The Unauthorized Critics Circle
By The Unauthorized Critics Circle
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The Unauthorized Critics CircleJul 07, 2023
87: Falsettos (Broadway Revival, 2017) Pro-Shot
Homosexuals... women with children... short insomniacs... and a teeny tiny band. No, that's not the description of my recent sex life – The Unauthorized Critics Circle is covering Falsettos! Tune in to this week's episode as we cover James Lapine's hugely popular revival of the work he himself directed a quarter century earlier, and listen to our anecdotes of Joshua's bar mitzvah, Daniel's deepest crushes, and the Lapine idea that Stephanie J. Block outright refused.
Tune in next time when we discuss Sweet Charity; specifically, the National Tour's performance from October 21st 1987!
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86: Hello, Dolly! (Fourth Broadway Revival, June 28, 2017)
Tune in next time when we discuss Falsettos; specifically, the pro-shot recording of the Broadway revival from January 2017!
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85: Critics LIVE! New York, New York (Broadway 2023)
Coming live from the Big Apple, hosts Joshua and Dan....
you know how some days are hard and you don't always think you can come up with terrific pithy descriptions? today is one of those days. we discuss the new Broadway musical New York, New York. John Kander wrote it. the man is a level above National Treasure and attention must be paid, if one has to quote Arthur Miller. Fred Ebb, as ever, is present. Lin Manuel Miranda contributed too. production by Susan Stroman. i think the episode is funny. it's also elegiac and celebratory and somber and excited. it's a series of contradictions, which in a way is exactly what musical theatre is. it's worth giving a listen, i think it might be one of our better eps.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Hello, Dolly!; specifically, the Broadway revival performance from June 28th, 2017!
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84: Ragtime (Broadway, December 26th 1997)
Tune in to the next episode when we discuss the premiere of New York, New York on Broadway as part of our Critics LIVE! series.
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83: Show Boat (San Francisco, June 2014)
Asserting their relevance like never before, Dan and Joshua are FINALLY getting to the hottest ticket in modern musical theatre - the 1928 Kern and Hammerstein musical Show Boat! Now that the embargo has finally dropped, our hosts are free to talk about this groundbreaking new work in a production recorded at the San Francisco Opera. Even if you haven't had the chance to check it out yet (we'll give you some more time), you should join our discussion on such topics as man of the year Garth Drabinsky, the moment musical theatre became serious, and Dan's business plan for a musical theatre opera house.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Ragtime; specifically, the Broadway production's performance from December 29th, 1997.
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82: Critics LIVE! Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Broadway Revival, 2023)
Hosts Josh and Dan offer their appraisal on the current running Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd. Will Josh Groban raise the material up, or will this be another chapter in the history of wrong guys? Did the production cut the song Johanna as Anthony is literally Waving Through a Window during the number and the latter better plays to Jordan Fisher's strengths? What really is the Stranger Things kid's name? Did the Kail salad keep everyone in line and the trains running smoothly on time? All this and more will be revealed on our review of Sweeney Todd at the Lunt Fontanne.
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81: Critics LIVE! - Merrily We Roll Along (Off-Broadway Revival, 2022)
Would you believe it - New York Theatre Workshop has room for a cast of twenty-three, ten musicians, Jonathan Groff's perfectly spherical ass, and our two co-hosts! No wonder it felt so cramped. Daniel and Joshua break the cardinal rule of at least two Stephen Sondheim musicals (never look back!) and reflect upon the Broadway-bound production of Merrily We Roll Along. With a production that's British but still worth seeing, in this episode our hosts give you the revelations of this production, some theories related to its initial demise, a very brief Harry Styles joke, and possibly the funniest opening gag they've done so far.
Tune in next time when we talk about Show Boat; specifically, the 2014 pro-shot recording from the San Francisco Opera.
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80: Critics LIVE! Critics Cavalcade: Fall 2022 - Plays
In this episode hosts Joshua and Dan cover the Plays from the Fall season on Broadway in 2022. Topics include: Arthur Miller aging, Audra McDonald's virtuosity, and which Dog was really on Top.
PLUS: A report from the front (Toronto) regarding whether the upcoming Room is a musical or a play.
Tune in to next week's episode when the Cavalcade continues and we cover Merrily We Roll Along from the New York Theatre Workshop.
