I absolutely adore how she just packs as much information about the rules of mock trial into her lines trying to teach him just what the fuck they’re singing a musical about /as/ they’re making it
Their chemistry and how they read off of each other as well as the musicians is impeccable. I can barely harmonize with music sheets sitting in front of me, how they do it on the fly is well beyond me.
Sorry, I didn't quite get the genius song (English is not my first language). What was all that about cleaning MIT or the talk with the widower? Were those references to something? I guess I only know one type of genius too (the brilliant intelligent one).
oh my god, same?! I've been following the game-changer shorts trying to find the musical episode and youtube gave me this!! Golden! thank's youtube algortithim.
Fun fact! On a podcast, Jess talks about how even though she didn't know Zach in high school, they discovered they both did Mock Trial the same year, and the case was The People vs. Madison Casco. I love Zach's little smile when she brings it up in this haha
@@Telemergion True. And with such complex issues as coming out, codependency and clouds there is no way a reboot could cover it all, they'd just ruin it. :P
It took me about 20 watches to realize when Alicia said “6 months from now?” when asked to Winter Formal, Jess wasn’t just throwing Zach a curveball. Matthew says Passover was a week ago so the timeline actually makes sense. The way they kept the plot so cohesive is amazing.
Jess keeping the timeline, and the character names, and the character grade levels, and the character interactions all correct and cohesive is just amazing. She is legit a genius
How on earth do you improvise multiple story-lines which then somehow all coincide and then end up with a resolution for everybody, culminating in a closing number which ties the whole show together. Incredible.
There’s always some kind of format that you use so you know when to follow through on which story lines. Look up a “Harold,” that’s a good example of one.
I love how Clark and Brian talk like they’re like typical “bro dudes” yet they’re both gay, often have deep conversations, care about Feng Shui*, and are really nice people
It's one of my favourite improv tricks when stereotypes are called upon to inevitably be immediated subverted. It's a really easy and incredibly reliable bit
There's something about the cool kids talking about somebody's mom as "a very nice lady" that feels so specifically high school in a way I wouldn't have thought it would
"Oh my gosh no...it's not my s-story to tell, but oh my gosh no." I love everything about this entire thing, but that line in particular made me lose it.
The fact that this school apparently has a specifically dedicated ceramics teacher with a kiln and not a debate team confuses me so much but I love it so much that I really don’t care ❤️
11 months later. I have listened to so much of the podcast. We now have Play it by Ear and lots of other Dropout content. I have listened to this show easily a dozen times. I’m still in awe.
The hit song "Some Codependent Bullshit" really spoke to me personally. I had a friend and literally every night we fell asleep with facetime on. We literally couldn't sleep without it
I was always opener. Cross prosecuted one time- made my wittness cry (she was a sub the girl with the part was out sick) and they never let me again...
@@PhantasmalBlast "That one looks like a bust of... Beethoven. Except... it's more like Bach" absolute classic. I also see legendary composers in the sky
The cast: Matthew (Sophomore Park Ranger Witness who likes Alisha) Mrs. Matthew’s Mom Mrs. Matthew’s Mom’s Husband Alisha (Genius Sophomore defender who likes Matthew) Spencer (Gay senior defender) Brian (Openly gay and legacy obsessed senior whose captain of the prosecution team) Clarke (Openly gay co-counsel prosecutor bro) Zander’s best friend (Pretrial gal who wants more friends) Zander (Pretrial boy who’s scared of the unknown) Mr. Piku (Hot ceramics teacher who fills out those trousers)
We Object to Fear: The Musical: Song timestamps: That Dish is a Risk 4:40 Legacy 8:08 Atticus Finch 12:10 Looking at Clouds 18:24 Fear and Admiration 22:17 They Won't Object (To a Brand New Friend) 25:13 (For context dialogue, actual song starts at 26:05) (Kind of) Genius 31:42 The one about the ceramics teacher who really *Fills OUT those trousers* 35:51 Some Codependent Bullshit 37:56 Passover 42:39 Governed By Fear (Finale) 49:40 Preview of “Maritime Law?, Maritime Nah” 1:00:42
At first I thought this was scripted from the fluidity of the dialogue, then when I noticed some minor imperfections, I thought that they must have been lucky in the start. By the end I was dumbfounded by the sheer skill and mutual understanding these two artist have to be able to construct a story on the fly while still making it interesting and consistently entertaining. Bravo.
