#Hadestown is amazing go listen to its music

[prismarts]

Hiiii Prism. Hey so. Wanna introduce me to Epic The Musical???? I see it on my dash all the time now but I never bothered to look up what it actually is. On purpose lol. Because at first I totally skipped over it thinking it was some Percy Jackson fanart, and then I thought it really wasn't that big of a deal, and now it seems to be a HUGE deal to so many people on Tumblr. And I enjoy the kinda not-in-that-fandom-adjacent tea-sipping vibe veeeeeery much. So. I literally do NOT know what it is. Is it like Hamilton??? Is it a Percy Jackson fanwork??? Is it neither???? You have now been given the absolute power over whatever you let me know. Because I have no clue.

Go wild. (Please haha.)

OH HI FRIEND!! HI BAB!!!

Okay okay uhhh finedje. I NEVER had to pitch something to someone without the ability to just physically sit them down and like show them before cause I'm generally bad at explaining things but LEMME TRY!!!

So so, Epic the Musical is a musical concept detailing the Odyssey that is being made and like chopped up into 9 sagas! We have 8 of them now so one more to go!!!

Made by the wonderful, and very silly, Jorge Rivera-Herrans, Mr. Jalapeño himself. He wrote it with the theme of ruthlessness in mind, as in when do we adopt the philosophy of being ruthless to other people and when do we show kindness and mercy. (I may be explaining this wrong, Jorge has so many little videos explaining his process about creating Epic, i might leave a link so you can hear from the man himself)

It's not like a Percy Jackson fanmade thing, I know Jorge has read the Odyssesy and is essentially adapting it into this musical in his own way (I say this cause some people just can't comprehend it being its own thing as an adaptation). I don't think Jorge has read PJO? I could be wrong.

It could be compared to Hadestown the Musical? BUT THE ONLY SIMILAIRITY IS THE LIKE ADAPTATION OF A GREEK MYTH INTO A MUSICAL, OTHERWISE THE GENRE AND STUFF ARE VERY DIFFERENT.

I will uhhh keep note that Epic takes heavy inspiration from video games and anime which has the musical take several creative liberties and not be a one to one of the actual Odyssesy. One example of like the video game inspirations is every saga having some sort of boss battle esque song at the end, as if you are going through a video game, level by level.

And the anime inspirations are heavy in the ways Jorge uses iconic anime imagery or like I guess visual tropes in his references whenever he commissions artists to do animatics or animations.

THAT'S ANOTHER FUN THING TOO!!! Aside from the thousands of fan animatics that come out with each saga, Jorge also just commissions art, animatics and animations from artists with each new saga that he'll debut during the album's live watchparty where we listen to the whole musical up till the latest saga. So we have like fan animatics but also in a way, canon animatics and animations on how things go down.

He puts so much care into the music and the like themes and and uhhh musical terms escaping my head but he carries over chracters and their musical motifs so well throughout the story.

He also uhhh does open auditions to EVERYONE like ANYONE could audition for Epic with just leads to so many hidden gems of singers and songwriters that he just hypes up so much, he hypes up their work in Epic and their own personal musical endeavors.

Some of the amazing cast are: Teagen Earley who plays Athena, TROY who plays Hermes, Steven Dookie as Polites, Talya Sindel as Circe, Barbara Wangui as Calypso. Of course, Jorge himself plays Odysseus and he is also just incredible vocally.

HE ALSO uhhh casts his family members in this which is super fun and wholesome and I won't spoil who they play cause its such a fun treat to discover as you listen.

Aaaaaaaaaaa what else-

It is also very silly, we get quite a few silly moments and I really enjoy that. Jorge is really good with sprinkling the silly moments in between the songs and just delivering such a good experience. A lot of the silly moments just become memes and that's also a fun time.

I just love the way he adapted the musical in this very very unique and amazing thing, it's this phenomenon of like story telling and music and also just a collaboration of art between not just the cast who come from so many places but also the HUGE community and I think that's the most special part, y'know?

I think that's all? Imma try to link some of Jorge's shorts and videos here just for fun and because he might explain things better lol.

Thank you for the ask bab! Hope this helps explain, I'm not that good at it lol xD 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙 *hugs*

[hueningsloverr]

౨ৎ txt as musicals !

pairing: ot5 txt x musicals summary: god. idek where to begin. txt as musicals. word count : 0.6k im actually so sorry i even wrote this wow what was i thinking. if you dont know these songs LISTEN TO THEM.

yeonjun : heathers / mean girls there is also a tiny dash of moulin rouge in him

it boy energy is so reflected throughout BOTH

i’m sorry

definitely a candy store guy

he 100% cracks corny jokes like in stupid w/ love

but the amazing theatricality???

the vocals????

SO yeonjun

and ikik abt the soobin meangirl meme but like

lets be real

jjunie just has that energy

and not in a bad way

like in a 'yeonjun told me to dye my hair purple so i did!' way

and when i say heathers i don't mean the negatives

like that musical is fucked up

i mean the level of iconic-ness (?)

sassy man apocalypse fr

"i like looking hot buying stuff they cannot :3" - yeonjun (definitely)

soobin : six

...

i'm actually so sorry for this one!

he competes with himself, that much is obvious

soobin seems like the type to really question if he deserves something - if his suffering was enough

he's the type to compare past suffering to current

like 'well i suffered back then and i turned out fine, i'm not any more important for suffering now' type of stuff

he's the leader, its his job to be the strongest

and he lets himself have some fun

(i mean his first [?] scandal was him showing his middle toe.)

or he could be super serious like the great leader we all know he is

or he's just a total mess, but yet still so strong ??

hes admirable

he's in the history books fr

beomgyu : hamilton

the perfect balance of chaos and serious

i mean he's literally "lock up your daughters and horses!"

while also being "mom i'm so sorry for forgetting what you taught me"

beomgyu was written by lin manuel miranda argue with a wall

its also just so interesting, like gyu

like you could study both hamilton and gyu

a fan favourite

you can't go wrong with hamilton

and you can't go wrong with gyu

hamilton has its… fans

and gyu has his bamtoris

both would doxx you if you speak ill of their favs

the gateway into the community

like gyu was the first member i found out about

and hamilton was the first musical i liked

you dip your toes in, and next thing you know you just spent $25 for some merch

taehyun : hadestown

it’s so sad

yet serene and passionate like tyun

i mean, just look at him

those eyes - that smile!!

boba eyes :3

also, he so was a greek mythology kid

probably bought every percy jackson book / related piece of media when it came out

he knows everything

theres just something so tyun about it all

hadestown is a musical you might not know about

but the second you do you're like "wow wtf i was missing out on literally everything good in this world"

and that's literally tyun too

like if you somehow don't know about vocal king taehyun

the moment you find him obsession forms

or at least in my case

my little tyun����

i could see him staring in the mirror going "who are you? who do you think you are"

hueningkai : be more chill (bmc)

you can not tell me this boy didn't have some sort of issue making friends

the photos of him sitting alone at lunch (?) pre-debut???

hes so jeremy heere

because he's really just a sweetie

but no one notices him besides his very close friends

definitely would almost accidentally take over the state of new jersey

type of boy to go all the way if he likes a person

im talking joining the same clubs as them

and even joining the friend group they're in

all of it

we all know he used to think so poorly of himself and talk down on himself

like he had those voices in his head

has his michael in the bathroom moments

thinks he's a loner, a loser, a freak

you know the usual high school insults

but he's able to grow confident, with some help

i luv hueningkai ;3

and i luv be more chill

authors note : i lied this is not based off of making the bed. my bad. whoops. maybe next time!

