Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast

This week Autumn and Mackenzie have heard the call and are preparing the way of the lord as they head to 1970s New York to discuss the gospel inspired musical Godspell ! These two talk about this musical's serious dramaturgical problems while also exploring how this musical  could work today if reimagined correctly. They also deep dive into the concept of organized religion and how this music...

Next week it's time to head back to the 1970s with Autumn and Mackenzie as they discuss the hippy biblical clown musical Godspell ! Tune in and find out why with musical generated such a mixed response from these two and why Autumn decided to subject them to this particular show. Also hear Autumn's thoughts about the many verses of the song Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord . All this plus some peace...

This week on BTDB Autumn and Mackenzie are facing their Waterloo in go go boots as they discuss the jukebox musical sensation Mamma Mia ! These two ABBA enthusiasts break this musical and all things ABBA down. They discuss why the sentimental song 'Slipping Through My Fingers' is the heart of this musical and not 'The Winner Takes It All'. Plus find out how they would alter and redo the fan favour...

Next week it's time to walk down the aisle and address some family drama with Autumn and Mackenzie as they discuss the ABBA musical Mamma Mia ! Tune in and find out why these two think this is one of the most deceptively smart musicals of the canon and why in this particular time we need a musical like this. Also hear Autumn's thoughts about the movie musical sequel and learn which song Mackenzie...

Willkommen! And bienvenue! Welcome to this Friday's episode which is all about the Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret . Join hosts Autumn and Mackenzie along with theatre critic and friend of the podcast Lynn Slotkin as they break down this timely musical. Hear them debate why we as a society keep repeating ourselves throughout history and listen to this trios opinion on how we can change the narrativ...

Next Friday put down the knitting, the book and the broom and come to the Cabaret next week with Autumn, Mackenzie, and friend of the podcast Lynn Slotkin and hear them discuss the Kander and Ebb Nazi musical Cabaret ! Hear them break down the deceptively dark nationalistic song 'Tomorrow Belongs to Me' and find out why Autumn is not a fan of the character of Sally Bowles. Plus hear about Lynn's e...

Ho, ho, ho! In honour of the holidays Autumn and Mackenzie have put together a special gift for all you amazing listeners! They compiled 3 Spotify playlist for you to listen to. The first lists are the top 3 songs from each episode from Season 1 and Season 2 of the podcast. Then there is the extra special and often eluded to Mack's Lawn Cutting Playlist that he uses when he working outside. So enj...

Last holiday season Mackenzie. and Autumn ventured out and saw Tom Hooper's movie musical monstrosity Cats. This holiday season they were suppose to see the Steven Spielberg's remake of West Side Story but alas the pandemic had other plans for this duo. Thankfully Netflix came through and released their adaption of the musical The Prom directed by Ryan Murphy.  So tune in and found out what A...

"God bless us, every one!"  It's the holiday episode!! This week Autumn and Mackenzie are getting into the holiday mood by exploring Menken and Ahrens musical adaption of A Christmas Carol: A Musical . Find out if they think Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens as Americans were able to properly adapt this quintessential English story. See which song Autumn has particular dislike for and discover if M...

Ho ho ho next Friday is the big holiday themed episode on Before the Downbeat! This year for the holidays Autumn and Mackenzie are heading back into the realm of Dickensian London this time to explore a musical based on the authors classic Christmas tale 'A Christmas Carol'. So tune next week as Autumn and Mackenzie breakdown the Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens musical adaption of this Christmas story...

It's the season 3 premiere of Before the Downbeat ! So Mackenzie and Autumn along with Kyle from the Putting It Together podcast head into the woods to explore the Sondheim and Lapine fairy tale musical Into the Woods !  This trio is on a quest to better understand this deceptively complex musical. Together these three break down why this musical is the most produced musical of the Sondheim c...

It's the season 3 premiere and next Friday so Autumn, Mackenzie, and Kyle Marshall from the Putting It Together podcast join Little Red, Jack, Cinderella, the Witch, the Baker and his Wife and journey into the woods to discuss the Lapine and Sondheim musical, 'Into the Woods'! Throughout the episode this trio of musical geeks dissect this surprisingly complex musical. They discuss how just like th...

