we need to talk about OCTET | thoughts on the Lin Manuel Miranda / Dave Malloy movie musical

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]Okay, I have been silent on this issue for long enough. Can we please discuss Lin Manuel Miranda creating a film adaptation of Dave Mallaloyy's Octet of All Things, starring the most exciting cast in a movie musical since I want to say Dream Girls. This news is as thrilling as it is completely unexpected, and you can bet we're going to talk about it. But just before we do, oh my god. Hey, welcome back to my theater themed YouTube channel, or hello to those of you listening to this on podcast platforms. For anyone joining me for the very first time, my name is Mickey Joe and I'm obsessed with all things theater, as you may have been able to tell from my surroundings. This is, well, this is a life I have cured for myself on purpose and at considerable expense. And I say I'm obsessed with all things theater. I feel as though I may be about to let you down because I am not familiar with Dave Mallaloyy's Octet. I know, I know.

[00:00:53]Listen, I have had friends telling me for years that I need to listen to Octet because I, like most people, became aware of Dave Mallaloyy's work as a musical theater composer through Natasha Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812, his breakthrough work. I was aware of it before it went to Broadway. I will say I'm not like a Josh Groin adopter kind of era. I got obsessed with the prologue, played it to some friends, some of them got really into Dave Mallaloy. We went together to go see Ghost Quartet and it was subsequently that I was told I needed to listen to Octet and I planned to but I never really got round to it. Listen, things to do, people to see. And by that I mean shows, shows to see. Don't assume I was socializing. What I do know, however, is that this is an eightpart ac capella musical that exists within a particularly niche corner of musical theater. And if I, prior to this news having been announced, were to have made a list of all of the shows I thought were going to be adapted for the screen, I don't think it would have even occurred to me to put Octet at the bottom. Octet would have been in a separate list titled Things That Obviously Are Never Going to Be Turned into Movie Musicals by Lin Manuel Miranda, starring this caliber of actors. And yet, here we are. So, plenty to discuss about the recently announced news. But also, if anyone is in a similar position to me and is not already familiar with Octet, we're going to do a little miniature deep dive today and find out what we can about this show. What is a miniature deep dive?

[00:02:13]It's a well, it's a shallow dive. That's what we're going to do. We're going to have the tiniest little splish splash into the world of Octet. We're going to talk about the casting. We're going to talk about the potential success of this film. And I am particularly curious to hear what you have to say, especially if you are better educated than I and you know Octet. Do you think this is going to make a good movie musical? How do you think it's going to work? Which piece of casting were you the most excited to see? In the meantime, here are my thoughts about Octet the movie.

[00:02:45]So, here is the initial news about the film adaptation as it was reported by Deep Tran in Play Bill on April 2nd. Lyn Manuel Miranda to direct film adaptation of Dave Mallaloyy's Octet. That much we know. The musical about screen addiction, I've already learned something. out how topical will be produced by 5,000 Broadway productions.

[00:03:03]I'm currently seeing four different screens right now through my human eyes.

[00:03:09]So, I'm worried I'm going to feel very seen as we continue to learn about this show. Here we go. Lin Manuel Miranda has announced his newest directing project, Octet, Dave Malloyy's acappella musical about screen addiction. And the musical itself will be on a screen because Octet is about to become a movie musical, yada yada yada. as part of Miranda's 5,000 Broadway productions, which also oversaw that third production company. By the way, that's not suggesting that he has directed 5,000 Broadway productions.

[00:03:35]That he has not. He has accomplished, but that would be something else. That production company also oversaw his screen adaptation of Tick Tick Boom starring Andrew Garfield, which I do feel afforded him an enormous amount of capital. I think the success of Tick Tick Boom critically and artistically within the theater community and the film community from what I could tell I think that really solidified Lyn Manuel Miranda as a musical theater filmmaker the likes of which alongside the brilliant John Mchu we desperately need.

