Much Ado About Muppets

It's the end of the season! Sasha brings us a Muppet-filled Hamlet and special guest Ellen walks us through Taming of the Shrew. Plus we talk about what we learned. Follow us on Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready for a particularly unhinged episode as the team reacts to Evan's spirited take on Much Ado About Nothing and special guest Kenjiro's thoughtful casting for Julius Caesar. Join us!Follow us on Instagram!-Kenjiro Lee (he/him) is a Korean/Japanese-American playwright, puppeteer, director, and occasional performer with an interest in the cerebral and the absurd. Selected works include: Seoul City Sue, NO FAN SERVICE: An Unauthorized Sequel to an Anime about Giant Robots, and Ninja Tea. He has presented work through Paper Kraine Productions, Harriet Tubman Effect, the Fled Collective (NYC), and the Road Theatre Company (Los Angeles). Alum of the Under Construction 3 Playwriting Group (Road Theatre, LA) and the 24 Hour Plays: Nationals. Member of the Dramatists’ Guild, Puppeteers of America, and the Serials Artist Pool. Catch Episode 2 of The Good, the Bad, and the Undead at Serials at the Tank, May 1-3! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a new month and that means it's time for new Muppet castings. This week Peter is bringing you his take on Richard III with the surprising invention of a brand new Muppet, but first special guest Court delves into Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Also, we have a special guest doing our ad read, NYC-based costume designer Izzy Kitch!Follow us on Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we start out strong with special guest Zach Barr muppet-casting (and adding a musical number to) Winter's Tale. Then Evan brings us a casting of Romeo and Juliet with some surprising deep-cut muppets portraying those two crazy kids from Verona.Follow us on Instagram!-Zach Barr (they/them) is a nonbinary multidisciplinary theatre artist based in Chicago. As a playwright, they’ve completed residencies with Three Brothers Theatre and Filament Theatre, and have had work developed by Valdez Theatre Conference, Bramble Theatre Company, Fat Theatre Project, and Ego Death Theatre Collective. Plays include New Oleanna (Live Arts WATERWORKS Festival Finalist, Normal Ave NAPSeries Semi-Finalist), The Pilon (Seven Devils Semi-Finalist), Quinlyn Can Paint, and Enduring Jest. Zach is an Artistic Cohort member at Red Theater and an Artistic Associate at Refracted Theatre Company, curating new play reading series for both (“Script Club” and “Role Call”). Additionally, Zach is the creator of the theatre history video essay series "And Now They Sing" on YouTube, and was a featured presenter at BroadwayCon 2024. Find them on NPX. @admiralzachbarr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for the Tempest! Peter takes us across storm tossed seas and to the shores of a Muppet (treasure) island, but first special guest Al brings us a Muppet Macbeth that boldly goes where no Muppet has gone before. Follow us on Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this inaugural episode of Much Ado About Muppets, Sasha guides Peter and Evan through their muppet-filled, but controversial take on A Midsummer Night's Dream. But first, guests Lauren Grace Thompson and Ian Geers delight us with "King Bear" a muppet re-casting of King Lear.Follow us on Instagram!-Lauren Grace Thompson and Ian Geers are the (award-winning!) creators/writers/directors of Fawx & Stallion and The Vanishing Act. They have dedicated countless hours pitching reworked versions of literary and theatrical classics in the hopes of entertaining each other and (perhaps) hitting upon that million dollar idea that’ll officially pay off all of their student loans, thus allowing them to finally be able to start their lives as adults. They perform as actors regularly in the city of Chicago and on stage with the fantastic team at the Michigan Shakespeare Festival. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“All the worlds a stage… and sometimes the crown weighs rather heavy on this little froggy head.” Welcome to Much Ado About Muppets! Each week Peter, Sasha, and Evan will take some of Shakespeare's most famous plays and cast them with silliest gaggle of creatures ever to be made from felt, The Muppets! Will all that glitters be gold? Can the gang and their special guests come to some forgone conclusions? WILL THEY CAST LEW ZEALAND? Why don’t we get things started, on Much Ado About Muppets!Follow us on Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Sasha celebrate the end of the season with an award show. Tune in to find out which was the best and worst of the Sherlocks, Watsons and rivals and which Sherlock media we didn’t get a chance to cover.Our old podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha and Evan wrap up the season with Enola Holmes 2, a bit of campy historical fiction where “all the important parts” are true?instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve been renewed for a second season… of Sherlock Drag Race that is! Sasha guides Evan through another round of the Drag Race simulator with new contestants like Enola Holmes, Wishbone and Jessica Rabbit, plus some returning favorites and well. instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha and Evan enter the 2020’s with Netflix’s Enola Holmes, a surprisingly good film, where the main character talks to the camera like it’s an episode of Dora the Explorer. instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Sasha are re-joined by Peter to discuss the 1985 film Young Sherlock Holmes and discover why a film made by Steven Spielberg, Chris Columbus and Barry Levinson is basically forgotten today. Peter’s Website: rulescenography.cominstagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha and Evan are joined by Star Trek aficionado Peter to discuss the TNG episode Elementary, Dear Data AI! Space Racism! A sympathetic Moriarty!instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eyes