Musical Lyrical Lingo
We're Musical Lyrical Lingo!
Join Tim and Lj who delve deep into the wonderful world of musical theatre and more importantly the lessons they have learned from different musicals.
Join them as they explore some of the greatest musicals ever created, from the classics to the new and exciting shows that continue to teach us something new.
So whether you're a seasoned fan of the stage or a newcomer, this podcast is for you.
So sit back, relax and get ready to immerse yourself in the world of musical theatre.
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Musical Lyrical Lingo
The Devil Wears Prada
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Take one of the most stylish stories of the 2000s, add Elton John on the keys, and you get a cast album guaranteed to stir debate. We open with quick theatre news—Megan Hilty heading to Drury Lane, a Sweeney Todd revival in Birmingham, and Rob Madge’s Bank of Dave—then dive headlong into The Devil Wears Prada musical to find out whether the score matches the world of couture, power, and ambition.
We break down what truly lands: Matt Henry’s knockout turn as Nigel with Dress Your Way Up and the tender Sing, Andy’s punchy Miranda Girl, Emily’s razor‑edged runway schooling, and Nate’s reflective The Old You that gives the relationship real texture. Along the way, we talk origins—the roman à clef novel, the cult‑favourite film—and why keeping the story in a 2005 media bubble shapes the sound you expect to hear. When the show leans into soul‑disco uplift, tight pop‑theatre hooks, and character‑true lyrics, it shines.
Then there’s the other side: Miranda Priestley’s musical language. We ask why a “killer queen” is paired with choruses that feel country or intros underscored like a Halloween cue. Big swings are welcome, but character dictates palette—and a titan of fashion deserves an entrance and 11 o’clock number that purrs with power, not pastiche. The real conversation is cohesion: does the score feel like one couture collection or a rack of bold separates? We map the genre swerves, celebrate the vocals, and outline the small but critical changes that could make the album as chic as its source.
If you love smart theatre talk—craft, arrangement, story, and star performances—you’ll find plenty to sink your teeth into here. Stream the cast album, then press play on our breakdown and join the conversation. If you enjoyed this, follow, share with a musical‑mad friend, and leave a quick review telling us your standout track and what you’d change for Miranda’s big moment.
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Banter, Half‑Term, Theatre News
SPEAKER_00Hello and welcome to Musical Lyrical Lingo, where your hosts, Tim.
SPEAKER_02And LJ. Today and every week we will be discussing musicals, but specifically what they taught us. I kind of was a wee bit more upbeat because remember you told me I was very upbeat whenever I say that. I listened to one of our last podcasts and I started like I can't be bothered. Oh really? Yeah, like I always say I'm Lauren. Honestly, it was awful. It was terrible.
SPEAKER_00It's me that always sounds a weak button. Because that's the thing. I started off and I I think I sound okay, and then you come in like a wee chirpy bird. I don't know what that was.
SPEAKER_02I think anybody's ever called me a chirpy bird, but I mean that's nice.
SPEAKER_00I feel like you should be on a trumpet. I mean, there's your settlement. Just give it touches. What is this you say? I mean, like four years in, and I couldn't tell you what your lines are because I just think about myself.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um all good?
SPEAKER_02Yes, everything's all good. No, it's all back to everything, and I feel like the summer was never a thing, but it's we're all good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's it's all good.
SPEAKER_02It's nearly half term.
SPEAKER_00It's nearly half term. Yeah, it is nearly half term as this goes out. It's nearly half term as we're recording it. We're nowhere flipping near half time is so far away. I want to cry. Um, yeah, but listen, exciting things maybe to book this half time. So many exciting things. Uh Megan Hildy is coming to London.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00She is coming to the Theatre Royal Jewelry Lane on the 24th of May 2026. I never thought I'd see the day. She is currently uh playing Madeline Ashton on Death Becomes Her, and she has told her fans, don't worry, she'll be coming with a little bit of Madeline Ashton. Oh a little bit of nine to five, a little bit of legally blonde, some wicked. I think I maybe added Legally Blonde in and in there. I was gonna say I don't think she's ever been in Legally Blonde. A little bit of wicked.
SPEAKER_02Maybe that's her news. What's her? Um you think of Smash?
SPEAKER_00That's what it was. A bit of Smash going on in there too. Okay. Um I still believe that she was truly the Marilyn Monroe in Smash, not Catherine Mc whatever her name is. Uh that's terrible. She's very good too. Oh no, she's very good. I mean um so yes, she's come to the Theatre Road, Jury Lane. Um, and she will be performing at 2:30 mat night as well as a 7 pm show because she had to add a wee additional in there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_00Because apparently it's sold out in minutes. Or all these people who are selling their concerts out in minutes. That'll be me someday.
SPEAKER_02That'll be us right whenever we do our live podcasting business.
SPEAKER_00I forgot to tell you, it was obviously my birthday. Yes, it was um a couple of weeks ago. No, last week. Um, and I got a very special birthday card.
SPEAKER_04You did.
SPEAKER_00I actually got a birthday card of me on the front. It's always good when you get a birthday card and you're on the front cover, right?
SPEAKER_05Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Uh but I was also in my Bert attire.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I've never looked better. It just it just stop laughing. You think Aaron? It just cemented the fact that I am Bert. I know but then I should be in.
SPEAKER_02Whenever you showed me it and I went, oh bamboo at you, and you were like Jolly Holiday long.
