Celebrating 100 Episodes with a Green Hero SHREK!

Pour yourself a glass of swamp water and join us for our monumental 100th episode celebration! We're marking this milestone by diving deep into the surprisingly profound world of Shrek the Musical, a show that beneath its green exterior contains powerful messages about self-acceptance and celebrating differences.

As we reflect on reaching 100 episodes (how did that happen?!), we share some of our fondest podcast memories and the musicals that have meant the most to us along this journey. We couldn't have made it this far without our incredible listeners who continue to support our musical theatre obsession week after week.

Before tackling our main ogre-sized topic, we dish some exciting musical theatre news including updates on Matilda's UK tour, Faye Tozer's casting in the new West End production Diamonds and Dust, and the return of both Beetlejuice and Chess to Broadway (with the latter featuring Aaron Tveit and Lea Michele!).

Our Shrek deep-dive explores the fascinating history of the show's development, from its expensive Broadway premiere to its more successful scaled-down tours. We unpack the brilliant work of composer Jeanine Tesori (the most prolific female theatrical composer in history) and lyricist David Lindsay-Abaire, examining how they transformed a beloved animated film into a heartfelt musical. 

Musical theatre nerds will delight in our thorough analysis of the clever Broadway references hidden throughout Shrek's score, from Wicked to Les Misérables. We also examine the surprisingly rich meaning behind seemingly silly lyrics in songs like "Don't Let Me Go," which reference everything from Southern soul food to the original Siamese twins!

At its heart, though, Shrek reminds us to "let our freak flag fly" – a message that resonates deeply with both of us and explains why this seemingly simple show has secured a special place in musical theatre history. Whether you're a devoted fan or a Shrek skeptic, we're confident you'll gain a new appreciation for the layers of this onion-like musical masterpiece.

Have you seen Shrek the Musical? Share your thoughts with us on social media – we'd love to know which character you connect with most or which song from the show speaks to you!

End of MLL

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:25

Hello and welcome to Musical Lyrical Lingo. We're your hosts, tim and LJ.

Speaker 2 0:29

Today and every week we will be discussing musicals, but specifically what they taught us.

Speaker 1 0:34

Cue confetti, cannons. And what else did we have Fireworks, fireworks Stage lights.

Speaker 2 0:40

We're hot, lit, lit hot. I'm always lit, hot, hotly lit I think it's what you're looking for.

Speaker 1 0:48

I'm always lit hot, hotly lit I think it's what you're looking for.

Speaker 2 0:52

EP, you've let us down. You should have had like balloons falling from the ceiling.

Speaker 1 0:56

We should have had balloons, and he just called us a balloon.

Speaker 2 1:00

You are so rude. I thought he was a real balloon.

Speaker 1 1:03

We should have had banners, I know we should have actually had a live audience. Why did we not have a live audience for this very special?

Speaker 2 1:10

episode. We did still go live, if you want.

Speaker 1 1:13

No.

Speaker 2 1:14

I don't look great today.

Speaker 1 1:16

to be honest, do I look tired?

Speaker 2 1:19

You actually don't Do? You know what I mean? You don't look tired. I know everything that you're dealing with. You're always radiant.

Speaker 1 1:25

You don't need your own light you don't need to be lit for me. Why are?

Speaker 2 1:30

we so excited. Today it's our 100th episode.

Speaker 1 1:34

Honest when you came to me all those years ago.

Speaker 2 1:37

how many years is it?

Speaker 1 1:38

Two, two, yeah, two years ago to say I've had this idea for a podcast. Did you ever think we'd reach 100 episodes?

Speaker 2 1:46

I love that we are on 100 episodes, but that's also mental, isn't it? 100 episodes? I love that we are on 100 episodes, but that's also mental, isn't it?

Speaker 1 1:51

100 episodes is still talking nonsense.

Speaker 2 1:53

No, we're talking musicals, but 100 episodes. People are still listening. Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 1:57

It's not just you and me. I think people would have found a site by now, but they haven't Like, they're still. They're still committed to the cause.

Speaker 2 2:06

I know it is awesome, it has been very exciting, but maybe you've put that idea in my head. Maybe we should do a live episode in the summer, when we've got a bit more free time would you think people would come? Yeah, I mean live episode, like live audience.

Speaker 1 2:20

Oh look, no, like audience, like we sit on stage in a comfy chairs where I think we'd have to have a wee glass of vino like oh yeah, and like have an audience. Sorry, maybe live episode was not the right. Okay, like, what do you call that?

Speaker 2 2:35

Yeah, I know that. Well, that's like a live recording, live recording, okay, okay, well, we'll work towards that. That's what I was thinking We'll work towards that.

Speaker 1 2:42

Dream big. I mean, if you've got to 100, you need to, we need to up the ante, so maybe we should like set a goal.

Speaker 2 2:50

So we're nearly at 12,000 downloads. So maybe when we get to 15,000 downloads, that's not very far off.

Speaker 1 2:57

We'll get that, no bother. We'll um, yeah, tell your friends spread, and if you haven't been spreading the word, what have you been doing for the last two years? What have you been doing? You've had 100 episodes to get on it. No, it's very exciting.

Speaker 2 3:12

I have to say it is very exciting, I know, and we still love it, don't we? Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1 3:19

This is where.

Speaker 2 3:19

Timothy says and I buy out.

Speaker 1 3:22

I'm dragged along kicking and screaming every week.

Reminiscing Over Favorite Episodes

Speaker 2 3:26

No, it's still my therapy. I keep telling you this Love it, love. No, it's still my therapy. I keep telling you this love it, love it. A hundred episodes. This is insane. Okay, 100 episodes and what's been your favorite that we have revised. Well, you know spoke about revised what's up.

Speaker 1 3:40

What's the favorite musical?

Speaker 2 3:41

yeah, what's, yeah, what's the one that yeah episode not necessarily episode, but which one have you actually gone? I really loved that. The musical. You know, the podcast reminded me of that musical, or I, but I do this.

Speaker 1 3:55

I do this all the time, like that of we have covered so many musicals in the last two years that, like often there, there comes a musical that we just throw out there and we go, yeah, we'll do that next yeah and it's been a long time since I've listened to it or seen it. And then I go. I'm so glad we agreed to do this musical next because it and actually there's one that's coming up in episodes to come and I'm like I honestly don't think I've listened to this musical in like 15 years like this is amazing.

