#( it's funny Ramin is here lol

[elerriellee]

A tentative and not-so-short rundown of The Reunion 24/01/18 opening night. Ramin & Hadley centric.

Act 1

There's scripted talking in between the first few songs to introduce everyone. I say scripted because there are Chinese subtitles on the side screens.

Man of La Mancha: Ramin+Earl

Earl did the squeaky Sancho voice he was hilarious

I've Decided to Marry You: Hadley+Natalie+Holly

Holly is so sweet I'm officially a fan

Hard to Speak My Heart: Hadley's solo

This is Hadley's only solo, honestly, I'm a bit disappointed BUT he nailed it as always, what can I say the man is perfect. Also, talk about aging like fine wine. He was in full suit & tie in Act 1, I was looking through binoculars & shaking he's so handsome.

What Baking Can Do: Samantha solo

Journey to the Past: Samantha's solo

I don't have much commentary for Sam because honestly, I think her brilliance is like. A given fact at this point. Everyone should just acknowledge that she's perfect. End of discussion.

Come What May

Evermore

For Good

My memory has failed me. I think Come What May was Samantha+Natalie+Holly. Evermore was Ramin+Holly. I'm not sure.

Love Finds You: Ramin+Holly+Natalie+Hadley+Earl

Much better than the meet&greet version. More put together. Although I think the band fucked up a bit at the end.

After this song there's a short POTO entr'acte. They had installed chandeliers on the stage so they were lowered for the next few songs.

Think of Me: Holly+Hadley

Holly is so sweet. Hadley ran up the stage to sing "Can it be Christine". Lots of screaming.

All I Ask of You: Hadley+Holly

I'm aware there are comments online about Hadley!Raoul being a bit mean/harsh/demanding/whatever, BUT this version. THIS VERSION. Hadley's voice was so soft and gentle, he was smiling and gazing at Holly the whole time. At the ending bit when Raoul & Christine were supposed to kiss, Hadley does a little bow and kisses the back of Holly's hand. THEY'RE SO CUTE I CAN'T TAKE IT. Although I'm kinda getting sibling/bestie vibes from them lol.

Music of the Night: Ramin's solo

Classic & perfect.

20 minutes intermission

Act 2

Into the Unknown: Samantha+Holly+Everyone else in the back

Holly did the "voice calling to Elsa" part, everyone else was harmonizing in the background. Such a powerful beginning to the second act. Again, Samantha, QUEEN.

Heart of Stone: Natalie

I was shocked in all the good ways, Natalie's voice was so powerful it was mind-blowing. The band fucked up big time here but she saved it, she's amazing.

Love Me Anyway: Ramin+Natalie+Hadley on guitar

This song is by Pink, I think, and the only song that's not from a musical. Hadley has a few bars of beautiful guitar solo right in the middle and I'm pretty sure Ramin & I were wearing the same expression.

There's a bit of talking at this point from Ramin and Hadley, improv & not scripted. I'm getting FTRR vibes, they're so relaxed and comfortable with each other. Ramin jokes about Hadley's first time singing AIAOY after the 25th anniversary, and Hadley goes: is this your first time singing MOTN? They laugh and Hadley hums that meme sound effect (idek how to describe it), Ramin *singing along*: "No." Oh I love these two.

The Other Side: Hadley+Ramin

Hadley as Barnum and Ramin as Philip, I mean, wait what? But it worked guys it worked. And Hadley's version, the way he lowers his voice... is actually really sexy? (the friend I went with: it's not talking business it's seduction) I'm so confused.

Who I'd Be: Hadley+Ramin+Holly

This trio is gold.

I'm All Alone: Hadley+Ramin+Earl

They made this song hilarious. Ramin and Hadley making funny faces behind Earl and talking quietly while Earl was getting bullied singing "I'm all alone" (Ramley in the back, with an eye roll and a shrug acting all exasperated: "Yeah. He's all alone")

Till I hear you sing: Ramin solo

KING. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE NORMAL AFTER THIS?

I Dreamed a Dream: Natalie's solo

Again, Natalie has a resonating, powerful voice, and this song shows it.

Stars: Earl solo

How does he go from laughing and joking to full-on Javert mode in 5 seconds I will never fully understand. Amazed.

Heart full of love: Hadley+Holly

Another dream come true moment of hearing Hadley!Marius. If I'm honest this couldn't beat the 22-year-old Hadley version but again let's talk about aging like fine wine...

On My Own: Samantha

There was a suspended moment after "a world that's full of happiness that I have never known" & I'm pretty sure the entire room was collectively holding their breath. I don't think my words are ever going to be adequate to describe Sam's performance.

Bring Him Home: Ramin solo+Hadley on guitar

Them gazing at each other for 3 minutes. On the last note Ramin messed up a little, he turns to Hadley like "sos I fucked up" and Hadley takes his hand. During the meet&greet Hadley said Ramin was a bit sick so I guess he's not yet at his 100% (Last night Hadley was still coughing a bit as well, at stage door he was wearing two layers of jackets lol), but they're both looking (and sounding) much better.

One Day More: Everyone

Ramin as Enjolras. OMG. I think there's video online guys go see for yourselves.

Aaaand I think that's all.

[harrowscore]

Ehy Val! How was the return from Milan? Any interesting anecdotes to tell about the experience of Les Miserables?

oh hi, love!!

yes, milan was amazing! obviously i already visited it last year for phantom (..... i still can't elaborate that i've actually seen it. and with THEE ramin karimloo too!), but this trip was also special.

1. i met @mircallaruthven - first time i've ever met a mutual irl in over ten years on tumblr lmao. she was as smart and lovely as i'd expected, of course - can't wait to see each other again ❤️

2. les mis was great! soooo, these are my impressions of the show:

the cast was VERY solid! unfortunately it was the staged concert, and i was far away enough from the stage so i could see perfectly the scenography (bare as it was. the lighting was great tho!) but very little of the actors' faces lol. the acoustic was flawless tho.

daniel koek was a very classic, somewhat old-school jean valjean, with beautiful singing and a strong, operatic voice. i enjoyed him very, very much.

my brother and i were absolutely floored by bradley jaden's javert (our favorite character, to no one's surprise). great voice, and a heartbreaking javert's soliloquy. on a more shallow note, he's also very handsome sjdjhdhf (#hotjavert agenda keeps winning!)

channah hewitt was such an emotional fantine - all the feelings poured down from her body, from her voice, like water. i couldn't see it that well from the gallery (thanks astigmatism i guess lol) but her wig (and cosette's) was glorious.

i think enjolras was harry grant smith - and he sounded and acted exactly as i imagine enjolras would. powerful baritone voice, but still with a boyish, youthful note. commanding, "charming but capable of being terrible", charismatic but also somehow an introvert. he was really good.

the thénardiers (gavin lee & linzi hateley) were a highlight of the show! they were hilarious. it helped that the italian audience didn't laugh at inappropriate times (when madame is verbally abusing little cosette, for example) like the english-speaking audiences usually do for... some reason i guess. we all laughed at their funny antics and ad-libs - like, when he said "i should have married her sister" and madame replied "i wish you had" lmao.

but the real star of the show (besides the leading man and javert, of course) was nathania ong's éponine. such a pure timbre, vaguely reminiscent of frances ruffelle, and sheer power - i wasn't the only one to think she was mind-blowingly good: my dad (and considering the audience's reaction to her on my own, probably everyone else too) thought the same. she also had a childish quality to her acting that i found very interesting. you could see her éponine was only a young girl, after all.

it was a staged concert so there's not much to say about the scenography, but imo they compensated for the absence of the barricade with... some kind of huge barricade-looking contraption, red-colored and illuminated, that came down from the ceiling during the second act. it was really cool to see, tho i imagine not as much as the real deal from the staged show.

the cast added some new, interesting touches and details here and there that would delight every long-time fan. the first that comes to mind are little gavroche hugging grantaire in drink with me, after the latter's pessimistic outburst. in the epilogue - for the joy of my fellow enjonine fans - i noticed enjolras and éponine standing side by side, stroking each other's arm in a really cute, friendly but surprisingly ic (at least for musical-verse!e&e) gesture. that melt my heart ngl

as it was expected, i cried and sobbed like a baby throughout all the epilogue scene, as per usual lmao. it was a miracle my painstakingly applied make-up didn't melt all over my face and turn me into a scary clown lol

tl;dr: it was really good! unfortunately for personal reasons i was a bit distracted during the show (i had some kind of minor relapse... nothing worrying, it was more annoying than anything else) but in the end it was worth the whole trip. if you want to ask me for more details you can also dm me, don't worry!! ❤️

[ablatheringblatherskite]

IMPORTANT:

This is a family friendly/PG/mostly SFW (mostly because I occasionally reblog stuff with violence/gore, swearing, and intense whump lol) blog, so please keep that in mind when interacting! Any NSFW interactions will be blocked.

I am also an unashamed Christian!

Things to know about me:

FIRST THINGS FIRST, I am a proud member of the Rogue Squadron, so jot that down >:)))

(basically, we like to spam our friends for fun. so you might see me spamming the replies and even reblogging several posts in a row)

Second, I write fanfics :))) I have fics for Hamilton, Star Wars, ATLA, Marvel, Wednesday, the Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and One Piece. Drop by if you want to HERE!

