Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie, the creators of 2015’s cult mystery podcast series Limetown, have returned with the natural follow-up to a creepy crime caper: a three-act romantic musical. Starring the voice talents of Jonathan Groff (Hamilton, Glee) and theatre breakout Jessie Shelton (Hadestown), it’s a first-of-its-kind podcast: a Broadway-level production made just for your ears.
The show centres on a young couple who are trying to salvage their marriage — Judith/Natalie (played by Shelton) has been lying to her husband Jase (Groff) about her identity, and wants to use 36 questions (the infamous set of inquiries that were specifically designed to help the askers fall in love) to save their relationship. The questions in question went viral a few years ago from a Modern Love essay that was published in the New York Times, which was again based on a 1997 study by a psychologist and his wife who were looking to uncover the dynamics that bring two people together.
Having listened to the first two episodes, we can guarantee that 36 Questions is unlike any podcast you’ve heard before: poetic, funny and extremely relevant and at the same time, breaking pre-concieved notions of form, style and even what’s possible on the medium.
Here are five reasons you should tune in to 36 Questions, right in time for its third and final episode, which drops today.
1. It’s the first full-length musical in podcast form
You’re literally listening to history in the making: This three-act musical, while harking back to radio theatre of decades past, is also paving the way for audio’s future, expanding what the medium can do. Theatre, a form that is both expensive and more often than not exclusive, in podcast form, is free and anybody with a Wi-Fi connection can tune in at any time. And in a world that’s constantly looking to the digital to lead content where big film studios are afraid to venture, a curiosity like 36 Questions instantly levels the playing field and makes the process of content creation seem more democratic.
2. The incredibly catchy music
The music of 36 Questions is very much current: Think Frozen, John Carney films Once and Begin Again, or even TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Layering peppy indie-pop sensibilities with flecks of blues and chamber music, composers Chris Littler and Ellen Winter, along with sound designer Joel Raabe, have created something altogether fresh and sweet — the songs are going to be in your head long after you’re done listening to the podcast.
3. Romance at its best
While the podcast asks larger existential questions about identity, honesty and relationships, at its heart 36 Questions is a whimsical love story that feels completely real and endearingly intimate, in great part due to Groff and Shelton’s natural chemistry. “[The podcast] should feel like the Before Sunset of musicals — beguiling and mysterious and intimate, but more than anything, well lived in,” said co-creator Bronkie in an interview with Hollywood Reporter.
4. Pop culture references galore
From your favourite TV shows (Friends) to obscure board games, they’ll all find mention in throwaway bits of conversation in 36 Questions, and they’re done in a pleasingly subtle manner so as to not exclude non-geeks.
5. There’s a duck
Jace’s pet duck Henry could very well be the breakout star of this podcast. The only other (uncredited) member of the cast, Henry, who is quite talky and responsive, provides a natural foil and a welcome amount of humour in sometimes tense moments.
Don’t miss it!
The final episode of the three-part musical 36 Questions, by Two-Up Productions, drops today.