©2024 — all rights reserved to hueningsloverr , please do not plagiarise or translate any of my work

[dandelionjack]

that was amazing. the three fates killed it (so did everybody else, but especially them), hades and persephone likewise. eurydice was suitably tragic and beautiful. orpheus was ok

i listened to this musical for the first time over a year ago and i’ve seen clips/specific songs from many performances of course but it’s really only seeing it live that makes you realise how genius the staging is in its simplicity. the three spinning concentric circles to emphasise the fact that this is a circular story, all about cycles and repetition, flowers wilting by winter and blossoming again in spring. it’s been going on since the seasons began to change. that’s why hermes recognises the leitmotif before orpheus knows where it came from, why hades reacts to it in the way that he does. orpheus always turns around for the same reason persephone always takes the train back to the underworld.

one example is, in several songs including the wait for me reprise, orpheus walks forwards in the direction counter to the turn of the stage, creating an effect that almost makes it feel as if the stage itself is dragging him backwards: he’s fighting against the river’s current, against the tide of time itself to bring his loved one back. it’s just so brilliant

i love hadestown forever and ever <3 it’s an old song it’s a sad song it’s a tragedy but we sing it anyway

[inkofamethyst]

February 25, 2024

I met up with my family in NYC this weekend to explore and see Hadestown to celebrate my birthday and it was fantastic. I feel so rejuvenated after the quick jaunt (less than 24 hours in the city!). I'm not really a huge fan of NYC compared to my current city, but I can recognize its beauty and appeal (even though it gives me an awful experience of some sort every time I enter lol). We went to the New York Public Library and it was amazing. I wish we had hours to spend in there rather than minutes, but we had a show to get to.

Hadestown was... I don't really have words to express how much I enjoyed the show. I mean, it broke me, wrecked me, body mind and soul, but I'd see it again in a heartbeat. I'd heard about it from a friend of my dnd-friend way back in 2019 during or after a game of, you guessed it, DnD, and I'd wanted to see it ever since. I knew the story of Orpheus and Eurydice; one of my favorite tumblr posts of all time discusses the varied interpretations of the myth, and I honestly go back and read it once and a while because the story has always always always been beautifully tragic to me. So I knew how it ended (but I hadn't listened to the soundtrack--I'd refused all these years). And yet. I cried silently at intermission, knowing that Orpheus' quest would be in vain. I cried silently as Eurydice slowly dropped at the end. I cried during bows, I cried on the way out of the theater, I cried while expressing to my family how beautiful it all was. Why tell a story you know is doomed over and over and over again? And every single time, we hope they get it right, though we know they never will.

The music was excellent, the storytelling excellent, the actors (named and ensemble (even with just five they sounded so powerful)!!!!!), the choreography, the set design, the musicians, the lighting design (!!! (as a once-former lights person I'm keenly aware of the effect lighting can have on a story and whew they certainly used it))... All phenomenal. There was a choreographed bit in "Wait for me" with the lights swinging on beat and, just, wow. WOWWWWW. All involved should contribute to my next therapy bill lol.

My mother said she never realized I was such a romantic and, frankly, I didn't either. I mean I knew I was a crier. If there's one thing Imma do, it's cry. And cry ugly. But I think I'm drawn to stories about what love makes us do. Stories that show us how love can destroy, but we still do it anyway, again and again. We seek it out. We risk destruction for the chance at being known, truly and fully.* There was a line in act one from Eurydice, something like "All my life I've only held my own, now I just want you to hold me," and that knocked me out.

Y'all I think Hadestown might be my new favorite musical, surpassing Aida after, oh, six years?

I also had my first ever migraine during my trip lol. I'd braided my hair very very tightly, so it was pulling on my scalp, slowly forming a headache. That combined with the plethora of street smells, the greasy ham and pineapple pizza (which was so so so so good though, place called Carve), and two nights in a row of less than six hours of sleep (braiding lol) resulted in headache + nausea and I wanted to die. But it was nothing an Exedrin and some rest couldn't fix.

During my braiding marathon (a week and a half because I was so busy ugh (but they look gorgeous!!!!)) I watched Blue Beatle finally and thought it had a lot of heart. Regret not seeing it in theaters, but I think it came out during a period where I was just tired of it all ("it" being superhero movies). Also watched The Flash and thought it was very compelling. Flashpoint is not an uncommon means of exploration for the character, so I've seen at least a couple iterations of the same story, but I think this version was done quite well. It was interesting, well-paced, had a nice ending, and was a graceful way to get rid of Ben Affleck lol (also loved the old Batman theme <3 (ALSO also love Is She With You because that is a banger every single time)). I think Ezra Miller plays a really endearing Flash, shame he's crazy :/

Also watched a lot of animated movies on Max! I watched Belle (another with some "la-la-la"'s hehe) which was odd in many ways but was also cute and beautiful, compelling and full of heart. Then I did a bit of a Ghibli marathon of movies I'd never seen before: Tales of Earthsea, Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa, Arietty. All beautiful in their own ways. Very unique storytelling, gorgeous art, powerful messages. There are still several I want to see!

I finished Batman Beyond and the ending was dumb anticlimactic lol. The least they could've done was a two-parter that built to something satisfactory. Honestly the epilogue episode in JL (JLU?) was more compelling. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker was pretty solid though. I think I'm going to give the DCAU a rest now hehe. Gotta catch up on the MCU, frankly. They've got some interesting things coming up...

*ReesaTeesa's "Who tf did I marry" series was something else. That was another thing I watched while braiding. Finished in two days. Was watching while making figures in the office and someone recognized her face lol. Three things. 1. I did not know a person could be tortured in the way that she was. What happened to her was awful, and it was only because she put herself in the vulnerable position of seeking love. 2. I can't say I fear a pathological liar specifically, but one of my romantic fears is wanting someone's affection so badly that I overlook red flags. Wouldn't be the first time. 3. I know how the internet works, so I shouldn't be surprised, but imo finding her ex's facebook and flaunting it in her comments was a breach of the social contract between ReesaTeesa and her audience, and it should not have been done. She does not want to be associated with that man. I fear for her peace and hope that he does not attempt to make a single penny off her. Was I curious too? Yes. But a person's privacy is more important than my curiosity, always.

Today I'm thankful for the time I got to spend with my family. I'm so thankful to have a family I enjoy spending time with. Teared up while saying goodbye :') We're considering making this a yearly thing while I'm in school here. That would be lovely. Also thankful that things are looking up for my sister, it's been a rough school year so far, but things are shifting toward the positive rapidly! Lastly, lowkey thankful that the subway was out of order today on my way back to my apartment. Forced me to take a shuttle which drove through parts of the city I'd not been to yet. Excited for spring and summer treks there, though!

[notebookmusical]

Hi! I'm sorry for this somewhat late response. I hope you had a nice week. Haha oh I am going to the twenty one pilots show next month so that's something to look forward to. Omg all those shows you're seeing seem amazing. I'm really curious and interested to hear what you think of Stereophonic since I've heard its too long but I really enjoy the music. Also, just what the plot is and how it can be so long, but I think maybe most plays are that long. The only play I've ever seen is the Cursed Child and that had some music as well but not singing. Idk if you ever watched HP and obviously fuck JK Rowling but a part of me will always love it. But I think the story itself was just not that good either anyway but still enjoyed it..some of the effects were cool. But that's also why I was so happy to see Daniel Radcliffe win his Tony too and I saw a few clips and it seems so well deserved so I'm very excited about the proshot now. There also was an update on the Waitress proshot which is going to be on PBS in November so hopefully I can watch with my antenna. I'm also jealous of you seeing Once Upon a Mattress with Sutton and Jordan Fisher in Hadestown. The video I saw of his Wait For Me is so good, and randomly I've been singing this song all week haha. I'm also curious about Oh Mary too since I just found out what it was about..lol.