Genres I write: Fluff, friendship, healing, hurt/comfort, whump, angst, romance

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@vicomte-raoul-de-chagny

@comte-philippe-de-chagny

Here's things I enjoy:

Writing, Musicals, Books, good wholesome comedy, chocolate, pretty gifsets, editing videos, etc.!

Things I'm posting a lot about ATM:

One Piece, The Phantom of the Opera, musicals in general, Star Wars, writing related stuff, random stuff I find funny, and Christian things.

And Things I like!:

The Phantom of the Opera, One Piece, HTTYD (including all the series and the third movie), Spider-Man (personal fave are the TASM and Spiderverse movies), The Chronicles of Narnia, Star Wars (excluding sequel trilogy sorry), Avatar: The Last Airbender, Daredevil, Les Misérables, Batfam (Wayne Family Adventures!), Wednesday, the Addams Family, His Dark Materials (the show), Manifest, My Adventures with Superman, Over The Garden Wall, NBC'S Timeless, Wings of Fire, The Hobbit, Artemis Fowl, Ducktales (2017), Hamilton, Newsies, Anastasia, Lego: Ninjago, TMNT (2012), Harry Potter, Studio C, Jk! Studios, their Freelancers series, and more that I cannot remember right now!

Where I am considering some of these fandoms:

I am a Hadley!Raoul, Book!Raoul—and Raoul de Chagny in general—defender, and a Raoulstine shipper (BUT I love the Phantom/Erik and do not dislike him by any means 🥺), and I don't really like Love Never Dies much. I'm a Tyler Galpin apologist but NOT an Xavier Thorpe hater. I also love the Star Wars original trilogy and the prequel trilogy, but not really the sequels. I don't hate the third HTTYD movie and I love all the HTTYD series. My favorite Spider-Man movies are the TASM ones, and Andrew Garfield is my fav Spider-Man/Peter Parker. Yes I love both Narnia and His Dark Materials.

Ships I love:

Hiccstrid (HTTYD), Raoulstine (Phantom of the Opera), Zekeaela (Manifest), Silverparry (His Dark Materials), Wyler/Weyler (Wednesday), Petroclair (Wednesday), Clois (My Adventures With Superman), Peter and Gwen (TASM), Jaya (Ninjago), Lyatt (Timeless), Gomez and Morticia (The Addams Family)

Blorbos:

Raoul de Chagny, Roronoa Zoro, Sanji, Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, Tyler Galpin

YouTubers I watch:

Andrew Burriss, DanTDM, The Merrell Twins, Aaron Burriss, Moriah Elizabeth, and Sam Tabor

Some other people I'm a fan of:

Hadley Fraser, Ramin Karimloo, Andrew Garfield, Charlie Cox, The entire cast of Jk! Studios (aka the OG Studio C cast), David Tennant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy Jordan

Fandoms I've written for so far (and the links to their respective lists):

Hamilton: An American Musical

Star Wars

Wednesday

not a fandom, but here's link to my list of fics for the Chrumblr Whumblr challenge!

More lists to come!

Here's some fics I have in progress!

WOE IS WE (Wednesday)

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@bookworms-and-bluestockings (Book blog with friends)

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[broadwaybohemians]

Okay one last bit.

God I cannot wait for the sweeney cast album anymore!! I need to hear the whole thing NOW!!!!

CBS commercial just aired and what?! They remade Matlock!? With kathy bates?! and is that jason ritter?! wtf?!

I didn't know A Beautiful Noise was gonna perform! Awesome! And it's the only Neil Diamond song i know lol. SWEET CAROLINE! tHAT WAS SO FUN!

Kelli O'Hara!

Best Revival of a Musical:

I love them all can they all win!!

Parade wins. I knew it. I knew it'd win Best Revival. I was hoping it'd be Sweeney or ITW but whatever.

Oooooh YES. Oh GOD YES my heart. Phantom! PHANTOM!!

PHANTOM PERFORMANCE?!?!?! OH MY GOD OH MY GOD SHUT UP RIGHT NOW!!!!

Oh okay it's the in memoriam.

This performance is gorgeous. She's killing it. So good. So beautiful.

Aaaand my app crashed again. Fucking hell. Thank god this time was just before a commercial break so I didn't miss anything

Okay here go. The biggies

Lead Actor in a Musical: J. Harrison Ghee!!!!!

Oh god I'm crying now. Congrats J!!!!

Lead Actress in a Play: Jodie Comer!!!

Okay time for Kimberly Akimbo performance! Another one I don't really know anything about it. I'm not even sure what it's about.

Okay yeah not gonna lie I wasn't really into that at all. I do love Victoria Clark though. Just not my jam. I'm sure it's lovely but that performance did not make me want to look into it more. Just my opinion.

Best Play: Leopoldstadt!!

YES TOM STOPPARD CALLING OUT CHATBOTS!

Okay time for the Shucked performance! Can't wait to learn about this musical

I still have no idea what Shucked is about (well other than CORN! lol) but damn that performance was so much fun!! I loved it!!

Lead Actress in a Musical: I love them all how do I choose! Victoria Clark won!!!!!!

PRODUCERS REUNION!! MATTHEW BRODERICK AND NATHAN LANE!!!!!!!

Lead Actor in a Play: Sean Hayes!!!! OMG YES!! I love that for him!!!

Funny Girl performance time

That half second of Ramin Karimloo 😍😍😍

Best Musical. Here we go. I have no idea what will win nor do I have a big preference who I want to win. Well sorta lol.

Kimberly Akimbo is the winner!!!! I thought it would! I've heard amazing things about it. I'll check it out for sure. Not sure if it's up my alley but I'm always up for new musicals.

And that's that! Not gonna lie I enjoyed the lack of scripted content. It kept things flowing and there's no stupid awkward banter that I always find annoying. I 1000% the WGA though!!! We need writers!!!

I wasn't gonna do any live blogging for the Tony Awards but here we go anyway.

Act 1 thoughts while I watch:

Yay Kimberly Akimbo for wining best scocre!

Leopoldstadt beat out Life of Pi for best costume!?!!! What?!?!! With those puppets in Life of Pi how did they lose?! Jeez

Some Like it Hot beat Camelot, &Juliet and KPOP for best costumes!? Really?!

My feed keeps skipping and it's annoying.

It's so weird to watch an awards show with no skits or stupid monologues or gimmicks. I kinda like that it's just handing out the awards and some clips? Still weird.

New York New York winning best set design! Awesome!!

Okay Life of Pi may have lost out on costumes but at least it won set design! Yeah!!

Lin Manuel Miranda!!! Hello sir!! Handing the Lifetime Achievement Award to John Kander. Interesting choice to do this award in the pre show though. I would have thought this deserves to be in the big event.

Some Like It Hot wins best choreography. As I haven't seen this show and have no idea what the choreography is like I have no opinion really. I was kinda hoping to see Sweeney or KPOP win best choreography thought. Bummer.

Sweeney Todd won best lighting!! WOOO!! SWEENEY WON SOMETHING! I'm so glad!!!

Julianne Hough has no idea what to do without a script and it's kinda funny

The Isabelle Stevenson Award going to Jerry Mitchell for Broadway Bares is making me cry. SO DESERVED!!!!!

Jerry Mitchell's speech. Yup definitely crying now.

Sweeney for best sound design! WOO! I'd have been happy with any of them winning

Joel Grey getting the Lifetime Achievement Award is so wonderful! I love him! And he started his speech with Wilkomen, Bienvienu, Welcome!!

HELL YEAH APPLAUD FOR HIS MENTION OF CLEVELAND PLAYHOUSE!! WOOOOO!! I certainly clapped!!! That's my hometown!!! Playhouse is the best!!!

And that's it for Act 1!

[aintnolionpridelands]

Musical theatre performers from Japan (+ Ramin) sing ‘Do You Hear The People Sing?’ (民衆の歌) from Les Misérables

Shows at Home Project: https://showsathome.wixsite.com/showsathome

Japanese Lyrics by 岩谷時子 (Tokiko Iwatani)

Cast: 浦井健治 (Kenji Urai) | 大原櫻子 (Sakurako Ohara) | 音月桂 (Kei Otozuki) | 尾上松也 (Matsuya Onoe) | 海宝直人 (Naoto Kaiho) | 加藤和樹 (Kazuki Kato) | 加藤清史郎 (Seishiro Kato) | 上山竜治 (Ryuji Kamiyama) | Crystal Kay | 小南満佑子 (Mayuko Kominami) | 小西遼生 (Ryosei Konishi) | 昆夏美 (Natsumi Kon) | 斉藤 慎二 (Shinji Saitov) | 咲妃みゆ (Miyu Sakihi) | 笹本玲奈 (Rena Sasamoto) | 佐藤隆紀 (Takanori Sato) | 清水彩花 (Ayaka Shimizu) | 城田優 (Yu Shirota) | 田代万里生 (Mario Tashiro) | 中川晃教 (Akinori Nakagawa) | 西川大貴 (Taiki Nishikawa) | 愛希れいか (Manaki Reika) | 三浦涼介 (Ryouske Miura) | 宮澤エマ (Emma Miyazawa) | 濱田めぐみ (Megumi Hamada) | 原田優一 (Yuichi Harada) | 平原綾香 (Ayaka Hirahara) | フランク莉奈 (Rina Frank) | Ramin Karimloo | 山崎育三郎 (Ikusaburo Yamazaki) | 

Chorus: 石田佳名子 (Kanako Ishida) | 川島大典 (Daisuke Kawashima) | 木南清香 (Sayaka Kinami) | 杉浦奎介 (Keisuke Sugiura) | 持木悠 (Yu Mochiki) | 横田剛基 (Yoshiki Yokota) | 

Pf.奥田祐 (Yu Okuda) | Drs.岩根圭佑 (Keisuke Iwane) | Gt.川相賢太郎 (Kentaro Kawai) | Bs.遠藤優樹 (Yuuki Endo) | Vn.地行美穂 (Miho Chigyo) | 

[arrcayde]

Friday, 24th of January and Saturday, 25th of January. Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Greece.

spam ahead (including a photo dump with my holiday pics xxxx), with my bad formatting too and spouting of random thoughts.