I think one of my favourite parts of this musical is the little dialogue between Clark and Brian, after 'Atticus Finch' and before 'Looking at clouds'. Because its unscripted, the actors were having a genuine conversation discussing Matthew's mother's significance as both a parent and family member as a whole - which I just love💌
I love all of these songs but the back-to-back bops "They Won't Object" and "Kind of Genius" left me in absolute awe (and tears of laughter). Honestly amazing!
I consume a fair amount of improv, but this blew my mind. These two are so talented I feel like I should have heard of them before now. I discovered this video after a shoutout on the Hey Riddle Riddle podcast.
@@renoman2048 zach and jess guested pretty early on! you’re looking for episode 24 i think most (maybe all?) of the clue crew have guested on off book too, though i’m not as certain about when
I've seen/listened to this so many times I'm starting to analyze their improve thought patterns (still amazed at how quick on their feet they are) here are some specifics - 40:29 - 'we can still be friends, but maybe not friends like this' - Jess was prepping "kiss", but it didn't fit the characters (she was probably thinking of the Matthew/Alicia dynamic) so she changed it to "and forever you i'll love" but now she felt she went too many lines without a rhyme, so she went with "glove" which was nonsensical, and then Zach played along with it. That's Yes&ing to the extreme. later on 50:47 she even calls back to it with the whole "and if i put my hand, and your hand was also there" which is the only way you could share a glove. She keeps up with all the names and grades, the calendar (Passover/Winter formal) all the while making great jokes and awesome lyrics and melodies.. that's genius. Zach's the perfect counterpart (with great melodies/songs/lyrics/callbacks of his own) Edit: 47:17 Jess had the idea of how to end the bridge (that starts with 'lets not skip ahead') but she needed Zach to figure what she was aiming for - so he'll sing "let's just set one thing" - and she'll finish with "and not pass over the rest" - and it's almost like she's feeding him the lines (mouthing the words). And they're so in sync he just got it in time. Wonderful Edit 2: I wonder if Jess actually knew the name of the bitter herb (Maror) which can adequately rhyme with word/herb setting Zach up.. by the way she reacts to 'kinda-sorta-you bet' it seems she did. she's a genius gentile, after all
A general trick when you're doing any sort of rhyming improv is to have the punchline in your head first, and use your first line to tee it up. It always works better than throwing out a joke and then having to find some way to rhyme with it at the end of the sentence. You'll notice they do this a lot of time - like in the Atticus Finch song, Zach wanting to mention Boo Radley (so teeing himself up with 'going badly'), or Jess wanting to mention Jem and Scout (so starting with 'doubt'). This is also how they can guess each other's lines - like when Jess uses the word 'grapple', Zach knows she's teeing up 'how do u like them apples'. But these guys are literal geniuses, I used to do musical improv like this in college and 9/10 times it would go soooooooo badly hahaha. I've listened to their pod and even when it's bad it's still so good haha
This is a good comment. I’ve been going threw off book, especially the videos. and I think your comment helped me understand why sometimes even extremely talented comedians don’t quite do that well on their show. I think that they miss Zach and Jess giving them structure and setting them up for success. It’s surprising because it’s such a specific medium that even people with different improv training might not be there for it
Kudos to the subtitles tracking which character they're playing at what time. I definitely lost track a couple of times when I watched this earlier without them.
I've always wondered if they signal to each other while recording like they can get so in sync. I love that you can see the thought process on their faces lmaooo
i had never heard of mock trial before this as an australian but god this was funny. takes me back to theatre sports days where we would play the 4 minute game Musical, but this is on another level!
Haha this was hilarious, and in the U.S a "mock trial" is something that law students and lawyers do to practice law, basically they act like they're in a real court with a real case, hence the name "MOCK trial"
Mock trial does exist in Australia. I don’t think not knowing about mock trial is a US vs Aussie thing - you just need to have been more involved in uni/high school or have law student friends
We Object to Fear 04:52 That Dish is a Risk 08:06 Legacy 13:00 Never In a Pinch 18:42 Looking at Clouds 22:40 Equal Parts Fear and Admiration 26:15 Don't Object to a Brand New Friend 32:00 One Kind of Genius 35:50 Mr Pécoux 38:50 Co-dependent Bullshit 42:38 Passover This 49:40 Governed by Fear
People vs Tinker = Tinker v. Des Moines - Landmark Supreme Court Ruling on Behalf of Student Expression. Mary Beth Tinker was a 13-year-old junior high school student in December 1965 when she and a group of students decided to wear black armbands to school to protest the war in Vietnam.
