Welcome to Mountport – IMPROV
You’ve heard of improv comedy, and you’ve heard of musicals. Have you ever heard of improvised musicals? The streaming service “Dropout” hosts a game show (“Game Changer”) where every episode follows a different format. The fifth episode of Season 4 is “The Official Cast Recording,” where three contestants (with the help of prompts and a talented pianist) create an entire musical on the spot. This musical, called “Welcome to Mountport,” follows a plucky baseball player as she discovers the secrets of a small town, and it’s as delightful and whimsical as it is impressive.
The episode did so well that Dropout launched a spinoff show called “Play It By Ear,” following basically the same premise of having contestants improvise a musical based on prompts from a host. Both the “Game Changer” episode and “Play It By Ear” show are available to watch on Dropout.tv, and two of the contestants (Jessica McKenna and Zach Reino) have their own podcast called “Off-Book” if you’re looking for more improvised musical theater content.
PERFECT FIT: if you love experimental theater and never seeing the same thing twice
NOT FOR YOU: if you hate improv comedy and/or musical theater (why are you reading this article?)
36 Questions – PODCAST
If you like podcasts but don’t enjoy improv, “36 Questions” might be more suited to your tastes. Starring Jonathan Groff and Jessie Shelton, this show explores the relationship between a woman who is a pathological liar and the husband she has been deceiving. They ask each other the “36 questions to fall in love” that they discussed on their first date in order to figure out if their marriage can be saved.
This show features 13 songs over three musical acts, with each act split up as its own podcast episode. The nature of this format results in a very streamlined musical, with the story tightly packaged in each individual song. I find the premise fascinating and the music equally catchy and insightful, and I encourage you to give it a listen! It is available on all podcast and music streaming platforms.
PERFECT FIT: if you’re looking for your next favorite podcast or late-night earworm
NOT FOR YOU: if you prefer musicals with bigger ensembles or hate Jonathan Groff (inconceivable)
Ratatouille the Musical – TIKTOK
For resident doomscrollers or social media addicts, the perfect bite-sized musical for you is “Ratatouille The Musical.” Born from a single TikTok created by Emily Jacobsen, a 26-year-old New York school teacher stuck in her apartment during the pandemic, this musical reached a much wider audience than ever anticipated. It became a movement, bringing musical theater back to the masses and leveling the playing field for human connection through the art form of musical theater. The key message of “Ratatouille” is the idea that “Anyone can cook!” and its musical pushed the idea that “Anyone can sing!” since it was so accessible. Forget pricey tickets or exclusive venues: it was art for the people, by the people, available for anyone with a TikTok account to watch or even contribute to.
The TikTok musical gained traction, eventually culminating in a crowdsourced charity benefit concert featuring Broadway professionals Andrew Barth Feldman (Linguine), Ashley Park (Colette), Tituss Burgess (Remy), Andre de Shields (Anton Ego), Adam Lambert (Emile), Kevin Chamberlin (Chef Gusteau), Wayne Brady (Django) and Mary Testa (Skinner). The production was entirely virtual, and all proceeds went to The Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund). Currently, it is still available on YouTube.
PERFECT FIT: if you loved the “Ratatouille” movie and don’t take things too seriously
NOT FOR YOU: if you don’t have an appetite for green-screen backgrounds
Epic the Musical – ONLINE
Another musical that gained massive popularity through social media, “Epic: The Musical” has never seen a real stage. Adapted from Homer’s “The Odyssey,” Epic is a nine-part album series written and produced by Jorge Rivera-Herrans with a massive fanbase and dynamic soundtrack. Each album consists of a different “Saga,” boasting different characters and themes that Odysseus encounters throughout his odyssey. It’s a refreshing take on Greek mythology, revamping the oral storytelling tradition in a way that utilizes the unique medium of a 21st-century internet.
What’s really interesting is the cast: chosen through open-call, location-blind auditions on TikTok, allowing for people from all over the world to have a fair shot, regardless of age, gender or location. It’s a fantastic example of how musical theater is becoming increasingly modern in response to the difficulty of breaking into traditional Broadway spaces, and it stayed true to its Internet roots from start to finish, with the final production premiering as a YouTube live-stream. It remains available on YouTube and all music streaming platforms to this day.
PERFECT FIT: if you’re a Greek mythology buff or prefer fast-paced modern musicals like “Hamilton” or “Six”
NOT FOR YOU: if you’re not ready to commit to Odysseus’s long journey home
Nightmare Time – ZOOM
StarKid Productions is a Los Angeles-based theater company that was originally founded at the University of Michigan. They’re known for pushing the boundaries of traditional theater, unafraid to experiment independently. Some of their past innovative works include a “Choose Your Own Adventure”- style musical (“The Trail to Oregon”) and various parody content (including their famous “A Very Potter Musical”). However, necessity is the mother of invention, and while quarantining, they turned to a new format for live group performances: Zoom (see zoomsicals).
With reimagined characters from their previous horror musicals “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” and “Black Friday,” their gothy series “Nightmare Time” and “Nightmare Time 2” add to the canon of fictional town Hatchetfield with fabulous acting and grotesque storylines. Marrying the two nontraditional formats of YouTube and Zoom, StarKid built out a niche for themselves to shine in, and it’s a lot of fun to see. They also make their content extremely accessible, with almost all of their work available online for free on their YouTube channel.
PERFECT FIT: if you like horror content and enjoyed the FaceTime episode on “Modern Family” (Season 6, Episode 16)
NOT FOR YOU: if you can’t stand split-screens and are easily frightened
The Violet Hour – CROWDFUNDED
Last but not least, we have “The Violet Hour.” Independently created by Will Reynolds and Eric Price based on a 2003 play by Richard Greenberg, “The Violet Hour” combines the bang of big Broadway names like Santiago Fontana, Jeremy Jordan and Erika Henningsen with more down-to-earth audience connection. At the time of its release, it centered on digital engagement, allowing fans to participate in holiday giveaways, polls for poster contest entries and submit their own videos about why they loved the show to be included in a behind-the-scenes documentary.
“The Violet Hour” focuses on a young book publisher (John Pace Seavering) after World War I, who finds a machine that prints books from the future. He tries his best to decipher his destiny, discovering whether fate is malleable or inevitable in doing so. It’s a beautiful show, praised by songwriters and directors alike, and it offers a wry commentary on our human desire for control, especially in a postwar America. The music is gorgeous, the lyrics are clever and it’s definitely an album worth hearing out.
PERFECT FIT: if you don’t want to stray from a more traditional Broadway sound
NOT FOR YOU: if you abhor historical fiction with magical elements
