Diana: The Musical LIVE! (HDTGM Matinee)

Summary

How Did This Get Made? – “Diana: The Musical LIVE!” (Matinee at Largo)

Original release: November 18, 2025
Hosts: Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, Jason Mantzoukas
Episode theme: A riotous, exasperated dissection of the critically panned “Diana: The Musical,” as seen on Netflix. The trio debates what went wrong (answer: almost everything), how the musical treats royalty, and muses on why someone thought this story needed to be told as a Broadway rock opera.

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Episode Overview

“Diana: The Musical LIVE!” finds the HDTGM crew returning to their “home” at Largo in LA to perform a live audience matinee breakdown of the Broadway-to-Netflix spectacle “Diana: The Musical.” The hosts grapple with the baffling choices made in the production—from mind-numbing exposition and flat characterization to bizarre artistic decisions—while reveling in the musical’s earnest incompetence. Throughout, the team oscillates between horror, delirium, and genuine appreciation for the performers giving it their all.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is “Diana: The Musical?” (03:00)

• Paul Scheer’s Initial Take: Claims the show is at the quality level of “a very creative sixth or seventh grader’s book report… set to song.” He warns that this adaption makes “Cats” look like a work of genius.

  “Just because you are singing words doesn't mean it's a song. … Imagine a very creative sixth or seventh grader who decided to do a report on Princess Diana and said, I'm going to make my book report different. I'll make it one where I sing.” – Paul (03:00)

• Difference from Broadway/Netflix: Paul clarifies that the Netflix version is nearly the same as Broadway, just missing the energy of a live audience (03:00).

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2. The Sheer Oddness of the Production (04:45–09:00)

• Tone Problems: Jason refers to the show as “a war crime.” (04:48)
• Performance Vibe: The trio agrees it has the energy of a high school production or family-filmed recital (07:14), with June declaring:

  “I genuinely started to enjoy it [on second viewing]. So I don't know.” – June (08:02)

• Sauna Bed Experimentation: June confesses to her double-watch day, including a viewing in her “sauna bed,” prompting jokes about hallucinating musicals under heat stress (08:49).

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3. Are Any of the Songs Memorable? (10:49–12:45)

• Audience Challenge: Jason prods the live crowd to sing a song from memory. One brave audience member forges ahead with “Pretty, pretty girl in a pretty, pretty dress” (11:36), shaming Jason’s doubts about the music’s memorability.
• The ‘Fuck You Dress’ Song: This becomes the touchstone for the musical’s only slightly memorable lyricism:

  “The only song I truly remember is the Fuck youk Dress. The Fuckity Fuckity Fuckity. Because it's so crazy.” – Paul (11:57)

• Lyrics = Word Soup: Jason and Paul agree: the songs get stuck on awkward phrases (“underestimated!”) and fail to deliver hooks.

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4. Does the Musical Tell You Who Diana Was? (12:37–16:42)

• Warped Portrait: The hosts feel Diana is depicted variously as a vindictive schemer, a naïve child, or a martyr—resulting in a confusing, contradictory protagonist.
• Narrative Structure Fumbles: The supposed narrator, romance novelist “Barbara,” appears, disappears, and is never used to better effect---a missed opportunity for thematic coherence (13:34).
• Absence of Perspective: Jason notes the lack of a true storytelling device:

  “Why not an overarching structure that is this story’s being told to someone or point of view.” – Jason (14:01)

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5. Broadway Origins & Netflix’s Strategy (14:35–16:42, 41:19–44:45)

• COVID Disruption: The production opened just as Broadway shut down, and was filmed for Netflix without an audience in hopes of capturing “the next Hamilton” (15:15–15:43).
• Dead Energy: June laments its lifeless feel versus clips of other filmed musicals.
• Rock Credentials!?: The musical’s composer turns out to be Bon Jovi’s keyboardist, David Bryan (44:45).
• Netflix’s “Diana Mania”: The crew jokes about Netflix trying to corner all “Diana” content—“The Crown,” documentaries, etc.—and questions whether that built-in audience was ever really there (43:29–43:42).

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6. Surreal Choreography, Stage & Costume Debates (23:29–32:27, 51:28–54:48)

• Aggressive “Shoulder Work”: Paul is fascinated by the repetitive, harsh shoulder moves assigned to bellhops and pop stars alike (24:29).
• Stage Design Fight:
  • Paul is weirdly charmed by the set and costume changes, claiming “give it up for suspension of disbelief!” (52:29)
  • June and Jason think everything looks “high school” and unconvincing. June asserts:

    “I thought the costumes were terrible. I thought the set was terrible, and I thought the choreography was terrible.” (52:02)

• Jason: Parodies British dance moves: “You do the Tames! Or even… You do the Tames.” (30:29)

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7. The “Feck You Dress” & the Musical’s Approach to Lore (61:34–62:38)

• Historical Fact vs. Musical Ham: The infamous “revenge dress” moment is dramatized, with Paul quoting production research on the real event and how the show renders it:

  “What I like about this stage design is… it doesn’t take attention away from the feck you dress and actually lets the feck you dress shine.” – Paul (62:38) “If you say it's soup enough times, I'm like, I guess that's soup.” – Paul

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8. Mishandling of Diana’s Story and Royalty (32:46–39:07)

• Flat Characterization: The musical glosses over Diana’s acts of defiance (such as visiting AIDS wards) and reduces emotional stakes.
• Moral Confusion: Jason rails against the slideshow of royal “villains” sanitized to look aspirational:

  “This is a play about the monarchy who are unquestionably villains, right? And we are asked over and over again to root for them.” – Jason (27:06)

• Ending Issues: The musical’s last word goes to Charles, which infuriates Jason (“Shame on you!” 37:32), as do the queen’s sudden crocodile tears.

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9. Personal Experiences & Irony (49:11–50:17)

• Paul’s Unstoppable Binge: Despite desperate intentions to fragment his viewing, Paul “couldn’t turn it off,” finishing it at 1 a.m.—possibly the only true endorsement in the whole episode.
• June’s Sauna Bed Theory: Watching in altered mental/physical states affects tolerance; Paul insists, “I couldn’t turn it off.” (49:11)

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10. Audience Q&A & ‘Team Camilla’ Riff (58:35–61:10)

• Question: “Why do you think it was so important for them to talk about how dumb Diana was?”
  • Paul agrees: “They do her a disservice. They make her dumb. They make her like a dumb kid.” (60:19)
• Are There Sides?: Light “Team Diana” vs. “Team Camilla” debate, with Paul weakly trying to justify sympathy for Camilla’s position in the love triangle.

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11. Would You Recommend Diana: The Musical? (71:11–72:59)

• No Immediate Yeses: Jason is a hard no.
• June’s Nuanced Take: “It is something to see… Musicals in general, it’s so hard to translate [them] to a screen…We might have had a different experience in the theater.” (71:19)
• Audience Element: Jason wonders if filming with an enthusiastic audience could help the show’s “deadness.”

  “Would I have enjoyed this more if it had been filmed, not up close, but from the middle of the room and the audience been full of people enjoying the show?” – Jason (72:02)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jason, on how the musical feels:

  “A Wikipedia entry set to song. That's all it is.” (05:24)

• June’s double viewing experiment:

  “I put it back on and I genuinely started to enjoy it. So I don't know.” (08:02)

• Jason, summing up the experience:

  “I was already feeling unwell...To have one to click on that status bar and see that you have one hour left in this abject nightmarescape...” (46:53)

• Paul, on memorability and the ‘Fuck You Dress’:

  “The only song I truly remember is the Fuck youk Dress. The Fuckity Fuckity Fuckity. Because it's so crazy.” (11:57)

• June, on pitfalls of adapting Diana’s life:

  “When we already know where she's headed, it's hard to ever feel that this is a hero's journey and that she's going to get redemption because we ultimately know that they killed her.” (36:52)

• Jason, on missing the point:

  “The musical’s last word is given to Charles. Shame on you!” (37:29)

• Paul, on inexorable viewership:

  “I couldn't turn it off. … I'm like, I can't. I gotta finish it now.” (49:11)

• June, on the stagecraft:

  “I thought the costumes were terrible. I thought the set was terrible, and I thought the choreography was terrible.” (52:02)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• Intro / Opening Rants: 03:00–07:36
• Sauna Bed Double Viewing: 07:36–09:10
• Song/Music Critique & Audience ‘Sing-Along’: 10:49–12:45
• Royal Family Character/Lore Discussion: 12:37–16:42; 20:54–29:05
• Choreography, Set & Costume Debate: 23:29–32:27; 51:28–54:48
• ‘Feck You Dress’ Segment: 61:34–63:20
• Would You Recommend? & Final Thoughts: 71:11–72:59

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Conclusion

“Diana: The Musical LIVE!” is a masterclass in well-intentioned artistic folly: flat musical numbers, directionless storytelling, and odd production choices, all brought to life (sort of) by capable performers doing their best. Paul, Jason, and June’s multi-pronged critique is as funny as it is bewildered. If you’re on the fence about watching the musical, the consensus is: don't—unless you’re in a sauna bed, delirious, or have a fascination with historical mishaps set to electric guitar.