It's the final episode of season 2 of Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast and what better way to end the season than with Mackenzie paying Autumn penance for making her talk about Titanic and The Producers . So together with Jessica Maxwell, one of Mackenzie's long time friends, Autumn and Mackenzie not only set out pay their rent but also to talk about the musical Rent ! Find out why both Mack...

Next week is the final episode of season 2! So to end the season Autumn and Mackenzie are covering the musical they've eluded to since episode 1. So the musical they will cover is none other than the Jonathan Larson smash hit Rent ! Plus Autumn and Mackenzie are joined by one of Mackenzie's best friends and certainly one of Rent 's biggest fans Jessica Maxwell. Together this trio deep dives into t...

Break out your tap shoes and start cozying up to some rich little old ladies because this week is all about the Mel Brooks musical The Producers ! In this episode Mackenzie and Autumn are joined by a new guest Arkady Spivak and together they explore this turn of the century comedy. They breakdown why this musical proved to be so successful and why general audiences who would never think to joke ab...

Next week Autumn and Mackenzie welcome a new guest to the podcast Arkady Spivak. Together they cover the Mel Brooks turn of the century musical comedy The Producers ! In this episode they explore the impact 9/11 had on this piece and they try to see any of these characters in this light hearted comedy are empathic. The episode cumulates in a debate of in our current era of political correctness if...

This week Autumn and Mackenzie are once again joined by friend of the podcast Lynn Slotkin to talk all about the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. Together these three take ride on the old time carousel and discuss one of the most challenging and to many critics and audiences problematic musicals of the entire musical theatre canon. Through out the episode Autumn works to show Mackenzie an...

Next week Autumn, Mackenzie continue their chronological exploration of the Rodgers and Hammerstein canon with friend of the podcast Lynn Slotkin. Together they head to New England to attend a real nice clam bake and to talk all about the high controversial and challenging musical Carousel ! Throughout the episode they debate complex character of Billy Bigelow, the role the community around Billy...

Autumn and Mackenzie head to the French Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea this week as they discuss the musical Once on This Island . In this episode Autumn and Mackenzie talk all about how universal this tale is with it's ties not only to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" but also to the myth of Myrrha who like Ti Moune ends up as a tree. Also parallels are drawn between...

Next week Autumn and Mackenzie cover their first Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty  musical Once on This Island . In this episode Autumn reveals why this composer and lyrist duo are her favourite composition team. Plus following the debates from the Miss Saigon episode Mackenzie and Autumn continue to explore and debate the concept of cultural appropriation in regards to storytelling and if th...

In honour of our milestone 25th episode Autumn and Mackenzie take a ride on a helicopter and journey back to the 1970s to the fall of Saigon as they talk about the epic romance musical Miss Saigon. This is a highly charged episode full debates from who are the proper people tell this particular story to how can tackle this show today. While this musical has a controversial history it also features...

Next week in honour of milestone 25th episode Mackenzie and Autumn tackle their biggest musical yet, Miss Saigon! Not only does this musical feature a helicopter but also a controversial history . Together Mackenzie and Autumn wade into the minefield and tackle some of the big questions that face this musical. They try to determine why this musical has never won the coveted best musical award, wha...

This week Autumn and Mackenzie are breaking out their baking supplies and sharpening their straight edge razors as they discuss the bloody musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Join in their debate as they discuss if this is Stephen Sondheim's best musical, and if Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd are truly mad or are they calculating and sane. This is one of Stephen Sondheim's most p...

Mackenzie and Autumn journey back to London and specifically to Fleet Street to attend the tale of mass murderer Sweeney Todd because next week these two are discussing the Stephen Sondheim bloody musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street! Mackenzie and Autumn work together to not only make a delicious meat pie but also work to understand this complex musical. Together they explore th...

In episode Autumn and Mackenzie are explore the wonderfully complex family musical 'Falsettos'! Hear draw interesting parallels between this musicals and the sitcom Modern Family. Plus found out what makes this musical so mature and  better than 'Rent'. Listen on the fascinating production history of how three separate works came together into one master piece of a musical. All this and so mu...