Paul and Corey Cross the Streams: S8E14 [THE LAST FIVE YEARS (2014)]
Let's put on a show! It's season 8 for Paul and Corey Cross the Streams, and this season we're watching musicals. It's a singular art form with a dynamic history, and we get to listen to a lot of cast recordings…
This week, Corey wanted to take a look at a musical that exemplifies a style of theatre that flourished in the '90s and '00s, formally inventive and indebted to Stephen Sondheim. This week's film is The Last Five Years (2014), adapted from the 2002 Off-Broadway show.
The show was written by Jason Robert Brown, and the film was adapted and directed by Richard LaGravenese. It stars Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan as the star-crossed lovers in what was a two-hander show.
The show/film's premise is that we watch a relationship and marriage begin and end from the perspectives of these two people in opposing chronological order. Confusing?! Not really, but kinda. We meet Cathy at the end of the relationship, and her story ends at the beginning, and then we meet Jamie at the beginning of their relationship and follow to the end.
It's a good idea! But that's about where the praise of the show and especially film end. There's just a lot wrong here, folks. Obviously, social media has had a field day with this show and how problematic Jamie is. And everyone knows about the legal disputes that surrounded the show - being that is a thinly-veiled autobiographical account of Jason Robert Brown's own experience. And then, the film itself is just so...amateurish.
A lot to discuss, and Paul even comes up with the definitive take on The Last Five Years!
11 Sept 2026
Paul and Corey Cross the Streams: S8E13 [THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979)]
Let's put on a show! It's season 8 for Paul and Corey Cross the Streams, and this season we're watching musicals. It's a singular art form with a dynamic history, and we get to listen to a lot of cast recordings…
This week, Paul made a left at the large fork in the road and chose The Muppet Movie (1979).
The Muppets have been a cultural institution for nearly 60 years, and this was a great opportunity to talk about the artistry and philosophy of Jim Henson and the other artists who created them, including but not limited to Jane Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Dave Goelz, and writers (of The Muppet Show and film) Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns.
The Muppet Movie was an offshoot of The Muppet Show (which itself was a reworking of their time on Saturday Night Live), and so Paul and Corey talk about how the two relate and the type of sketches, celebrity cameos, and humor the Muppets were known for.
Of course, the film might possibly not be as beloved if not for the beautiful songs and music written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher.
And ultimately Paul and Corey talk about the magic of the Muppets. Why they appeal to kids of any age, and why Jim Henson is such a beloved artist.
28 Aug 2026
Paul and Corey Cross the Streams: S8E12 [CABARET (1972)]
Let's put on a show! It's season 8 for Paul and Corey Cross the Streams, and this season we're watching musicals. It's a singular art form with a dynamic history, and we get to listen to a lot of cast recordings…
This week, Corey wanted to hear the music play with Cabaret (1972)!
Just like Singin' in the Rain, where do you begin with Cabaret? The film, a major rewrite of the 1966 Broadway show, which was an adaptation of the 1951 Broadway play I am a Camera, which also had a British film adaption in 1955. And all of those were based on a collection of stories titled The Berlin Stories (1945), by Christopher Isherwood. These were thinly fictionalized accounts of his experiences as a young gay British man living in the queer demimonde of Berlin during Germany's Weimar Republic. Phew! That's a lot!
Cabaret is just a monster of a show. With every reinvention, it says something new about itself and the world, and with every reinvention, you wonder, "How could any version of the show be better than this?!" Paul and Corey discuss all of that. The production woes of Bob Fosse and producer Cy Feuer; Kander and Ebb; Liza Minelli in her star-making performance; the role of art and fascism; and the life of Communist activist Jean Ross, who was the basis of Sally Bowles.
So, leave your troubles outside! Life is disappointing? Forget it! In this podcast, life is BEAUTIFUL!
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.3 / 5
6 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 57 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
87
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
68
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Who hosts Paul and Corey Cross the Streams?
Corey and Paul host the show. Published by Fanbase Press.
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The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
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