It's our last episode coming in hot right before the Tonys and we have a lot to talk about as we wrap up our last two shows we're covering as well as some quick takes about shows we didn't get to! Timestamps included if you're only interested in specific shows, and as usual beware of spoilers.
Note that this was recorded before both cast albums were released so apologies for the inconsistencies where our memories failed us!
Real Women Have Curves: 1:29
Buena Vista Social Club: 51:38
Just in Time: 1:15:26
Boop: 1:22:17
Smash: 1:25:26
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The show Cindy mentions in the intro, which played in Portland and is also available as a comedy special on Dropout TV.
An interesting essay from the out of town run of Real Women that touches on some of the issues we had with the show.
Cindy's senior year yearbook quote
An interview where the creators of Buena Vista Social Club talk about bringing it to Broadway and what the album means to them.
Jonathan Groff's Actors on Actors conversation with Nicole Scherzinger where he talks extensively about loving Bobby Darin (the rest of the series is well worth a watch too!)
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Music featured in this episode:
Real Women Have Curves: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Buena Vista Social Club (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Where I Wanna Be - Jasmine Amy Rogers
Let Me Be Your Star - Bella Coppola
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There’s been a trend emerging in this year’s Broadway musicals, which begs the question: will they be “Alive Forever” or only be around “’Til Death”? In this episode we discuss two shows both involving death and decide whether they make “Something from Nothing” so you can be the judge!
As usual, spoilers ahead!
Death Becomes Her: 1:00
Dead Outlaw: 57:54
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We definitely weren’t the only ones to notice the “dead body character” trend, and there’s a whole award from MemesOnBway about it.
A lot of Christine’s impression of what Death Becomes Her would be like came from Sabrina Carpenter’s Taste music video, which also pays homage to the movie.
The infamous staircase fall is accomplished by former gymnast Warren Yang, and you can also watch more about how it was put together with all the design elements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Vxm_x2_Qo
Despite being on Broadway, Dead Outlaw is still set to release on Audible on October 2, so you can take a listen to it then!
Elmer did indeed travel further as a dead body than he did alive, as Wikipedia helpfully shows.
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Music featured in this episode:
Death Becomes Her (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Dead Outlaw (Original Broadway Cast Recording) [Part 1]
The Whole Being Dead Thing - Beetlejuice
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Did we do it? We're back to wrap up our recap on Operation Mincemeat and give some already-obsolete Tony predictions.
If you haven't already, take a listen to Part 1 first: Apple Podcasts / Spotify
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If you want to take a listen to the podcast that started it all, here's the episode that Natasha Hodgson drew inspiration from, on the Stuff You Should Know podcast: Apple Podcasts / Spotify
And you can hear about how they originally put the show together on Variety's Stagecraft podcast
Are you a mincefluencer? Turns out they've been up to a lot of investigating themselves: NYT article
The tomb of William Martins is an actual memorial in Huelva, Spain that you can go visit.
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Music featured in this episode:
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical (Original Cast Recording)
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
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Welcome to the first half of our recap of Operation Mincemeat, where we discuss whether this show is "Dead in the Water" or whether it's "Born to Lead"!
Usual spoiler warnings apply
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Natasha Hodgson and Jak Malone discuss some of the early stages of the show (including who would play what role) on the Playbill Podcast.
Maybe you were on the email list asking whether or not the show was "too British for Broadway".
Dear Bill has become a new favorite song for many people (some present company excluded), and Jak Malone breaks down what it's like to sing it for an interview with Vulture.
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Music featured in this episode:
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical (Original Cast Recording)
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
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We're "Nothing Short of Thankful" that we got a chance to see this show during its short run, and we come bearing thoughts on how well it turned out!
As usual, spoilers ahead!
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The overall show is primarily based on the Mignonette album by the Avett Brothers (though it brings in quite a few songs from other albums as well). You can also read more here about the event that it was based on.
Remember when Armie Hammer was thought to be a cannibal? Crazy times.
This Rolling Stones article does a great job of explaning the story behind how Swept Away came to be, from conception to its ultimate closing.
If you enjoyed Adrian Blake Enscoe as Little Brother, check out his band Bandits on the Run, who are also currently adapting What's Eating Gilbert Grape into a musical.
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Music featured in this episode:
Swept Away (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway, our blog at https://bottomlessbway.home.blog, or email us at bottomlessbway@gmail.com! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey.
Robots that fall in love--is it cute or a sign of our impending doom? Take a listen as we dive into the ups and downs of what it means to have a robot musical right now!
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Check out this musical's journey from South Korea to Broadway and how it came to be!
Michael Arden, who directed the show, also did an Ask Me Anything on Reddit that might shed more light onto certain aspects of the show
Those who follow the show closely may be aware that the real diva is HwaBoon, making his Broadway debut...
