#╭ ⁞ ❏. narrations / robert todd lincoln.

[historiavn]

          @officerwaltons     said;        ❝ you look so much like your mother in certain lights. ❞ Elmira to Robert.

╰► SOURCE:      house of the dragon starters

ROBERT TILTED HIS HEAD, curiosity flickering across his features. He had heard this statement from others before, of course, but it was the first time that he’d these words uttered by Elmira.

        “How so?” He asked, intrigued. Where precisely could this resemblance be identified? No one’s ever really told him, but perhaps Elmira would be able to enlighten him.

[historiavn]

“ You’re starting to sound like my Pa. ” Robert muttered, shaking his head whilst the fondest of small smiles tugged on the corner of his lips. “ He’s always going on about the exact same concepts of which you speak — it’s not bad or anything, just ironic. I’ll have to introduce you to him; I feel like you’d have a grand old time together. ”

⠀ ⠀“ See, I used to be quite the avid reader in my youth, but I’m currently studying law. ” He explained, “ You speak of vast narratives and beautiful things to be learned from literature; in the legal world, those same grand narratives are confined solely to the facts of a case. There’s not much time at all left for beautiful things. What I’ve read during my time at Harvard thus far is some of the most utterly dull and mind-numbing literature known to mankind. It’s torture. I’d wager that you in particular would find yourself bored to the point of tears, not to mention appalled by the lack of time available to oneself for pleasure reading. ”

“ There are no opportunities for interpreting a tale to be something more, as you put it, than what is portrayed on paper in law — in fact, that’s dangerous territory for a lawyer. It renders one susceptible to misinterpretation, as well as the creation of conspiracies. ” Robert’s smile turns downward into a frown, his brows furrowing. “ The legal circuit is an awfully close-minded place, but the political scene and the battlefield? Now that’s where you’ll find these overarching, thematic — no, Shakespearean narratives! Hell, this very civil war in and of itself reads like something straight out of one of his history plays! There’s a story which can be imagined as something more than what it seems! ”

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ “ Y’know … ” He trailed off, glancing upward at his companion. “ I often wonder what will be written about the war someday. The truth is, as they say, stranger than fiction, and this contest is perhaps the strangest truth of them all. ”

⊱ … @peculiarbeauty

historiavn asked: ‘  that  sounds  like  nothing  but  a  tall  tale,  but  i’m  certain  smaller  minds  would  eat  it  up.  ’ — Robert Todd Lincoln to Belle 𝑺𝑪𝑬𝑵𝑨𝑹𝑰𝑶  𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑺.

" maybe so , but the smaller minded people then have an excellent gift to see beautiful things in books. " she smiles , soft as it is , she knows deep down the world would be a better place without the close minded nature some possess. how could they possibly dream when the world tells them not to ? well , she will never be that way. she dreams in color after all. bright , exuberant color. the kind of color that shakespeare writes in his book romeo and juliet. people do not understand his genius , but she does.

she can see how beautiful the layers in each chapter are , she can cry pitifully for heroes and heroines alike and be freely sensitive to newfound companions along the way. books have taught her so many things about emotion , one that her village could not do. or anyone for that matter who would call her funny for being the way she was.

she wanted to be a heroine since she was a child , a strong heroine who could teach young girls to be so much more than they were told to be. " monsieur , some of the best things come from opening up your mind a little. try to imagine this tale as something more. " if just a little spark of imagination could make her life change for the better , she is certain that more people would be better off with thinking about the impossible.

[rmstitanics]

WEBWEAVE: With Malice Toward None

WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE is a new musical currently in development that recontextualizes the well-known narrative of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency by focusing on his struggle with mental health. Narrated by the Robert Todd Lincoln of 1922, this musical is a complex commentary on the issues of mental health, leadership, and historical memory.

FEATURING QUOTATIONS AND IMAGES PULLED FROM Tumblr, Pinterest, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle (Jon Meacham), Joshua Wolf Shenk, The History Channel’s Abraham Lincoln docuseries, The Psychic Life of Abraham Lincoln (Susan B. Martinez).

[weekendwarriorblog]

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND February 15, 2019  - HAPPY DEATH DAY 2 U, ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, ISN’T IT ROMANTIC

Well, it looks like I’ve already gotten myself into a bind trying to write two movie columns a week, and unfortunately, this one can only be written as my time allows. It’s President’s Day weekend, incorporating Valentine’s Day on Thursday, with three new wide releases hitting theatres either on Weds or Thursday hoping to grab some early biz before the long weekend.

Also, a reminder that if you want to read my box office analysis and predictions, you can find those over at The Beat later today. (My box office preview column will post around 9:30AM on Weds.)

HAPPY DEATH DAY 2 U (Universal)

Written and directed by Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day,Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones) Cast: Jessica Rothe, Rudy Modine, Israel Broussard, Rachel Matthews, Suraj Sharma, Phi Vu, Charles Aitken MPAA Rating: PG-13

The movie with the best bet of succeeding this weekend is the sequel to Universal and Blumhouse Pictures’ 2017 hit Happy Death Day with director Christopher Landon, Jessica Rothe and the rest of the cast returning… and returning… and returning. The horror version of Bill Murray’s Groundhog’s Day featured a mostly-unknown cast of young actors, including Jessica Rothe, who is destined to be a superstar, and all of them return for this sequel, which ups the ante on the original’s high-concept premise. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to see the movie before opening – I plan on going Wednesday afternoon – but I really enjoyed the first movie, and I expect the sequel to be more of the same i.e. obvious but funny and not necessarily as gory as a slasher movie like this might normally be.

