Settling Scores: The Musical Theatre Podcast

Back Where She Belongs: "Hello, Dolly!" in the Spotlight Hello, and welcome! In this special episode of Settling Scores, we're shining the spotlight on one of Broadway's most beloved musicals, Hello, Dolly! From its unforgettable score by Jerry Herman and witty book by Michael Stewart to its legendary leading ladies and remarkable history, Hello, Dolly! has been delighting audiences for more than...

From the opening guitar riff to the final haunting chorus, few musicals have changed theatre history like Jesus Christ Superstar. In this episode of Settling Scores, we examine the rock-opera-meets-biblical-drama, the iconic performances, and the enduring legacy of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s groundbreaking masterpiece. Whether you’re a lifelong fan, a musical theatre nerd, or discovering t...

Ron Faber (left) and Stephen Stout (right) in Lucky Stiff. Photo by Peter Cunningham. This episode of Settling Scores dives into the delightfully offbeat world of Lucky Stiff, the cult-favorite musical that helped launch the legendary songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. With its rapid-fire wit, breakneck(!) farce, and charming score, Lucky Stiff showcases the early sparks of a mu...

The 2025 Tony Awards Special continues! In the second part, Lenny and Forrest put the Best Score Tony Award under the microscope. Get ready for some lively discussion as they go year-by-year through the post-2000 winners, debating whether the Tony voters made the right choice. You won't want to miss their hot takes and signature passionate banter! Join us over on our Facebook, Instagram,  and YouT...

Part one of our 2025 Tony Awards Special finds our Broadway buffs Lenny and Forrest counting down their top ten favorite Tony Awards performances of all time. They’ll reveal and compare their individual picks, sharing behind-the-scenes trivia and hot takes, along with their usual passionate (and witty!) banter. Be sure to listen to the end to find out about our *new content feature* for your liste...

In this episode, we dive into one of the most groundbreaking musicals in Broadway history: Company. More than half a century ago, in 1970, Company burst onto the scene and forever changed the landscape of musical theatre. With both music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, already renowned for his work on West Side Story and Gypsy, this show marked his first collaboration with legendary director Hal P...

In this episode, we step into the world of faded glamour, haunting melodies, and Hollywood dreams that refuse to die. Sunset Boulevard, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s lush and dramatic musical, brings Billy Wilder’s iconic film to life on stage, telling the story of Norma Desmond, the once-great silent film star who longs for a triumphant return to fame. We’ll explore everything that makes Sunset Boulevard...

It's no surprise that with the recent release of the movie version of Wicked, we here at Settling Scores have chosen to compare and contrast it with the original Broadway cast album we all know and love. However, you may be surprised to hear how much the guys disagree on everything from lyrics to casting to character arcs! Also in this episode, Forrest and Stephanie act out two *thrilling* scenes,...

Join us down on Skid Row with our latest episode - "Somewhere That's Mean: Settling Scores Feasts on Little Shop of Horrors." Categorizing LSOH (with music by Alan Menken and lyrics/book by Howard Ashman) is a bit tricky. Here’s our best effort: it’s a genre-crossing cult classic chamber musical with elements of dark comedy, horror (obviously), and sci-fi with a ton of catchy Motown-inspired earwo...

Once Upon A Time… In this episode of Settling Scores, Lenny, Forrest, and Stephanie discuss Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s fractured fairytale mashup, Into the Woods. Classic stories like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk are all featured in this surprisingly dark and twisty musical, with a bodycount rivaled only by Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Is this his funniest sc...

 "Join us, leave your fields to flower Join us, leave your cheese to sour Join us, come and waste an hour or two Doodle-ee-doo" In this episode of Settling Scores, we discuss the not-so-simple joys, the seriously strange (...left-handed fleas and balding griffins, anyone??), and the existential angst of Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson’s medieval musical, Pippin. Along the way, Forrest coins t...

"The Music Man" by Meredith Willson is a classic, big-hearted American musical that premiered on Broadway in 1957 and went on to win five Tony awards. We invite you to fritter away some time with us while we discuss the love (Forrest) and hate (Lenny) relationship we here at Settling Scores have with this show, which features several standards of the musical theatre canon such as Seventy-Six Tromb...

Forrest and Lenny continue their discussion of the Tony Awards, this time focusing on Best Actress in a Musical award winners of the last twenty-three years. Using the power of math, Stephanie averages their picks and reveals our very own Settling Scores Diva Rankings™️, from worst to first.    And join us over on our  Facebook  and  Instagram  pages to tell us what you think!

In honor of Tony Award season, Lenny and Forrest debate the winners and losers of the Best Musical Tony grouped by decade with their usual friendly bickering and bantering...plus a surprising amount of agreement! We also explain Forrest's severe case of BAS - Bitter Award Syndrome.   And join us over on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us what you think!

Join us for a dark and twisty tale of a dish best served very cold. The book is based on Swiss dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt's play, “The Visit of the Old Lady,” and the plot revolves around Claire Zachanassian (It just rolls off the tongue…), a widowed gazillionaire returning to her impoverished hometown to seek revenge on a man named Anton Schell who impregnated and abandoned her as a teen. Cla...

"Ragtime: The Musical," with music by  Stephen Flaherty , lyrics by  Lynn Ahrens , and a book by  Terrence McNally, is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow . It's two-and-a-half hours of intense beauty and heartbreaking grief, and frankly, all three of us choked up a little while recording this episode. The (incredibly intricate) plot follows the intersecting lives of three gr...

"NINE" is a captivating musical that follows the story of Guido Contini, a famous Italian film director, as he navigates a mid-life crisis and creative block. Set in Venice, the musical delves into Guido's relationships with the various women in his life, including his wife, mistress, muse, and mother. Through vibrant music and compelling storytelling, "NINE" explores themes of love, lust, and the...

  Join us for a special edition episode celebrating the remarkable artistry and enduring talent of Chita Rivera, a true icon of the Broadway stage. 

Content Warning: This episode contains a brief mention of an attempted suicide by one of the characters.  Scoop yourself a bowl of ice cream, dab on some perfume, and make sure you’re in a “romantic atmosphere” dear friends, because in this episode, we’re delving into the musical “She Loves Me.” This show is one of several reincarnations of the 1937 play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklós L...

Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, was Stephen Sondheim’s tenth show and is generally considered his masterwork, a melodically and dramatically adventurous piece that’s been produced in both musical theatre and opera houses the world over. Though billed as a musical, it’s roughly 80 percent sung, meaning it feels more like it’s been baked into an operetta (pun very much intended), com...

"1776" tells the story of the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in...you guessed it...1776. The show premiered on Broadway in 1969 and went on to win three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In this episode, we do a deep dive into the score, major recordings, and the movie, finding the fabulous and the funny in this amazing, irreverent take on our all-too-human...