'Weird Al' Yankovic - Reduced Shakespeare Company

Remembering ‘Little Dickens’

Matt Croke, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor remember the creation of the RSC’s second radio show The Reduced Shakespeare Company Christmas in 1995, and how it paved the way for the RSC’s eighth stage show The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged). Matt, Reed, and Austin reveal their audio inspirations (like Firesign Theatre and ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic); how the new golden age of radio is called podcasts; how we failed to achieve novelty hit status with “Mrs. Santa Claus;” how we incorporated inside-baseball Ringling Brothers jokes and personal holiday memories; and how the heart the recording is its ten-minute reduction A Little Dickens: The Complete Christmas Carol (abridged); and how Austin went from playing parody Scrooge to playing the real guy for Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. (Length 15:02)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 25:02 — 28.7MB)

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By austin, 1 month ago December 29, 2025

Measuring The Laughs

On the eve of our upcoming tour of The Complete History of Comedy (abridged), co-authors and RSC co-artistic directors Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor talk about measuring the success of a production, and how it’s easier with a comedy but not so much with a drama. Reed and Austin reveal how comedy opens up the heart; how laughs preceded by quiet moments are usually stronger; their greater willingness to go on a comic journey than a tragic one; a shout-out to George Saunders’s book A Swim in a Pond in the Rain; their feelings about whether Chekhov’s plays are actually funny; their ability to take their own notes about slowing down; how not all laughs are created equal; a special appearance by half an EGOT winner “Weird Al” Yankovic; the complete song, “I Laughed Till I Cried;” and the ultimate challenge of wondering whether a quiet audience is enthralled or simply bored. HEAR HERE! (Length 20:36)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 20:36 — 23.7MB)

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By austin, 2 years ago January 23, 2024

Weird Al’s Guitarist

Jack Lancaster (above, left, with Daniel Radcliffe) plays Jim “Kimo” West, or at least a highly fictionalized version of him, in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, the straight-faced and factually dubious biopic now streaming on the Roku Channel. Jack reveals the early musical training that helped prepare him for this (and many) roles; the challenge of standing out in an audition; the importance of great acting and great musicianship, especially when making something silly; dealing with a major case of Imposter Syndrome; buying his first grown-man suit; the thinking behind the decision of whether to be based in Chicago or Los Angeles; and the glorious fun of working with both Weird Al Yankovic and Harry Potter! (Length 18:33)