Planet Money - We Buy a Superhero 8: Micro-Face: The Musical

Episode Date: August 1, 2022

This episode, Micro-Face: The Musical. A full concert recording of a one-of-a-kind Planet Money superhero musical, taped during our recent live show at the Roulette Theater in Brooklyn, New York. Here's more from our project We Buy A Superhero.Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This is Planet Money, from NPR. Hello, I'm Amanda Aronchik. I am Kenny Malone. Kenny, it is a big day. Biggest day, yes. Biggest day! Because we at Planet Money have been hard at work, lighting the lights, setting the stage,

getting ready to share with you, audience, Planet Money's first original production of Microface the Musical. Now, if you subscribe to Planet Money Plus, you got a chance to hear this a few weeks ago, and now we are sharing it with everybody. Yes, this is very exciting. Kenny, I think we need to take a few minutes to, like, set up the musical for people, right?

Yeah, it is a complicated musical. It's a complicated musical. So this will take a few minutes to like set up the musical for people, right? Yeah, it is a complicated musical. It's a complicated musical. So this will take a second. Okay, so this musical grew out of the Planet Money Project, We Buy a Superhero. And we have done a bunch of episodes about the superhero. We will link to them in our episode notes. And basically, this was a project to buy and monetize a superhero in order to understand the high stakes economic world of superhero intellectual property. Yeah, because like, of course, superhero IP fuels movies and merchandise and theme parks. It is like, it's huge and it's interesting.

And we wanted to understand it from the inside and out. And so to do that, we actually first went out and tried to buy a superhero off of Marvel Comics. That did not work out. We did find, kind of laying in the sort of dumpsters of history, an old forgotten superhero from the 1940s that nobody owned anymore named Microface. So Microface's superpowers are super sensitive hearing, x-ray kind of vision. He has this microphone amplified voice that will sort of appear to be coming from anywhere. Microface! There we go.

That's the voice of Microface. Most important thing about Microface, aside from the awesome name and the amazing super talents, is Microface was in the public domain. Which allowed us at Planet Money to acquire-ish Microface by basically just rebooting the character, putting a little more of a spin on him. We actually took away a few of his abs from the original version, gave him like a slightly different costume. But yeah. Did you say abs yeah like actual abdominal it was very shredded in the original comic book in the 1940s okay very good this new rebooted version we we could own that version and and so that let planet money license him out create merch a comic book uh we shopped him around to see if anybody wanted the movie

rights uh and then we sort of jokingly said, hey, does anybody want to license this character for a musical? And that is when we heard from Kit Goldstein-Grant. So I love writing musicals about weird, specific things. Now, Kit is a very real musical writer. She studied at Juilliard. She had also been listening to our show. And during COVID, when theaters were shut down, she was out on a walk in Queens where she lives. And she says this song just came to her. It's time for Microface. It's time for Microface.

The sonic superhero that the world will soon embrace. With his invention, I could spread omnidirectional good. Yeah. So, long story short, we at Planet Money and at NPR, we licensed Microface to Kit so that she could write a musical. so that she could write a musical. A musical that was, in fact, amazingly performed and recorded just a few months ago as part of a live show that we did in Brooklyn, New York. Now, this was a concert performance of Microface the musical, which means that there was a full band.

There were incredibly talented performers singing and acting. But there were not sets. There were not costume changes. This was meant to be listened to first and foremost. So you're not going to miss anything by not being able to see what's going on on stage. However, it does require a little bit of information to fully comprehend the plot of this wonderfully dorky, nerdy, economics-y musical. And the first thing that you're going to need to understand comes from an old Planet Money episode called Eschiet Show. In that episode, we explained that Eschiet is this economics concept

that dates all the way back to feudal England and is essentially the government's ability to take possession of unclaimed financial assets on behalf of its citizens. So stocks, paychecks, bank accounts, anything like that. Right. It's kind of like a giant lost and found run by the government, right? So each state has its own system. You can actually go and look up your own name and see if perhaps, I don't know, you have a utility credit left over from somewhere or a bank account that you thought you closed.