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Final Noteworthy Exchange:

“It is something to see… None of the songs are memorable.”
– June Diane Raphael (74:06)

“Except for that gentleman. There they are. There’s nothing hooky.”
– Jason Mantzoukas (74:15)

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Summary by segment time, for quick navigation:

• [03:00] Opening – What even is this?
• [07:36] June’s sweat-drenched double feature
• [10:49] “Can you guys sing a song? No?”
• [12:37] Does this actually explain Diana?
• [23:29] Choreography culture shock
• [32:46] Royal family morality play?
• [40:00] Audience Q&A
• [61:34] “Feck You Dress” and pop history
• [71:11] Would you recommend?

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For fans of so-bad-it’s-good theater, musical disasters, or the ongoing trainwreck of the British monarchy’s portrayal in pop culture, this is an essential listen.

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“Musicals are hard. But I will say these actors make it look good. … They're doing great, a great job with truly, catastrophically bad material.”
– Paul Scheer (51:28)

Transcript

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[June Diane Raphael]

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[Paul Scheer]

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[Jason Mantzoukas]

The star hottest a n grow a.

[Paul Scheer]

Baby in his belly like a Rostov vest while ripping Justin the Kelly a baby See a burlesque show with lit crow and take a bubble speed to hitting cruise control J man big Paul.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And the beautiful Jewel gonna take you.

[Paul Scheer]

From the groove all the way to the room Ren the gang of street fighting hope to blow off steam just a sucker punch the odd life for Tiffany Green Sharp nail staying alive they calling in the badass and he's on the line cranking 88 minutes cause they cool as ice cause they've been funny looking kind night Paul is June getting literal Jason is getting laid June is making sure all the monkey shots getting paid they're just a bunch of movies while they making the grade Here's a real question for you. How did this get paid? Hello people of Earth, hello people of Los Angeles.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

We are live at Largo, our LA home.

[Paul Scheer]

A Home where musical theater reigns supreme. Ladies and gentlemen, we are talking about a musical that makes you think that Cats is genius. Truly watching this, I had so many thoughts and we're going to get into those thoughts. But if you did not see Diana the Musical on Broadway or Netflix, they're the same with the exception of a couple weird camera angles that are so jarring to make the audience very unnerved. What do you need to know? Well, imagine a very creative sixth or seventh grader who decided to do a report on Princess Diana and said, I'm going to make my book report different. I'll make it one where I sing. That's all you need to know. So it is about that level. It covers the entire life of Diana, or at least from 19 till the end. And wow, they merge some shit together in ways that are shocking. I think she has two babies in the same song. But again, there's so much to get into and there are two great people to talk about it with. Please welcome to the stage my co host, Jason Mantzoukas.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What's up jerks?

[Paul Scheer]

Wow.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wow. Show of hands or clapping? Who is here for Stone Cold? Why are we being punished? We saw greatness and then you give us this. This movie is a war crime. Jason, take this movie to the Hague.

[Paul Scheer]

This musical adaptation of a Broadway stage show is a war crime. I just wanna be.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You know, how do I feel about musicals?

[Paul Scheer]

I know you love em.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Nevermind. Failed ones. This. This is. I looked it up. I looked it up. A Wikipedia entry set to song. That's all it is. That's it. Now I'm here doing this, uh. Oh, SpaghettiOs.

[Paul Scheer]

What?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What is this?

[Paul Scheer]

Movie references. This was pulled from this novel.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Every footnotes, footnote. Ibid.

[Paul Scheer]

Ibid. This is clearly the British Hamilton. I will not take no for an answer about it, by the way.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I would believe that. I would believe if you told me that the UK had embraced this and it was the biggest musical there, I.

[Paul Scheer]

Would be like those idiots. The UK even said this musical. But anyway, there's one person who has seen this musical not once, but twice. She's my other co host. Please welcome June Diane Rao. How are you, June?

[June Diane Raphael]

I'm okay. How are you, Paul?

[Paul Scheer]

I'm well, thank you for asking. June twice.

[June Diane Raphael]

So I saw it once. I saw the whole thing.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Lie in the theater.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, I saw the Motion Picture question mark.

[Paul Scheer]

It's a movie.

[June Diane Raphael]

Is it? I actually want to get into that in a second.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Technically, it shouldn't be defined as a movie.

[June Diane Raphael]

It's more of Like a presentation?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[Paul Scheer]

I'm telling you, it is a book report set to music. If a sixth grade kid did this, you'd be like, whoa, you are you. If you went to school, you might have something.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I don't know the name of any of the actors in it. They're all doing their absolute best. But if you told me this was filmed by their parents, I would believe you. If you told me this was filmed by the actor's parents being like, great job, hun, I would believe you. Because this film felt like absolute nonsense and like a high school production.

[June Diane Raphael]

I'm gonna report from my second viewing right now, please. Okay, so now I'm wearing the hat of someone who's seen it twice. And I gotta tell you guys. Cause I bet everybody just saw it once.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, I have heard Internet rumors that if you see it twice, it leads to madness.

[June Diane Raphael]

I didn't see the whole thing twice, but I watched it once. And then I was getting.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Ready, I.

[June Diane Raphael]

Was getting read, and I thought, I'm gonna put it back on. And I put it back on and I genuinely started to enjoy it. So I don't know.

[Paul Scheer]

By the way, June, tell people how long it took from viewing one to viewing two.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, probably about four hours.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, whoa, whoa.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I thought you meant, like you saw it weeks ago.

[Paul Scheer]

No, no, no, no.

[June Diane Raphael]

Today.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is wild. This is. I suspect. I suspect that we could have you legally institutionalized. Okay. We could. 51 visits right now.

[June Diane Raphael]

This is an important piece of information. The first viewing, just a cry for help.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Okay. If there's a medical professional, a mental health professional in the house.

[June Diane Raphael]

The first viewing, I saw it in my sauna bed. So that's always gonna. That's always gonna affect you things because I'm sweating profusely and I'm a little out of it.

[Paul Scheer]

This would be what you would see in like a waking dream. Like. Yeah, it has that kind of mirage.

[June Diane Raphael]

And then in the light of day, showered. I've eaten something, I worked out and I was like, let's put it on again. And I think we should. Damn it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I think we should start doing live shows on stage in sauna beds, in standing sauna beds, just to see how the heat affects the viewing.

[Paul Scheer]

We should be watching movies in sauna beds and then doing the podcast in sauna.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Or we could also have the audience in sauna. We could. If we could get a sauna bed to.

[June Diane Raphael]

Before we just pump the heat up right now.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah. Let's hot yoga. This place.

[Paul Scheer]

This is good. I wanted to announce Big groups, special show in Sedona. It's going to be 140 degrees in the room. You all have to be in downward dog the entire time. The musical starts off weird because the first song, the term underestimated is said a lot. And I was like, that is a hard term to make. Like your lead thesis statement. Feel like you're open. It's like, duh, I'm underestimating.

[June Diane Raphael]

And I didn't know where we were finding her first number. And I thought the actors did just a fine job. But before we even get into the movie, where I'm stuck is just on the. Why on the.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I love that.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah, I don't wanna get shit.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I don't wanna go too far.

[June Diane Raphael]

The starting point.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But I also would. I'm gonna ask you right now, you just watched it twice today. Yes, I watched it today. How many people here watched it today?

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay, that's a good bit.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Let's all. We gotta decide if we're gonna. If we're gonna. Let's all decide. We're gonna clap, not raise hands because you're fucking up the system. Some of you are clapping. Some of you are raising your hands. Get it together. Choose as an audience before you come in. Okay? Now, could anybody right now sing one of the songs?

[Paul Scheer]

Someone can.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, wait, really?

[Paul Scheer]

All right, hold on.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Do you have some sort of relationship to it?

[June Diane Raphael]

No.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Okay, great.

[Paul Scheer]

Stand up. Stand up right now. Everyone be as quiet as you can.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Everybody shut your mouth. Don't come. Don't.

[June Diane Raphael]

You don't have to come.

[Paul Scheer]

No notes. No notes. You stay there. I'll hold the mic towards you.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Pretty, pretty girl.

[June Diane Raphael]

Pretty, pretty girl In.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

A pretty, pretty dress the songs are well done.

[June Diane Raphael]

That was.

[Paul Scheer]

That was great.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, I'm gonna be honest. That person made me look like a grade A asshole.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yep.

[Paul Scheer]

So fuck you.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Have Michael take him out. But my point was gonna be how un. Memorable every song was.