SPEAKER_00I'm wearing the Jolly Holiday jacket.
SPEAKER_02Like I know, I just, you know, to crowd's been too many things.
SPEAKER_00Anyway, so yeah, that'll
Megan Hilty London Dates Announced
SPEAKER_00when I have my one man show, I'll also sell out in minutes. So yes, Megan Hilty coming to London. Very, very exciting. Also a major revival of your favourite musical in the whole wide world, Sweeney Todd. Did you know that's what I was going to say there?
SPEAKER_04No.
SPEAKER_00No, yeah, but Lauren loves Sweeney Todd. Not she's a scaredy cat. Um, it's to play in 2026. It was announced as part of a whopper new season for the Birmingham rep.
SPEAKER_02Do you know what I'm loving? I like all these, they're not smaller theatres, but you know what I mean? They're not we're not in West End.
SPEAKER_05And they're regional rep theaters. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, we're getting some really good names coming to them for uh like previews or whatever. It's great.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so it's uh Sweeney Tall's gonna be there from the 14th of July to the 9th of August. Quite a quite a wee stretch there. And then Rob Madge, who has just finished his uh swing, I want to say, his his his run, his run as MC in London's cabaret. Uh he's written a musical. Like obviously he's got My Son's a Queer and What Can You Do, but he's written another musical, which is I think really exciting because he's just super duper talented.
SPEAKER_02Very creative, and you know, he's a true musical theatre kid, so we can relate to him a lot differently.
SPEAKER_001000%. Uh so Rob Mans and uh Pippa Cleary's Bank of Dave musical is to receive its world premiere. Now, so it's a new musical based on a real life story of Dave Fishwick. Do you know who Dave Fishwick is?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think it's a film came out maybe at the beginning of this year or last year.
SPEAKER_00So who was it? He was like a Burnley businessman.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And what happened to him?
SPEAKER_02He said he set up a bank. It was like the people in his area were struggling, and he set up a bank in order to help people pay their bills and stuff. Oh, right, okay. But yeah, there was a film not that long ago.
SPEAKER_00Fair enough. Well, the musical is set to be directed by the Curve uh Theatre's artistic director, Nikolai Foster. Oh yeah, and um it
Sweeney Todd Revival & Regional Reps
SPEAKER_00is when is it getting its world premiere? Wouldn't that be good to know? It's gonna have its world premiere in the lorry from the 2nd to the 16th of May 2026 before moving to the curve. Uh from the 20th to the 30th of May. So that's really exciting. You know me, I love the new musical. And uh a new musical from this pair, I think is probably going to be quite exciting.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I've got that.
SPEAKER_00So there you go, there's our theater news for today.
SPEAKER_02Lovely theatre news. Thank you for that.
SPEAKER_00Thank you. Thank you, thank you.
SPEAKER_02Speaking of new musicals, yes, that's what we're moving on to today.
SPEAKER_00You would I promise you we don't script this podcast. You're so good.
SPEAKER_02I know. Um, yeah, so a couple of weeks ago, I actually said it to you during a podcast that the cast recording of the Devil Wars Prada was going to come out and I think we should do a live lesson. No, we weren't able to do a proper live magazine both hearing the music for the first time because that would have been a very boring episode for our listeners.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_02So we reimagined it in some way.
SPEAKER_00But it's like we're having a listening party. I know. But like abridged.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, abridged version.
SPEAKER_00So this is Devil Welsh Prada, abridged listening party.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um yeah, that is a good title. So Devil Wears Prada, um, brand new musical, but it is based on the 2003 novel, which was the same name, and the 2006 movie. Um, no, have you watched the movie yet?
SPEAKER_04No.
SPEAKER_02Ah poohhead. Okay, um, but can I just also state this really interesting fact?
SPEAKER_00Interesting or obvious?
SPEAKER_02No, interesting or so. The novel was written by a lady called Lauren Weisberger.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And her birthday is the 28th of March 1977. She's 10 years older than me. Exactly. Isn't that really interesting?
SPEAKER_00Absolutely riveting. Wow. Do you know when you set that up there? I just knew there was gonna be a clanger at some point, which is why I was like obvious or interesting.
SPEAKER_02I I thought that was important. My name's Lauren.
SPEAKER_00The listeners won't believe it. They'll literally talk about it. They'll be rewinding this episode as we speak to listen to that again. Well, because they won't have believed it the first time around.
SPEAKER_02I went, you are jokingly.
SPEAKER_00There you have it. Um, folks, wow,
Rob Madge’s New Musical: Bank of Dave
SPEAKER_00okay.
SPEAKER_02Anyway, the novel was written by Lauren, who's 10 years older than me, um, about her experience as an assistant to Fog editor-in-chief Anna Winter.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_02So, and then the the novel is a Roman aclef.
unknownUh-huh.
SPEAKER_02That was my first musical lyrical enco. We're not doing musical lyrical in the first thing I learned. I didn't know what a Roman O'Clef was.
SPEAKER_00What is the Noclef?
SPEAKER_02It's a real life story that is overlaid with a facade of fiction.
SPEAKER_00Oh, fancy.
SPEAKER_02So the movie that came out in 2006 starred Emily Blunt and Merle Streep as the wonderful um Miranda. Uh sorry, Miranda.
SPEAKER_00I haven't watched the film, and even I know the character's names.