As an 18 year old at the time of writing this: Honestly? This is the most accurate teenager dialogue I’ve ever heard written (or in this situation improvised) by adults. So much better than the CW could ever hope for.
PFFF YES WHEN I FIRST LISTENED TO THIS I WAS BOBBING MY HEAD FROM SIDE TO SIDE TOO WHEN I WAS LISTENING TO "LOOKING AT CLOUDS" IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY YOU GUYS WERE TOO
@@carsonzoch1283 You can find their podcast on most podcast provider things like Google Podcasts or TuneIn.com on the internet, though right now there's been enough episodes that only the most recent half of everything they've done is available. You can get access to their older episodes as well though on some of the sites depending on where you go, for example I know that if you pay the 4.99 a month subscription for Stitcher Premium, you can find all their episodes. And it's downloadable like most podcasts, so you can always just get all the old ones one month and be fine with that if you wanted. Hope that helps! I'm no Offbook expert, but they crack enough funny jokes about their ad service that I can remember some amount of it, they do a great job~
“The comedy kids” would have to include “the improv kids” wouldn’t it? Are there improv fans who are like, “Well, I love all improv, but I get really psyched for the improv dramas…” Although I suppose tabletop RPGs, LARPs, online bulletin board open collaborative stories, and dinner theater mystery parties can all be considered forms of improv.
@@adamgreenspan4988 well it's a bit more complicated than that, I suppose you could group them together, but I see improv as more of an art form or a medium of storytelling that involves comedy
Educational. I learned so much about Jewish Passover, mock trial (moot court for college folks), and pottery.....Wished I could have learned more about geniuses, but I guess you can't have everything you want. Hilarious. Keep it up!!! Looking forward to tuning in to the podcast.
Oh my god. Every single bit of this hour long musical is chock-full of jokes, drama, and wittiness. But the times when one of them just hits a groove and runs with it are so incredibly amazing, and you just have to step back and be amazed by what they came up with on the fly. Great job to Zach and Jess, especially to the King of Pianists, Pianist of Kings, Scott Pasarelli.
The gamechanger episode on dropout brought me here and I'm never looking back.
same, I think this is going to stay a consistency in my life from here on
I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life until I saw this.
Same
A bit late but im here now, and im not leaving ever
Guess we'll all stay
I absolutely love the implication that the pre trial kids would recognize Beethoven and Bach but didn’t recognize an airplane on first glance
i hadn’t even considered that until this comment and i’d just like to thank you for opening my brain to the implications of that
definitely one of the most accurate parts of the musical ngl
As someone who hasn't watched this yet this is such a funny sentence
Eye vision and ear vision are not the same.
I absolutely adore how she just packs as much information about the rules of mock trial into her lines trying to teach him just what the fuck they’re singing a musical about /as/ they’re making it
Their chemistry and how they read off of each other as well as the musicians is impeccable. I can barely harmonize with music sheets sitting in front of me, how they do it on the fly is well beyond me.
Uuuuuuuuuuuu
Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
I read this comment before they started singing and it 100% made the video better
@@matthewhubka6350 uwuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
“Dude Mathew’s mom is a very nice lady so tread lightly”
You know what's fucking weird? This video is over an hour long and I literally read your comment right as she said the line. The fuck?
@@griffincooper9534 THE SAME THING HAPPENED WITH THE GENTILE LINE FOR ME
16:30
The fact that all of Jess’s characters constantly back up her original character (the mom)‘s risky dishes cracks me up
😂
Not to mention that the mom character is based off of Jess's real mom
She’s a genius. And not just the Matt Damon kind.
Be your own support group.
I love how she gets a wry little smile a few seconds before she sings a clever line. They are both legit geniuses.
A different kind of genius
Two improv geniuses, agreeeeeed
And I only knew genius Matt Damon before that !
That prose-cute was so cute!!!
Sorry, I didn't quite get the genius song (English is not my first language). What was all that about cleaning MIT or the talk with the widower? Were those references to something? I guess I only know one type of genius too (the brilliant intelligent one).
I'd just like to thank Game Changer for leading my TH-cam Algorithm to this. So good!
To find out that wasn't just a once off thing makes me so unbelievably happy haha
oh my god, same?! I've been following the game-changer shorts trying to find the musical episode and youtube gave me this!! Golden! thank's youtube algortithim.
same. and id like to thank dimension 20 for getting me to game changer.
@@thorinpixelshield3951 its on dropout
I watched the full episode on Dropout and luckily I still managed to get this! Haha
Fun fact! On a podcast, Jess talks about how even though she didn't know Zach in high school, they discovered they both did Mock Trial the same year, and the case was The People vs. Madison Casco. I love Zach's little smile when she brings it up in this haha
What podcast was that?