[Paul Scheer]

The only song I truly remember is the Fuck youk Dress. The Fuckity Fuckity Fuckity. Because it's so crazy.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But that's not you. All you remember is that little bit of wordplay, right?

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You don't remember the song.

[Paul Scheer]

Right, but that's what I'm saying. These songs are complicated. They are, like, underestimated. It's like, I'm not, like. I can't, like, just gravitate to that. I tried to listen to it on Spotify on the way here. Why again, I.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Why were you trying to drive into Oncoming Trends?

[Paul Scheer]

Well, here is my.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

There should be a trigger warning in front of this because it might cause such desolation and despair.

[Paul Scheer]

This is what I wanted to ask, because I think it goes hand in hand with what you are asking, which is pretend we know nothing about the princess at all. We don't know anything about Diana. Does this musical work to let you know who she was? And I think, no. Or it gives you a very warped idea of who she is because she seems, at points to be incredibly vindictive, then at points to be like a child, then at points to be like a savior.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What is this movie's protagonist like? What is the point of view of this?

[June Diane Raphael]

I think it's that romance novelist Barbara.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes, Barbara. Is Barbara Corcoran. Barbara Corcoran from Shark Tank.

[Paul Scheer]

When she. When Barbara Corcoran comes back on hgtv. When Barbara Corcoran comes back. When she comes back an hour into the play and like, oh, and now this is what's going on.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wait, where were you?

[Paul Scheer]

You're the narrator now.

[June Diane Raphael]

Where were you? And that's actually. Like, this is. Again, I still haven't gotten an answer on just why, why, but could have been a cool device to actually tell the story as a romance novel. Or when Barbara's introduced to. To have the whole stage turn into, like, this crazy romance novel that she's describing, but there's none of that happens.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Or have her be the narrator or.

[June Diane Raphael]

Have her tell the story from start to finish.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Why not an overarching structure that is this story's being told to someone or point of view.

[Paul Scheer]

We do it with, like, Our Town, But Jason Statham is like, hey, listen up, governor. Back when I was a kid, there was this crazy dame, and he is a story I'm gonna tell you right now. You know, something like that.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I would like you to film those pieces and somebody edit them in, or they.

[Paul Scheer]

She don't talk like that, does she?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But I'll tell you this back to.

[June Diane Raphael]

My original question, though, Paul. So there's Diana, the musical, which was on Broadway.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, yes, it was on Broadway. I can tell you the.

[June Diane Raphael]

So that was on Broadway.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes. It's a bold choice to record it without an audience. For how long?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

For how long?

[Paul Scheer]

Well, I mean, we can get into it. Hold on.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's got to be like, if it ran more than a month. No, I'll give you $10,000.

[Paul Scheer]

I know. I know. Nate Kiley did our research, and I know that there is a couple of things here. Like, they were just about to open, and then Covid shut it down.

[June Diane Raphael]

So they were like, oh, let's take another pandemic loss.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And then we lost so many greats.

[Paul Scheer]

And then when Covid subsided a little bit and Broadway came back, it reopened and no one came. And then it shut down.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, yeah, as it should.

[June Diane Raphael]

The show is not successful. And then Netflix says, let's put cameras on it.

[Paul Scheer]

No, the show is about to open.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And I think they thought they were gonna get in on the ground floor.

[Paul Scheer]

I think they were like, this will be our Hamilton. The same way that they released Hamilton, you know, the live stage version of it. Disney moved it up. So I think they were like, well, this cast is ready to go if we do it. Covid safe with no audience.

[June Diane Raphael]

But this is what I don't understand, because there are. There are musicals that they do film. So. And you sometimes when you're outside of the theater, there's a little TV and they play clips from the musical, and those clips actually have some energy behind them. I mean, still not the show, but it's like you can feel something happen.

[Paul Scheer]

There's an audience for most.

[June Diane Raphael]

There is an audience for. I. I don't know, because the cameras are close, but it just feels like they're performing for an audience, and it feels like there's an energy to the performance. And this was so odd.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This felt dead. This felt like an industrial. Yes, it felt like an industrial musical. It did not. It felt like, like I said, a Wikipedia entry set to music. It was without emotionality for such an emotional story. It was everything. Everybody's delivery was flat, and it was just, we're here to sing the plot, but that's it.

[June Diane Raphael]

Periodically, we are gonna.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Joylessly.

[Paul Scheer]

But I also feel like they did Diana dirty because.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Dirty Diana.

[Paul Scheer]

Dirty Diana.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Like, by the way, I did not see that coming when I said that. I was shocked by that.

[Paul Scheer]

I will tell you who I liked. I will tell you who I liked. Camilla Parker Bowles.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Okay.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes, she is good.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And I love that they introduce her. And Charles is basically like, you're ugly.

[Paul Scheer]

And I didn't mean it like that.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What the fuck is this?

[June Diane Raphael]

And, you know, listen, I thought she was good. It's always going to be hard for me to get on board with Camilla.

[Paul Scheer]

Why? Why is it hard, June?

[June Diane Raphael]

Why?

[Paul Scheer]

Well, my understanding of it is pretty base. I don't. I haven't watched the Crown. I didn't see, you know, the. The. I didn't see.

[June Diane Raphael]

Have you heard the tapes?

[Paul Scheer]

No.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, what tapes?

[June Diane Raphael]

The Diana tapes that. Did you guys watch this movie? I watched it twice.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Here's what I'll say. I know astonishingly little about this story. Okay for a couple of things for being so much in the and that's.

[June Diane Raphael]

Hard cause now after seeing this I feel like you know less.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes, well that's what I'm saying.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I don't know what I want Introduction to the Hunk known as James Hewitt Love James Hewitt.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Don't miss Sebastian Maniscalco's new stand up special It Ain't Right Premiering on Hulu November 21st. Filmed live at the sold out United center arena in Chicago, Sebastian's newest special features his larger than life presence, one of a kind physical comedy and hilarious everyday observations that will keep you laughing non stop. Sebastian goes all in on family chaos, aging, non existent manners, and life's most relatable and frustratingly funny moments. Watch Sebastian Maniscalco it ain't right on November 21st. Streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundled subscribers. Terms apply.

[Paul Scheer]

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[June Diane Raphael]

I'm sure there are others here who know more about like the truth and kandrometer this story better than I can, but take your special. Well, I did not know or it was new information to me that Camilla kind of arranged the marriage. That was.

[Paul Scheer]

That I thought was so cool.

[June Diane Raphael]

I'd never heard that before. But maybe that's true. Maybe that is true. That is true. Okay. Yeah. No, here's.

[Paul Scheer]

There's a little bit. There was about a 50, 25 there. 50%. Yes, yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

You know what? Listen, you know what I heard for the first time as though it was brand new information. I had never taken in the fact that Diana was 19 and he was 32.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

That I was like a virgin, which.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I also didn't know.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Like a teenager.

[June Diane Raphael]

She was a teen.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

True teenager.

[Paul Scheer]

And she had pictures of him on her wall. And that felt not true to me. But I guess because like, is she longing after this man?

[June Diane Raphael]

He's royalty and he's the prince. And he's. I mean he was definitely. He was always an odd looking guy, but he was the prince.

[Paul Scheer]

Okay.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah. I do think she loved him.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I did not know. And maybe this would have. Maybe this is part of. If I'd watched the Crown or something like that. I did not know that her sister had dated him prior.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's how she met him.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It seemed to me to be like the sister seemed to be fully dialed in on the bullshit of the situation.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And I was a little bit like, hey, like protect Diana older sister. Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, listen, I think, I think that. And we've seen it with Meghan Markle, the family Members are also so excited that the royals are coming to dinner, you know, that they overlook a lot of the stuff.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, the idea was just suck it up because you are going to be. And that's what the message of the. I mean, it gets going quick. I mean, this movie is an hour and 57 minutes. They got a cover of Life so long. And like I said, they are compacting a lot of stuff in there because you're meeting Camilla, they're on their first date, she is in the dress. And by the way, the costume changes a plus. But the one thing I knew by.

[June Diane Raphael]

The way, I do want to direct everyone to an incredible performance by the woman who directed Promising young woman. Who's Camilla in the crown.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

And that scene that you. You should watch that because there's a scene between Camilla and Diana in the crown. That's one of the best scenes on tv. So there are other. Better than the. Cause Camilla wasn't good.

[Paul Scheer]

Like. Are you telling me it's better than this musical number between the face. The final face off. When the. Let's take a look.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is.

[June Diane Raphael]

Stop this now. You've had your God damn fun. We'll take our leave. Your little stunt is done.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Can you stop for a second? What? This is a. This is ripping off another song. What song? Paradise by the Dashboard Lights. Right? Start from the beginning again. It's like, I'm gonna stop right now.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah, that's. I mean, but it's not. It's not the same yet.