Speaker 1 4:27

Um, oh, it's very difficult. It's a difficult question one I do, you know I still some of my fondest episodes have been some of the earliest episodes to be honest with you. I think we were super excited and we were doing ones that were really really close to us, yeah, because then I suppose at the end of the day, we didn't know what would be around yeah, true.

Speaker 2 4:50

Do you know what I mean so?

Speaker 1 4:51

we're getting all of those ones that are very, very dear to us out in the early days and I suppose when you've got all those, like you know, really personal memories, yes, or memories that are really close to you, they do live on in your. So I still love, like the joseph episode and the the god spell episode.

Speaker 2 5:12

I mean oklahoma is a high personal highlight to me not so much um okay, no, I agree, but I also love sort of listening to you know, um, sometimes if I put it on shuffle and then we'd be listening to an older pod and then a newer one how we were really on our best behavior in those very first ones and then people were going that's not the real you, even though it was the real us.

Speaker 1 5:36

We just didn't know how much of us we wanted to give, and now we're we're so much rougher around the edges, aren't we like? Sometimes a bit too rough, we need to be more finally tuned tighten it up a wee bit tighten it up, yeah, but do you know what?

Speaker 2 5:52

that's what people really do love about pod? Is this so um?

Speaker 1 5:56

I still love our interviews. I think that's really special when we invite other people on to share with us.

Speaker 2 6:04

Um, so hopefully we've got a few more of those in the pipeline as well, A few people, hopefully as well, who maybe aren't always front.

Speaker 1 6:12

Yeah.

Speaker 2 6:13

Like on stage, maybe like behind the scenes in some ways, and a big massive congratulations to Francis Foreman, who was on the pod.

Speaker 1 6:21

He is happily married, yeah.

Speaker 2 6:23

Happily married man. Now Lovely yeah.

Speaker 1 6:26

And I love the new musicals that have come to us as part of the pod. You know the likes of Riffless and Millennials, yeah, I know it's just so great and hopefully there's exciting news there too in the pipeline as well. Yeah, what about you?

Speaker 2 6:43

yeah, I was just going to let you answer that question. Oh great, thanks for that putting me on the spot much well for our 100th episode. Have you got some exciting theatre news for us?

Speaker 1 6:55

I do. Yeah, well, it's exciting and not exciting, I suppose, in a way. Um Matilda. First of all, the fact that Matilda the musicals has a UK and Ireland tour planned. I that went by the by for me. I I didn't realise that, but they have just actually added more dates and more venues and a Christmas season. But don't get too excited because it's still not coming to Northern Ireland or Dublin.

Speaker 2 7:22

But how can it say UK and Ireland tour? Well, I don't know.

Speaker 1 7:25

Hopefully there's more to come but it is starting in the Leicester Curve on the 6th of October this year. And it is starting in the Leicester curve on the 6th of October this year and it's returning. I think this is quite cute and special. It's returning to Roald Dahl's birthplace at Cardiff oh nice, and that's where it's going to spend its Christmas season. It's going to be there from the 9th of December to the 17th of January. Cute yeah, but it's not coming anywhere near us at the moment. Maybe, Also you know I'm a big Steps fan.

Speaker 2 7:56

Yes.

Speaker 1 7:57

So lovely Faye Tozer from Steps is going to be appearing as Miss Kitty Leroy in the world premiere of the brand new and hotly anticipated theatrical production of Diamonds and Dust.

Speaker 2 8:13

Yeah, I don't know much about this.

Speaker 1 8:14

I don't really know much about it either. It's going to begin performances in London's newest West End venue.

Speaker 2 8:22

What is that? The Emerald Theatre. Oh, now, as far as I'm, aware.

Speaker 1 8:26

I think it's the theatre that is being built around Tottenham Court Road, that kind of area. There was new theatres being built around there, and I think that's where it is. If it's not there, I am so sorry that I have misled you all, but yeah, so it's going to be in the Emerald Theatre on the 6th of June, and the cast appearing also includes Dita Von Teese, which I think is quite cool. Now I have a synopsis somewhere of what Diamonds and Dust is actually about.

Speaker 2 9:06

Where is it? I think?

Speaker 1 9:07

Do you have it? Do you know? No but I've never heard of it before.

Speaker 2 9:11

Is it just coming to town or is it touring as well? Or is Dita Fontes' thing touring? Is that what I'm getting confused of, because stuff was released there.

Speaker 1 9:20

As far as I'm aware. I'm not aware of it touring, but step into the hazy saloon and let the 52 card deck decide your fate. This is the untold story of miss kitty laroy, the wild west most notorious card dealer, making her way in a man's world whilst trying her hand at taming lady luck for herself, perhaps in vain see, that sounds like right up my street bit of you, doesn't it? Yeah?

Speaker 2 9:49

so there you go, go, I'm going to have to research that more. I'm going to have to look into that bad boy.

Speaker 1 9:54

Yeah, so that is exciting especially for lovely Faye Tozer, who is just wonderful. I adore her. And Beetlejuice yes is to return to Broadway for the third time For the third time, so it's quite ironic, isn't it?

Speaker 2 10:14

It is.

Speaker 1 10:15

Really that we will be saying its name three times. I know Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.

Speaker 2 10:20

So it's currently on tour in the US at the moment and then it will make like a pit stop in Broadway For is it like six weeks or something?

Speaker 1 10:28

Yeah yeah, yeah, that's it Beginning this, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's it Beginning this autumn. Yeah.

Speaker 2 10:33

You mean, there's just something there that is definitely, and we spoke about it whenever we did do our little bit on Beetlejuice. That is a massive fan driven show.

Speaker 1 10:42

Thousand percent and an eagerly longed for West End transfer has yet to be materialised, but listen, we can live in hope, can't we?

Speaker 2 10:52

I know, maybe if we just keep saying it. Well, what keeps happening on this pod?

Speaker 1 10:57

Listen, absolutely. So we have just done an episode on chess, haven't we? We've just done it. Listen, folks, we've done it again 100 episodes in and we are still it again it's coming 100 episodes in and we are still making magic.