[00:04:06]Because here's the thing and I'm probably going to repeat myself later when I talk about the potential success of this as a project. It isn't always good news for musical theater fans when you find out that a show you love is being turned into a movie. As somebody who loves Into the Woods more than just about anything else, and for whom lay miz is also right up there, I have known my fair share of heartbreak. And sometimes great musicals become great movies. Sometimes great musicals become bad movies. Sometimes decent, not great musicals become surprisingly good movies. And it all has to do with this careful process of adaptation. Sometimes too many changes are made, sometimes not enough changes are made. Looking at you, the producers catching strays in an octet video of all things. But the hurdle in any case seems to be how we take this often whimsical world of spontaneous musicalized sung storytelling and adapt it to the screen where everything feels a lot more literal. Some movies are positioned tonally in a way that that doesn't really matter, such as Hairspray.

[00:05:09]Sometimes they lean into the more diagetic music. Dream Girls is an example of this. Sometimes they make really brilliant inspired dream sequence kind of choices like the film adaptation of Chicago. And sometimes as with In the Heights directed by John Mchu, written of course by Lin Manuel Miranda. They just lean in with enough conviction that the whole thing works and we don't think to question it. All of which is to say taking an ac cappella musical and putting it on screen is hugely intriguing to me. But Tick Tick Boom I think was also not the most obvious foder for cinematic adaptation especially after what happened with Rent. Exceptionally good stage musical sort of culturally redefining stage musical from the '9s. Not a great movie adaptation in the early 2000s. one which kind of deviated tonally and sort of in terms of its inherent quality and identity too far from the original show.

[00:06:04]And yet this musicalized chapter from the life of its composer Jonathan Lson became one of the best movie musicals we have ever seen under the direction of Lin Manuel Miranda. So I do trust this man to tell great stories uh from great musicals and if he sees something in octet then I'm willing to be convinced.

[00:06:22]Let's carry on. He said in a statement, "I haven't stopped thinking about Octet since I saw Annie Tip's premier production in November of 2019. Dave Malloyy's score is versatile, brilliant, and grows more relevant with each passing year. It won't leave me alone, so here we are." Octet premiered in 2019 at Off Broadway Signature Theater. It follows strangers in an internet addict support group. Malloy will write the Octet screenplay and also serve as executive producer. I'm over the moon.

[00:06:47]He said that Lin Manuel is turning Octet into a movie. point. I was utterly gobsmacked by his work on Tick Tick Boom, also exclamation point, and feel so honored to have such a beacon of the musical theater world bring this piece into a new life. As a brilliant storyteller, fellow internet junkie, and dear friend, I know he's going to make something amazing. And our cast is completely ridiculous. The Octet cast has not been announced. Only it has. it subsequently has and I will tell you about them in just a moment after pointing out this little footnote here that 5,000 Broadway productions was a producer also on the 2021 In the Heights film, the one I've mentioned, the live stage capture of Hamilton on Disney Plus, one of the most successful pro shots in recent years and the FX limited series fsy version which was brilliant if you haven't already watched it. Let's now talk about the cast then. And this was posted on Instagram with a little graphic of a rehearsal signin sheet as though it was the cast being announced for a high school production of like a spring musical. And I feel like that's a very deliberate choice. Or maybe it was meant to invoke more just like first day of rehearsals as if for a stage production. I don't know. I do think it speaks to the sensibility of the entire project. Each of them has signed their name in their own handwriting presumably against the name of the character that they will be playing, the eight person cast of this show with Dave Mallaloyy's face reflected behind the sign-in sheet, which is a lovely touch. Lin Manuel posted this to his Instagram where he has some 2.5 million followers. And just to touch on this for a second, thank goodness for Lin Manuel Miranda. Not only has the man in many ways revolutionized musical theater with works such as In the Heights and Hamilton, another genre redefining musical, another cultural breakthrough phenomenon that gave a huge boost to the theater industry when it needed one. He also saved the drama bookshop and he is also bringing these projects from composers whom he has been inspired by, whom he respects to huge audiences. I think this is so exciting. And yet, the notion of him and Dave Mallaloy doing this together feels like two kids making theater in their backyard. And the kind of cars that they've assembled feels like excited theater kids who are buzzing to be a part of the spring musical. That's the energy that I get from this image. I've wasted enough time. Let me tell you who's in this.