I am SO SORRY for how long this turned out, i am a rambly mess who doesn’t know how to edit.

Oh yeah, I also didn’t record anything from the show because I’m deathly afraid of ~~~~ushers~~~~

I will start with saying the instagram people for the production are so nice and will answer any question you have (from my experience. i asked them a LOT)

Had all the main leads on, Amy the Friday and Celinde the Saturday.

Amy Manford and Celinde Schoenmaker were both amazing as Christine, though they do seem to both be directed as being helpless for a good chunk of the show. It is really great in Point of No Return when they go full on ‘fuck it, lets give the Phantom what he wants and overwhelm him’, including a brutal chucking of a bowl of oranges across the stage. During Wishing and Wandering Child there were some moments were ummm the idea of suicide was floating there, with her getting close to the edge at the beginning of Wishing, and in Wandering where Christine is entranced by the Phantom and stands on the edge and teeters back (I was scared shitless). Also during Il Muto, both did a funny high pitched ‘hee-hee hee hee’ after getting poked in the bum by the Poor Fool himself, which made me laugh so hard.

Lara Martins was AMAZING as Carlotta, fainting with the sandbag dropping down during Think of Me, and slapping someone sweeping the floor for daring to be present near her after Prima Donna. (Also she had a weird fake dog which was weird but oh well)

Arvid Larsen as Andre was hamming it up every scene he was in and I LOVEDD it, always bowing down to Carlotta and (not sure if right word but) disciplining Firmin’s attitude. Also his Torero masquerade costume, had his trousers all the way up to his nips lol.

Ben Forster as the Phantom is.,,,, um,, well I guess Ramin had a big influence on him? He was a great singer, though very pop sounding. I think I read/saw somewhere on Instagram that he saw this production as deconstructing the ‘magic Phantom’ of the replica into a more emotional human character, and I do kind of see it but um,,, constant anguish is a bit much?? I was low-key hoping for an understudy to go on to see something a bit different the second night alongside Celinde.

Nadim as Raoul, he was there yes. I do like they decided to give him a bit more of a clear arc, with him checking himself out in the mirror during Little Lotte and then going up to beat up the Phantom in Wandering Child (though the Phantom had a KNIFE , a PHANTOM KNIFE). He did seem a little bit bored but I think that was part of the character at the beginning, like he was a playboy who hasn’t heard no or had a girl disappear on him.

There were the projections during the Overture and Ent’racte. They didn’t really add or detract from anything?

The dressing room mirror is tiny so thats fun.

Masquerade was amazing, I loved the turntable where Christine and some of the ensemble act like a music box (and the ending where there is the call back to that with Old Raoul). The mirrors weren’t there but I actually loved it with just the columns, it made the room feel expansive and not as ‘restricting’ as the brick wall on the inside of the stair-drum-turntable thingy (I will get to that) which was in the background of a lot of scenes. Costumes were great, I loved the way the costumes were translated into a more simplified colour palette, it was BEAUTIFUL.

Loved the rooftop in general, especially with the snow.

The Don Juan Triumphant set was umm a bit bare, and the sitzprobe for it was good with the ensemble being scared into singing, rather than possessed (alongside their ‘Don Juan Triumpher’ sheet music!).

They seemed to love throwing stuff from above, with what looks like random bits of dandruff coming down whenever the Phantom is supposed to be near (I think??? or they just cant control the snow??). The rose petals (with the beautiful rose covered curtain) in Prima Donna was great, as was the snow in Wishing. The confetti bombs in Masquerade was good but um a bit much and then its just on the stage for the rest of the show hmmm.

The stairs, I am conflicted on. I think its great that there’s another setpiece for some bits (like Why Have You Brought Us Here, and Journey to the ‘Graveyard’ / Rooftop), but the steps have the brick texture, so when used to go into the Phantom’s lair and the rooftop, it can be a bit weird. It isn’t like the black box travelator where it is left up to you to decide what it is, its visually a decrepid brick wall so you see the same thing for going up and down in the Opera House (do I make sense here, jesus my brain is fried). The inside of the stairs is a grey brick wall, which turns out to be the background for the lair, the rooftop and Christine’s dressing room so I do get a bit more sick of it.

The Curtain was loud, and the chandelier um,.,,,, made a noise and lowered slowly.

The audio was a bit off sometimes: you could tell the title song may have been pre-recorded, that the ensemble are in a separate room during ‘Track down this murderer’,, and that the audio is bouncing off the Phantoms mask during ‘Why so Silent?’.

LOVED the costumes of the production, the more limited colours (except in Hannibal) worked well though sometimes could look a little bit too drab and grey, like really old instagram posts from 2012 that we used to put a lot of filters on and make look all grey and vintage (I am beyond guilty of this)

Thessaloniki has some nice museums, I’ve only been Greece once before but didn’t see much of the historical stuff, so it was nice to see.

[deepquietthoughts]

2019, a summary

as some of you may be aware, 2019 was the year of “new year, new me”. I realized at the end of 2018 that I actively self sabotaged my goals and dreams and I was getting ready to ruin any chance of me succeeding in my dreams just by vitue of being scared. So I made my New Years resolution “new year, new me”, where I would put myself out there and be confident and try and not be afraid of failing

And I did it!!!! Like, I applied myself SO MUCH I joined so many clubs and worked so hard in all my classes, I made two amazingly close friends who I love so so much, and I even managed to get a boyfriend for a hot minute. 2018 vic wouldn’t have done ANY OF THAT so I’m so proud of me.

It started with me working hard in class, and I applied for a ton of internships for the summer, and I applied for a ton of clubs early last year. And I managed to get positions in almost all the clubs I applied for! There’s literally only one that I can think of that I didn’t get accepted and I was so swamped with work that thank god they didn’t accept me lol. And I got my summer internship which changed my life 100%. I made so many amazing and wonderful friends, I learned so much about myself, and I met my summer fling boy. Honestly, my job changed my life it gave me so much confidence and I miss everyone I met so much, I’m so grateful for what it gave me.

And then this latest semester, aka HELL semester, happened. It was a lot, 4 incredibly difficult upper level science classes, 5 or 6 clubs, 10 hours of a new lab every week, and I went through a ton of emotional trauma all semester long. Like, Lexi’s dad died and I was working on getting over Ramin and my cousin went to rehab and Hannah went to rehab and Bhavi destroyed her relationship with Tiffany which really ruined ours and Pari got David and Sarah went through a lot with her evil ex and ok I became friends with Sarah?? Like that was wild, and I was stressed 24/7, and so so tired and working all the time to succeed and it paid off? For the most part lol

I’m so grateful to all my friends. Tiffany especially, she really kept me sane and pulled me through some really dark times, she wasn’t always the most emotionally aware but I knew every single time she was checking on me and I appreciated it so so much and I’ll miss her a lot while she’s abroad :( and Sarah as well, she brought me out of my house and gave me Activities to do and did stuff with me, and is someone I’m really looking forward to hanging out with more. She’s good at motivating me and keeping me focused and even though we’re completely different people when it comes to studying styles, I just need someone there to keep me focused

Ruth and Frances, my girls, the loml, I love them so so much and I can’t wait to see them next! Ruth has helped me to be more thoughtful in what I do and to find meaning in my life. Frances is my girl and I love her so much and she’s so funny and seeet and she Gets me and I desperately hope she comes visit me at school for my birthday!!

Payal is always fun, talkative and slightly abrasive, but I love her so much too

Dianne and Hannah are two people who I don’t know as well as the others, but I love them and I can’t wait to see them too!! Dianne is so funny and doesn’t take shit, and Hannah is so sweet and caring and I want the world for her

CINDY how could I forget Cindy?? She’s so sweet and willing to do anything for anyone, I haven’t seen her in so long and I’m really looking forward to living with her this semester!

