Steven Universe "Mr. Greg" : It's Over Isn't It?

 Now in the last post I mentioned that I have two go to examples when talking about musical episodes of shows, and well, this is the second one.  Now Steven Universe, being one of my favorite animated shows of all time is no stranger to having stand-out songs in its episodes. But this one is different, though the show is known for having characters break into songs from time to time, and music plays a huge role in it, they do not do it episodes, some house one to two songs. This episode I count as the musical episode because of the themeing, as well as holding the most songs in the series in a single episode at six songs, one even being a reprise. 

This one sees Steven's father Greg becoming super rich, so they leave the quiet beach town they know to take a trip to the very New York City inspired Empire City. Bringing Pearl who loved Steven's mother as well, brings out some drama that needs to be confronted, and what way to do so then in song. Leaving the episode wrapping up with a solid emotional conclusion that leads into the rest of the series. 

The visuals are stunning as usual for the show, but stand out wonderfully in this episode in particular. Bright lights, purple skies at night, and cityscapes, all done with soft colors, the visuals changing with some of the songs to make them stand out even more. 

The songs lead this story along wonderfully, from small and sweet, to fun, to big, grand, and powerful. The stand-out song for this episode is "It's Over Isn't It?", Peal's powerful and sad solo ballad. Emotionally stunted, left with nothing but question marks and not knowing where to go, left only with bitterness and sadness. Her resentment towards Greg in full force, the song sweeping and soaring, conveying strong but relatable emotions, the visuals working hand in hand to make this moment so memorable, the clouds, the purple skies, the lights of the city and quiet air of the balcony. Accompanied by powerful instrumentals, this song stands strong within the episode and on its own.

But the other songs are no slouches either, providing great emotional closure, or just being fun. The songs can either be short and sweet, full of some fun moments and a couple jokes or maybe even one to cause a tear or two to escape your eye. A couple of the songs in this episode can warrant some very strong emotional responses, all packed tight into this episode paced perfectly, and none overstaying their welcome. The structure of the episode works out wonderfully giving a solid beginning, middle, and end with a very satisfying conclusion. 

The setting fits for a musical episode, taking part of the cast out of their environment and showing them somewhere we have not seen in the show yet, and even before they leave the way the episode is presented sets up for an unforgettable musical journey. The songs follow the cast from home to the big city and back, making the musical structure stand out on its own. Beginning as other episodes do with a song, but then having a fair number and in a new locale to show the auidence that this stands out as a the musical episode. Having a song at the beginning that gets a reprise before the credits roll, the music style harkening to that of tradition musicals, and the visuals all setting the tone and keeping it perfectly.

This episode is amazing on a wriitng, musical, and visual stand point. It fires on all cylanders to stand head and shoulders as one of the series best, for adressing plot points, using emotions the audience can relate too, and giving an experience all in a package that leaves the watcher sastified. The music standing out in the context of the show or on their own for isolated listens, and a really wonderful messege about moving on and forgiving, makes this one, a true showstopper

Scrub's My Musical: Hiliarity And Heart

 Some of the content in this episode may be a tad dated, or reflect the time it was made, but I wanted to cover it still. But things need to be addressed before beginning. Now on with the show!

Having just covered musical episodes of the television shows, I thought I would revisit a couple of my favorites, and to start the list, I wanted to talk about the season six, scrubs episode, "My Musical". A patient who hears everything as singing, and sees the world as a musical, all crammed into a 22-minute episode should not work, yet it does. How?

One way is the pacing, since the patient is not always on screen, there is room for scenes that have no singing at all, thus making room for her to enter and giving room for the cast to break into a song. Turning the plot lines into songs and conveying emotions. Giving a scene to introduce what is on the minds of the characters and then sing about it. Since it is just in the mind of the patient, it is given a reason to break the norm and be a musical just for this episode and then return to what the show is known for in the next episode. 

Having the patient played by an actress known for doing Broadway musicals such as Avenue Q makes it work as well. Each performance lands with jokes, songs, and quiet moments. The episode crams so much into a short length but never hangs on something for too long, giving each moment the right amount of time and even fitting in long-running jokes from the show. Fitting long-running jokes and callbacks into a song is a clever way, and even referencing a couple classic musicals.

Most of the songs are comedic and fit the tone of the show, some of them packed with witty lines and jokes, or funny subject matters. But there are also charecter moments and soft and subtle, sweet moments, just like the show is also known for. The episode follows the musical structure perfectly well, even having an act one closing style medley song that would be played right before intermission, each song the right length, having a purpose and moving the episode along. The episode has a surprisingly heavy moment or two but it is balanced with the comedy and handled so well that it ends up being a funny, heartwarming, and memorable episode. 

