Episodes
Friday Mar 24, 2023
4.6 Starlight Express & Sunset Boulevard!
Friday Mar 24, 2023
Friday Mar 24, 2023
Nathan and Peter welcome Ian Farthing, Vancouver-based actor & director and one of the original London ushers for the West End Production of Starlight Express (1984). We explore the theology & themes of Starlight Express – as well as Lloyd Webber’s more recent musical Sunset Boulevard (1993).
We talk about:
– Theatre as a vocation, and how vocations – religious or artistic – change over the course of a life.
– Where does “the power to move” come from – and how do we learn to run the race with integrity?
– Who knew (other than Peter!) that Donald Trump’s favorite film is Sunset Boulevard?
– We gossip a bit about our favorite Norma Desmonds, but don’t come to any real theological conclusions (but we love flannel on a man!)
You’ll hear:
– Excerpts from the original cast recording of Starlight Express (1984)
– Betty Buckley performing “With One Look” live at Carnegie Hall (2006)
– Patti LuPone singing “As If We Never Said Goodbye” and “The Lady’s Paying” from the Original London Cast Recording of Sunset Boulevard (1993)
– Rex Smith & Anita Louise Combe singing “Sunset Boulevard” & “Too Much In Love To Care” from the Canadian Cast Recording of Sunset Boulevard (1996)
Continue the conversation with Peter (@pgeinvan) and Nathan (@nathan_lerud) on Twitter, and follow the Gospel of Musical Theatre on Instagram or Twitter @gospelofmt.
Friday Mar 10, 2023
4.5 Phantom of the Opera!
Friday Mar 10, 2023
Friday Mar 10, 2023
We descend into the depths of the Paris Opera for the 1986 musical phenomenon The Phantom of the Opera – a troubling story about abuse, lust, and the power of music.. and one of the most successful & beloved musicals of all time.
We talk about:
– Is the Phantom (or "Erik" as he’s known in the original novel) a serpent or a savior?
– What is the relationship between Christine and the Phantom? An abusive mentor relationship, a forbidden love, an artistic partnership or a classic Gothic obsession?
– How did power and patriarchy operate in the Victorian world of the Paris Opera – and in the 1980s world of rock musicals?
You’ll hear:
– Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman and the cast of the 1988 Broadway Cast Recording.
Continue the conversation with Peter (@pgeinvan) and Nathan (@nathan_lerud) on Twitter, and follow the Gospel of Musical Theatre on Instagram or Twitter @gospelofmt.
Friday Feb 24, 2023
4.4 CATS!
Friday Feb 24, 2023
Friday Feb 24, 2023
Peterskins & Grumblethaniel (Peter & Nathan) ascend to the Heaviside Layer for a close theological reading of one of the strangest, silliest, and most sensational mega-musicals ever to tread the boards: the much-beloved and much-reviled 1981 spectacle that is CATS.
We talk about:
– The naming of cats and humans – the names that culture and society give us, and the ineffable name that is known only to God.
– Whether the feline characters are stand-ins for the seven deadly sins, and whether or not there is a morality tale at work (...or if maybe this is just a show about cats)
– The power of memory and finding meaning in moments of happiness (and the deeply theological question: “does the right cat die?”)
You’ll hear Betty Buckley, Ken Page, Terrance Mann, and the cast of the 1983 Broadway Cast Recording.
Continue the conversation with Peter (@pgeinvan) and Nathan (@nathan_lerud) on Twitter, and follow the Gospel of Musical Theatre on Instagram or Twitter @gospelofmt.
Friday Feb 10, 2023
4.3 Evita!
Friday Feb 10, 2023
Friday Feb 10, 2023
It's Evita (1978)! The culmination of Lloyd Webber’s collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice, this show offers an epic look at politics, celebrity, and gender through the life of a contemporary saint, Argentina’s beloved First Lady Eva Peron (1919-1952).
We wonder:
– Whose politics are at work in Evita? What does the musical say about Argentinian politics, British politics, and maybe even North American politics?
– What does Evita have to say about sainthood? If Eva Peron is beatified by the Roman Catholic Church, what will that mean about how she is remembered?
– Do acts of charity enable or indict the structural forces that keep some people in power and others in poverty? What kind of social justice is Evita illustrating?
You’ll hear:
– Mandy Patinkin, Patty LuPone and Bob Gunton on the 1979 Original Broadway Cast Recording
– Madonna singing “You Must Love Me” and “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina (Miami Mix)” from the 1996 Motion Picture Soundtrack
Continue the conversation with Peter (@pgeinvan) and Nathan (@nathan_lerud) on Twitter, and follow the Gospel of Musical Theatre on Instagram or Twitter @gospelofmt!
Thursday Jan 26, 2023
4.2 Jesus Christ Superstar!
Thursday Jan 26, 2023
Thursday Jan 26, 2023
It's finally here... Today, we turn to the Gospel According to Andrew Lloyd Webber: the Biblical rock-opera phenomenon that is Jesus Christ Superstar (1970)!
We talk about:
– The context of the late 60s/early 70s that gave rise to a rock opera treatment of the Jesus story
– The eroticism in Mary Magdalene’s (and maybe Judas’?) relationship with Jesus and the question of how sexuality & love intersect in the Christian tradition. What does it mean to fall in love with a God with a human body?
– Mary Magdalene (not a prostitute in the Bible!) and the way the musical treats her as a woman, a sex worker, and a romantic lead.
– Anti-Judaism and Anti-Semitism in Jesus Christ Superstar and in the New Testament and what responsibility Christians bear in challenging it.