SPEAKER_02She's meant to be Anna. And then Anne Hathaway as Amy. Andy.
SPEAKER_00Andy, yeah.
SPEAKER_02It's a great film.
SPEAKER_00Have you watched the film?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but Grandy Kim.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_02And they currently, right now, as the speaker film and Devil Wears Prada 2.
SPEAKER_00That's true. Very exciting. What I'm actually gonna do is I'm waiting for both of them to be a bike, and then I'll do a we uh we uh Devil Wears Prada watching party and watch them back to back.
SPEAKER_02You would love it, like Stanley, because she's in it. Like it's really it is it's a really good film.
SPEAKER_00My life is just so busy, you know, whilst rehearsing for Mary Poppins and my Bert um premiere. And also, don't forget, there's the potential of me being the bear in Paddington. I just don't have the time to watch any films.
SPEAKER_02I know, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um so talking about the musical then, uh the music in Devil's Wear Prada, the musical has been written by Elton John. Yes. This is off the back of his Aida musical, The Lion King, Billy, Billy Elliott. You know, so he's he's had a go with this before in the world of musicals. Uh, lyrics are by uh Shana Taub.
SPEAKER_02I thought it was Siana.
SPEAKER_00Siana. We'll go with that. Tony Award-winning for her musical stuff, which is maybe one to do next year because it was in Broadway um the just this year, uh based on Suffragettes. Uh, and also the lyrics uh by Mark Sonnenbleek, who I thought interesting, so up to date, so current is our podcast. He was involved in the K-pop Demon Hunters.
SPEAKER_02No way.
SPEAKER_00Yes way. I know, like High Killer Way. Yeah, very cool if I hear that song Golden One More Time.
SPEAKER_02But you loved it a few weeks ago, and then it's taken.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
Pivot to Main Topic: Prada Cast Album
SPEAKER_00No, it's it's catchy. Thanks very much. The book's also by Kate Weatherhead.
SPEAKER_02Yep, Katie Weatherhead, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Who has j recently written burlesque the musical, but the most interesting thing that I picked up about Kate was she was the original Kate and Chutney in the Broadway production of Legally Blonde.
SPEAKER_05Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_00See everything's all connected. I know. All connected, all connected. No, it wasn't the easiest of runs to get this.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely not. So it's I always find it interesting whenever there has been a popular movie, yeah, and then it becomes a musical on something that you're oh, I would never have done that as a musical, and why did that happen? But whenever research, and I'm sure you were seeing like it was way back in like 2015, yeah, that Broadway producer Kevin McCollum had a deal then with um the production companies to turn a c a number of movies into musicals, starting with Mrs. Dyke Far, and then the Devil came second.
SPEAKER_00But yeah, he signed a deal two years earlier with Fox, and those were the two of their back catalogue he was really interested in.
SPEAKER_02Isn't that so interesting?
SPEAKER_00Although good choices, like you know, you could see you could imagine Mrs. Dyfar as a musical, and then there it was, and it's been very popular. Um I don't know. Do you see Devil Red Where's Proud?
SPEAKER_02No, I never saw it as an as a musical. Um well you don't.
SPEAKER_00Obviously, I haven't seen it as a film, so what would I know?
SPEAKER_02Great film. Um and then development started in 2017, but 2019 was whenever they did a first industry-only presentation of the show.
SPEAKER_00Hand closed the doors.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So again, it took a number of years to get this off the grind of things, and maybe it was just they didn't have a whole load of people in place that they wanted to first try it out in Chicago.
Film, Book, and Real‑Life Origins
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_022022, and it was directed by Anna Dee Shapiro, isn't that right? Um, but Elton said in an interview with Swee Ball actually on the radio that it's not quite ready. It'll be ready in about a year.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's it. Um, what I thought was really interesting about that uh Chicago production uh that opened in the the December, um it uh had Beth uh Level. She was in um as Mr Miranda Priestley, and I'm like, oh wow, she'd be great in that role.
SPEAKER_02But what I find even more interesting is the fact I previewed as such in Chicago, but then came to Plymouth.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well that's it. So come September 2023, it was announced that the musical would have its UK premiere in the Royal Theatre Plymouth uh before scheduled opening at the Dominion Theatre in London's West End in October uh 2024, and it's been there ever since. And it continues to get you know extended and extended, and they've just announced a brand new cast. Um however, Vanessa Williams is currently uh playing Miranda and she's staying on as Miranda and um Matt Henry is Nigel. So those two casts are staying, but the rest of the front lineup uh are are changing. So the front lineup currently is Vanessa Williams as Miranda Priestley, um Matt Henry as Nigel, Georgie Buckland as Andy, Amy D Bartolomeo as Emily, Reese Whitfield as Nate, and James Darch as Christian.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Interestingly, the New York Post when r regar uh with regards to the original Chicago production, uh quoted it was alarmingly unfunny and sluggish, and added, every song is lousy and there is nothing here worth fixing. Now, reviews in the Washington Post, New York Times, and Broadway World all agreed that the story had its moments but overall lacked the bite of the novel and the film.
SPEAKER_04Interesting.
SPEAKER_00But Amy De Bortellameo did receive an Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Uh in for her London.
SPEAKER_02And people are really praising Vanessa Williams. Yeah, I think it's great anyway,
Creative Team & Bumpy Development
SPEAKER_02and kind of does fit into that role, especially coming from that like ugly daddy sort of world. Um, but it's also directed um by and um he did the choreography as well. Your fave, Jerry Mitchell.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So yeah, he he kind of took over it after the shit the Chicago kind of chapter for this musical. Um so yeah, when when it opened in the UK, it was a brand new show with brand new direction on choreography.