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL (20thCentury Fox)

Directed by Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids, Sin City, Predators, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Desperado and many more) Written by James Cameron, Laeta Kalogridis, Robert Rodriguez Cast: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, Keann Johnson, Lana Condor, Eiza Gonzalez MPAA Rating:  PG-13

Next up is an adaptation of Yukito Kishiro’s popular Manga series which premiered way back in 1990 and has been a passion project for Titanic and Avatar director James Cameron to make for almost as long.  It’s definitely interesting to see Cameron work with a young upstart (by comparison) like Rodriguez, who has built quite a solid industry out of his Austin-based Troublemaker Studios, but I’m not sure if American moviegoers are nearly as gung-ho about the collaboration. The cast is generally solid with The Maze Runner star Rosa Salazar getting the title role, joined by Oscar-caliber actors like Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly and Mahershala Ali, as well as newcomer Keann Johnson. Blink and you might miss the heavily CG-ed Ed Skrein, Lana Condor, Eiza Gonzalez and Jackie Earle Haley – I think he plays the Dogmaster. Reviews have generally been mixed but I really didn’t like it much at all (see my review below) and I’m not sure if moviegoers will feel too differently, as this is going to be a divisive movie. I’m not even sure if and how fans of the Manga will enjoy seeing it brought to life, but that’s really going to be seen for sure after its extended opening weekend that runs from Thursday through Monday.

My Review of Alita

Another Piece I Wrote About Alita

ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (New Line/WB)

Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson (The Final Girls, A VeryHarold and Kumar 3D Christmas) Written by Erin Cardillo, Dana Fox, Katie Silberman Cast: Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Adam Devine, Jennifer Saunders, Priyanka Chopra, Betty Gilpin, Jennifer Saunders MPAA Rating: PG-13

Last but not least, especially with this week’s Valentine’s Hallmark Holiday on Thursday, is this unconventional romantic comedy that acts almost as a satire of the medium without going into Date Movie territory. It’s another chance for the very funny Rebel Wilson and Adam Devine, both from the Pitch Perfect movies, to break out on their own after mainly playing supporting roles in other comedies. Devine at least has a fanbase from his Comedy Central show Workaholics, and he’s had more featured roles in movies like Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, but this movie has more of an opportunity to reach young lovers and the date night crowd than the other two movies. I probably won’t review this, but I generally liked it quite a bit. I thought it was quite clever and funny in a snarky way that the kids seem to like and really its only straight competition is last week’s What Men Want.

LIMITED RELEASES

Not a ton of limited releases this weekend thankfully, but one of the big ones is the New York and L.A. release of Stephen Merchant’s FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY (MGM), a comedic biopic about WWE Superstar Paige, as played by Florence Pugh (Lady MacBeth) and also starring Jack Lowden, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Vince Vaughn and Dwayne Johnson, who also produced the film along with WWE Films.  It follows the story of how Paige and her brother Zak (Lowden) have dreams of becoming WWE superstars, coming from a family of wrestlers, and Paige’s struggles to fit in at the NXT training camp with Vaughn playing her tough coach. Johnson produced the film along with WWE Films, and he makes a couple brief apperances as himself. It’s a fun movie that I really enjoyed. You can read my full review below, and then look for my interview with Paige over at VitalThrills.com.

https://weekendwarriorblog.tumblr.com/post/182726024603/fighting-with-my-family-eds-very-important

Another pleasant surprise for the weekend is RUBEN BRANDT, COLLECTOR (Sony Pictures Classics), Slovenian filmmaker Milorad Krstic’s amazing animated feature centered around the title character, Ruben Brandt, a psychotherapist who has been having nightmares involving 13 famous paintings, so he puts together a band of art thieves (actual pieces of art who are also criminals) to steal some of the greatest artworks in the world. He quickly earns a reputation as “The Collector,” and a group of insurance companies hire private detective Mike Kowalski to get the art back.  I didn’t really know what to expect when I saw this movie a few weeks back, and the premise and characters are so bizarre, that it took me some time to adjust to the pace, but there’s some really cool stuff on display here including a number of action setpieces right out of Mission: Impossible or The Fast and the Furious, but all animated with a unique style that reminded me about what I loved about Terry Gilliam’s animation on Monty Python’s Flying Circus. If you’re a fan of animation and/or looking for something different this weekend, this is what I recommend.

Opening in New York Friday at the Quad Cinema and on VOD is Tim Sutton’s DONNYBROOK  (IFC Films), based on the novel by Frank Bill, in which Jamie Bell plays Jarhead Earl, who wants to keep his family together, so he robs a gun shop and goes on the road with his son to enter a legendary bare-knuckle brawl called Donnybrook, in which the winner gets $100,000. On his trail is drugdealer Chainsaw Angus, played by Frank Grillo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), and Angus’ sister (Margaret Qualley).  (FYI, Sutton will be at select screenings at the Quad.)

Opening on Weds at New York’s Film Forum and at several L.A. theaters on Friday is BIRDS OF PASSAGE  (The Orchard), Colombia’s Oscar entry directed by Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra (Embrace of the Serpent). It’s an amazing story set in the rural Colombian drug trade over the course of several decades. The winner of three Colombian Fenix Film Awards, Birds of Passageopened the Directors’ Fortnight at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and has played a number of major festivals since then. It’s a really strong film that showcases the indigenous Wayuu tribe based in the rural area of Colombia who get involved with the drug trade as a way to survive financially. It focuses primarily on the growing feud between two families and the plight of a young man named Rapayet to get out of the drug trade once he’s pulled into it in order to afford the dowry for his beautiful bride.  It’s another great-looking film but one that feels a little more contemporary than Guerra’s previous film even though it takes place between the ‘60s and ‘80s and could actually be viewed as a companion film to Tom Cruise’s American Madein the sense that it shows the very beginnings of the drug journey to the States.

Opening Friday at Lincoln Center is Hong Sang-soo’s Hotel by the River  (Cinema Guild), which played at the New York Film Festival last year. It involves two intersecting tales, one about an old poet who calls his estranged sons to be by his side as he reaches the end, and the other about a young woman with a broken heart.

Ryan Reynolds narrates the IMAX documentary Great Bear Rainforest: Land of the Spirit Bear, which opens solely in IMAX screens on Friday. It’s a movie about the Great Bear Rainforest in Canada where resides the rare all-white spirit bear, and the indigenous First Nations tribe.

Dog lovers who didn’t get enough canine cuteness with A Dog’s Way Home can also catch the dog movie Patrick (Screen Media), written and directed by Mandy Fletcher (Absolutely Fabulous), which will open in select cities and VOD Friday. It revolves around a young woman named Sarah Francis (Beattie Edmonson) whose life is a mess even before her grandmother (played by her real-life mother Jennifer Saunders, who is also in Isn’t It Romantic) bequeathes her spoiled pug Patrick to her. It also stars Ed Skrein (also in Alita), Gemma Jones and Emily Atack.