and Brains! Evan and Sasha cozy up to the tv for some Saturday morning cartoons, specifically Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century, a fairly loose adaptation of the Doyle Canon where Watson is a Robot, Moriarty is a clone and Sherlock is weirdly sexist.instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha and Evan discuss 2015’s Mr. Holmes, where Ian McKellan plays the aging detective in retirement. This film is like a parody of artsy british movies featuring: Wistfulness! Class Struggle! and Bees?!instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan, and Ellen wrap up their discussion of the first season finale of Elementary (with a brief diversion into Macedonian politics) before Sasha joins them to rate the show. Just pretend this is this weeks casebook. instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan, Sasha and special guest Ellen discuss the penultimate two episodes of the first season of Elementary, the American answer to BBC Sherlock by way of crime procedural.We'll be back next week to discuss Elementary's thrilling season finale and rate it!instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha and Evan are joined by Ellen to discuss the 90’s TV series Wishbone where a dog imagines himself into literary classics, and specifically it’s adaptations of Scandal in Bohemia and Hound of the Baskervilles, you know, the one where Watson shoots a dog?We have audio issues but we stay silly :pinstagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily rejoins Evan and Sasha to wade into the gayest Sherlock Holmes film ever made, a film which bizarrely wants to be a war-era spy thriller despite being set in 1891.Emily’s AO3 account!instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Affairs! A secret Baby! Opium! Ghosts?Sasha and Evan explore an episode of the Australian TV show, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries all about backstage drama at an opera company. instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Sasha are joined by friend-of-the-pod, Emily to discuss Guy Ritchie’s 2009 film adaptation starring Robert Downey Jr. This film has everything: Cults! Explosions! Homoeroticism! Listen to Emily’s guest spot on our last podcast!instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha guides Evan through a drag race simulator set to “Oops! all Sherlocks” on a season of television filled with twists and surprises. Who will be the next drag Sherlock superstar? Find out hereinstagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha, Evan and Zach conclude their conversation about Sherlock Holmes musicals by discussing the series of wild choices that make up 1989’s Sherlock Holmes The Musical. Zach’s WebsiteZach’s YouTube ChannelZach’s Plays instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Sasha are joined by video-essayist and playwright Zach Barr to talk about Sherlock Holmes Musicals and boy do they all have a lot to say. Part one of this episode covers the occasionally baffling 1965 Broadway musical Baker Street. Check back next week for our coverage of the 80’s West End Musical, Sherlock Holmes. Zach’s YouTube ChannelZach’s Plays instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha and Evan explore the Sherlock Holmes continuation, The Whole Art of Detection, by Lindsay Faye. instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Sasha watch the campy DCOM Get a Clue starring Lindsay Lohan and her gang of Watsons. Or is she Watson? Or is she bargain bin Ellle Woods? Also is this movie about teens solving a mystery or is it about class consciousness?instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha and Evan finally meet “The World’s Greatest Detective”… no not that one, the other one. First up it’s Adam West’s Batman from the 60’s (featuring Catwoman) and then the animated Batman the Brave and the Bold from the late 2000’s (featuring Sherlock Holmes and John Watson)instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Sasha watch one of the most beloved Sherlock Holmes adaptations, Billy Wilder’s The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, The one where Sherlock comes out, meets Queen Victoria (and the loch ness monster) and kills a bunch of monks. What can I say, we loved it.instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha and Evan return to the source, reading The Adventures of The Copper Beeches and the Sussex Vampire. We get the coolest client Holmes has ever had and wonder if ACD just really hated kids and dogs. instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Sasha are joined by PACrats Jordyn and Frankie, whose knowledge of the law and the Disney brand respectively come in very handy as we decide whether or not Who Framed Roger Rabbit is also an adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories. PACratsNothing to See Hearinstagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha and Evan discuss episodes of Chip’n Dale Rescue Rangers and The New Scooby Doo Mysteries that see our crime solving gangs thwart wily brits with comic hijinks and clever references to the Sherlock Holmes canon. instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Sasha are joined once again by Lindy to talk about The Great Mouse Detective, a film that features maybe the most fun Moriarty. instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha and Evan chat about the Sherlock Holmes tv show that Hayao Miyazaki worked on where everybody are dogs. Bafflingly the show seems much more invested in Moriarty and Mrs. Hudson than Sherlock, Watson or crime-solving. instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Sasha (rebranded) are joined by “dashing mushroom enthusiast” Lindy to discuss whether or not House MD is finding time between bouts of medical malpractice and sexual harassment to be a successful adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan, Ian and Lauren Grace Thompson finish their conversation about the BBC’s 2010’s adaptation, Sherlock by looking at A