I'm still interested in the SMASH musical and curious who they would cast. Is it going to Broadway next season cuz I think Megan Hilty is already going to be in another show lol. I also love season 2 songs and cuz of Jeremy but it makes sense if the musical is only season 1 so it tells a complete story cuz that's what the show was about but curious to see how they handle the show within a show thing and if they will add anything. Maybe I will do a rewatch before it comes to Broadway.

I also saw some clips of the Bonnie and Clyde proshot and am definitely excited to watch it. I listened to the Gatsby album and it made me miss Jeremy and his voice I guess and I've been nostalgic over Newsies too. I enjoyed Gatsby a lot when I first heard it but I think Jeremy sang my favorite or most memorable songs. The way that Jeremy describes it is a show that has a bit of everything and most things like big dance numbers and a Broadway sound that people think of when they think of Broadway. It seems like it's a spectacle kind of show and it's fine if people dislike it. Once I accepted what it was trying to be, I liked it a lot more and felt like it succeeded with that. Like it felt pretty similar to the Leo movie I guess and it reminds me a lot of Moulin Rouge too, with the music, movie, time period and tragic love story. I realize that is not the message of the book though. Someone said the songs almost sound like Disney songs and I kinda agree with that, at least the solos. His song is called For Her and singing Daisy over and over and I can't resist a song with a female name being sung which are usually my favorite and Jeremys vocals of course. . However I noticed the end of the song sounds almost exactly like the end of Why God Why from Miss Saigon lol..maybe cuz I've heard Jeremy sing that song though. My sister loved it too. It was funny after we listened to it, she said she couldn't even remember the plot or what happened and she read the book and I only saw the movie. I think the thing that's weird to me is how much people seem to ignore the musical even though it has two big Broadway stars but I guess they can do better too and I probably wouldn't like it as much if not for them. I think I liked it more than Water For Elephants though..which are kinda a similar story but that could be biased cuz of the actors. Like those songs had to grow on me and I liked Gatsby right away but now after a week I can't remember that much Gatsby songs either. But it was probably one of my favorite listens at least along with The Notebook and the Outsiders. It could just be cuz I was familiar with the stories though or maybe I just like musicals where the characters die lol. There was an interview where Jeremy was asked about dying on stage every night and how he also did that in Bonnie and Clyde haha and I always wonder how that would be. I did feel like they glossed over Gatsby's death and there was no emotion really but I think that's kinda the point and I'm also not seeing the full musical either to have an opinion. Anyway I know you already said you dislike it because its not like the book but these are just my thoughts. It's not really my favorite or something to get obsessed over unfortunately and part of me still wishes I kinda liked it more and that he had better songs..like it didn't reach it's full potential. I am however obsessed with the Outsiders now and I can't tell if you don't like that show either cuz you never said anything about it. It's fine to have different opinions but I don't wanna feel like I'm annoying or anything. I know this was long and I just never want you to think like..ugh I don't care and I hope you don't cuz I never think that reading your responses. Anyway I will send you another ask cuz this feels long already but I will respond later!

helloooo friend! you are totally fine! no pressure to respond soon; just know i'm always happy to hear from you! 🤍 how's your week going? i know how much you love 21p, so i'm super excited for you! i can't wait to hear about it from you!

i am seeing a lot of shows! i love to pack as much as i can whenever i'm going on a trip (whether that's new york, or anything at all) just to soak up every minute! but i am also one of those people who are always on the go. i used to be one of those people who were married to their calendars (i still am, actually) but i used to plan out every minute of my day. like every single minute. i also just love traveling! very sagittarius sun + capricorn rising of me, i guess. i'm really excited for stereophonic but i am very worried about the length (and about running from stereo to dinner to hadestown. luckily one of my friends is doing all of that with me because she loves me so at least we will be crazy (and crazy tired) together! i've seen a few plays; the play that goes wrong is one of my favorites (and i highly recommend it if you ever get the chance to see it). i almost fell asleep once during a three-act play (which is also what stereophonic is, so i am a little nervous about that), but in my defense that was the day of broadway flea and the show was not ... that exciting. anddddd i've seen a few plays locally that were pretty cool! i really do want to see more plays, and i think it's interesting that the shows i'm most interested in seeing this trip are plays. i wonder if it's something to do with how overly commercial the state of musicals on broadway is right now / how they're geared towards a very specific audience, vs. plays. i don't know if that makes sense; i definitely have more thoughts but my brain is kind of jumbled right now!

who would you cast in the smash musical if you could? i think it's interesting it's a smash musical and not bombshell (or hit list), and i wonder if they're going to focus more on one season (season 1?) over the other, just like you said. and yes! megan hilty is going to be in death becomes her — fun fact, megan hilty went to my rival high school! show within shows (and similarly, books within books) is one of my favorite genres; such as: the play that goes wrong, pippin, the drowsy chaperone, the starless sea, amelia unabridged, a novel love story, etc. i just think that concept is so so fun!

i've been very nostalgic over newsies lately (which i'm sure you've seen)! and i'm already prepared to be very much a waitress blogger from january - march of next year, haha. one of my best friends is visiting me from australia this winter and we're doing a short san francisco/san jose trip and seeing waitress at the san francisco playhouse, and then we're doing waitress regionally here in seattle in march!! i think the thing with gatsby is that i ... 1) am very disappointed as someone who knows the book very well, 2) am a lot more intrigued by the ART production, & 3) i think that the music is not ... my cup of tea, which is really disappointing, because i do like some of tysen & kerrigan's other stuff — i really liked tysen's work with tuck everlasting and also amélie, and kerrigan's the mad ones (prev titled: the unauthorized autobiography of samantha brown) as well as the songs on our first mistake, and kerrigan-lowdermilk: live & kerrigan-lowdermilk: live extras! which is also kind of how i felt about mean girls; i loveeeed legally blonde and thought the lyrics on mean girls just weren't very clever in the same way.

i think it's really interesting how much a cast can really affect a show! like what you said with eva and jeremy in gatsby, but also how the cast of the notebook really carries it — like maryann plunkett is just absolutely phenomenal (still think she should've won the tony), as is joy woods, and john cardoza (can't speak to dorian harewood since i didn't see him in chicago). and it makes me wonder, if these shows will still be successful once these casts leave! i am really intrigued in broadway as a business and how it works and so these are just things i like to ponder hehe!

i really need to listen to the outsiders! the problem is that i keep telling myself i should read the book and watch the movie first, and i just have not had time to do either yet 😭 !! i thought about seeing it on my trip but ended up going with other shows based on what my friends wanted to see & if one of my shows get cancelled or something i might try to see that instead! a few of my friends really like the musical and i'm really intrigued in the choreography and staging.

please don't ever feel like you're being annoying! i really genuinely love hearing from you (whether your asks are short or long) 🤍 sending you love and will reply to part two shortly!

