# MusicalSplaining

MusicalSplaining is a podcast hosted by filmmaker Kaveh Taherian and writer Angelina Meehan. Each episode, the two hosts are introduced to a different musical and they discuss its plot, themes and production. The podcast was pitched as a show for both musical-lovers and musical-haters. Prior to 2022, the show was hosted by Taherian and Lindsay Ellis.

## Overview

The format of the show leaned into the divisive nature of musicals, with Ellis or Meehan assuming the role of a musicals fan and Taherian a theatre skeptic. The episodes covered a mixture of classic musicals like The Phantom of the Opera and The King and I, and newer musicals including Frozen and SpongeBob SquarePants.
Ellis and Taherian attended film school together at USC. Ellis stated that she chose Taherian as a co-host because he could balance his performative anger at musicals with a critical tone. The two hosts were sometimes joined by a guest host, which have included Hank Green and fellow YouTuber Jenny Nicholson.
Two months into the podcast, theatres in California shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with OnStage Blog, Ellis described how the hosts had originally planned to tour around the state to see musicals in theatres, but COVID-19 "totally wrecked" those plans. They have since relied on proshoots to watch and review each musical.
The podcast is available via Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, Nebula., and Podchaser.
On December 17, 2021, in "The Lion King" episode, it was announced that the show was going on an indefinite hiatus following Ellis's retirement from online content creation. The show returned on January 18, 2022 with an episode on the film Tick, Tick... Boom! with frequent guest and Ellis's former co-writer Angelina Meehan taking over as the podcast's new co-host.
On November 14, 2023, in the "Gypsy" episode, it was announced that the show would end by the end of the year. The show released the final episode on December 26, 2023.

## Episodes

| Episode no. | Musical discussed | Guest host | Original podcast release date |
| 1 | Cats | — | February 4, 2020 |
| 2 | Frozen | Jenny Nicholson | February 18, 2020 |
| 3 | Hadestown | — | March 3, 2020 |
| 4 | Beetlejuice | — | March 17, 2020 |
| 5 | The Phantom of the Opera | Angelina Meehan | March 31, 2020 |
| 6 | Six | — | May 5, 2020 |
| 7 | Rent | — | May 19, 2020 |
| 8 | The King and I | — | June 9, 2020 |
| 9 | American Idiot | — | June 23, 2020 |
| 10 | Love Never Dies | Angelina Meehan | July 14, 2020 |
| 11 | Hamilton | Hank Green | July 28, 2020 |
| 12 | SpongeBob SquarePants | — | August 19, 2020 |
| 13 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Angelina Meehan | September 9, 2020 |
| 14 | Ratatouille the Musical | — | January 5, 2021 |
| 15 | Moulin Rouge! | Angelina Meehan | January 19, 2021 |
| 16 | Repo! The Genetic Opera | — | February 2, 2021 |
| 17 | The Sound of Music | — | February 16, 2021 |
| 18 | The Wizard of Oz | Antonella Inserra | March 2, 2021 |
| 19 | O Brother, Where Art Thou? | — | March 16, 2021 |
| 20 | Om Shanti Om | Siddhant Adlakha | April 20, 2021 |
| 21 | Descendants | Jenny Nicholson | May 4, 2021 |
| 22 | Phantom of the Paradise | Angelina Meehan | May 18, 2021 |
| 23 | Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film) | — | June 1, 2021 |
| 24 | In the Heights | — | June 15, 2021 |
| 25 | Moana | Princess Weekes | June 29, 2021 |
| 26 | Singin' in the Rain | — | July 13, 2021 |
| 27 | The Greatest Showman | Jenny Nicholson | August 3, 2021 |
| 28 | Muppet Treasure Island | — | August 17, 2021 |
| 29 | Xanadu | — | August 31, 2021 |
| 30 | Mamma Mia! (film) Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again | Todd in the Shadows | September 14, 2021 |
| 31 | Little Shop of Horrors (musical) | Elisa Hansen | October 5, 2021 |
| 32\ | Truth of the Divine (special episode) | Abigail Thorn | October 19, 2021 |
| 33 | Wicked | Princess Weekes | November 9, 2021 |
| 34 | Chicago | — | November 23, 2021 |
| 35 | The Lion King | Angelina Meehan | December 17, 2021 |
| 36 | Tick, Tick... Boom! | (Angelina Meehan became a full-time cohost starting in this episode.) | January 18, 2022 |
| 37 | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | — | February 1, 2022 |
| 38 | Into the Woods | — | February 15, 2022 |
| 39 | Jekyll & Hyde | — | March 1, 2022 |
| 40 | West Side Story (1961 film) West Side Story (2021 film) | — | March 15, 2022 |
| 41 | Rock of Ages | — | March 29, 2022 |
| 42 | Jesus Christ Superstar | Emily St. James Lindsay Ellis | April 12, 2022 |
| 43 | Company (2006 revival) | Sarah Zed | April 26, 2022 |
| 44 | All That Jazz | Josie Azzam | May 10, 2022 |
| 45 | Annie | — | May 24, 2022 |
| 46 | Hairspray | — | June 7, 2022 |
| 47 | Waiting for Guffman | — | June 21, 2022 |
| 48 | Elvis | — | July 5, 2022 |
| 49 | Sunday in the Park with George | — | July 19, 2022 |
| 50 | The Last Five Years | — | August 2, 2022 |
| 51 | The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film) | Lindsay Ellis | August 16, 2022 |
| 52 | Hair (1979 film) | — | August 30, 2022 |
| 53 | Amadeus (1984 film) | — | September 13, 2022 |
| 54 | My Fair Lady (1964 film) | — | September 26, 2022 |
| 55 | Oklahoma! (2019 revival) | — | October 11, 2022 |
| 56 | Hello, Dolly! (1969 film) | — | October 25, 2022 |
| 57 | Mary Poppins (1964 film) | — | November 8, 2022 |
| 58 | Across the Universe | — | November 22, 2022 |
| 59 | The Book of Mormon (musical) | Hannah Hillam | December 6, 2022 |
| 60 | The Muppet Christmas Carol | — | December 20, 2022 |
| 61 | Diana: The Musical | — | March 7, 2023 |
| 62 | Mean Girls | — | March 21, 2023 |
| 63 | Matilda the Musical (2022 film) | — | April 4, 2023 |
| 64 | Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 | Emily St. James | April 18, 2023 |
| 65 | Shrek The Musical | Big Joel | May 2, 2023 |
| 66 | Bad Cinderella | Princess Weekes | May 23, 2023 |
| 67 | Rocketman (2019 film) | — | June 6, 2023 |
| 68 | Some Like It Hot (2022 musical) | — | June 20, 2023 |
| 69 | Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping | — | July 18, 2023 |
| 70 | Cyrano (2021 film) | — | August 1, 2023 |
| 71 | Fiddler on the Roof (1971 film) | Austin Wintory | August 15, 2023 |
| 72 | Les Misérables | Lindsay Ellis | September 5, 2023 |
| 73 | Cinderella (1997 film) | Princess Weekes | September 19, 2023 |
| 74 | Aladdin (touring production) | — | October 3, 2023 |
| 75 | South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut | Steven Ray Morris | October 17, 2023 |
| 76 | Newsies (2017 pro-shoot) | — | October 31, 2023 |
| 77 | Gypsy (2015 revival) | — | November 14, 2023 |
| 78 | Notre-Dame de Paris | Amal El-Mohtar | November 28, 2023 |
| 79 | Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film) | Lady Emily | December 12, 2023 |
| 80 | Cabaret (musical) | Lindsay Ellis | December 26, 2023 |