Starlight Streaming: Podcast Edition
With an abundance of streaming content available, it can be overwhelming to choose what you want to click “play” on next. Last month, we brought you our favorite family-friendly musicals available online. This month, we’re switching gears to deliver you our favorite musical- and Broadway-inspired podcasts—just in case you’re tired of sitting on the couch. Tune in while you work, cook dinner, or on a long walk. Enjoy!
Bleeding Love
iTunes | Google Play | Spotify
36 Questions
“36 Questions” is a three-part fictional story that The New York Times called “the future of musicals.” Starring Tony Award nominee Jonathan Groff (Hamilton, Spring Awakening) and Broadway veteran Jessie Shelton (Hadestown, Waitress), this podcast from 2017 tells the story of a couple on the brink of divorce—who answer 36 revealing questions for one another in an attempt to reconcile their marriage. It’s a high-quality, intimate audio musical that you can knock out in about three hours—a great afternoon quarantine activity!
iTunes | Google Play | Spotify
Loveville High
Released in 2019, “Loveville High” creates “A Prom in Nine Musical Podcasts,” with quick, easy-to-consume episodes that are 15 minutes or less. The episodes start out seemingly unrelated—but end up winding and unwinding together throughout the course of the podcast. Many high schools were forced to cancel their 2020 proms due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, and while it won’t replace missing high school prom, “Loveville High” definitely captures the tensions and the joys of young love.
iTunes | Google Play | Spotify
Songonauts
“Songonauts” is a little sci-fi podcast musical on a big podcast network—PRX, the largest on-demand catalog of public radio programs—and gets fantastic reviews. Inspired by '80s cartoons, “Songonauts” tells the story of a struggling band who realizes their drum machine can transport them to “the great unknown”—aka, the Songoverse. Tune in for a great story with an incredibly catchy soundtrack.
iTunes | Google Play | Spotify
Off Book
If you’ve already consumed all of these fiction musical podcasts, “Off Book: The Improvised Musical” might be for you! While Broadway musicals take years to create, these two hosts and their guests are cranking out a new episode each week—and thankfully, quarantine lends itself well to improv! With 145 episodes to date, there’s plenty of archival episodes to keep you busy. 2,000+ podcast listeners have given “Off Book” a 5-star review, and we hope you’ll love this podcast, too.
iTunes | Google Play | Spotify
These are just a few of the many Broadway podcasts streaming online. For even more theatre-related audio content, check out the Broadway Podcast Network. Launched in 2019, the Broadway Podcast Network is a digital hub of theatre content with more than 60 shows available.
If you run out of podcasts—don’t forget that most Broadway cast albums are available on Spotify, and Starlight has a variety of Broadway playlists that are curated and available to stream for free. Check out our page here.
Please use your best judgement when determining what content is appropriate for children.