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79: Critics LIVE! Critics Cavalcade: Fall 2022 - Musicals
In this episode hosts Joshua and Dan cover the Fall 2022 Broadway Musicals and impart their usual pointed and specious thoughts.
Shows covered include:
& Juliet
KPOP
Almost Famous
Kimberly Akimbo
Into the Woods
1776
Some Like It Hot
Tune in to next week's episode when the Cavalcade continues and we cover the Fall 2022 Plays on Broadway
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The Unauthorized Critics Circle Presents: The Second Annual Critter Awards!
Welcome back to the latest iteration of The Unauthorized Critics Circle's end-of-season celebration: the Second Annual Critter Awards!
Yes, the annual Bertram C. Critter Awards for Excellence in Broadway Adjacent Podcasting, more commonly known as the Critters, are back and they're bigger than ever! This ceremony promises fireworks, dancing chorines, free loot bags, and every celebrity name dropped in the Fire Island movie!
The Unauthorized Critics Circle once again unites to celebrate excellence in once-live recorded theatre, and with your UNCC head co-hosts Joshua and Daniel we whisk you back into the last year of our podcast with such award categories as the Wellest-Built Costumes Award, the Aged-Like-Milk Award, and the Art Nouveau Award for Most Bizarre Set Piece.
Thank you for joining us for season two of The Unauthorized Critics Circle. We'll be back next week with our recaps of the other major theatrical season thus far.
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78: Applause (Encores!, February 8th 2008)
Fasten your seatbelts - it's going to be a bumpy episode. Tonight's viewing party of the Encores! mounting of Applause, the musical adaptation of All About Eve, is already off the rails. Co-hosts Dan and Joshua have each had too much sherry to drink and they're throwing catty (and deeply clever) insults faster than the human eye can see. In one of their more chaotic episodes, sit for a quiet chat on the staircase as our hosts regale you by recounting one of the best Ethel Merman stories, highlighting one of the greatest ending lines ever, and explaining how a gay character made Broadway history.
Tune in next time for the podcast's second annual coverage of The Bertram Rutland Critter Awards for Excellence in Broadway Adjacent Podcasting, more commonly known as the Critters!
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BONUS: Matilda the Musical (Netflix, 2022)
**THIS EPISODE WILDLY AND VASTLY SPOILS THE PLOT OF GLASS ONION**
This week, the Unauthorized Critics Circle is covering co-host Daniel's favourite musical of all time - Matilda the Musical! Tim Minchin's musical, which Dan loves a lot, was recently adapted into a motion picture, and Joshua and Dan (who has famously loved Matilda since the first time he saw it on stage) are on the pulse to review it! We think you'll enjoy this episode as much as Dan enjoys Matilda, as our co-hosts cover such topics as Dan's favourite moment in Matilda, Dan's favourite lyric in Matilda, and how much Dan believes in Tim Minchin's skills as a musical theatre artist.
Tune in next time when we talk about Applause; specifically, the Encores! production's performance on February 8th 2008.
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77: CRITICS (semi) LIVE! The Hours (Metropolitan Opera, Winter 2022)
Description 1: This week, co host Joshua has to get flowers while Dan tries to bake a cake. Will either be successful? Tune in and find out!
Description 2: Renee, Kelli, and Joyce. Oh my! How did the three divas of our hearts fare in Kevin Puts and Greg Pierce's The Hours? Tune in and find out!
Description 3: The Unauthorized Critics Circle goes to the opera. Some are in town and went in person, while others are locked away in the country and went to see the Live in HD. What will our critics make of the opera? Tune in and find out!
intermix 3 descriptions at once for best possible results. Also, get away from that damn window. We see you. Get down from there.
Tune in next time when we discuss the brand new motion picture adaptation of Matilda the Musical, on Netflix starting December 25th 2021.
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76: RENT (Broadway, April 19th 1996)
December 8th. 9pm, Eastern Standard Time. From here on it, we bitch and moan and spew all of our regular shit - see if anything comes of it. Dan and Joshua wade back into the warm, familiar, teenage angsty waters of RENT with the original cast. There's no day but today to discuss the life of this show in our current cultural and social environment, and in doing so kvell on a few other fun points like Anthony Rapp's child actor past, the roles Idina never played, and the most formative moment in Dan's childhood.
Tune in next time when we discuss the brand new motion picture adaptation of Matilda the Musical, on Netflix starting December 25th 2021.
