snarky gay men to talk about your favorite television episodes where the characters "put on a play." We are talking about ourselves of course! This week we the we sip on Blue Moon (which was delicious and has not turned us into neanderthals...yet) and chat about the season one, episode nine episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer: "The Puppet Show." Listen to us deep dive the humor and the horror of school talent shows, debate whether Principal Snyder or Sid the Dummy is creepier, and review the scoobies performance of Oedipus Rex.       

We're going back to the 90s this week and watching that episode of "Saved By The Bell" where the kids put on a rap version of "Snow White and Seven Dwarves" and Jessie and Zack may or may not have feelings for each other. We sip on Svedka and Sprike (something that Zack may have concocted while raiding his parent's liquor cabinet) and enjoy that gang's antics as they predate "Hamilton" by taking a well known story and infusing it with a hip hop beat. This is a rare episode in which Zack Morris ISN'T complete trash and where Kelly and Slater need to grow up and trust their respective partners. And as always, Lisa Turtle gets all the good lines. 

In this week's episode the boys deep dive The Office and in particular the episode that explores the Scranton, PA community theater scene. We start off by tasting the classic cocktail the 7&7 (made with the delicious Tullamore Dew Irish Whisky we found in the locked bottom drawer of Meredith's desk), discuss The Office and its take on Sweeney Todd, and of course no discussion about theater would be complete without multiple references to the legendary Patti LuPone. 

Jon and Matt discuss that episode of "The Golden Girls" where the ladies are in a production of Picnic (er, or a play that is loosely kinda based on Picnic. Let's call it Not-Picnic) with super handsome womanizer Patrick Vaughn. From Sophia in an adorable pirate costume to a familiar love triangle with the girls all vying for Patrick's attention, this episode is more concerned with slapstick shenanigans than accurately portraying life in the arts. Nevertheless we can't help but laugh at all the familiar community theater tropes this episode portrays. Thank you for being a friend and listening! 

Jackie Harris faces the classic actor's nightmare of having to go onstage without knowing any of your lines in this season three episode of Roseanne. The guys sip on Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (something Roseanne and Dan might enjoy on a night out at the Lobo) and discuss Cyrano De Bergerac, the thankless jobs in community theater, and how everyone in Lanford needs to cut Jackie some serious slack. 

On the season three premiere, Jon and Matt discuss the classic Simpsons episode where Marge is cast as Blanche Dubois in a musical version of A Streetcar Named Desire. From passive aggressive directors, to non-existent fight calls, to leads that are cast solely on their looks, this episode goes deep into life in the community theater. Also we take a detour to the weird world of Ayn Rand when Maggie is forced to attend an objectivism-inspired daycare (Maggie is a total ninja). 

An update about season three, which will feature Jon and Matt reviewing episodes of class tv shows where a character is in involved in theater. 

Jon and Matt chat with Courtney Reardon (Travel Channel's Portals to Hell and Ghost Adventures) and Andrew Hill from Seadside Shadows Haunted Tours in Mystic, CT. Courtney describes her experiences growing up in an actual haunted house and what led her to create the tour company, and Andrew shares the mystical event that changed his view on the paranormal forever. For more info about Seaside Shadows and to book tickets for upcoming tours, please visit https://www.seasideshadows.com/

This week we speak with Sidney Prado (host of the podcast "Behind the Behind") and his wife Nicole to discuss their individual and shared paranormal experiences. 

We wrap up this nightmare of a year by talking about the darker figures in holiday lore (such as Krampus, Belsnickel, and La Befana), the Christmas films that gave us chills, and why Home Alone is the most disturbing movie of all time. 

Matt and Jon speak with the lovely and talented Monique Sanchez (host of "Another F*cking Horror Podcast") about her love of horror films and her own paranormal experiences. 

Happy Halloween! Jon and Matt take a break from their normal format to discuss their favorite horror films of all time. 

This week we are joined by Nancy Mades-Byrd. Nancy is a tour guide with Salem Historical Tours in Salem, MA and host of the podcast "Witch Hunt." We discuss with her the history of witch persecution in the United States and also her personal paranormal experiences while leading tours. 

For more information about Salem Historical Tours, please visit their website at www.salemhistoricaltours.com. 

In this episode we welcome season two's very first guest, Miriam Cole. Miriam is a tour guide at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV and shares with us the history of the asylum as well as her first hand experience with its ghosts. 

This week we're discussing the legendary cocktail named after a terrifying ghost, the Bloody Mary! Jon starts off the show by serving up the drink, which doesn't exactly go according to plan (Spoiler alert: it tasted terrible). Then we discuss the legendary ghoul herself, including Matt's unsuccessful attempts at conjuring her, Bloody Mary's connecting to British history, and why kids are so drawn to summoning her spirit. 

Jon and Matt kick off their brand new season by serving up the vodka gimlet, one of the many drinks used to treat scurvy in the 19th century (seriously what as up with all the scurvy in the 1800s?). Then Jon tells not one, but two frightening stories from his childhood. One involving a Teddy Ruxpin toy that had a penchant for turning on by itself and another about an ominous nightlight casting demonic shadows on his bathroom walls. What causes these electronics to activate on their own? Could it be a simple circuit malfunction, or is there something more supernatural and sinister at play? Enjoy the new season, and maybe tonight DON'T leave the lights on. 

Here's a sneak peek of season two of "Spirits and Chat with Jon and Matt"! This season we will be shifting gears a bit and focusing on the world of the supernatural. Have you ever had a ghostly encounter or witnessed something supernatural? If so we'd love to hear from you! Send us an email at SpiritsandChatPodcast@gmail.com or drop us a DM on Facebook or Twitter.  Also enjoy a preview of our new theme song, written and performed by the fabulous Mikki Hommel! 

In our season finale we mix up the drink named after the NYC borough with the best zoo, The Bronx! Then we discuss the eighties Jim Henson/David film Labyrinth. Dance Magic Dance! 

We're in a New York state of mind this week as we serve the classic Manhattan. Next up we interview Brette Morningstar to discuss her life as a working actress in NYC. Finally we geek out over everyone's favorite Marvel super hero group, the X-Men!

This week we rummaged through our supplies and only came up with vodka and orange juice, so we combined them and made the delightful brunch cocktail known as the Screwdriver (which oddly enough is an iconic drink in LGBTQ history thanks to Miss Anita Bryant). Then it's time to discuss WarPaint, a new brand of makeup specifically created for men. Finally we talk about the trailblazing Nintendo game Super Mario Bros. 2 and how it made history by providing not only one of the first playable female heroes, but also introduced the first transgender character in video game history. 

This week the boys turn on their southern charm to serve up the delightful bourbon cocktail known as the mint julep. Next up, they discuss the ways in which they're dealing with anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally it's time to discuss the Netflix sensation that everyone and their mother is obsessed with...TIGER KING (and also play a rousing game of "Tiger King or Drag Queen", where Matt asks Jon to identity if quotes come from either Tiger King or Rupaul's Drag Race). 

SACWJAM is back after a brief hiatus to serve up the delicious Cuban sensation known as the daiquiri. Next up the guys discuss the trials and tribulations of dog ownership and answer the one question that is on everyone's mind...what breed of dog is the gayest? Then it's time to go back to gritty eighties New York and let Jon explain why "Highlander" is one of the best films of all time (and let Matt tell us why the film is pretty meh). There can be only one! 

It’s a very green themed week at “Spirits and Chat” as we mix up the emerald concoction known as the grasshopper. Next we are shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, to learn that former congressman Aaron Schock finally came out of the closet. Then we ease on down the road to the Emerald City to discuss our favorite musical, “Wicked”!