And that maybe that state owes you some money. Everyone should go do this. I have found at least $40 in missing paycheck from NPR, actually. I actually found, I got 90 bucks. So we both have benefited from looking up our names. One of our listeners found $24,000 sitting unclaimed. Amazing. So this is worth doing. But what all of this has to do with the Microface musical is that the government gets to use your money while they're holding on to it. And so the sort of other side of this is that like, is it really in the government's best interest to return all of this money to people? So this is the idea that evil genius composer Kit Goldstein Grant was playing with.

That's thing number one. Thing number two that you need to know before we play this for you is something we've mentioned in episodes before. It is a programming language, a computer programming language called COBOL, C-O-B-O-L. And it is this old, like 1950s computer language that was used by the government to make databases and applications. But because COBOL is still the underlying code for a lot of government stuff, it breaks down. And you have to go, like, find these people who remember how the language works to fix it. And you have to, like, drag them back in to save the day. Those are the things you're going to need to know. COBOL, old language, S-sheet, a thing that the government does that in theory is nice,

but, you know, could be warped into something maybe evil. And I think that's everything people need to know. Correct, Amanda? I think so. Although before we get there, we should probably tell people just how lyrical the musical is. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I do think one of the composer Kit Goldstein Grant's

superpowers here is her ability to write lyrics. And so what I would recommend is, these songs are really, really dense. So I would listen to this, if you can, with headphones, loudspeakers. Listen somewhere where you can really take this in and appreciate it and listen to the lyrics. There are so many jokes and planet money references in this like it is the most planet money thing that has ever been made uh and we didn't make it we didn't make it a super listener made it but yeah okay i think that is everything that people are going to need to know and with that we now present micro face the musical written Microface the Musical, written and directed by Kit Goldstein-Grant after this short break. Okay, without further ado,

I am unfathomably excited to present the world premiere of Microface the Musical. Our story begins with a flashback. NPR business reporter Sam Salazar has just received a mysterious letter accompanied by a box. Let's drop in and find out what's inside. To my grandson Sam, if you're holding this letter, it means you've figured out by now that I was not only your loving abuelo, but also the golden age superhero microface. I spent a good chunk of my younger years using the special audio powers in my helmet to try to keep the streets safe, but now it's your turn. Take care of this

suit and helmet. They are my last legacy, and always remember what I told you so many times when you would get beat up at school. Life is about speaking up, being heard, using your voice to help yourself and others. If you see injustice, be the one who speaks up. Be careful, son. And make sure you get out there and kick ass at. Microface. Microface.

So, it looks like the crooked firm golden age private equity has been taken down by the newest superhero on the economics beat, the mysterious Microface. Remember, his head's not tiny, he has a microphone in his helmet. You're listening to NPR News. Great show today, Amina. It hasn't aired yet. Were you listening? Why have a mask with special powers of

hearing if you don't have some fun with it? Don't be a creeper, tiny head. The name is Microface. Do you think your dead abuelo left you that microphone suit he invented so you could listen in on my broadcasts? Come on, I've only had it a few days. Sure, I've already used it to break up a malicious private equity firm. But I've got more gizmos to try out.

I'm still working on the manual he sent. Did you know it has photoelectric vision so I can see through stuff? Yeah, you told me. And I can throw my voice any place within a full 20-mile radius. This suit just keeps getting better and better. Come on, Amina. Let's get out of here and go find some punks to take down. You know, you do still have a job, Sam.

You're a business reporter. You can't just be running around the streets beating up bank robbers like some kind of vigilante. I know, I know, but my grandpa wouldn't have left me this super suit if he didn't want me to do something with it. I've got to get out there. Do you even know how cool this suit is? How much stuff I can do? I can whisper softly and you hear it all around. I can play a bass that rumbles, rumbles through the ground. Throw my voice and tell those robbers, hands up in the air. They run the other way and then I catch them in my snare.