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BONUS: A Year Since Sondheim [feat. Sondheim! The Birthday Concert (New York Philharmonic, 2010)]
In light of the year that has passed since Stephen Sondheim left, Dan and Joshua convene to talk about what the year has looked like with his absence. Touching upon PBS' broadcast of the 2010 80th birthday tribute concert, the co-hosts reflect on the year that's passed and make their usual comments about such topics as the current Broadway revival of Into the woods, musical theatre fan service, and Elaine Stritch, the only woman alive.
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75: The Thanksgiving Special (Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder)
Join hosts Joshua and Dan this Thanksgiving as they cover a towering work of theatre written by a towering man. As everyone sits down at the table, the traditional holiday question of "what is Mother Courage thankful for this year?" is asked. The conversation zigs and zags to many places as the hosts discuss what a Mother Courage musical would look like, Ethel Merman (as always), and why certain tapes exist. idk, Joshie thinks it's weird we're doing this. I think this is the reason we exist. Take it for a spin. Jump on the cart!
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss RENT; specifically, the show, not the concept that no one can afford anymore because of freaking gentrification. Oh - the Broadway production's performance from April 19th, 1996!
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74: Man of La Mancha (Third Broadway Revival, July 4th 2003)
After a poor night out following a few too many glasses of Prosecco, hosts Dan and Joshua find themselves stuck in the drunk tank only to be released upon recounting the strange affairs of the Man of La Mancha (but specifically Brian Stokes Mitchell’s take, because Goulet slurred his words too much.) Hop on your pantomime horse and embrace delusion as our hosts trudge through the blazing hot Spanish deserts and encounter such giant topics as Dave Malloy’s Don Quixote, the three-name Mary conspiracy, and Joshua’s whole-out extravaganza.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Mother Courage and her Children (no we're not fucking kidding); specifically, the pro-shot of the original production's performance from 1957 (no we're not fucking kidding)!
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BONUS: Carrie: The Musical (Broadway, 1988)
Happy Halloween! To commemorate the most spooky-ful time of the year, we decided to turn on one of the biggest horrors in all of musical theatre (which proved to be true, universally). Tonight, we sit through Carrie: The Musical. We ask you to Do Us A Favour and endure the show through Erik Champney's expertly-crafted master-cut, and join our conversation where we lament upon the Sisterhood of the Travelling Chorus, the fiery pits of the August Wilson, and ultimately try to figure out just Where Did They Go Right?
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Man of La Mancha; specifically, the third Broadway revival's performance from July 4th 2003!
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73: A Chorus Line (Off-Broadway, 1975)
This week hosts Joshua and Dan are putting themselves on the line, yes, they're putting themselves on your line to cover A Chorus Line from it's pre-Broadway run at the Public Theatre. Will Joshie swipe his dance card to find out he was rated Looks: 3, Hips: 2? Will Dan's knees give out in the middle of the audition? Why is Colorado Senator Michael Bennett such an unentertaining disgrace to the legendary Michael Bennett name? (I mean he didn't even stage a coup de théâtre or at least give us a double pirouette at that Democratic Presidential Primary. What the hell was that? Couldn't even pop the head to call attention to himself. Shande!) Oh yeah...we have topics...um....Topics include the revolutionary nature of A Chorus Line, the goddess Donna McKechnie, Buddhism and it's influence on Musical Theatre, the nature of perfection in art, and how the show has aged over the years.
Don't waste the chance to tune in next week for our Halloween Special! //|-,
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72: Sunday in the Park with George (First Broadway Revival, April 30th 2008)
And you thought our hosts got aggressively passionate about a musical before? Well, buckle the hell up baby! Our two hosts talk about *the* perfect musical of all time, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George. Dip your toes into the blue-purple-yellow-red water as we talk about Roundabout’s revival (not the original? Gasp!) and how the hell you can mount this show without just doing what Lapine did. Along the way, our hosts exercise their concentration (the art of being on topic, he said) as they touch upon dramaturgical accent work, unpronounceable last names, and a turning point in the Sondheim/Roundabout relationship.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss A Chorus Line; specifically, the ORIGINAL Off-Broadway production's performance from July 12th 1975!
