So Much Stuff to Sing

Shannon Dohar and Erik Stadnik
  • 4.7 (12)
  • PERFORMING ARTS
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

A podcast about the American Musical. Hosted by Shannon in New York and Erik in Prague; twice monthly.

  1. FEB 15

    My Funny Valetine

    Time marches on, and so does our exploration of the American musical's first century. In this episode, we say a bittersweet farewell to the musical comedy as it existed in the 20s and 30s, the era of the Great American Songbook, and the partnership of Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart. Join us as we discuss "My Funny Valentine" from 1937's Babes in Arms. All clips are from a 1953's Chet Baker Sings and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Warning: This episode contains discussions of substance abuse and mental illness. Listener discretion is advised. Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: somuchstufftosing@gmail.com Recommended Reading/Viewing: Rodgers & Hart reconsidered Rodgers & Hart's Dysfunctional Partnership Ethan Mordden, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater (Mordden's other volumes are also excellent resources for more in-depth discussion) Broadway: The American Musical

    37 min

  2. FEB 1

    Summertime

    Stop 2 on our 100 year trip through the history of the American musical: 1935 and Porgy & Bess.  With music by George Gershwin and lyrics by his brother Ira and original Porgy novelist Debose Heyward, Porgy & Bess was immediately hailed as a masterpiece when it debuted in 1935, though it has been troubled from the start by the question of whether it's too much of an opera to be a musical, and vice versa. As time has passed, the question of whether the piece is inherently racist has also risen and gotten more urgent. But the score remains as one of the great acheivements of the American theater, regardless of genre. In this episode, we discuss the iconic "Summertime" and Porgy & Bess. All clips are from a 1935 recording of Abbie Mitchell, who originally sang "Summertime" in the first prodcution, and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.   Watch a modern operatic performance of "Summertime."   George Gershwin introducing and conducting pieces from Porgy & Bess, including "Summertime."   Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: somuchstufftosing@gmail.com Recommended Reading/Viewing: George Gershwin in the New York Times about calling Porgy & Bess a "folk opera" Sondheim's 2011 letter responding to an article about the most recent Broadway revival Ethan Mordden, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater (Mordden's other volumes are also excellent resources for more in-depth discussion) Broadway: The American Musical

    35 min

  3. JAN 15

    Ol' Man River

    Welcome to 2026, where we're going to go through the first 100 years of the American Musical from its earliest days until the present to track the changes along the way. As a musical once said, the beginning is a very good place to start, so we're starting with 1927's Showboat -- arguably the beginning of what we'd come to call the American Musical. Written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, Showboat brought a seriousness of topic and of purpose to the musical stage while still incorporating elements of what had gone before. It was the smash of its day, running for well over 500 performances -- unheard of at the time for musicals. In this episode, we discuss one of that show's most enduring songs, "Ol' Man River," and how the song and its theme is intimately connected to what made Showboat such a groundbreaking show. All clips are from the 1936 film adaptation of Showboat faeturing Paul Robeson and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.   N.B. This episode discusses matters of race and racism and alludes to racial slurs. Listener discretion is advised. Watch the scene from the film   Listen to the original performer, Jules Bledsoe   See Judy Garland performing the song in 1963   Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: somuchstufftosing@gmail.com Recommended Reading/Viewing: Ethan Mordden, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater (Mordden's other volumes are also excellent resources for more in-depth discussion) Broadway: The American Musical

    42 min

  4. 12/06/2025

    Episode 130 - The Private and Intimate Life of the House

    After another plague of delays, we finally complete our miniseries on aging with the darkest and most brutal depiction of it we've seen. Once again, we return to Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 by Dave Malloy with "The Private and Intimate Life of the House." This isn't a fun one, so listen with care.   We will be back on January 15, 2026 with something unlike we've ever done -- stay tuned!   All clips are from 2017's Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812: Original Broadway Cast Recording featuring Gelsey Bell and Nicholas Belton and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.   N.B. This episode was also plagued by some audio issues. It is entirely listenable, but it's a bit quiet at times. Management regrets the inconvenience. Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: somuchstufftosing@gmail.co

    36 min

  5. 11/01/2025

    Episode 129 - Patiencia Y Fe

    Another grandmother joins us for this installment in our songs about aging, though Abuela Claudia isn't just anyone's grandmother, she is everyone's grandmother. Her solo "Patiencia Y Fe" is one of the standout moments in the standout score of Lin-Manuel Miranda's breakthrough show In the Heights, and Olga Merediz gives it everything she has.  All clips are from 2008's In the Heights: Original Broadway Cast Recording featuring Olga Merediz and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: somuchstufftosing@gmail.com

    35 min

  6. 10/28/2025

    No Time at All

    We're back! We had an illness related delay, which was us being thematic, since illness is part of growing older...yeah, let's go with that.  But we are back on track and here to talk about Stephen Schwartz's Pippin. In particular, we're looking at the 2012 revival and Andrea Martin's performance of "No Time at All." Definitely watch the performance for the full effect. You'll be glad you did. All clips are from 2013's Pippin: New Broadway Cast Recording featuring Andrea Martin and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Watch the Performance! Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: somuchstufftosing@gmail.com

    36 min

  7. 10/01/2025

    Sunrise, Sunset

    Out with the new and in with the old! Yes, we're moving from songs about growing up to songs about the act of having grown up, i.e., songs about aging and growing old.  We're starting with a song from a show we have been slightly remiss in having only discussed once way back in the early days of our podcast, despite its tremendous popularity and cultural impact. Join us as we talk about "Sunrise, Sunset" from Bock & Harnick's classic Fiddler on the Roof.  All clips are from 1971's Fiddler on the Roof: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Recording featuring Topol, Norma Crane, and violinist Isaac Stern and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: somuchstufftosing@gmail.com

    36 min

  8. 09/16/2025

    You Will Be Found

    Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy podcast. After 5 years and 125 episodes, we're finally talking about one of the major smashes of the past decade: Pasek and Paul's Dear Evan Hansen. Winner of 6 Tonys -- including Best Actor for overnight sensation Ben Platt -- the show has had quite the interesting journey over the past couple of years. So join us as we talk about the DEH phenomenon, highlight the anthemic "You Will Be Found," and try to answer what, if anything, Evan learns as we close out this miniseries on bildungsromans. All clips are from 2017's Dear Evan Hansen: Original Broadway Cast Recording featuring Ben Platt and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: somuchstufftosing@gmail.com

    48 min
See All (100)

4.7
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

A podcast about the American Musical. Hosted by Shannon in New York and Erik in Prague; twice monthly.

Information

  • Creator
    Shannon Dohar and Erik Stadnik
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rights to all music clips are retained by their copyright holders. Use is protected under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance for "fair use" for criticism and commentary.
  • Show Website
    So Much Stuff to Sing

You Might Also Like