@@2054-j9eIt was probably Zach and Jess' own podcast, Off-Book The Improvised Musical.
Do you know the episode?
wait does this mean my mom has known zach longer than jess has
@@kristheva…i don’t know, does it? who is your mom?
Major props to the pianist
haha major
he played guitar too.
Charlie Inksetter I’m sorry to disappoint but I’m fairly sure he just changed the voice on his keyboard
King of pianists, pianist of kings
If you listen to their more recent episodes of their podcast, they also have a guitarist and a drummer. They are all so talented.
all of a sudden I want a full broadway musical about a high school mock trial team
Ollie Rowan so... Legally Blonde Jr? :)
but i still want only these 2 to play the characters.
You kinda just got one
@@Telemergion True. And with such complex issues as coming out, codependency and clouds there is no way a reboot could cover it all, they'd just ruin it. :P
YES HAHAHHAA
It took me about 20 watches to realize when Alicia said “6 months from now?” when asked to Winter Formal, Jess wasn’t just throwing Zach a curveball. Matthew says Passover was a week ago so the timeline actually makes sense. The way they kept the plot so cohesive is amazing.
absolutely agree
Also the seniors were graduating, so it makes sense that it’s basically summer and winter is in about 6 months
Jess keeping the timeline, and the character names, and the character grade levels, and the character interactions all correct and cohesive is just amazing. She is legit a genius
And that issue turned into a whole song of it's own! 🤣
@@NOWABO Now we know 3!
How on earth do you improvise multiple story-lines which then somehow all coincide and then end up with a resolution for everybody, culminating in a closing number which ties the whole show together. Incredible.
rnew1 ikr I couldn’t even remember the characters names
paying attention to each other
There’s always some kind of format that you use so you know when to follow through on which story lines. Look up a “Harold,” that’s a good example of one.
It's almost as if they're...
* puts on shades *
...some kind of geniuses.
boy oh boy, you should listen to the episode with the pirates , bears, Cherokee Jeeps, and pigs
I'm here chasing the high that Mountport gave me.
Oh yeah that's the stuff
*Sidles up*
"You got the stuff?"
@@jackdonovan6533 ooooh the mountains are over there next to the snuff
@@michaelmitchel3471 how can that beeee?
Same buddy same
"I'll take the parsley off the garlic bread..."
"No. Leave it. It's ~inspired~."
That's my favorite part 😂
E
I love how Clark and Brian talk like they’re like typical “bro dudes” yet they’re both gay, often have deep conversations, care about Feng Shui*, and are really nice people
It's one of my favourite improv tricks when stereotypes are called upon to inevitably be immediated subverted. It's a really easy and incredibly reliable bit
It's Feng Shui, but yeah haha
@@letmebecharlie got the vowels wrong 😆
There's something about the cool kids talking about somebody's mom as "a very nice lady" that feels so specifically high school in a way I wouldn't have thought it would
i'm an improv nerd, a musical nerd, a podcast nerd, and a comedy nerd. think i've found my new obsession in these two
One of us! One of us!
yay
Same!
I am you
You are me
Us are We
And We are invincible
Are there more of these improvised musicals? Where can I find them or link them
“one Matt Damon genius” may be the best written line in the history of musical theater
lol i thought she was singing about Forrest Gump until the Apples part
Francesca Salter or improvised line lol
The whole song is perfect
To be fairly honest.... It's not a written line ahah
And it wasn’t even written
She’s so proud of “prose-CUTE” but there’s something so hilarious about “I’m a gentile…”
I can’t believe this evolved into a highschool love story where the female romantic lead kicked the subplot off with “I’m a gentile.”
😂😂😂😂😂
It was perfect
I genuinely love that the Co-dependency song is so on theme that the second singer of each phrase is forced to finish the rhyme that the other started
I love how she just throws everything she knows about mock trial out there and they just go with it
I don't think the pianist gets enough credit. Transitioning into songs and out of songs so seamlessly and making them up on the spot is so hard!
Scott Passarella is so freaking amazing!
“You’re smart and prosiCUTE”
Well said Chicken Man.
"Oh my gosh no...it's not my s-story to tell, but oh my gosh no." I love everything about this entire thing, but that line in particular made me lose it.
