Musicals

The Greatest Showman: Zac Efron, Part 4

After a brief detour with Neighbors, Caroline and Ned return to "Zac Efron: Oops All Musicals" territory with The Greatest Showman — one of the wildest cinematic endeavors of the past decade. And to break down the circus insanity, they're joined by a very special guest: Caroline's sister, Katie Siede!
Together, the trio chat about CGI lions, impressive aerial stunts, and Zac's unique brand of musical theater earnestness. Plus Katie and Caroline reminiscence about trying to learn the "This Is Me" choreography; Ned celebrates the athleticism of Dog Boy; and everyone is thoroughly baffled by the choice to frame P.T. Barnum as a hero of the oppressed.
Is this movie good? Is it bad? Forget it, Jake. It's The Greatest Showman. 
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can also follow us on Twitter or Instagram (both @rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

Hairspray: Zac Efron, Part 2

Hey there, teenage Baltimore! Don't change that channel, 'cause it's time for the Role Calling podcast, brought to you by Ultra Clutch Hairspray!
After bursting onto the scene as an aughts teen heartthrob in High School Musical, Zac Efron got a chance to put his spin on a 1960s teen heartthrob too — in the 2007 movie musical Hairspray. How does his work as Link Larkin hold up today? And how does this movie as a whole hold up today? Caroline and Ned get into the good, the bad, and the John Travolta of it all in the latest installment of their "Zac Efron: Oops, All Musicals" series.
Watch Seth Rudetsky break down James Marsden's performance of "It's Hairspray" 
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can also follow us on Twitter or Instagram (both @rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

High School Musical: Zac Efron, Part 1

It's the start of something new! This week, Caroline and Ned launch their brand new series on the one and only mid-aughts icon, Zac Efron. And to help them revisit his breakout turn as Troy Bolton in High School Musical, they're joined by special guest and HSM aficionado Zoë Maltby.
Together the trio dig into all things East High, from the highs and lows of the trilogy to the irresistible appeal of Troy Bolton to the high-camp of Ryan and Sharpay. Plus they share their nostalgic memories of the franchise, discuss the cinematic brilliance of "Bet On It" and just generally have one of the most in-depth discussions of a Disney Channel Original Movie series ever recorded.
What team?!? Wildcats!
You can follow Zoë on Twitter and Instagram (both @captainmaltby), as well as on Letterboxd. And donate to her short film via Venmo: @zoemaltby
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can also follow us on Twitter or Instagram (both @rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

Evita: Antonio Banderas, Part 4

If there's one thing to know about Ned and Caroline, it's that they love musicals. So there was no way they'd miss a chance to talk about Antonio Banderas' turn as the singing and dancing narrator Che in the (slightly forgotten) film adaptation of Evita. The hosts dig into what they think about Andrew Lloyd Webber in general, what the hell this musical is trying to say about its titular character, and the unexpected role Madonna played in launching Antonio's American career. Plus they discuss the way musical theater has continued to shape Antonio's career right up until today. Oh, and they go on a lengthy tangent about the Playmobil movie for some reason too.
As mentioned in the episode, here's the clip of Madonna gushing over Antonio Banderas in her "Truth or Dare" documentary: https://youtu.be/KAVqLKDwSOo
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can also follow us on Twitter or Instagram (both @rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

Anastasia: Meg Ryan, Part 4

Once upon a December, Caroline and Ned were strangers, starting out on a journey, never dreaming how their dreams would come true. Now here they are, podcasting about Meg Ryan's voice performance in the much-loved (non-Disney) princess animated fairy tale, Anastasia.
To help them take this journey to the past, they enlist the expertise of Dr. Sam Summers (@samsummers0), animation academic and co-host of the excellent podcast Disniversity. The trio chat about the wild, weird career of director Don Bluth; the unique animation style of Anastasia; and, of course, the "cultural semiotics" of Meg Ryan's casting!
Listen to Disniversity wherever you get your podcasts (https://linktr.ee/disniversity), follow the show on Twitter (@Disniversity), and buy Sam's book, DreamWorks Animation: Intertextuality and Aesthetics in Shrek and Beyond.
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can get in touch on Twitter (@rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

In The Heights

As you look at the fireworks light up the night sky this Fourth of July weekend, enjoy this special bonus episode on In The Heights! Ned and Caroline take a break from their usual actor-focus to indulge their deepest theater kid impulses. And they're thrilled to be joined by their friend Alejandro Tey to take a deep dive into what works and what doesn't about Jon M. Chu's 2021 big screen adaption of Lin-Manuel Miranda's 2008 Broadway musical.
Just a heads up that this episode includes a discussion of colorism and racism from 1:08:30-1:32:00. To learn more about that issue, you can read Jasmine Haywood's "In the Heights exemplified the ugly colorism I’ve experienced in Latinx communities" (https://www.vox.com/first-person/2021/6/18/22537351/in-the-heights-lin-manuel-miranda-colorism) and The New York Times' roundtable "In the Heights and Colorism: What Is Lost When Afro-Latinos Are Erased" (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/21/movies/in-the-heights-colorism.html).
We also highly encourage you to hire Alejandro Tey for all of your gaming needs via Tabletale Games (https://www.tabletalegames.com/)!
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can get in touch on Twitter (twitter.com/rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

Mary Poppins Returns: Emily Blunt, Part 4

Mary Poppins Returns was fairly swiftly forgotten after its 2018 release, but what this podcast presupposes is... maybe it's kind of great? But don't just take Ned and Caroline's word for it! Midway through this episode, Ned phones up his 5- and 8-year-old cousins to get their take on this modern Disney musical. Beyond that, Ned and Caroline discuss how this 54-years-later sequel compares to the original, try not to cry over Ben Whishaw's performance, and dig into the Lin-Manuel Miranda of it all. Plus, of course, they look at what Emily Blunt brings to the iconic role of Mary Poppins herself.
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can get in touch on Twitter (twitter.com/rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.