Scandal in BelgraviaLauren’s WebsiteLauren’s Podcast: Fawx and Stallioninstagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Y’all, we had so much to say about BBC Sherlock that this unexpectedly became a two-parter. Lauren Grace Thompson joins us in discussing the show’s (surprisingly good, despite the queerbaiting) first episode, A Study in Pink. Next week we’ll post the second half of our conversation where we discuss the first episode of the show’s second season, A Scandal in Belgravia. Lauren’s Websiteinstagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Ian are joined by Ian Geers and Lauren Grace Thompson, co-creators of Fawx & Stallion, a hilarious narrative fiction podcast about Sherlock and Watson’s wannabe-detective neighbors. We discuss expanding the canon to include more marginalized people, the challenges of writing good mysteries and the formula for a perfect Netflix movie.Fawx and StallionIan’s WebsiteLauren’s Websiteinstagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the Holiday Special! Ian and Evan read The Blue Carbuncle and then compare it to its adaptation from the Granada series starring our old friends Jeremy Brett and David Burke. We’ll be taking next week off, but will have some exciting new episodes coming your way in the new year!instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Ian stay on theme with two more Sherlock parodies. First up is the Veggietales episode Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler, then the Looney Tunes cartoon Deduce, You Say. Somehow this all inspires a lot of silly voices. instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian and Evan explore two parody films, The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother and Without a Clue. Despite the two films having surprisingly similar plots, one is pretty good and the other is the worst film we’ve ever seen.instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Ian return to the wellspring that is the short stories of Arthur Conan Doyle and discuss The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans and The Five Orange Pips, wherein somehow Sherlock mucks it up both times. instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian and Evan report back from the occasionally baffling world of the Frogwares video game, Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One, which features a 21 year old Sherlock solving his first couple cases.CW: brief discussions of sexual assault, blood and goreFrogwares is a Ukrainian company. If you have the means to support the Ukrainian people you can do so here: war.ukraine.ua/donateinstagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a bit of a twist Evan and Ian celebrate the end of the actor’s strike by watching a silent film that’s been in the public domain for at least three years. Surprisingly I think it’s one of our favorite things we’ve watched.Herlock Sholmes in Ace Attorney: https://youtu.be/EfW40DxtawM?si=g6fLLvn4B_iog0z2instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re joined by playwright Christopher M. Walsh to discuss his two gender-bending Holmes adaptation stage plays, Miss Holmes and Miss Holmes Returns.christophermwalsh.comChris was influenced by the Not In Our House movement in Chicago, more info here! notinourhouseorg.wordpress.cominstagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian and Evan dive back into ACD’s short stories with The Adventures of The Empty House & The Three Garridebs. Two stories that have us asking just how gay this relationship is.instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the Halloween special! Friends of the pod, Jess and Em join Evan and Ian to share opinions (and agricultural knowledge) about a 70’s movie that pits the great detective against Jack the Ripper. It leaves us with a lot of questions.instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian and Evan are joined once again by Sara Ghaleb as they discuss Neil Gaiman’s lovecraftian pastiche, A Study in Emerald. Also, the answer to the question: Is Moriarty the Wario to Sherlock’s Mario?instagram.com/_bakerstreetregularsSara Ghaleb is a writer, director, and producer in Los Angeles, California. She has a BFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University - Tisch, with a concentrate in television comedy. She is a co-creator, writer, and director of the mystery-comedy audio drama Arden and horror-comedy audio drama Mythic Hunters. She loves cats, Sherlock Holmes, and podcasts in that order. saraghaleb.comtwitter.com/saraghaleb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian and Evan are joined by Sara Ghaleb as they discuss two episodes of the Granada Sherlock Holmes TV series from the 80’s, The Red Headed League and The Devil’s Foot. I know it’s early in the season, but is this the perfect Holmes?instagram.com/_bakerstreetregularsSara Ghaleb is a writer, director, and producer in Los Angeles, California. She has a BFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University - Tisch, with a concentrate in television comedy. She is a co-creator, writer, and director of the mystery-comedy audio drama Arden and horror-comedy audio drama Mythic Hunters. She loves cats, Sherlock Holmes, and podcasts in that order. saraghaleb.comtwitter.com/saraghaleb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evan and Ian return to Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories and encounter two of Holmes' strangest cases.instagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian and Evan are joined by David Blixt once more as they conclude their exploration of the Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce adaptations with 1942’s “The Voice of Terror” wherein Sherlock Holmes foils an insidious Nazi plot. And Watson is there too.David Blixt is a writer, actor and fight director and terrifically talented at all three. Read his books, hire him to work on your plays. davidblixt.cominstagram.com/_bakerstreetregulars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.