[June Diane Raphael]

Stop this now. You've had your goddamn fun. We take our leave. Your little stunt is done.

[Paul Scheer]

Ladies and gentlemen. Now this is a show.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's not. Can you pause for a second? Choreography. One afternoon they showed up and we're like, today we're going to do next stuff.

[Paul Scheer]

Whoever choreographed this musical was into doing aggressive shoulder work. The bellhops had aggressive shoulders. The bias. Everyone's popping that shoulder. They're popping that shoulder like they pop those flashbulbs on top of those old timey cameras. Which, I mean, I also feel like that shows like how weirdly dated it was too. These. These paparazzi in the trench coats running around like. Like a Batman Commissioner Gordon. Like, hey, snap crackle Pop. You know, whatever the fuck they were saying.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I would like it if it was snap crackle Pop, honestly.

[Paul Scheer]

But there were these moments in the thing that falls so flat. And I just go back to what you were saying, June, about the emptiness of it. They are performing the hell out of it. I think they're doing the best with the material that they have, oh, they're.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Giving it their all.

[Paul Scheer]

They don't change a fucking word. And there are, like, Broadway laugh lines. And I mean that in the sense of if you ever see a Broadway show, they're like, dumb. Fucking dumb jokes, but they know this will work. And it's like Duran Duran. And they hold.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Duran Duran, Duran, Duran.

[Paul Scheer]

Duran Duran. And they hold, like, four laughs. But it's just.

[June Diane Raphael]

You're right, they do hold for laughs, deadly silent.

[Paul Scheer]

And they do it three times. Like, no one said, like, you know what? Just speed through those because there's no laughter coming. And that was unnerving to me.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But why wouldn't the cast.

[June Diane Raphael]

So you weren't laughing during those little breaks?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I was like.

[Paul Scheer]

And I was just.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I found no one June. That might have just been the delirium of the sauna bed, probably. I wrote down so many lyrics that now I'm like, why? Where the prince could hear some prince and we'd all be funkadelic.

[Paul Scheer]

The obsession with Princess Di and pop music. Now, the one thing I knew, the one thing I was very familiar with, and tell me if I'm right or wrong. You may or may not know this was, didn't Princess Diana perform Uptown Girl at. Okay, so. But in the musical, she does a ballet number. The whole thing is about her loving pop music. And at that one point, it's like, well, we can't get the rights of Billy Joel, so we're gonna make her fucking dance. Ballet.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, I don't. I think both things happen.

[Paul Scheer]

She did both end.

[June Diane Raphael]

Both things happened. Both at the same time.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So she danced a ballet to Uptown Google.

[June Diane Raphael]

There was a big deal about her. Like, she offered that to him as a birthday gift. That that was gonna be.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, look, her. Marilyn Monroe kind of.

[June Diane Raphael]

And it fell. He's such a dick. I fucking hate him. I'll say this so much.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I'll say this.

[Paul Scheer]

I found him to be charming in the musical, though.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This gets to, like, the whole point of the musical. It's enough this for me. The whole musical really just to me feels like, I don't understand why we even want to watch the Royals. This is. These are. This is a play about villains, right? This is a play about the monarchy who are unquestionably villains. Right? And we are asked over and over again to root for them.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Somehow or believe that they are all trying to do their best. When this play should be about villains acting villainous. Right? But instead, everybody's like, I'm just doing the best I can. Trying to raise these boys.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, that's why I think it was. It was not. It was troubling to have Camilla. I know you loved her so much, Paul, but to have her be so sympathetic because.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, but they can have their Sundays back.

[June Diane Raphael]

It doesn't work for the story.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Here's the thing, royals. I don't give a fuck if you don't get to have your Sundays back, you fucks.

[Paul Scheer]

But here, to my point, is from the moment the play starts, musical, play, movie, whatever you want to call it, it's all they tell you. Royals are bad. This is bad. It's going to end bad. And I think from a story perspective, that's not the best way. Like, I would have liked to at least. I feel like everyone's warning her. So I feel like Princess Diana comes off really dumb or vindictive. I come off, I like Princess Diana, and I come off from here going like. Well, she's kind of like, well, she's fucking that guy first, right? Or she's fucking him. And then she's going in there and she's like, you want to dance with me? And then I'm like, where's she at?

[June Diane Raphael]

I'll tell you where she's at.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I'll be back.

[June Diane Raphael]

I have issues with the movie, too, but. But Charles was having an affair with Camilla before they were married throughout, and that continued throughout.

[Paul Scheer]

But then she starts.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes, she does. Yes, right, Absolutely.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But he never stops.

[June Diane Raphael]

Never stopped. Not a once. And it was a loveless marriage, and he was so punishing toward her and humiliated her over and over.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, he did that fun dance, you know, when they got. I mean, look at this. You know, like, you say all this bad stuff about him, but then all of a sudden.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But we're asked in the musical over and over again to root for he and Camilla to be together.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, but I love. Sorry for this guy who, when the cello comes out and it gets funky.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, God.

[Paul Scheer]

You get danced.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

They had to rehearse this.

[June Diane Raphael]

This is insane. I forgot about this.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

For weeks. They rehearsed this. They went home to their loved ones at night and said, it's bad. Yeah, it's bad. I'm fucked. And I know so much choreography.

[Paul Scheer]

What is so crazy about this?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

They worked so hard.

[June Diane Raphael]

So hard.

[Paul Scheer]

The choreography.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's the kind of thing at the time.

[Paul Scheer]

The choreography is great. But what I guess is, like, they're not even parodying dance moves that we know. Like, at least, like, when you see that scene in Pulp Fiction, you're like, oh, I recognize these Dance moves.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I'm sorry, Paul, I'm gonna interrupt you. These are famous British dance moves, these motherfuckers.

[Paul Scheer]

Can't.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You do the left?

[Paul Scheer]

You do the left, then you do the tames. And then you come over here, you do the.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You do the tames. Or even. You do the tames.

[Paul Scheer]

You do the tames.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And I want to stress this because in case listeners perhaps didn't watch the movie, the actors and the performers, the dancers, the entire company is really doing the equivalent of a Broadway. It is. It's a Broadway show, and it is executed flawlessly. It is terrible. But when you really think about it, they put months of work in there, stage design every day, rehearsing, learning choreography, the choreographers designing choreography, all for this.

[June Diane Raphael]

I know.

[Paul Scheer]

It will live forever on Netflix. It will never live forever on Broadway. What?

[June Diane Raphael]

You know, all of these people were in the shower, like, before they had to go in.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Like, I'm gonna say. Yeah, I'll say this. Eight shows a week. Eight shows a week.

[Paul Scheer]

I don't think they even got that.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

No, but what if you had to do that for eight shows? You'd.

[Paul Scheer]

I don't know.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I don't know. That is wild.

[Paul Scheer]

I interrupted you. So I was saying I was falling in love with this Prince Charles.

[June Diane Raphael]

Charles is in a fantasy sequence. This isn't Charles.

[Paul Scheer]

So she never played the cello like a piano, And she didn't want everyone to be cool and be, like, a rock star. Because what I'm getting from this is like, I'm getting Princess Diana is Hannah Montana.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And she's like, shucks, I married a real stick in the mud. Well, the aspirational song is the song where she gets access to couture. You know, the difference is I'm throwing away the old clothes and I'm choosing my own clothes.

[Paul Scheer]

Right?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah. And that is the song that is, like, now I am.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, I read that differently. I think that song is more. I now understand how the. That I'm a commodity here. So I understand that I'm the most photographed woman in the world. And so I'm going to. She starts playing into it more.

[Paul Scheer]

But then when she goes to the AIDS ward, which happens in the musical, it seems like she's doing that as, like, a move of revenge. But I guess she.

[June Diane Raphael]

You have so much to learn about her. I honestly, I am learning it from the musical.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I think that was meant to be humanitarian, genuine.

[Paul Scheer]

But the way that I. I'm not.

[June Diane Raphael]

Saying I'm very uncomfortable.

[Paul Scheer]

I'm not saying what. I just want to Draw the line here, because I want to make sure that I'm clear. I understand how it was done in real life. I think the musical does her a disservice because it's positioned like that in the musical. Like, huh. What can I do to really piss them off? I'll go to the AIDS ward and shake their hands like that's what it. It feels real petulant to me. I'm not saying that that's who she is.

[June Diane Raphael]

I mean, this musical doesn't do a good job. And the reason why you have your reading and I have my reading is that I know her. So I'm not looking for failure as.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

A piece of art. If you need to know, that's what I was.

[June Diane Raphael]

I don't disagree. But, I mean, she introduced me. The question you have to ask yourself is, why don't you know her better?

[Paul Scheer]

I watched the Royal Wedding. I saw it live. And then, you know what I saw?

[June Diane Raphael]

When you were three years old, it.