[not-actually-human]

hi! do u have a favourite musical?or some shows that you've been liking recently? (I think Hadestown is probably my favourite) hope ur day is going well !

i adoreeeee hadestown! uh my top four musicals are into the woods, the mad ones, falsettos, and merrily we roll along. (in no particular order) ive been listening to the outsiders musical a lot this last week or so, mostly bc i enjoyed the tonys performance lmao. im a sucker for good choreo and lighting and set ^_^ i also just like that book, so it made me want to reread it

im gonna rant about the musicals under the cut, feel free to ignore :)

into the woods: i love love LOVE a fairytale retelling, and into the woods does it wonderfully. i love the contrast between act i and act ii, and i watch the 1989 production like once a month. (do not speak to me of the movie. we dont talk about that. ugh) its an amazing comedy/tragedy combo and just. the score and lyrics are sooooooo. sondheim is amazing

the mad ones: small casts my BELOVED!!! listen as someone named sam who is terrified of driving. this musical is a little too relatable lmaoo. the way sams grief is portrayed is beautiful and makes me cry all the time. sam and kellys friendship is so fascinating to me and i love them. also the ending is just. phenomenal

falsettos: cant get into it. ill be here for hours.

merrily we roll along: sondheim once again knocks it out of the park !! whose surprised ? no one! yeah. charley and mary and frank (SPECIFICALLY MARY. mary flynn the woman you are ..) all make me feel physically ill. also the score is fantastic and i listen to bobby and jackie and jack to wake up in the morning. good thing going is beautiful and i adore the way that songs woven through the show :)

ty so much for asking :)

[bookenders]

21 Questions Tag Game

I was tagged my a TON of people, most recently @aslanwrites, @pinespittinink, and @timefirewrites! Dang, y’all, you really wanna get to know me, huh?

I did one of these a while ago, but I’d like to think I’ve changed a little bit since then.

Bilbo Taggins: @jcckwrites, @immawritethat, @ink-flavored, @brokenflashbackgypsy, @otters-holding-hands, @battlestargalaska, @ofinscriptions, @c-ambrosewrites, @chrysanthos-writes, @clarissalopeswriter, @dreadwvlfscript

Nickname: The only ones I have are the ones my family uses. And most of them are loving insults.

Zodiac sign: Taurus

Height: 5′5.3″ 

Hogwarts house: Ravenclaw

Last thing googled: ***** residence hall floor plans  (Time for grad school! Eek!)

Favorite musicians: Most Broadway actors, Anais Mitchell, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Janelle Monae, Rush, Angels & Airwaves, grandson, Go! Child, Foo Fighters, Starkid Productions, Howard Shore, AC/DC, Yes, , Triumph, Duran Duran, Donna Summers, Joan Stafford, Ella Fitzgerald... my taste is wide and varied.

Song stuck in head: “The Wedding Song” from Hadestown has been in my brain for months.

Following: Around 400

Followers: ~850!

Do I get asks: I do! And I love gettin’ ‘em! Send me more! Most of my recent ones have been writing prompts, and I participate in most Storyteller Saturdays.

Amount of sleep: About 7hrs a night on average. In school, closer to 6.

Lucky number: 26 is good. 

Wearing: Sweat pants, fuzzy socks, an old tank top, and a bracelet made out of recycled plastic found in the ocean. It’s cozy time.

Dream job: Writing would be nice, but editing would be better. My current career path is looking pretty snazzy, too!

Dream trip: Weta Workshop and LotR tour in NZ, going back to Scotland during the Fringe (I performed there a few years ago!), Norway during prime space-watching times.

Instruments: I was forced to learn the clarinet, violin, and drums in grade school. I was in choir in 8th grade, so vocals. I know 1.4 songs on the acoustic guitar. 

Languages: English (native), Spanish (meager), Italian (2yrs in university, so somewhat conversational). I know lots of different words in phrases in a bunch of languages, though. Accents are my party trick.

Favorite songs: Right now? Hm. The Hadestown album. “Dance Apocalyptic” by Janelle Monae. I will jam out to any Rush song I hear. “Bury Me Face Down” by grandson. “Just a Little Bit” by Kids Of 88. “Radio Ga Ga” by Queen. And I’m always up to sing along to the Cantata Pansophical’s Vox Machina: An Exandrian Musical album.

Random fact: I love big mugs and I cannot lie.

Aesthetic: The chill English teacher you had for one year and keep visiting at lunch time every year after, a Jeep with no doors and a “whales are pretty neat” bumper sticker, a stack of books and loose papers perched precariously on the corner of a crowded desk, the low whir of a gaming console powering up, the best pen to write with, the coziest cardigan you own.

[ravencromwell]

there were so many times, searching for a line, verse, or chorus, when I felt like I was “banging my head against a wall,” and I used to describe it like that.

....

The head-banging attitude was: the line was “wrong, wrong, wrong . . .” until it was “right.” As if the right thing was the only one that mattered.

But looking back on these old drafts and even the orphans, I see that writing is more like gardening. You’re raking around in the dirt, pulling up weeds. Flowers you love and find beautiful die on you. But not for nothing; they go back into the soil, and they nourish it. It’s the act of raking that prepares the ground, and it’s the seeds of those dead beautiful flowers that replant themselves in it and eventually come up right. The “right” thing could not exist without the “wrong” ones.

--Working On A Song: The Lyrics of Hadestown

[helenaredamancy]

man i love musicals and here's why

high quality live all ive ever known? their voices blend so well <33 "i knew you before we met, and i don't even know you yet" LYRICISM!!! (hadestown)

el tango de roxanne boston closing night snippet? aaron tveit is so talented??? the boston closing night roxanne is extra intense and its amazing (moulin rouge the musical)

MJ RODRIGUEZ AND GEORGE SALAZAR?? SINGING SUDDENLY SEYMOUR?? GORGEOUS. trans audrey is so cool and adds such an awesome new depth to her character (little shop of horrors)

it'd be illegal for me not to mention gavin creel and aaron tveit going at it w/ take me or leave me - they're iconic (rent)

jason michael snow and nick adams making the gaston/le fou (b)romance no longer subtextual (beauty & the beast)

the dead mom demo is so raw and i kinda prefer it , sophia anne caruso's voice is so unique and it fits SO well (beetlejuice)

this is what i listened to on repeat when my best friend ghosted me,, george salazars acting is on point and the riffs are pretty. he should've won a tony for this lowkey (be more chill)

christian borle in the white house doing this (well deserved tony i love the man) (something rotten)

speaking of christian borle in something rotten, here you go

aaron tveit+ hallelujah? this man is pretty and his voice is pretty (hallelujah)

yall jeremy jordan+florence and the machine

honorable mentions:

schmigadoon counts i think so here's danny bailey malewife, like ONE DAY after singing a dramatic number called "you can't tame me" (scmigadoon)

the moulin rouge olympics figure skating performance. you know the one.

someone make jjordan elphaba and aaron tveit glinda in miscast sometime PLEASE

[omniuravity]

Update: Semi-Serious Opinion on How I Feel About Tony Award-Winning Musicals

Best Musical:

Hadestown (2019): I still love this musical, and I actually get to see it for my birthday! I really like the music more than anything, because I'm a sucker for beautiful harmonies, and I also love how they tell the story.

Hamilton (2016): Low-key the very first musical I ever got into. It's always been a favorite (even though it is also overplayed) and I love both the ethnic diversity in the cast, the music, and the storytelling. It's everything a musical should aspire to be.

Hairspray (2003): In my opinion, Hairspray is a celebration of life in general. There is so much diversity in this musical and I love it. Even though if I auditioned for this musical I'd probably get cast as Penny or Amber, I wouldn't be mad because I love this musical that much.

Best Musical Revival:

Chicago (1997): Chicago is absolutely magnificent. I love every single song in this musical, and that isn't something I can say for even some of my favorite musicals.

Best Original Score:

Fiddler on the Roof (1965): Okay, this musical got 8 Tony Awards in 1965 and for good reason too. They got Best Musical, Best Producer, Best Leading Actor, Best Featured Actress, Best Director, Best Author, Best Choreography, and Best Costume Design. It is that good.