STREAMING

The only new movie streaming on Netflix this Friday is the New Zealand comedy The Breaker Upperers, written and directed by Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek, who also star as BFFs Jen and Mel who get paid for ending romances, although their own relationship is put to the test when one of gets a conscience about what they’re doing.

As far as series, Netflix is debuting the new series The Umbrella Academy, based on the comic series by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way and artist Gabriel Ba, this Friday. Meanwhile, on DC Universe’s streaming platform, the new Doom Patrol will premiere, and that’s a pretty crazy bit of counter-programming.

Not exactly “streaming” but Tina Brown and Dyana Winkler’s doc United Skates will premiere on HBO on Monday the 18th. I saw this at the Tribeca Film Festival last year where it won the Audience Award for documentary, and it’s won many other festival audience awards. It looks at the vanishing world of roller rinks and the “adult nights” that brought many of the African-American communities together in cities in North Carolina and California, but one that’s quickly fading away.

REPERTORY

METROGRAPH (NYC):

Valentine’s Day at the Metrograph is always a fun time, and this year is no exception with screenings of Casablanca (1942), Ernst Lubisch’s Heaven Can Wait  (1943), Werner Fassbinder’s Querelle (1982), David Cronenberg’s Crash  (1996), Claire Denis’ Trouble All Day  (2001) and even Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning Moonlight. (These are all playing on Valentine’s Day and a couple screenings before/after.) Produced by David O. Selznick ends this weekend with screenings of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca and George Cukor’sWhat Price Hollywood?  (1932). This week’s Late Nites at Metrograph is the Chinese crime film Black Coal Thin Ice  (2014) on Thursday night and Trouble All Day on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. This weekend’s  Playtime: Family Matineesis the beloved 2017 family film Paddington 2, directed by Paul King.

THE NEW BEVERLY  (L.A.):

Not to be outdone by that young upstart Metrograph, Tarantino’s rep theater will screen the late great Burt Reynolds’ Deliverance (1972) and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights (1997), also starring Reynolds, on Weds. and Thursday, then continuing their Reynolds tribute with double features of White Lightning (1973) and 1974’s The Longest Yard (one of my personal favorites). Saturday night’s midnight screening is D.A. Pannebaker’s classic concert film Monterey Pop  from 1968, featuring performances by The Who, Jimi Hendrix and more, while the weekend’s Kiddee Matinee on Saturday and Sunday is Ralph Nelson’s 1971 film Flight of the Doves. Sunday and Monday night are double features of Laurel and Hardy’s Flying Deuces (1939) and Mel Brooks’ The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977), starring the wonderful Marty Feldman. There’s also a screening on Sunday afternoon of Carl Franklin’s 1995 film Devil with a Blue Dress, starring Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle.

FILM FORUM (NYC):

Opening on Friday is the exclusive premiere of Milestone Films’ 4k rerelease of Mikhail Kalatozov’s 1964 documentary I Am Cuba, presented by Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, which features amazing footage of Havana in the late ‘50s.  This weekend’s Film Forum Jr. offering is a new 4k restoration of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel  (1956)

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

Other than Valentine’s Day screenings of Hal Ashby’s 1971 dark comedy Harold and Maude (another personal favorite of mine) and Ivan Nagy’s Skinner  (1993) starring Ted Raimi, the Egyptian is mainly focusing on making sure Oscar voters have a chance to see some of this year’s Best Picture nominees like Roma and Bohemian Rhapsody.

AERO  (LA):

The Aero is also showing the 1942 classic Casablanca on Valentine’s Day, but mostly, the entire weekend is dedicated to screening Jean Luc Godard’s most recent effort, The Image Book.

QUAD CINEMA (NYC):

The Goldblum Variations, celebrating the great Jeff Goldblum, continues this weekend with screenings of Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Fly, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Thank God It’s Friday, Into the Night and more.

IFC CENTER (NYC)

Waverly Midnights: The Feds  presents a 35mm print of Sandra Bullock’s Miss Congeniality  from 2000, this weekend’s Weekend Classics: Early Godard  is Vivre Sa Vie from 1962, which is playing Friday through Monday at 11AM.  Late Night Favorites has two movies running over the weekend, David Lynch’s Blue Velvetand Dario Argento’s Suspiria.

LANDMARK THEATRES NUART  (LA):

Friday night’s midnight movie is Blood Diner from 1987!

FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER (NYC):

On Friday, the Film Society will show Sergey Bondarchuk’s four-part War and Peace  (1969), presented by Mosfilm Cinema Concern, an epic that runs for seven ours over the four parts, each which will run two or three times over the weekend.

BAM CINEMATEK (NYC):

Starting Thursday, the Brooklyn Arts Museum will begin Programmer’s Note: On Love, a series that will include romantic films such as Love & Basketball on Thursday, Pedro Almodovar’s Bad Education on Friday, and much more all running over the course of the next week.

MOMA (NYC):

Modern Matinees: Sir Sidney PoitierscreensTo Sir with Love  (1967) on Weds, Lillies of the Field (1963) on Thursday, and Stanley Kramer’s Guessing Who’s Coming to Dinner? (1967) on Friday.

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (NYC):

The Derek Jarman-Humphrey Jennings retrospective continues with Sebastiane (1976) on Friday, preceded by the short The Silent Village, plus two more films on Saturday and Sunday nights. MOMI is also screening Roman Holiday (1953) on Saturday as part of the Edith Head series.

That’s it for this week, but next week is a bit lighter with DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and Fighting with My Family expands natiowide. Don’t forget to check out my weekly box office column at The Beat, which you can read right here.

[newyorktheater]

My eighth annual Broadway (and small theater) gift guide below includes links and information on shopping for theater tickets, theater subscriptions, cast recordings, play scripts, librettos and new and cherished books about the theater and theater on screen! I also suggest some souvenirs and knick-knacks intended as tangible reminders of an evanescent experience.

