Podcast’s still great, tho

One of my favorite podcasts! Every guest and every episode provides such a great insight into every recording they cover!

I usually get very excited about this show. Not today. If the host does not like the broadway show i think he should at least do a bit research before talking about it. It was obvious he did not do research or know the show but he certainly had his biases. The guest also didn’t seem to know the show thoroughly but had memories . I gotta say I usually enjoy the show, especially when the conversations deal with the actual show and not the many tangents.

A Patreon worth supporting, a real resource.

...I'm not really sure what's happening. More and more It seems like discussion of the cast recording is less and less the point and the focus is on what the guest is up to. Or, as in the case of the most recent episode, it was a discussion of the film soundtrack instead of the cast recording. Which...okay, but there's literally a secondary podcast you host for that? Maybe I'm the only one this bothers. Oh well.

Averaging out my review from between a 4 from past me (for concept and depth of back catalogue) and a 2 from present me (for the balance of content moving more towards the guests/their projects than the actual cast albums at hand). Love a tangent or plug, but now more than half of each episode feels tangential to why I tune in.

I had the privilege of being a featured guest on The Original Cast several months ago, and I had an absolutely fantastic time. Patrick’s exuberance, ebullience, and warmth made it an even more fun experience. Listen to all of the other episodes—it’s so evident, and a ball of a time. Highly, highly recommend!! ~Frank Britton

I have only started listening to this podcast recently & I love it! As a huge Broadway fan, getting to hear others who are just as in love with these shows breaking down the history of them is so exciting!

Ummm….ummmm….like….needs…like….like….an editor badly. Also just another podcast that likes to take old school musicals but “review” with a 2021 lens and rip them apart about how “wrong” they are. They take / took place in a different time….that’s how things WERE (right or wrong). Get over it and stop trashing brilliant prices of musical theater!

I usually love the show, but the Adam Guettel episode left a bitter taste. Yes, his tweets were unintelligent, but should his tweets, wealth and the fact that he is a "privileged" white male deserve this cancel culture behaviour?

I really love this podcast. I have been bingeing some older episodes recently and they are so enjoyable, so much fun, and I’m learning a lot about some musicals I hadn’t known much about.

I adore this podcast and think Patrick is engaging and funny and sparkling, but sometimes it spends too much time digressing from the shows. Just listened to the Godspell episode, and it was maybe only like 20 percent about the show. Love knowing about the guests and their lives, but please please keep the shows and music at the center.

I love this podcast- Patrick is a great host and interviewer.

Musical theater fans, you need this podcast in your life. If you don’t know where to start just scroll around and land on the musical that strikes your fancy that day. Patrick is an amazing host with encyclopedic knowledge, and there’s a range of interesting discussions that get funny and deep and hot-takey and everywhere in between. Give it a listen.

I wait for this podcast to be released each week, and it’s always an informative listen. Do I always love the musical? No. But I’ve learned a lot about the history of musicals, why musicals appeal to different audiences, and it’s always a treat to hear the host balance his opinion with the enthusiasm of the guest. PLUS, the patreon program is a delightful add-on!

I absolutely love this podcast, and it’s the only one where I’ll re-listen (!!) to previous episodes. Patrick is a great host who clearly loves this medium and really knows his stuff. I always end up learning something new. And since his guests choose the album to discuss, there’s little to no snobbery here — certainly way less than other podcasts that like to really delve into a musical’s substance and writing like this one does. Highly recommended!

The format of this podcast is brilliant, and it’s one of the easiest podcasts to drop in and out of. My only problem is that some of the guests come across as self righteous and pretentious to the point that I have to turn it off.

As an avid theatre nerd I’ve always been searching for a fun and informative podcast about theatre that doesn’t seek to alienate the unfamiliar but also unapologetically welcomes the initiated. Patrick does a great job of both. I’m just waiting for the moment that this becomes even bigger than it already is.

I listen to a lot of podcasts about musicals and I recently discovered this one. It is now in my top five favorites. The host knows what he’s talking about and he’s professional about it.

This podcast is such a fun, well-made, informative deep-dive into the world and craft of musical theater. Patrick Flynn is a wealth of knowledge -- and one of the best hosts and editors out there. THE ORIGINAL CAST is truly something special.

Patrick Flynn clearly loves musicals. More than that, he does his homework and is exceptionally knowledgeable. He also has a varied group of guests (I'm proud to have been included), and the conversations are lively and informative. You may not agree with every opinion expressed here, but they aren't meant to represent the entire listening audience. What I love is that the show expands my musical horizons and is consistenly entertaining.

The Original Cast is essential listening for the high school musical theatre nerd who still lives inside of me. I’ve been a fan from the very beginning and I’m amazed at how much I continue to learn from Patrick and his guests.

I just listened to the Millie episode, and out of the entire hour long episode, they talked about Mille for a total of 10 minutes. I used to love this podcast but lately, they talk about anything but cast recordings. Plus, it seems that any “opinions” expressed are made out to be the end all, be all. No room for other opinions.

I was a casual listener for a while but eventually unsubscribed when I tired of the tendency of the host and the guests to pass off trivia/minutia as knowledge and opinions as facts. Every opinion is expressed with a cadence of “its not just my opinion, it’s the *only* valid opinion.” It gave me flashbacks to high school theatre when being able to list the Elphabas in order passed as knowledge and other kids couldn’t wait to tell you why your choice of favorite Mama Rose was the wrong one.