[Paul Scheer]

Was a very big thing in my house, the Royal Wedding. I remember it. I remember it as a very. I remember sitting in front of the tv watching.

[June Diane Raphael]

Totally.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah. It was a very big thing. My mom was a very big Princess Di fan. It was a very big thing in my house. Yeah. And so that was like. But I don't get involved in their business. I let them do that.

[June Diane Raphael]

So we don't have you to blame for her death.

[Paul Scheer]

But I do. No, but I do want to read that book that they. Well, now, that was the other thing. Cause in the. Okay, again, a thing where I'm confused. In the musical, she goes, I'm calling up this gossip reporter we've never heard of before, and I guess we're all supposed to know. And she's like, I'm gonna tell you everything, but it has to be anonymous. And then the book comes out, and it's like, Princess Di in her own words. I'm like, well, wait, when did that happen? Where's the switch? Why didn't we. Why are we supposed to know this other story that, like, why did he sell her out? Is she mad?

[June Diane Raphael]

I don't know all those details, but I think. I do think the music.

[Paul Scheer]

I know all those questions, though. Am I right?

[June Diane Raphael]

I don't know all those details. I do think the music on the storytelling assumes. Now, this isn't my Diana, you know? And so I.

[Paul Scheer]

Your Diana isn't the one who says, I'm no intellect. Maybe there's a cool discotheque where Prince.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's not my Diana.

[Paul Scheer]

Here's Some prince. And then we'd all get Funkadelic. Then don't create a scene. You're auditioning to be his queen.

[June Diane Raphael]

No.

[Paul Scheer]

Pet Shop Boys. Come on, come on. Make some noise. Give it up for Adam Ant. Where are you, Diana? Huh?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I feel as though. And even though I just have said how much work went into this and all of that, it felt to me on a level of a group of very good improvisational singers arrived at the theater and said, can we get a suggestion? Someone said, princess Diana. And this is what they did. And by the way, if I saw.

[June Diane Raphael]

Jason, I'd be like, circumstances.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I'd be like, they're geniuses.

[Paul Scheer]

And I beg everyone, go see them. They are amazing.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Blow your mind.

[Paul Scheer]

Improvised Shakespeare. They're like them, but they do it to musicals.

[June Diane Raphael]

I see.

[Paul Scheer]

I took it as someone told them, you have exactly one hour and 57 minutes to tell every detail about this woman's life. Go.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And then give nothing. Wait.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah, they. Because they really do have got to.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Just get to the next thing.

[Paul Scheer]

I said it before. She has two babies and one.

[June Diane Raphael]

And the trouble with the. With creating a musical around this is also. We know the ending. Well, I don't.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Do you all know what happened to her? I was surprised. I was surprised.

[Paul Scheer]

I. I did know. I did know the ending. I did know the ending.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I only looked it up afterwards that that's not Diana.

[June Diane Raphael]

I was like, when we already know where she's headed, it's hard to ever feel that this is a hero's journey and that she's going to get redemption because we ultimately know that they killed her.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, not only that, but here is, to me, the true offense of all of this, which is, yes, it is the story of Diana, theoretically. Right. But it is so respectful of the royal family, who, again, are villains. So much so that the final word of the musical is given to Charles.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah. I was like, shame on you.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, that. That.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Shame on you.

[Paul Scheer]

Do that now. This is where I'll get you back on my side. I found the end to be terrible because I felt like all of a sudden, these people who were treated her like are the ones that go like, ah, so sad. So sad. Like, your fault.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You did this. They have no.

[Paul Scheer]

They have no.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

They with them in prison or. And all of the land that they hold given back to the people or what are we doing?

[June Diane Raphael]

I mean, listen, I do think the royals. I mean, they essentially function as a tourist attraction now, but they own all the. They do. But. But there is a sense. I mean, I'VE I don't know. Is anyone British here? And would you care to speak on the royals? But it does feel like there. There's just a tourism economy, that I'm part British.

[Paul Scheer]

What?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You want to know.

[June Diane Raphael]

That?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I'm shocked you don't get more jobs with that accent.

[Paul Scheer]

That crazy bag go punching mirrors all the time.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, Paul, I just got a text. Guy Ritchie needs to talk to you. Oh, wow.

[Paul Scheer]

All right. Snatch prequel, here I come.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Mini Snatch.

[Paul Scheer]

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[June Diane Raphael]

I got to go back though, to. To when someone made the call to put cameras on this. Like, I still need to understand a little bit more. So I guess barely up for a week and they anticipate. Like, this is.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

My guess is because Hamilton sold for so much money in success, by the.

[Paul Scheer]

Way, this is such a take. They were like, Hamilton.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I think they were like, let's get in before. Let's license this before it becomes obviously a mega hit. We'll get it cheap rather than bidding on it later when it's all. Because Hamilton, what was it? It sold for $65 million. Just that. Just the. Something crazy.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah, it was a huge.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

My guess is they saw that and were like, oh, we can get in on the. Before this even blows up.

[Paul Scheer]

Netflix knows exactly what they're doing. They're like, we got the crown and now we're gonna give you, like, you need another season. We gotta edit that shit. So watch this, you dummies. And I'm sure so many people watch.

[June Diane Raphael]

Because, oh, you know, your mom watched this. Oh, absolutely. Thousand times.

[Paul Scheer]

Absolutely. And I'm gonna tell you, people watched it and they fucking loved it. Like, I don't think this is, like. Cause again, it's Netflix. You didn't go to the theater. There's no expectation. You're like, that was cute.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Out of curiosity. Out of curiosity. For those of you who watched it in the audience, if you watch it.

[Paul Scheer]

With my mom, let me know how.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Many of you were shocked to find out that this was a filmed live performance? I thought I was going to be watching, like, Cats. I was shocked that now we've just decided on small clips.

[June Diane Raphael]

I just raised my hand.

[Paul Scheer]

This audience is not giving it up.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I don't know about you guys. Honestly, I think.

[Paul Scheer]

I hate.

[June Diane Raphael]

I just hate. I just assumed. Yeah, I assumed it was as Diana, the musical. Yeah, it was A movie?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[Paul Scheer]

I also was shocked that it was a film. State adaptation. I thought it was gonna be a musical film. I will tell you that if you think about it, like, the crown is out. You have that movie, Spencer, which is out and getting award acclaim.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And then this.

[Paul Scheer]

Like this.

[June Diane Raphael]

And also Diana, the tapes and Diana.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, wait, what's the tape?

[June Diane Raphael]

If you head on to Netflix, there's another docu series called Diana the Tapes.

[Paul Scheer]

So Netflix is just kind of cornering the market of Diana.

[June Diane Raphael]

Market stuff. Yeah.

[Paul Scheer]

So.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So if you want to sell a show right now, it sounds like putting Diana in as a show. Netflix. Fascinating.

[Paul Scheer]

I mean, I will say that. You know what I was surprised at was the person who wrote it for the stage. He did write Toxic the Musical, which is the Troma film, Toxic Avengers. So he did come from that. But also he was the keyboard player for Bon Jovi. He was the composer. His name is David Bryan. And, yeah, so these guys, I think, had. They also wrote this.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Cause I was gonna say it had real rock and roll music vibes, you know, which surprised me also, that I was like, oh, this is way more like electric guitar forward than I would have thought for a Broadway guitar.

[Paul Scheer]

It didn't feel like it continued throughout the whole thing.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

No, it was a mess.

[Paul Scheer]

But these guys, these guys who work together. The other One is Joe DePietro. They wrote this other thing. If you're in New York City, I know that you probably both know what I'm gonna talk about is I love you. You're perfect now.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Change.

[Paul Scheer]

Of course, that was what they wrote before this. So I think they come from a more comedy background. So it's like Toxic Avenger. I love you now. You're perfect now Change. And Diana, the musical, One of those things doesn't really fit. Like, I could see, like, the funny version. Well, I guess I don't know what the funny version is, but I guess, like, there's a part of me that's.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Like, let's pitch it out, though. What is the fun, you know? Well, I think playing cello, I think. But it's hilarious.

[Paul Scheer]

Funny version. I do. Like, this is the funny version right here.

[June Diane Raphael]

Officer Hewitt, I hear you offer lessons.

[Paul Scheer]

There's only one type of lesson I offer. Riding lessons. Boom. I assumed your husband gives you riding lessons.

[June Diane Raphael]

He's tried. He's not very good.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, perhaps he just doesn't have the proper horse.

[June Diane Raphael]

And do you have the proper horse, your royal highness?

[Paul Scheer]

I think you'd adore my horse. Oh, all right, all right.

[June Diane Raphael]

I just made up those Bits of dialogue. But aren't they delicious?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

They are.

[Paul Scheer]

No response.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Zero response. But that should be our window character.

[Paul Scheer]

But by the way.

[June Diane Raphael]

Sure.