Speaker 2 11:13

And I'm pretty sure I did say there's talk of it returning to Broadway in 2025. You must have smelt it out, did you? Because?

Speaker 1 11:20

Broadway News. Chess to Broadway will return in its first ever revival Yep Starring Aaron Tvei fantastic casting. Yep Lea Michele. Yep Starring Aaron Tvei Fantastic casting. Lea Michele, yep Even better and Nicholas Christopher. It's going to return to Broadway after 37 years and it's opening on the 9th of October this year.

Speaker 2 11:43

And I think it's the English version. Do you remember we spoke on?

Speaker 1 11:46

our episode. There was the American, and I'm pretty sure I think it was like Reed is the preferred, isn't it?

Speaker 2 11:53

Yeah, so I'm pretty sure it is that and a few wee rewrites there you go, I tell you what it's all.

Speaker 1 11:57

go, go, go in the world of musical theatre.

Speaker 2 12:00

And this week the Top Hat cast was announced as well, that's right, yeah.

Speaker 1 12:03

So yeah A lot of unknown names For me. I didn't recognize anybody, so that's exciting. Yeah, fresh blood.

Speaker 2 12:11

Loved it, Loved it Well what are we? Doing for our 100th episode.

Speaker 1 12:15

Well, we've got to do a fan favorite, do we not? Yeah? One that's upbeat and like Bright and beautiful, bright and beautiful.

Speaker 2 12:24

Yeah.

Speaker 1 12:25

And the message in it is beautiful too. Yeah, what are we doing, shrek we? And the message in it is beautiful too. Yeah, what are we doing, shrek we?

Speaker 2 12:31

are doing Shrek the musical.

Speaker 1 12:33

Love Shrek the musical, not the most sophisticated of choices for our 100th episode, but hey, do you know what?

Speaker 2 12:38

I really enjoy Shrek. I think it is a great musical, great professional and great arm drum and great junior. Do you know like a really good?

Speaker 1 12:48

actually Thousand percent. It's actually what I've chosen to do next year in school.

Speaker 2 12:54

Have you yeah, yeah yeah oh, that'll be so fun I hopefully.

Speaker 1 12:59

I've read the script and I'm going how am I doing this?

Speaker 2 13:02

no, that'll be so fun, but yeah, I think it'll be fun and that's part of the reason why we chose it.

Speaker 1 13:08

Yeah, so music by janine uh tesori. Yeah, I'm book. And lyrics by david lindsey a bear a bear. Now, fun fact yeah, janine tesori, yeah, the most prolific and honored female theatrical composer in the history. Yeah, yeah, with five Broadway musicals and six Tony nominations. Her work includes Fun Home, yep, carolina Change, kimberly Akimbo and, of course, shrek.

Speaker 2 13:40

Yeah, I know, and all of these like well, I kind of feel like Carolina Change, fun Home and Kimberly all have a similar thread to them. They're not like, they're not the same at all, but there's that sort of real heart to it. And then Shrek does have a lot of heart too.

Speaker 1 13:57

A thousand percent.

Speaker 2 13:58

So, but it's just a lot more upbeat and you know, family friendly, I suppose. Family friendly yeah, and David worked with Janine on Kimberly as well.

Speaker 1 14:10

Yes, that's right, yep, the two of them.

Speaker 2 14:12

So it's based on the DreamWorks 2001 film with some Shrek 2 elements. So do you remember when Shrek the film came out?

Speaker 1 14:22

I can't say I do no. I've lost count of how many times I've watched the film.

Speaker 2 14:27

I kind of remember the buzz around it, because it was really like non-disney yeah, you know, and there was sort of like looking at the characters, but there was also taking the mick out of disney as well, but, um, it was yeah, definitely a um, a tv show, a film that we watched a lot in our house and then my kids love it like actually a door track to push the boundaries a bit more than uh disney, yeah would do yeah and I didn't know that there is also like a fantasy comic picture book no, I didn't know yeah so it's um so obviously you've got the animated film, but it's also roughly based on william steve's fantasy comedy picture book shrek, which was published in 1990 oh yeah, I didn't know there was any such thing didn't know that at all.

Speaker 2 15:18

Um, work began on shrek back in 2002, so the film came out in 2001. So then, pretty much straight away, they were like we're gonna do this. A reading then took place in 2007. And then they had their Seattle premiere in 2008, where there was many song changes, a wee bit of script change and all that jazz.

Speaker 1 15:43

It's gone through quite a process, hasn't it? From its various different versions or incarnations.

Speaker 2 15:50

True, and then it went to Broadway on the 8th of November 2008. Now, I'm pretty sure from 2007, like Brian Darcy and Christopher Sieber were connected to it.

Speaker 1 16:02

Yeah.

Speaker 2 16:02

But then Sutton Foster came whenever it was Broadway.

Speaker 1 16:07

Oh, so she wasn't involved, because I have that she was involved in Broadway with the previews in the Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle.

Speaker 2 16:15

Yeah, sorry.

Speaker 1 16:16

And then so her Brian Dorsey-James, who played Shrek and Chester Gregory II. He played the donkey, and most of them did transfer then to Broadway, apart from the donkey, and so the cast was the same, apart from Daniel Breaker who took over the role of donkey, as the creative team thought that Chester Gregory II didn't quite fit the part of Donkey.

Speaker 2 16:42

Yeah, yeah. And then there was a pro shot was released in 2013.

Speaker 1 16:47

That's right, yeah.

Speaker 2 16:49

You know me, I do love a pro shot.

Speaker 1 16:50

So do I, and I do love whenever I'm going to be glued to it.

Speaker 2 16:54

Let me tell you this next year, but I think that was a really great decision by the producers too, because it lives really well on a pro shot. It's another good family musical to watch, so I'm really glad that they decided to do that because it would have been a shame if there wasn't. No definitely.

Speaker 1 17:13

The Broadway production closed on January, the 3rd 2010, after 441 performances, and at the time, it was one of the most expensive musicals to open on Broadway, at an estimated $25 million and, despite generally good reviews, it did fail to recoup its initial investments, so hence the show was extremely modified for the national tour that followed.