It's time for Microface. It's time for microface. The sonic superhero that the world will soon embrace. With this invention I could spread omnidirectional good. Are you serious, Sam? So serious. With great audio processing power comes great responsibility. Uh-huh. Set my levels high and hear the misbehaviors yelp. Soon the FBI and cops are calling me for help. As the villains think their vicious planning is complete, I send a wave of sound so loud it knocks them off their feet. As the villains think their vicious planning is complete,

I send a wave of sound so loud it knocks them off their feet. It's time for micro phase. It's time for micro phase. For mac or macro crimes, you bet, I'm always on the case. With this invention I could spread Omni-direction all good It's time for Microface It's time for Microface My panning and compression Leaves the villains in disgrace With this invention I could Spread Omni-dire and all good Get ready for Microfix Yeah

No I'm gonna stay here I've got actual work to do. Find another sidekick. Shh. Wait a second. Are you eavesdropping again? Is it something good?

No, it's... I just heard my aunt's name. Your tia, Eleanor? I think it's coming from the building over. Hold on. No. Take this microbud. Eleanor Wood? Who the heck is Eleanor Wood?

Who cares? Throw it out. This is so weird. I'm always getting mail from the New York State Comptroller's office for, like, thousands of different people. But they all have my address. I've been getting them ever since I moved in. Always for different people. It's like their system is really screwed up. And now I've got one more for some Eleanor Wood.

Dude, shred it. Let's roll. The game's about to start. Yeah, I guess. It just sucks that some people aren't getting their mail. So weird. I've got to check this out. Sam, you've got a life. You can't just get involved with stuff because you hear your aunt's name. I've got to find out what's going on. Are you in or are you out?

Oh, fine. I'm in. But no more eavesdropping, okay, tiny head? The name is... Yeah, I know. Come on, Amina. Let's go raid a recycle bin. It's time for Microface. It's time for Microface.

When letters reach the wrong address, I put them in their place Get ready for Microface Thank you. Push enough buzzers and someone will let you in. What now? Find the recycle bin and start looking. Here it is! I got it! What's left of it?

Wait, there's a lot of them. Oh. Letters from the state controller's office. Oh, here's one that's not shredded. You gonna open it? You know that's mail fraud. All right, all right. I'll use my photoelectric vision to look inside.

Looks like a check It's a state tax refund Could they all be tax refunds? But why would all these tax refunds be going to the same address? I don't know, but I better find out My aunt never got her refund And she's going to be evicted next week if she can't pay her mortgage She still lives in the house she grew up in with my grandpa And it'll just kill her to lose that place Evicted? What's going to be evicted next week if she can't pay her mortgage. She still lives in the house she grew up in with my grandpa,

and it'll just kill her to lose that place. Evicted? What's going on? When Golden Age private equity took over Wood Family Inventions, she got laid off. And she's been having a lot of money problems since. A tax refund could really make a difference to her. Why don't you just send her a check? could really make a difference to her.

Why don't you just send her a check? I work at a non-profit, remember? Wait a second. Look at this envelope. There's something written in tiny print on the inside. This one has it too. They all have it. Crack the code of the cracked code.

Tuesday, 2 p.m. Benny Z. Pallone State Office Building. Look for a computer programmer with nerdy glasses. But beware. Danger lurks. But that's today. We better move it. Should we go? It could be a trap.

It could also be a clue. We've got to go for your aunt's sake. It's time for Microface. It's time for Microface. This afternoon at 2pm

that's where we join the chase. Come on, let's go! Welcome to the New York State Bureau of Lost Monies. Thanks. Thanks. I just got transferred from Labor Statistics. I'm not even really sure what you do here. Not sure what we do here? Well, I'll tell you.

Oh, wow. I'll tell you. Oh. Oh, wow. Ooh. Got a check, then forgot to cash it. Then the state is going to have to stash it. Keep it safe until you find it.