[00:09:25]So number one on the rehearsal signin sheet is a character called Jessica played by Amanda Seaff freed and I am very happy to see Amanda returning to musical theater. Of course she was Sophie Sheridan in the Mamma Mia movies.

[00:09:38]She's also known for Mean Girls and a whole host of other things. A lot more serious work in the years since. She's technically been seen in a movie musical quite recently because The Testament of Anne Lee, I believe, is uh also a sort of a movie musical. And as she made clear, she spent years auditioning for the role of Glenda in the Wicked movie, eventually losing out to Ariana Grande.

[00:10:03]So, I'm happy that she is back firmly in the world of musical theater. I think she did a workshop for a stage musical at one point. That was rumored. Anyway, great to see her back. Second on the list, playing the role of Velma, who may or may not take a stand, is Rachel Zgler, our queen, our Olivier award-winning queen of the West End, who had suggested recently that she was currently busy filming. And I don't know whether this is the only project that she's currently attached to on screen. I don't even know whether it's the only movie musical she's currently attached to on screen. There is some speculation that she might be involved in some others currently in development because it does seem as though there are multiple movie musicals in the pipeline.

[00:10:45]I said when we were considering the success of Wicked for good if they could really stick the landing with the second movie and they continue to be successful, we would see in its wake hopefully a lot of movie musicals getting green lit. The fact we're getting an octet movie musical surely is part of that success. Anyway, yay for Rachel Zgler back on screen. She's fantastic on screen. She's fantastic on stage. She is a peerless vocalist. I'm already excited about those two voices together. And we have six more to get through. Also, is this the first time Rachel is meaningfully working with Lin Manuel Miranda? I'm sure they've been tangential to each other in the past.

[00:11:22]Does this mean she can be in the City Center revival of In the Heights coming later this year? Because I would like that. That is a Vanessa that I need to see. Carrying on in the role of Paula, we have Cheryl Lee Ralph. Now, Cheryl Lee Ralph, one of the original Dream Girls, lest we forget, has had screen and stage success throughout her career.

[00:11:40]She has bonafideed Broadway chops. Of all of the names we've read so far, she has appeared on Broadway the most. But what's really nice is that the brilliant TV series Abbott Elementary has made her even more of a recognizable contemporary household name. So, she's going to bring some buzz to this project as well. And it's great when you can cast people who are just really talented, who are veteran stage actors, who now have a big brand because of other screen projects they've done. This is the dream. This is the crossover. This is what we want is for theater actors to be able to work on screen and then bring those audiences to their theatrical projects. This is perfect. Next up in the role of Carly with a K, an actor who has indeed worked with Lin Manuel Miranda previously as well as with Dave Malloy. Actually, before I forget, one Philip Sue. She is the actor who truly unites both of their work, having been in Hamilton and Natasha Pierre in the Great Comet of 1812. Once again, an extraordinary voice, a unique voice. The concept of Cheryl Lee Ralph, Rachel Zgler, Amanda Safed, and Philip Pursue all singing together is spine tinglingly exciting.

[00:12:49]This feels like something of a cinematic breakthrough moment for her to be alongside those other names. Obviously, she was in the Hamilton Pro shot. She cameoed, didn't she, in Tick, Tick Boom.

[00:13:00]She's been doing a lot of television, but great for her to have a big movie musical role. Carrying on in the role of Toby playing a Toby in musical theater yet again, it's Gateon Matarazzo. Talk about people who were in musical theater, got a huge boost from their screen roles, then going back to musical theater. If you don't know, Gayton was a child actor in Lay Miserab on Broadway playing Gavro, which makes sense because he hardly could have been a child actor playing Fontine. Subsequently, he became one of the young breakout stars of Netflix's Stranger Things, appearing in all of its seasons and then headed back to Broadway to play Toby in a revival of Sweeney Todd. And from that, there is actually another pseudo Lin Manuel Miranda connection because that production of Sweeney Todd was directed by Thomas Kale. And Thomas Kale has been a frequent collaborator of Lin Manwells on the original Broadway production of In the Heights, directing Hamilton for the stage, but also FSY Verden. Also, um, uh, oh, the new liveaction Moana, of course, scored by Lin Manuel Miranda.