Speaker 2 17:46

Yeah, it was a very scaled down version and also that was the same for the West End's 2011 version. It was a scaled, scaled down. It did win 12 Drama Desk Awards and had 8 Tony nominations.

Speaker 1 18:02

Yeah, that's it. Tony nominations, including Best Musical and Acting Awards for Brian Darcy, James Sutton Foster and Chris Sieber. I think it was. Yeah, who was Lord Farquaad?

Speaker 2 18:14

Yeah, I think it's great. I'm not too sure why it closed so quickly. Is it just because it was Shrek? I think because it was so expensive. Do you just think that? That's?

Speaker 1 18:28

Yeah, I think it was so expensive and they weren't recouping their investments. So they were like tell you what? Let's scale this down and send out a national tour, not like has it stopped touring in the in america? Do you know what I mean and certainly there's been a number of uk tours and this is it's one of those shows. It's a bit like a chicago and a blood brothers. It's just gonna keep touring every year or so.

Speaker 1 18:56

Do you know what I mean? Because young audiences, young families are going to come and see it time and time again.

Speaker 2 19:02

And I think because the story, obviously the film, was 2001, but the story isn't dated and it's got so much heart, as we said, and there's a real thing about working together and celebrating your quirks and that's a lovely message.

Speaker 1 19:16

So thousand percent um the west end opened in uh theater royal jury lane again how many of these musicals. Are we doing that? Open there um, with nigel lindsey as shrek richard black interesting casting at the time as Donkey. Amanda Holden as Princess.

Speaker 1 19:41

Fiona and Nigel Harmon as Lord Forquod. It was nominated for four Olivier's, including Best Musical, best Actor for Lindsay, best Supporting Actor for Harmon and Best Costume Design. And Nigel Harmon did Best actor for Lindsay, best supporting actor for Harmon and best costume design. And Nigel Harmon did win for his role as Lord Farquaad, with critics praising his performance and branding him hysterically funny. So that's quite ironic that come the UK tour, he actually was the director.

Speaker 2 20:15

Mm. Hmm, it's kind of cool. I remember there being a big buzz around the casting and people being very impressed with his performance. He was on Strictly recently, wasn't he? He was on Strictly yeah that's right, because I remember being like oh yeah, that's right, I had forgotten that he was at Right. My kids laugh at me. There's like five things in the world that I say wrong yeah and lord or quad. Thank you is one of them.

Speaker 1 20:44

I could never say it, I just can't get it in my head so my plan for this 100th episode is to make you say it as many times as possible, and they just no, I just go for it get confused and say lord, far cry, I can never get.

Speaker 2 21:01

I just could never get his name lord, far cry, cry.

Speaker 1 21:06

That's harder to say than far quad, far quad. I just you know, never you are. This is why I love you. Do you know what I find very interesting? Obviously, when you think of Shrek, you think of I'm a believer, but when it comes to the musical, I'm a Believer was originally just played. As the audience has left the theatre, that's right, yeah. Until it was eventually added to the score on the 2nd of October 2009 and sung by the entire company at the end of the performance.

Speaker 2 21:38

So I was like what they didn't think to put it in right from the word go yeah. Thought that was funny. So what about your musical? Well, I suppose should we say what it's about.

Speaker 1 21:50

Do we need to Like who? Doesn't know about Shrek. It's about an ogre. Do you know what the problem is? I've agreed to do this or not agreed, like somebody's forced me. It's my decision. I decided to do this in school and I can't do a Scottish accent.

Speaker 2 22:06

Well, you're not playing Shrek are you?

Speaker 1 22:07

No, but I also have to try and help. Either I find a child who has a perfect Scottish accent or is Scottish, or I'm going to have to try and coach a Scottish accent out of them, and if I can't do one, there's no hope.

Speaker 2 22:22

But could it not just be good old Ulster Scots?

Speaker 1 22:29

I don't know how we get away with that.

Speaker 2 22:30

Could you not just get away with that? I don't know.

Lyrical Deep Dive

Speaker 1 22:34

Some of the words are similar. That's relying on me being able to speak Ulster Scots as well.

Speaker 2 22:39

It's, you know, a little hard.

Speaker 1 22:41

Get out of my swamp.

Speaker 2 22:43

That's not bad.

Speaker 1 22:44

That's one line. And I have to learn all of the songs and the rest of the lines.

Speaker 2 22:50

Yeah, you'll be great, but yes, it's about an ogre. He ends up on a mission to save the princess. He has a secret and there's fairytale characters along the way.

Speaker 1 22:59

Yeah, and I just I love like that mix of fairytale characters and they've all got their own wee character, own wee story going on Love it Shall we start at the beginning, then Story of my life.

Speaker 2 23:14

Well, Big, Bright, Beautiful.

Speaker 1 23:16

Oh, did you learn something about the Big, bright, beautiful world? It's a big, bright, beautiful world, you see, can't discuss.

Speaker 2 23:25

Yeah, well, it was all right.

Speaker 1 23:25

Bright, bright, beautiful world, it says just keep hawking.

Speaker 2 23:30

So the parents are sort of telling this seven-year-old ogre okay, that's you, now You've got to go out into the world, you're stuffed, everybody's gonna hate you, um, and that just means like, keep selling. But I think it's like keep selling the ogre-ness, like you know, be mean and nasty and and all of that. So that was my only thing from that. But yes, let's move on to I love story of story of my life because shrek finishes the fact, it's a big, bright, beautiful world and it's mine.

Speaker 1 23:58

And then he turns around and literally the whole population of fairy tale land is in his swamp, because they've all been evicted by Lord Farquaad of their land and they've decided to camp in his what's it called.

Speaker 1 24:15

Swamp so I love Story of my life because they all like a lot of them go through their like wee stories. So like the ugly duckling tells their story, humpty dumpty talks about how he fell off the wall, and then you've got the three little pigs which for some random reason but I love it are german in because the story is it's German.

Speaker 2 24:36

Yeah, yeah that.

Speaker 1 24:37

That's what I presumed it was, but I just, I just love the wee accent they sing. They blew our condos down, can't?

Speaker 2 24:46

do a.

Speaker 1 24:46

German accent either. I'm stuffed um. But condo, I thought oh, that's interesting short for a condominium. Do you know what a condomin?