Sweeney Todd (1979): This is actually a very good horror musical. It sticks very well to the source material (the book), and the movie adaptation is phenomenal despite the minimal singing experience of the main cast. This musical is very very good.

Best Choreography:

Bye Bye Birdie (1961): It had Dick Van Dyke in the lead role, are you really that surprised? I was actually in this musical in middle school, I was in a barbershop quartet (despite me being a girl). It is a really good musical, and I'm proud to say I was a part of it.

Newsies (2012): Again...are you surprised. Newsies has a very special place in my heart, because I just love everything about it from the set design to the dancing, to the amazing dialogue, to the costume design, and especially the music. Definitely the music.

Best Scenic Design:

The Sound of Music (1960): This musical also has a special place in my heart for one reason alone, the music. Maria has been played by a lot of wonderful actresses, but my favorites are Mary Martin and Julie Andrews. I just love everything about this musical, but its music has a very special place in my heart.

Spongebob Squarepants (2018): Okay, but hear me out...it's a good musical. I grew up when Spongebob was in its prime, and the musical brought me back to when I was younger and I would sit in front of the TV after school and watch Spongebob. This musical has so many great character moments and they do such a great job on the set design in particular.

Best Costume Design:

Shrek The Musical (2009): They're not wrong. Shrek's costume design is that good. I really like this musical anyway, but the costuming is phenomenal.

Best Leading Actor:

The Phantom of the Opera (1988): Andrew Lloyd Webber is a genius...nuff said. Also, Michael Crawford is a God.

Hairspray (2003)...again: This goes out to more the actor in particular that won this award, Harvey Fierstein. He won this award for playing Edna Turnblad, and he absolutely killed it.

Best Leading Actress:

Peter Pan (1955): This is my love letter to Mary Martin who played Peter Pan, and also got the same award for playing Maria in The Sound of Music. Mary Martin is the woman that made me want to go into musical theatre, on top of that she grew up where I grew up, and now I am working hard to become like her one day.

Wicked (2003): I know it didn't win best musical the year it was put on Broadway, but I need to talk about it. This summer I saw it live and it was an experience I will never forget. It is truly an astounding musical even just listening to the soundtrack, and seeing it live gives it a depth that you couldn't imagine. Also Idina Menzel is a goddess, and she is also part of the reason I want to go into musical theatre.

[lowcountry-gothic]

I’ve finally started listening to the Broadway musical version of Hadestown. There are a lot more differences than I expected, including several entirely new songs, and a couple of original songs missing. (I can’t believe they cut “Our Lady of the Underground”! Apparently they didn’t and I just overlooked it on the track list. 😅)

But the most obvious differences are the singers. I like the ones in the musical, although they all seem to be missing something. Eurydice is definitely my favorite. Eva Noblezada is amazing. The most jarring change is Orpheus, who went from quiet and understated in the original album to broad and performative in the musical. It takes some getting used to, though I like Reeve Carney. It’s a different take, but a very fitting one.

The voice I most miss is Greg Brown as Hades. Patrick Page comes off as smooth, privileged, corporate, and wealthy elite, which is very fitting for the world and setting. But his voice is missing the sizzling seductiveness and the slight off-kilter skew that made Brown’s Hades feel so predatory. There’s also something lost when Hermes sheds his seedy, liminal, hobo/con man persona from the original and becomes instead just a slick narrator in the musical. 

The music in the musical also feels a bit tamer, although somehow also more spontaneous. Not sure how that’s true, but it somehow feels like it is. Where are all the harmonicas?

If it sounds like I’m complaining, I don’t mean to. Hadestown in any incarnation is soooooo good, and this is just the expected period of adjustment that anyone would have to go through, including if you’d first heard the musical and only then started listening to the original album.

If you know nothing about Hadestown, you have to hear it, in whatever version. It’s a musical developed by Anais Mitchell and tells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in a setting that’s either post-apocalyptic, Depression Era, or Gilded Age. The original album features voices like Ani DiFranco (Persephone), Justin Vernon of Bon Iver (Orpheus), and Ben Knox Miller of The Low Anthem (Hermes). It deals with themes of poverty, xenophobia, and the greed of corporations and the rich, but at its core it’s a simple story about the power of love to pierce “even the hardest of hearts.”

[tick-tick-moo]

Hey Moo, got any musical recommendations you can give me?

I've watched/listened to:

-Hamilton

-Les Mis

-In the Heights

-Come from away

-Dear Evan Hansen

-Into the Woods

Ooo I'm on a bit of a musical listening spree myself! I love what you've got so far! I've got plenty for ya, I'm flattered you have trust in my musical taste 😁 (it got a little long lol)

- Hadestown: This one is one of the newer and more popular ones, but it is amazing! Relevant to a lot of modern themes of climate change, working class disparity, and politics. (plus the only thing more genius than the lyrics is the music, it's awesome)

- The Six: Also new and popular, but I have to mention it. Cool retelling of an old story. The ending is weird and I don't particularly like it but it is still good music. It's got ups and downs, as musicals do, and it's generally a feel-good musical.

- Bridgerton: The Unofficial Musical(yes, the tik tok one): This musical is actually amazing, the music itself is amazing and I can totally imagine it going onto an actual stage. You don't need to have watched the show to understand it but I'd recommend reading a summary beforehand to understand who's who.

-(for Halloween) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: Amazing musical, very disturbing. Cannibalism is involved but the story is cool and the music is cooler. This is another long one.

- The Sound of Music: A CLASSIC and a great feel good musical. Not Broadway, I think the movie is on Disney Plus, but its long and old fashioned so if you don't feel like sitting through it, just listening to the soundtrack is all right!

- RENT: The story is def wack but this is another awesome musical. I like it more for the music itself than the story. And pretty groundbreaking considering it was brought contemporary music to Broadway. There is a filmed version on YT if you wanna watch it.

- Wicked: Another awesome musical. Full disclosure, I've only made it about halfway through so I can't vouch for the ending yet but everything so far is awesome and I've heard a lot of good things.

- Phantom of the Opera: Another classic. The music is out of this world and there have been a few movies so hopefully it's more accessible if you want to watch. I love this musical so much.

- Tick, Tick... BOOM!: If you want to listen to it ahead of the movie release. The musical cast recording is also on YT and it is awesome(fun fact, this is one of my favorite musicals).

- A Chorus Line: THIS ONE IS HILARIOUS, its relatable in the stupidest ways possible. Another one that I've yet to finish though, but I have listened to the finale already and am very excited to finish listening through it.

- West Side Story: Another classic! You've probably heard of it, it's awesome. The movie is older and I have some problems with the plot but overall its touching. It gets cheesy and the make up is terrible in the movie but music is awesome and the story is cool.

- Newsies: Movie also on Disney Plus, this is a fun and sad one. I haven't listened to all of it yet but I'm working on it hehe.

- 21 Chump Street: Ok, this was only performed once and it's a one act with, like, six songs but its super catchy and it's a LMM one. It's only 14 min and its on YT!

- Little Shop of Horrors: The title lives up to its same. The music is fun and its kinda too weird to take the murder seriously(yeah, murder btw). Overall fun musical but it is certainly a ride!

Some that I haven't listened to/have only heard one song of but have good things about/more classics/are on my 'listen to' list: Sunday in the Park with George, Fiddler on the Roof, Once on This Island, Miss Saigon, Oklahoma!, Company, and the Tina Turner Musical.

These are mostly really popular or older ones, so you've probably heard of most of them but they are all worth a listen! There's prolly a bunch more that I'm disgracing by forgetting to mention them but oh well!!