– What kind of Christology (big fancy theological word for “understanding Jesus”) undergirds Jesus Christ Superstar, and whether there’s any good news in this musical.
You’ll hear:
– Ian Gillan, Murray Head, Yvonne Elliman and the cast of the Original Studio Recording (a.k.a. “The Brown Album”) from 1970.
– "Could Ye Not Watch With Me One Hour?" from John Stainer’s Crucifixion sung by the St. Michael Singers (Fox Records, 2009).
– Joshua Mostel singing "Herod’s Song" from the 1973 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Continue the conversation with Peter (@pgeinvan) and Nathan (@nathan_lerud) on Twitter, and follow the Gospel of Musical Theatre on Instagram or Twitter @gospelofmt!
Friday Jan 13, 2023
4.1 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!
Friday Jan 13, 2023
Friday Jan 13, 2023
We're baaaackkkk! We're kicking off our fourth season, a deep dive into the musicals of the one & only Andrew Lloyd Weber: one of the most esteemed and prolific musical theatre composers of all time.
In this episode, Nathan & Peter take a look at an early success he and lyricist Tim Rice had in 1968: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!
We talk about:
- The intersection of "liturgical" music (Lloyd Webber’s father was a church organist) with pop music
- Dreams, and how they function both in the religious tradition and contemporary pop psychology and musicals. Is it really true that, as Joseph sings, "any dream will do?"
- What Bible stories we think are appropriate for children – and which parts of the Bible we sanitize or gloss overto preserve a romanticized ideal of childhood innocence
You’ll hear Donny Osmond, Janet Metz and the cast of the 1992 Canadian Cast Recording (Really Useful Group Ltd under exclusive license to Universal Music Operations Limited).
Continue the conversation with Peter (@pgeinvan) and Nathan (@nathan_lerud) on Twitter, and follow the Gospel of Musical Theatre on Instagram or Twitter @gospelofmt.
Friday Jun 17, 2022
PRIDE BONUS: The Music Man!
Friday Jun 17, 2022
Friday Jun 17, 2022
To celebrate Pride Month, Peter and Nathan are joined by the incredible Isaac Lamb and Stephanie Smith, director and musical director for a new and groundbreakingly queer production of Meredith Wilson’s 1957 classic musical The Music Man – which opens at Third Rail Repertory Theatre in Portland, OR, on June 17th.
We talk about:
– Theatre and church, chamber pieces versus extravagant spectacles, and what led Meredith Wilson to create The Music Man.
– The nature of “political” casting choices, what it means for six women and non-binary actors to take on these roles, and why casting choices matter.
– Learning how to sing and learning how to play an instrument – both in the story of The Music Man and in this production, where the actors accompany themselves.
-The purity (and politics!) of joy, and why a show like The Music Man can help us imagine new possibilities in a multi-racial, multiply-abled, diverse, and rapidly changing world.
– We reference Meredith Wilson’s 1957 book But He Doesn’t Know the Territory which was reissued by University of Minnesota Press in 2020.
You’ll hear:
Robert Preston, Barbara Cook and the company of the original New York production singing “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “My White Knight” “Sincere,” “Gary, Indiana,” “Rock Island,” “Pick-a-Little” and “Shipoopi”
Continue the conversation with Peter (@pgeinvan) and Nathan (@nathan_lerud) on Twitter, and follow the Gospel of Musical Theatre on Instagram or Twitter @gospelofmt.
Friday May 20, 2022
3.10 Into the Woods! (with Ed Bacon!)
Friday May 20, 2022
Friday May 20, 2022
We're welcoming a very special guest: Ed Bacon, legendary leader of progressive Christian causes and an inveterate Sondheim fan!
With Ed’s help, we pull apart the spirituality, theology (and the trichology!) of what is probably Stephen Sondheim’s best-known—and arguably best-loved) musical, the 1987 masterpiece Into the Woods.
We talk about:
- The subversive nature of fairy tales, and what we think we’re doing when we tell these stories to children
- What it means to go “into the woods” – and how can we befriend it?
- Being nice, being good, losing our innocence – and what it means to be "white"
- The complicated nature of community, and the promise and threat of the idea that "no one is alone"
- The Gospel as Fairy Tale (with apologies and gratitude for Frederick Buechner’s Telling the Truth, the book that caused at least one of us to become a priest!)
You’ll hear:
- Bernadette Peters, Chip Zien, Joanna Gleason and the cast of the Original Broadway Cast Recording (1987) singing “Prologue,” “Giants in the Sky,” “Hello, Little Girl,” “I Know Things Now,” “No One Is Alone”, “Last Midnight,” and “Children Will Listen”
Continue the conversation with Peter (@pgeinvan) and Nathan (@nathan_lerud) on Twitter, and follow the Gospel of Musical Theatre on Instagram or Twitter @gospelofmt.
About The Hosts
Nathan LeRud, is a native Oregonian, a pastor’s kid, and a musical theatre geek. With degrees in theology (General Theological Seminary) and English (Whitman College), his great loves are teaching the Bible, exploring Oregon history, attending vintage matinees at the Hollywood Theatre and finding the intersection of popular culture and religion. Nathan is currently Dean of Trinity Cathedral in Portland, Oregon. He also knows how to clog.
Peter Elliott has loved musical theatre his whole life. At age 12, he appeared as Oliver Twist in a semi-professional production of Oliver! During his time as Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver, British Columbia, it was the location of many musical theatre productions, including a memorable three night revue of the work of Stephen Sondheim September in the Cathedral with Sondheim, and Jubilation: 125 Years of Musical Theatre.