This week our Musicals series leads us into contemporary topics of book bans, moral panics, and representation as Jen discusses “The Music Man” with Jess Salow, an archivist and Curator of Black Collections at the Arizona State University Library and the co-host of the Bawdy Literati Podcast! We also cover the impressive careers of Meredith Wilson, Robert Preston, and Shirley Jones; talk about the making of the film; sigh over the romance of it all; and Jen sings far too many song snippets! Don’t miss this fascinating discussion of an older musical that still speaks to the present moment, even as modern creators think about how to move it into the future. 

0:00-8:22 Favorite Childhood Musicals, Updates On The Bawdy Literati Podcast

Bio For Guest Host, Jess Salow:

Jess is an archivist/librarian and an avid reader and videogamer. She is also the co-host of Bawdy Literati, a podcast that explores "fiction that fucks". She has been reading romance/erotica since she was a tween and considers romance/erotica her favorite genre to read. While Jess doesn't lean into the romcom genre when watching movies, as she is more of a Action/Sci Fi fan with The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and Independence Day (1996) as some of her favorites, she does enjoy some romcoms including You've Got Mail (1998), The Wedding Singer (1998), and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) as some of her favorite romcoms of all time. She has three cats and has been with her partner for 25 years. 

Listen To Jess And Asa On Bawdy Literati!:

https://open.spotify.com/show/2EdSIkpkb4UWVukx8EfD0w?si=yJxvNJYUQ2Sx9jqpgB5CEw&nd=1 

Connect With Bawdy Literati On Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/bawdyliterati/ 

Support Every Rom Com Here:

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/everyromcom 

8:22-19:40 TRAILER, Basic Info, Interesting Facts

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/16105/the-music-man#articles-reviews?articleId=12694 

Musicals: The Definitive Illustrated Story, DK Books, Editor Miezan van Zyl, 2015

Red Hot & Blue: A Smithsonian Salute to The American Musical by Amy Henderson and Dwight Blocker, National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian Institution); National Museum of American History (U.S.), 1996

“Right Here In River City” documentary from “The Music Man” DVD special edition 

19:40-34:27 Cast & Crew In-Depth

More Information On Robert Preston:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Preston