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Music featured in this episode:
Maybe Happy Ending (Original Cast Recording)
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
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We're back again to finish out what we started with our coverage on Sunset Boulevard! So take a listen as we dive into a stroll outside, Andrew Lloyd Webber's reuse of melodies, and some Tony chances--is she really the greatest star of all?
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Curious about how the now infamous title song works in this production? The New York Times dishes some behind the scenes details. Or you can see a version of it they performed for the Olivier Awards.
Sunset shares a lot of traits with Death Becomes Her (keep an eye out for our episode on that yet to come!), not in the least the inclusion of compact mirrors in their merch.
Never heard of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cricket musical? Take a listen to Tim Rice's podcast where he explains it all.
If you haven't seen Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, you might not get the reference to Swimchan, but it might also contain a couple similarities to Norma Desmond.
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Music featured in this episode:
SUNSET BLVD: The Album
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
Half a Moment - Jeeves (1975)
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Everything's as if we never said goodbye, because we're back for our new season with a 2 part pre-season bonus! So join us to see if we've found new ways to dream as we talk about the Jamie Lloyd-directed revival of Sunset Boulevard--after all, she may just be the greatest star of all...
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Of course, the musical is based heavily on the Billy Wilder movie, and this production even more so. But did you know it was also adapted for radio with the original stars?
If you, like Christine, have been going down the rabbit hole in finding the meaning of everything in this production, check out this primer on Brecht and epic theatre.
Or if you, like Cindy, have also been wondering why people keep congregating around a drugstore, it turns out Schwab's Pharmacy was more than just that.
Check out this interview with Jamie Lloyd and Nicole Scherzinger about this production of Sunset (skip to around 53:00) and how it came to be.
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Music featured in this episode:
SUNSET BLVD: The Album
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues
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Our (most likely) final episode of the season is here, and it includes two shows that both included Ryan Vasquez in their out of town tryouts: The Notebook and The Outsiders! So even if you've got "Great Expectations", come take a listen to find out "If This Is Love" from us for these shows.
PLUS we give you a little bonus section with our thoughts on The Heart of Rock and Roll at the end
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Christine's reaction to The Notebook was not dissimilar to Jesse Green's reaction, as much as she hates to admit it
My Days has kind of blown up on TikTok, so we're sure to see many more covers of it in the future
Listen to Adam Rapp talk about adapting The Outsiders to a musical on the Stagecraft podcast hosted on BroadwayRadio
Get a deeper dive (with some clips) on how The Outsiders staged their rumble
Let us know what your favorites for the Tonys are, and happy Tonys weekend!
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Music featured in this episode:
The Notebook (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
The Outsiders - A New Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
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This is coming out a little later than expected, but we're back with another double header, talking about Lempicka and Illinoise. So take a listen to see whether Lempicka really is "Perfection" and come on and feel the Illinoise!
Note: Illinoise deals with the topic of suicide, which is talked about in this podcast.
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The "looking for a man in finance" audio that Cindy mentions has spawned many parodies, including this one from the Broadway production of The Great Gatsby.
If you haven't seen Schmigadoon and you're listening to this podcast...well here's your sign to do so! (And for whatever it's worth, Christine thinks that season 2 is even better than season 1.)
Check out the digital program for Illinoise, including Henry's journal
If you're unfamiliar with Sufjan Stevens's music, we hear that Carrie & Lowell and the Call Me By Your Name soundtrack come highly recommended
And if you want to know more about Jackie Sibblies Drury's work, definitely check out her play Fairview
The New York Times critics were divided on the off-Broadway run of Illinoise, with the chief theater critic giving it a rave and the dance critic giving it a pan.
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Music featured in this episode:
From Lempicka (cast album out next week!)
Illinoise: A New Musical (Original Cast Recording)
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway, our blog at https://bottomlessbway.home.blog, or email us at bottomlessbway@gmail.com! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey.
It's a blast from the past as we come to you with another episode recorded prior to Tony nominations, where we discuss Suffs and Alice Paul's determination to "Finish the Fight" and get the 19th Amendment passed. You won't have to "Wait [Your] Turn" to see Suffs when you can hear us talk about it all right here! (spoilers ahead)
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The show that Christine talks about at the beginning is Lighthouse: An Immersive Drinking Musical (whose EP is definitely worth checking out!)
If you (like us) saw Suffs on Broadway in early previews, you might be pleased to see that the horse Inez rides for the march now has a head!
If you haven't seen Greta Gerwig's Little Women, be sure to do so! But this is the Amy March speech that Cindy references in relation to Doris in Suffs.
Can't imagine Jenn Colella with shoulder-length blonde hair? Neither could we, but that's indeed what she was rocking when she was in Chaplin.