Pari has been one of the people I didn’t expect to become as close as I did, and I really hope that we can continue to be close. She’s so funny and she gets my humor when other people don’t, and I enjoy living vicariously through her and David’s relationship

Bhavi, idk where I stand with her or where I want to stand, but we’ll see where the semester takes us

I miss Jordan and Michelle and Maxine and Margeaux and Kelsey and Cait and Bella and Sarah and Erin, and cole and Katelyn and Hinna and Seth and Ramin. My nslc fam is so dispersed and at so many different points in their lives, but I can’t wait to see them! I know we’ll get together soon. And my children omg I love my kids I love seeing what they’re up to on insta and I hope I made a difference in their lives

I’m so excited to see where my lab work takes me and I hope all my clubs give me some sense of pride

But that’s just a review of my year. Lol new year new me really paid off. But that means that this years resolution has to be spectacular. I plan on continuing new year new me, cause dude that paid off so well lmao if I gave up on it I’d be the worst person ever. I think this years reaolution is gonna focus on healing and being kind. I want to be the best version of myself, and I’ve done a ton of self growth, but I think I need to rxpand that to being a better person. I try to be selfless and thoughtful and kind and a good person overall, but I know my stubbornness and my tendency to snap at people, and definitely my overthinkingness have led to a lot of pitfalls in my life. So I wanna be kind. New year new me continues, but also be kind

So that’s the 2020 update, here’s to me being a good person, fearless and ready to face the world ❤️

[r-manoff]

Since the year is about to end and Hawkeye would be the last Marvel show this year, I’m going to make a short review on each MCU content that came out this year.

Wandavision - Hands down the best Disney+ MCU series for me and I’m a complete hoe for Wanda Maximoff.

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier - SamBucky FTW. Make the gay ship canon, cowards. I liked it and definitely loved seeing the characters who weren’t given much screen time in the movies to be fleshed out in the series. And of course Sharon Carter can get it.

Loki - I have to be honest, I was very excited for this but I was kinda disappointed with how it turned out. I can’t say it was weak but I can’t exactly pinpoint why I didn’t like it that much.

Black Widow - Definitely loved it but I can never forgive Marvel for not making Black Widow movies before my bae Natasha Romanoff died. Would have loved to see more of her chaotic Russian family.

What If… - I was so hooked with this series. Definitely gave different ideas and scenarios with regards to the multiverse. And because of this, I’m still hoping that we’ll get to see a Natasha variant in the movies and have her face to face with Yelena again. I know Scarlett Johansson said she’s done with Natasha but Jesus Christ I hope she changes her mind and Kevin Feige convinces her to come back even in just one movie or two because we need more Nat.

Shang-Chi - I’m not a comic reader so I had no idea who Shang-Chi is or what’s his story and honestly, I don’t mind the comics much because it’s clear the MCU deviated with the comics a lot which is actually fine so it really irks me how some fans gets mad that the MCU isn’t loyal to the comics but anyway, I didn’t know what to expect with Shang Chi so I watched it without any much clue aside from the trailer and omg, it was actually really good. It’s a bonus that Simu Liu is very charming in real life.

Eternals - It wasn’t bad and I loved the characters but I somehow still didn’t like it much. I don’t know. I can’t pinpoint why.

Hawkeye - Yelena owned this series hands down. Her and Kate made this series so enjoyable. I don’t hate Clint and I like how he was fleshed out in this series because his characterization in the movies were downright boring but he was really overshadowed by other characters in his own show. He was even overshadowed by a dog. It’s a little funny. Can’t wait to see more of Maya because she definitely stole some spotlight here. And who would have thought that I would love Jack in the end of this series? I’m looking forward to see more of Kate and Yelena. Would love to see more of Eleanor too and definitely hoping we’ll still see Kingpin in the future.

Oohh! I’m gonna do this to in a separate post, thank you for the inspo hahahaha

To respond to some:

Totally agree with the Loki one. It was I think the most promoted one but it was a downright disappointment for me, just my opinion.

What If: not only did it offer so many insane storylines, it also is somehow tied to the mcu if I’m looking at Multiverse of Madness… that dr strange ep was not it for me partly bc I didn’t like his movie and this was too much of a throwback to me watching that movie and that was not a good experience lmao. BUT to see dark strange come to life on the big screen makes me veryyyy intrigued

Eternals: I actually really liked the movie. I have a post about my thoughts after watching it (it was way after its original release bc school lol). They’re a lot and incoherent as fuck but at least it sums up how I feel about this movie lmao. I get why people didn’t really like it that much but the blatant hate it gets is unrealistic and unfair. The cinematography is beautiful, Ramin Djawadi did the soundtrack for god’s sake, star power like Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek who were perfectly cast for their role (as were the other actors). This movie actually made me cry over how beautiful our world is and that we don’t value it as much as we should. You could argue I went into an existential crisis after watching it lol

And Hawkeye: in all honesty, I don’t think this series was more about Clint than it was about setting Kate up in the universe. But yes, Kate and Yelena stole the show hahahahhah

[oveliagirlhaditright]

That part in Nostalgia Critic’s “Phantom of the Opera” 2004 movie review, where the Gerard Butler sound-alike and Michael Crawford sound-alike are battling it out in the parody “Point of No Return” song is funny.

I love Michael Crawford.

You all know I love Michael Crawford.

He might be my favorite Phantom, in fact. And he originated the role! We surely would not have had this musical be a success without him.

But that part that was like, “Your voice inflates and deflates like a helium balloon... seriously, what gender are you now?” I died!

And also when Nostalgia Critic and the team agreed that they both sounded kind of silly.

Also, the part that they believe the chemistry here, but not in the Phantom and Christine’s Point of Return scene in the movie. Pfft. Though I think they were lying there, but it was still funny.

Tbh, I think Michael Crawford was trying to sound ghost-like in his Phantom portrayal--since Erik is making people think he was a ghost, perhaps Michael thought he would then act really ghost-like to try and sell that--and that’s why he sings the way he does. And I actually really like it! I think it adds to his charm, and makes a more loveable and sympathetic Phantom, that none have done since him (because they know they couldn’t top it). But this still killed me. LOL

The scene in the review/parody is just funny, because the entire review, Critic is putting down Gerard Butler’s singing in the movie. And then “Michael Crawford” shows up, because he’s heard that someone is ruining his image. And Critic is like, “Yes, Crawford! You show this talentless hack what real singing is!” And then the above happens, and Critic’s like, “You know what? Maybe the play isn’t as flawless as I remember it being...”

It would have been funny if they had a Ramin Karimloo sound-alike come in and be like, “That’s why I’m the definitive version”, or something. But I’m fine with the joke as it is:) 

[emeraldskulblaka]

Review: The Secret Garden, Lincoln Center Concert 2016

I knew quite a bit about this musical beforehand, given the cast of this production and the fact that I had already been a musical theatre fan in 2016.

And I KNEW it was good because I had listened to many songs before and also own the OBCR.

Trailers for this production (rehearsal/performance): x x x

Come to My Garden: Sierra Boggess

Lily’s Eyes: Jason Forbach & Joseph Spieldenner, Ramin Karimloo & Cheyenne Jackson, Rachel Bay Jones & Uzo Aduba

Tony Awards 1991: performance + Daisy Eagan wins

OBCR & OLCR

-

But nothing could have prepared me for this absolutely beautiful and moving musical. It was so incredibly awesome and well done, and cured my Evita depression completely. I became obsessed with the melodies and can’t get them out of my head any more.

-

Here’s what I liked:

Where to start? The story. Based on the book, of course, and I don’t know if there are any major differences. But it’s really interesting and truly something else. All of Mary’s relatives, everyone she knew, dead?! And she goes on and finds joy in the garden, befriends Dickon and helps Colin find his confidence, while her uncle is grief-stricken and doesn’t care too much about her and Neville just wants her gone. Love it!

The cast! Sydney is so talented! And Ramin’s and Sierra’s chemistry is unparalleled. Cheyenne looks exactly like I’d imagined Neville even if he was played by someone else. And Daisy as Martha, it was great to see her on the role. Dickon might be the role I liked Ben Platt best in so far, even if it wasn’t a major one.

The songs and melodies and music… they all kind of sound the same, but I couldn’t care less, they’re so beautiful.

The entrance applause the actors got. Great audience.

How Daisy got emotional and had to use a handkerchief in the end :’)

The yellow flowers (roses?) in the finale. I cried.

Archie/Ramin with the two kids.

The constant presence of the ghosts.

I swear there I more.

-

What I didn’t like:

Mary/Sydney seemed so angry at the beginning. She has just lost her parents, but doesn’t seem to grieve too much.

Lily/Sierra seemed a little too far away from Colin. He’s her son, after all. You’d expect her to be around him more often.

I didn’t get that Archie is supposed to be a hunchback until well into the story. Ramin is too handsome lol. But it’s actually a big plot point.

Sierra obviously doesn’t have hazel eyes, but that’s not that important.

I know it was a concert and they didn’t have much rehearsal or a elaborate set, but the scripts and the boxes everywhere did look funny.

-

If you have the time, I can only recommend watching it if you haven’t already. I don’t know how many times I’ve watched different people covering Lily’s Eyes, and I have the strong urge to watch the other concert version with Laura Benanti, Will Chase etc. right now.

And on another note: a while ago I reblogged a post that sounded something like

Imagine your OTP

Person A: *alive*

Person B: *also alive*

and I can imagine how the Secret Garden fandom must have felt reading this. So much pain. Not only in act two ;)

If you want to watch the video I watched, here’s a link.

Feel free to discuss this with me!