THEATER TICKETS

Gift cards:  Telecharge gift cards , TKTS gift certificates and Today Tix gift cards allow the theatergoers on your holiday list to pick their own show to go to (or several shows – depending on how much money you put on the card.)

Some suggest it’s better to give a gift card from Visa or Mastercard,because the theater-specific gift cards charge fees for each show.

If you know what specific show your theater lover would love, or are willing to guess — AND you know what date(s) they can attend — you can buy tickets for them yourself directly from the show’s website or from the box office, or from the secondary ticket seller whose links I provide below.

A sample of popular Broadway shows.

  THE BOOK OF MORMON

The Eugene O’Neill Theater Opened: March 24, 2011 Twitter feed: @BookofMormonBWY This musical by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (book), the creators of South Park, and Robert Lopez, one of the composer-lyricists for “Avenue Q” (music and lyrics) is about both the founder of the Church of Latter-Day Saints and modern disciples. It is outrageous, irreverent in one way, but also deeply reverent to (even while parodying) the best traditions of the Broadway musical.

My review

Buy Book of Mormon tickets

DEAR EVAN HANSEN

Music Box Theater Opened: December 4, 2016 Twitter feed: @DearEvanHansen

Winner of six 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, this original story by songwriting team Pasek and Paul (“A Christmas Story,” Oscar winners for the lyrics on “La-La Land”) and playwright Steven Levenson is about an anxious outcast high school student who, through a well-meaning lie, is thought to have been best friends with a classmate who commits suicide. The lie gets way out of control. Its intelligent commentary on several pressing current issues, its tuneful and moving songs and its compelling performances made this a cult favorite, but the cult now could hardly be wider.   The original Evan Hansen, Ben Platt, has departed.

My review

Buy Dear Evan Hansen tickets

HADESTOWN

Walter Kerr Opened: April 17, 2019 Twitter: @hadestown

Winner of eight Tony Awards this year, including best musical, this story that  intertwines the myth of  Orpheus and Eurydice with that of King Hades and his wife Persephone, offers a delightful score, which mixes sweet and sexy folk, rocking jazz, and exquisite blues. The role of Hermes as narrator is performed to perfection by the great André De Shields, who commands the stage from the get-go

My review

Tickets to Hadestown

HAMILTON

The Richard Rodgers Opened: August 6, 2015 Twitter feed: @HamiltonMusical

When Hamilton opened Off-Broadway in 2016, I called it groundbreaking and breathtaking – and I was trying not to gush…Analyzing the importance of ‘Hamilton’ misses the main takeaway from the musical: It’s thrilling to watch. It seems always in motion, thanks to a creative team including director Thomas Kail, and especially choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, who keeps the sexy ensemble very busy. They help enhance what are some terrific performances. (All the original principals have left, but the replacement cast are worthy heirs.)

Hamilton on Broadway 2019

Buy Hamilton tickets

THE LION KING

Minskoff Theater (200 West 45th Street) Opened: November 13, 1997 Twitter: @TheLionKing Based on the 1994 Disney animated film about the coming-of-age of a young lion in the African jungle, this musical offers African-inflected music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice and the visual magic of Julie Taymor. Taymor is the director, a composer and lyricist for some of the songs. But above all, she is the designer of the costumes, masks, and puppets — and it is these visuals that make this show a good first theatrical experience.

Buy The Lion King tickets

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Majestic Theater (247 West 44th Street) Opened: January 26, 1988 Twitter: @TheOperaGhosts The Phantom of the Opera, based on a 1911 French novel by Gaston Leroux, is about a disfigured genius named Erik who lives in the catacombs of the Paris Opera House and falls in love with Christine, an aspiring singer whom he helps…until an old flame of Christine’s named Raoul steps back into the picture. However, the story in the musical, written and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber — with more than its share of 1980′s heavy power ballads — is starting to take second place to the story of the musical, which is the longest-running Broadway musical of all time.

Buy Phantom of the Opera tickets

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Shubert Theater (225 West 44th Street) Opened: December 18, 2018 Twitter: @mockingbirdbway

Aaron Sorkin’s play turns Harper Lee’s beloved novel into a detective story, a courtroom drama, political commentary…and satisfying theater

My review

Buy tickets to To Kill A Mockingbird

WICKED

Gershwin Theater (222 West 51st Street) Opened: October 30, 2003 Twitter: @WICKED_Musical The musical tells the story of “The Wizard of Oz” from the witches’ perspective, more specifically from the Wicked Witch of the West, who was not, as a child, wicked at all, but just green-tinted, taunted, and misunderstood. There is so much to like about this musical, the clever twists on the familiar tale, the spectacular set, and music that is a lot more appealing in context (such as the song “Defying Gravity”) that I will forgive the contortions necessary to tack on a happy ending.

Tickets to Wicked

Broadway Shows Not Yet Opened

Don’t forget the shows this season that have not yet opened, although let’s hope that your theater lover is adventurous enough to avoid blaming you for any disappointment. I can’t recommend shows I haven’t seen, but here are links for tickets already on sale that have been generating some buzz.

Jagged Little Pill

Six

Company

The Lehman Trilogy

For details on these and other Broadway shows this season, check out the

Broadway Season Guide 2019-2020

What about Off-Broadway?

There are many terrific shows Off-Broadway, although their generally shorter runs can be problematic when looking for a gift.

Buy Off Broadway tickets

Off-Broadway Preview Guide Fall 2019

The best thing about tickets is that this is a gift that gives pleasure twice – at the time you give it, and then when the theater lover actually goes to the show, which can be many months in the future. Back to top

THEATER SUBSCRIPTIONS/MEMBERSHIPS

Many theaters – the non-profit ones — offer subscriptions or memberships, which can be a wonderful gift that lasts an entire season…or a terrible burden for the increasing number of theatergoers who are commitment-phobic. (I’ve written a whole article about the waning popularity of theater subscriptions.)

Still, this can be the perfect gift for the right recipient if you pick the right theater, some of whom offer more flexible alternatives to subscriptions, such as flex passes and memberships.

Here are a sampling, listed alphabetically. I’ve had a membership/subscription to each one of these at one time or another.  One of the problems you will see when you click on the links is that the subscriptions to some of these theaters this season are already sold out. (You might be able to purchase memberships for next season.)

