Off Book

Need a pick-me-up? Something to make you smile but also feel inspired by the quality of the show you're listening to? Off Book: The Improvised Musical Podcast, is your ticket. You may be thinking to yourself, “A musical? No thank you.” But keep reading because although I was in every grade school musical myself, somewhere along the way I grew impatient with them — confused, even slightly annoyed — wondering why anyone would break into a song about the mundane. Fast forward to this podcast: the silliness and absolute impressiveness of the whole operation is like a giant belly laugh just reaching out for you whether you’re a fan of musicals or a proud skeptic. Stick with the opening banter because after the hosts of the show, Jessica McKenna and Zach Reino (who have been improvising new stories together for years) weave a sparkling, new, and imaginative story every time, on the spot, AND with improvised(!), typically very silly and strangely catchy songs, and most importantly beyond being completely clever, they are clearly enjoying themselves and that joy somehow seeps in through your ear holes and slides right into your heart and before you know it you're smiling and laughing too. The instrumentalists on the show, most often Scott Passarella, and also Brett Morris, Dana Wickens and also guests, are brilliant and extremely collaborative. Taken piece by piece the show is fun but when the team somehow ties a bow on the story, both melodically and narratively, which they do each time, even with a stories that are winding, surprising, and filled with many quirky characters, you will find yourself in awe of the skillfulness that you just experienced and eager to press play on the next episode.

- Jocelyn Frank (she/they), The Atlantic

Recommended episode: Shrugging Destiny (w/ Paul F. Tompkins)