Sing and Be Happy, Dammit!
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit delves into the history, trivia, context, and reviews of musical movies – one film at a time. For musical lovers and loathers alike, it’s easier to be on this f*ed up planet when we can Sing and Be Happy, Dammit!
Episodes
16 episodes
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #16: Annie
Tomorrow, tomorrow...no, today! Today's the day we explore Annie. WC Fields famously advised that actors should "never work with children or animals," but Carol Burnett holds her own as the hilariously hapless Miss Hannigan in this romp from di...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #15: Oliver!
Shani Wallis just appeared on Britain's Got Talent this year, singing her song "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver!. She was 92, almost 93 at the time. She sounded amazing! If the musical can be as endearingly wonderful as Shani (and there may...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #14: Chicago
Fascination with scandal and murder didn't begin with Dateline NBC or My Favourite Murder. Join us while we explore the true stories that inspired the musical. We also discuss why we can't help but be drawn to those murderous molls Roxy and Vel...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #13: Funny Girl
Well hello Barbra! How has it taken us this long to get to Barbra, queen of the musicals??? We fawn and fuss over this fabulous, funny Fanny with some very fulsome flattery. Too much? Aw, fuzz off. We flippin' love her!
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #12: La La Land
Recipient of the Oscar for "Biggest Snafu at the Oscars", La La Land can be a divisive film. Is it visionary? Is it boring? Is it a revelation? Is it boring? So many questions. We'll give you our answers. They are varied.
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #11: Singin' in the Rain
Is this the best movie musical of all time? Many critics say so. It definitely has a lot going for it — outstanding dancing, wink-and-nod humour, very passable singing, and great songs. And that's just on the screen! Behind the scenes there was...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #10: Into the Woods
We can never get enough Sondheim (or Tracey Ullman, for that matter)!! This fairy tale can get a bit grim(m), but the songs soar. Bringing up thoughts on loss, grief, motherhood, infertility, and the reckoning of broken dreams, the dis...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #9: Cats
Yes! We are starting Season 2 with the much-maligned Cats! Tune in to hear our surprising take (is this a future cult classic?). With an amazing and varied cast list (JHud? Dame Judi? Ray Winstone? Jason Derulo? Sir Ian?) and jarring C...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #8: Les Miz
Jodi and Mike debate whether musicals need to be an escape as they delve into the many miseries of Victor Hugo's epic tale. The fascinating reality behind the story, generational legacies, and the art of emaciation is explored in this last epis...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #7: Gypsy
Stripping, stage mothers, and stardom are the focus of this week's movie musical. Jodi and Mike expose Ethel Merman's party tricks, the sordid reality of Mama Rose, and singing secrets.
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #6: West Side Story
Jodi and Mike look at the now-classic take on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, with spotlights on the complicated Jerome Robbins, the punishing shoot, and the reflection of '60s America. Mysterious drownings, the history of Puerto Rico, an...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #5: Mamma Mia
Jodi and Mike don't hold back in their assessment of this record-breaking, Abba-enabled affliction. Plot holes, spoilers, Eurovision – all is exposed!
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #4: Grease
Yank on your red, spandex pants and join Jodi and Mike as they slide into Grease. Behind-the-scenes tensions, the cult of nostalgia, and the lure of "bad boys" are explored.
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #3: Jesus Christ Superstar
Jodi and Mike see the light in this OTT treatment of the biblical story, helmed by Canada's own Norman Jewison. What do Jack Black, the Sex Pistols, and meth have in common? They're all mentioned in this episode!
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #2: Cabaret
Liza, Liza, Liza! Fosse, Fosse, Fosse! Jodi and Mike get divinely decadent with this deep dive into Ms. Minnelli, fascism, and being gay in pre-WWII Germany.
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #1: The Sound of Music
Jodi and Mike delve into this fabulous fusion of an ethereal Julie Andrews and a hot but grumpy Christopher Plummer in this wonderful romp filled with nuns, Nazis, and some very chaste necking. Discover the story of the real Von Trapp family, t...