[Paul Scheer]

By the way. I think I do a better British accent than she does. But I will say this. Why stop the musical to say I made that up? So you telling me the rest is all transcripts? You telling me the rest is letter perfect to what actually happened? That fucked me up. It was like, all right, we went too far here. The rest of the shit we took.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Some jealousy we were talking about there.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Just there. But everything else.

[Paul Scheer]

Everything else perfect. Like, truly document like Ken Burns before this. I got in and I got a little silly.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But that was like, when this happened, when James Hewitt arrived. And I was like, okay, okay, got it, got it. I did that thing where I'm like, okay, this has gotta be like, we're getting to the end here. One hour left. I had a panic attack.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Cause I was already feeling unwell.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

From what I'd watched so far. To have one to click on that status bar and see that you have one hour left in this abject nightmarescape.

[Paul Scheer]

All right.

[June Diane Raphael]

Was quite long. Now, is James Hewitt the one that they. There are rumors is. Is Harry's father? Yeah.

[Paul Scheer]

Because he looks like Harry, just like him.

[June Diane Raphael]

Does he?

[Paul Scheer]

And then, I mean, here they're like.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He looks like Hugh Grant, though. Here they give him Hugh Grant floppy hair.

[Paul Scheer]

And. And James Hewitt wrote a book about Diana, too, and he was kind of really out. I did a little deep dive on James Hewitt because I was like, who is this hunky dude? And he seems to have had a rough go of it afterwards because he wrote a tell all novel. He feels very badly about it. It looks like it took a toll.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

On a tell all novel.

[Paul Scheer]

All right, well, he took some liberties, fictionalized it. Tell all books.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Sorry, Tell all book. Telling everything. But it's fiction.

[Paul Scheer]

It's like Primary Colors the book. But yeah, there was something really interesting about. I mean, oh, boy, I have so many questions about Diana and Yu because I also felt like they had a good thing. But did she not really like him?

[June Diane Raphael]

I. I think she. I don't know, obviously. But I think that what she said.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's so hard. So hard to get access to what really happened. When this is your only. When this is your only. Well, I'm actually trying to remember that person.

[Paul Scheer]

I'm a. Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

I'm trying to remember from. I think that. I do think she loved Charles and that, no, she didn't necessarily want a life with James Hewitt. But she wanted out of that marriage.

[Paul Scheer]

Right? But in the play, she often says, like, I have been through divorce and I know that I'm not having that happen again. She talks about divorce as if I've murdered someone and I will never murder anyone ever again. I'm like, wow, you're really upset about divorce. But she, like, she really has, like that, like, I just think that all of her, like, she's getting out of bed, she's really happy with James Hewitt, and then she's going to talk to Charles and she's like, hey, what's up? And he's like, hey, leave me alone. And I'm like, I don't know where you're at. I don't know where you're at. I thought you were happy.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You really were. Didn't have access to the interiority of this character.

[Paul Scheer]

And I had a problem. But here's what I will tell you. I turned it on. I saw an hour and 57 minutes. I was like, you know what I'll do? I'll watch 30 minutes tonight, I'll watch 30 minutes tomorrow, and then I'll finish before the show. I couldn't turn it off. Couldn't turn it off. And then when I saw it was like 20 minutes left, I was like, well, I can finish it tomorrow. It's one in the morning. I'm like, I can't. I gotta finish it now.

[June Diane Raphael]

I understand.

[Paul Scheer]

And then when the credits started rolling, I was like, maybe there's a post credit scene. And there was.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

There is.

[June Diane Raphael]

There was.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah. It shows them rehearsing with the fucking masks on and stuff.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Play it.

[June Diane Raphael]

I never saw it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, I didn't see that.

[Paul Scheer]

No.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah, it's like I didn't see that. I see. I watched. Watched it the exact opposite way. I was like, I was in a full flop sweat 20 minutes in.

[June Diane Raphael]

Not in a sauna bed.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Not in a sauna bed. I wish I was like, I can't handle this. I'm not. Well, this makes me feel not safe. This makes. I don't. I don't like. I don't like any of what's happening. I don't like. I don't like musicals. Never mind one that is this catastrophically bad. Paul, I feel like you're showing the audience too much.

[Paul Scheer]

I went too quick.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay. Something really scary happened on our Netflix account and I think we deleted it. But all of a sudden another profile was there.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Whoa. Probably because of things like this, by the way. I think we just found out how that happened.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, you know, it Was really spooky, and someone had been watching things. Things.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Anything good?

[Paul Scheer]

I don't.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Maybe they were trying to recommend good stuff.

[June Diane Raphael]

I mean, it felt like a teenager. And I was like, oh, is there a babysitter or someone who.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

If it's. If it's a hardened interruption.

[Paul Scheer]

This tile is not available to watch right now. Why not? Oh, there it is. All right, let's just. Oh, maybe it's playing. Maybe it's playing at our house at the same time.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, it is. It's in. It's on in the bedroom.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, it's on. You just keep it. You keep it going.

[June Diane Raphael]

I paused it. I paused it.

[Paul Scheer]

I mean, I think some of this play can be summed up. I do have one.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Open it in an inc. Oh, no, you. It won't work. It won't work for you.

[Paul Scheer]

I was going to say I have one note here for myself that I just wrote down, which is. Musicals are hard.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But I will say these actors make it look good. I don't. I want to, again, say they're doing great, a great job with truly, catastrophically bad material.

[Paul Scheer]

The set design, the costume changes, and even though there was a lot of aggressive shoulder movement, the choreography was pretty much on point. Like, they were really. I don't think the choreography was great, but they were in sync.

[June Diane Raphael]

I beg to differ.

[Paul Scheer]

I could be impressed with that.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, I'm gonna say something else, Paul, which is. I thought the costumes were terrible. I thought the set was. Was terrible, and I thought the. The choreography was terrible.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Really?

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah, it was.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's it. But they are doing their best. Like, again, the performers are.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, yeah, we're talking about quick changes. This is not a movie. That's why I'm saying, like, if you're doing this on stage eight nights a week, like, and you're covering eight nights a week. Paul, you don't. Eight shows a week. Eight shows a week. Eight shows a week.

[June Diane Raphael]

But you don't go to a musical to be taken away by the quickness of the costume changes. Yes, you do get lost in this story.

[Paul Scheer]

Are you telling me, June. Are you telling me that when you go see Oklahoma, you're like, oh, it doesn't look like a fucking real farm. I know it's not a real farm. I got to suspend disbelief. That's Buckingham Palace. I see a fucking gate. There's a bed. I don't need to see the four walls. I'm watching flashes. We got to give it up for suspension of disbelief.

[June Diane Raphael]

I thought the stage design, and I. I'm not gonna say I'm an expert in this area, but I do feel.

[Paul Scheer]

That'S what you majored in college.

[June Diane Raphael]

I do feel. I know a couple of stage designers. I do feel Eve Feinberg, someone I.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Went to high school with, get them on the phone.

[June Diane Raphael]

And so I do. I really do appreciate stage design in plays. And I thought this was terrible.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah.

[Paul Scheer]

You didn't like the long table. When they all took that long table, it went from a bar to a back bar. It was like.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It was a straight bar into a boxing ring. Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

I'm just saying there was nothing interesting about that stage. I know you loved it so much. You love that stage.

[Paul Scheer]

I want to be on that stage. I want to be on that floor.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That, for you, is really the room where it happened.

[Paul Scheer]

Amen. Amen. And then I saw Patti LuPone do Sweeney Todd with no set. And I was there.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, by the way. By the way, I saw the same production. There is a beautiful stage design. It's simple, but it was amazing.

[Paul Scheer]

You're right.

[June Diane Raphael]

This is.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This makes no sense. Again, this feels like a high school production in. Oh.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, yeah, I was. But you were not impressed with the dress. You weren't impressed with the quick changes. Any of the quick changes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Paul. Like Paul. I'm comfortable saying that is. That is base level, what should be done?

[June Diane Raphael]

Am I comfortable with the fact that they knew their lines?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Like, you weren't surprised that they could sing on key? No, that's the job.

[Paul Scheer]

I guess I just like live performers doing their craft.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I think that's the closest it got to being a magic trick. And you liked that?

[Paul Scheer]

I did. I did.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That was the point in the movie where you're like, how'd they do that? And it got your attention. I was all in.

[Paul Scheer]

I was all in. I did feel uncomfortable for James Hewitt to have his shirt off for so much of it. I just felt.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

On a mechanical bull. Yeah. Or a mechanical horse, I guess. Yeah.

[Paul Scheer]

I just felt uncomfortable.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

The James Hewitt song, too, was fucking bonkers.

[Paul Scheer]

I mean, they're all.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wait, that one that we just saw.

[Paul Scheer]

No, no, this one. The one where our romance novelist.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, it's me again. Barbara Cox.