Speaker 2 24:56

Well, I just thought a condo was like a flat.

Speaker 1 24:59

Well, it is a type of housing, Obviously, like you know. Yeah, we're not, I'm not stupid. I kind of got that too, but I was like, what exactly is a condo? Like you know what type of housing is it? So, it's a type of housing where individual units within a building or a complex are owned by residents. I think.

Speaker 2 25:15

I live in like a condo. I think you do too.

Speaker 1 25:21

So in a condo you own the specific unit but, like common areas, and amenities are typically shared among all owners.

Speaker 2 25:26

Yes, yeah, it's like what we would call a flat, so it's kind of like where I am.

Speaker 1 25:30

Yeah, so I'm in like one of four flats, yeah, but like we've got, like got a communal hallway and all the rest of it, so I'm in a condo.

Speaker 2 25:40

Okay, yay.

Speaker 1 25:41

Love it. Nobody blew my condo down, though, so it's fine.

Speaker 2 25:44

You're all right. You're all right Story of my life. I love the Pinocchio character and his being like the squeaky weird voice.

Speaker 1 25:53

What is it he says about Ponsap?

Speaker 2 25:59

Oh, I don squeaky weird voice yeah, what is it he says about um pond sap? Oh, I don't know. Oh, he's got a brilliant line where he goes.

Speaker 1 26:06

Something sucks pod sap, it's oh, it'll come to me.

Speaker 2 26:08

Um, they mention um a couple of puppet. I'm a real boy. Yeah, love. So there's lots of musical references. Yes, where they go. Mama's in the mud, mama's in distress.

Speaker 1 26:21

Yeah.

Speaker 2 26:21

And that's Gypsy, then I'm pretty sure Pinocchio says it's worse than Dutch elm disease.

Speaker 1 26:28

I've got that one too.

Speaker 2 26:29

Which is a fatal disease of elm trees caused by a fungus there you go. Yeah.

Speaker 1 26:37

I did read it going ooh, wonder how you catch that Spread by elm bark beetles. Yeah, there we go. And with Potokio being carved of wood, that's not a great thing.

Speaker 2 26:45

No, now there is a thing where it says porridge on our heads. So that could obviously be porridge about the three bears yeah and Goldilocks. But it could obviously be porridge about the three bears yeah and Goldilocks. But it could also be the word porridge, as in P-O-U-R-A-G-E, which is the French word to mean poor.

Speaker 1 27:07

And I would say it's both.

Speaker 2 27:09

Yeah.

Speaker 1 27:10

Because these lyricists are just very clever and they do this often Exactly. I do love the musical references that they throw in throughout this show here, talking about Gypsy. It's obviously a play on Gypsy Rose's turn and she sings Mama's talking loud, mama's doing fine, mama's getting hot. Have you seen any of the videos of Audrey McDonald as Mama Rose in Broadway at the moment? No, Holy moly.

Speaker 2 27:43

I have not, but I will Like actually unbelievable. Amazing. What about? Can you name all the musicals that they reference in Trek?

Speaker 1 27:56

So obviously, obviously, Gypsy, there is a bit of Cabaret, not Cabaret, a bit of Chorus Line. Yes A bit of Defying Gravity. Yes, from Wicked. Oh yeah, there's more, but I can't remember them off the top of my head.

Speaker 2 28:12

There's Lion King as well.

Speaker 1 28:14

Okay.

Speaker 2 28:15

Les Mis in Freak.

Speaker 1 28:17

Flags yeah.

Speaker 2 28:18

Yeah, the little formation.

Speaker 1 28:20

Yeah, Rent Did you pick up on that one. No, I didn't pick up on the Rent one. I feel very guilty.

Speaker 2 28:26

So the song that Donkey sings Don't Let Me Go, don't, let me go, don't let me go. I think it's like four bars or something. Not very musical, but it is the same as I'll Cover you.

Speaker 1 28:42

Oh, very good yeah.

Speaker 2 28:44

Well, Once Upon a Mattress is also mentioned.

Speaker 1 28:46

Okay.

Speaker 2 28:46

Dream Girls.

Speaker 1 28:50

The Dragon, the Dragon. Sorry, I could not think.

Speaker 2 28:52

And then there's Evita as well.

Speaker 1 28:54

What's Evita right?

Speaker 2 28:56

It's Lord Far Cry Quad, not think. And then there's a vida as well. So it's um lord far cry quad I love you.

Speaker 1 29:03

Oh, this has got to be so much fun um standing up.

Speaker 2 29:06

Like you know, he goes like up on top and he's like talking to.

Speaker 1 29:11

Oh, it's like um a vida on the uh on the balcony.

Speaker 2 29:15

That's it, and the Defying Gravity riff is in what's Up, duloc.

Speaker 1 29:20

You'll never bring me down.

Speaker 2 29:26

Yeah, and Dreamgirls is in the Forever, which is sung by the dragon.

Speaker 1 29:31

Very good, can we talk about? Don't Let Me Go. Yeah, I love it. Don't let me go, I love the donkey. I think I'd Go. Yeah, I love it, don't Let Me Go, I love the donkey. I think I'd play the donkey if I had to have a choice of what character. I'd play in Shrek. He sings obviously he's like glues himself to. Shrek's hip and will not let it leave, Even though Shrek's like will you clear? Will you clear off donkey? Yep, Was that good? That was very good. I think I'm embarrassing myself here.

Speaker 2 30:01

Can you sort out the line? No, it's okay, it's my warm.

Speaker 1 30:05

The sun is shining in my face. Currently I can't see a bloody thing, but I feel it's my warm lighting.

Speaker 2 30:11

That's it, hot lighting.

Speaker 1 30:15

So anyway, if Hot lighting so, anyway, if I could read my notes and tell you what I learned about, don't Let Me Go. Yeah, so he sings about like we are so close, we are the closest as close can be. And he comes up with all these like.

Speaker 2 30:29

Things that go together.

Speaker 1 30:30

Yeah, things that go together like us.

Speaker 2 30:32

Yeah, yeah, you're so cute.

Speaker 1 30:35

I know. So he says like butter and grits.

Speaker 2 30:40

I knew you were going to have that and I was like I'm so excited.