Expanding my musical theatre knowledge and as a farm raised kentucky boy who never got to go to broadway or nyc growing up, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do! Thank you!

I started listening to this podcast and selected only the shows I knew or loved. After listening to those I sent back and have been listening to all of them! I enjoy the overview of the plots and the little bits of songs to give a sense of the overall musical. I especially love the other discussions of historical context and the background of the guests. Love this podcast!

I really like this.

I’m new to this podcast and have been catching up on episodes and love it. I love Patrick’s style and the discussion and analysis that he and his guests engage in. I’ve listened even to episodes for shows I’ve never heard of or seen and enjoyed them. It’s funny and intelligent without being pretentious. Please keep them coming and any plans to do an episode on the Les Mis 10th anniversary concert? What’s one more episode on Les Mis? :)

The Original Cast is rapidly becoming required to listening for Washington DC area theater buffs. Patrick Flynn is a terrific interviewer. The format of this podcast—talking to actors about original cast albums that shaped them— is a wonderful framework that gives away to some fascinating and freewheeling conversations.

I'm going to be honest with you: I HATE musical theater, and I only listened to this podcast (initially) because my good friend is involved in it. I'm glad I did: despite my dislike of musical theater, I LOVE "The Original Cast." Let me tell you why. In an era when the "behind the scenes of television shows/movies/true crime/snuff films/podcasts" has become a bloated and derivative genre, "The Original Cast" stands out. Patrick Flynn, the host, is EXTREMELY knowledgable and a gifted interviewer, creating a smart but relaxed environment that encourages his guests to open up about their theater experiences. Moreover, Flynn does an exceptionally good job picking theater folk with a variety of experiences, offering listeners a unique look behind the curtain. I cannot recommend this podcast enough; take a chance - it's free! What do you have to lose?

If you are obsessed with musicals, this is the podcast for you. It’s like having a conversation about your favorite thing with strangers (or sometimes people you know, if you’re a DC local!). I’ve also learned about SO many musicals I didn’t know existed and now am downloading all of these new albums. Patrick is super knowledgeable too (except about Starmites 😉) and engaging.

This is the perfect combination of my love of musical theater and my love of deconstructing songs. Patrick is an excellent host. Thank you so much for the exciting and insightful chats in every episode.

Started listening because a friend of ours was on an episode (we're all a bunch of theater nerds) and then just kept going. Patrick is so, so good at having an entertaining, flowing conversation. He knows his stuff, too. Great job, we've subscribed and are looking forward to future episodes

I have listened to cast albums for years and found that quite often the music or lyrics expressed something I was unable to voice. I don't know a lot of the guests on the podcast but they share this experience. I enjoy the enthusiasm and insight they bring to these works of art.

This is one of the best podcasts that I've ever listened to. It's theater professionals discussing what they love, without ever falling into gushy fan-boy (girl) hystrionics. Each episode and its subject seem to be well though out and researched and I learn so much more and gain new insights into the shows they discuss. Mr Flynn, you are doing a great job and I encourage you to keep up the good work! Thanks for the time and effort... every show I listen to makes my day!

I have always wanted a podcast just like this to exist.

This is show is exceptional in its knowledge of theatre, the pieces discussed, and Patrick Flynn is a gold mine of knowledge.

Great insight into musical theatre with wonderful, expert hosts. The Book of Mormon episode in particular was so enlightening and meaningful. Thank you!

Fun and informative podcast regardless of your musical theatre knowledge

Either this podcast is exhaustively researched or the host's theater trivia knowledge is astounding. In any case it has been entertaining, even for discussion of shows I don't know well. Consistently enjoyable, I'm looking forward to see where it goes.

I listened to "Live from the Flying V Awesome-a-thon" and found Patrick and the cast of You, or Whatever I Can Get," to be very funny, likeable, and thought-provoking as they sang and chatted their way through the creation of their show. Well done, everyone!

This podcast has made commuting to my day job as easy, breezy, and beautiful as a CoverGirl commercial filmed on an episode of early America's Next Top Model! The authenticity that comes from artists and art-appreciators talking about cast albums from their adolescence, shows they then performed, or shows whose trajectory they followed through the years is refreshing! When theatre transitions from your middle/high school obsession or hobby and becomes your job, it's easy for theatre-related media to feel too close to work. This podcast proves my previous statement wrong, and I've found myself getting lost in the specificity of the discussions, the revelations from the guests, and Patrick's wealth of entry points into these albums! In the words of a one Mr Seth Rudetsky, "BRAVA!"

This is a theater nerd's dream. Dive deep into the cast albums you live and the ones you've never heard of. Enjoy insight from the professionals who love and work in this business. Great show that I look forward to every week.

This podcast just gets better. I thought I knew musicals, but Patrick KNOWS musicals. This is the theatre podcast I've been looking for.

I listen to this the moment it shows in my feed each week. Smart, incisive commentary.

This podcast goes both wide and deep. The history and the art of musical theatre are respected and celebrated. Fun to listen to and engaging--it's a treat!

The fact that George from "Sunday in the Park" was written as a baritone and Mandy Patinkin said, "NO THANK YOU."

Musical theatre has become a fantastic part of my life and this podcast is a fantastic way to connect with the world of musical theater. The show is very well edited, and the show notes are well written. I really look forward to more unique and interesting content!

This is my new favorite podcast!

Hilarious and engaging…goes into incredible detail on the history but also is wildly fun. Highly recommended.