[forr-everrmorre]

Anastasia - October 14, 2017 Matinee

I just got back from Anastasia and I’m still internally screaming despite it ending like 4 hours ago. here’s my detailed explanation description. (and I mean very, VERY detailed. a lot of it is under a cut bc I get into super spoilery territory)

Zach was on as Dimitry, and Ian and Kristen were on for Zach and Molly respectively. ZACH. DIMITRY.

before anyone asks, I didn’t record an audio. I got so caught up in the moment I forgot lol whoops.

honest to god, even before the curtain went up I was crying when I heard the opening notes of the Prologue.

NICOLE IS SO ADORABLE

during Last Dance Of The Romanovs, the suitor dancing with Kristen didn't lift her properly and right after they looked at each other and he was like "whoops"

the death of the Romanovs actually scared me like they made it terrifying with the window shattering effects and the red EVERYTHING

Lily can actually be seen comforting the Dowager Empress after Last Dance Of The Romanovs

yes, I internally screamed when Ramin came on. don't judge me.

Gleb so confidently says his opening Leningrad monologue, then Dimitry just comes in and roasts the hell out of him

when Dimitry says "Hail our brave new land", he's mockingly waving his arms around while right behind him Gleb is doing the exact same thing and honestly same.

right after that, Gleb like goes up to Dimitry and he legit RUNS OFF STAGE IN FEAR OMFG

during the part where everyone is like saying something good about Leningrad then saying something snarky, Gleb’s face is like "see, great place waIT WHAT"

after singing his verse in A Rumor In St Petersburg, Vlad immediately hits Dimtry with his hat

everyone's so happy during Rumor, but at the end right before the final shhhh, Gleb just gets on the podium and everyone just does the shhhhhh in fear

before moving on, I would like to mention that I love Kristen Smith Davis, Sissy Bell and Shina Ann Morris.

Dimitry is HIDING BEHIND A COUCH WHEN ANYA COMES INTO THE THEATER IM

Vlad's also hiding and it scares Anya when he comes out

now’s a good time to mention that when a song is starting, the projection usually gets like a subtle change in hue and it’s really cool

Gleb does this like intimidating version of the chin thing (tm) that basically LIFTS one of the fake actresses, then he like lightly blows on one of them and they all run away

Anya throws/hits with a book Dimity and Vlad at least 3 times in Learn To Do It

When Vlad makes them dance, at first Dimitry takes these GIANT UNGRACEFUL STEPS AND ITS HILARIOUS

the background changed from winter to spring once it seems that Anya's finally confident in her ability

Gleb's like shouting in his office until he turns and sees who Anya is and his voice just softens in like two seconds

you can tell that even when Gleb is trying to be funny and personable, he's still a stiff military man

THE CHIN THING (TM) WAS SHORTER THAN PROMISED SMH RAMIN

there's one part during the last verse where Anya harmonizes with Gleb, but it's so subtle that you probably can't tell from a recording

when Gleb says “it’s the silence after I remember most”, not only is it dead silent, there’s also the sound of wind in the background

James Pierce quickly became one of my favorite ensemble members just from how he acts drunk before My Petersburg

Dimitry gets like a potato or something from the street rats' fire and gives it to Anya before My Petersburg

ANYA SAVES DIMITRY AT ONE POINT DURING THE FIGHT SCENE

when Zach was climbing the bench for My Petersburg while the turntable was spinning, you could tell he was having a little bit of trouble and it was adorable

(he also had trouble taking the second can of beans out of his bag during Rumor btw)

also ZACH KILLED IT IN MY PETERSBURG

THE LIGHTING DESIGN IN ONCE UPON A DECEMBER GIVES ME LIFE

they project the phantom images of the Romanovs dancing on the walls of the side of the theater. you probably can't see it from the orchestra seats tho

Dimitry lifts Anya A LOT

I knew from the recording that a lot of the actors were fantastic singers, but live, so many of them are STELLAR. Christy, Ramin, and Constantine in particular imo are so much better live.

btw Stay I Pray You gave me chills. that song really lets the ensemble shine. literally. half the song, Christy, John and Zach were just standing there not singing while the ensemble KILLED IT.

Anya and Dimitry leave the train compartment by the time Vlad starts singing We'll Go From There, so he’s basically monologuing the entire time

after Vlad says "I'll bow as if I'm still a frisky young pup" HIS BACK CRACKS

when Dimitry's doing that thing where he's half standing on a bench, half leaning on the train, the ladies on the bench just look at him as if he's crazy the entire time

the way that them jumping off the train transitions into Traveling Sequence was SO COOL

THE STAGING FOR STILL WAS SO

ITS PROBABLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS PRODUCTION WISE DESPITE HOW SIMPLE IT WAS

so like Gleb's standing off to the side from Traveling Sequence and he starts singing and it's all dark and stuff

around when he reaches "a son becomes a man at his father's knee", a soldier gives him his jacket. then around "I am nothing but a man with nothing but his orders to fulfill", another soldier gives him his train tickets. but then around "until your heart replies", another one gives him a gun.

at the end of it, there's like 4 vague shadowy soldier figures behind him, and he turns around and all of them salute before the lights fade.

Journey To The Past gave me chills. that's all I'm saying.

I never liked Paris Holds The Key that much, but the freaking choreography CERTAINLY made up for it. hands down my favorite choreo the entire show

before Dimitry's lil solo in Paris Holds The Key, it looks like he's about to ask Anya to dance, but someone else grabs her hand before he can. I’m nope

the projection and lighting design makes it look like the end of Paris takes place on the top of the Eiffel Tower and I am so down with that

again, Christy is FANTASTIC live

honestly, Dowager Empress sounds so broken during Close The Door and I am so not ok

Little Anastasia appears behind the windows during Close The Door and I am so not ok

at the end of the number, the Dowager Empress makes a picture she has of Anastasia face down on the table and I AM SO NOT OK

when the doorman of The Neva Club tells Gleb where to get food HE JUST LOOKS SO OFFENDED LIKE “TF WHO DO YOU THINK I AM”

the choreography of Land Of Yesterday is some goOD STUFF M8

theres a good 5 seconds Lily spends shooing Count Leopold away while she’s dancing

after the instrumental break, everyone except Lily is passed out and the lighting makes it look like morning, which is why she stomps her foot and says “the night’s young”

Vlad just sneaks up and is awkwardly facing outwards in the circle dance thing at the end of Land Of Yesterday

honestly The Countess and The Common Man is a blessing and it’s hilarious

right after they say “when you sent me our sign”, they show what it was (it’s like a super subtle hand gesture). they do it at least 2 more times in the show.

during the instrumental break, they’re both just dancing like crazy and the panting at the end involves them stretching, having cracked backs, and Vlad timing his pulse

the kiss after “until you’re kissed” is SO LONG and they do weird stuff during it, I’m just,,,, nope,,,,,

they kiss like 4 more times before Land Of Yesterday Reprise btw

Gleb watches their last kiss and his face just says “what the hell are you people doing”

also freaKIN LAND OF YESTERDAY REPRISE MAN. RAMIN IS SCARY GOOD AT THIS ROLE.

A Nightmare is actually so chilling like I can’t

it does the same thing with the lighting as Once Upon A December where Anya’s the only one properly lit and everyone else looks like ghosts but just everyone being crowded around Anya instead of gracefully dancing around her seriously sets the tone

ASKDJFLGKD IN A CROWD OF THOUSANDS B Y E

THE BLOCKING IS SO SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE

ANYA LEANS IN ON DIMITRY WHEN SHE STARTS SINGING

I SWEAR THEY GET THIS FREAKIN CLOSE TO KISSING AT THE END BEFORE DIMITRY DOES THE “YOUR HIGHNESS” THING AND I AM DEFINITELY NOT OK

Vlad’s being alone during Meant To Be makes it super powerful

also, HELLO QUARTET AT THE BALLET

THE WAY THAT EACH OF THEM STAND UP AND FACE THE CROWD WHILE SINGING MADE IT REALLY FEEL LIKE WE WERE SEEING INTO THEIR THOUGHTS

Gleb like almost pulls out his gun like 3 times I stg

Gleb is also the only person who doesn’t applaud at the end of the ballet. he’s also the only guy not wearing a tux at the ballet. (he basically wears the same outfit the entirety of Act 2 until the Finale) they really make it very clear how out of place he is in Paris.

also the ballet itself was AMAZING. Lyrica, Kyle and James were hella good

I swear I was as stressed out as Dimitry was during Everything To Win and I knew what was gonna happen

right before Once Upon A December reprise, there’s the scene where the Dowager Empress comes into Vlad, Dimitry and Anya’s dressing room and like???? it had some gold comedic timing but was also super serious????? how???????

also Dimitry watching Anya and the Dowager Empress being reunited just breaks my heart??????????

that line in The Press Conference where the guy’s like “we do exclusive interviews”, he legit pays off Vlad to start talking and they like talk off to the side until Lily gets everyone’s attention

there’s a phone on either side of the stage during that scene and the sopranos who do that harmony at “the Princess Anastasia” use them almost as microphones and I’m in love?????