I LOVE IT
I just lost my ENTIRE mind
So good cause Zach catches Jess off guard initially by changing characters so quickly to the gay dude lol
• *Character Breakdown* •
- *Matthew:* Sophomore, witness, anxious about parsley (Zach)
- *Matthew‘s Mom:* Parent, hostess, all around very nice lady (Jess)
- *Clark:* Senior, prosecution opener, gay for ceramics teacher Mr. Pacu (Jess)
- *Brian:* Senior, prosecution closer, concerned with his legacy (Zach)
- *Alicia:* Sophomore, defense opener, genius (Jess)
- *Spencer:* Senior, defense closer, gay for Atticus Finch (Zach)
- *Xander:* Pre trial lawyer, grade unknown, codependent friend (Zach)
- *Xander’s Friend:* Pre trial lawyer, grade unknown, concerned about codependent friendship (Jess)
- *Matthew’s Dad:* Parent, husband of Matthew’s Mom, loves his wife’s genius decisions (Zach)
(for everyone else struggling to keep track of names)
let me know if i missed anything!
You forgot Brian is also gay and I think into Mr. Pacu as well
You forgot that the codependent friends are both played by Jess using mirrors and an advanced throat-singing technique. 🙄🙄🙄
@@bravelymore8864 I think that he is less gay FOR Mr. Pacu and more just gay and agreeing that Mr. Pacu is hot as well
"loves his wife's genius decisions" YES
Brian's gay as well!!
The fact that this school apparently has a specifically dedicated ceramics teacher with a kiln and not a debate team confuses me so much but I love it so much that I really don’t care ❤️
Definitely worth mentioning 2 years after your comment, but my high school fit this bill
@@BasicallyBananas so did mine lol
@@BasicallyBananas crazy how we're all commenting within the same 24 hour period but literally my high school was the same way
That’s my school lmao
Aunty Donna flashbacks
I love the look on Zach's face around 4:17 as he realizes that Jess is making him do a whole ass musical about mock trial
😂😂😂
I never noticed that before!
"That dish is a risk" is truly an inspiring song
@4:45
1. Game Changer
2. When Jess is prepping to say “prose-cute” her face should be in the dictionary next to the phrase self-satisfied.
11 months later. I have listened to so much of the podcast. We now have Play it by Ear and lots of other Dropout content. I have listened to this show easily a dozen times. I’m still in awe.
There's something so satisfying about hearing the smile come across her face as she sings.
at 26:30 :]
2 years in and I’m still here.
The hit song "Some Codependent Bullshit" really spoke to me personally. I had a friend and literally every night we fell asleep with facetime on. We literally couldn't sleep without it
Geneva xo oh hi geneva i found you
Wow, that is some codependent bullshit
damn i know this was three years ago but, what happened?
if you don’t mind me asking
@@mhmm5264 same, could use the story lol
As a Jewish theater kid in mock trial, I thought this was brilliant. Though as a witness, I feel that we were undervalued.
Isha Raj-Silverman PREACH WITNESS GANG
Ayoooo Witness gang!!
This was super targeted towards you
ditto!
I was always opener. Cross prosecuted one time- made my wittness cry (she was a sub the girl with the part was out sick) and they never let me again...
35:18 - “Dude fills out those trousers!” I love how Jess tried to get Zach off guard but he comes back and she’s the one who breaks.
“Oh that’s not a cloud it’s an airplane okay” the way he sung that made me so happy for some reason
And he clearly had the idea for that punchline before the verse even started. He was so eager!!
@@halcyonacoustic7366 he was excited to tell his joke!
@snake and spider stew ITS A FUCKIN SCARECROW AGAIN!
The song about Good Will Hunting left me speechless.
🎶 anddroveacrossthecountryforher 🎶
“They won’t object” was so wholesome I love it
when?
Charlie Inksetter idk what time but it was when the mom was encouraging Matthew to go outside and talk to other people
26:14
it was smart and prose-cute
This had more character development than some movies out nowadays
no idea where this came from in my suggestions but im 10 minutes in and yeah dude thats exactly how i remember high school mock trial
update: this may legitimately be the best acting of teenagers by adults i've ever seen
After the first song I realized that this is all I want to watch for the rest of my life.
Seeing Jess’s brain click when she thought of the passover line is hilarious
Lmao when she came out with "I'm a gentile" out of nowhere I did a double spit-take into the sink.
Easily the best way to start a song! 🤣
I CAN’T GET OVER HOW AWESOME THE CHARACTERS ARE LIKE THEY EACH GO THROUGH SUCH INDIVIDUAL GROWTH IN ONE HOUR OF IMPROV THAT’S SO DAMN IMPRESSIVE
RIP Ruth Bader-Ginsberg, she really made this script come to life and it wouldn't have been such a hit-success without her. Gone but never forgotten.
