MisCast - Broadway in a Whole New Key (2022-08)

SHOW EXPLANATIONS

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS - Ensemble Number from Wonderland

~ When Alice goes through the looking glass, her whole concept of reality shifts. This is the premise of our MisCast Show.

All characters in MisCast have been plucked from their original Broadway numbers and placed into new Broadway or real-life scenes.

Read through these explanations to put our MisCast choices into context (for those in our audience who are not familiar with the vast Broadway canon, like us musical nerds)

SHY - Gaston from Beauty and the Beast sings “Shy” from Once Upon a Mattress

~ Gaston is easily one of Broadway’s most self-assured, self-absorbed characters. It is laughable to hear him sing, “I confess it, I'm shy! Can't you guess that this confident air is just a mask that I wear 'cause I'm shy?”

JERSEY BOYS' MEDLEY - The Mean Girls from Mean Girls sing a mash-up medley from Jersey Boys

~ Jersey Boys is a documentary-style musical featuring barbershop and jukebox music from Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons – What happens when you have The Plastics sing classics like, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a Man?”

NO TIME AT ALL - Ursula from The Little Mermaid sings “No Time At All” from Pippin

~ In the original show, “No Time At All” is sung by Pippin’s Grandmother, who takes center stage and engages with the audience to encourage her grandson to live life to the fullest.

In an effort to convince Ariel to give up her voice, Ursula coaxes, “Oh, it's time to start livin', Time to take a little from this world we're given…” It worked for Pippin, why not for Broadway’s favorite Mermaid?

I'M NOT WEARING UNDERWEAR TODAY (#1) - From Avenue Q

~ (*See below for show context)

EVERYONE'S A LITTLE BIT RACIST - Shrek (Shrek), Genie (Aladdin), Elphaba (Wicked) and Ursula (The Little Mermaid) sing “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” from Avenue Q

~ *Avenue Q is a satirical musical that features Sesame Street-esque puppets in… not-so-Sesame-Street scenarios. Imagine if Elmo had a stressed-out, fairly inappropriate cousin living in a not-so-Sesame-Street neighborhood.

The original song, when in the context of satire, is a poignant reminder of how we are all inherently… a little bit racist.

The song has faced criticism for a few lines that seem to advocate, “Everyone’s a little bit racist… so that makes it okay and if you’re offended, stop being so sensitive!”

This is not the message that the original musical, the Draper Arts Council, nor the actors in our show are intending to portray.

We hope that this gentle introduction to racism and Anti-Racism sparks the desire to look inward, have conversations, face our complicated history, and advocate for change.

"Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist...Admitting it is not an easy thing to do.”

This concept is the bedrock of Anti-Racism work. It is only once we acknowledge our racist beliefs, attitudes, and actions that we can then work to unlearn and counteract racism with equity and justice.

Racism isn’t a guilty pleasure that we can all indulge in.

Acknowledge that “you’re a little bit racist… (yes, you, and you, and you!)” and then address inherent racial biases, eliminate microaggressions, confront racist behavior, and be the change towards a little-bit-less-racist society.

YOU AND ME (BUT MOSTLY ME) - Glinda and Elphaba from Wicked sing “You and Me (But Mostly Me)” from The Book of Mormon Musical

~ Glinda is the kind of best friend who makes everything about her, so it’s entirely fitting that she sings,

“You and me, but mostly me, Are gonna change the world forever. 'Cause I can do most anything…” and Elphaba retorts, “And I can stand next to you and watch??!!”

It’s a good thing Elphaba can hold her own and not turn green with envy over Glinda’s dramatic love for the spotlight!

MUSIC OF THE NIGHT - A Mom sings “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera

~ All parents have days when they long for the silence of bedtime… and all parents know the sheer exasperation of a child who avoids sleep at all costs.

2020 THE MUSICAL

~ “2020 The Musical” was originally created and performed by Jimmy Fallon and Andrew Rannells on Jimmy Fallon (utilizing songs from Fiddler on the Roof, Little Shop of Horrors, Hamilton, and more!)

THERAPY - Elle Woods and Warner from Legally Blonde sing “Therapy” from Tick, Tick… Boom!

~ Elle and Warner clearly struggled with communication, as Elle prepared to get engaged on the date that Warner broke up with her.

The writers of Tick, Tick… Boom! did a wonderful job portraying how difficult it can be at times to communicate within partnerships

“I feel bad, that you feel bad, About me feeling bad, about you feeling bad, About what I said, about what you said, About me not being able to share a feeling.”

PLAY

~ Our MisCast Ensemble sings “Play” from Finding Neverland, where we relish the opportunity to play dress-up and sing nursery rhymes!

~ INTERMISSION ~

I'M NOT WEARING UNDERWEAR TODAY (#2) - From Avenue Q

ONE KNIGHT - Three Knights sing “One Knight” from Wonderland to Fiona from Shrek

~ What happens when an overzealous Boy Band Trio shows up at the wrong castle?

FOR THE NEXT TEN MINUTES AGO

~ Cathy from The Last Five Years and The Prince from Cinderella sing a romantic mash-up of “Ten Minutes Ago” (Cinderella) and “For the Next Ten Minutes” (The Last Five Years)

WHAT BAKING CAN DO - Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd sings “What Baking Can Do” from Waitress

~ If you listen to the lyrics of this number, you will hear about the peaceful and surprising process of baking a pie… but if you’ve ever seen Sweeny Todd, you know that this MisCast number is anything but peaceful.

In Sweeney Todd, Mrs. Lovett’s character makes minced meat pies out of the… remains… of Sweeney Todd’s victims. It’s not peaceful, but Mrs. Lovett’s Pies sure are surprising.

SHOW OFF - “Show Off” from The Drowsy Chaperone is sung by a spotlight-stealing cast member

~ In the original musical, “Show Off” is performed by a young, and very talented, actress who is leaving show biz behind. Our version involves a man and some tear-away pants.

CELL BLOCK TANGO - Matilda (Matilda), Annie (Annie), Little Red (Into the Woods), Peter Pan (Peter Pan), Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz), and Gavroche (Les Miserables) sing “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago

~ The kids of our cast reminisce on the crimes that brought them together – what really happened to Miss Hannigan, Captain Hook, and the other villains?

DON'T LET ME GO - Two missionaries from The Book of Mormon Musical sing “Don’t Let Me Go” from Shrek

~ Elder Ashton channels the annoyingly clingy, 'will-you-be-my-best-friend' energy of Donkey from Shrek.

This dynamic will remind many in our audience of that one mission companion (or roommate, or co-worker) who had no sense of personal space or boundaries, even offering to “shave your back, when it gets hairy!”

I'M NOT WEARING UNDERWEAR TODAY (#3) - From Avenue Q

YOU'LL BE BACK - An overbearing Mother sings “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton

~ What happens when your son brings home a girlfriend? Most mothers would be thrilled – but not this mom.

“You’ll be back, soon you’ll see, You’ll remember you belong to me… ‘cause when push comes to shove, I will ground you for no reason… to remind you of my love!”

ANIMAZEMENT TRIO - Pocahontas (Pocahontas), Hercules (Hercules), and Quasimodo (Hunchback of Notre Dame) come together to sing a mash-up of “Just Around the River Bend”, “Go the Distance” and “Out There”

RAISE YOU UP / JUST BE - Ensemble Number from Kinky Boots