Thank you for asking and stop by anytime 😁

[imagin8]

So I listened to the "Hadestown" Soundtrack for the first time and OH MY GOD IT'S AMAZING!! as soon as the pandemic is over I want to go see for myself. 😊

The musical also gave me major Stonegrot vibes, don't ask me why it just did. The song 'wait for me' definitely sealed it for me. Like imagine like imagine that song playing while he's looking for Deet in the woods, and the intense music near the end is just *chef's kiss*.

Go listen to the soundtrack if you haven't its really good.

[itskyleeyo]

hadestown brain dump (songs)

SPOILERS FOR HADESTOWN/THE STORY OF ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE

ok so it may have been more than a few days, but what're you gonna do about it?

so i wanted to do another brain dump, and i wanted to listen to hadestown, so i'm doing a song by song brain dump as i go along. this means that my thoughts are going to be even more stream-of-consciousness style (if that's even possible.) also i'm talking specifically about the original broadway cast recording bc i haven't listened to any other version. (also this was completed across multiple months so it is even more chaotic lmao).

also i highly recommend that you listen to the musical and/or pull up the lyrics as you go along! enjoy!

road to hell. the way andre brings in the chorus is flawless please. also the way that hermes is both a narrator and a character in the story he's narrating? beautiful. "the king of the mine." he sounds so nice here for some reason. also love his self-introduction "maybe it will turn out this time" no it won't but thank you for trying. also breaking the fourth wall to acknowledge the chorus and crew is so nice, here comes reeve ;) mans sounds like an angel. you can hear amber's voice stick out of the chorus and i literally love it so much. i'd die for amber gray but we'll get to that later.

any way the wind blows. the fates literally sound so perfect together. Eva's intro throws me off every time, she sounds so pretty. dear god the harmonies with the fates hit so different. can this cast please narrate my life? there's the wind comparisons ;D the "ooos" are so good. "and it ain't because i'm kind" idk i just like how andre sounds here. oh and the funny behind "so i took him underneath my wing" because hermes has wings on his helmet and shoes.

come home with me. orpheus is so oblivious but i love it. also eurydice is literally such a mood. the wordplay with "come again". the "oh, he's crazy" is my favorite part of the whole song. also eva's voice acting is so good.

wedding song. the way she says "lover"? my ass cannot handle this. eva sounds so smug in the beginning of this song and i love it. "sing the song ;)" eurydice is so fantastic. the chorus of "la" is so pretty. eva joining in during the end is just. so perfect.

epic i. hell yeah introduce the king and queen (both literally and figuratively). reeve's falsetto <3 the way orpheus looks to hermes for approval throughout the musical. hermes narrating over orpheus singing.

livin' it up on top. HELL YES THE QUEEN HAS ARRIVED. i love amber gray so much. the gravel and the rasp. please step on me. also i love the idea of persephone being the wine aunt, especially because media usually portrays her as soft and breakable. the way she says "haaard". the way the music gets more upbeat and energetic when hermes says "the world came back to liiife!" the instrumental/dance? break is so good. please kill me with that trumpet good sir. the leadup to when amber starts singing again. orpheus really knows how to give a speech. "i will ;)" amber please step on me i am not joking.

all i've ever known (intro). thank you for the intro king. the music is so pretty. the way it picks up with the piano part <3

all i've ever known. eva sounds so pretty dear god. yay more wind references! the wordplay with "hold". and also the references to hot and cold throughout the musical. "i don't wanna ever have to let you go." lol ironic because she ends up going with hades. "i knew you before we met, and i don't even know you yet." the fucking wordplay. like holy shit. the "love at first sight" feelings. this line gets me every damn time. the wordplay from 2:10 - 2:38 is so fucking incredible. i lose it every time istg. the instrumental portion is so pretty. the wind! "we'll always be like this" i fucking love irony so much. its so underrated and adds so many layers to the story.

way down hadestown. amber gray. that's it. "you either get to hell or to hadestown, ain't no difference anymore". i fucking love this line so much. not really sure why but the delivery is perfect. also the whole thing with it being a train? i love that so much. all the allusions and comparisons they can make are fantastic. more amber gray appreciation. and ofc. the fates. more fantastic instrumental breaks. "and you better forget about your wishing well." this line is so good but so sad because its literally persephone saying that "hey, fair warning, life is shit down there" and i feel bad for her. like the way she's super sassy and shit, but just stops singing when hades gets there, you can tell that she's definitely not ok. speaking of hades, holy shit patrick page. sounds so fucking fantastic. thank you for existing good sir. eva with the breathtaking single lines. and eva's voice standing out when she sings "ground".

a gathering storm. the constant references to weather and nature throughout the whole musical. eurydice with the common sense. the wind again! "did you hear me, orpheus?" he did not, in fact, hear her.

epic ii. the different names for hades in each epic make me so happy. hades thoughts: "i think my wife might not come back cause i'm super controlling. whatever shall i do? oh, i know! be even more controlling!" lmao dumbass motherfucker. that might not work out so well. i fucking love the transition into "chant" so much.

chant. this is one of my favorite songs from the musical. the wordplay within the entire song is so fucking fantastic. hades singing about desire and then orpheus singing the "song of love" was definitely done on purpose and i'm living for it. every single one of eva's lines make me emotional. ma'am why are you good at everything?? the band! more weather references! patrick page singing "lover" hits different. orpheus singing about hades and persephone being blind and deaf. lmao irony because he's not paying attention to anything around him. the wind! weather! "the song of love" is what brought orpheus and eurydice together, but orpheus' devotion to finishing it is what drives eurydice to hades. "did you think i'd be impressed" i was right ;) it didn't work out so well.

hey, little songbird. the strings <3 patrick page is a god (lol i'm so funny). how does he manage to make manipulation sound so good? bird references! the vocal contrast! eva's voice has this kind of "innocence" to it. especially compared to patrick. not sure if that's on purpose or not, but i love it. also the low note kills me every time. the octave jumps between patrick and eva's voices is just. ugh. and also eva's entire second verse is so fucking good. the emotion she portrays in her voice is so spectacular. seriously hades with the manipulation is so interesting and its so good. (manipulation is not a good thing i just mean that its done so well in the show. do not manipulate people!)

when the chips are down (intro). "your ticket ;)" yes pls sir i'll take a ticket cause life sucks ass.

when the chips are down. i fucking love the fates dear god. gambling references! eva has literally one line and still owns my heart. the band! "shoot to kill" sounds so good like i love it so much pls. also this fucking line "cast your eyes to heaven, you get a knife in the back" is so good. i'm gonna have to get into quite a few lines throughout the musical in a different brain dump because i have so much thought.

gone, i'm gone. darling eurydice. its not your fault that you're starving stop apologizing. "talk of sin" lol she do be going to hell. that's funny. the harmonies.

wait for me (intro). the piano. heremes trying to change the subject hurts my heart. and orpheus' reaction is so sad please. "no.." just rip my fucking heart out, why don't you?

wait for me. the transition. andre coming in clutch with the narration. reeve sounds wonderful, as always. the fucking fates. just kill me already. they literally sound so good. the strings' build up between the "la"s. the chorus. the buildup at the end.

why we build the wall. the total 180 in the vibes. call and response has a special pace in my heart. mr page killing it again. god, hades is such a piece of shit and its perfect. he really is a master manipulator. fuck capitalism. the chorus sounds so good. i want to platonically smooch all of them. jesus fucking christ burn capitalism to the ground. the end is amazing. also the not-so-subtle references to slavery/forced labor.

why we build the wall (outro). i'd die for andre. "anybody want a drink?" yes ma'am. yes please. (don't drink, kids) i love you so much.

