The Gospel of Musical Theatre

Immigration, capitalism, feminism, intersectionality, and the civil rights: this musical has it all! Flaherty & Ahren’s 1998 musical Ragtime is a big, expensive show with lots of plot (never Peter’s strong suit) – but we love this musical and what it has to say about kingdoms of power and the kingdom of God. _________________________________________ Peter & Nathan make some highly controversial claims: "Ragtime" is the greatest opening number in Broadway history. "Daddy's Son" – Nobody sings this like Broadway’s GOAT, Audra Ann McDonald. Nathan will fight you on this. "Henry Ford" & "Wheels of a Dream" – Is Ragtime just an extended commercial for Ford? And we wonder together about hearing "New Music," listening for resurrection, and what it means to live faithfully "‘Til We Reach That Day." _________________________________________ You’ll hear Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Marin Mazzie, Peter Freidman, Judy Kaye and the cast of the 1998 Original Broadway Cast. _________________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. _________________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie!

What would you do? What will you do? In the election run-up, Peter & Nathan are talking about musicals that deal with political unrest and social change (don't worry, it's still fun!). We begin with the 1966 Broadway classic Cabaret, one of the darkest, kinkiest, and most-enduring musicals of all time. _________________________________________ We talk about: – Willkommen / Two Ladies / The Money Song: The "decadence" depicted by the emcee and the performers of the Kit Kat Klub (KKK, anyone?) in 1930s Berlin on the eve of Nazism. Does Cabaret hold this very queer decadence as responsible for the rise of fascism, or is there something deeper at work? – Married / So What / What Would You Do?   Bob Fosse’s 1972 film version of Cabaret eliminates most of the traditional musical theatre story exemplified in the romance between Fraulein Schneider & Herr Schultz. But these two characters—and the songs that Kander & Ebb wrote for them—carry much of the show’s political weight – and its emotional heart. Is Fraulein Schneider secretly Cabaret’s protagonist? – Don’t Tell Mama & Cabaret:  We talk about one of Cabaret’s most well-known characters, Sally Bowles. What does she mean when she sings that "life is a cabaret?" – Tomorrow Belongs to Me:  The incredible music of Cabaret – hymns, patriotic anthems, folk songs and music hall ditties – raises provocative questions about entertainment, pleasure, emotional release, and the rise of demonic ideologies. Religion traffics in some of the same territory. Is good music morally neutral... or not? _________________________________________ You’ll hear Joel Grey, Jill Haworth, Lotte Lenya, Jack Gilford and the cast of the 1966 Original Broadway Cast – as well as Mark Lambert on the 1972 film soundtrack singing “Tomorrow Belongs to Me”. _________________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. _________________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie!  

What better way to celebrate summer than with a frozen cocktail of Disney Princess mania? It’s 2013’s Frozen, beloved by aspiring Elsas and Annas, reviled by parents and caretakers who threaten to lose it if they hear “Let it Go” one more time (trigger warning: you’ll hear it in this episode). _________________________________________ You’ll also hear: Love is an Open Door: a catchy romance ballad that sets up deeper questions about true love – both in the Disney tradition and in a contemporary society where women and men are navigating complicated and often contradictory relationship patterns. Let It Go: the power ballad to end all power ballads. Winner of the Oscar for Best Song, it’s the film’s great moment of self-actualization and release. How do we read this moment theologically? What does Elsa represent? Fixer-Upper, Vuelie and Summer: a strong score that incorporates elements of the Broadway tradition, Sami folk singing, and some beautiful choral writing that establishes an otherworldly, mythical atmosphere for this contemporary parable. ________________________________ You’ll hear Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Santino Fontana, Josh Gad and the rest of the cast from the 2013 soundtrack recording. ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).  

