Three Ear-Worthy iHeart Podcasts: Las Culturistas; Therapy Gecko; Escape From Zaqistan

 This weekend, we offer you three iHeart Podcasts that can be classified as "wicked," weird, and wild.

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 With the latest episode of

Las Culturistas, it’s a “Wicked” extravaganza! Join Matt & Bowen as they talk to THE ladies of the hour “Wicked” stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in back-to-back episodes of “Las Culturistas.”

In the first episode, Matt & Bow gab with Ariana about finding her Glinda, how the musical theater “queens of her life” impacted her development and what the next ten years of her career might look like. In the second, Cynthia tells Matt & Bowen about auditioning for Wicked, crafting her Elphaba and ultimately letting her go.

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Need help figuring out life and your purpose in this world? In “Therapy Gecko,” an unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing.

Host Lyle’s unique perspective, curious ear and green face paint has struck a chord with millions of fans around the world as he combines comedy and human interest stories by talking through strangers' sometimes wholesome, sometimes bizarre, problems and situations. Join the gecko on Wednesdays and Sundays as he attempts to understand the complexities of life through the situations and stories of anonymous internet callers. 

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In Escape From Zaqistan, listeners go deep in the American desert to visit a tiny, tiny, tiny nation: The Republic of Zaqistan. Guarded by robots, Zaqistan nonetheless welcomed new citizens for more than 15 years - until it fell into ruins.

Now the eponymous founder wants to rebuild. In “Escape From Zaqistan,” join hosts Ryan Murdock, Gabbie Watts and Zaron Burnett on a journey to uncharted territory … to the nation of Zaqistan…and the upside-down world of micronations. Along the way, they meet some crazy characters - the President of Molossia, the Sultan of Slowjamastan, the Princess of Sancrotosia to name a few. Follow Murdock as he risks life and limb in the name of nation-building, and find out the answer to the question: what exactly is a nation, anyway? New episodes Tuesdays. 

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These three iHeart shows prove that large podcast networks can develop creatively vibrant podcasts, and not subject listeners to copycat content and celebrity chatter. Now, iHeart should look to bring some superb indie podcasts into the fold like The Life Shift, Salad With A Side Of Fries, and Why Wars Happened. 

 

Technical Advisor: Pushpa Khanal