[Paul Scheer]

Great set. Look at that set. Where are we, Buckingham Palace?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It.

[June Diane Raphael]

If your prince leaves you wanting more.

[Paul Scheer]

Hold on. Look at this sage design. God, red lights. Ooh, the red light district.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Get you thinking to match her dress.

[Paul Scheer]

That's what I like.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Match.

[Paul Scheer]

Red means.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I don't think it's just the red light district. This again. This is entirely set in the world of, like, extreme Wealth.

[Paul Scheer]

I don't know. This is getting me a little, you know.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, good news. Good news, Paul. Bad news, June, it's playing in your bedroom. Why not score a man of war?

[June Diane Raphael]

Here comes. Here comes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

J.

[Paul Scheer]

If you can't afford a horse, get a saddle on a seat that comes out from the stage. How many times have you seen that in a Broadway show?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is. The visual is getting hard on.

[Paul Scheer]

Great stage design.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's a boner visual.

[Paul Scheer]

Great stage design. And the red lights change to what? Blue balls.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Everybody is soaking wet for this guy. I would rather.

[June Diane Raphael]

I love you. I would rather watch them.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I would.

[June Diane Raphael]

They had a lot of chemistry. Like, genuinely.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I rather watch them fuck.

[Paul Scheer]

So here's James Hewitt.

[June Diane Raphael]

Let's pull up a picture of him during his, like, riding days.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah. All right. So his riding days. There's a picture of him with die right here.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Okay.

[Paul Scheer]

I mean, not. No, that's not okay. Yeah. Wait, look at this. He looks like a dork on. Okay.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You can't just agree. What are you doing? You now have a subscription to the Times or re.

[Paul Scheer]

Every day.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I want to buy a way.

[Paul Scheer]

All the beds are doing.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And you're getting advertising. You just got. Your identity is gone. Between the Netflix login and this, you're done.

[Paul Scheer]

I do it for you. God damn it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You're gonna get home tonight. There's gonna be 40 more profiles.

[June Diane Raphael]

I know.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Everyone here is cool. You shouldn't be. You're showing too much. There needs to be a. How did this get made? Laptop. This is dangerous.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, there you go. That's what he looks like.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You need a burner laptop. These fuck. You can't trust these maniacs. They're out there. Like fuck. Did you see that? What was it? What was it?

[Paul Scheer]

What was it?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What was it? It was Gmail. And there was two, right? Yeah, two. There's two profiles. You did you get. Why don't you get the top? I'll get the bottom.

[Paul Scheer]

I thought I was moving pretty quickly. Thank God it's not being taped for Netflix. So you could rewind it and screen grab it and shoot it out. But look, we have a lot of questions out here. There may be some of my British friends out here. There may be people out here that have different questions. Let's go to you, to the audience. Let's have the house lights up a little bit and I'll just tell you all we are trying to record it. Well, of course. Cause it's a podcast. And so because I'm not gonna out there with the mic, I May have to repeat the questions. So here we go. What do you got? Yeah, right down here.

[June Diane Raphael]

Why do you think it was so important for them to talk about how dumb Diana was?

[Paul Scheer]

All right, great. So this is important. All right, so the question here. And what's your name? Montana. Montana. And whose side are you on ultimately in this? June's side. Okay. You're on June's side. Why do you see there's no other.

[June Diane Raphael]

Side to be on?

[Paul Scheer]

I mean, where's my team Camilla?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wait, do you think. Do you think. Do you think we represent different sides of the.

[Paul Scheer]

I think that Camilla made the ultimate sacrifice.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What are you talking about?

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, my God.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wait, so you are saying they wouldn't let her marry him. You are saying you are Team Camilla.

[Paul Scheer]

Isn't that the case? Isn't that the story? That they wouldn't let her marry him?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

She was married.

[Paul Scheer]

Because she knew it was a dead end.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

She.

[Paul Scheer]

She was like, look. She's like, look. What do you want me to fucking do? I got it.

[June Diane Raphael]

You know, she was already married when she met Jess.

[Paul Scheer]

But did she, like. Oh, when she met us?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, I think they had known each other for a while, but when they were having an affair, she was already married.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, okay. I didn't know that. I thought it was. I thought they were, like, long time, like. Like high school sweethearts. Like, they went on a field trip to, like, you know, London.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You guys, you're acting as if these are people who have had normal lives. These are monsters.

[Paul Scheer]

All right, so the question from Montana was, why do they have to keep on pointing out that she's so dumb? And this actually goes into what I was saying, that they do her a disservice. They make her dumb. They make her like a dumb kid. Yeah. And I don't know. And that's why I do think the play isn't on her side.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, I don't think the play is on anyone's side. I think the play is constantly having it both ways with everybody. They both want you to think Charles is an idiot and a villain, but then also believe in the love story of Charles and Camilla and the fact that they miss their Sundays.

[Paul Scheer]

They want you to believe that the queen is different than the romance novelist.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

She is.

[Paul Scheer]

What are you telling me the queen's not. They're the same person in the musical? I was. I thought that was what the show was trying to prove to me.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That's quite a quick change.

[Paul Scheer]

That was a good quick change. All right, so any other questions? Any other questions? Yeah, right. There. Whose side are you on? And what's your name?

[June Diane Raphael]

I'm Molly. June and Jason.

[Paul Scheer]

Okay, June and Jason, which is also mine, I just want to point out. It's mine.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

She gets it. I'm just saying, if you didn't know anything, I'm curious. Just so we don't have to waste time, is anybody here on Paul's side? Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Paul Scheer]

Look, I'm not saying in real life. I'm just saying the musical version of this. That's where I'm at. Okay. Yes, go ahead.

[June Diane Raphael]

The feck you dress.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes. The fuck you dress.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, no, no.

[Paul Scheer]

Feck you.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's feck you until the last line is fuck you.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes. The feck you dress.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's actually a famous dress. June might know if you guys didn't know that black dress. Did you. Do you think that was a FAQ dress? You thought that was. Was it effective?

[Paul Scheer]

Okay, Was the fec you dress effective? Let's pull it up here.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Okay, so you're. So the question is, do you think it was successful in its attempt to, like, be, like, a declarative statement of something? Yeah, certainly. Yes, absolutely. This is a famous dress, right?

[June Diane Raphael]

That's a classic.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Even I know this. Yeah. Revenge looks best in an effort. Paul, pause. Oh, will you rewind it just like a couple. Just like a few seconds? Okay, so right here, you love that stage design. I like. I love the light.

[Paul Scheer]

What I like about this stage design is a couple things. It doesn't take attention away from the feck you dress and actually lets the feck you dress shine. And to your question, I believe it's a feck you dress because they're telling me it. So, like, if so I didn't have to even imagine it. They told me as everything. Every emotion is told to me except the things that should be told to me. Like the suicide that's hidden in a punch through the mirror. But this is very clean. Everyone is very clean and clear with how they feel. So, yeah, she could be serving pizza and saying it's soup. And if you say it's soup enough times, I'm like, I guess that's soup.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

See, I liked this. I liked this. This is where the musical fails because this is a really good idea. At a juxtaposition between Prince Charles giving this televised interview where he's gonna take some sort of ownership, and she's stealing focus with this fuck you dress. Right? And to be able to. That could have. That juxtaposition could have created tension and been something great. And instead, it's just like, not. It's neither. Neither side of it is particularly effective at dramatizing the events of what I think. Is this a true story?

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, these two things happen on the same night. Like, things got a bit conflated, I think, because I.

[Paul Scheer]

This is true. She was going to go to this very big event. I actually do have this research for me.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay.

[Paul Scheer]

All right. So this is. Okay. Paul Burrell. That's her close friend and confidant. In an interview after the Princess died, Burrell spoke about how Diana felt humiliated after Charles admitted his infidelity to the press. The evening that Charles interview aired, Diana was scheduled to appear at the annual Serpentine Gallery summer party and nearly did not go. According to Burrell, he talked her into going and chose a very sexy black dress for her to wear with a diamond choker as a way to tell the world that she was not going to be humiliated. Their duet. The dress is a direct reference to this conversation.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So that's. I like that.

[Paul Scheer]

No, no, no, wait.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Applause. Now you're just giving the audience applause.

[Paul Scheer]

I know.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is a cheerful me. Jason. Jason. Jason. Jason.

[Paul Scheer]

Camila. Camila. Camila.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Team CPB over here.

[June Diane Raphael]

I'm so upset about that, Paul. And you're going to need you to take it back. Honestly.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is a new team. Sanity is Team cpb.

[Paul Scheer]

I'm judging this as a person who just walked into the local Netflix cinema and chose Diana. I don't know what this is about. Is this true?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But if this had been bouncing back and forth between him giving the interview and her doing this and ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, that could have been fun and cool and have given more, again, more emotionality to the moment and to what they were going through. But instead, it's. Everything is reduced to just. Everything's reduced to one thing. And this is just the dress.