The absolute joy they both radiate during “I won’t object” every time one of them makes a new pun is the only thing keeping me going in the year 2022
The TH-cam algorithm is completely vindicated by recommending this video to me.
To this day I will randomly shout "it's just a little bit of parsley" and "why would you do that!" And it's great
I sing looking at clouds to myself
@@PhantasmalBlast "That one looks like a bust of... Beethoven. Except... it's more like Bach" absolute classic. I also see legendary composers in the sky
The cast:
Matthew (Sophomore Park Ranger Witness who likes Alisha)
Mrs. Matthew’s Mom
Mrs. Matthew’s Mom’s Husband
Alisha (Genius Sophomore defender who likes Matthew)
Spencer (Gay senior defender)
Brian (Openly gay and legacy obsessed senior whose captain of the prosecution team)
Clarke (Openly gay co-counsel prosecutor bro)
Zander’s best friend (Pretrial gal who wants more friends)
Zander (Pretrial boy who’s scared of the unknown)
Mr. Piku (Hot ceramics teacher who fills out those trousers)
Okay, now that Game Changer episode makes more sense.
I re-subscribed to Dropout after seeing their shorts and now I’m consuming more content from them. Their performance with Zeke was too good!
It was rigged from the beginning! Call Robert Mueller. Call the Hauge.
@@ianc4992 Call former CIA Director John Brennan.
If only they accepted PayPal at Dropout
@@LemonToGo you can pay to college humor through youtube - they accept paypal. You get the same content at the same time as dropout!
We Object to Fear: The Musical:
Song timestamps:
That Dish is a Risk 4:40
Legacy 8:08
Atticus Finch 12:10
Looking at Clouds 18:24
Fear and Admiration 22:17
They Won't Object (To a Brand New Friend) 25:13 (For context dialogue, actual song starts at 26:05)
(Kind of) Genius 31:42
The one about the ceramics teacher who really *Fills OUT those trousers* 35:51
Some Codependent Bullshit 37:56
Passover 42:39
Governed By Fear (Finale) 49:40
Preview of “Maritime Law?, Maritime Nah” 1:00:42
Thank you!
Maritime Law? Maritime Nah. 1:00:45
The Deuteragonist Q
Looking at clouds made my day better
Thank you!
Holy shit the mom’s verse of “They won’t object” is fantastic
At first I thought this was scripted from the fluidity of the dialogue, then when I noticed some minor imperfections, I thought that they must have been lucky in the start. By the end I was dumbfounded by the sheer skill and mutual understanding these two artist have to be able to construct a story on the fly while still making it interesting and consistently entertaining. Bravo.
Might I add the pianist was also phenomenal
they've got a whole podcast just doing improv musicals! it's called Off Book
they character switch SO smoothly
I think one of my favourite parts of this musical is the little dialogue between Clark and Brian, after 'Atticus Finch' and before 'Looking at clouds'. Because its unscripted, the actors were having a genuine conversation discussing Matthew's mother's significance as both a parent and family member as a whole - which I just love💌
I had no idea what this was gonna be and it ended up being one of the coolest things I've seen on TH-cam. These two kick ass!
These THREE kick ass!
If you listen to podcasts you gotta listen to Off Book.
I love all of these songs but the back-to-back bops "They Won't Object" and "Kind of Genius" left me in absolute awe (and tears of laughter). Honestly amazing!
I love how they say nothings nerdier than musical improv, then do said musical about mock trial which makes it soooo much nerdier 😂
I consume a fair amount of improv, but this blew my mind. These two are so talented I feel like I should have heard of them before now. I discovered this video after a shoutout on the Hey Riddle Riddle podcast.
I love Hey Riddle Riddle! Do you remember what episode that the shout-out was on?
@@renoman2048 zach and jess guested pretty early on! you’re looking for episode 24
i think most (maybe all?) of the clue crew have guested on off book too, though i’m not as certain about when
These two really display a level of skill I just did not know existed before
any recommendations?
These three. The pianist is also a very crucial part of this equation and he does a phenomenal job.
the crazy amount of talent these two have fills me with equal parts fear and admiration
Underrated comment ;)
Matthew's mom is such a sweet pure character.
