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!
Podcast Description
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!

Who is Charm Scene?
Collectively, the Charm Scene team can be seen across Chicago and beyond as members of Baby Wants Candy and Shamilton at The Second City, Phony Award Winning Improvised Musicals at iO Theater, ANARCHY: The Improvised Rock Opera and Tuesday Musical Improv at Annoyance Theatre, Lost Realms: Improvised Musicals From Beyond, RIFF, and more. Members of Charm Scene have performed on tour with Off Book: The Improvised Musical, the Second City Touring Company, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Episodes

Apr 7, 2026
#83: "Frenfield" with Brady Barrow!
Apr 7, 2026
Apr 7, 2026
56 min
Things get 'familiar' as we welcome charming guest Brady Barrow! Inspired by Brady's haunting experience playing Dracula's #1 sidekick Renfield, we travel to the monstrous, blood soaked streets of New York City, where we find collegiate creatures, waltzing werewolves, man-made men, and so much more. It's time to transform on this week's Charm Scene!Brady has been waiting her whole life to be on Charm Scene and is so excited. Its probably all downhill from here. In the past she has been a part of multiple productions such as TMI @annoyance, Made Up Musicals @annoyance, Help! Let Me Out RN! @annoyance, Baby Grand (iO House team), Improvised Broadway @iO, Now That's What I Call F*ck It @secondcity, and more! She is part of a two-person sketch ensemble entitled BUTTERFACE, with her good friend Ollie Grishaber. You can find Brady on Instagram @brady.barrow.comedy or at bradybarrow.com. When she is not performing she is crocheting or annoying her cat.Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Brady BarrowMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonCharm Scene is performed entirely by humans in sunny Chicago, IL. For more on the podcast, follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, visit us online at charmscenepod.podbean.com, or email us at CharmScenePod@gmail.com. In listening to this show, we hope you continue to support live human art wherever you find it. Stay charming!

Apr 1, 2026
Apr 1, 2026
1hr 1 min
April Fools! Oh you thought we'd only have one episode this week, didn't you? Got your ass.It's a twofer Charm Scene April Fools extravaganza, and what better way to commemorate the funniest of holidays than a good old fashioned just us challenge-sode. Reminiscent romance, ear-plugged pianos, and not a single Scheidler sibling in sight. All this and more on this week's Charm Scene!Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin PackardMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonCharm Scene is performed entirely by humans in sunny Chicago, IL. For more on the podcast, follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, visit us online at charmscenepod.podbean.com, or email us at CharmScenePod@gmail.com. In listening to this show, we hope you continue to support live human art wherever you find it. Stay charming!

Mar 31, 2026

Mar 24, 2026
#80: "Into The Cabbage" with Jonathan Allsop!
Mar 24, 2026
Mar 24, 2026
58 min
It's a vegetable revolution as charming guest Jonathan Allsop returns for another fully improvised musical. Don't miss our savoy spectacles, leafy liberation, and Mr. Corn Orville Redenbacher De Beers Diamonds Jr. himself. Lettuce entertain you on this week's Charm Scene!Jonathan Allsop was born and raised in Reading, PA. He is a proud first gen American with his mom/family immigrating from the islands of Trinidad & Tobago. After graduating from UPenn in Philly he moved to Chicago to do business, and act on the side, which eventually took over so much that he went to get his MFA in Acting at NIU. He has worked at various theaters such as: The Second City, Writers Theatre, Court Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, Definition Theatre, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, and more. He has done a lot of commercial and film work (a proud member of SAG-AFTRA), and has done improv throughout the city with Anarchy, Phony Award, and Blank. He loves the community and art that exists in Chicago and is so excited to continue to grow and do more.Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Jonathan AllsopMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonCharm Scene is performed entirely by humans in sunny Chicago, IL. For more on the podcast, follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, visit us online at charmscenepod.podbean.com, or email us at CharmScenePod@gmail.com. In listening to this show, we hope you continue to support live human art wherever you find it. Stay charming!

Mar 17, 2026
#79: "Not Quite, Maine" with Liz McCreight!
Mar 17, 2026
Mar 17, 2026
1hr 3 min
It's 'Almost' time for an all new Charm Scene! Charming guest Liz McCreight (Tuesday Musical Improv, Teen Girl Book, Tent Peg Productions) returns for a surprisingly grounded improvised musical, inspired by the actual play, "Almost, Maine." Residents of this fictional town include sapphic stitchers, emotional exes, tired toddler parents, and more. Don't go breaking my heart!
Liz McCreight is an improviser on her tenth year in Chicago who finally feels comfortable calling herself a Chicagoan. When not performing with TMI, Teen Girl Book, or producing shows with Tent Peg Productions, you can find her watching cartoons with her cat.
Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Liz McCreightMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris Ditton
Charm Scene is performed entirely by humans in sunny Chicago, IL. For more on the podcast, follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, visit us online at charmscenepod.podbean.com, or email us at CharmScenePod@gmail.com. In listening to this show, we hope you continue to support live human art wherever you find it. Stay charming!

Mar 10, 2026
#78: "James of Hearts" with Mike Gospel!
Mar 10, 2026
Mar 10, 2026
1hr 2 min
Magic Mike is back! Charming guest Mike Gospel returns for a spellbinding fully improvised musical, complete with terrifying tricks, dutiful doves, cosmic calamities, and more. Find the magic inside us all, and inside James, on this week's Charm Scene. Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Mike GospelMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonCharm Scene is performed entirely by humans in sunny Chicago, IL. For more on the podcast, follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, visit us online at charmscenepod.podbean.com, or email us at CharmScenePod@gmail.com. In listening to this show, we hope you continue to support live human art wherever you find it. Stay charming!

Mar 3, 2026
#77: "Sapiosexual" with Juliana Zepeda!
Mar 3, 2026
Mar 3, 2026
59 min
Adjective - of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to highly intelligent people. We're hot for teacher as charming guest Juliana Zepeda joins the esteemed faculty of Charm Scene High, but she's on the hunt for something else. Musical MILFs, wistful worms, principled principals, and more in this week's fully improvised musical. Class is in session!Juliana Zepeda is really busy, kind of all the time, but this is her favorite podcast and some of her favorite people ever. If you like what you hear please follow her on Instagram and Tiktok @jayz_nottherapper. She would also love it if you came to any of her shows. Wheel of Improv, Shamilton, and Baby Wants Candy at Second City. Improvised Jane Austen, Marquee, and Best of iO Improv at iO Theater, or any of the other shows she does and loves. Slay Always.Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Juliana ZepedaMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonCharm Scene is performed entirely by humans in sunny Chicago, IL. For more on the podcast, follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, visit us online at charmscenepod.podbean.com, or email us at CharmScenePod@gmail.com. In listening to this show, we hope you continue to support live human art wherever you find it. Stay charming!

Feb 26, 2026
Feb 26, 2026
38 min
We're just a week away from the first annual Fraudway Musical Improv Festival at Chicago's iO Theatre! In this all new episode of Chat Scene, festival creator and organizer Allen Lucas joins us to talk about the festival and his countless new musical improv endeavors at iO (including the amazing new show "Marquee").We'll see you all at the Fraudway Musical Improv Festival, March 6-7. Tickets are on sale now at ioimprov.com.Cast: Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, Allen LucasMusic Director: Sam ScheidlerDrums: Chris DittonCharm Scene is performed entirely by humans in sunny Chicago, IL. For more on the podcast, follow us @CharmScenePod on Instagram, visit us online at charmscenepod.podbean.com, or email us at CharmScenePod@gmail.com. In listening to this show, we hope you continue to support live human art wherever you find it. Stay charming!