[Paul Scheer]

Do you remember that one song? And now I can't remember it, but it was when it's with the romance novelist and she goes, it's him, it's her. It's a combo of him and her. What is that? What are you. I don't even know what you're saying. That was odd. It was like, what is like, what's the combo of him and her? Like? I didn't understand what even that was going for, but it does feel like. I said to June when she was watching again and I walked and was watching it over her shoulder.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's interesting because they both watched it twice.

[Paul Scheer]

I definitely watch a few more scenes.

[June Diane Raphael]

You stop by and watch more of it than I think you're willing to.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, yeah, no, I'll admit it.

[Paul Scheer]

I'll admit it. And I guess, like every time I.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Watch it, I want to have this severance procedure done for this movie so that I can live in a world in which I don't remember having seen it.

[June Diane Raphael]

I have to be honest with you, Jason, I might watch it again.

[Paul Scheer]

I'm going to tell you, it goes down smoother the second time. Obviously we have an opinion about this movie with a different opinion. It is now time for Second Opinions. They go to Amazon to get their reviews on. These people's minds are gone. They're second opinionated.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

They're lowering their bars.

[Paul Scheer]

These movies are subpar.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

They give them all 5 stars.

[Paul Scheer]

Second opinionated. Amazing.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What an amazing job.

[Paul Scheer]

Thank you, Chris. Chris said he wrote that 10 seconds before the show. You could not tell it was better than most of the songs in Diana the Musical.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I would believe it if Chris had written Diana the Musical.

[Paul Scheer]

Diana the Musical. Second Opinions so these are the reviews, sadly, just from the soundtrack on Amazon.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, when did this come? Is it.

[Paul Scheer]

This came out in 2021. Yeah. So this was awarded all the razzies this year just a mere few weeks ago. But people do mention the stage version and Netflix one a lot. So here are some reviews here. I'll start off with this one from Man. Every performance is breathtakingly spot on. I would not change anything about this musical. A masterpiece. Five stars. Absolutely wonderful. There we go. Jennifer W. Hale writes, after seeing the Netflix show, I had to get the soundtrack. I know this is a controversial piece, but I love it. Five stars. This is a fun musical, I would say. Fun is not the word I would use. And then. Okay, two more quick ones from an Amazon customer. I absolutely loved it. The music was so good. The cast is amazing. Do yourself a favor and go see the Broadway show in person and then watch the Netflix iteration as well because it's just brilliant. Enough said. Five stars. Now here is the thing that was weird that Nate found. Nate Kiley, our amazing researcher, found out that a lot of the five star reviews happen to be for Shrek the musical and they somehow are on the Diana page. So the ones I just read might have been for Shrek if they don't specifically say Diana. Because in the Diana musical ones we also found this one from Jandy. Jandy writes, this is a gift from my husband Tony, who loves musicals as especially this one. He enjoys playing his cast album of Shrek while working on his computer. Five stars. Thank You. Jandy. June and I saw Shrek the Musical.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What?

[June Diane Raphael]

When?

[Paul Scheer]

Remember we went to go see at the Pantages.

[June Diane Raphael]

That was somebody else.

[Paul Scheer]

We were there with Cool Op and Scott. I stepped about. You were definitely there. School up in Scott and everyone was there.

[June Diane Raphael]

I have no recollection of that.

[Paul Scheer]

We got yelled at.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

How about this? This is the first I'm hearing that there is such a thing as a Shrek musical.

[Paul Scheer]

It's on Netflix.

[June Diane Raphael]

Like this.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah. It's also on YouTube for free.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Please do not make us watch it.

[Paul Scheer]

Shrek the Musical. Now. Now I will say Camilla Parker Bowles. And that is actually you. You'll see a different side of her.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Would you recommend she plays Donkey?

[Paul Scheer]

Oh.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, Shrek. Wait, that's the thing that makes.

[Paul Scheer]

I can't believe him. I can't believe him talking. Wow. Despicable.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

The only other character I know from Shrek, Fiona. Should I have said Lady Shrek?

[Paul Scheer]

Lord Farquhar.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I don't know from Shrek. I know there's a donkey.

[Paul Scheer]

Would you recommend it? Shout out.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Actually put it in twice. But instead, when I make the joke, instead of them booing, put in before when they chanted my name. I will kill. Regardless of what happens in this.

[Paul Scheer]

Would you recommend it?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

No.

[Paul Scheer]

June.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You know.

[June Diane Raphael]

It is something to see. And I do feel like musicals in general, it's so hard to translate a stage production to a screen in general. It's not gonna be as good. And so I do feel we've been judging this a bit unfairly. We might have had a different experience in the theater.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Would you have enjoyed it more if you'd gone to the theater to see it? Would you have been more forgiving?

[Paul Scheer]

Perhaps?

[June Diane Raphael]

I think so. I think so. But. And in some ways, I think seeing everybody up close, seeing customs up close, seeing all of that.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, sorry, go ahead.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, too close. Doesn't. It's like that show. Is it a cake they have to watch? They look at the cake from, like, 15ft away.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, I was going to say, you.

[Paul Scheer]

Would like to look at this further away.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What? Yeah, one of my. Well, one of my notes was. One of my notes that I didn't say was, would I have enjoyed this more if it had been filmed? You're right. Not up close, but, like, from the middle of the room and the audience been full of people enjoying the show.

[Paul Scheer]

It's kind of like that Bo Burnham special for Chris Rock where Spike Lee is taking up so much attention because he's, like, in the front row, but you still feel like you're in the audience. And I do like that idea that I think that the audience not being here is a problem.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I agree.

[Paul Scheer]

This is like a Tony and Tina's wedding. Charles and Diana. I feel like it has, like, this element, but it's the wrong take for a story that is this dark.

[June Diane Raphael]

Listen, I don't think this succeeds necessarily on stage either, but I don't. But I think I would have enjoyed it. I might have enjoyed it more and been more forgiving.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So you're saying your recommendation is go back in time and see it in the theater?

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

I mean, again, it seems it's. And it's playing on every TV in our home right now.

[Paul Scheer]

We're making our children only watch tv.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Every one of those. That's why there's so many profiles on your. Netflix is. So every TV can be playing this simultaneously.

[Paul Scheer]

Everyone in our house watches something so different, and it screws up everyone's algorithm. So I just made everyone their own profile.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah, you did. You really did.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Is that for every app?

[June Diane Raphael]

Pretty much. It's for Disney plus, too. It's for. He. He wants his own. His content on his own. Yeah, he doesn't want my content on my own.

[Paul Scheer]

I just, like. I was having trouble with that Netflix algorithm because you are watching anything where people are getting murdered all the time, and I'm like, how can I find the Atom Project? It's like your version of Netflix. The Atom Project does not even exist.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

The answer is don't find the Atom Project. Why are you looking for the Adam Project? It has to be great. How do I find Free Guy?

[Paul Scheer]

Ryan Reynolds sent me a case of gin. He's a nice gentleman.

[June Diane Raphael]

I do think this is something to behold, though. It's something to see. And none of the songs are memorable.

[Paul Scheer]

But I would say they're impossible to even sing.

[June Diane Raphael]

Sure.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Except for that gentleman. There they are. There's nothing hooky. Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

There's nothing to hold on to.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It really just is sung exposition, you know, for the most part.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, good news. We're gonna bring you to New York, and we're gonna put this on for you. Jason, you are gonna get to go and see this live in New York City. Let's go, everybody.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

We're all getting on a plane, buses outside. We're going to Broadway.

[Paul Scheer]

All right, well, that. That is it. A big thank you to Avril Halley, who has been sitting on this one for a long time. She's like, this needed to be a live show because you need to talk about the wonderful staging, the beautiful costumes and you need to see it to believe it. Up in the booth tonight, our amazing sound engineer, Devin Bryant. Alec Dixon up there working all the sound and lights and everything like that. Our producer, Cody Fisher, our producer Molly Reynolds. And of course, Nikki. Kylie does all of our research. Thank you to Largo. This is amazing to be here. We will see you soon. We'll be back.

[June Diane Raphael]

Hey, weirdos. I'm Elena. And I'm Ash. And we are the hosts of Morbid Podcast. Each week we dive into the dark and fascinating world of true crime, spooky history, and the unexplained. From infamous killers and unsolved mysteries to haunted places and strange legends. We cover it all with research, empathy, humor, and a few creative expletives. It's smart, it's spooky, and it's just the right amount of weird. Two new episodes drop every week and there's even a bonus once a month. Find us wherever you listen to podcasts. Yay.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Woo.

[Paul Scheer]

Bubba Wallace here with Tyler Reddick. You know what's more nerve wracking than waiting for qualifying results?

[June Diane Raphael]

Waiting for the green flag to drop.

[Paul Scheer]

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