Public good, that's what's behind it keep your money safe keep your money safe corporations can't be trusted they won't help you like i just did keep your money safe Keep your money safe Unclaimed funds, there's nothing sweeter When your job is the S-Cheater I know that your job title is spelled S-Cheater But I thought it was pronounced S-Sheeter Not in my case, honey I thought it was pronounced as sheeter. Not in my case, honey.

Bank account that you never log in. Memory, I could use a little jogging. Could get lost, so I propose we make those ducats nice and cozy. We'll keep your money safe. Keep your money safe. Keep your money safe. Surely you could hardly grudge it if we borrow it for the budget. We'll keep your money safe. Keep your money safe. Fiscal balance all would teeter If it weren't for these cheaters

So we send notices out to people To let them know that we have their money? Notices? Notices? You want to waste taxpayer money on notices? We got a website, don't we? You ever heard of Google? Well, yeah, I guess.

Some may say we overreach. That's our chance to praise and preach. Refunds from your income tax that you never got. We got your backs. All you gotta do is think of searching unclaimed funds, New York State, and then enter your information on a website that may or may not be currently undergoing maintenance.

See? Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Keep your money safe. Keep your money safe Keep your money safe Once the budget's fully funded You can borrow it like I don't need Keep your money safe Keep your money safe

You may be dead, you may be snoozing but if there's dough that you're not using we all are winners no one's losing if I take it to go cruising I mean to invest

in in-state projects like an Erie Canal cruise line, of course. Of course. But you get my drift. Are you in or are you out? Keep your money safe. Keep your money safe.

Want to buy a sweet two-seater An indoor pool that's got a heater Drink champagne up by one meter Say yes to the S-cheater He keeps your money safe I'm in Well, here we are at the Benny Z. Pallone State Building, Sam Be careful, this place is crawling with reporters. Wouldn't want your secret identity to get out.

Test, test. One, two, three. What's going on? Looks like an event. Press conference, I suppose. Weird. So, the note said to look for someone in nerdy glasses. See anyone in nerdy glasses? I mean, press conference, reporters.

It's kind of the dress code. But does anyone look like a computer programmer? Keep looking. Sir? Sir? No questions. No questions yet. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the press.

Today I am delighted to announce that due to higher than expected revenue in our general fund, New York State's budget is now officially balanced. Any questions? Yes, sir. Yes, yes, sir. Sir, are you wearing diamond cufflinks? That's enough questions. This press conference is over. Yes.

There's something fishy about this. Oh, look at that woman. Her glasses are pretty nerdy. Yeah, that's got gotta be the programmer. Hi. I saw a tiny message in a refund check. Does that mean anything to you? How did you see it? Are you the micro-face? Shh! Not so loud. Do you have information for me?

Ha! Do I have information? I program in COBOL. Oh. I was called out of retirement to update the Department of Labor's system, and then transferred to the Bureau of Lost Monies. They told me to keep my head down and stay in my own lane, but I don't believe in lanes, except on the freeway. Go on. The website was always having issues or undergoing maintenance, and if a reporter caught wind of it, then the old broken COBOL was always a convenient patsy.

broken COBOL was always a convenient patsy. But I started poking around the code, and I figured out what was really going on. There's a jumble in the Java, there's a Python on the loose, causing errors that would make a user cuss. And they always blame the COBOL, COBOL's always the excuse, but there's trouble in the C++. When the site is barely loading or there's error 404, they go throwing COBOL underneath the bus. But I process all my data. I won't take it anymore. Cause there's trouble in the C++. There's corruption in the code.

And sin in the syntax. That attacks the tax department too. It sneaks in there and messes. With the refund check addresses And no one has a clue When a letter's misdirected, well then everybody shrugs And they think there's nothing rotten to discuss But the problem's really basic, there's a blackguard building box

And there's trouble in the C++. Yes, there's trouble in the C++. The system is fixed, but I could fix the system. In the first case, you mean fixed like grigged, and in the second, you mean fixed like corrected, right?