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[Funny Girl Symposium] BONUS: Session 4 (And That's What You Missed On #Broadway)
In a special post-Rosh Hashanah pre-Yom Kippur miracle BONUS episode, The Funny Girl Symposium (which NEVER rests) continues as Joshua and Dan enact their Critics LIVE! format to see Lea Michele and Tovah Feldshuh take over the August Wilson theatre in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl. Is Lea doing a mitzvah for Broadway? Where does the production stand? Whomst among us HAS read many books? Tune in and find out!
71: Annie Get Your Gun (Broadway Revival, May 15th 2001)
Hosts Dan and Josh drift back to a different time when revivals had budgets and stars were appropriately cast in this week's episode of Annie Get Your Gun. Reba McEntire makes a Broadway debut. Peter Stone rewrites a book. There's a trapeze act. Who could ask for anything more? (Wrong Merman) Topics include the ubiquity of Irving Berlin, the death of Jerome Kern, and Dan reveals his constantly-drifting-to-anywhere-in-Europe German accent.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Sunday in the Park with George; specifically, the Roundabout Revival's performance from 2008!
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70: Dogfight (Off-Broadway, August 15th 2012)
Grab a drink and grab a date, cuz tonight you can find our hosts at the Dogfight! Our critics give this musical the critical treatment it never got as a child as we encounter multiple fresh faced artists, all on track to do works of increasing popularity and varying qualities. Treat yourself to a gawdamn steak dinnah as we discuss the Pasek and Paul discography, the ten best musicals of the 2010s, and accidentally make a topical casting joke before knowing it was going to be announced. See if you can spot it!
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Annie Get Your Gun; specifically, the Broadway revival's performance from May 15th 2001!
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69: Vampire Lesbians of Sodom (Benefit Performance, March 28th 2005)
Joshua and Dan have it out to decide who the real succubus is on this podcast as they discuss the legendary duo of Halston/Busch. While reviewing this special benefit performance that included the legendary play Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Josh and Dan are inspired to take no prisoners just like Halston & Busch. Topics include Theatre of the Ridiculous, tanning salons, and the futility of rehearsal. Come join the feast eternal!
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Dogfight; specifically, the Off-Broadway production performance from August 15th, 2012!
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BONUS: 13: The Musical (Netflix, 2022)
They’re back! And they’re… prebusecent?!?! In this glorious return from a definitely planned and warned about absence, Joshua and Dan find themselves in an Indiana middle school with the cast of the new Netflix film adaptation of 13! Armed with nothing but cooties and a copy of The Bell Jar, our hosts try to once again navigate the metaphorical hallways of life while trying to re-learn that goddamn torah portion. With sweet kicks on their feet and a song in their heart, our hosts wait for the final bell while talking about cheating ballads, the Disney Channel Original Movie, and composing post-childbirth. Didja miss us?
Tune in next time when we discuss Vampire Lesbians of Sodom; specifically, the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS 20th Anniversary Benefit from March 28th 2005!
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BONUS: The Tony Awards Spectacular! (Part 2: The Plays)
Wowwee! For the first time in the UCC's incredibly illustrious and long-ranging history, we have FINALLY been invited to participate in the Tony proceedings and provide our color commentary on the 2021/22 Broadway season! We've seen the shows and we have thoughts about EVERY category - we're gonna be telling you who we're picking, who they missed, and what we're wearing right now. (Not that last one. That's on the OnlyFans.)
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BONUS: The Tony Awards Spectacular! (Part 1: The Musicals)
Wowwee! For the first time in the UCC's incredibly illustrious and long-ranging history, we have FINALLY been invited to participate in the Tony proceedings and provide our color commentary on the 2021/22 Broadway season! We've seen the shows and we have thoughts about EVERY category - we're gonna be telling you who we're picking, who they missed, and what we're wearing right now. (Not that last one. That's on the OnlyFans.)
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[Funny Girl Symposium] BONUS: Funny Lady (Girl Becomes A Lady)
The Unauthorized Critics Circle knows no bounds, as they valiantly close their first Symposium discussing Funny Lady in this final of a three part series.
Part 3 - Girl Becomes A Lady
Even G-ds have contracts. And neigh it was written that a Sequel would be made. And she was good. Other parts will be debated in the episode, but she was good. Not just good. Great! Fantastic! Groovy!
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[Funny Girl Symposium] 68: Critics LIVE! - Funny Girl (Broadway Revival 2022)
The Unauthorized Critics Circle knows no bounds, as they valiantly open their first Symposium discussing Funny Girl in this first of a three part series.