The songs themselves are filled with jokes, but there are a couple that are soft and quiet and work. Some are slow jams that mix humor and go at a different speed. There are plenty of duets, solos, and big group numbers, giving a good variety. The big group numbers and plenty of the songs are super fun and high energy, having memorable lyrics, catchy melodies, and a good dash of humor. The songs never stop the pace of the episode but push it along and make it work in a way that makes this a stand-out example. The ending songs and ending narration in this episode are a major emotional gut punch, but super well done. Adding a very sweet and touching ending. It changes the tone but after all the humor and fun songs before it, leads to a welcome change and solid ending, that is hard to forget. Many of them are great fun such as "Here At Sacred Heart", "We're Gonna Miss You Carla", "The Rant Song", "When the Truth Comes Out" and my personal favorite "Guy Love" I didn't know I needed a slow jam about the blurred lines of friendship but it is amazing. "Your'e Gonna Be Okay" stops the fun and adds a deep layer of heart in the best way, ending that with a powerful and sweet song, combined with a great ending narration that draws the curtain on this episode spectacularly. 

When people ask me what one of my favorite musical episodes is, this one is one of the two I always bring up. Balancing humor, heart, and some really good songs, memorable ones that stand on their own outside of the episode or in a rewatch. This is one that will leave a song or two, some jokes, and a very sweet ending, stuck in the viewer's head for a least a while, staying with them even after the next episode begins to roll. 

The Art Of The Musical Episode

 Sometimes we love musicals, sometimes we love a show whether it first aired on TV or on a streaming service, and sometimes those two worlds collide. The musical episode. Characters break into song and dance throughout an episode and then do neither the one after. These can come with or without a clever explanation as to why the characters are doing so, and they can be incredibly creative. As a fan of musicals, I do enjoy seeing some of my favorite characters take on the style and tackle it in such a short span, if done well it can be one of the best in the series. But what makes a good musical episode? 

First, we must define what a musical episode is. This is different than a show having a song performed by a character, if it is the only song in the episode and then there are no others, that is not a musical episode, even if songs are used in multiple episodes and this is a common occurrence. The same goes for shows that feature music and have montages, or musical references, they can take a moment to reference a well-known musical and move on, that is not a musical episode. Musical shows are also a different category, such as Steven Universe or Crazy Ex-Girlfriend which have several songs throughout each season, but they are not exempt from having a musical episode, as in the case of Steven Universe. For me, at least, a musical episode is where multiple songs occur, and they are sung and performed by the characters themselves, using the songs to advance the plot and convey emotions, just like in live theater. Bonus points if the word musical is featured or the episode theming and looks go the extra mile to imitate the look and feel of live musical theater. 

What makes a musical episode a good musical episode? For me, that is boiled down to the songs themselves. If the show is not known for them, that is already a shake-up from the norm that will not be repeated after means the music has to really stand out. That is where the balance has to come in, the songs need to move the plot along and show characters' emotions, or at least be entertaining and fit the style and themes of the show, not be distractions. The second the songs are not serving a purpose, whether to advance, inform, or entertain, the second the songs make the episode not feel like what the show is known for, that is when things can go off the rails. If there is an overabundance of songs for the sake of just having songs, the more likely it is for there to be some duds and take the audience out of it.

Live theatre is the same way, when there are songs just for the sake of having songs, with no purpose, the audience loses interest. It can be annoying for characters to just burst into song and dance what feels like every thirty seconds with no rhyme or reason, alienating those watching from what they are watching. This can prove to be a challenge for a show that runs way shorter than a live performance, especially ones that are less than thirty minutes long. 

But this is where the good ones come in. Episodes that know their limitations, know their characters and the world they build can make truly good ones. Songs that sound like they fit in this world, coming from the ones singing them, only enhance the moment, making things great. Proving that even with songs the characters and show are the same show we love without them is what makes a good musical episode. If the songs are memorable and good listeners on their own, in and out of the context of the episode, while reminding us why we love the property the musical episode is in, is what makes a truly great one. Chilling but not impossible, and when pulled off making some truly great memories, great musicals, and great television. 

That to me is what makes a good musical episode, and there are plenty I want to talk about. I just think I may sooner rather than later. What are some of your favorites? And what makes an episode a musical episode, or makes a good musical episode for you? Until next time, I hope your day is a showstopper .

Why I Think The Legally Blonde Musical Could Work As A Movie

 With the recent success of Mean Girls, I think the original protagonist clad in mostly pink deserves a chance to shine. Yes, I am talking once again about Legally Blonde The Musical, easily one of my favorite musicals and I would say my favorite musical based on a movie that was not a musical before. I was thinking about how some musicals, though based on movies could work as musical movie adaptations, and this was at the top of my list. I of course would also want the pro shot to get a physical or digital release, remastered and made available for purchase because it is fantastic, well shot, well performed, and deserves to be preserved, but I think a movie could work as well. In a perfect world, we would get both but I do think a movie is more likely, if this idea were to come to fruition. 