I've seen/listened to this so many times I'm starting to analyze their improve thought patterns (still amazed at how quick on their feet they are)
here are some specifics -
40:29 - 'we can still be friends, but maybe not friends like this' - Jess was prepping "kiss", but it didn't fit the characters (she was probably thinking of the Matthew/Alicia dynamic) so she changed it to "and forever you i'll love" but now she felt she went too many lines without a rhyme, so she went with "glove" which was nonsensical, and then Zach played along with it. That's Yes&ing to the extreme.
later on 50:47 she even calls back to it with the whole "and if i put my hand, and your hand was also there" which is the only way you could share a glove.
She keeps up with all the names and grades, the calendar (Passover/Winter formal) all the while making great jokes and awesome lyrics and melodies.. that's genius. Zach's the perfect counterpart (with great melodies/songs/lyrics/callbacks of his own)
Edit: 47:17 Jess had the idea of how to end the bridge (that starts with 'lets not skip ahead') but she needed Zach to figure what she was aiming for - so he'll sing "let's just set one thing" - and she'll finish with "and not pass over the rest" - and it's almost like she's feeding him the lines (mouthing the words). And they're so in sync he just got it in time. Wonderful
Edit 2:
I wonder if Jess actually knew the name of the bitter herb (Maror) which can adequately rhyme with word/herb setting Zach up.. by the way she reacts to 'kinda-sorta-you bet' it seems she did. she's a genius gentile, after all
can I say that this is a cool comment and I'd like to see ur observations on some of their other stuff :D
A general trick when you're doing any sort of rhyming improv is to have the punchline in your head first, and use your first line to tee it up. It always works better than throwing out a joke and then having to find some way to rhyme with it at the end of the sentence. You'll notice they do this a lot of time - like in the Atticus Finch song, Zach wanting to mention Boo Radley (so teeing himself up with 'going badly'), or Jess wanting to mention Jem and Scout (so starting with 'doubt'). This is also how they can guess each other's lines - like when Jess uses the word 'grapple', Zach knows she's teeing up 'how do u like them apples'. But these guys are literal geniuses, I used to do musical improv like this in college and 9/10 times it would go soooooooo badly hahaha. I've listened to their pod and even when it's bad it's still so good haha
This is a good comment. I’ve been going threw off book, especially the videos. and I think your comment helped me understand why sometimes even extremely talented comedians don’t quite do that well on their show. I think that they miss Zach and Jess giving them structure and setting them up for success. It’s surprising because it’s such a specific medium that even people with different improv training might not be there for it
Well, I just stumbled upon a new podcast to listen to THE ENTIRE BACK CATALOGUE OF.
this is better than any scripted musical I've ever seen tbh
this looks obscenely difficult
Characters: Matthew, Matthew’s Mom, Brian, Clark, Alicia, Spencer, Xander, Xander’s Friend, Matthew’s Dad.
And MR PECUUU
I love the sudden husband and the reveal that the Living room was a bold choice
The is the only duo that can somehow make political correctness funny.
Kudos to the subtitles tracking which character they're playing at what time. I definitely lost track a couple of times when I watched this earlier without them.
"How do you like them apples!" These two constantly entertain and impress.
aaaaalright lets get to business what do we gotta do to make this a regular video thing maybe even with guests?
...and im just 18 minutes in
They’ve got a weekly podcast called Off Book.. haven’t kept up recently but it’s top quality
^ ! Check out the podcast! There’s tons of excellent episodes up!!
Connor Hartwell the podcast should be filmed on a regular basis.
It’s so funny looking at all of the older comments on this video. I’m so excited for Dropout’s Play it By Ear
I've always wondered if they signal to each other while recording like they can get so in sync. I love that you can see the thought process on their faces lmaooo
yooo i didn't realize zach/jess/scott did this regularly- i'm so excited to have more content than just that one game changer omg
😂
26:18 It's incredible that she can instantly come up with this on the spot, combining the legal jargon with puns and character growth and I can't
i love how everything from the story to the characters all became progressively more gay throughout the performance.
😂😂❤❤
i had never heard of mock trial before this as an australian but god this was funny. takes me back to theatre sports days where we would play the 4 minute game Musical, but this is on another level!
Haha this was hilarious, and in the U.S a "mock trial" is something that law students and lawyers do to practice law, basically they act like they're in a real court with a real case, hence the name "MOCK trial"
oh theatre sports was my first true love and i was truly terrible at it, but this also took me back to when we would play hitchhiker.