Part 2 - What Did They Make Of Beanie?
The ghost of Barbra looms large as Funny Girl returns to Broadway for the first time in 59 years. Will the ghost be dispelled? Were the critics fair? Was the book fixed? One must tune in to find out - and to learn which Above-The-Title performer called out at an Official UCC Reviewed©️ performance.
Tune in next week for Funny Girl Symposium: Part 3 - Funny Lady!
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[Funny Girl Symposium] BONUS: Funny Girl (The Movie, The Magic, The Legend)
The Unauthorized Critics Circle knows no bounds, as they valiantly open their first Symposium discussing Funny Girl in this first of a three part series.
Part 1 - The Movie, The Magic, The Legend
Streisand was descended from on high to prove to us mere mortals what we can only dream to achieve. Listen to us try to explain this most Holy of phenomena.
Tune in next week for Funny Girl Symposium: Part 2 - Critics LIVE! Funny Girl Broadway Revival 2022...What Will They Make Of Beanie?
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BONUS: Anything Goes (Barbican Centre, 2022)
Bon voyage! Dan and Joshua evade the ever-looming copyright threats by taking to sea with the publicly consumable pro-shot of the Barbican Centre's production of Anything Goes, recently broadcast to cinemas and through PBS' Great Performances series! The Broadway revival schleps its away across the Atlantic with a series of surprising last minute passengers. (Forget Billy Crocker, Sutton's on for Megan Mullaly? How zany!) With too many all-inclusive vodka stingers under their belts, our hosts address various elephants in various rooms, offer up some modern revisions (with dashes of Ivo), and remark upon Daniel’s affinity for seamen.
Tune into next week's episode when we discuss the motion picture adaptation of Funny Girl!
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67: The Life (Broadway, April 24th 1997)
A musical that kicks off with a condemnation of the Disneyfication of New York... finally, a show for US! Strap on your stilettos and shimmy up your strap-ons, cuz we're hitting the pavement to partake in The Life! A star studded cast fronts this fascinating chapter of Cy Coleman's resume, and as our hosts wait to calculate the additions of their own life experiences they commiserate about the logistics of a Best Ensemble Tony award, casting the OBC of The Life into Follies, and... yeah. *That* Encores production.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Anything Goes; specifically, the London production's brand new pro-shot recording!
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66: CRITICS LIVE! - The Phantom of the Opera (Broadway)
Episode #66 then - a musical in its third decade. Some of you may recall the strange affair of The Phantom of the Opera, the longest running Broadway show in history... a mystery never fully explained. We're told that this is the very production that figured in the famous disaster (that, of course, being Cameron Mackintosh's stranglehold on American musical theatre). Rehearsals over the pandemic have restored it, so that we may get a hint of what it may have felt like when it was new. One may even feel the presence of the two co-hosts who bore witness to this very production, and hear the reverberations of their discussions pertaining to gift horses, the CATS movie, and whether or not the show with over 13,000 performances is a good musical. Perhaps we may frighten away the ghostly bitches of so many words ago with a little conversation. Gentlemen!
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss The Life; specifically, the Broadway production's performance from April 24th 1997!
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65: In My Life (Broadway, October 12th 2005)
In the most chaotic episode in UCC history, Joshua and Dan head In My Life, and talk about a musical that defies description. Some flops are bad. Some are forgotten. Some are unfairly dismissed. Some are infamous. What can be said? Jonathan Groff was a dance captain. A... dance... captain. Listener! That is discussed. What else? The uncanny valley of vibrato (ominous). Touched By A Gangle. The rigors of internal logic and if it's really needed. This is a time, listener. Enjoy!
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss The Phantom Of The Opera on Broadway as part of our Critics LIVE! series.
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64: Crazy For You (Paper Mill Playhouse, 1999) Pro-Shot
Take off those commonfolk footwear and put on your dancing shoes - we're fulfilling our showbiz dreams with Crazy For You! Hop the train to the picturesque, lively, and completely barren Deadrock, Nevada in this jukebox musical where the Gershwins are on full display. As stockbrokers and cowboys showcase their musical comedy talents, our hosts give you the lowdown on the Great Performances catalogue, writing for adjectives, and how Gershwin music catches the heart.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss In My Life; specifically, the Broadway production's performance from October 12th 2005!