Right. I knew you were the only one who could help. and in the second you mean fixed, like corrected, right? Right. I knew you were the only one who could help. I've been including messages inside the envelopes ever since, knowing only you could see them with your photoelectric vision. But why take the risk? Surely not just to avenge Kobol's good name. I was an old friend of Tom Wood.

The original Microface. He must have been your grandpa, right? I couldn't stand by and watch what was happening to his daughter, Eleanor. I got the corrected code right here on my Blackberry! Ready to go at a moment's notice. Push a button to deploy it, and the typos disappear. And to get your dough won't cost you any fuss. I've been coding for a lifetime, this could cancel my career But I see it as my public duty Thus, hear an ancient coder's plea, change the Perl and PHP

With a couple double clicks, scrap the scheme and nix the nix And fix the trouble in the C++ The benefits will snowball When you give some cred to Komal And fix the trouble in the C++ Plus Plus Plus A nefarious plot. But who's behind it? Who would benefit from a malfunctioning, lost-moneys computer system and website?

See that building over there? Look into it. Oh, gotcha. That's where I'll start my investigation. No, you have photoelectric vision, don't you? Look into it. And use your super strong hearing, too. Amina, I've got to wear my helmet.

Cover me. Tiffany! I need something to cheer me up after that disaster. I'll get it from the fridge. Who's inside? The lost monies guy who just gave the press conference Mr. Diamond Sleeve And his assistant This champagne and caviar pate is disgusting

But it's so expensive, I love it Well, I bought three NFTs with my share of the take But I still don't feel fulfilled. Maybe owning a 15-second clip of a sports game, which is also freely available on YouTube, isn't all it's cracked up to be. Well, don't worry, Tiffany. There's more to my plan than fish eggs and non-fungible tokens.

Oh. And now that the budget is balanced and we have everything we want, it's time for stage two. Stage two? One of the people who didn't get her money was Eleanor Wood. You know who she is? No idea. She's the daughter of Tom Wood, inventor of the microface suit.

She still lives in the old family house. A house that must be filled with Tom Wood's other hidden invention. And if she doesn't get her state tax refund, she's going to be evicted. Which is our chance to swoop in and get all the cool gear that he came up with? How fast you learn, my wicked fledgling. Those inventions can be used as weapons. Once we have them in our hot little hands, Tiffany,

the sky's the limit! Ultimate power! I could be governor. You could be queen. No one could stop us. The Ishita. He's the one behind all of this. Hey, where did that programmer go?

It looks like some goons got her. They must have seen her talking to us. They've got her blackberry with the corrected code. We've got to get it back. I'll have to use the suit. Hey, look! It's an X-ray! We've gotta you now. I'm gonna tie him up. Programmer, here, catch the Blackberry.

Not so fast. I've got the Blackberry now. So at last we meet, Microface. Or should I say, Sam Salazar. How did you... My henchman saw you talking to Kathy. I was worried she'd go soft. She always was a weak link.

So, Sam, I hear you're an NPR reporter. Not for long. When I tell your boss about your secret identity, you'll be done so. And your Tia? She'll never get the money the state owes her. Freeze! Freeze! I'm going to arrest!

How did they find me? It was me all along. Now, time to check the plosive powers of this mask. What? No. No. No! No! Sam, you knocked him out cold. I'll get the blackberry back.

Here it is. I have it. Quick! Fix the website's code! Hit go! Done! Now people can actually search for their unclaimed funds. But we need people to know to go onto the website and claim their money. If only we knew somebody with a really loud face.

