Review: Metra
I will never fully leave the theatre. Despite describing myself as a recovering theatre professional, that is where my heart feels like it is home. Which is why, when Tink Media sent Metra my way, I was excited. I’m always a fan of people trying to bend mediums and re-consider where a story can and should sit. A production shouldn’t always be a stage play, and it shouldn’t always be a podcast. Sometimes, it can maybe be a bit of both in a way that tests limits, and re-sets expectations.
Metra is fully titled as Metra: A Climate Revolution with Songs. A wordy title for a podcast with an intro that feels more like a grind than a groove. Which is to say, this is my only real criticism of this podcast. It’s also something I want to generally tell podcasters overall, so forgive me for making a “teachable moment” out of this. A weekly podcast is only weekly when it first releases. Fiction podcasts can lend itself to marathons, either with an intentional creation of a backlog, or when life gets in the way. Usually, it is not a series or an arc dedicated to a moment in real time or to real life. So when an episode is 20-30 minutes of content, and the intro is the full, same song and credits that lasts nearly two minutes, it feels like something to get through rather than a welcome back. It’s not the end of the world by any means, but it’s something to consider when building out a podcast.
Cori finds herself met with a tree nymph, who reunites her with her past lives, and a potential future. You see, the ancient power of the tree nymph is ready to kickstart a revolution, and Cori is the central character. Reaching back in time, and forward, this podcast is taking us on a journey of a new revolution for a future that we want to see, rather than a future that seems like it is unraveling before us.
Overall what Metra is giving is Broadway in a podcast. A little bit of camp, big voices, big performances, and a whole lot of heart. Blending myth, music, and a dystopian storyline, this podcast gives us things to consider. When it comes to medium, the question is: How big can we get in these episodes, without a visual? It feels like this podcast has moments that go from medium, to extra large. I, personally, love it, because I am staging it in my mind. I’m giving it a texture I have built with my own hands. Some listeners may find it too big, but for others this will hit a spot that usually a $90+ ticket hits. Then, outside of the medium, it gives us things to consider on a more personal note. Even if the magic of this podcast doesn’t exist in our world, what can be done against the powers that be? We all know that climate change isn’t a personal thing, despite how it’s been marketed as one. Corporations are the reason we have pollution more than our individual habits. Maybe it’s a revolution, with song, that can break us out of this cycle.
Fusing song with comedy, magic, folklore and myth, the Hartfords are using their chops to talk about something important. The songs and story blend from campy fun, to rip-your-heart-out moments of inspiration and sadness. Full performances feel big, but the way they blend makes it feel like a stage show for your ears. If anything, it makes me like the podcast more that with a little tweaking, it probably could be a delightfully quirky regional theatre powerhouse music. This podcast will be quite familiar to those comfortable visiting their local stages. If you like this podcast, maybe consider visiting one of those theaters you think you never have time for.
What’s more is that this podcast even pulls back to some of the original Greek elements of theatre. A chorus of narrative nymphs, a hero, a great, powerful entity to fight against. I just need to get to the end to talk about a five act play structure and whether this is a classical comedy or tragedy. Alas, I can’t get extra credit for this anymore, but I’m here to tell you this podcast is a delight if your ears are looking for Broadway in your pocket.
TLDR:
Genre: Fiction, musical
Length: 20-30 minutes
Episodes: Ongoing
Vibes: Musical, drama, camp, activism
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