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63: Aida (Broadway, March 29th 2000)
Hosts Joshua and Dan head into a whole new world as they cover their first Disney Broadway show. In typical UCC fashion, they found the one show Disney produced that has nothing to do with any of their movies - Aida! Lines are drawn, sides are taken, and our hosts find themselves in the crossroads of their elaborate lives as discussion rambles on. Topics include a thorough discussion of the state of Tim Rice and his sovereignty, the lack of social hipness in opera plots, and Queen Heather Headley.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Crazy For You; specifically, the Papermill Playhouse pro-shot from 1999!
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62: Spring Awakening (Broadway, November 29th 2006)
Is your lederhosen wrinkled or are you just happy to see us? This week, Dan and Joshua offer up a podcast about the legendary rock musical Spring Awakening, surely fulfilling what Frank Wedekind imagined of his legacy. The topics vary as aggressively as the population count of Melchior's friends, touching upon the advent of teenage fandom on Broadway, the smash-hit Ben Franklin in Paris, and whether we learned all the wrong lessons from Spring Awakening. Cast aside that spell of anemia and tune in!
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Aida; specifically, the Broadway production's performance from March 29th 2000!
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61: CRITICS LIVE! - Jesus Christ Superstar (50th Anniversary Tour)
Ah listeners, you know why we are here: we've too much time and quite the episode here. This week, our hosts discuss their experiences attending the 50th Anniversary Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar in a discussion that runs longer than the original concept album. With Superstar being one of Joshua's favourite musicals, Dan's typical amount of in-episode singing is given a run for its money - occasionally interrupted by actual conversation about British fop characters, Ted Neeley's crucifixion worries, and an impassioned dissertation about the recent London revival of Carousel.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Spring Awakening; specifically, the Broadway production's performance from November 29th 2006!
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60: I Can Get It For You Wholesale (March 27th, 1991)
Write a check and finance the garment district with Joshua and Dan as we give a full appraisal on I Can Get It For You Wholesale. We hope you ate a little something, because this episode covers everything from Gemini all the way to Capricorn. Topics include the level of Jewishness in Musical Theatre, why people find Dan intimidating, and, of course, Barbra Streisand.
Tune in to next week's episode with the return of Critics LIVE! as we discuss the 50th Anniversary Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.
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59: King Kong (Broadway, May 2019)
Typically in our descriptions we will try to immerse the reader into the setting of the piece we're discussing, but content dictates form and therefore an extremely ambiguous imbalance between time period and tone dictates an extremely ambiguous introduction into our review of the musical adaptation of King Kong. 'Twas truly beauty killed the beast in this mammoth (or gorilla) of a production, and our hosts manage to collect themselves enough to experience a real time existential crisis, tell the tale of a middle school production of Avenue Q, and reveal what Kong's perfect match to artform truly is.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss I Can Get It For You Wholesale; specifically, the Off-Broadway revival's performance from March 27th 1991!
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58: Intimate Apparel (Off-Broadway, June 5th 2004)
Dear audience,
It’s good to be with you again. This week was a fascinating one - we found ourselves taking measurements and starting to sew some Intimate Apparel. One of our co-hosts will drop the mask and reveal their true nature, while the other cohost has never been less than 100% himself at all times. The topics of discussion range from the intimate to the revealing as the changes from play to opera are considered, Viola Davis' voice is appraised, and Joshua takes his first stab at discussing costumes.
Affectionately,
Joshua and Dan
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss King Kong: The Musical; specifically, the Broadway production's performance in May 2019!
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57: Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed (Broadway, June 24th 2016)
If you're just wild about Broadway, join the Unauthorized Critics Circle as they learn about one of the most important musical productions in history with Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed! With a cast as stacked as Audra is pregnant, our co-hosts thrill in the delights of 20s musical theatre and share the Broadway Buzz as they regard the dual position of director/author, plot out the perfect future for Shuffle Along, and Affectionate Dan himself bravely shares his Adrienne Warren non-experience.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Intimate Apparel; specifically, the Off-Broadway production's performance from June 5th 2004!
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56: CRITICS LIVE! - Trouble in Mind (Roundabout Revival)
The Unauthorized Critics Circle brings the first phase of their critically-acclaimed* Critics LIVE! series to a close with the long awaited Broadway debut of the 1955 play Trouble in Mind. As drama unfolds and conversations become way more topical than they should be, our co-hosts touch upon cannon fodder, the intersection of racism and misogyny, and the righteous indignation of LaChanze.