our lady of the underground. its so jazzy! jesus fucking christ. oh my fucking god. i would literally sell my soul for amber gray. what did we ever do to deserve her? god the raspiness fucking kills me. also love that she breaks the fourth wall to acknowledge the band. when she comes back in after the instrumental break? consider me dead. "what the boss don't know, the boss won't mind" she sounds so good here. also i love that she straight up doesn't give a fuck about hades here.

way down hadestown (reprise). hell yeah i love reprises. the fates. andre. the chorus. i love them all. i'm such a whore for reoccurring lyrics. the strings! fuck capitalism! eva's emotions are just so fucking good. "you've already forgot?" holy shit. this shit hurted. the "ahh ooh"s are so good.

flowers. the intro <3. eva sounds so pretty. the fucking symbolism in this song is incredible. i'm gonna get into this in another brain dump bc it's a very sensitive topic. the fact that she can't actually fully remember orpheus makes me so sad. so pretty <3

come home with me (reprise). hell yeah another reprise. the way the music is much more upbeat when orpheus shows up. their excitement! eva's vocal emotions are literally so fantastic pls.

papers (intro). "young mannn" kill me patrick. train references! hell yeah persephone. the way andre gets louder when he says "raised up his voice." eva <3. reeve just always sounds so pretty. ohmygod the laugh. kill me good sir. mans straight up admits to owning people and is like "it's cool tho cause they signed a piece of paper. def not taking advantage of people that are literally starving or anything. it's fine." fuck you hades. go step on a fucking lego. orpheus is so sad :(

papers (instrumental). yes. sounds so good. i'm imagining an epic chase scene. the transition into nothing changes <3

nothing changes. respectfully? the fates could kill me any day and i'd thank them. the weather reference! that "anyhow" is so fucking good istg.

if it's true. another one of my favorites. pop off intro. the broken "is this how the world is?" sadly, yes. "but everybody knows that walls have ears." is literally such a powerful line to me for some reason. it does a great job of bringing in the chorus. and by calling the workers "walls" it shows that hades views them as "less than." they aren't even referred to as people. "what's the use of his backbone if he never stands upright." oh my god. because they literally cannot stand upright. anais mitchell is literally a fucking genius. fuck the 1%. gambling references! the chorus backing him is just so pretty. the way orpheus looks to the chorus for advice and support. "we're standing." ugh its so good.

how long. oh my fucking god. amber fucking gray. (that's it, that's the post). the way she sounds resigned/disappointed when she says "i've had enough" makes me so sad. there are no words to describe how i feel about 0:25 - 0:41. like their relationship is strained, and super mega fucked up, but it's obvious that they still care about one another. the emotion in their voices throughout this song is fantastic. the play on light and dark. also more bird references! how they view themselves/their self importance. hades is a most importantly king. persephone is most importantly a wife. it really show that hades views power as more important than anything else. "nothing comes of the songs people sing." holy fucking shit. cause their song is the "song of love," but they can barely stand each other and their relationship has fallen apart. persephone commenting on his love of power over his love of her. amber's voice during "the earth must die" is so nice and for what? god i love her. they sound so nice together <3

chant (reprise). another favorite hehe. the strings! it's all just so pretty. when the piano comes in i die a little. the self realization coming from the chorus when they're like "oh shit, this is wrong. i don't deserve to be treated like this." is so fucking fantastic. the "young mannn" again! hades really be like "manipulate her! make her depend on you financially! i've been ding this a while kid! i know how to successfully control women!" reeve sounds so pretty pls. the way that eurydice has basically become part of the chorus (since she's just another worker now). more self realization! the different ways that hades and orpheus view the "song of love." "sing before i kill you so i can use it to manipulate my wife and make her feel like shit." patrick's voice tho.

epic iii. reeve coming in with that falsetto like nobody's business. orpheus really about to bite you in the ass with your own damn song. amber gray <3. the "ooo"s in the background. the way the music picks up when reeve gets to the "la"s. it's just so fucking good. that falsetto again. orpheus really looked at the king of hell, a literal god, and said "i want to ruin him psychologically" and it fucking worked. which is some of my favorite irony because hades wouldn't have shit if it weren't for that fact that he's a good manipulator and takes advantage of the needy. that last line <3

epic iii (instrumental). i have no words for how fucking beautiful this is. i so desperately want an extended version. like for real love this so much. if i get married, i want this to be the song for the first dance.

promises. eurydice is so proud of him for finishing. the way that eurydice realized that she cares about him more that material objects. wind and weather references! "if we can do it so can they!" she sounds so excited. :( "hand-in-hand" lol nope. not them refencing wedding song, anyway the wind blows, and then giving their "i do"s. absolutely heart wrenching.

word to the wise. the fates. pls step on me ladies. the lyrics throughout this are so fucking good. lol hades being damned. cause he's the king of hell. honestly its solid advice tho. humans are really fucking stupid.

his kiss, the riot. give us them adjectives king. " how dare people want rights! >:(" hades is really trying to make himself the good guy rn. the music! 2:15 - 3:03 is so good pls. the lyrics are just so spectacular.

wait for me (reprise) (intro). hello again andre! hermes literally says "he's trying to psych you out and manipulate you. he wants you to doubt everything" and orpheus says "are you sure tho?" and then procedes to doubt everything. the way the music changes is <3. the song transition.

wait for me (reprise). my absolute fucking favorite song in this musical. the first fucking lyric is so good. it really sets an expectation for the song and i am not disappointed. lyrics that talk about how fucked up any single person's brain is are so fucking cool to me. god i love this song. how soft the first set of "wait for me"s are. the support/pressure from the chorus. the entire exchange between hades and persephone. the way amber's voice sticks out of the chorus. the fates coming in clutch again. train references! more brain talk! amber gray please end me. eva sounds so pretty. and the final note is so good!

doubt comes in. the long intro that builds up suspense. the first time that orpheus's "la"s aren't echoed by the chorus/music. wind! weather! the fates sound so pretty like always. reeve genuinely sounds so scared. the way the music picks up and the chorus joins in when eurydice starts singing. the music is so unsettling and i love it. god i love his voice. 3:44 - 3:57 always hits so different. you realize just how much she means to him. how it all goes to shit when the music reaches the climax. the fact that the music clashes on purpose. the sadness in their voices.

road to hell (reprise). it all comes full circle. god andre sounds so sad. the way you come to really hear the lyrics because there's no upbeat music to distract you this time, "its a tragedy" lol because the actual written story is a tragedy. "i learned that from a friend of mine" poor orpheus :(. the way the chorus slowly joins in and the music slowly picks up. the "can you feel it" is literally so fucking powerful. fuck yes amber. fuck it up queen. amber and eva sound so nice together. the "its a love song, its a sad song" is so sad. the final lyric is just. ugh.

we raise our cups. yes pls amber. this song is so pretty. good night queen.

[beebleboosuwu]

Alright.

There are a lot of conflicting emotions about having The Music Man kicking out Beetlejuice from the Winter Garden. Although I am bitter that one of my favourite musicals is being replaced in favour of money and two big names is just.. not sitting right, but I am open to everything and trying to look at everything with open eyes and an unbiased opinion.

Did Will Blum’s influence this a little? Yes.

Was the post a little unsound and unprofessional? I think so but it brought up some great points.

Yes, I agree. The fact that you are selling a name instead of a GREAT show is disrespect to the source material. Hugh Jackman is an awesome guy and his tenure as the Boy From Oz is forever embedded into Broadway his(her)story as being a stepping stone for Hugh’s career. Also you have Broadway star, Sutton Foster, another big name who, if you are a theatre lover, can’t help but fawn and scream in excitement.