To the entire state of New York? With the suit, I could throw my voice into the homes of everyone in New York City. Maybe not the whole state. We could rig up the suit to that WNYC radio transmitter. We're right by the transmitter building. That would increase the power. Would that work? I'm talent, not tech. But we might

as well try. I'll hack into the transmitter system. Hand me that wire. Sam, you get that helmet ready to go. Sam, you get that helmet ready to go. Turn the volume to eleven And pray it doesn't clip We've got no room for headroom And the levels mustn't dip

No matter the distortion We've gotta take the floor And spread our podcast to the world Louder than never before We'll turn the volume up To take the villain down And spread the word of unclaimed funds To everyone in town We'll blast the news to Buffalo

Schenectady, Monroe Cause it's the people's money And the people ought to know We'll turn the speaker off To turn corruption off It's over if I clear my throat Or God forbid I cough They'll hear us from Hamptons

To Saratoga track Cause it's the people's money And it's time they take it back So if I blow my eardrums out Or break the mask in two I'll know that it was worth it, it's what I got to do The world will shake, the city rock, I'll be so super loud And Grandpa, if you hear me, I know I'll make you proud We'll turn the volume up

To take the villain down Pass the scoundrel off his throne Take away his crown We'll wake him up in Hickory In Hawaii and L.A. Cause he's the people's buddy And there's cash and hell to pay. Turn the volume up.

Turn the volume up. Turn the volume up. We're connected to the transmitter, but it's not enough. Turn up the output higher. The output is maxed out. The only way we're going to get enough volume is if we turn up the input. We can't turn up the input. The levels will spike and it'll distort so much that nobody will understand what I'm saying. According to the manual, we need to get your input at the absolute highest possible level right before it becomes too distorted to understand.

You have to speak at exactly the volume we test at, or we'll lose our only chance. Can you do it? Let's see how good of a radio reporter I really am. I'm ready to try. Okay. Systems, go! This is a public service announcement.

You may have money waiting. Search the internet for unclean funds in the name of your state to claim what's rightfully yours. Oh wow, I have $30. I have $850. I have $3,500. I can pay the bank and keep the Wood family house. Oh, thank heavens. We'll turn the volume up to take the mailing down and spread the word of Uncrant funds to everyone in town.

We'll flash the bills to Buffalo's, connect and even grow, cause it's the people's money and the people ought to know. We'll turn the volume up, turn the volume up, turn the volume up, to take the villain down Watch out, Sam! The Escheater is coming too! Oh, curse you, Macroface! You foiled my blood! Crime can blame none but itself for its most dreaded menace, Microface! What?

What? It's something my grandpa used to say. Oh, no. No. No! Hands up! This is the police! The real police! Our job here is done. Take these punks away. Oh, jeez, I'm late for a report. I'm supposed to be in the booth 20 minutes ago. Wish that suit made you super fast. Nah, that guy is still under copyright.

Stick him up. Give me all your money. Help! That cry isn't coming from a tea party. Amina, tell them I'll be late. Sam, no. Where danger stalks the city, Microface will be there.

Did your abuelo used to say that? I made that one up myself. Oh, brother. Okay, I'll tell them you're out sick. Go take those punks down. It's time for Microface. It's time for Microface. With microphone technology you'll always win the race. Micro, micro, microface. Micro, micro, microface. It's time for microface! It's time for microface! Microface!

Microface! It's time for microface! It's time for microface! It's eventually gone. It's my omnidirectional goal. I'll be directional, I'll be professional Get ready for my grow face This recording of Microface, the musical, was performed by... Sebastian Trevino. As Sam Salazar, a.k.a. Microface. The role of Amina Ahmed was performed by...

In the role of the Escheater... And Tiffany from the Bureau of Lost Monies... Kathy the Cobol Programmer was performed by... And performing as ensemble, swings... Live foley and audio effects were performed by on guitar bass percussion

piano, musical director and copyist stage manager and artistic producer The book, music, lyrics, and orchestration of Microface the Musical were all written by Kit Goldstein-Grant. This musical was recorded and engineered by Isaac Rodriguez with additional engineering by Scott Lane. Special thanks to David Michael Benjamin, Jeff Victor, Michael Grant,

Devin Meller, and everyone at the NPR Live Events team.