June 20, 2014

The Radio Drama Episode

Our most ambitious live show ever! We pulled together a massive team of theater pros at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Opera House—nearly 50 singers, actors, dancers and musicians. The result? Journalism turned into a Broadway musical, into opera. Mike Birbiglia, Sasheer Zamata, Stephin Merritt, Josh Hamilton, Lindsay Mendez, Lin-Manuel Miranda and others.

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Transcript

Adrianne Mathiowetz / This American Life

Live Show Video

The Radio Drama Episode

Our most ambitious live show ever! Nearly 50 actors, singers, dancers, musicians, and comedians onstage including Sasheer Zamata, Stephin Merritt, Mike Birbiglia, and an original mini-musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Note: The internet version of this episode contains un-beeped curse words. BEEPED VERSION.

Prologue

Carin Gilfry explains how she once accidentally locked herself in a hotel closet, and because today’s show is being broadcast from an opera house stage, Ira is able to take the story to a place he never usually can. (18 minutes)

Act One

21 Chump Street: The Musical

Lin-Manuel Miranda turns a piece of reporting we broadcast in 2012, into a 14-minute Broadway mini-musical, created by people who normally work on Broadway. (18 minutes)

The Original Cast Album of “21 Chump Street: The Musical” is now on iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.

By Lin-Manuel Miranda

Act Two

Of Mice and Men

Comedian Mike Birbiglia, his wife, and his cat take a trip together and meet some parasitic zombie mice. (10 minutes)

This story is from Mike's “Thank God for Jokes” show.

By

Mike Birbiglia

Act Three

How Do You Slow This Thing Down

Joshuah Bearman tells a story that’s a sequel to his memorable episode about his mother and half-brother David. It’s done onstage as a play that’s structured like a radio documentary, with Josh Hamilton playing Joshuah, and James Ransone playing his brother. (17 minutes)

By

Josh Bearman

Song:

“How Do You Slow This Thing Down” by Stephin Merritt

Act Four

Bus! Stop!

Comedian Sasheer Zamata stages a radio play, complete with sound effects and comedians Nicole Byer, Chris Gethard, and Frank Garcia Hejl. It’s a true story about a recent bus accident. (9 minutes)