Charm Scene: Improvised Musicals

Charm Scene: Improvised Musicals

Join Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Music Director Sam Scheidler, and drummer Chris Ditton as they create brand new musicals — completely on the fly — alongside some of Chicago’s most charming music improvisers and performers. Welcome to the scene!

Episodes

December 23, 2025 65 mins

You better watch out. You better not cry. Because this improviser is a heck of a guy. It's our CHRISTMAS EPISODE with charming guest and huge get - Santa Claus! In this week's fully improvised musical, we revisit the true (and dark?) origins of Kris Kringle, complete with radiated reindeer, 70s swag, and a babbling Baby New Year. Happy Holidays! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Santa Claus Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Ch...

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BRRRRRR. This week we welcome the abominable Daniel Matthews, as he shares his experience puppeteering "Nigel the Sasquatch" for a series of Chuck E' Cheese music videos. This wintery improvised musical comes complete with miserable misfits, supportive straights, and hungry hungry hippos. Find where you belong on this week's Charm Scene! Daniel (He/Him) grew up in the suburbs of Texas between Fort Worth and Dallas. He started impr...

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To you he's just a sickly kid, but one day he just might be governor. Pod favorite Jessica Joy is back for another fully improvised musical, this time inspiring us with her real life summer stock experience in "The Secret Garden." Sour servants, talking termites, bags of bullets, and more in this week's Charm Scene! Make a wish! Jessica Joy is an actor and sketch comedian originally from Cleveland, Ohio! She is an alumni of the Se...

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It might be December, but it's wedding season on Charm Scene! Charming guest Carlos Rivera helps us plan the perfect wedding in this week's fully improvised musical, with brooding brides, massive monologues, and aunt-ish ants! Will anyone find love? Find out this week on Charm Scene! Carlos, a rare species of "non-fluent in Spanish" Miami native, has done improv for most of his adult life. Since moving to Chicago in 2016 to pursue...

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November 25, 2025 62 mins

What's that shiny object at the thrift store? It's a surprise Charm Scene Thanksgiving with charming guest Sydney Clinton! Sydney tells us a bit about her time as a performer and comedian, and her dad's unique perspective on her career, which we use as inspiration for an all-new fully improvised musical - featuring balladic belts, feuding families, a kicked Kyle, and more. Happy Thanksgiving! Sydney Clinton is a Chicago-based perf...

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It's all rhymes and good times in this very special episode of Chat Scene! MC Hammersmith (aka our dear friend Will Naameh) is back again, this time discussing his origins in comedy and hip-hop, and giving us some advanced tips and tricks on rhyming. Join us!

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MC Hammersmith (the alias of Will Naameh), is a multi-award winning hip hop comedian.
He is the world’s leading rapper to ever emerge from the ghetto of middle class west ...

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November 18, 2025 53 mins

Get PUMPED. This week we're joined by charming guest and UK's thickest boy - MC Hammersmith! It's a fully improvised musical, complete with melodious mayors, brutish boys, critical crosswords and more! Get your reps in on this all new Charm Scene! LADS LADS LADS.

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MC Hammersmith (the alias of Will Naameh), is a multi-award winning hip hop comedian.
He is the world’s leading rapper to ever e...

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November 11, 2025 64 mins

Jar Wars. Jar Jar Binks Star Wars. It's about Jar Jar. These are his wars. Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Christian Torres Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Chris Ditton Follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, join our Discord, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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Breaking news! Charming guest Ali Gordon (last heard in episode #24) wrote a BOOK? Join us in this very special episode of Chat Scene as we discuss her debut novel, her New York improv roots, the LA comedy scene, and more. Get your copy today at whatdoesaligordondo.com Ali Gordon is a comedian, author, and educator from New York City, now living in sunny Los Angeles. Ali has performed for years with Team Starkid, most recently in ...

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October 28, 2025 61 mins

What's that sound in the hall? It's the final Charm SCREAM of the year, and we're finally spooky. Charming guest Sean Buckley ("Phony Award," "Teen Girl Book," "Oops All Bards") joins us for another terrifying improvised musical, complete with ghostly gaming, ridiculous radio, manipulative motherhood, and more. Meet the OTHER family in your house, this week on Charm Scream!

Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Sean Buckley Music Dire...

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Austin's in a game! In this bonus episode, we sit down with our own Austin Packard, voice of The Bard in the Jackbox Party Pack 11's "Legends of Trivia," (out NOW!) to talk all things Jackbox. Welcome, adventurous trivia team, to the land of Chat Scene!

Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Sam Scheidler

Follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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October 21, 2025 60 mins

They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're all together ooky, and legally distinct. Our month of Charm SCREAM continues, this week with the incredible Allie Gospel ("Anarchy," "Faking The Band," "Lil' Sluggers")! It's another terrifying improvised musical, complete with a devlish dare, a wicked wing, and gruesome government connections! Welcome to the family! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Allie Gospel Mu...

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October 14, 2025 63 mins

It's a 'fowl,' witchy good time on this week's Charm SCREAM. We welcome charming guest Kerri Morrison ("Faking The Band," "Blank," "Improvised Sondheim Project") for another horrifying, terrifying, very very spooky improvised musical. Bumbling birds, pesky potions, humongous hands, and more. Come fly with us... if you dare! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Kerri Morrison Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Chris Ditton Follow ...

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There's nothing SPOOKIER than surprise improvised songs! It's finally October, and our month of Charm SCREAM-ingly horrifying improvised musicals has just begun. We're starting off with just the four of us for a scary good time of music improv challenges, all themed around our favorite spooky season. Gruesome games, creepy key changes, ghastly gets, and more in this all-new special episode of Charm SCREAM. Happy Halloween! Cast: L...

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September 30, 2025 63 mins

It's the classic tale of two interns who are also neighbors who are also consensual polyamorous lovers. This week we welcome charming guest Simon Tessmer ("Hitchcocktails," "Clued In," "Jackie Bass") for another fully improvised musical - complete with scientific sun tans, misogynistic mice, troubled tradwives and so much more. Tap into your rage for an all new Charm Scene! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Simon Tessmer Music Di...

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September 23, 2025 58 mins

Sharks, have we got a product for you. Charming guest Ryan J. Hurdle ("Gums," "Y2K: A 90s Musical," Voila) takes us to the cutthroat world of investing and also parking. We've got daring dreams, climbing camera men, and a lyrical Lin Manuel Miranda in this fully improvised musical. Your dreams are what they seems on this week's Charm Scene! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Ryan J. Hurdle Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Chri...

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September 16, 2025 53 mins

How have we not done a western yet?? This week on Charm Scene, we've got the phenomenal Heather Scholl (Phony Award, Voila, ComedySportz, Anarchy) back again for another fully improvised musical! Curious cowboys, towns and tracks, a medium marriage, and more. Hear those western weddin' bells, this week on Charm Scene! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Heather Scholl Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Chris Ditton Follow us @Ch...

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Charm Scene is BACK and so is charming guest Ben Auxier (Friend Dog Studios, Wheel of Improv, RIFF)! We go deep into yet another fully improvised musical, with personified pits, marching meatballs, minor miners, and a faulty understanding of the US copyright system. No one charms like Gaston! Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Ben Auxier Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Chris Ditton Follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikT...

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It's the best of both worlds! Charming guest Allen Lucas RETURNS to Charm Scene with another fully improvised musical - complete with wonky wigs, frantic fans, and a popstar professor. Chill it out, take it slow, and we'll rock out the show. You're watching Disney Channel. I mean Charm Scene. Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Allen Lucas Music Director: Sam Scheidler Drums: Chris Ditton Follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, Ti...

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We're all family in this week's improvised musical - this time with charming guest Ross Taylor (Missed Call, TMI, The Second City)! Ross takes us back to his time on stage in Edward Albee's "Zoo Story," so naturally we have to do the sequel. Journeying giraffes, faraway families, and New York nonsense abound in "2 Zoo 2 Story." Just as Albee intended. Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Ross Taylor Music Director: Sam Scheidler Dru...

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