SPEAKER_02And people are loving it. Yeah like that. I suppose that's why it is being extended, and then obviously the fact we've got that cast change, but it's only until May 2026, I think, at the moment, but that doesn't mean that it won't extend further.
SPEAKER_00It's in the it's in the Dominion. The Dominion is huge, like that's a lot of tickets to sell. So the fact that it's being extended means people must be gone. But listen, how many people are on like me and have watched the film and love the film? Like it's a real cult film, absolutely. There's another cult film.
SPEAKER_02Um my daughter has like a she has um is musical that's on her if we go to London, that's what she wants to go and see. Which I'm surprised at. Oh, I could give her a list of music to go to, but that is that is one where she's like, I think um I wouldn't go and say it's strange.
SPEAKER_00I think also some social media. Having listened to the class recording, would you has it made you want to go and see it?
SPEAKER_01So the music is very different. Right?
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_02So what we what we did for listeners to the film is like listeners. Timothy, as well, because you hadn't watched the film, I was like, you better listen to act one because you didn't really know the storyline or anything.
SPEAKER_00Well you kind of get that well, you the the I think everybody in the world knows the rough storyline of it's like an intern that goes and works for like a fashion like big chief. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? And it's that kind of fashion-y, fashion-y world. I mean, I did what watch Americans top model back in the day.
SPEAKER_02Yes, so you're sort of aware of that. And I think it's important, the film is obviously um set in 2005, and they've still set the musical in that time capsule because at that point print media was obviously massive, social media hadn't taken over yet, and they did have a massive majority of influence in what people wore and and whatever. So I think that's key that it it's not set in 2025.
SPEAKER_05Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02So I think
Chicago Tryout vs UK Rebuild
SPEAKER_02you still need to take that into consideration. And I I do wonder, did Elton have that in the back of his mind when he was writing the music? Because I've got some some little questions.
SPEAKER_00From my point of view, a broad overstroke before we could we dive into it, it's just I find it was a very mixed bag.
SPEAKER_02That's it.
SPEAKER_00It was like a like packet of dolly mixtures.
SPEAKER_02A hundred percent.
SPEAKER_00You didn't know what was coming next.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And the only question I have is were were some of the styles and some of the music choices right for the characters that the song was for.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00Do you know what I mean? I kind of went, oh, that's an interesting choice for that character. Do you know what I mean? So I think there are some great songs in in the this musical, and I also go, Oh, there's some songs that are just a wee bit half-baked, or they need to go back and have a wee look at that one again. Do you know what I mean? That was my point of view. I only listened to the first half. What about you? Yeah. Is it the same?
SPEAKER_02What I want to ask you, how many times did you listen to twice?
SPEAKER_00Okay, yes.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00Much. I enjoyed it much more the second time than the first time. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So I think we we've always made this point. Um, especially if you're coming into a musical blind, always give it two or three because sometimes the first it can be a bit jarring.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, yeah, I felt the same. I was like, oh, this is a different feel. This is an interesting choice. That is so different. And that's what I kept saying whenever I was going down the list. A lot of the songs in Act Two are reprises from Act One.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay. Oh, was that not really hard for you then when listening to it?
SPEAKER_02I tried to skip them as best as I could. Um, and then there's some reprises of the songs within Act Two are reprised again at the end of Act Two.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_02Which is a bit odd, but anyway.
SPEAKER_00So you mustn't have much to listen to then?
SPEAKER_02No, there were still one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Still nine songs.
SPEAKER_00Okay, fair enough. Um, what I can say, and I always do like this about cast recordings, is it was one of those musicals that you could follow the plot by just listening to the music. Do you know what I mean? So there were a lot of a lot of numbers like
Current West End Cast & Reviews
SPEAKER_00that that kind of like carried the story forward. So the fact that you haven't seen it. I kind of knew what Andy was being expected to do and how Andy was fitting into her new job and how she felt about it and all the rest of it. So that's always helpful, especially for someone like me who hasn't watched the the movie yet. But yeah.
SPEAKER_02So So that's so yeah, so we split the musical, you listen to act one, I listen to act two, and then what we gave ourselves was the challenge of finding one or two songs that we wanted the other person to listen to.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_02So what we're gonna do now is we're gonna play the 30 seconds of the songs, and obviously this is gonna be my first time, so we'll start with act one because we will. Um, and this will be my first time listening to the song. So do you want to say what this song is?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, first question, though. Who is Nigel? What's Nigel's like role in he is like second in command.
SPEAKER_02Oh, so he's yeah, the the top stylist.
SPEAKER_00He's like a top stylist. He's her best friend as in Morales. I kind of felt it took a while to warm up in act one until you got to Nigel's song. And Nigel's song was which is Dress Your Way Up, which is what we're gonna listen to in a minute. It was the first time I went, oh, right, okay. That's a song I would listen to again.
SPEAKER_02Okay. And how many songs in is that?
SPEAKER_00Oh, now you're asking me to go on to my listening platform and count the songs.
SPEAKER_02For goodness sake.
SPEAKER_00One, one, two, three, four, five, six.