[00:14:03]Apparently, he's working on a remake of Fiddler on the Roof, although I just read that from Wikipedia, so you know, pinch of salt. In any case, very excited for Gayton to be doing more musical theater. He's got a great voice. I enjoyed him very much in Sweeney Todd.

[00:14:16]Another great addition to this cast. And it's him and Rachel in particular, I think, that really give this whole thing a palpable theater kid energy that I find very exciting. And if you thought we'd peaked, oh no. In at number six, playing the role of Henry, we have Jonathan Grath. Tony Award winner Jonathan Gra of Broadway, of stage, and of screen. He has consistently throughout his career worked on stage and in TV and in film in Disney's Frozen in various TV series that he has led and featured in. He has originated roles on Broadway. He was recently up until very recently starring in Just in Time. This could be the reason why he had to leave that show when he did, which incidentally could be an indication that he might go back in after filming has wrapped and after the runs of Matthew Morrison and Jeremy Jordan. Anyway, Jonathan Gra is also in this movie.

[00:15:08]Clearly, he's also worked with Lynn. He was King George III in Hamilton. Which brings me to the first name on this list of eight that I wasn't already familiar with. Trema Tilman is an Emmy award-winning actor who will be playing the role of I've lost it. I've lost it.

[00:15:21]I've lost it. Marvin. There we go. Very falsettos. He has worked on stage in New York and regionally in the US. Not an extraordinary amount of musical theater, which is intriguing. Uh, but he has also worked very recently on screen, some breakthrough roles. He appears to be in the new Spider-Man movie. Very exciting.

[00:15:38]And then the final name, Paul Jordan Jansen, which I Oh, I know who this is.

[00:15:43]He was also in Sweeney Todd. No. Yes.

[00:15:45]Yes. Yes, he was. Yes. Oh, he covered Sweeney. There we go. Yeah, he was also in that same Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd. This is a stage actor getting a very exciting breakthrough screen opportunity here. It seems he also played Lance in the North American tour of An Juliet. I'm very intrigued about the vocal types here and the notion of like lower range vocal types at play as well because I'm also familiar with the voices higher up the list in this company. Uh but I'm also still not very familiar with the score. So let us find out as much as we can about Octet itself.

[00:16:25]So, let's dig a little into this show.

[00:16:28]I'm not going to spoil anything for you or myself necessarily. I'm of two minds as to whether or not I want to listen to this before I go and see the movie, which at this point is still a while off. Octet is a chamber choir musical written and composed by Dave Mallaloy and directed by Annie Tip. The show explores addiction and nihilism with the messy context of 21st century technology. Oh, we have some awards. It won the Lucille Lortell award for outstanding musical as well as the Drama Desk Award in 2020 for outstanding music. Uh, plus outstanding ensemble for that original cast. Oh, I know some names from that cast. Oh, how fun. Plus the Outer Critic Circle Award for outstanding new off Broadway musical.

[00:17:05]How did this escape my radar? How was I not aware of this back in 2020? What What else possibly could have been going on? Anyway, here is the plot. Eight internet addicts gather in a support group called Friends of Saul in a church basement and share their stories in a score for an ac capella chamber choir and an original labrito inspired by internet comment boards, scientific debates, religious texts, and Sufi poetry. I am beyond fascinated immediately. I don't want to read through the entire narrative summary here because that will just tell us what happens. I do want to share with you some of the influences here. The program's bibliography cites several sources of inspiration, including Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion, Blade Runner, The Matrix, Carol Churchill, Marvin Hamlish, Ed Cleban, A Chorus Line, Steven Sonheim and George F's company. Both A Chorus Line and Company feel like interesting conceptual inspirations for how this works as a group of eight people having a sort of an unfolding conversation. I assume there are also a bunch of music inspirations cited here. a little bit of Philip Glass, also the game Candy Crush, as well as World of Warcraft. I I continue to be fascinated by The Mind of Dave Malloy. The piece premiered off Broadway on May 19th, 2019 at the Signature Theater in New York City. It was extended three times, ultimately finishing on June 30th. This was years before I would ever go to New York for the very first time, hence my missing it. But it had its West Coast premiere at the Berkeley Rep on April 20th, 2022, running until May 29th. It has had some regional productions. Um, oh, I know about this. My friends went to go see this Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival from August 11th to September 7th last year. There is a production in Chicago scheduled to run from April 30th to June 7th. This will be the first time it will be performed in the Midwest. Well, there you go. If you're local to Chicago for the next few weeks, you have an opportunity to go see Octet in person before seeing it adapted for the screen.