The music is high energy, the story is packed with jokes, and there are plenty of moments that use the whole ensemble in a way that makes for big and grand moments. From marching bands to big jump rope dance numbers, there are plenty of moments that would look good in a trailer. There are plenty of big solos, and quiet moments as well, the pacing of this show between big and fun moments and quiet, strong character development would fit into the world of movies like a glove. I feel that the energy of this show would fit a movie very well, I know this because the Mean Girls 2024 movie did just that.

Adding some visual flare and maybe cutting some song "Harvard Variations" being one of them as you show a story with a very timeless message. Being your own person and finding your own way, not falling so head over heels for someone that you lose yourself. There are some smaller morals about working hard or accepting others that also fit very well, and a movie could give it a chance to change some of the more dated material.

This musical is one of my all-time favorites and will always be but I am not going to act like every little part of this show has aged like fine wine, from a couple of characters to some lines as well. But the 2024 Mean Girls movie took some of the dated humor of the original and added some new jokes, so why not this show. You could add a social media element as well and modernize it, but I think setting it in the time it took place would be cool as well, showing how relevant and relatable all of the subject material still is. The songs have a good variety of high-energy group numbers, and quiet character-building moments, even a couple slow ballads. 

The song variety is one of the strong suits because it has many good comedic, and even heartwarming musical pieces that help make major moments stand out. I know some songs would be cut but I think with a two-hour run time not that many would have to be and make for a good musical experience. Some of the characters would need to be changed or cut, but I think all the major players and their stories wouldn't need many if any changes to their story arcs, songs, and even some of their jokes. 

In terms of who would play them, I would love a couple Broadway and film albums from the originals to make cameos, while new Broadway talent played the main cast. I would use up-and-comers and especially theatrically trained actors to pull off the songs and the choreography. There are plenty of large-scale dance numbers and big sweeping songs that I feel would serve the film best. 

Mean Girls 2024 really opened up a whole new world to the idea of musical movies that are akin to reboots of films. It takes the place of the reboot but offers something completely different at the same time, and I think if done well, would not do any harm, even bring some musicals back into the limelight that deserve it. 

Woman Of The World (Shucked)

 Not too long ago I covered the musical "Shucked" with it having a movie coming up, and I have been listening to the album quite a bit lately and mixing some songs into my favorite musical playlists. In that post, I noted what some of my favorite songs are and decided to not just share what ones they are but why. It's time for a good old-fashioned song analysis breakdown as I like to do from time to time. So let's look at one of the songs I have listened to most from this show "Woman Of The World". 

The song has Mayzee looking back on how she just may have saved her home and the corn from which it draws its name, in a state of almost shock and pure surprise. She now sees herself as a hero and is happy to have done what many said she couldn't, believing to have grown. The song then begins to ramp up a bit as she realizes the change going on in her. No longer just what people viewed her as her whole life, but rather something so much more. She sees herself as "A Woman Of The World", not just what her environment has labeled her as, thinking to have saved the day and no longer be doubted, since she stepped so boldly outside of town and ventured into the world now. Even if the world is just Tampa, to her it is still a massive deal.

The instrumentation much like many songs in the show draws a strong inspiration from country music but mixes in the Broadway musical flare. Having small moments for our lead to reflect, while building and growing both in scope and scale. Adding a background choir, performing key changes, and starting small and growing as the song progresses until a big, grand finish. Starting with a simple guitar and adding more as it goes, but still keeping the country music theme from start to finish. 

The instrumentation fits the theme of the song as it grows and changes as the song progresses, growing from a quiet ballad to a big, loud, and proud display of someone who sees more in herself than she ever has. The lyrics fit well with the instrumentation, instilling quiet confidence and pride in oneself but not the territory of arrogance. Rather a pride in doing something well, helping others, and discovering you are more than what others think you are. Showing depth to a character narrator who two songs prior planted the seeds for this song. In " The Traveling Song" the narators say that she set out determined to prove everyone wrong, and now it seems she has. This a moment of victory for someone who has been underestimated.

As a song, this is just a plain fun listen, with great lyrics, great use of the ensemble later on, and solid instrumentation. A song that is inspiring and fun, and fits well as a musical ballad, a moment that is so big the character just has to sing about it. The theming stays consistent but does not distract from the song but rather adds to it and gives its set identity. It fits the tone the show has built so far and fits right in with the songs that proceeded and will proceed with it, giving a solid character moment without breaking what the show has built. Overall I love the song as a fun listen and as a character moment, I am an absolute sucker for big and grand moments where the lead gets a victory. A real emotion of being proud of yourself, wanting to break out of what you have been known as, and wanting to grow and be something more. A real and relatable emotion. The song is performed well on the cast album and is a must-listen at least once, alongside many of the songs in the show, I did a review of the whole album very recently.

Whether to just sing along to, or relate to, this song is great. A moment of victory that starts off slow and grows and grows until it fits the scope of the wide world she has just seen, this song and Mayzee have proved there can be so much more, then just whats on the surface.