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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Adrianne Mathiowetz / This American Life
The Radio Drama Episode
Note: The internet version of this episode contains un-beeped curse words. BEEPED VERSION.
Prologue
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.
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.
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)
Song:
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)
High Schools Performing the Musical Lin-Manuel Miranda Wrote for Our BAM Show
Related
Act Two: The Heels On The Bus
Act One: Puppy Love, the Business Model
Act Three: Resurrection
Staff Recommendations
Lower 9 + 10
We go to the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans to talk to residents about what matters most to them ten years after the hurricane.
Essential
The pandemic forced jobs to change, but then the workers changed, too.