[00:19:00]I kind of feel like I don't want to learn anymore. I think it's exciting to know so little. I'm of two minds. I might listen to at least a little bit of the music. I'm also familiar with Dave Mallaloyy's work tonally. I think Ghost Quartet is one of the most sort of concentrated examples of his musical personality. And in terms of whether or not this is going to be successful as a movie musical, we can have separate conversations because there is artistically successful, critically successful, than there is financially successful. And I don't think this is necessarily aiming for that. I think what Lynn is doing here is creating genuine art on screen and providing a bigger platform to shows that deserve it, whose material he thinks deserves it. It is interesting the relationship between the stuff that gets recorded visually and the stuff that gets remembered years down the line. The appreciation we all now have for Legally Blonde the musical. I wonder if that would be as strong as it is without that initial MTV recording of the Broadway production. Same for other shows like Falsettos is one that inexplicably has developed quite a broad online fan base and I think if that hadn't had the pro shot of the revival, I'm not sure that that would have happened. So Lynn is doing, I think, good and very deliberate work here. I think he knows exactly what he's doing, bringing attention to these composers and their work. Certainly, I think he's not doing it to chase any kind of a payday or to try and win an Oscar. There was a rogue tweet flying around where someone was saying, "Lin Manuel Miranda will do anything to try and achieve EGOT status." And people who are familiar with Octet thought it was utterly baffling that anyone would try and use this as a way to get an Oscar.

[00:20:45]Also famously, it seems to be getting, if anything, harder to get an Academy Award using movie musicals. And admittedly, Chorus Land itself did not make a great movie musical. Mistakes were made in adaptation. But I think the fact that Lynn is working with Dave Mallaloy to turn this into a film, the fact that he could take Tick Tick Boom, which you know I think would also seem to defy conventional naturalistic adaptation. The fact that he could turn that into one of the most extraordinary musicals that we have ever seen on screen. I think that's really encouraging and I can only assume he sees something in this and he sees the vision about how it is going to be realized. The cast that he has recruited is brilliant. So excited for all of these people to be singing together. I think that's thrilling. If nothing else, we're going to get a really great recording of this score subsequently.

[00:21:38]And more people are going to find out about the work of Dave Mallaloy. Maybe he will get to have something of a little renaissance. Maybe we'll see more productions of Natasha Pierre of Ghost Quartet.

[00:21:50]Those are maybe my greatest aspirations for Octet on screen. I'm really excited about this in a way I haven't necessarily been for a long time because I have no expectations and I have no concerns really because the stakes felt so huge for Wicked. It had been such a long time. In the Heights I was so in love with and this feels like one of those movie musicals where I'm like sure let's see what this is. Cast looks great. Creatives look great. Idea seems absolutely insane, but I'm into it. For now, those are all of the thoughts currently swimming around my mind about Octet. We may hear some further development soon. Can't wait until we get a trailer. My goodness, that's going to be incredibly exciting. In the meantime, I would love to know what you think. Are you into this idea? Do you see any problems? Are you familiar with Octet? And do you think it's going to make sense as a movie musical? Let me know in the comments. I desperately need to hear your thoughts. In the meantime, thank you so much for listening to mine.

[00:22:51]Stay tuned for more theater content from me coming very soon. And as always, I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have a stagy day.

[00:22:59]For 10 more seconds, I'm Mickey Joe Theater. Oh my god. Hey, thanks for watching. Have a stagy day.

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