Nothing Like Broadway: The Podcast

Pardon me, is everybody here, because if everybody's here I'd like to thank you all for clicking on this podcast. Today, host writer/composer David Rackoff looks at how "Getting Married Today" by Stephen Sondheim works. And boy, does it work (and "werk")! How do you go about writing a great patter song? We even get "David's tips for performing a patter song". And how does Jonathan Bailey fit into all of this? Listen to find out!

Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.

Actors and singers, today you will learn to read music in five minutes! (Okay, not five minutes, and not totally learn to read music). But writer/composer David Rackoff will give you a foothold in connecting the song you're going to sing to the sheet music with all the dots and lines that you're holding in your hands. It's a place to start. If you are already an ace sight-singer, this episode is not for you! But for everyone else, whether you have a high school audition coming up, or you're a professional actor who's already been cast in a musical, I think this will help you get a little more confident and little more musical.

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One of the best songs in any genre in the history of the world ever. Host writer/composer David Rackoff uncovers what makes this song so spectacular. You will have heebie-jeebies for Beebe's Bathysphere. (And you'll find out what all of the crazy references mean!) Stephen Sondheim outdoes himself on this powerful showstopper. 

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Get into the nuts and bolts of songwriting with host writer/composer David Rackoff. We look at why songwriters would choose to write the music first. Or why they would choose to write the lyrics first. What are the pros and cons of each approach? And what happens then? How does the sausage get made?

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I'm sure you shiver with anticip-- SAY IT! --pation for today's episode. We look at the music, lyrics, and extravagant weirdness of this song, and this show. Host writer/composer David Rackoff also looks at the cultural significance of The Rocky Horror Show. And why does this song beckon to queer high school theater kids so strongly? Get your rice and newspapers ready, and let's dive in to "Over at the Frankenstein Place".

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This week, writer/composer David Rackoff looks at the amazing Laurie Beechman, and what makes her voice and storytelling so special. If you don't know who she is yet... you're welcome. And if you know, well, then you know. She shone on stage in "Annie", "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," Cats", "Les Misérables", in solo cabaret shows, and on recordings. She had one of the most powerful belts of all time. And she could break your heart with her thoughtful tender soft notes. Songwriters from David Friedman to Andrew Lloyd Webber (not to mention your host, David Rackoff) consider Laurie Beechman to be a singular talent.

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Host writer/composer David Rackoff explains why "Burn" from Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton" is actually a happy song. (What?!) We break down the music, lyrics, and performance of what is the "end of Act I" of Act II of "Hamilton" song. We look at how simple building blocks can create a powerful, cathartic, gorgeous theatrical piece.

Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.

What's more important than a perfect rhyme? A perfect scan. Every stress in the lyrics must fit with the stresses in the music. This is why (good) musical theater writers stress about stresses. Host writer/composer David Rackoff looks at what that means, how it works, and what it sounds like when it doesn't work. Examples (some good, some not-so-good) from "Into the Woods", "Defying Gravity", "Sunset Blvd.", and "Sweeney Todd". If you've never thought about this before, you will after listening to this episode!

Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.

Does it mean, "No worries for the rest of your days"? Kind of... This is one of the most shocking, funniest, and perhaps deepest songs in all of musical theater. The makers of "South Park" have created this delightful bit of blasphemy. Host writer/composer David Rackoff takes a close look at the music, lyrics, and context of this song. And we discuss who exactly should be offended by it. The answers may surprise you!

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You think you know what a rhyme is... But do you really? in this first mini-pod, we look at what is (and, more interestingly) what isn't a rhyme. Then host writer/composer David Rackoff plays a game where you have a moment to decide if a particular rhyme is really a rhyme! 

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Is this the best “I Want” song of all time? Host writer/composer David Rackoff dives deep (sorry) into this fantastic Alan Menkin & Howard Ashman creation. The craftsmanship of this emotional, funny, charming song is quite a remarkable… what’s the word? Oh yeah. Feat.

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In our season 1 finale, writer/composer David Rackoff tackles what may be the grandest achievement in musical theater songwriting. "Rose's Turn" is a mad scene, an aria, a showcase for the best musical theater actresses of all time. Stephen Sondheim, Jule Styne, and Jerome Robbins created this monster of a song, and we get to dig into it to figure out how it works. This is an exciting episode (with some controversial opinions from host David Rackoff!) How do you like them egg rolls, Mr. Goldstone?

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How does a song get written? This is a fascinating episode where writer/composer David Rackoff breaks down his process in writing the song “Sing Along” from the musical “Nothing Like Broadway”. This is a fun, surprising episode where you get to really see how the sausage gets made.

Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.

One of the great Act I enders of all time, no question. But… are the things sung about all really happening “One Day More”? The answer may surprise you! Host writer/composer David Rackoff picks apart the music, lyrics, and storytelling that make “One Day More” so freakin' awesome.

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We've all got Oz fever, so this week, writer/composer David Rackoff analyzes "Popular" from the musical "Wicked" by Stephen Schwartz. Why is the hook so catchy? Why are the lyrics so mind-blowing? How does this song help to tell the story of "Wicked"? What is enjambment? Were sopranos funny prior to 2003? How about the Kristin Chenoweth of it all? We dig deep to discover how "Popular" works.

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Is this the ultimate cabaret song? Host writer/composer David Rackoff dives deep into one of his (and every songwriter's) favorite cabaret songs. Jason Robert Brown's gorgeous, diabolically manipulative "Stars and the Moon" is so much fun to watch, perform, and analyze. 

Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.

Today, we get to peek inside the process of writing a patter/comedy song! Host David Rackoff looks at his own song, "The World's Most Famous Spy", to see how he came up with the concept, and how he wrote the music and lyrics to this song from the upcoming off-Broadway musical "Nothing Like Broadway!". It's James Bond meets Gilbert & Sullivan meets David!

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Writer/composer David Rackoff delves into "Seventy-Six Trombones" and "Goodnight My Someone" from "The Music Man". Two great, unrelated songs. Or are they? These songs have more in common than you might think! It's a fast, fun episode this week, full of romance, bombast, and mystery!

Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.

One of my favorite numbers, one of your favorite numbers, one of everyone's favorite numbers: "You Gotta Get a Gimmick"! We'll talk about how writers "song-spot" to figure out where and what a song will be. And once you figure out that it's going to be an 11 O'Clock number with bargain-basement strippers, you have already won. Host writer/composer David Rackoff has a blast with this song written by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim.

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Sondheim's biggest pop hit! But how does it work? And how does it work in the context of the show? Why is this an exercise in negative space? Is it about sex or love? Send in the clowns? Don't bother, writer/composer David Rackoff is here.

Suggest a song to break down, or just let us know what's on your mind.