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Music featured in this episode:
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It's been a while, but we're "Roaring On" with the season in our new episode on The Great Gatsby! "For Better or Worse", this episode was recorded before the Tony nominations were announced, so you'll hear our predictions on what we thought might get nominated (with some mixed results).
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This show marks the first musical of the big Great Gatsby adaptation wars of 2023, and the other one will start performances at ART Cambridge in June.
Cindy thought Roarin' On sounded a bit like Blurred Lines, let us know if you agree!
Despite not getting nominated for the category, The Great Gatsby had some of the most stunning set design this season, designed by Paul Tate dePoo III
Don't have time to listen? Check out the (rough) transcript of our episode here
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Music featured in this episode:
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This week, we come to you to present a double feature in an attempt to get through as many of the new Broadway musicals this season as we can before the Tonys. So join us as we go "Back in Time" to a show that opened last summer and then take it "Easy" with a show that just opened last week!
Note: spoilers present throughout for both shows, along with discussion and spoilers for corresponding movies
(00:00) Introduction
(02:19) Back to the Future
(22:31) Water for Elephants
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Despite Back to the Future winning the Olivier Award for Best Musical when it was in the West End, it ended up receiving lukewarm notices on Broadway.
While we weren't impressed by many of the songs, it was still interesting to read through the song-by-song breakdown of the cast album (particularly that nugget of information about Jamie Lloyd being the original director).
Cindy's impressions of circus-related stories hasn't been great, starting with the song in Matilda the Musical and peaking with Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley.
Some examples of the acrobatics in the show can be seen in the New York Times feature, as well as in their Good Morning America performance.
If you ever wanted to know about running away to join the circus, Reddit has some answers for you.
While this episode was recorded during late previews of Water for Elephants, reviews have since come out. Christine was shocked at Jesse Green's critic's pick and agreed much more with Sara Holdren's review on Vulture.
While there's no cast album released yet, you can get a taste of more songs from the sitzprobe, part 1 and part 2.
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Music featured in this episode:
Back to the Future: The Musical
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
Water for Elephants:
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Are You Blue that Days of Wine and Roses is now closing early? Well you now have until March 31 to catch this show on Broadway, but if you don’t get a chance to, we have you covered with our recap of what happens in the show and our thoughts on its very unique score!
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Sutton Foster's episode of Say Yes to the Dress is one that has come up recently in our feeds, so check it out if you haven't seen it!
John McWhorter of the New York Times wrote a piece on the lasting impact "Forgiveness" had on him when he first heard the song, despite its unusual structure.
Hear Kelli O'Hara and Brian d'Arcy James talk about the show and how it came to be on Variety's Stagecraft podcast.
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Music featured in this episode:
Days of Wine and Roses (Original Cast Recording)
This Is Our Time...to tell you about Harmony, and while the show has already closed on Broadway, you can listen to us tell you all about it if you take this podcast with you Where You Go!
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Have you heard of Damp January? The New York Times seems to think it's a worthy trend.
Take a look at some of the history behind the real Comedian Harmonists, and there's now a podcast that goes through their history as well!
Check out some clips from the earlier production of Harmony in LA that Christine got to see, featuring a very different direction than the version that made it to Broadway.
It's interesting to see how New York Times gave Harmony a critic's pick in the off-Broadway iteration, while the Broadway production received a generally negative review from the same publication (though a different critic).
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Music featured in this episode:
Harmony (The Cast Recording)
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
Marie - The Comedian Harmonists
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway, our blog at https://bottomlessbway.home.blog, or email us at bottomlessbway@gmail.com! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey.
In our first episode of the season, we’re talking about the Fabulous One…or is she? Imelda Marcos may be just a Pretty Face, but Here Lies Love takes a look at how she rose to power and why she might’ve considered herself the "Star and Slave" of the Philippines.
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Check out how the Broadway Theatre was transformed for Here Lies Love, as explained by set designer David Korins and take a look at some of the behind the scenes action where the ensemble has to run all the way around the stage area while doing a quick change
The other major immersive musical happening right now is Guys and Dolls over in London, which involves a similar standing room dance floor concept
The original concept album is quite different from the show that made it to stage, and thanks to the Wayback Machine, we can see the original descriptions for each of the songs from David Byrne’s website
Want to know more about the background of the show and context for the current songs? Take a look at the New York Theatre Guide article that Cindy mentioned
Imelda Marcos was famously known for her many pairs of shoes, supposedly around 3,000 (and not 300 like Christine said), and in case you want to know what happened to them, Vice has you covered
Hear from the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist that wrote about the Marcoses and his experience at Here Lies Love
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Music featured in this episode:
Here Lies Love (Original Cast Recording)
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway, our blog at https://bottomlessbway.home.blog, or email us at bottomlessbway@gmail.com! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey.