Band Geeks of the world, unite! We’re taking a fizzy summer tour through some of our favorite movie musicals – and what better way to observe the Fourth of July weekend in the USA than with one of the most patriotic and Americana-obsessed musicals of all time, the 1962 film version of Meredith Willson’s 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man! ________________________________ We talk about: "Rock Island" – One of the most impressive opening numbers in any musical, a laser-quick intro to the economics and social mores of early 20th-century America. "Iowa Stubborn" – The people of River City basically tell us what assholes they are. Is this song about whiteness, small town life, or the human condition? "Trouble" – Harold Hill’s infamous patter song. It’s like a hellfire-and-brimstone sermon, in the tradition of Jonathan Edwards and the great preachers of the Great Awakening. "Sincere" – The role that barbershop music plays in The Music Man... and in American nostalgia for a "simpler time." "The Wells Fargo Wagon" – What's the deal with Winthrop? ________________________________ You’ll hear: Robert Preston, Barbara Cook and the cast of the 1957 Broadway cast – because we love Shirley Jones, but there's only one Marian the Librarian. ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

Papa, can you hear me? It's the last episode of our Season of Babs, and we're going out strong! That's right: today we look at Barbra Streisand's magnum opus, the 1982 film Yentl – which she both directed and starred in. ________________________________ We talk about: Prayer & Texts:  What it means to study sacred texts, and the critical differences between traditionally-Christian and traditionally-Jewish ways of understanding scripture. Sexuality & Gender:  Is Yentl transphobic, or is it ahead of its time? Leadership & Power:  Finally, a woman at the helm of a major Hollywood film! What does Barbra’s experience directing and starring in Yentl tell us about leadership and power? Boats:  Barbra loves a ferry. What is it about boats, water, and crossing over that so compels her? How does it tie into the immigrant story and the American Dream? ________________________________ You’ll hear Barbra singing “Where Is It Written,” “No Wonder,” “Several Sins A Day” (cut from the final film) and “A Piece of Sky”. ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

Is it a musical? Is it a $6MM home movie? A contemporary Purim spiel? This is a weird movie, you guys. The evergreen story of A Star Is Born has attracted legendary performers like Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Lady Gaga. Today, Peter and Nathan focus on the 1976 film version with Barbra and Kris Kristofferson in the context of Gaga and Garland.  ________________________________ We talk about: The Backstory:  Dorothy Parker, Moss Hart, David O. Selznick, Joan Didion, and all the geniuses who should have made a better movie. The Crowd:  1970s, rock-and-roll culture and the phenomenon of contemporary celebrity culture. Is this idolatry in the way that Hebrew Scripture warn against? The Addiction:  Does addiction help contemporary people understand ancient theological ideas like sin and shame? The Money:  Why does Hollywood keep spoon-feeding us stories about self-destructive men and the women around them? Why do we keep paying money to see them? The Music:  Ephemeral moments of artistic, intellectual, and spiritual connection found between two artists. How well does the Oscar-winning "Evergreen" capture this phenomenon? ________________________________ You’ll hear: Kris Kristofferson and Barbra on the 1976 film soundtrack singing "Watch Closely Now," "The Woman in the Moon," and (of course) the 1976-Oscar-Winning classic, "Evergreen." ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

It may not be a musical, but it sure is close... It's The Way We Were! It’s 1973. Watergate has happened. Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Arthur Laurents, and Sidney Pollack get together to re-create the weepy romcom in the non-musical—but musical-theatre-adjacent!—classic The Way We Were. ________________________________ We talk about: The Conflict: Streisand & Laurents versus Pollack & Redford, and some of the behind-the-scenes drama that led to the creation of this classic. The Song: Marvin Hamlisch’s classic song that put the film on the map. The Laughter: What does it mean to sing, "so it’s the laughter we will remember?" Laughter emerges as a marker of class & race in this film. How does that marker intersect with the misty, watercolor nature of memory – and the danger of nostalgia? The People & the Principles: the film’s central conflict between personal relationships and principles, and how that conflict maps (and doesn't) onto religious systems. Is Christianity about people, or is it about principles? ________________________________ You’ll hear: Barbra singing the film’s title song from the 1973 film soundtrack, and an excerpt from the 1998 episode of Sex in the City, Episode 18 (“Ex in the City”). ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

Peter and Nathan watched this movie so you don't have to! It's time for a deep cut... We’re talking about the 1970 film version of Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane’s very strange musical, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever – a show about a psychiatrist with terrible boundaries. ________________________________ We talk about: ESP: Is there a meaningful distinction between extrasensory perception and Christian conceptions of spirituality and prayer? Reincarnation: We talk about the case of Bridey Murphy, the 19th-century Irishwoman who was purportedly reincarnated as a 20th century American housewife. What are we supposed to believe about the afterlife? Grief: So many conversations about the afterlife happen in the context of death & grief. Does profound grief open us up to alternate conceptions of the universe in a way that can be helpful – or is that simply our emotions talking? Clothes: Always the clothes. The Cecil Beaton gowns! The turbans! Be still, our hearts! ________________________________ You’ll hear: Yves Montand, Barbra Streisand and the cast of the film singing "Come Back To Me," "Love With All The Trimmings" and "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever" as well as the Peddlers’ version of the film’s title song. ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