SPEAKER_02Gosh, yeah. So that's quite a bit in, I guess. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I mean, don't get me wrong, that I'll probably go through the songs that come prior to that. That they're not all bad, but it was the first one that I went. Oh,
Plan: Abridged Listening Party
SPEAKER_00that's like a standout musical theater, like big number.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00Do you know what I mean? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00Do you want to hear?
SPEAKER_01Yes, please.
SPEAKER_00Headed A EP.
SPEAKER_02So, yes, very coarse. That would be a really good course number.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, I think just a big, like a big musical theatre number, I would say that there was probably dancer and like. But for me, I wrote down yes, yes, yes.
SPEAKER_02Oh, I like it.
SPEAKER_00Best song, because I think I was getting a bit um frustrated. Um, first of all, Matt Henry's vocals are like perfection. Now, what I will say in fairness is all the vocals like that the this original cast are really hot vocalists. Like they all have a bloom brilliant voice. Like, so you couldn't get better talent. Do you know what I mean? But I I just thought this is kind of like soul.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's what I would get in like 70 sort of disco feel.
SPEAKER_00It just really suits Matt Henry and he does some wild runs and it just
Act One Impressions: Style Whiplash
SPEAKER_00really suited him and it got his character across. Do you know what I mean? Um also I thought the lyrics were although th that clip wouldn't have shown this off because it was just dress your your way up the whole way through. But in the like early verses, the the lyrics were just a bit more sophisticated than those songs that came before. Okay. Do you know what I mean? And I also love a song where it goes key change to key change to key change. It's like um Beyoncé's um Love on Top. Like I love that song because she just goes from one king change to the next. So it was the first time I went, Oh, okay, this is class. I would listen to that again. I give it five stars.
SPEAKER_02Oh, very good.
SPEAKER_00Your thoughts.
SPEAKER_02Um, yeah, I would like to listen to the whole thing. I can definitely visualize that it probably is a big number. And I suppose if it's like six songs in, it maybe is one of the first big all cast numbers.
SPEAKER_00But you should have a bigger number, you should have a number before that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You can't go six six songs in.
SPEAKER_02Um yeah, no, I liked it. I was starting to starting to get into it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02BTS Noi, I'm like, gosh, this musical must just be random genres all over.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. Well, like it if we like start at the beginning, so I mean business is the opening. I mean it works as an opening number, kind of sets the scene a wee, but okay. Um I love the very beginning of it, has like these really impressive, like, ah, like these ahs. It's almost like Miranda's about to walk through the door. That's what you think's gonna happen. And I was like, oh, that's a really clever moat motif to have for like Miranda's entrance every time she appears, or like her songs that didn't follow through for the rest of the show, in my opinion. Right, okay. Um, it was but then so you've got these amazing, like like powerful ads where you're like, oh, someone impressive is about to appear. And then the chorus was really bubblegum, okay. Really bubblegumy, like great vocals. I thought it was a la a laugh when Andy sings uh and someday I'll find my voice while she's like singing the life out of it. Do you know what I mean? And how do I let my voice come through? I'm like, uh, sister, we can hear you. I thought that was quite funny. You've then got House and Miranda, which I just think is awful. I give it two stars. Um,
Standout: Dress Your Way Up (Nigel)
SPEAKER_00it's not strong enough. This is when we first meet Miranda. And when you talk about those ahs and that opening number, it needed something like that. Yeah. And it's just not a fierce enough opening number for a character like Miranda Priestley. Um, the chorus is poppy and bubblegummy, and the vocals for Miranda need to be huge, in my opinion. And they just and it's not Vanessa Williams, because Vanessa Williams is an incredible actress and singer. It just isn't a good enough introduction to that character. Do you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I do, I do love the next song, only Love You for Your Body, which is Nate and Andy, obviously, they're in a relationship. I actually love all of their songs together. I think that's one of the things that this uh musical maybe does quite well in that you get a good idea of their relationship between the two. Um I actually really love this song. Pro it's probably one of the the better ones in Act One. Catching Jet, a real earworm. Um I'm actually regretting not letting you hear that one to be fair, now that I'm reading my notes. Um, but it's also the first song that felt like it fit the characters.
SPEAKER_02Interesting. Do you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00When when listening from the beginning, How to Survive the Runway is very good. It's Emily's first song. Uh Brainfall. Vocals again, you can get across she's definitely a real Kai from it. You get it. I love the line she sings. If you screw Paris up for me, she then whispers, I will kill you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00It's really good and another great big voice. But then you arrive at dress your way up and you go, okay, we've arrived.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Following on from Dress Your Way Up, we then have The Devil Wears Prada. Now the musical is called The Devil Wears Prada. You would think the song called Devil's Wears Prada is going to be epic.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00Right? It's also Miranda and Miranda's second song.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00You're going, okay. Well, I'm going, okay. Her first one didn't do it for the character. This is gonna be it. And then you hear the chorus. So Miranda is remind me what's her title?
Miranda’s Songs: Identity Problem
SPEAKER_00Like she is the editor and chief of this like sexy stylish vogue, right? You want something sexy stylish, like R D.
SPEAKER_02You want to hear what type of character she is?
SPEAKER_00Right. And you get this. You ready? Go for it. Okay. Oh, that's not good. Right. At this point, I got really annoyed because I thought, I'm sorry. You have Vanessa Williams? Yeah. Why what why are you giving her s like a chorus that is country and western? Like surely Miranda isn't a country and western gal. No. I have nothing against country and western. I like a wee bit of thigh slapping every so often. I've told you before I like getting my Stets and the Mackay boy books out. Oh nearly. I'm an Oklahoma boy at heart. But I just was like, I really don't understand that. I don't understand that choice.