The Brooklyn Academy of Music, which makes it easy to buy a gift membership.

Classic Stage Company

Lincoln Center Theater

MCC Theater

New York Shakespeare Festival Public Theater

Playwrights Horizons

Roundabout Theater Company

Vineyard Theater

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THEATER ON SCREEN

There are an increasing number of companies that offer online screening of what could be called theater-on demand.

BroadwayHD. ($8.99 a month or $99.99 a year) offer dozens of shows that were recorded live, such as the Broadway productions of  “She Loves Me” and “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” but also a good number of shows Off-Broadway, and the offerings from the American Film Theater from the 1970s, such as “The Maids” starring Glenda Jackson and Susannah York and “Rhinoceros” with Zero Mostel.

Other theater-on demand online services include Cennarium ($9.97 a month; $95.64 a year), which focuses on offerings outside the United States, and Shakespeare’s Globe (Available worldwide, 3.99 to 5.99 pounds to rent, 5.99 to 11.99 pounds to buy).

One has to hunt for “theater” on film on Kanopy, which mostly has art films and documentaries

Great Performances from PBS streams theater mostly for free, although some require a membership in the local PBS station. (Such a membership would be a great gift!)

Throughout the year, the National Theatre Live broadcasts its productions in movie theaters throughout the United States.

For those who would prefer something more old-fashioned, both the National Theatre and  the Royal Shakespeare Company sells DVDs of its productions, although you have to pay in pounds.

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THEATER BOOKS, PLAYS, SCRIPTS

There are some wonderful evergreen, expensive gift ideas. My favorites:

August Wilson’s complete 10-play Century Cycle, which includes such gems as “The Piano Lesson,” “Fences,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” – one play for each decade of the twentieth century, which together offer a compelling look at African-American life through the eye and ear of one of the nation’s greatest dramatists.

Buy August Wilson Century Cycle

Stephen Sondheim’s two-volume collection of his lyrics, Finishing The Hat and Look, I Made A Hat, a collection of lyrics , anecdotes, fascinating scholarly notes, and strong opinions from the composer and/or lyricist of such seminal musical theater as “West Side Story,” “Gypsy,” “Company,” “Sweeney Todd,” “A Little Night Music,” “Assassins.”

Buy Hat Box: The Collected Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim

There are three recent lavish coffee table books that offer behind-the-scenes looks at favorite musicals, and include the entire script, annotated.

Hamilton: The Revolution  is a book for fans, with page after page of full-color photographs from the production, and lots of personal anecdotes. But if it’s a souvenir book, it’s one that—like the musical and its creators—is unusually ambitious. It includes the complete lyrics, annotated by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, alternating with chapters that explain the evolution of the musical but also the historical and political significance of Alexander Hamilton.

Buy Hamilton: The Revolution

The other two: Dear Evan Hansen: Through the Window and The Great Comet: The Journey of a New Musical to Broadway

The three-volume set of Arthur Miller’s plays — 42 in all — from the Library of America/ Buy The Collected Plays of Arthur Miller (Library of America)

Buy American Musicals: The Complete Books and Lyrics of 16 Broadway Classics, 1927-1969 (Library of America)

This readable book focuses on the structure of successful musicals, going chronologically step by step from the overture to the finale. It is written by Jack Viertel, who recently announced his retirement after years as an executive at Jujamcyn Theaters (owners of five Broadway houses) and the artistic director of New York City Center Encores! series that attempts to gain new reputations for old musicals, He knows his musicals, and his book is invaluable in its summaries and discussions of specific shows we might not know (or not remember well) but should. And he includes a final chapter with his recommendations for the best recordings of the 37 musicals he has analyzed, and for 20 more musicals “that can’t be ignored even though they are not quoted in the book.”

Buy The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built

The downside of many of these books is not their size or their price — it’s that anybody who would die to get one of these as gifts may well already own it.

Other books, recently published, of interest (Click on links to learn more about them or to purchase them):

Coffee Table Books

Continuing the tradition of such lavish behind the scenes looks at Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen:

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: The Journey: Behind the Scenes of the Award-Winning Stage Production

Come From Away: Welcome to the Rock: An Inside Look at the Hit Musical

Memoirs and biographies:

Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years

which is a follow-up to

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years

Still Here: The Madcap, Nervy, Singular Life of Elaine Stritch

Elaine Stritch: The End of Pretend

Too Much Is Not Enough: A Memoir of Fumbling Toward Adulthood

They Made Us Happy

Getting Off: Lee Breuer on Performance

It’s Always Loud in the Balcony

Life isn’t everything: Mike Nichols, as remembered by 150 of his closest friends.

A Novel About Theater in the 1940s City of Girls: A Novel by Elizabeth Gilbert (“Eat.Pray.Love”)

Picture Books For Kids

A is for Audra: Broadway’s Leading Ladies from A to Z

Feed Your Mind: A Story of August Wilson

  Check out more in the books section of this site. An place for scripts is Samuel French, the “definitive” publisher of plays and musicals in English – mostly in relatively inexpensive “acting editions.” Also now available are “e-plays” and cast recordings. You can visit at 45 West 25th Street, but it’s not a place to hang out. Their redesigned website has some cool features: Click on “Now Playing” and you will get to a map showing the location of current local productions of the plays it has published.

Applause Theatre and Cinema Books closed their bookstore on the Upper West Side, alas, but remains a publisher of quality theatrical books, which you can order online.

The online bookstore of Theatre Communications Group offers some wonderful plays it publishes. (Check out the TCG Gift Guide  — which is three years old — they don’t seem to do it annually anymore — but still useful.)

You also might want to consider one (or a bunch) of the 50 Best Plays of the Last 100 Years

Bookstores in Theaters: Some of my favorite theaters also have books for sale, mostly scripts of the plays they have produced. This includes Playwrights Horizons

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CAST RECORDINGS

The five albums above  have been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album —

Ain’t Too Proud: The Life And Times Of The Temptations [Explicit] (Original Broadway Cast Recording),

Hadestown (Original Broadway Cast Recording),

The Music of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – In Four Contemporary Suites,

Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

and Oklahoma! 2019 Broadway Cast Recording

— although one of them (Harry Potter) is not a musical.