She's still glowin', she's still crowin,' she's still goin' strong... That's right: we're continuing our deep dive into the great Barbra Streisand with a look at the mid-60s Broadway classic, Jerry Herman’s Hello Dolly! ________________________________ We talk about: Discernment: Dolly is a woman on a journey out of grief – and is looking for her sign. What kind of a theology of discernment does the show depend on? Gender: We take a close look at Horace’s song about marriage, “It Takes A Woman” and dig a little bit underneath the surface of the show’s fun to pull apart the class and economics of male-female relationships. Clothes: So much of Hello Dolly is about the clothes – the actual costumes the actors are wearing, and the show’s deeper fixation on the performative nature of class, gender and race. Restaurants: What does it mean that Dolly comes back home where she belongs? Is this the show’s resurrection moment? Moments: Falling in love, Kairos time, moments of divinity and resurrection and where they find us – in church, in the theatre, in the eyes of a beloved. ________________________________ You’ll hear: The 1969 film soundtrack: La Streisand, Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford, Louis Armstrong and the full cast singing “Just Leave Everything To Me,” “It Takes a Woman,” “Ribbons Down My Back,” “Put On Your Sunday Clothes,” “Elegance,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” “It Only Takes a Moment” and, of course, “Hello, Dolly!” ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

Isn’t it "people who DON'T need people are the luckiest people in the world?" Today we look at the role that made Barbara Streisand's early career: the role of Fanny Brice in Jule Styne & Bob Merrill’s 1964 musical Funny Girl and the 1968 film directed by William Wyler. ________________________________ We talk about: The Greatest Star: The phenomenon of the original Fanny Brice, how Barbra got involved in the project, and where the line between ego, strength, and vanity lies. The Audience: The sacred relationship between performer and audience and Barbra’s theory of audience (or—in a religious context—a congregation) as a truth barometer. The Patriarchy: Nick Arnstein & Fanny Brice's relationship, Barbra & her male collaborators, the creep factor of "You are Woman," and the dangerous myth of romantic love (attention straight people: beware writing your own vows!) The Parade: Is "Don’t Rain on My Parade" a feminist anthem? The People: What’s the theology of people who need people? Is this just a hymn to extroversion, or does it channel Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s theology of ubuntu? ________________________________ You’ll hear: – The 1968 Film Soundtrack: "I’m the Greatest Star," Omar Shariff and Barbra singing "You Are Woman, I am Man," "My Man," "Don’t Rain on My Parade" and—of course—"People." ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

Everybody said don't, but we're doing it anyway... It's the Gospel According to Babs! It's the queerest thing we've ever done. This season, we're focusing on the musical (and musical-adjacent) films of one of the greats – Barbra Streisand: GOAT queer diva, filmmaker, actor, and singer, who just released her autobiography My Name is Barbra. ________________________________ We talk about: – The Method: Barbra’s early training in the method developed by Konstantin Stanislavski and his students in the early decades of the 20th century – and the theology of human experience it depends on. – The Albums: Streisand as an interpreter of the American Songbook, and the ways in which her acting training influences her recording career. – The power of thought as Barbra’s autobiography (and discography!) expresses it. Do thoughts really transcend matter? – Keep a performance fresh – how to stay in the moment when the moment needs to be repeated over and over. – Streisand as prophet and priest. How does an artist bring a prophetic voice to society? ________________________________ You’ll hear: – Mostly Barbra! “Putting it Together” from the Broadway Album (1985), “Everybody Says Don’t” from Back to Broadway (1993) and “Guilty” (with Barry Gibbs!) from 1980. ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).

