Since its January 6 premiere, the musical podcast Loveville High has gained traction with their witty, fresh comedy. But how exactly does the scale of a musical theatre production translate into a podcast?
“I think the musical podcast form works for the same reason original cast albums work—you get to picture a scene and get swept up in a song effortlessly,” says Eric Svejcar, the show's composer and co-creator. “Basically, David [Zellnik] and I loved the idea of creating something that would be complete as a listening experience on its own, whether you saw the show staged or not.”
READ: How Two Unknown Composers Got Jonathan Groff to Star in Their Podcast Musical
Each ten-minute episode of Loveville High’s nine-episode series revolves around a different relationship at a high school prom—from friendships to romance. Whether they're falling in love, falling out of love, or just trying to figure it all out, every student at Loveville has a story to tell.
The cast of each episode stays small, with only two or three characters introduced at a time. “People open up when they are one-on-one—they can’t help but reveal themselves, even when they’re lying,” says Zellnik, Loveville's co-creator and librettist. “I love the drama and the humor of two people figuring each other out, trying to discover who they are alone and who they are with another person.” The most recent episode, released March 25, tells the story of Seth and Madison, who find chemistry in an unexpected place. (Watch Andrew Durand record a clip of the original musical in the video above.)
The all-star cast—across nine episodes—features the familiar voices of Hailey Kilgore (Once on This Island) as Jane, Conor Ryan (Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert) as Johnny, Mason Alexander Park (Nat’l tour: Hedwig and the Angry Inch) as Jendrix, Isaac Powell (Once on This Island) as Cory, Ryann Redmond (Frozen, Escape to Margaritaville) as Chass, Jay Armstrong Johnson (The Phantom of the Opera, Hands on a Hardbody) as Zeke, Troy Iwata (Be More Chill) as Kyle, Ali Stroker (Oklahoma!, Spring Awakening) as Amanda, Harrison Chad (Caroline, or Change) as Noah, Gizel Jiménez (Wicked) as Wanda, Allison (Aladdin) as Madison, and Durand (Head Over Heels) as Seth.
Playbill has learned exclusively that Spring Awakening and Jagged Little Pill star Kathryn Gallagher has been confirmed for Episode 8 of Loveville High, set to premiere April 8.
“I wanted a variety of different kinds of kids: gay and straight, cis and genderqueer, popular kids, outcasts,” says Zellnik. “Each scene is self-contained, but together the nine would not only create a portrait of one community, but also...take us through the plot-points of a life.”
You can listen to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher. Check out LovevilleHigh.com for more information.
Watch another clip from Episode 7 below:
