It’s been a looong time since we did a bracket challenge, Very Special Readers! In fact, I thought of doing one during quarantine but I couldn’t remember how to do them because that’s how much my brain didn’t work! Anyway, I’m happy to say that most (if not all) of my executive functioning has since returned. With that said, allow me to introduce The Show Within a Show Showdown.

Each of the shows in the showdown were selected because each production included a least one of our regular lead characters. The productions are “real” within the context of the show, a.k.a. no dream sequences, daydreams, or hallucinations (this excluded the “Lucy Goes to Scotland” episode of I Love Lucy).

We also must see the cast in full costume for a minimum of one full minute’s worth of airtime (this excluded a super cute Sister, Sister sequence which only had about forty seconds worth of “show within a show time” and just isn’t enough airtime to compare it to the other contenders.) While my reviews will describe the episode in its entirely, points will only be awarded for the show within a show. Thus, there needs to be enough of the play or musical itself to be able to give it a score within the point system.

Here’s the point system:

All episodes will be graded on a 5 point scale and the winning episode will have the higher score in each matchup:

For MUSICALS*
-Overall Plot of the musical – 1 point
-Music – 1 point
-Choreography – 1 point
-Costumes – 1 point
-Scenic Design – 1 point

For PLAYS
-Overall Plot of the play – 2 points
-Costumes – 1 point
-Scenic Design – 1 point
-Staging – 1 point

*Please note, I will use the play rating scale for the final round when a musical faces off against a play.

Any questions? Pop them in the comments below and I’ll get back to you!

Grab your bracket below! And stay tuned for posts every Monday starting January 10th.