Broadway Records sells gift cards, and a special treat — a limited number of CDs signed by the casts or individual perfomers. Also on offer is the 2019 Tony Award Season compilation album, which presents one song each from 13 musicals that opened in the 2018-2019 season, including “Oklahoma!” and “Wait for Me” from Hadestown,    plus a medley performed by the late Marin Mazzie.

PS Classics —  Fun Home, Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill starring Audra McDonald, On The Town, On The Twentieth Century with Kristin Chenoweth,  and a huge catalogue of Sondheim shows.

Ghostlight/Sh-k-Boom — New cast album CDs  include “Beetlejuice” and “Tina.” They  also have The Band’s Visit, A Bronx Tale, Falsettos and War Paint. Their bestseller is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights. Their releases run the gamut, Aladdin, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, Bridges of Madison County, Daddy Long Legs, First Daughter Suite, Fortress of Solitude, Something Rotten, The Last Five Years (available as original cast album, 2013 Off-Broadway cast album, and movie soundtrack)

Masterworks Broadway, a division of Sony Classics, offers Kinky Boots, The King and I with Yul Brynner, the 1949 recording of Kiss Me Kate, and the original 1992 recording of Kander and Ebb’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, and lots of albums that don’t begin with the letter K, including the A-list album An American in Paris, and The Essential Sondheim, featuring songs from 16 of his musicals, and one movie score.

Buy The Essential Stephen Sondheim

For an extravagant gift, they sell Broadway in a Box – The Essential Broadway Musicals Collection — 25 (!) CDs of original cast recordings, from Annie to West Side Story.

Buy Broadway in a Box – The Essential Broadway Musicals Collection

Atlantic Records, not normally in the original cast album business, is the company that put out the best-selling ‘Hamilton” album.

Buy Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)(Explicit)(2CD)

Also available from Atlantic

The Hamilton Mixtape [Explicit]

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BROADWAY BAUBLES

— posters, calendars, t-shirts and knick-knacks (magnets, mugs, keychains, umbrellas etc)

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The Lion King beach towel

Olaf plush doll from Frozen

Dear Evan Hansen t-shirt

Hamilton t-shirt

A t-shirt, “Bad Idea,” a song from Waitress

cufflinks from the Royal Shakespeare Company

Wicked Emerald City umbrella

Phantom of the Opera mug

Each Broadway show offers a range of merchandise that you can buy at the theater itself and in gift shops in the theater district, and online at each show’s website, as well as on a variety of other sites, for example at the Playbill.com store. Playbill covers are plastered over all sorts of items — posters, mugs, magnets, Christmas tree ornaments, calendar.

There is an $80 pair of Playbill pajamas for men,and a Playbill Broadway Cover – 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, which I’d only consider giving to an enemy.

The more artistically inclined might want to hire Stephen Winterhalter, proprietor of The Art of Broadway etsy store  to turn their Playbill(s) into a frame collage.

A good place to purchase theater knick-knacks is Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which has an online store using the logos and/or  program covers from the best-known Broadway shows for everything from umbrellas and clocks  to iPhone covers and shower curtains.  They offer “Broadway Legend” tree ornaments, this year featuring Angela Lansbury. They also sell gift certificates Proceeds from their products help the needy.

Theater-related calendars strike me as a good gift — they last all year. Examples include the 2020 On Broadway Wall Calendar,

Hamilton 2020 Wall Calendar and Royal Shakespeare Company – The Tragedies Wall Calendar 2020

There’s also the Shakespearean Insults 2020 Day-to-Day Calendar but beware — if you give this as a gift, it might be used against you.

Those who don’t want to feel forced to discard their theater images at the end of next year can opt instead for theater posters, past, present and future. Many are available at Triton Gallery (which has an online store and a brick and mortar one in the theater district), but be aware that many are reproductions (and identified as such) yet can still be as pricey as a ticket to a Broadway show.

Still, it’s worth browsing in either store, as it is in the several gift shops in the theater district and the many theater websites. I’m personally partial to Cafe Press, whose Broadway pages are bursting with individual entrepreneurial spirit, if not consistent wit or sense of design. But where else could I find a “Vintage Hamlet Laptop skin” and 76 Hamlet-themed shower curtains?

Holiday Gifts for Theater Lovers 2019 My eighth annual Broadway (and small theater) gift guide below includes links and information on shopping for…

[brothermarc7theatre]

"A Civil War Christmas" show #688

There are times when a feel-good musical attempts to evoke more than it’s entitled to have. The playwright and, in this case, the composer/arranger/gatherer of music really, really, and I mean really try to get the audience to emotionally invest in their work by putting faces and dialogue to the epic Civil War. However, at face value, A Civil War Christmas has no true artistic reason for one to invest emotion, rather only enough material to garner a faint interest in the fate of the characters; Paula Vogel’s script has no sense of urgency or degree of pathos to truly have impact. The Act One plot hinges on a mistakenly double-purchased Christmas tree and the events leading up to an attempted kidnapping of President Lincoln, neither of which really come to dramatic fruition in Act Two. But wait, there’s more! Not just a play, the music by Daryl Waters becomes more of an oddly shaped jukebox musical of wartime tunes and Christmas anthems that are relatively disconnected from the too many plots and subplots provided by Miss Vogel. In all, the only saving grace is how impeccably directed this musical is with Dawn Monique Williams at the helm. There are stage pictures that are emotionally stirring and fluidity between each new scene, narration, and vignette that is precise and never rushed. In the hands of a mostly capable cast, A Civil War Christmas is one of the best directed and acted musical that has no necessity of existing.

