The Unauthorized Critics Circle

They’re back! And they’re… prebusecent?!?! In this glorious return from a definitely planned and warned about absence, Joshua and Dan find themselves in an Indiana middle school with the cast of the new Netflix film adaptation of 13! Armed with nothing but cooties and a copy of The Bell Jar, our hosts try to once again navigate the metaphorical hallways of life while trying to re-learn that goddam...

Wowwee! For the first time in the UCC's incredibly illustrious and long-ranging history, we have FINALLY been invited to participate in the Tony proceedings and provide our color commentary on the 2021/22 Broadway season! We've seen the shows and we have thoughts about EVERY category - we're gonna be telling you who we're picking, who they missed, and what we're wearing right now. (Not that last o...

Wowwee! For the first time in the UCC's incredibly illustrious and long-ranging history, we have FINALLY been invited to participate in the Tony proceedings and provide our color commentary on the 2021/22 Broadway season! We've seen the shows and we have thoughts about EVERY category - we're gonna be telling you who we're picking, who they missed, and what we're wearing right now. (Not that last o...

The Unauthorized Critics Circle knows no bounds, as they valiantly close their first Symposium discussing Funny Lady in this final of a three part series. Part 3 - Girl Becomes A Lady Even G-ds have contracts. And neigh it was written that a Sequel would be made. And she was good. Other parts will be debated in the episode, but she was good. Not just good. Great! Fantastic! Groovy! Contact us: unc...

The Unauthorized Critics Circle knows no bounds, as they valiantly open their first Symposium discussing Funny Girl in this first of a three part series. Part 2 - What Did They Make Of Beanie? The ghost of Barbra looms large as Funny Girl returns to Broadway for the first time in 59 years. Will the ghost be dispelled? Were the critics fair? Was the book fixed? One must tune in to find out - and to...

The Unauthorized Critics Circle knows no bounds, as they valiantly open their first Symposium discussing Funny Girl in this first of a three part series. Part 1 - The Movie, The Magic, The Legend Streisand was descended from on high to prove to us mere mortals what we can only dream to achieve. Listen to us try to explain this most Holy of phenomena. Tune in next week for Funny Girl Symposium: Par...

Bon voyage! Dan and Joshua evade the ever-looming copyright threats by taking to sea with the publicly consumable pro-shot of the Barbican Centre's production of Anything Goes, recently broadcast to cinemas and through PBS' Great Performances series! The Broadway revival schleps its away across the Atlantic with a series of surprising last minute passengers. (Forget Billy Crocker, Sutton's on for...

A musical that kicks off with a condemnation of the Disneyfication of New York... finally, a show for US! Strap on your stilettos and shimmy up your strap-ons, cuz we're hitting the pavement to partake in The Life! A star studded cast fronts this fascinating chapter of Cy Coleman's resume, and as our hosts wait to calculate the additions of their own life experiences they commiserate about the log...

Episode #66 then - a musical in its third decade. Some of you may recall the strange affair of The Phantom of the Opera, the longest running Broadway show in history... a mystery never fully explained. We're told that this is the very production that figured in the famous disaster (that, of course, being Cameron Mackintosh's stranglehold on American musical theatre). Rehearsals over the pandemic h...

In the most chaotic episode in UCC history, Joshua and Dan head In My Life, and talk about a musical that defies description. Some flops are bad. Some are forgotten. Some are unfairly dismissed. Some are infamous. What can be said? Jonathan Groff was a dance captain. A... dance... captain. Listener! That is discussed. What else? The uncanny valley of vibrato (ominous). Touched By A Gangle. The rig...

Take off those commonfolk footwear and put on your dancing shoes - we're fulfilling our showbiz dreams with Crazy For You! Hop the train to the picturesque, lively, and completely barren Deadrock, Nevada in this jukebox musical where the Gershwins are on full display. As stockbrokers and cowboys showcase their musical comedy talents, our hosts give you the lowdown on the Great Performances catalog...

Hosts Joshua and Dan head into a whole new world as they cover their first Disney Broadway show. In typical UCC fashion, they found the one show Disney produced that has nothing to do with any of their movies - Aida! Lines are drawn, sides are taken, and our hosts find themselves in the crossroads of their elaborate lives as discussion rambles on. Topics include a thorough discussion of the state...

