WISH-LIST WEDNESDAY: In Strange Woods

Time to delve back into the world of podcast musicals, and start spooky season with a musical that will likely have your hairs standing on end, and that’s just from hearing Patrick Page’s rumbling bass. Written by Brett Ryback and Jeff Luppino-Esposito, "In Strange Woods" is a fictional true crime style documentary musical podcast that tells the story of a teenage girl named Peregrine Wells who, following the death of her brother, seeks to learn survival skills from a mysterious, reclusive individual.

The musical is set in a small town of Whitetail in Minnesota, USA, and the surrounding forest where our heroine attempts to come to terms with and understand the vast wilderness that prematurely took her brother. It deals with themes of grief, the various hardships of early adulthood, and the precarious balance between humanity and the natural world. The cast on the recorded album from the podcast includes Hadestown Tony-nominee Patrick Page, comedian Michaela Watkins, and broadway sensation and Tony winner Beth Leavel, among a cast of 23 performers across 4 episodes.

It's another musical that exists solely in audio format, and one that I feel could provide ample opportunity for creative embellishment, perhaps succeeding where shows like "Redwood" failed to hit the mark. The full album for "In Strange Wood" can be streamed or downloaded from all music streaming services.