Nathan and Peter welcome Ian Farthing, Vancouver-based actor & director and one of the original London ushers for the West End Production of Starlight Express (1984). We explore the theology & themes of Starlight Express – as well as Lloyd Webber’s more recent musical Sunset Boulevard (1993). ________________________________ We talk about: – Theatre as a vocation, and how vocations – religious or artistic – change over the course of a life. – Where does “the power to move” come from – and how do we learn to run the race with integrity? – Donald Trump? – Who knew (other than Peter!) that Trump’s favorite film is Sunset Boulevard? – Nothing: We gossip about our favorite Norma Desmonds, and come to no real theological conclusions (but we do know we love flannel on a man!) ________________________________ You’ll hear: – Excerpts from the original cast recording of Starlight Express (1984) – Betty Buckley performing “With One Look” live at Carnegie Hall (2006) – Patti LuPone singing “As If We Never Said Goodbye” and “The Lady’s Paying” from the Original London Cast Recording of Sunset Boulevard (1993) – Rex Smith & Anita Louise Combe singing “Sunset Boulevard” & “Too Much In Love To Care” from the Canadian Cast Recording of Sunset Boulevard (1996) ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).  

We descend into the depths of the Paris Opera for the 1986 musical phenomenon The Phantom of the Opera – a troubling story about abuse, lust, and the power of music.. and one of the most successful & beloved musicals of all time. ________________________________ We talk about: – The Phantom:  Is the Phantom (or "Erik" as he’s known in the original novel) a serpent or a savior? – The Ick Factor:  What is this relationship between Christine and the Phantom? An abusive mentor relationship? Forbidden love? Artistic partnership? Or is it just a classic Gothic obsession? – Power & Patriarchy:  How did power and patriarchy operate in the Victorian world of the Paris Opera – and in the 1980s world of rock musicals? ________________________________ You’ll hear: – Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman and the cast of the 1988 Broadway Cast Recording. ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).  

Peterskins & Grumblethaniel (Peter & Nathan) ascend to the Heaviside Layer for a close theological reading of one of the strangest, silliest, and most sensational mega-musicals ever to tread the boards: the much-beloved and much-reviled 1981 spectacle that is CATS. ________________________________ We talk about: – Names (cats & humans!) – the names that culture and society give us, and the ineffable name that is known only to God. – Are the cats the Seven Deadly Sins? – and whether or not this is a morality play (...it might just be a show about cats) – The power of memory and finding meaning in moments of happiness (and the deeply theological question: “does the right cat die?”) ________________________________ You’ll hear Betty Buckley, Ken Page, Terrance Mann, and the cast of the 1983 Broadway Cast Recording. ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).  

It's Evita (1978)! The culmination of Lloyd Webber’s collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice, this show offers an epic look at politics, celebrity, and gender through the life of a contemporary saint, Argentina’s beloved First Lady Eva Peron (1919-1952). ________________________________ We wonder: – Whose Politics are These? What does the musical say about Argentinian politics, British politics, and maybe even North American politics? – Is Evita a Saint? If Eva Peron is beatified by the Roman Catholic Church, what will that mean about how she is remembered? – Power & Poverty: Do acts of charity enable or indict the structural forces that keep some people in power and others in poverty? What kind of social justice is Evita illustrating? ________________________________ You’ll hear: – Mandy Patinkin, Patty LuPone and Bob Gunton on the 1979 Original Broadway Cast Recording – Madonna singing “You Must Love Me” and “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina (Miami Mix)” from the 1996 Motion Picture Soundtrack ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).  

It's finally here... Today, we turn to the Gospel According to Andrew Lloyd Webber: the Biblical rock-opera phenomenon that is Jesus Christ Superstar (1970)! ________________________________ We talk about: – Groovy Gospel: The context of the late 60s/early 70s that gave rise to a rock opera treatment of the Jesus story – Eroticism: The eroticism in Mary Magdalene’s (and maybe Judas’?) relationship with Jesus and the question of how sexuality & love intersect in the Christian tradition. What does it mean to fall in love with a God with a human body? – Mary Magdalene (not a prostitute in the Bible!) and the way the musical treats her as a woman, a sex worker, and a romantic lead. – Anti-Judaism & Anti-Semitism in Jesus Christ Superstar and in the New Testament and what responsibility Christians bear in challenging it. – Christology: What kind of Christology (big fancy theological word for “understanding Jesus”) undergirds Jesus Christ Superstar, and whether there’s any good news in this musical. ________________________________ You’ll hear: – Ian Gillan, Murray Head, Yvonne Elliman and the cast of the Original Studio Recording (a.k.a. “The Brown Album”) from 1970. – "Could Ye Not Watch With Me One Hour?" from John Stainer’s Crucifixion sung by the St. Michael Singers (Fox Records, 2009). – Joshua Mostel singing "Herod’s Song" from the 1973 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).  