*Critics may be of an unauthorized nature.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed; specifically, the Broadway production's performance from June 24th 2016!
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55: CRITICS LIVE! - Caroline, or Change (Broadway Revival)
Our sub-series Critics LIVE! continues with this discussion of Roundabout's recent transfer of Caroline, or Change! Pop a quarter in the bleach cup and sit yourself down (not on the dryer, please - we'd appreciate your focus) as your hosts discuss the responsibilities of representation, twisting turntables, and patron saint Chip Zien.
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss the Broadway premiere of Trouble in Mind!
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54: CRITICS LIVE! - Flying Over Sunset (Broadway)
Ready to fly? Learn your dosage (or err on the side of exploration) and sit back as you and your guides (co-hosts) take you on a journey that'll send you Flying Over Sunset. The world-premiere musical is discussed on what might likely be the most thorough discussion of the show for some time to come, as our hosts' trips lead them down such psychedelic topics as Dan's Yazbeck attendance odds, Lapine's holistic approach to theatre, and the state of theatrical criticism.
Tune in to our next episode when we discuss Caroline, or Change; specifically, Roundabout's recent Broadway revival!
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53: CRITICS LIVE! - Assassins (Off-Broadway Revival)
Tune in to our next episode when we discuss the Broadway production of Flying Over Sunset!
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52: CRITICS LIVE! - Company (Broadway Revival)
We're back, bitches! The Circle rounds again and our critics kick off season two with the launch of their brand new event, CRITICS LIVE! Although the marriage between hosts Joshua and Dan may be fading faster than attendance levels during omicron, Marianne Elliott may be just the person to bring some spark back into the relationship with her revival of Company, currently playing at the Jacobs Theatre on Broadway. Grab a magazine, a vape pen, and another vodka stinger as the pair litigate the syntax of Furth, the culmination of LuPone, and the vocals of Katrina Lenk.
Tune in to our next episode when we discuss Assassins; specifically, the Classic Stage Company's Off-Broadway revival!
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The Unauthorized Critics Circle Presents: The First Annual Critter Awards!
Welcome to The Unauthorized Critics Circle's inaugural end-of-season celebration: the First Annual Critter Awards!
The Bertram Rutland Critter Awards for Excellence in Broadway Adjacent Podcasting, more commonly known as the Critters, recognizes excellence in once-live recorded theatre. The awards are presented by the Unauthorized Critics Circle at an annual ceremony in Midtown Manhattan (walk up required).
The Critter Awards are considered the highest Broadway Adjacent Theatre Related Podcasting honor. The awards were founded by theatre producer and director Brack Pendleton and are named after Bertram "Bertie" Rutland Critter, noted secretary of the Olde New York Lavender Society. The Critter forms the fifth spoke in the EGCOT, that is, someone who has won all five major annual American entertainment awards.
This year's ceremony, co-hosted by UNCC heads and charter members Joshua and Daniel, celebrates the end of their first theatrical season with celebrity guest stars, commercial breaks, and awards from such beloved categories as the She-Deserved-Better Award, The Fleet Award for Gay Representation, and The Īvø vâñ Hœvë Award for Most Concept.
Thank you for listening to season one of The Unauthorized Critics Circle. We'll be back with our next episode on January 20th, 2022!
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51: War Paint (Broadway, April 29, 2017)
Hosts Joshua and Dan try to put their best face forward as they enter the front lines of War Paint. Fun is had by all as they trounce through a land of Vienna Youth Masks, Anti-Aging Cremes, and the rejuvenating effects of Piercing Belting. Gossip around the spa includes such topics as how much jewelry is too much, the importance of good taste, and plots - are they needed?
Tune in next week for our thrilling Season Finale!
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BONUS: West Side Story (Motion Picture, 2021) [Part 2: Scherzo]
Rickatickatung! Co-hosts Joshua and Dan find themselves back in 50s (or is it 60s) New York daddy-o as they snap their way into the turf of Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story picture. Guns are tossed and twinks are bruised buddy boy as our hosts touch upon ideographs, triple-threat Mike Faist, and some cold correspondence between Bernstein and Sondheim. Chung! Chung!
Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss War Paint; specifically, the Broadway production's performance from April 29th 2017!
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unccpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter: @unccpodcast
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