SPEAKER_02Interesting. That's really interesting to know.
SPEAKER_00And then jumped in in in in amongst the number. Obviously, that's the chorus. You then get these like there's like a wee mix of like electro d the dramatic as come back in.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00But that just doesn't then fit when you go into like the country and western choruses. I'm just like, I couldn't quite understand it. I just didn't think it matched the character's character. It refers to her as bowed down to our killer queen. And then it goes into this cringe stump clap like um like boom boom chum boom channel. Honestly, I can't wait for you to listen to the whole track.
SPEAKER_02It that is that is so strange. I'm really intrigued by the musical decisions. So am I. And the arrangement.
SPEAKER_00And it was at that point I went, Miranda actually, for the character that she is, she, in my opinion, has the worst songs in the whole show. Like Andy's got great tunes. And even Emily's number, like you know, the what was it called? Runway or How to Survive the Runway. Like, knocked this number out the park. Do you know what I mean? Anyway, the end of Act One, you've got another great song for Andy called Miranda Girl.
Stronger Numbers: Andy & Emily
SPEAKER_00I gave it five stars as well. Okay. Um it was great tune and brilliant to to bring Act One to the edge is kind of where Andy's like, yeah, I'll be my own kind of girl.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. Um so that ends Act One.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Miranda Girl ends act one, as far as I'm aware.
SPEAKER_02And I'm asking you because you haven't seen the film, how do you feel Andy is feeling at that moment? What do you think her decision is?
SPEAKER_00Um I think she's walking away.
SPEAKER_02I think she's walking away. I think so. Okay.
SPEAKER_00Now it's been a week since I've listened to it, but I think she's like ready to walk away.
SPEAKER_02Interesting.
SPEAKER_00Um good great great wordplay and clever lyrics in in the song as well, and definitely makes you like tap your foot along and rock out a bit with Andy.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00It's a bit of like Andy par.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Interesting.
SPEAKER_00But yes, there you go. Okay. That's act one.
SPEAKER_02Right. Okay. Interesting songs. I'm really I'm really intrigued to listen to act one.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Really intrigued to listen to act one, and then I'm really intrigued to listen to the whole album.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, because I think that we need to give that justice. I have you very kindly like chose two songs and then went to like the middle, like went to like the chorus.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But I can't do that with the two songs because I'm so baffled by the musical arrangement and choices that this musical has taken.
SPEAKER_01Oh.
SPEAKER_02Four songs.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_02So I'm gonna go through because you know me, I like to be systematic, right? The very first song is Bon Voyage, and it is Emily is singing this. Yeah. Now I I don't know whether or not I should tell you what happens because you haven't seen the movie.
SPEAKER_00Do you want to just know? Oh,
Act Break: Miranda Girl Read
SPEAKER_00listen, just go with it. So the whole thing. Unless you think it'll spoil it for the listeners as well who haven't seen the movie.
SPEAKER_02No, I mean, like if you don't want to know, turn off. Um the thing is, as you can tell, Emily has already said if you just if you stop my chances of going to Paris, I will kill you. I will kill you. Emily gets hit by a car.
SPEAKER_00Oh gosh, right okay. I cannot go to Paris. So Andy then has to go.
SPEAKER_02So Andy has to fill in. Right. Right at the point where Andy is like, I don't want this job. Yeah. It's not for me. Yeah. Then there's a massive turn.
SPEAKER_00Turn around. Um, on a side note, I wonder how they did Emily getting hit by a car as well.
SPEAKER_02That would be really interesting. Um, so whenever I first heard that this was a song that opens up act two, I was like, what is going on? I Lisa, country and earworm. That's what I've written down in my parenting. It is very country. Um, Elie, would you mind playing?
SPEAKER_01Country for Emily.
SPEAKER_02Would you mind playing the song? It's called Bon Boy. Oh, that's Jazzy. I don't country.
SPEAKER_04Thank you.
SPEAKER_02So it goes it goes on like that. But now it's one of my favorite.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but it's really different in style from her number, her big number in the first half from the Rumboy number.
SPEAKER_02Okay, but because I was going, I would never have put that song for Emily, the character that I knew from the film. Um sounds like okay, that's really interesting. The next song is called The Old You, and a bit a bit like you, there's a couple of songs here that I'm like, oh, why did I not choose
Act Two Turn: Paris and Consequences
SPEAKER_02that one for you to listen to? But this is a real slow song, and it is Andy's boyfriend Nate.
SPEAKER_05Yes singing. Okay.
SPEAKER_02And it is beautiful. It's a good voice. It's beautiful, there's some beautiful lines in it. Um, and this what I also like about the film is you don't always see like the woman deciding to choose career over relationship, and you see this in the film too, where he's like, You aren't the same person that I you know met, um, and this is what he's singing about in the OG. So I do find this really beautiful song, and it's really given him a good based character. Does that make sense?
SPEAKER_00I also read somewhere that there is a slight change to Nate's character in the musical compared to the film. Is he a bit of an idiot in the film? Is he like not very nice about it all?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yes, yes, yes.
SPEAKER_00I think he's a a bit softer in the musical.