Is your lederhosen wrinkled or are you just happy to see us? This week, Dan and Joshua offer up a podcast about the legendary rock musical Spring Awakening, surely fulfilling what Frank Wedekind imagined of his legacy. The topics vary as aggressively as the population count of Melchior's friends, touching upon the advent of teenage fandom on Broadway, the smash-hit Ben Franklin in Paris, and wheth...

Ah listeners, you know why we are here: we've too much time and quite the episode here. This week, our hosts discuss their experiences attending the 50th Anniversary Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar in a discussion that runs longer than the original concept album. With Superstar being one of Joshua's favourite musicals, Dan's typical amount of in-episode singing is given a run for its money - occasi...

Write a check and finance the garment district with Joshua and Dan as we give a full appraisal on I Can Get It For You Wholesale. We hope you ate a little something, because this episode covers everything from Gemini all the way to Capricorn. Topics include the level of Jewishness in Musical Theatre, why people find Dan intimidating, and, of course, Barbra Streisand. Tune in to next week's episode...

Typically in our descriptions we will try to immerse the reader into the setting of the piece we're discussing, but content dictates form and therefore an extremely ambiguous imbalance between time period and tone dictates an extremely ambiguous introduction into our review of the musical adaptation of King Kong. 'Twas truly beauty killed the beast in this mammoth (or gorilla) of a production...

Dear audience, It’s good to be with you again. This week was a fascinating one - we found ourselves taking measurements and starting to sew some Intimate Apparel. One of our co-hosts will drop the mask and reveal their true nature, while the other cohost has never been less than 100% himself at all times. The topics of discussion range from the intimate to the revealing as the changes from play to...

If you're just wild about Broadway, join the Unauthorized Critics Circle as they learn about one of the most important musical productions in history with Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed! With a cast as stacked as Audra is pregnant, our co-hosts thrill in the delights of 20s musical theatre and share the Broadway Buzz as they regard the dual pos...

The Unauthorized Critics Circle brings the first phase of their critically-acclaimed* Critics LIVE! series to a close with the long awaited Broadway debut of the 1955 play Trouble in Mind. As drama unfolds and conversations become way more topical than they should be, our co-hosts touch upon cannon fodder, the intersection of racism and misogyny, and the righteous indignation of LaChanze. *Critics...

Our sub-series Critics LIVE! continues with this discussion of Roundabout's recent transfer of Caroline, or Change! Pop a quarter in the bleach cup and sit yourself down (not on the dryer, please - we'd appreciate your focus) as your hosts discuss the responsibilities of representation, twisting turntables, and patron saint Chip Zien. Tune in to next week's episode when we discuss the Broadwa...

Ready to fly? Learn your dosage (or err on the side of exploration) and sit back as you and your guides (co-hosts) take you on a journey that'll send you Flying Over Sunset. The world-premiere musical is discussed on what might likely be the most thorough discussion of the show for some time to come, as our hosts' trips lead them down such psychedelic topics as Dan's Yazbeck attendance odds, Lapin...

Hey, pal! Feeling blue? Slept in 90 seconds and missed the chance to purchase a ticket to the Off-Broadway revival of Assassins? You're in luck, cuz we're here to tell you what those rascals were up to! Step right up and redeem your prize: a hearty discussion by Sondheim's personal balladeers that delves into foundational myths, the notion of "relevancy", and how Assassins upturns musical structur...

We're back, bitches! The Circle rounds again and our critics kick off season two with the launch of their brand new event, CRITICS LIVE! Although the marriage between hosts Joshua and Dan may be fading faster than attendance levels during omicron, Marianne Elliott may be just the person to bring some spark back into the relationship with her revival of Company, currently playing at the Jacobs Thea...

Welcome to The Unauthorized Critics Circle's inaugural end-of-season celebration: the First Annual Critter Awards! The Bertram Rutland Critter Awards for Excellence in Broadway Adjacent Podcasting, more commonly known as the Critters, recognizes excellence in once-live recorded theatre. The awards are presented by the Unauthorized Critics Circle at an annual ceremony in Midtown Manhattan (walk up...

Hosts Joshua and Dan try to put their best face forward as they enter the front lines of War Paint. Fun is had by all as they trounce through a land of Vienna Youth Masks, Anti-Aging Cremes, and the rejuvenating effects of Piercing Belting. Gossip around the spa includes such topics as how much jewelry is too much, the importance of good taste, and plots - are they needed? Tune in next week for ou...