Skip to content
Let's Make A Musical podcast artwork

PODCAST · arts

Let's Make A Musical

by Beat by Beat Press

Want an inside look at how musicals are written? Join Denver and Brian on this weekly musical theatre podcast that documents the creation of an 8-bit musical for young actors called "Press Start". If you're a writer, teacher, actor, director or just a fan of Broadway musical theatre - subscribe and join the fun! New episodes every Tuesday. Produced by Beat by Beat Press, the world's fastest growing publisher of new musicals for young actors (www.bbbpress.com).

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Apr 6, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. EP 27: Studio Recordings and Publication

    Listen to the final studio recordings of PRESS START as Denver and Brian narrate the last chapter of creating this original musical.

  2. EP 26: LIVE Full Read-Through of PRESS START!

    Listen to Denver and Brian read and sing through the entire 45-minute first draft of PRESS START!

  3. EP 25: Script Adjustments Before First Read-Through

    Brian and Denver prepare the script for a full live read-through to be published next week!

  4. EP 24: The Hero Song and Sidekick Song

    Brian and Denver are back with completed drafts of the hero song and the sidekick song.

  5. Baby Update

    Brian gives an update on the reason for the brief hiatus.

  6. EP 23: 8-Bit Opening Number Goodness

    Listen to a draft of the opening number orchestrated with 8-bit synthesizers, plus Brian and Denver chat about updates they've been making throughout the script.

  7. EP 22: First Draft? Done.

    Brian and Denver talk through some news scenes as they complete the first draft of the show.

  8. EP 21: Update on Script Work

    Revising Scene 2, adding a new character, and fleshing out Off-Camera Moment #3.

  9. EP 20: Working Out Scene 2

    Working out the new Scene 2 in which the characters come up with the idea to put on a musical fundraiser.

  10. EP 19: Let's Talk About "Tut, Tut!"

    Denver chats about another musical in development at Beat by Beat, TUT, TUT!, plays some exclusive musical clips from the show.

  11. EP 18: Short Update on Script Work

    Denver gives an update on a new show element and a small adjustment to Toadstool's heroic moment.

  12. EP 17: Rewrite, Rewrite, Rewrite

    Inspired by Red Nose Day, Denver and Brian rewrite the outline and clarify the message of the show.

  13. EP 16: The Heroes' First Number

    Brian and Denver talk through their process of creating the first hero song.

  14. EP 15: The Villain Song and New Sidekicks

    Listen to the first draft of the Villain Song and the new Sidekick characters. Plus, writer's block!

  15. EP 14: A New Opening Number

    Listen to a live performance of the complete opening number by Denver and Brian. Plus a chat about all 18 characters in the show, and writer's block!

  16. EP 13: Pop Music vs. Musical Theatre - What Happened?

    Denver and Brian explore how and why musical theatre left the mainstream music scene, plus Denver's experience in Nashville. And how much do lyrics really matter?

  17. EP 12: The Pac Man Song

    Listen to the Pac Man song grow from a few rough lyrics to a full 8-bit vocal recording. Plus a comedy monologue for Karate Guy/Girl.

  18. EP 11: Pitching the Show to Hollywood Producer Jason Koffeman

    Writer and Producer Jason Koffeman listens to Denver and Brian pitch the show so far, gives notes on the outline, and chats about common pitfalls for writers and the importance of respecting the craft.

  19. EP 10: Deus Ex Machina (say what?)

    Listen to a draft of the new opening number, discover how Denver and Brian deal with the deus ex machina (contrived plot device), find out how our video game chararacters struggle in staying relevant and help pick the show's title.

  20. EP 09: Interview with Writer & Lyricist Betina Hershey

    Denver chats with writer and lyricist Betina Hershey about her start as a musical theatre performer, the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, and her process of writing lyrics.

  21. EP 08: The Hero Complex and Yes Music Matters

    Denver and Brian dig deep into the real reason the heroes need these rings to play on. They also play a full 8-bit version of the Toadstool song, and demonstrate the importance of music in conveying the specific emotion of a character. Finally they give a short preview of the opening number, plus...

  22. EP 07: Scenes 1 to 15 plus a Performance of "The Final Level"

    A complete scene outline of the show so far, a full performance of the climactic song “The Final Level”, plus Writer’s Block! Also, Denver and Brian announce the winner of the Production Kit Giveaway!

  23. EP 06: Writing an "I Want" Song and Musical Theatre Lyrics plus New Scenes

    Listen to two versions of the protagonists' "I Want" song and give your feedback on which you like best! Plus Denver and Brian chat in detail about writing musical theatre lyrics, plus a preview of a couple new scenes. Let's Make A Musical is a podcast for fans of musical theatre, musicals and...

  24. EP 05: Scene Breakdown and Video Game Music

    The musical continues to evolve as Denver and Brian flesh out the first 8 scenes, plus a short chat about what makes video game music unique. And writer’s block!

  25. EP 04: Creating a Protagonist and Writing for Young Actors

    Denver and Brian flesh out the Toadstool character, plus how to write for young actors. Let's Make A Musical is a podcast for fans of musical theatre, musicals and Broadway. Produced by Beat by Beat Press (www.bbbpress.com).

  26. EP 03: 8-bit Music, More Characters and Structure

    Brian drives the bus on this episode as he and Denver give you a preview of the 8-bit music style they're going for, chat about characters and the overall structure. Let's Make A Musical is a podcast for fans of musical theatre, musicals and Broadway. Produced by Beat by Beat Press...

  27. EP 02: Song Ideas, Opening Number and Subplot

    In their quest to create a new musical called "Press Start", Denver and Brian chat about fun potential song moments, the opening number, and a potential subplot. Plus, some Broadway trivia facts and a new segment called "Writer's Block"! Let's Make A Musical is a podcast for fans of musical...

  28. EP 01: What should we write about?

    Welcome! In this first episode Denver and Brian talk about how they came up with the idea of their new musical, and what this podcast is all about. Let's Make A Musical is a podcast for fans of musical theatre, musicals and Broadway. Produced by Beat by Beat Press (www.bbbpress.com).

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

Want an inside look at how musicals are written? Join Denver and Brian on this weekly musical theatre podcast that documents the creation of an 8-bit musical for young actors called "Press Start". If you're a writer, teacher, actor, director or just a fan of Broadway musical theatre - subscribe and join the fun! New episodes every Tuesday. Produced by Beat by Beat Press, the world's fastest growing publisher of new musicals for young actors (www.bbbpress.com).

HOSTED BY

Beat by Beat Press

Produced by Denver Casado

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Let's Make A Musical have?

Let's Make A Musical currently has 28 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Let's Make A Musical about?

Want an inside look at how musicals are written? Join Denver and Brian on this weekly musical theatre podcast that documents the creation of an 8-bit musical for young actors called "Press Start". If you're a writer, teacher, actor, director or just a fan of Broadway musical theatre - subscribe and...

How often does Let's Make A Musical release new episodes?

Let's Make A Musical has 28 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Let's Make A Musical?

You can listen to Let's Make A Musical on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Let's Make A Musical?

Let's Make A Musical is created and hosted by Beat by Beat Press.
URL copied to clipboard!