Speaker 1 30:43

Because you will know all about it.

Speaker 2 30:44

I know all about it.

Speaker 1 30:45

I'm like what on earth is butter and grits? So you'll keep me right, but butter and grits are quintessentially southern.

Speaker 2 30:53

Yep.

Speaker 1 30:54

And or like african-american soul food. Uh dish, uh grits is like a coarse, like grounded dry maize, also known as corn yeah in butter yeah is that it?

Speaker 2 31:09

yeah, the only way I can probably describe it to you would be like watery glippy, and this is not.

Speaker 1 31:17

It's going to make it not sound nice, but it's delicious watery glippy porridge really because, yeah, when I looked it up it kind of looked almost hummusy and kind of like no it's more, it's more like a porridge thing.

Speaker 2 31:32

Oh my goodness, grits is beautiful.

Speaker 1 31:34

Yeah, it's so good but I love all that um no, it savory, but you can.

Speaker 2 31:39

You could put like sugar on it and sweeten it up.

Speaker 1 31:43

Usually sure Americans are having like maple syrup or something over it and do you just eat it with a spoon?

Speaker 2 31:48

You can eat it with a spoon like porridge, or it's usually like on the side, with like biscuits, which would be like our scones, so you dip like a biscuit in oh. Americans' biscuits are scones.

Speaker 1 31:58

Oh my goodness, so they would spread it like butter.

Speaker 2 32:02

No, it's like. It's pretty much porridge with like a bit of butter on top. It's so good, see when we go to America For our 40th.

Speaker 1 32:11

That you're not going to.

Speaker 2 32:14

Yeah, oh, it's so good. Okay, fair enough.

Speaker 1 32:17

He also then sings like Keeble and bits or keebles and bits. Keeble is a general term for small dried pellets of processed food, especially commonly fed to like dogs and cats. So keebles is made of a variety of ingredients, including meat, grains, vegetables and legumes, which are members of the pea family.

Speaker 1 32:41

Oh didn't know that I won't be having that either, that's for sure. He references like strum and drang yes, I've got that. So it is German for storm and drive, or storm and stress. Okay, and in this pairing, as imagined by Donkey Shrek, is like the strum the storm, due to his size and temper.

Speaker 2 33:06

Yep.

Speaker 1 33:06

While Donkey is the drang or drive there to support him as his right hand man. Yeah, yeah, that was good Clever Like there's so many more Like did you get any of these?

Speaker 2 33:18

I anymore like ang. Did you get any of these? I ang and chang, okay, so ang and chang attached at the hip I mean, I actually loved this lyric because then it made me go and research yeah this and I loved learning more and, in fact, I would really encourage everybody to go and learn more about so ang and chang but they were actually known more as chang and ang okay bunker and they were actually known more as Chang and Eng bunker, and they were Siamese American and they were conjoined twin brothers whose fame propelled the expression Siamese twins.

Speaker 2 33:49

So they were two of the 19th century's most studied human beings and they have a really fascinating life. They married sisters a really fascinating life. They married sisters. They also did loads of. They were terribly treated and you know there was a lot of racist attacks and stuff and they did a load of going to the police and getting laws put out. It was just like I don't know. Just go and read about them. Honestly, do I think they had such a fantastic life and they ended up dying because, well, one had a blood clot and then the other died of fright just seeing his brother dead. Oh my goodness, I know.

Speaker 1 34:33

I didn't go as deep into my research and I'm really glad I didn't, but this is the 100th episode. I know Episode. Why would you share such sad news?

Speaker 2 34:41

Oh no but I mean that's really sad. It is sad. They had children and they, you know, obviously turned around.

Speaker 1 34:52

That would have been a wee bit awkward, right.

Speaker 2 34:53

I was trying to figure out how that worked.

Speaker 1 34:55

They married sisters as well. That makes it even more awkward, right.

Speaker 2 34:59

It's a bit strange.

Speaker 1 35:00

Well, no.

Speaker 2 35:02

But yeah, there we go. They were lovely people.

Speaker 1 35:05

One of the most interesting lyrics from that song Don't Let Me Go was like pop rocks and Mikey.

Speaker 2 35:13

Oh my goodness, yeah, but there's one before it which is because you know what I'm like. I like order.

Speaker 1 35:17

Oh, for goodness sake, cupid and Psych.

Speaker 2 35:20

Yeah, so this is a story from Lucius Aphelios I don't know if I said that right which is metamorphosis. So Psyche and Cupid. Cupid falls in love.

Speaker 1 35:33

Should see arrows?

Speaker 2 35:34

Yeah, should see arrows, but Psyche becomes really jealous. And then they're said that Cupid and Psyche, syke, becomes really jealous. And then they're said that Cupid and Syke are the symbol. They symbolise a union of rational soul with defined love. You know when people say, oh, it's like rational love or it's defined love. Yeah, very cute.

The Message Behind Freak Flag

Speaker 1 35:52

Yes, pop Rocks and Mikey yeah, so Pop Rocks is candy, I presume like pop and candy yeah, that's exactly what it is this is inspired by. This lyric was inspired by the urban myth.

Speaker 1 36:03

This is so ridiculous isn't it mental, like I was reading it going this can't be true, like this is ridiculous. So, anyway, like pop rocks, rocks and Mikey is inspired by the urban myth that the actor who played Little Mikey, which was like an iconic life cereal commercials in the 70s and 80s, had died from consuming a lethal combination of Pop Rocks, poppin' Candy and soda, which allegedly caused his stomach to combust with excess CO2 gas due to carbonation in both products. Yeah, total myth yeah. But like properly was out there.

Speaker 2 36:49

And it's still whenever you research it. It's like the actor that played Mikey is still alive as of January 2025.

Speaker 1 36:56

Yes, he's still alive. I think he's like a journalist now or something like that I also love because I did go through back in the day, way, way, way back in the day I went through a period of loving this show Mythbusters.

Speaker 1 37:12

I bet you Aaron liked Mythbusters and they you know, this is serious when Mythbusters decides to take it and try and prove or disprove the myth. So they investigated this urban legend and they demonstrate that it's not actually dangerous to consume pop rocks and soda. Due to declining sales, fuelled by the false allegations, however, of exploding stomachs it's ridiculous. Pop Rocks was discontinued in 1983. I've lost the power to speak, that's hilarious.