We're baaaackkkk! We're kicking off our fourth season, a deep dive into the musicals of the one & only Andrew Lloyd Weber: one of the most esteemed and prolific musical theatre composers of all time. In this episode, Nathan & Peter take a look at an early success he and lyricist Tim Rice had in 1968: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat! ________________________________ We talk about: - Church Music vs Pop: The intersection of "liturgical" music (Lloyd Webber’s father was a church organist) with pop music - Dreams, and how they function both in the religious tradition and contemporary pop psychology and musicals. Is it really true that, as Joseph sings, "any dream will do?" - The Problems of the Bible: What Bible stories we think are appropriate for children – and which parts of the Bible we sanitize or gloss overto preserve a romanticized ideal of childhood innocence ________________________________ You’ll hear Donny Osmond, Janet Metz and the cast of the 1992 Canadian Cast Recording (Really Useful Group Ltd under exclusive license to Universal Music Operations Limited). ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).  

We're welcoming a very special guest: Ed Bacon, legendary leader of progressive Christian causes and an inveterate Sondheim fan! With Ed’s help, we pull apart the spirituality, theology (and the trichology!) of what is probably Stephen Sondheim’s best-known—and arguably best-loved) musical, the 1987 masterpiece Into the Woods. ________________________________ We talk about: - The subversive nature of fairy tales, and what we think we’re doing when we tell these stories to children - What it means to go “into the woods” – and how can we befriend it? - Being nice, being good, losing our innocence, and what it means to be "white" - The complicated nature of community, and the promise and threat of the idea that "no one is alone" - The Gospel as Fairy Tale (with apologies and gratitude for Frederick Buechner’s Telling the Truth, the book that caused at least one of us to become a priest!) ________________________________ You’ll hear: - Bernadette Peters, Chip Zien, Joanna Gleason and the cast of the Original Broadway Cast Recording (1987) singing “Prologue,” “Giants in the Sky,” “Hello, Little Girl,” “I Know Things Now,” “No One Is Alone”, “Last Midnight,” and “Children Will Listen” ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).  

It's time for Peter’s favorite Sondheim musical: Sunday in the Park with George! Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1985 musical masterpiece is a beautiful meditation on art and art-making. We love this show, and we hope you will too. ________________________________ We talk about: - The Art of Living: Making art, preaching sermons, and suffering & failure in art... and life - Paying Attention: Noticing & cultivating attention as a spiritual practice - Art & Relationships: The relational power of art – and the challenge of living with artists! - Sunday: The multi-faceted nature of the word (and the hymn!) "Sunday:" a day of rest, a day of sabbath, the finding of shalom ________________________________ You’ll hear: -  Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin and the cast of the Original Broadway Cast Recording (1984) singing "Putting It Together," "Finishing the Hat," "We Do Not Belong Together," "Sunday Hymn," "The Day Off," "It’s Hot Up Here," and "Move On" ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).  

Peter & Nathan's keep rolling through the Sondheim oeuvre with his most notorious "flop," the 1981 Merrily We Roll Along! Is it really a bitter, nihilistic look at growing older? Or is there actually something—dare we say—holy at work in this experimental, bittersweet musical about growing up? ________________________________ We Talk About: - Prayers: Is it true that, as Mary says, "God don’t answer prayers a lot?" - Friendship & Spirituality: How Merrily illustrates a theology of friendship and a queer understanding of the spiritual life - Burning Bridges: What Merrily says about human relationships and the need to "burn your bridges every now and then" - Time: Different ways of thinking about time – sacramental, liturgical, narrative – and how Merrily subverts conventional narrative and reflects a more sacred sense of time. ________________________________ You’ll Hear: - The Original Company of Merrily We Roll Along on the Original Broadway Cast Recording singing "The Hills of Tomorrow," "Opening Doors," "Now You Know," "Good Thing Going," "Our Time" and "Bobby and Jackie and Jack" - Celia Keenan-Bolger and Lin-Manuela Miranda singing "Old Friends" and "Like It Was" from the 2012 Encores! Cast Recording - Bernadette Peters singing "Not A Day Goes By" ________________________________ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our email list to get updates when new episodes are released, info about upcoming special events, and more. ________________________________ Check out some of our all-time favorites! Phantom of the Opera Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jesus Christ Superstar! Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2) West Side Story! Yentl! Frozen! Barbie! ________________________________ Continue the conversation with us on Instagram (@gospelofmt).