SPEAKER_02I don't think he's as much of a Yeah, okay, you've changed and I don't like you, and you were no longer the other kind of thing.
SPEAKER_00I think is that the way he is in the film? Yeah, yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_02Um, so yeah, so I wrote that that was nice and slow and had some really beautiful lines. The next song is called City of Dreams, and I was like, this is very different, but it just reminded me of the 90s. Okay. And it because I had gone from what I thought was like a country, Vend is slow, then this City of Dreams, where they're talking about Paris and heading off to Paris, it's like what's going on? Um, then this is where they're in Paris, and it's called Um Who's She? And everybody's going, Who's Andy? Like, who is she? Because she's now so different to how she was in act one. Um, it's gotta be a bit of like punch to it. Yeah, um, but I just wrote it's okay, it's okay. Again, it was one or two listens, and I was like, Well, well, the second listen of Bon Voyage, I was like, I really like that one, you know. Then there's House of Miranda is back, yeah. Um, and then there's a lovely song called Sing. Lovely, it's slow, real, and really character development.
SPEAKER_00Can I full disclosure?
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I might have cheated a bit.
SPEAKER_02Oh, did you listen?
SPEAKER_00Well, because that's Nigel's other number, isn't it?
Bon Voyage & Nate’s The Old You
SPEAKER_00So when I heard when I heard what I heard in the first half, some of some of which was good, some of which wasn't so good, and then I got to his um what's it called? Sing. No, uh, dress your way up. And I got to his first number, and I was like, yes, yes, yes, finally. A song that should be in this cast recording. I then did like sus out what other songs that character sang, and I did listen to Sing, and you are right, it is like so beautiful, yeah. And it kind of gives him as a character a real lovely character arc, doesn't it? Yeah, um, also just Matt Henry is amazing, and it transported me back to when he was Lola in the West End uh premiere of Kinky Bits, and I was like, oh yeah, because his character like had both those type of songs in in Kinky Boots, too, you know, the like party, you know, big number, and then there was like ref that reflect you know those reflective moments, and he's bright, like he definitely has the best songs on the show, I think.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well that would have been the other song that I would have let you listen to. Um, but yes, I think it's great. Also, not letting you listen to that one because I wanted you to hear this other song because I think I think whenever I knew House of Miranda was a reprise, I was like, uh, okay. So next we have a song called Your Your Twenties, and um for me it sounds like Greece Beauty School Dropout, which I'm like, what is going on here? But I was very confused by the whole thing. But the song I'm wanting you to listen to is a Miranda song, yeah, and it's called Stay on Top. So again, this is from the very beginning.
SPEAKER_00So this is Miranda's like final big song.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00Okay. So country and western herocom.
SPEAKER_02Wait, waity here.
SPEAKER_00Sounds like a horror film.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_00Or somewhere dodgy.
SPEAKER_02What is that music? It freaks me out. Can you stop? Thank you,
Paris Sequence & Who’s She?
SPEAKER_02and then can you like go like halfway into the song so you can hear? So, first of all, how disturbing is the beginning of that?
SPEAKER_00Now I know I'm afraid that I don't like nobody else would be living.
SPEAKER_02That music kept me up at night. Like, that is not appropriate music. It is definitely like Halloween slash.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, it definitely has that kind of feel to it.
SPEAKER_02Like, whenever it's it's just come like two songs before that was seen.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02It doesn't fit.
SPEAKER_00But I also now go in like what I kind of felt has been justified for me, if that is her.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Is there a big chorus to that sort of thing?
SPEAKER_02So yeah, have you got just like halfway correct?
SPEAKER_00Oh no, it hasn't changed any from the beginning.
SPEAKER_02No, I do think that whenever she's on stage, they it says directed where she's maybe just there and she's explaining, it could be very powerful.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and she'll be dressed like an absolute yes.
SPEAKER_02So I do feel it is a good villain song.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Because also at this point, uh there's a lyric in it. Because I said the creepy music is unnecessary and makes me feel uneasy, but it is a great villain song. Um, a line is no regret or guilt. That's not how empires are built. So she has sold Nigel, she has stopped him from getting his dream job for herself. No, um, for her own gains. Yeah. And this is her justifying why she's done that.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But I just, I just don't get it. And again, in the very last, we've got Sing Again, there's a reprise of Sing, and then there's a reprise of Bon Voyage.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And then with the very last song is called What's Right for Me. And it for the last number of a musical, it's really boring.
SPEAKER_00It's a slow,
Nigel’s Sing: Heart and Arc
SPEAKER_00slow build. It's really weird, like, because there are some there are, like, I don't want to sound like we're we're being really negative about it. Yeah. Um, neither of us have spoken about what we thought of it until now. But like, because there are some great songs in there. There really is, but I it's just like a bag of dolly mixtures, as I said at the very beginning. And I don't know if that works for musicals. I don't think it works. To have an element of kind of like a style, or I don't know. Am I wrong?
SPEAKER_02No, I agree with you. And I think it doesn't work for a musical that is not a traditional musical. This the source material of this was a film and then it's been turned into a musical. I still think that these need to sit in a little uh side pot.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_02Because that would make sense. They're not a traditional musical in the sense.
SPEAKER_00And they're supposed maybe I came into it wrong. I just kind of thought, because I know I haven't seen the film, but I also know roughly what the film's about, or certainly where it's set. And I just thought I would hear much more suave 100%.
