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
33 episodes
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! (Take 2!) #30B: Fave musicals
Join us as we hear from other musical lovers and throw in our own opinions to answer the question "what's your favourite musical, and why?"!
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit #30: Xanadu
We come across all kinds of musicals in our podcast — the uplifting, the emotional, the inspirational, the spectacular...and then there's this. Our conversation topics range from LA architecture to rollerskating, from ancient Greek mythology to...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! (Take 2!) #29B: Welcome to Fantasy island
It's our first Take 2 episode!! Every Thursday we will be sharing our bonus episode, with awesome added content. This week we're delving into our fantasy theme. How do we decide the films? What is our process? As chaotic and random as it may se...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #29: The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
We talk all things Dr. Seuss — the scandals, the xenophobia, why he fled Hollywood — while we explore this surreal, dystopian fantasy and ask "who is the intended audience for this movie??" What a way to kick off our "fantasy" themed season 4!
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #28: The Rose
We prostrate ourselves before the Divine Miss M, then go down a wormhole of bullying, brassieres, and biases. And Ken Russell adds to his lengthening list of almost-wases!
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #27: Evita
Yes, I will tell you about my Evita confusion AGAIN! But we'll also talk about missed opportunities (Liza Minelli as Evita?), harsh critiques (I'm looking at you, Patti LuPone), and a litigious director (script by Oliver Stone? It's a whole thi...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #26: A Star is Born #3 & #4
We reminisce about bad home perms, incorrect first impressions, and the concert we both attended starring one of our film's stars! We also talk about some of the surprising choices for Barbra's co-star, Bradley Cooper's accent, and the best act...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #25: A Star is Born 1 & 2
We peer at the pain of political mechinations, paucity of prowess, and patriarchal petulance while remaining passionately positive about a poignant plot and our premier performance! AND we'll tell you about the true-life inspirations for the mo...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #24: Yentl
When does art cease to belong to the originator? Why is bystander testimony so problematic? Why is Jodi making up stories about Mandy Patinkin? All these questions are asked, and possibly answered, in this episode. And we fawn all over Barbra.....
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit #23: There's No Business Like Show Business
Ethel Merman's disco album! Mitzi Gaynor and her 100 guys! Poor old Johnnie Ray! There's so much to discuss this week, as well as Marilyn Monroe's feminism, the Donald O'Connor/Dan Dailey scandal, and the sad state of the Oscar ceremony finale....
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit #22: Diva
And now for something completely different! The plot may be convoluted and the character choices may be questionable, but this now-classic example of "cinema du look" has a lot to offer. We discuss this French phenomenon, the merits of opera, a...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit #21: Dreamgirls
We just can't stop talking about Berry Gordy Jr. and Diana Ross! Their influence looms large over Dreamgirls, but our #1 diva this week is the fabulous JHud!! Our conversation ranges from math challenges to cultural appropriation and always com...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit #31B: Dolly deprived
What is the world without Dolly? We chat about this devastating loss while noting Dolly's musical connections — the 9to5 musical, her upcoming biographical musical Dolly: A True Original Musical, and her 1984 film with Sylvester Stallone, Rhine...
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #20: Lady Sings the Blues
Miss Ross is back (to back)! We do a deep dive into the real story of Lady Day, explore intriguing cameos (Scatman Crothers! Isabel Sanford!), and hear what the critics of the day had to say about Lady Sings the Blues.
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #19: Mahogany
Is Mahogany a musical? We thought it was...and then we watched it. Musical or not, Diana Ross' dulcet tones and eclectic costumes are a wonderful introduction to our first themed season. Welcome to Season 3: Divas!!
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #18: Rent
Although we may not be completely "over the moon" about Rent, there are 525,600 reasons to love Jonathan Larson's Broadway debut/swan song. Well, a least a few reasons, starting with the cast. Adele Dazeem, we're your biggest fan!
Sing and Be Happy, Dammit! #17: Moulin Rouge
Nothing could be as spectacular (spectacular) as the real Moulin Rouge in the 1800s, with its array of dancers, artists, bohemians, and unusual performers (like Le Pétomane — his act was a real ripper!) but Baz Luhrmann tries! His sumptuous, fr...
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...