GET. ROASTED. COUNT. LEOPOLD.

during Everything To Win Reprise, Gleb is very clearly closing all the doors behind Anya but like Anya never notices until she turns around

also, when she turns around, it does the song transition as perfectly as it happens in the soundtrack and it’s gr9

idk if it was just this performance, but Gleb sounded a lot more somber and conflicted during the dialogue of Still/The Neva Flows Reprise, but then when the singing starts again, he was honestly terrifying, like Anya was legit backing into a corner

this was something I noticed from the bootlegs, but I’m pretty sure no matter what angle you view it from, Young Anastasia is blocked by the archway during Still/The Neva Flows Reprise while you can very clearly see the rest of the Romanovs. idk I just always found that to be an interesting choice

at the end of Still/The Neva Flows Reprise, GLEB ALMOST PULLS THE TRIGGER ON HIMSELF AND DEAR LORD GLEB THAT GOT DARK FAST

listen,,, every time Dimitry has lifted Anya before,,,,,, she like let out a little squeal of surprise,,, except after they kiss,,,,,,,,,, she’s just staring into his eyes the entire time,,,,,,,,,,,, can y’all believe they invented love,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

the Finale was just beautiful ok

especially when the singing starts again and then the Romanovs come on stage around Anya and Dimitry

all around this show was just beautiful and amazing and I cried multiple times

also Zach totally got the loudest applause (I’m pretty sure it was louder than Christy’s tbh) and yes I live for understudy/ensemble appreciation

BONUS ROUND: STAGE DOOR AFTER

Kevin was actually the first person to leave, and a few people recognized him but he just waved and left

NICOLE IS SO SMALL AND ADORABLE

apparently Christy just restocked the candy. time to put Creepy Anya above the candy box again.

John was such a nice dude

Caroline was so bubbly and happy the entire time I love her

BUT CHRISTY FREAKIN ALTOMARE

she took the time to talk to any fan who had something to say to her

like she spent like 5 minutes talking to the people next to me since they apparently all went to the high school she graduated from

and when I talked to her, I told her about how much the soundtrack and Royal Misfits helps me get through the really rough days and and she game me a hug and I’m

not

ok

also Zach came out and everyone was like “DUDE YOU WERE AWESOME AS DIMITRY” and tbh big mood

anyways. thats it from me about Anastasia. except probably not. catch me two weeks later just randomly posting something I loved about the show because it was  r e a l l y  f r e a k i n  g o o d.

[izloveshorses]

Here's everything I love about the Anastasia Musical (Part One)

So!! I've finally collected my thoughts and was able to list out everything I love about this musical (this was supposed to be limited to like 5 songs but I couldn't pick just a handful bc they're ALL SO GOOD). Keep in mind, I haven't seen it live yet, just listened to the album and watched that First Look preview hundreds of times. Pleeease don't mention any spoilers or anything bc I really wanna go see it for myself some day! Warning: long post lol

The first few notes of Prologue: Once Upon a December gave me chills omg

I love how they really touched on just how much Communism affected everybody. Life was pretty crappy for everyone and it's important that it's discussed. Like, the exchange between Anya and Gleb ("I can't lose this job...") really highlights to me that they were all hungry, desperate for work, etc. and it not many people had any hopes for a better future...

"The skies are grey, the walls have ears and he who argues disappears!"

"We're good and loyal comrades and our favorite color's red!"

"Two cans of beans, comrade?" "... doNE"

The collective "SHHH!!"

DONT!! GET ME STARTED!! ON IN MY DREAMS!!!

Christy's voiCE I CANT

When I was first listening to this I was like "ohhh boy... I'm already crying on the 3rd song.... this is gonna be an emotional ride"

"Call the child anYA"

"Is it Pariiiiis? Paris..."

"And I HEAR A VOICE WHISPER 'I'LL MEET YOU RIGHT THERE' IN PARIIIIIIIS. Paris..."

"You don't know what it's like not to know who you are"

"But I still have this faith in the truth of my dreammmms"

"AND MYYY DREEAMS. SEEEEM TO SAAAAY. DONT BE AFRAID TO GO ON. DONT GIVE UP HOPE COME WHAT MAYYYYY"

"I know it all will come baaaaack ONE DAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!"

Anya/Christyyyyy you're breaking my heart stop it just started

Honestly the whole song is beautiful

All of Learn to Do It is great too bc wow that's a mood changer from the last song lol

"How do you become the person you've forgotten you ever were?"

"Am I floating?" "Like a sinking boat"

"I never cared for stroganoff!"

"I don't like being contradicted." "That makes two of us!"

"I've hAD it!! And I hATE YOU BOTH!"... "Don't forGET I don't remember anything! Get OUT and let me be!"

She takes a big breath before she lists everything she learned lol

Ramin's so talented what the heck

"I heard the shots.... I heard the screams... but it's the silence after I remember most."

"A revolution is a siiiimple thiiiiiiiiiing" my guy, my dude, my man,, no.... that is false,,,

DEREK'S VOICE!!!!! MY PETERSBURG IS ICONIC

"Funny when a city is all you know, how even when you hate it something in you loves it sooooo!!"

"There's a boy, growing up, all I've been, all I'll be..."

"Funny how a BOY CAN GROOOOWWWW! Funny how a city tells you when it's time to goooo!"

"But tonight, there's a sky and quite a viewww... welcome tooooooooooo..... My PetersBUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRG!!!"

I know that Once Upon a December is exactly the same as the movie but Christy's voice is so gorgeous so I need to talk about it

"Accross my meeemoryyyyyyyy...."

THE ENSEMBLE!!!! HOLY CRAP!! THEIR HARMONIZING IS SO HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL IT LITERALLY SOUNDS LIKE GHOSTS DANCING WOW IT GIVES ME CHILLS

The piano rising in a crescendo

"FAARRRR AWAY! LOOONG AGOOOO! GLOWING DIM AS AN EMBER!"

Christy's voice at the end my lord

The whole orchestra in this song is amazing

OKAY SO. STAY, I PRAY YOU. IS VERY UNDERRATED. LIKE. WHEN I FIRST LISTENED TO IT I WAS JUST SITTING ON MY COUCH WITH TEARS ROLLING DOWN MY CHEEKS AND WAS LIKE "why.... am I crying... about crossing the russian border.... when I'm not even Russian.... what the heck...."

And!!! It emphasizes the fact that this is communist Russia. You don't leave!!

Constantine's voice here is so haunting and The strings are lovelyyyyyy

This is like that one song from Sound of Music when they cross the mountains lol

THE ENSEMBLE AGAIN....

Christy's and Derek's harmonizing is b e a u t i f u l

"How to go wheRE IIIIII HAve never gone befoooorrre..."

"Let me have a moment, let me say goodbyyyyyye...."

My absolute favorite part is how it slowly fades from the entire cast singing and repeating "iiiii'lll bless my homeland...." to just the trio, to dmitry and Anya, and finally until it's just Anya left.... "iiii'lll bless my homeland... tillllll I diiiiieeee..." It's so chillingly beautiful I'm never gonna get used to that

We'll Go From There is so pure and happy!

"Some women say I look distinguished this way"

"Meet the royal. Mess!"

"Why did I say? yes?"

Again, Derek and Christy's harmonizing is amazing how--

"Getagripandtakeadeepbreath and soon we'll know what's what"

"Oh what a lovely ride! And what a lovely dayyyyy! For a totally illegal geeeeetawayyyyy!"

"From theeeeeEEeeeeeeEEeeeeerrreeeee! We'll go from there!!" Bum

Ramin is baaaack with more angst and beautiful vocals in Still!

"A son becomes a man! At his faaaaather's knee..."

"--to FULLFIIIIILLLLLLLLL"

"But then you see her eyes, and something in them tells you that she ABSOLUTELY LIES"

I KNOW THEY DIDNT CHANGE ANYTHING FROM JOURNEY TO THE PAST BUT IT MUST BE DISCUSSED

It's so empowering I'm PUMPED like every time I hear it I have to get up and run around like I'm the one performing or making a music video

"Peo.ple always say, Life is full of choices, but no one ever mentions. fear..."

"Home. Love. Faaaamily. There was once a time I must have had them tooooo... Hoooooome, loooooove, faaaamily! I will never be complete until I find youuuuuu!" (Brb crying)

THE ENTIRE LAST STANZA. EXCUSE ME WHILE I KEEP SCREAMING ABOUT THIS.

Christy's voice in "THINGS MY HEART STILL NEEDS TO KNOOOOOW!"

"YES!!! LET THIS BE A SIIIIIGN!! LET THIS ROOOAD BE MINE!! LET IT LEEEAD ME TO MY PAAAAAAAAAAAST!!! AAAND BRING ME HOOOOME!! aaaaAAAAAT LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAST!!!!!"

AKFKFINGSG SF,F SHES SO TALENTED THAT LAST NOTE OMG

I'm always out of breath when this song is over lol

Paris Holds the Key always pumps me up omg

"Everything is is avant-garde, or chic!"

Dmitry's part tho...

"There's hope in the aaaair!"

The one and only thing I'm kinda bummed about is that they didn't include that one part from the original where everyone is singing in the final chorus and then it's just dmitry singing "toooo... Herrrr...." and then the ensemble finishes it off. Idk it's so heartbreaking but that's probably my favorite part from the original song and I'm kinda sad they cut that bit (but it's ok bc DEREK)

Crossing A Bridge is VERY underrated too omg

The orchestral part is beautiful and again CHRISTY'S VOICE

"Halfway between where I've been, and where I'm goiiing..."

"Me on the left bank, you on the riiiight!" And then Her voice at "every light is like a promise.."