SPEAKER_02I thought it I thought you would have been able to tell it was New York, high part. I felt like it was all over the place.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So that's what I was really confused about.
SPEAKER_00And the last thing I thought I would hear was like a country and western chorus. Do you know what I mean? Like now, what I would say is, and I was quite fortunate because the two numbers that Elton John recorded at the end of the cast recording are two numbers that were in my heart. Yeah. So I listened to them too, and they sound great. When he sings them, they sound great, not in the context of the Yeah, and the musical. The musical, but I just don't like, I don't know. I feel really bad for the character of Miranda Priestley. Now I know she's a villain, and I know you're not supposed to like her. But for a role of that gravitas, she needed better numbers than what's been written for. No? Oh no, no, a hundred percent. That's she needed, like, I'm trying to think of an equivalent. Like, what would
Miranda’s Stay on Top Debate
SPEAKER_00be an equivalent? Like, big number for a character like that. Like, you know, um, this is so ridiculous. You know, Hannah Wanningham's like blue sh blue what's that number that they wrote into the Wizard of Oz when it came back to the Palladium?
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00You know, like big number like that.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00What was that?
SPEAKER_02She needs whenever she came in that fair when you're first introduced to her, it needed to be a either a very slow or very sultry, sort of not quite like um Turnback Oh Man, but you knew something like that.
SPEAKER_00Like that, Turnback O Man, or the Red Shoes Blues, which is what it's called in the Wizard of Old, like just a big, like brassy or like, you know, saxophone, like big sound and this is my 11 o'clock number suckers, listen up.
SPEAKER_02100% she should have, she should have been like, you know, maybe a chorus of people singing as she enters or something, and then she does she does it. And then whenever you've got that that um moment whenever she has done the dirty on her friend and she's trying to explain why and the reason that she's on top, it needs to be again pull from that sultriness, I suppose, but a little bit of okay, I can see why she's doing this, she's afraid of letting go of the power. So you kind of go, I've got a little bit of an understanding, but again, it needed to be not thrasher, not thrasher, not killer, not Halloween.
SPEAKER_00No, it is a funny intro for sure. Yeah. I know, listen, but yeah, and even like her first number needed to be like a big, a big number. Do you know a big entrance?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. But listen, I'm excited to go and listen to from start to finish.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02See what I like about it, what I don't. And it'll probably be one of those, there's some really great songs in it. And you could do if you were you know doing a dance routine or you were doing trying to pick a song from a musical which is a little bit different, that would be a good musical to choose. But I'm just not too sure.
SPEAKER_00I do think every other character has uh has their song, like has a good song. Do you know what I mean? Like I think Andy's Miranda Girl is great. Um Emily's runway number is is good for for her. To be fair, most of the numbers she sings because she has that catty oriented character. Do you
Finale Concerns & Elton Bonus Tracks
SPEAKER_00know what I mean? To anything she sings, like she makes her mark. Nate has that I love the way you I love your body or something.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And then obviously he has a number in the second half, which is nice. So you're just like going, oh come on, why did why did you like it? You feel like she's being let down, yeah. That makes me question why is Vanessa Williams still there? So there must so it must be there must be more to it.
SPEAKER_02There must be more to it.
SPEAKER_00Must be the stage enough, it must be either that or the pen or like a fortune.
SPEAKER_02Well, there's always that. There's always that.
SPEAKER_00Well, that was a little bit different and interesting.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I enjoyed that actually. Good. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So when well, the next cast recording I can think of that might come out is the Avita one from London Palladium with um Rachel Ziegler.
SPEAKER_02That was another one you mentioned in the next day.
SPEAKER_00I it happened and it happened. See if they're only releasing rainbow high. I'll be right in. Yeah, I know, I know. You see, you just don't want to get on the wrong side of me.
SPEAKER_02No. No, you can make things happen.
SPEAKER_00Ridiculous. I mean, I'm a nice person. I don't know why it's not gonna be. Well, back to the back to the normal format next week.
SPEAKER_02Well Yeah. No. No, we're kind of we've kind of got some exciting stuff. You're also making me do something that I really do want to do.
SPEAKER_00What's that?
SPEAKER_02Well, we're gonna be close to our Halloween episode.
SPEAKER_00I'm just gonna play Miranda's last uh song from Devils We're Proud of.
SPEAKER_02But you know, we've got some exciting episodes coming up over the next few hours.
SPEAKER_00We might be joined by somebody next week.
SPEAKER_02It'll be very interesting. Very interesting. I know.
SPEAKER_00We're podcast to podcasts.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it'll be great. Excellent. It'll be very, very, very interesting.
SPEAKER_00You see if they end up getting all of our listeners, like everybody like leaves us to go and listen to their interesting. It really will.
SPEAKER_02Really well. Well, thank you for joining us and we will be in your ears again next week.
SPEAKER_00Go and listen to that cast recording.
What Works, What Doesn’t
SPEAKER_00Do let us know. Let us know what you think. If you think we've been terribly uh harsh on it, let us know. I think we gave a a uh a good fair both sides of the coin. Because there is there is great songs there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And then there's they just need to go and rewrite Miranda's.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and not have scary music.
SPEAKER_00Uh you're overreacting.
SPEAKER_02No, no, I'm not.
SPEAKER_00You go and listen. Is this scary music? Let Laura know. It is. Until next week.
SPEAKER_04Bye.
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