Speaker 2 37:55

Yeah, it was all propaganda. What they think was obviously a sweet company that didn't make Pop Rock, pop rocks or, as we would know it, pop and candy. Um, and it was, yeah, that it would contain some terrible chemical that was then going to destroy all our children, a bit like the sunny delight rumor. I don't know if that ever was Remember that the kids used to drink it, and then they turned orange and then it was banned.

Speaker 1 38:19

That's right. I did hear that. That's true, it was banned.

Speaker 2 38:23

But imagine being just this young actor who's chosen for this Quaker Oats ad which was called Life of Cereal, and this ad ran for 12 years, which is one of the longest, continuously running commercial campaigns. But imagine just being plucked as a young child to appear in this serial ad and then, years later, people thinking that you died because you had too much candy and Coke.

Speaker 1 38:50

Are there sodas available?

Speaker 2 38:51

That is actually hilarious.

Speaker 1 38:53

Very funny. What's up, Duloc? Have you got that next?

Speaker 2 38:58

I think that is what comes next. That is what comes next. Yeah, the scheme of things. The only thing was about the Defying Gravity rift.

Speaker 1 39:04

In Duloc. Yeah, yeah, well, he does sing. This is obviously Lord who. What's his name? I can't remember.

Speaker 2 39:11

I need to think about it, lord Farquhar Love that Well done.

Speaker 1 39:16

This is his first. It's actually Are we just? Did we discover him for the first time in this number?

Speaker 2 39:21

Yes, or has he had?

Speaker 1 39:22

his wee like Muffin man sing.

Speaker 2 39:25

Oh yes, We've had the Muffin man sing. Yeah, this is his first song.

Speaker 1 39:29

This is his first song and his intro is really fabulous. Yeah, because they say and here's the man who made it happen, the Tarring Colossus of Moxie. Yes, so Moxie is a force of character, or determination, or nerve which Lord.

Speaker 2 39:50

Far Cry.

Speaker 1 39:52

Yeah, he has that in spades. Yeah, so they also sing. Embrace the cookie cutter in Duloc. Yeah, if everyone in Duloc is forced to emulate Farquaad's look, he doesn't need to worry about being different. Hence, cookie cutter approach or style is always used, and not enough attention is paid to individual differences. That's what cookie cookie cutter means. Yeah, I didn't realize that yeah hence cookie cutters like yeah, they all look the same.

Speaker 2 40:30

Yeah, and moxie as well. Um, you know, not very many people use that.

Speaker 1 40:34

We I don't know if we would use that expression very much but it's definitely used in america yeah, and it was a boy meets world episode that taught me that, oh very good, but it's definitely used in America, and it was a Boy Meets World episode that taught me that, oh, very good. And then you've mentioned the references to other musicals, like Gypsy.

Speaker 2 40:48

Dreamgirls, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 40:49

And at the end of this number is when the Defying Gravity riff comes in, not Cynthia Erivo's new one, but the old Idina Menzel original. But there's also another reference to it's not a musical, but you know the bum bum, bum, bum bum that they do. Yeah, it is actually the motif from Close Encounter of the Third Kind.

Speaker 2 41:13

Oh, there you go, cool, right, cool how do they communicate with aliens?

Speaker 1 41:19

Bum, bum, bum, bum bum. That's how they communicate with aliens that's class never watched it myself, would know that reference, but there you go.

Speaker 2 41:27

That is me, that's all my musical.

Speaker 1 41:29

Air goes, but here's when I put my wee teacher hat on for a wee minute, if you don't mind, just indulging me yeah so we'll get probably get on to San Os very shortly, but one of my sandos is freak flag, yes, where all of the characters come together and just celebrate themselves, and I love the lines it says let your freak flag fly. Sorry, let your freak flag wave. Let your freak flag fly. Sorry, let your freak flag wave. Let your freak flag fly. Never take it down. Never take it down. Raise it way up high. Love it. Let your freak flag fly. It is the reason why I chose to do this next in school, because I this is so sad, but I just love choosing shows that have a powerful message for our kids to take away.

Speaker 1 42:26

So, like you know, mary Poppins, there's a song anything can happen if you let it you know, and even you know, mary Poppins and how she is and stuff like that.

Speaker 1 42:35

But this like message and it's probably the main message of the show, isn't it? That you should be yourself. Don't let others shame you into being someone else. Let your flag fly proudly, shrek. The musical teaches us valuable lessons about acceptance, understanding others and overcoming adversity. It encourages the viewers to look beyond appearances and appreciate unique qualities or unique qualities like I heard this week. I was like that's so funny. We're all unique. You yeah, uh, you know our unique qualities and individuals. It also highlights the importance of friendship, love and finding your place in the world. What better messages to share amongst today's youth?

Speaker 2 43:17

yeah, yeah, I love it and it is. Do you know what? I find it really powerful, that song 100%. And you're just like yeah, and you almost want to go. I want to tell you my little quirks that I have. Do you know what makes you want to share those little things?

Speaker 1 43:34

I wish I could remember Pinocchio's lines, because he has some of the best, but he's like I'm good, I'm one, get used to it. I know I might just play Pinocchio.

Speaker 2 43:46

Yeah, that's what I was going to say.

Speaker 1 43:47

Maybe Pinocchio is more your character or the gingerbread man.

Speaker 2 43:52

You know the muffin man.

Speaker 1 43:54

The muffin man.

Speaker 2 43:55

I know that song. What is it Like Jury Lane.

Speaker 1 43:59

Jury Lane. Yeah, that's it there we go.

Speaker 2 44:02

He's married to the Muffin man.

Speaker 1 44:03

The Muffin man the Muffin.

Speaker 2 44:04

Man. So standing ovations? Yes, definitely, I also love. I Got you Beat. I think it's a great GF.

Speaker 1 44:13

Yeah, that's when they start farting and burping and I think, if you're- playing that role.