I love how the middle it's kinda loud and emotional but it ends really soft and quiet

Watching Christy's "Royal Misfits" vlog made me love Mary Beth Peil bc she kinda reminds me of my Nanna, so Close the Door broke my heart a little

I love the mood of Land of Yesterday bc they're complaining that they're no longer rich lol and Lily's like "well we're not dead now!" And my favorite: "RUSSIAAAAAA!!!"

IN A CROWD!!! OF THOUSANDS!!!! I SOB EVERY TIME I LISTEN TO IT. The chemistry btwn Christy and Derek is magical (I mean I haven't seen them but) I can hear them smiling and their harmonizing is just... good lord. And the tension is so real

"You're making me feel I was there too." "Maybe you were, make it part of your story"

I love that you can hear the shift in Christy's voice from playful and humorous to a dawning, frightening realization ("and I tried not to smile, but I smiiiiled... and then... heeeee bowwwwed...!!!!!" "Um, I didn't tell you that" "You didn't have to!! I remember!!!!" And then a heavy pause)

"With the sun in my eyes you were gone... but I knew, even then, in a crowd of thousands... I'll find you... aaaagaaaaain....." AIGFHGKVNID THEY FOUND EACH OTHER EXCUSE ME WHILE I GO CRY

"Your highness..." !???!???? WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING TO MY HEART

Meant to Be is beautiful (especially the orchestra) but I'm gonna skip to QUARTET AT THE BALLET. BC HONESTLY ITS ONE OF MY FAVORITES. The striiiings....

"My past and my future so neeeeear..." and then Dmitry breaking my heart again with "next to me this frightened girl, holding tight as the dancers whirl"

The whole part where Dmitry and Gleb are singing together omgggg "ITS FATE!! THAT BROUGHT US HEEEEERE"

And don't! Get me started on the part where they're all singing together it's so intENSE it's honestly one of my favorite parts from the whole musical. And!! DMITRY'S PART OMG HE REPRISES JOURNEY TO THE PAST "hooome, looove, faaaamily.... she will have all of it!! I will help her..." AKFJOND HE KEEPS BREAKING MY HEART HE LOVES HER SO MUCH #OTP

"Find a wayyyyy.... ANASAAAAAAASIAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

Again Dmitry just loves her... Everything to Win messes with my heart. "I didn't know, she mattered to meee... but now I can see, she doooeees..." (and later Anya says the same thing omg what kind of romantic crap is this, "conman and princess get their wish and fairytales come truuuue!" *clenches fist*) and "with everything to win, the only thing I lose... is youuuuuu..." :(

I love how Gleb interrupts Anya's pining for dramaaaaaaa. "If you really are Anastasia do you think history wants you to have lived??" "YES, why don't you!?"

"All but one. Finish it, I am my father's daughter." "AND I AM MY FATHER'S SON!" ( I can actually hear Anya standing with her chin held high staring at him straight in the eyes, a challenge, a dare) and a gun clicks and omg my heart started racing

"Look at their faces in mine, hear their screams, see their BLOOD." ... "Do it! Do it and I will be with my parents and my brothers and sisters in that cellar in Yekaterinburg all over again!!" GOOD LORD ITS SO INTENSE

"WE HAVE A PAST TO BURYYY AAAANYAAAAAAAA!!!!"... "A reVOLUTION IS A SIMPLE THING!!"

The ending is absolutely perfect... "she was a dream. A beautiful dream." And then "the case is closed. But still...." and the ENSEMBLE COMES BACK. They didn't have to go so hard, man

[theparkertingle]

*takes very deep breath* H O W. W A S. A N A S T A S I A

first things first: christy is the most beautiful, nice and one of the most talented people I’ve ever seen jesuS. aside from being like a phenomenal performer, journey to the past waS SO GOOD YOU DONT EVEN KNOW, she was so sweet at stage door?? like i didn’t think anyone could be nicer than Laura was but Christy somehow was?? no joke.. She was almost crying at all the compliments she got and she like offered to take the pics for us and i got a picture with her and its so cute and she’s so photogenic.

BUT LIKE HONESTLY EVERYONE CAME TO STAGE DOOR it was so great. Derek was so adorable too?? I made a joke about his character in Kimmy Schmidt (DJ Finger Blast) and he laughed and i was dead. Plus my phone was fucking up and the camera wasn’t working but he was so nice and waited for me to figure it out and came back to me!!

BUT ABOUT THE SHOW NOW. the scenic design HOLY SHIT. it was so amazing and entrancing. There’s a song Traveling Sequence which was just them on the train and it was done so well i can’t even describe it?? ITS JUST SO GOOD. SO ANIMATED, SO BEAUTIFUL. Like they had scenic backdrops of like paris/russia. And there’s so many cool harmonies in the show that !! just woow!!! There’s also this super cool sequence when all the characters are at the ballet and there’s just really cool parallels between the ballet dancers and the plot going on?? And the lighting was really cool here.. IM REALLY BAD AT DESCRIBING THINGS LOL.

John Bolton and Caroline O’Connor who played Vlad and Lily respectively were so funny and so sweet at the stage door. They talked to us for a while. (Except there was this really annoying girl at stage door that wouldn’t shut up my lord I glared at her hard core)

Mary Beth Peil, who plays the Grand Duchess and a Tony nominated legend this season, WAS SO GOOD. LIKE SHE GAVE SUCH A NEW LIFE TO THE CHARACTER THAT DIDN’T EXIST IN THE MOVIe. and she had some funny lines about how she loves being bitter and I was like same girl.

Ramin Karimloo is always a stud and is simultaneously underapperciated and not in the broadway world if that makes sense?? like so many people were screaming over him yet he’s not talked about that much?? idk weird.

MAINLY THE SCENIC DESIGN HAD ME IN AWE TBH IT WAS SO GOOD I CAN’T SAY THAT ENOUGH. i’m offeNDED it wasn’t nominated. REALLY OFFENDED

Anastasia was literally my favorite movie as a kid and it was just so nice to see the musical even if it was pretty different!! BUT YA

[canaryatlaw]