(Tom Reilly (pictured as Abraham Lincoln) and Ellie Harris (Jessa); Photo credit: Jay Yamada)

A true ensemble piece, Miss Williams has utilized her cast quite well in telling the various stories of this moment in Civil War history. It is Christmas Eve, towards the end of the war, and all sorts of shenanigans are afoot. Town Hall has a truly committed cast, even when the parts are greater than the sum product. Every cast member wears many hats, and most have time to shine as at least one prominent character. Tom Reilly brings a grand stature and dialogic cadence to his Abraham Lincoln, even if his vocals are a bit shaky throughout the performance. Playing his beloved Mary Todd is a perfectly cast Alicia von Kugelgen, who offers a sweepingly fun acting turn (with a fine voice to boot) as one of our most memorable First Ladies. Of the few moments where Mr. Waters nails it with his music choices, Miss von Kugelgen operatically serenades with a heavenly “Silent Night” to a completely silent audience, a response indicating us not wanting it to end. Jeunee Simon’s turn as Elizabeth Keckley (clothing designer/advisor to Mary Todd) is a stunning, nuanced portrayal of a Black woman in a prominent position but with very little respect in the days of Civil War White House. Miss Simon, too, has some vocally rough patches, but never to the point of diluting what a stellar performance she gives all play long.

(Jeunee Simon (pictured as Elizabeth Keckley) and Alicia von Kugelgen (pictured as Mary Todd Lincoln); Photo credit: Jay Yamada)

Nick Mandracchia is a standout in his principle triple-performance endeavor as a calm, steady Robert E. Lee, an appropriately boisterous General Sherman, and a humble, cautiously passionate Chester Saunders. Mr. Mandracchia teams up with a not-to-be-ignored Elizabeth Curtis as Widow Saunders for a gorgeously sung “Temple of Freedom” in Act Two.  Dan Wilson provides the audience with a charismatically villainous turn as John Wilkes Booth, an acting job that is a welcome reprise every time he dons the dialect and garb of the famous assassin. Terrance Smith and Khary L. Moye are an endearingly fun duo as the Wormley Brothers, infusing a nice temperament of humor into Miss Vogel’s script with a bit of vaudevillian essence in their few-but-memorable scenes. Reginald Clay, as Bronson, leads the only other truly worthwhile musical moment, “Yellow Rose of Texas,” with a passionate gaze, beautiful vocals, and a steadfast presence that is a purely awesome moment in the second act. Other featured standouts come from a jovial, compelling Morgan Pavey as Raz, and youngsters Jason Gray and Ellie Harris. One piece of poignancy Miss Vogel’s script has and Miss Williams’ direction capitalizes on is having Mr. Gray cast as various roles of authority, being a white boy, when chewing out the characters of Color. The deep seated racism that, at that time at least, was just “the normal way of thinking” for most Whites during the Civil War era reaches a level of dramatic churn by having a child bark out demeaning names. Miss Harris, as Jessa, is certainly a tiny-but-mighty force of a child actress, locked in to a clear mission of getting back to her mother, a memorably strong Shannon Mauldin.

(Morgan Pavey (pictured as Raz); Photo credit: Jay Yamada)

In perfect stride with Miss Williams’ directorial triumphs, Margaret Halbig has done a top-notch job music directing this show, providing Town Hall audiences with a sweet sounding band and even getting some of the cast to play their own instruments. In addition to Miss Williams’ staging, the varied choreography is pleasantly simple and appropriate, adding to the seamless transitions in partnership with Delayne Medoff’s outstanding lighting design. Of course this being a period piece, Liliana Duque Pineiro and Denise Altaffer have held up their end of the bargain by designing pertinent and functional scenic and costume designs, respectively.

(Cast of A Civil War Christmas; Photo credit: Jay Yamada)

Though my emotional investment has not bought stock in A Civil War Christmas, there are noticeable strengths to Miss Vogel’s script that Miss Williams has ensured are given proper focus. The parallelism and repetition of key lines such as “I need some air,” and “…the saddest person I ever saw” are approached with careful staging and room to breathe, as multiple characters deliver these same lines at varying times about different people.  Believe me when I say the depth to which this cast and creative team have committed to telling this story is more than applaud worthy; it makes for a valuable time at the theatre. Think of it as a musicalized history lesson told by people who are committed to telling it.

Details:

A Civil War Christmas runs through December 16th

Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette

www.townhalltheatre.com

[historiavn]

          @frxncaise     said;       “ why is he so tall? ”

╰► SOURCE:        in-character quotes from discord

ALTHOUGH TAKEN ABACK BY the blunt question, Robert could not help but let out a loud laugh.

      “I have no idea, but I wish that I knew. If there’s some sort of secret to it all, then Pa hasn’t told me.”

[historiavn]

          @frxncaise     said;        “ It’s dangerous to wish I could make choices of my own. ” (robert or anyone??)

╰► SOURCE:         Disney’s Frozen Franchise

“Dangerous?” Robert repeated, raising a brow whilst his lips tugged downward into a frown

    “I don’t …” He swallowed thickly, then continued to speak. “I don’t understand. You are a human being, and you have free will. How could exercising that free will ever be dangerous?”

[historiavn]

          continued from here because of post trimming

╰► @audaciiae

ROBERT SHAKES HIS HEAD, bitter emotion lodging itself deep within the depths of his throat. It was one thing to witness Nate’s sorry state in the midst of this war — but it is another thing entirely to hear his own nation call himself a FAILURE. He swallows thickly, gaze flickering towards Nate before hesitating, and then sitting down at the other man’s side.

     “For what it’s worth, Nate, I don’t think that you’re a failure.” Robert says softly, reaching for Nate’s hand and grasping it within his own. “I mean — look at the history books. Every nation at some point or another goes through something like this, even that asshole Conall. He had a Civil War back in the 1600’s, right? It’s just … you’re going through growing pains, and sometimes, growth can really hurt. One day, all this will be over, and you’ll be able to do great things. I’m certain of it.”

[historiavn]

          @frxncaise        said;        “ Please, just stay away from me. Stay away! ” (robert todd lincoln)

╰► SOURCE:         Disney’s Frozen Franchise

ROBERT INSTINCTIVELY RAISED HIS hands in a defensive and apologetic gesture, taking a step backwards to move away from the HYPERVENTILATING woman.

         “Whoa there!” Robert exclaimed breathlessly, fighting to steady his racing heart whilst he spoke. “It’s okay — I don’t want to hurt you. It’s just …” He took a deep, shaky breath. “…it’s just … uh … how did you get in here?”