It’s 2024 and we’re back with an Off-Broadway highlights episode, showcasing two shows we saw last fall: Sondheim’s last musical, Here We Are, and a revival from Classic Stage Company of I Can Get It for You Wholesale! Note that there are spoilers for both shows in this episode.
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ICYMI: The Frank Rich piece on Vulture explains how Sondheim’s last musical finally came to be on stage.
There are a couple of interviews that have been particularly interesting, featuring members of the Here We Are cast, which you can hear on NPR and WNYC.
While Here We Are is based on two Buñuel films, two other films came to mind that seemed to fit in a similar vein: Bottoms and Triangle of Sadness.
One of the greatest parts of seeing a show at Classic Stage Company is their in-depth show guide, which provides a lot of historical context about when the show was set and some dramaturgical points of interest.
I Can Get It for You Wholesale is actually licensed by Concord Theatricals, and you can see a full synopsis of the show on their site (and see some of the differences from the revisions made by John Weidman in this production). You can also check out this interview with Theatermania where Weidman talks about his process.
In keeping with the Sondheim tie-in, check out Lindsay Mendez performing Who Knows?
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Music featured in this episode:
Snippets for Here We Are from the WNYC feature.
I Can Get It for You Wholesale (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
Other excerpts from this revival come from the trailer and Julia Lester's Playbill performance
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway, our blog at https://bottomlessbway.home.blog, or email us at bottomlessbway@gmail.com! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey.
As usual for our final episode this season, we’re diving into the Tony Awards! We try to predict all 26 categories, while also giving our picks for what we would choose to award, and we get a chance to discuss plays and revivals which we don’t cover in our regular season episodes. So hit play and we’ll tell you who to watch out for on Sunday night!
Because this is a long episode, there are chapter markers for you to use (assuming your podcast player supports them).
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Since the time of recording, a few more sites have come out with their Tony predictions, including Time Out New York and the New York Times survey of Tony voters (turns out they’re able to poll about a fifth of the voters!).
The designer that Cindy was talking about in regards to the & Juliet costumes was Vivienne Westwood, whose style can be seen in this TikTok video.
To get a sense of the infamous “doors” tap number from Some Like It Hot, check out this video, which also shows some of the tech going on behind the scenes.
Sean Hayes is actually a classically trained pianist, and you can check out a sample of him playing Rhapsody in Blue at a Ham4Ham.
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Music/audio featured in this episode:
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway, our blog at https://bottomlessbway.home.blog/, or email us at bottomlessbway@gmail.com! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey.
Hello Again, as we’re back with our last regular episode of the season, on A Beautiful Noise! But this won’t be a Song Sung Blue, so crack open some Red Red Wine and Play Me, as we talk through the latest entry in the list of bio jukebox musicals.
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Despite poor reviews from the critics, this show has been able to do quite well in the grosses, as you can see for yourself.
We both loved the Bohemian Rhapsody movie, written by the same book writer as A Beautiful Noise.
If you’ve managed to never have seen Shrek, this is how Christine was first introduced to I’m a Believer.
Two of our favorite actors in this season’s shows, Robyn Hurder and Clyde Alves, are actually married in real life!
Crunchy Granola Suite was such a revelation that it was also used in the Bob Fosse-choreographed revue Dancin'. And you can compare that to the award-winning choreography by Steven Hoggett, as performed on the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.
Turns out, the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn really did have a profound impact on Neil Diamond.
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Music featured in this episode:
A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway, our blog at https://bottomlessbway.home.blog/, or email us at bottomlessbway@gmail.com! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey.
This week, our episode features a show with a mix of corn puns bouncing off the Walls. Maybe Love is what you'll feel about that, or maybe you'll think it's just Bad, but it's OK because if you don't like it, Somebody Will. Some come join these two Friends as we talk through Shucked!
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Shucked has had a bit of a winding road to Broadway, but you can read all about it here. Additionally, they've taken a bit of a different approach to marketing and sales, as described by producer Mike Bosner in Deadline. Most notable in their ads were the fake pull quotes, like this one.
If you're not sure what Cindy's referring to regarding (now-)King Charles and architecture, here's A Brief History of King Charles’s Vendetta Against Modern Architecture.
Maizy's arrival in Tampa seems to be reminiscent of another girl's arrival in a new town. Which is funny because that girl also had a corn-related song.
You can watch the choreography for Best Man Wins from the performance on the Today Show.
Never watched an episode of Hee Haw? This Youtube channel is on a mission to make sure they're all within reach.
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Music featured in this episode:
Shucked (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon Music
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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BottomlessBway, our blog at https://bottomlessbway.home.blog/, or email us at bottomlessbway@gmail.com! You can also leave feedback in this 30-second survey.