Mock trial does exist in Australia. I don’t think not knowing about mock trial is a US vs Aussie thing - you just need to have been more involved in uni/high school or have law student friends
mock trial was a thing in my high school :)
in aus that is
We Object to Fear
04:52 That Dish is a Risk
08:06 Legacy
13:00 Never In a Pinch
18:42 Looking at Clouds
22:40 Equal Parts Fear and Admiration
26:15 Don't Object to a Brand New Friend
32:00 One Kind of Genius
35:50 Mr Pécoux
38:50 Co-dependent Bullshit
42:38 Passover This
49:40 Governed by Fear
Replying so I can always find it
Replying.
reply
Reply!
fyi, my like was #420
I love how some of these songs are just two friends discussing an issue they're not entirely sure about, it's great.
Jessica McKenna is a ball of pure positive energy and it gives me life.
shoutout to that one lady absolutely losing her mind with laughter in the background every song
51:45 that was a risky rhythm to slide in there, but they nailed it. I'm equally impressed by the pianist as I am the singers.
People vs Tinker = Tinker v. Des Moines - Landmark Supreme Court Ruling on Behalf of Student Expression. Mary Beth Tinker was a 13-year-old junior high school student in December 1965 when she and a group of students decided to wear black armbands to school to protest the war in Vietnam.
As an 18 year old at the time of writing this: Honestly? This is the most accurate teenager dialogue I’ve ever heard written (or in this situation improvised) by adults. So much better than the CW could ever hope for.
I've had the Good Will Hunting song stuck in my head for days now, it is unironical a bop and so impressive as an improv song
"That one looks like a bust of beethoven, except it's more like Bach" lives rent free in my mind and prob will forever
47:35 the hesitant going along with it until he realises which character she's playing now 😂😂😂
I hate that I’ll never be this talented.
Doing mock trial for three years in high school was worth it just for this improv musical experience
With such memorable characters like "pre-trial friend" and "Mrs. Matthew's mom".
PFFF YES WHEN I FIRST LISTENED TO THIS I WAS BOBBING MY HEAD FROM SIDE TO SIDE TOO WHEN I WAS LISTENING TO "LOOKING AT CLOUDS"
IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY YOU GUYS WERE TOO
@@carsonzoch1283 You can find their podcast on most podcast provider things like Google Podcasts or TuneIn.com on the internet, though right now there's been enough episodes that only the most recent half of everything they've done is available. You can get access to their older episodes as well though on some of the sites depending on where you go, for example I know that if you pay the 4.99 a month subscription for Stitcher Premium, you can find all their episodes. And it's downloadable like most podcasts, so you can always just get all the old ones one month and be fine with that if you wanted. Hope that helps! I'm no Offbook expert, but they crack enough funny jokes about their ad service that I can remember some amount of it, they do a great job~
ITS MY NEW COMFORT SONG
"Well, how am I supposed to have sweet dreams if I don't hear your voice?" -Xander
This line is so cute and sweet. 🥺
I know absolutely every word of this now
It’s literally addictive
How do I gain this power
As someone from outside the USA, the whole Mock Trial thing is really alien to me... But that makes this episode even more fun lmao
Dropout really struck gold with them
This has something for everyone!
The theatre kids, the improv kids, the comedy kids... it's a miracle!
The mock trial kids
@@theunluckypotato1484 the Jewish kids
@@theunluckypotato1484 represent
“The comedy kids” would have to include “the improv kids” wouldn’t it? Are there improv fans who are like, “Well, I love all improv, but I get really psyched for the improv dramas…” Although I suppose tabletop RPGs, LARPs, online bulletin board open collaborative stories, and dinner theater mystery parties can all be considered forms of improv.
@@adamgreenspan4988 well it's a bit more complicated than that, I suppose you could group them together, but I see improv as more of an art form or a medium of storytelling that involves comedy
A whole musical based around a mock trial banquet… amazing
Educational. I learned so much about Jewish Passover, mock trial (moot court for college folks), and pottery.....Wished I could have learned more about geniuses, but I guess you can't have everything you want. Hilarious. Keep it up!!! Looking forward to tuning in to the podcast.
Musicals aren't my bag but these people are simply damn talented.
This is one of the most important videos ever uploaded to this platform
Man, they must have bombed so hard, so many times to be this good.
The trust between these two for this improv is unreal. So good.
Oh my god. Every single bit of this hour long musical is chock-full of jokes, drama, and wittiness. But the times when one of them just hits a groove and runs with it are so incredibly amazing, and you just have to step back and be amazed by what they came up with on the fly. Great job to Zach and Jess, especially to the King of Pianists, Pianist of Kings, Scott Pasarelli.
Once a month I come back here just to listen to the amazing line "One Matt-Damon-Genius" at 33:00