Let's go to the mall! It's the first episode of 2026, and we've got a DUO. Charming guests Barb Jackson and Hugh Walker (Director and Writer/Composer of "Evangelikids!") join us for an all-new improvised musical, set in the long lost world of US shopping malls. A captive Claire's, a submerged Spencer Gifts, troubling taekwondo, and more. Yay capitalism! Barb Jackson is a writer, performer, and director originally from Northern California. She has called Chicago home for 4 years, but you can still hear her say something is 'Hella cool dude' when she's excited. Catch her perform in "Improvised Jane Austen" at iO Theater, and don't miss the next run of "Evangelikids," opening January 2026 at The Annoyance Theater! Hugh Walker sometimes performs musical improv, sometimes writes stuff, sometimes plays piano, but mostly watches a man build igloos on YouTube.Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Barb Jackson, Hugh WalkerMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

What better way to celebrate the new year than a CHALLENGE EPISODE? We've got the gang together to ring in 2026 with resolute rhymes, timely time signatures, a charming champaign toast, and so much more - including a special surprise appearance from friend of the pod, Maya Tanaka! Happy New Year from all of us at Charm Scene!Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Maya TanakaMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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 ClausMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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 improv back in his junior year of high school and has been performing ever since. He completed the training program at the Dallas Comedy House, co-wrote a couple horror movie musicals, and was a main stage performer at the Four Day Weekend theater in Dallas for years. Eventually Daniel made his way up to Chicago in March of '24 where he was delighted to join the cast of "Tuesday Musical Improv" at the Annoyance Theater. In his free time, Daniel likes convincing people to go do karaoke at weird bars, and trying not to slip on ice.Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Daniel MatthewsMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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 Second City in Chicago, where she wrote and performed in the Jeff Award-winning revue "Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting)", and toured the country with the Second City National TourCo and aboard the Norwegian Jade and Dawn cruise ships. TV credits: The Playboy Club (NBC), Modern Family (ABC), My Life Is A Joke (OWN), Chicago Med (NBC). Film credits: Screams From the Tower, Janie Jones, Bad Johnson. Jessica is a lifelong fan and employee of Cedar Point Amusement Park, having performed there in the early 2000's, and writing and directing shows there in the 2020's. Watch her solo show at www.jessicajoy.com!Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Jessica JoyMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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 comedy, he has successfully graduated from the Annoyance, iO, CiC, Second City's Improv AND Musical Improv Conservatories, and has performed in improv & sketch all around town, and in festivals all across the country. You can currently find him in shows such as Shamilton, Wheel of Improv, Starship Edsel, Comedy Pageant, Swiped, Dinner Detective, & more! After a long week, Carlos likes to wind down by singing some "FERGALISCIOUS" at local karaoke bars around town, or watching his hometown football team the Miami Dolphins fail week after week. Find him on Instagram at "carlosrvra" or at http://allmylinks.com/carlosrvra.Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Carlos RiveraMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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 performer who plays on stages across the city. Catch her regularly in "Voila! The Improvised Musical" (iO Chicago) and "ANARCHY: The Improvised Rock Opera" (Second City). Outside of Chicago, Sydney teaches music improv at festivals around the world, from Seattle to Nashville to Reykjavik and beyond. Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Sydney ClintonMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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! --- 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 London. In his live shows, MC Hammersmith performs improvised hip hop comedy. The lyrics and rhymes of his raps are 100% improvised and based entirely on audience suggestions. In this guise he has won numerous comedy awards, headlined weekends at every major comedy club in the UK, sold out multiple consecutive runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, supported Jason Manford on his live arena tour, and is currently on his third nationwide solo tour. He also writes and performs scripted hip hop comedy tracks, which have gone viral on numerous platforms – most notably racking up over 100 million views on TikTok. He has over 1M followers across social media. He has performed alongside famous hip hop and rap artists – most notably rapping for Dave in a viral “Guess The Musician” Beta Squad video, and being invited to freestyle at R.A. The Rugged Man’s London live show. He is also a writer for acclaimed YouTube series Epic Rap Battles of History.Having started comedy as an improvisational comedian, he trained at Second City Chicago, iO, Annoyance, and UCB New York. He still performs improv today, in some of the world’s biggest touring improv shows – he can frequently be spotted improvising with Baby Wants Candy, Shamilton, and The Spontaneous Players at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and across the globe. He has headlined numerous international improv festivals, and was the first person in the UK to perform improv in an arena. @mc_hammersmithCast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, MC HammersmithMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, join our Discord, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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. --- 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 London. In his live shows, MC Hammersmith performs improvised hip hop comedy. The lyrics and rhymes of his raps are 100% improvised and based entirely on audience suggestions. In this guise he has won numerous comedy awards, headlined weekends at every major comedy club in the UK, sold out multiple consecutive runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, supported Jason Manford on his live arena tour, and is currently on his third nationwide solo tour.He also writes and performs scripted hip hop comedy tracks, which have gone viral on numerous platforms – most notably racking up over 100 million views on TikTok.He has over 1M followers across social media.He has performed alongside famous hip hop and rap artists – most notably rapping for Dave in a viral “Guess The Musician” Beta Squad video, and being invited to freestyle at R.A. The Rugged Man’s London live show. He is also a writer for acclaimed YouTube series Epic Rap Battles of History.Having started comedy as an improvisational comedian, he trained at Second City Chicago, iO, Annoyance, and UCB New York. He still performs improv today, in some of the world’s biggest touring improv shows – he can frequently be spotted improvising with Baby Wants Candy, Shamilton, and The Spontaneous Players at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and across the globe. He has headlined numerous international improv festivals, and was the first person in the UK to perform improv in an arena. @mc_hammersmith --- Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, MC HammersmithMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, join our Discord, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!"

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

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.comAli 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 "VHS Christmas Carols" in Chicago at the Apollo Theater. Ali also performs musical improv everywhere she can, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with "Baby Wants Candy" and "Shamilton." Ali's debut novel, "We Have Reached the End of Our Show," is now available for purchase anywhere you buy books. Ali also writes musicals: "Gross Prophets" (Melbourne International Comedy Festival), and check out "Power Trip" @powertripmusical!Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Ali GordonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, join our Discord, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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 BuckleyMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris Ditton Follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, join our Discord, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!"

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!

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 GospelMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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 MorrisonMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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: Lily Ludwig, Austin PackardMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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 TessmerMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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. HurdleMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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 SchollMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!

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 AuxierMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonFollow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, or shoot us a message at CharmScenePod@gmail.com!