We all know and love Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine/James Howlett/ Logan, that’s what people associate him as such. Fun fact he played that role from 2000-2018. Wolverine is known to be big, all muscle and raw strength, but in the theatre world we know him as a musical theatre actor. Jackman first claim to  international's fame was in 1999 when he played the leading man, Curly McLain, in the film adaptation of Oklahoma! He played the titular character Peter Allen in Boy from Oz in 2004 which he won a Tony for and Jean Valjean in the film adaptation of Les Miserables in 2012 while that wasn't the best adaptation of that musical, they did include Broadway and West End actors which was awesome! And lastly the most recent entry musical/film role was P.T Barnum in The Greatest Showman, Jackman went on tour last year singing songs from The Greatest Showman and some other songs from other musicals he previously worked in. He is an amazing vocalist, actor and dancer. His performance in Boy From Oz says as such in a review by Charles Isherwood: praising Jackman but panned the show: "Jackman is giving a vital and engaging performance in this pitifully flimsy musical almost in spite of the material he’s been handed. It’s a sad waste of an exciting talent." I’m pumped.

Sutton Foster is a Broadway actress that is well known for her two-time Tony award winning performance as Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie. She has also roles from other shows such as: Chess, Funny Girl, Les Miserables, Anything Goes, Grease and MANY more. I knew her best as Reno Sweeney from Anything Goes, her vocals are nothing but extraordinary and her acting is nothing to sleep on, she is an excellent dancer and I cannot help to try and recreate in my bedroom when I’m alone. You can say all you want about her, but she is one of the Broadway actresses I know from the top of my head, alongside Patti LuPone, Sierra Boggess and Liza Minelli. She is also the younger sister of Hunter Foster of Little Shop of Horrors and Urinetown fame. Foster is going to be amazing as Jackman's partner in the upcoming production and honestly as a fan, I am so excited! 

They are both triple threats but.. no one knows a lot about the Music Man. It is a classic and has been around since the late 50′s.

Broadway, coming into the new decade of 2020, is becoming more MODERN. All these new musicals that have come out during this past decade might not have made it to Broadway but they are more aligned with the changing times and modern settings. Though there are musicals based on films from the 80′s that reach out to that generation and reintroduce them into that mind space they were in back in the day.

American Idiot, great musical, angsty music but has that throwback niche to that rebellious stage some, or not most, of us went through in the 2000′s.

Elf, that also starred Will Blum at one point, is fan service to those who love the holiday season and those who loved the film that came out in 2003. I haven't listened to it yet BUT I WILL EVENTUALLY.

Heathers, we all love the Heathers. Also Winona Ryder, who played Lydia Deetz in the 1988 Beetlejuice film, starred as Veronica Sawyer. Like Elf, IT BRINGS INTEREST TO THAT GENERATION SO THEY COULD BUY TICKETS TO THIS SHOW THAT WAS BASED ON A FILM THEY WATCHED AS TEENS. Also can we just forget about the horrible rendition of Candy Store done by the cast of Riverdale? That never happened. NEVER. HAPPENED.

Beetlejuice, Come From Away, Ghost, Once, Book of Mormon, Finding Neverland, Newsies, Kinky Boots, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Big Fish, 21 Chump Street, Amélie, Be More Chill, Hamilton, Head Over Heels, Lazarus, School of Rock, Something Rotten!, Tuck Everlasting, Waitress, Anastasia, Hadestown, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Prom, Ain’t Too Proud, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Frozen, Mean Girls, Six, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, The Lightning Thief, Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge!, The Cher Show, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, & Juliet, Mrs. Doubtfire.

These are SOME of the MANY shows that came out this decade!

Some musicals are entirely satirical so that was a niche for audiences who love the weird and messed up humour, some musicals are named after the films or shows they were based off of. So old audiences can take interest into coming to Broadway, okay I get that because again, nostalgia, some are entirely original or had little to no source material! Some are based around history, some about civil rights issues and some of them are jukebox musicals that appeal to people who like those artists.

Broadway has always been conservative and prefers to play it safe when it comes to opening a new productions and the dominant audiences have been older and more traditional. So that stereotypical Broadway show people think of is just that, the lead character getting their “want song” in, a lot of dancing, internal or external conflict that ultimately gets resolved with cheerful songs and set pieces. Although newer audiences want those boundary pushing shows so CAN get introduced to musicals like the Music Man, it means nothing if they were never introduced to the strange and unusual first. Everyone wants to advance to find that next big thing but they can’t do that when it is all safe but we did get some of them with Cats, Beetlejuice, Carrie, Matilda The Addams Family and more.

I totally get the interest of bringing back a musical that hasn’t been on Broadway for 20 years (last performance was in 2000) and it is a great way to reintroduce an old piece back into the world again, but it was at the expense of new artists making their Broadway dream a reality. The decision to evict, not close, evict Beetlejuice from the Winter Garden was a big mistake by the Schubert Organization. The Schubert Organization is one of the biggest landlord of theatres in New York, they at least own 17 Broadway theatres. Here’s the reason why they’re so successful:

They don’t keep shows that don't bring the cold hard cash. It’s show business, it has always been about the business and never about the show. As much as we could scream and shout to keep Beetlejuice in the Winter Garden all we want, it is unfortunately their decision to keep them or boot them out. We all know that productions have to be approved by a theatre organization so that production can be leant one of their many theatres, they show also had to keep up a total of sales from tickets above that number per week. As all of you know, that’s what happened with Beetlejuice. Ticket sales dried up and fell way below the amount. There was talk around the theatre community that a production of the Music Man was in the works with Hugh Jackman as the lead. So... they saw Beetlejuice as dead weight and sought out to cash in on Hugh Jackman’s name and fame.

There was a lot of problems from the show but most of their problems came from the critics. Mixed reviews was all the show got but the biggest blows came from the New York Times and Ben Brantley saying that the show never came to that same conclusion of home and belonging like other Broadway shows. This killed their ticket sales cause everyone goes through those reviews before they see a show. However that’s the thing, Beetlejuice never wanted that. The entire creative team and the cast knew that what they had was entirely unconventional, like it was their way sticking of the middle finger at the word conventional.

There's no doubt that the Music Man, Hugh Jackman, Sutton Foster and the cast and creative team will be amazing at the Winter Garden and it is highly unfortunate that the eviction of Beetlejuice was done for the sake of financial greed. I’m glad they were only evicted and not closed, the show IS still on and the public demand for the show is high. I know a lot of us hate the decision but what could you do? It’s all about the business aspect of Broadway and never the show.

Even though Beetlejuice had its problems with its opening following the Harvey Weinstein controversy, having the Music Man revival during this time of political conflict is a little awkward. Let’s trade a sexual, murderous demon for a eulogized conman.. that seems right.

I’m sure the show will be fantastic but the circumstances leading up to the opening is shady and not shining a good light for the Schubert Organization but lets not hate the actors and the creative team of the Music Man, they didn't do anything wrong. Instead, point that dislike to corporate greed, but is okay. The show is not closed and is only evicted from the theatre. Eventually they will find a new theatre on or off Broadway for everyone’s enjoyment again! Also that National Tour is coming up in Fall 2021 I believe, I personally can’t just fly to New York but I will be watching the National Tour if it does roll by where I live.

Keep safe my friends 💚🤍🖤

[khaleesiofalicante]

I would like to submit Come to Me by the GooGoo Dolls as the ultimate Herongraystairs song.

Also, as far as song recs go, Starry Night from Starry the Musical is great, as is the whole album, and Chant III from the Hadestown live recording is amazing, in all of its’ many variations.

Come to Me is such a pretty song - like herongraystairs!!

I’ve listened to Starry Night! It’s underrated :(