Ugh I'm really bad at going to bed when I want to lol. Today was pretty good. I dragged my ass out of bed at 8:30 and got ready to go to the beach. I don't really have a bathing suit (I have one but idk if it fits and I didn't bring it with me anyway) so I just wore a bra and underwear with a tank top and shorts and faked it because whatever. We left for the beach around 9 and made fairly good time, getting there around 9:50. Parking was already swamped, and we had to drive around for a few minutes but soon found a spot on the street and discovered that you can pay for the meter by phone if you don't have enough quarters (interesting). So from there we walked over to the public access point, not very far. We were right over by where we used to always stay when we would come down here to visit my cousins. Where they actually live is kind of out in the middle of nowhere, and the only thing nearby is a motel, and my parents don't really do motels if at all avoidable (spoiled rich people that they are) so we always opted for one of the touristy hotels on the beach, because hey, beach! I was just happy to be back at the ocean. I dutifully put sunscreen on, then laid back for a little while before deciding to go in the water. At first I was being hesitant and not wanting to go all the way in but then I saw the waves and thought about how some of my happiest memories from my childhood are at the beach jumping waves with my (other) cousin and my brother because nobody was making fun of me and I was simply accepted as part of the group, and I just said fuck it and ended up jumping through waves and dunking my head under for a good while with my cousin, and it was very much fun. I got to talk to my cousin a bit while we were out there about college and such and how to prepare and just practical advice and shit, so that was good. Eventually we went back, and I guess my mortal mistake was not reapplying sunscreen at this point, because I ended up with stupid ridiculous sunburn on my arms and legs and I'm very irritated about it. But anyway. We sat with my mom and aunts for a while, then the adults (or adult adults) went for a walk and I just sat with my cousin, and looked at the ocean and just ended up thinking. And I sat there and I thought about how much I missed the ocean, the real ocean, and how much I've enjoyed these days with my extended family, feeling that sense of love and community that seems so lacking in so many of my lonely days in Chicago. I thought about my grandparents and how I didn't get enough time with them, and how I never got to know my grandpa on my mom's side very well because he lived in Arizona and we only ever saw him for a few days a year. I thought about how my dad is already in his 70's, and while he's in good health he's still getting older and it's obviously going to still be a few years before I have any kids. I thought about how I want my kids to know their grandparents, to spend time with them while they can and build those relationships while they have the chance to, before they're taken from them too soon. I thought about how my cousins all lived in different states, and how I'd like my kids to be very close with their cousins, that they'd grow up alongside them, that my kids would know their uncles and aunt and feel so loved by all the family around them. And I just sat looking at the ocean and I decided I don't want to stay in Chicago after I finish law school. I don't really know where this decision came from. Sure, there's all the above, but up until now all of that was true and staying in Chi was still a rational decision to make. But now....I just don't want to anymore. Maybe it has to do with the job in New York City that I want so badly, that while I love the work I do now that is what I really want to do, what I want to do long term. How I'd be close enough to my family but not so close that I'd feel the need to get away that sent me packing in the first place. I need breathing room. I'm not moving back home. But I wouldn't be opposed to being closer, a lot closer than Chicago. I don't know if this job in NYC is what God does have in store for me, but I know I really want it. I guess we'll have to see what happens. I will really really miss my church in Chicago though. I love it there oh so much and I can only hope to find a community that resonates with my soul so much again in a new place. I love the people there and their beautiful hearts, and I will miss them dearly. But, anyways. We stayed at the beach until about 2 when we wanted to head back since we didn't want to spend the whole day there. We stopped at one of the little beach stores because my aunt (the one from Michigan) wanted to look at stuff. I wound up getting two pairs of shorts, like soffee style, because the shorts I was wearing yesterday were way too big for me as are the majority of my shorts now haha so I'll be needing to do something about that. I'm not really crazy about this aunt. She's technically my step-aunt I suppose, as she's not the mother of my cousins, though my uncle divorced her before I have any memories of them. I remember vaguely before they got married, and I remember it happening and gaining two new cousins (or step-cousins technically, but we've dropped that mostly). Growing up I thought I didn't like her because my cousins didn't like her and I liked them, but as I got older and those cousins haven't really been around, I've realized that she's really just a rude person and is always very demeaning towards younger people and it definitely just pissed me off as a kid (and sometimes still pisses me off). But anyway, not the point. We got back in the car and briefly stopped for coffee, then drove back to the house. I showered to get the sand off me and get the salt water out of my hair, then tried to aloe up the best I could. Everyone was kind of chilling at this point so I pulled out my laptop, only to find the mouse pad being erratic and not responding correctly, so I cursed and shut it off, hoping it being off for a few hours will fix the issue and it'll work for me to live tweet the Tonys tonight. Shortly after this we started playing badminton out front, and the neighbors came over, so I sat and talked with the mom for a bit. This is the mom of the girl I was talking to last night, and I very much enjoyed talking to her as well. We eventually moved to the back for some reason, then started playing bs, and today apparently was not my day for it because I didn't win either of our games lol. The second was interrupted by dinner, which we had steak for, then we finished and it was like 7:40 at this point so I checked my computer which was thankfully cooperating at this point and waited for the Tonys to start. I knew this year would be a bit odd because I admittedly have not been paying attention to the theatre season at all, and I've only seen one show that was barely nominated, so I wasn't really familiar with any of the front runners. I knew the concept of DEH and had seen Ben Platt perform on one of the tonight shows, but that was about it. I had mixed feelings overall about the night. Kevin Spacey was funny enough. I really enjoyed the Falsettos performance, so I'm very glad that was apparently recorded and I can see it in movie theatres since it closed way back in November (I don't know why, it looks hilarious). I wasn't impressed at all by hello dolly or Groundhog Day, I thought they were both very boring and I didn't quite know how they got nominated. War Paint I felt like should've been more impressive for the star power it had, but the music just wasn't very good. The DEH performance was of course great, it was a strong choice of course to pick a song that really only features your main actor and not an ensemble piece like most shows do, but Ben Platt did a fantastic job of carrying it and I was totally obsessed with the set design, holy crap it was awesome. I have tentative plans at least to see that show before the summer is over, assuming we can get tickets. I was sad Anastasia didn't win for featured actress or costumes, I can't speak for the costumes for other shows but Anastasia's were BEAUTIFUL, some of the best I've ever seen, and undoubtedly deserved a Tony for it. And Mary Beth Peil was did an amazing job in her role and I wish she got recognized for it. It also pissed me off it didn't get nominated for best musical when fucking Groundhog Day did which looked fucking terrible???? Like why??? Why is that a thing and why did it get nominated for best musical???? I have so many frustrations. Ugh. And Christy Altomare belonged in the leading actress race and Ramin Karimloo belonged in the featured actor race, but I digress. Great Comet had a fun performance, I enjoyed their costumes as well (mostly how it went from 1800s to punk rock in about two seconds) although I'm still not entirely sure what the show is actually about, or how it was conceived (something about war and peace)??? I liked what they did with having the playwrights talk about their plays, it was super effective in getting invested in them and better than how they used to do it. I also appreciated how they introduced them with the writers name first for the revivals. DEH winning of course surprised nobody, though it'll probably make ticket prices go up (sigh, as if they weren't high enough already). But yeah, it was decent, a good watch at least. And that pretty much summed up my night, just followed by an inability to get off my phone, though my phone has picked up the annoying habit of dying on me when the battery isn't dead but won't turn back on unless plugged in??? Ugh, not happy about it, but have a Genius Bar appointment for it Tuesday. Flying home tomorrow, but more on that then. Sleep for now. Goodnight peeps. Stay lovely.

[alwayspotterandbatman-blog]

8, 16, & 24 for the identity asks thing!

alrighty here goes nothin!...:

8. what musical artists have you felt most connected to over your lifetime?

When I was little I had a huge thing with Cher (i'm serious she was my main dawg) and my fave song for YEARS was "Gypsies Tramps and Thieves" (idk why imma weird kid). Most recently tho my bros musically are ABSOLUTELY Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo. Sierra is obviously a queen, but Ramin takes the top. His voice really does something to me and I melt every time I hear it. His version of "Music of the Night" is my ground-zero song- it brings me to the same place every time I hear it and transports me to the world of music...not to be erm dramatic or anything lol

16. If you'd grown up in a different environment, do you think you'd turn out the same?

Well, I'm the kinda person who *pretty much* believes in destiny, so for the most part, yes I think I would be the same. hoWEVER, I also grew up with an abusive parent, and that has really shaped who I am today in a way I don't think I would've gotten to be in any other scenario. *shrugs*I dunno :)

24. Have you ever hand a "mind-meld" with someone?

huh. Funny you should ask that. This is literally the type of thing I'd expect to hear from the guy I had a mind-meld with....(not that I'm accusing you, lovely anon, for being anyone else) :)  In short, YES, I totally have. I met a guy in 7th grade who would be like one of my best friends ever come high school. Regrettably, I don't talk to him anymore, though that's mainly his fault. We had this really awesome connection where we could literally talk about anything  and it didn't phase us (like one of us could've said 'I like dick in the eyeball' and the other would've just nodded and been like 'ok cool') and we really bonded over talking about dreams in particular (it sounds weird, but it's true). We would even have similar dreams at night (I never told him that cuz I thought it would freak him out) and I even had one of the most realistic dreams I've ever had about him literally the day after he almost died. It's kinda like we have some sort of weird connection, but *shrugs* I guess that's over now??? we haven't spoken since January, so idk but aNYWAYS sorry for the rant, but YAHS. I have. :)

So thank you, wonderful anon, for these amazing questions! I hope you have a magnificent day/night/evening wherever you are! Stay strong! :D

[queenofthecrackpit]

Tag thing

;RULES: Answer the questions in a new post and tag 20 blogs (most probably less lmao) you would like to get to know better.

Tagged by: majikmalec, I’m happy to be tagged! :D

Nickname: Mari

Star sign: Gemini

Height: 5′6 and 1/10th. I will hold that 1/10th to my grave. XD 

Time right now: 1:46pm

Last thing googled: Chuuya Nakahara lol 

Favourite music artists: Panic! At the Disco, currently enjoying some songs from Breaking Banjamin’s new album.. also love Hans Zimmer, Metallica, Iron Maiden, any composer that even touches World Of Warcraft, Ramin Djawadi cuz Game of Thrones music is bomb.

Song stuck in your head: Ashes of Eden by Breaking Benjamin

Last movie watched: Ouji Origin of Darkness lol

Last TV show watched: Supernatural 

What are you wearing right now: Black skinny jeans with my gray Eveelution shirt

When did you create your blog: Shit... sometime in 2012 I think

What kind of stuff do you post: Well, I’ve been going on soukoku binges.. I normally just post what I think looks nice and what is funny.. Also a lot of Yuri on Ice.. so much Yuri on Ice

Do you get asks regularly: No lol, I’m not too known :P

Why did you choose your url: In world of warcraft whenever someone would join my guild I’d say welcome to the crack pit... and well I thought queen of the crackpit would be pretty neat. 

Gender: Female

Hogwarts house: Slytherin I believe 

pokémon team: Instinct

Favourite colour: Black and purple

Average hours of sleep: I like to have at least 7-8 hours of sleep, I can survive off less but if you wake me up when I’m getting sleep, Ima kill you XD 

Lucky number: Uh... 

Favourite characters: Ok, here we fuckin go my dudes; Gin Ichimaru, Osamu Dazai/Chuuya Nakahara from stray dogs (new favorite, especially chuuya, he’s a little ball of spite and rage and I love it), Alucard from Hellsing, Levi Ackerman cuz he’s a badass... Mephisto from Blue Exorcist cuz he’s a lil shit, Allen Walker and Yuu Kanda from D.Gray-man, Illidan Stormrage and Khadgar from World of Warcraft, Vegeta from DBZ.. that’s all I can think of from the top of my head.

How many blankets do you sleep with: Well... too many tbh.. I have two semi large soft blankets, a king sized blanket, a queen sized blanket and copious smaller blankets. These are all very very very soft blankets. I sleep with like three of them lmfao. But I love them all

Dream job: To be a veterinarian for a Zoo in San Diego (my home town! :D), will probably never happen lmao but this is a dream job.

Following: Many a cool person

Tagging:Well uh.. not good at the tagging but I suppose magicalblogofwonder, froyoslutt, vegebullshit, anyone else who wants to do it, and all the god damned porn blogs that follow me.