Written and produced in 2017 by Two-Up Productions, the podcast musical ’36 Questions’ is the first of its kind. With music and lyrics by Chris Littler and Ellen Winter and sound design by Joel Raabe, this musical is something that everyone can digest instead of just listening to the soundtrack. I just happened to stumble upon this show when looking for a new podcast to listen to as I drove back to Pittsburgh for spring break. Starring Tony-nominated actor Jonathan Groff and Jessie Shelton, the show description is as follows: “In a last-ditch attempt to salvage their crumbling marriage, a couple uses the 36 questions—an experiment known for making strangers fall in love—to save their own relationship… 36 Questions is the world’s first podcast musical—made for your ears only.”
The story follows Jase (Groff) and Natalie (Shelton) as they try to save their marriage from divorce by using 36 intimate questions with the sole purpose of making strangers fall in love. The questions come from a study known as “The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness: A Procedure and Some Preliminary Findings” which the New York Times published a piece on in 2015. With a million twists and turns, this three-act podcast runs for just under three hours. The entire time I was listening to it I was entranced by what was going to happen next. I will say, I started off very confused in the first act, but given the chance, the story line unfolds as the podcast goes on.
The musical aspect was very well done in my opinion. I loved the flow of the accompaniments that were chosen and how both characters seemed written to fit the person that was cast in that role. The lyrics are more than just music as well, they tell stories and are done well. My personal favorites currently are “Natalie Cook,” “For the Record,” “Our Word,” and “Listen Back.” They are catchy, important to the plot, and some are fun to sing.
Without giving away any of the plot, this story had me laughing, gasping, and even on the brink of tears at some points. I am a sucker for emotion and storytelling through words, so this was enthralling to me. You get the fun of listening to music accompanied by the continuity and detail that comes within a podcast series. This was the best of both worlds and I hope to find more like this. If you like musicals, check this out. The New York Times is quoted referring to 36 Questions as the future of musicals, so, if you are not going to take my word for it, you can take theirs. 36 Questions can be found on the Two-Up Productions website, Audible, Apple and Spotify Podcasts. There is also a fun behind-the-scenes video in a playbill article from 2017 that I recommend checking out.