Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast — S3 E10: Opening Night (Part 2)

Release Date: October 6, 2023
Hosts: Maggie Bowles & Ryan Tillotson
Guests: Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (Pasek and Paul), Michael R. Jackson, Ian Eisendrath

Episode Overview

This finale episode of the “Only Murders in the Pod” podcast dives deep into the musical heart of Season 3’s climactic “Opening Night.” Hosts Maggie Bowles and Ryan Tillotson bring listeners behind the curtain to unpack how the original songs for the show’s fictional musical, Death Rattle Dazzle, were conceived, written, recorded, and brought to life. Joining them are the powerhouse songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen), Pulitzer winner Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop), and executive music producer Ian Eisendrath.

The conversation is playful, nerdy, and detailed—celebrating the delightful absurdity, craft, and collaborative spirit that turned an onscreen murder-mystery musical into a genuine love letter to Broadway.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Pasek and Paul Joined the Project

• Justin Paul bumped into Sass Goldberg (a show writer) while on vacation. Jokingly volunteered their songwriting services for anything on the show (“a ditty, a jingle, a commercial… sign us up”—Benj Pasek, 01:01).
• The connection quickly became real when the S3 plotline called for a fictional musical, and Pasek & Paul were officially asked to join.
• They invited Michael R. Jackson to collaborate, initially tempting him with the promise of working with Meryl Streep.

2. Collaborative Songwriting Process

• “For the Sake of a Child”: Michael R. Jackson reveals he had never written for television or in collaboration like this. “It was a great opportunity and an interesting challenge. So I jumped into it.” (Michael R. Jackson, 03:15)
• Kickoff sessions with showrunner John Hoffman were crucial. He provided context, character backgrounds, dramatic intentions, and the actual tone they needed to strike.
• Much of the writing happened over Zoom (“We would just sort of get on Zoom together and we would... hack into it, bit by bit” — Michael R. Jackson, 15:10).

3. Death Rattle Dazzle’s Style & Broadway Inspirations

• The team describes Death Rattle Dazzle as a loving homage and gentle parody of overblown, melodramatic Broadway musicals, especially those from the 90s/2000s (e.g., Jekyll & Hyde, Lestat, The Scarlet Pimpernel).
• Quote: “Our goal was for people to watch it and be like, is this insane or is this really good? Or is it kind of both?” (Benj Pasek, 08:42)

4. Writing Specific Numbers

• Creatures of the Night: The big opening, setting a “melodramatic, slightly bonkers” tone. The inclusion of Crab Men is a running joke (“You can’t introduce and just leave them out to dry!” — Benj Pasek, 20:41).
• Nanny’s Lullaby (“Look for the Light”): Meryl Streep’s ballad, co-written with Sara Bareilles, intentionally “beautiful” and haunting, providing the show’s emotional core.
  • Collaborative sessions happened in-person on the Upper West Side. “Our goal, which was amazing, but, like, we always hoped that we’d get to maybe write something with [Sara].” (Benj Pasek, 23:41)
• The Pickwick Triplets Song: Co-written with Mark Shaiman and Scott Wittman, designed as a fast, alliterative patter designed to intentionally trip up Steve Martin’s character.
  • “It was in the best way, up, this competition... how much could we make the group laugh?” (Benj Pasek, 34:49)
  • Originally included the line, “Would a baby get fried for matricide?”—Steve Martin objected (“I don’t really want to picture a child in the electric chair” — Benj Pasek, 36:05).

5. Casting Surprises and Highlights

• The writers didn’t initially know who would sing which parts—but Michael R. Jackson had total faith in Paul Rudd. (“I just am like a whisperer in that way. I just can tell who’s got it and who doesn’t.” — Michael R. Jackson, 13:28)
• Paul Rudd’s vocal prowess was a revelation; Meryl Streep delivered layered, truthful performances; Martin Short brought wild spontaneity to every take.

6. Recording and Production

• Executive music producer Ian Eisendrath describes “pinch me” moments collaborating with legends like Streep, Martin, and Short.
• The team built a temporary studio on set so actors could jump in and record between scenes. “Production really embraced that this was a musical this season.” (Benj Pasek, 36:59)
• About 50% of the show’s musical vocals are “live” from set, interwoven meticulously with pre-records for maximum authenticity—a “patchwork quilt” of the best takes.
  • “No session is the same… It’s just this endless puzzle that I find so challenging.” (Ian Eisendrath, 45:10–48:52)

7. Thematic Depth and Joyful Absurdity

• The podcast highlights how musical theater—especially in Only Murders’ world—gains power and comedy from “taking itself seriously and not seriously at the same time.”
• Quote: “It felt like four boys in a room, like, playing Legos… ‘What if we added this? Oh my God, let’s connect them!’” (Justin Paul, 35:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Our goal was for people to watch it and be like, is this insane or is this really good? Or is it kind of both?” (Benj Pasek, 08:42)
• “It was a great opportunity and an interesting challenge. So I jumped into it.” (Michael R. Jackson, 03:15)
• “I just am like a whisperer in that way. I just can tell who’s got it and who doesn’t.” (Michael R. Jackson, 13:28)
• On Nanny’s Lullaby: “Is it okay that this is going to be like... We want to write a beautiful song?” (Benj Pasek, 26:10)
• “It felt like one of the most joyful work experiences that we’ve ever been a part of.” (Justin Paul, 52:29)

Songwriting & Recording: Timestamps by Key Songs

• For the Sake of a Child - Concept and collaboration: 03:15–06:40, 10:53–18:46
• Creatures of the Night - Opening, tone, and Crab Men: 20:00–21:37
• Look for the Light (Nanny’s Lullaby) - Writing with Sara Bareilles, Meryl’s performance: 22:15–29:14
• Pickwick Triplets Song - Co-writing with Shaiman/Whitman, patter song details: 32:42–36:40, 33:04–34:49
• Recording Logistics - Building the studio, mixing live and pre-recorded vocals: 36:59–51:23

Collaborative Culture & Takeaways

• Writers and composers worked with genuine affection and very little ego, joyfully riffing and one-upping each other in the service of both parody and craft.
• The Broadway community is deeply interconnected—collaborators frequently cite decades-long friendships, mutual fanboying, and a love of experiment.
• All guests agreed: creating a (fake) musical for a hit TV show, especially with opportunities to write for Streep, Martin, Short, and Rudd, was a career highlight.
• Meta-musicality: The cast and crew reveled in the diegetic musical form, letting viewers “in on the joke” while playing everything straight.

Conclusion

This special episode captures the exuberant behind-the-scenes efforts involved in mounting Death Rattle Dazzle, spotlighting how artifice, sincerity, and a sense of play can transform even the most over-the-top conceit into a love letter to musical theater. Fans of Only Murders—and musical theater in general—will find the podcast both illuminating and infectiously joyful.

For theories about Szaz’s murder or more behind-the-scenes insights, tune in next week as the showrunners and writers return to the podcast!