Speaker 2 44:18

You can have a really great part, like really great fun we should do that sometime. Oh my goodness, karaoke next that would be hilarious. We'll use sound effects, thank you and I love for the hilarity, hilarity of it Ballad of Far Quad the Ballad of Far Quad yeah. I love it. It is very funny oh, my goodness, it's so, so and he left me, and he's now shacked up with seven or six it is very funny, it's just yeah I also love, for a similar reason, Make A Move.

Speaker 1 45:00

So that's donkey singing, distract like go on, make a move. But I love it because of the three blind mice. They just make me laugh so much.

Speaker 2 45:07

Three blind mice.

Speaker 1 45:09

Yeah, yep, so we go. It is a laugh a minute. Oh, it's so good.

Speaker 2 45:14

And if you haven't seen the pro shot, it's on. I think well, it's on YouTube. Definitely it's on, I think, well, it's on youtube definitely, um, but it's on netflix.

Speaker 1 45:27

I think it was on netflix for a long, long time. This is the one time I need.

Speaker 2 45:29

It's on youtube, the pro shot is definitely on youtube for free.

Speaker 1 45:32

Um, but yeah see how we run love it I love it it's great, that'll be great. I like the music, costumes and all are quite elaborate, aren't you?

Speaker 2 45:44

Oh, I am so stuffed, aren't I? You're going to be at your sewing machine.

Speaker 1 45:47

I might be going, lauren, no worries. Do you have three little?

Speaker 2 45:52

pigs in your wardrobe Probably. He huffed and he puffed and he blew my house down. I love it. And he popped and he blew my house down. I love it, love it.

Speaker 1 46:00

So good. It's wonderful. You'll have to come and see it I will and fly my freak flag Never take it down, never take it down. Raise it way up high.

Speaker 2 46:13

Do you also think that some of the songs in Shrek could stand alone, like you don't necessarily need to come from Shrek, yeah yeah, yeah, you're like okay that's a really good song.

Speaker 1 46:21

Then you go oh yeah, that's Shrek. That lovely song that Shrek sings, that's who I'd be.

Speaker 2 46:26

Yeah, that is yes, I'd be a hero. And there's some moments in that part where we're introduced to Fiona, where it's a little girl teenager like I love that. Um, I know it's today, I do really like that somewhere. Also like the, also like the little, like was it two lines, which kind of sits completely apart from the song where it's like are you there, god? It's me Fiona. Like I love that wee like prayer it's me Fiona.

Speaker 2 46:57

I also love how that stage, how you know, you hear all three of them singing at the same time.

Speaker 1 47:01

I'm breaking out in cold sweats here. Costume staging, scottish accent, what have I?

Speaker 2 47:07

done. I know Well, we better go so you can get planning.

Speaker 1 47:09

I might go get planning, start practising that accent. What am I going to Get out of my? Oh, no, that. No, scott, scott, it's a space ghetto. No, do you know my go to? To get into an accent, or for the Scottish accent. No, don't he do that. Get out of my swamp.

Speaker 2 47:30

Don't he do that.

Final Thoughts and What Would Shrek Do

Speaker 1 47:31

That's because I did NYMT one year and I was sharing a room with A guy from Scotland Josh, not to me because I never did anything To know him. But he was always saying and I was sharing a room with a guy, okay, who was Scottish, from Scotland, josh, and he not to me because I never did anything to know him, but he was always saying nah, don't he do that.

Speaker 2 47:47

Can he do that? Can he do that yeah?

Speaker 1 47:49

Yeah, iron brew. Okay, I love iron brew. Have you ever had iron brew?

Speaker 2 47:55

Yes, have I ever had iron brew? Yes, it's had iron brew. Yes, um okay that was good. I enjoyed that. Thank you for that no bother okay anytime same time next week.

Speaker 1 48:05

Absolutely it won't be as special as this week, because it's not the hundred, no, the hundred but it'll still be fun, because yes it was yeah. Are we going to finish the episode the way we?

Speaker 2 48:15

know you totally forgot. Just in case you Do. You know what? It's because I was in charge there.

Speaker 1 48:19

Here she was. She was packing up ready to go home. She is home, right, but Okay.

Speaker 2 48:24

So I have a. What Would you Rather?

Speaker 1 48:26

What Would Shrek Do?

Speaker 2 48:27

What Would Shrek Do? Love it. Okay, now, this is a jizzy one.

Speaker 1 48:33

I know I can tell by the look on your face.

Speaker 2 48:41

There in there. I don't think it's good. So would you rather be the lead in a Broadway musical, but you have no control over what it is or what your role is, and you have to perform it perfect every night? Did you make this up, no? Or would you rather be the director, slash creative vision behind a brand new musical that wins lots of Tonys, but you never get to perform in it?

Speaker 1 49:05

That's an easy one.

Speaker 1 49:06

For me it's the second directing, never performing because my performing days are done. I can't cope with the anxiety of it all, like the last time I performed. I played Cornelius in Hello Dolly and I literally needed to near enough have a bucket at either side of the stage because I was just past myself with nerves and I hated like, let's be honest, apart from like one song, all of Cornelius' songs are like wee character ones. But there's like one romantic lead song. It only takes a moment and, honest to goodness, I had, I think, maybe what 10-15 minutes of a break before that number and I paced up and down backstage going through every single word of that song because I just lived in fear that I would go out.

Speaker 1 50:01

All eyes would be on me singing this romantic lead song, which I'm not used to like romantic ballads. Don't give me that. Give me a funny song. Yeah, in the in the day, and I could do it, but, honest to god, I was past myself so easy. I am more than happy to be behind the scenes now love it, love it what would you do?

Speaker 2 50:18

yeah, I, I would just want to be part of the production. It, love it, love it. What about you two? Yeah, I would just want to be part of the production. Yeah, it doesn't matter if I'm performing or not, I just love being involved in it. So, yeah, I think I would choose that too.

Speaker 1 50:29

We'll be involved next week. No, the week that this comes out is our show week.

Speaker 2 50:33

Yeah.

Speaker 1 50:34

In it's very exciting oh dear god, I'm going to go on my line that's all too much that's just. That's just hit me. I'm going, oh no.

Speaker 2 50:43

I'm thinking like where are all the costumes? Have I packed them all like? That's what I'm stressing about.

Speaker 1 50:48

Do you know what? There's too much going through my head it's fine, let's hope we survive. We'll see if we're back next week we will be.