[historiavn]

@alwcysanangel sent: "Things couldn't get much worse— ugh, the universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it?" ( - Jo March for any)

DESPITE THE HORRID SITUATION AT HAND, Robert couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle.

  “See, that’s why you never challenge the universe to such a bet.” Of course, he doesn’t blame her for the devastating bloodshed which recently occurred at Gettysburg, but he caved to the urge to make this comment nonetheless. “It’ll always have something much worse than before up its sleeve.”

[historiavn]

@2kyears sent: ❛ The only solution is to stand and fight. ❜ @ robert

“I wish it wasn’t.” Robert admitted, shoulders sagging slightly whilst he spoke.

  “I hate this. The fighting … the bloodshed … the death … I hate it. I just want it all to be over.”

[historiavn]

@villainmade sent: ❛ what are you smiling at? ❜ lucy @ robert

DAMN; SHE'D CAUGHT HIM RED-HANDED, for he’d been STARING at her for a split second too long. As STRANGE as his new friend might be, there was no denying the fact that she was very easy on the eyes indeed.

     Thank heavens that Tad was not there to witness this incident; if his mischevious younger brother had been there, Robert would never hear the end of that gremlin’s teasing.

“Oh, I … uh …” He stammered out, a light blush present upon his cheeks as he quickly tore his gray gaze away from Lucy. “N-nothing, sorry. My apologies.”

[historiavn]

          @bccksmarts     said;        “ It feels like I am home. ” — to mister Robert Todd Lincoln ♡

╰► SOURCE:         Disney’s Frozen Franchise

❝ You are home. ❞ These words were blurted out WITHOUT ABANDON, spoken entirely in GENUINE EARNEST which gave no indications of any falsehood. Seeking to reinforce the TRUTH inherent within his claim, Robert reached out as he spoke, and gently seized both of Hermione’s hands in his own.

      Making contact with Hermione’s gentle touch, however, triggered an AWAKENING. Robert’s cheeks darkened to a crimson red upon realizing that his inner thoughts had been spoken aloud. EMBARRASSMENT seized control of his soul, driving Robert to let go of one of his lover’s hands so that he could scratch the back of his neck.

❝ Well, that’s, uh … if you want to be home. ❞ He stammered out, internally CURSING himself for his inadvertent display of sheer awkwardness. ❝ I don’t want to force you into anything, but well, you’re my girlfriend. Besides, Pa seems to have taken a liking to you as well, and you were probably brought here for a reason, so it seems reasonable for you to call this home. ❞

[historiavn]

          @timeguardians       said;        “ look, i get it. I do. you have no reason to believe what i’m saying. but i promise you: i’m from the future." Iris insists. "You -- you can't go to Ford's Theater tonight." (To Robert Todd)

╰► SOURCE:         The Art of Time Slipping

ROBERT REGARDS THIS peculiar young woman with a raised brow, head tilting to the side while she speaks. Although her frantic plea seems utterly insane, the First Son of the United States is nevertheless intrigued by Iris’s words.

    “The absolutely bizarre nature of your claim to time travel of all things aside, why ever oughtn’t I?” His tone is MILD, as though he were discussing the weather and not a warning about his beloved father’s imminent demise. “Mr. Booth is quite the renowned actor; he is certain to put on a thrilling performance, and I would hate to miss it.”

[rmstitanics]

List 5 topics you could talk about for an hour without preparing any material.

With Malice Toward None: a Musical of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. I’ve been developing this musical since summer 2020. With Malice Toward None focuses on exploring the mental health struggles that Lincoln experienced during his presidency. The musical is narrated by Robert Todd Lincoln, who recalls the storyline’s events with complete omniscience while at the 1922 Lincoln Memorial dedication. Relevant themes for the show include mental health, public history, teams that become brotherhoods, compassion, the stages of grief, leadership, and a bunch of other concepts that I’ll probably end up yapping about on here at some point. Orchestrally, the show can be described as “if Les Misérables, Hello Dolly, and Evita decided to have a threesome in my brain”.

all of my original characters. seriously. I have SO MANY OF THEM that I’ve developed over the years, mostly for historical fiction. 😭 the ones that are living rent free in my head the most right now are Anastasia Andrews-Ismay (the human personification of the Titanic), Lieutenant General Ethan Clay, and Dr. Constance Pierpont Morgan. Honorable mention goes to my Star Wars OC Shi’al Valorum 💅 if any of these muses seem familiar to you then we’ve probably either been in a discord server together or you’ve somehow stumbled across one of my roleplay blogs.

the rms titanic. literally EVERYTHING about this ship and her sinking is my Roman Empire. I’m particularly fond of yapping about Captain Smith, Thomas Andrews, Wallace Hartley, William Pirrie, J.P. Morgan, or any of the officers — but if you get me talking about the vilification of Bruce Ismay by the sensationalist yellow press in the aftermath of the sinking, then I WILL NEVER SHUT UP.

star wars. my first exposure to the Star Wars franchise was when I was a sophomore in high school and I got to see a screening of A New Hope where the soundtrack was played by a live orchestra. suffice to say, this altered my brain chemistry and I’ve never been the same since. I’m a Prequels girlie and Jedi apologist to my CORE; my favorite characters are probably Yoda, Dooku, Mace Windu, and Bail Organa.

film and tv soundtracks. …the fact that I once did a TWENTY FIVE MINUTE LONG presentation on the film score for Titanic (1997) should tell you everything that you need to know about this silly fixation of mine.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: ghost hunting, tarot cards, classical music, Taylor Swift, creative liberties taken by Lin Manuel Miranda for Hamilton, historical fiction as a genre in an era where media literacy is on the decline, Antebellum America, the Great Triumvirate (Henry Clay, John Calhoun, Daniel Webster), the Lost Cause of the Confederacy, and public history.

TAGGED BY no one. I stole it from the for you tab LOL

TAGGING: @viellohi, @the-rmstitanic, @man-i-dunno, @allysah, @charmwasjess, @quicksiluers, @aceofthyme, @tipsywench, @macaron-n-cheese, @meerawrites, @elisabeth515, @its-rmstitanic, @mattaytchtaylor, @tommy-288, @chamberlainswifey, AND YOU.

* make a separate post. do not reblog.